Living Ministries

Look out over the world today. Pain, conflict, and uncertainty dominate the headlines. Our daily lives are noisy and chaotic - filled with too much information and too little wisdom. No wonder we often find it easier to retreat into safe spaces, hunker down in likeminded tribes, and just do our best to survive life. But what if God wants you to do more than simply survive? What if he wants you to thrive in this world and be part of its redemption? What if you could rediscover the beauty and goodness God established in the beginning? By learning the lost art of discernment, you can.

Duck Dynasty stars Al and Lisa Robertson were desperate for their love to survive - and with God's help, they realized the only answer to marital and family betrayal is all-consuming, life-altering, desperate forgiveness. In their new book, they share this message with anyone who wants to exchange broken relationships for healing. The Robertsons know what they're talking about: They have lived through the pain of adultery and lack of communication in their marriage. And thanks to the healing they've experienced, they now help other couples find their own path to forgiveness.

The gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news that through Jesus we have been adopted as sons and daughters into God’s family—means that Christians ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans in North America and around the world. Russell D. Moore does not shy away from this call in Adopted for Life, a popular-level, practical manifesto for Christians to adopt children and to help equip other Christian families to do the same.

You know that nobody succeeds alone - you need a great team. But when you're the leader and you aren't sure how to nurture the best from your crew, where can you turn for help? In The Lasting Impact of Positive Leadership, best-selling author Stan Toler serves as your coach and reveals what it takes to build a successful team. As you examine the proven strategies of great leaders, you will learn how to effectively connect and communicate, and how to motivate people and inspire them to give their best every day.

In this audiobook, Transforming Center founder and seasoned spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton gently and eloquently leads us into an exploration of retreat as a key practice that opens us to God. Based on her own practice and her experience leading hundreds of retreats for others, she will guide you in a very personal exploration of seven specific invitations contained within the general invitation to retreat. You will discover how to say "Yes" to God's winsome invitation to greater freedom and surrender.

Often the biggest obstacle to living out our faith is our own doubt - about our worth, our abilities, our relationship with God, and situations in our lives. A Confident Heart gives voice to the questions, doubts, struggles, and hopes so many women have. Author Renee Swope shows us how to identify, overcome, and learn from our self-doubts so that we can live confidently in God's assurance, truth, and grace.

Can business activity in itself be morally good and pleasing to God? Sometimes business can seem so shady-manipulating the "bottom line", deceiving the consumer, or gaining promotions because of whom you know. But Wayne Grudem introduces a novel concept: business itself glorifies God when it is conducted in a way that imitates God's character and creation. He shows that all aspects of business,including ownership, profit, money, competition, and borrowing and lending, glorify God because they are reflective of God's nature.

When Tenzin Lahkpa is 15 years old, his parents give him over to a local temple in Tibet as an offering. Unable to change his fate, he wholeheartedly embraces his life as a monk and begins a quest for full enlightenment through the teachings of Buddhism. But his desire to go deeper only grows, leading him to unexpected conclusions.... Follow the fascinating, never-before-told, true story of what causes a highly dedicated Tibetan Buddhist monk to make the radical decision to walk away from the teachings of Buddha and leave his monastery to follow Jesus Christ.

The days of cultural Christianity are fading. It's time to rethink normal. Suffering and exclusion are normal in a believer's life. At least they should be. This was certainly Jesus' experience. And it's the experience of countless Christians around the world today. No matter your social location or set of experiences, the biblical letter of 1 Peter wants to redefine your expectations and reinvigorate your hope.

Nearly everyone wants to go to heaven when they die. Nearly everyone assumes they will go there. And yet the Bible paints a picture of the "road that leads to eternal life" being found and traveled by few. Careful students of the Scriptures often find themselves wondering, How can I be sure of my salvation? Veteran Bible teacher Donald S. Whitney guides us carefully and patiently through the Bible's teachings on salvation and eternal life - steering us clear of misplaced confidence and pointing us always toward Christ, our hope.

Most of us have had encounters with God time and again, but we often fail to recognize them or allow ourselves to be changed by them. When God meets you, His presence, power, and love should transform your life - forever. Using the compelling biblical accounts of the children of Israel, Ruth, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, author Priscilla Shirer shows you what happens when you meet God, the obstacles that keep you from changing, and the ways to experience a miraculous transformation in your life.

See yourself as God sees you - as a daughter of the King. Toss aside your own insecurities and break out of the mold the media has created for you. You are a princess, and in these letters penned from God's perspective, you'll begin to discover just how dear you are to Him - and you were lovingly created to be in fellowship with Him. Walk your faith in confidence again as you find your rightful place as royalty.

Ever wonder why mothers and daughters can be so different and even seem to speak different languages? Mended gives you conversation starters to speak life into your relationship with your mother or daughter. Discover powerful words that usher in healing for wounded hearts and rebuild, restore, and reconcile your connection. Set new patterns going forward as you find common ground and put your relationship ahead of your differences, learn what to say when you don't know what to say, and grow closer when you do hard things together.

In this provocative new contribution to public theology, world-renowned theologian Miroslav Volf (named "America's New Public Intellectual" by Scot McKnight on his Jesus Creed blog) and Matthew Croasmun explain that the intellectual tools needed to rescue us from our present malaise and meet our new cultural challenge are the tools of theology. A renewal of theology is crucial to help us articulate compelling visions of the good life, find our way through the maze of contested questions of value, and answer the fundamental question of what makes life worth living.

Emotions can be confusing. At times, we live at the mercy of our emotions, feeling helpless to understand them and powerless to control them. But the Bible brings clarity to this confusion, showing women that emotions are ultimately a gift from God. In this book, a mother-daughter team offers women a fresh perspective on their feelings straight from God's Word, helping them handle emotions in a way that honors God and others.

Art and the Bible has been a foundational work for generations of Christians in the arts. In this book's classic essays, Francis Schaeffer first examines the scriptural record of the use of various art forms, and then establishes a Christian perspective on art. With clarity and vigor, Schaeffer explains why "the Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars."

We live in a society that has largely abandoned moral standards and Christian principles. Unkept campaign promises, false advertising, exaggerated tax exemptions, employee theft - compromise has become a way of life. Such moral concession has even invaded the church. Faced with an opportunity to proclaim Christ to unbelievers, we feel intimidated and keep silent. Or we water down God's word on ethical issues at work or in our community to avoid rejection. Too often we prefer hypocrisy to integrity.

Fellowship among believers is more than just talking over coffee after church service. Biblical fellowship in New Testament times - or koinonia - had rich and varied meanings, including covenant relationship, partnership in the gospel, communion with God and others, and the sharing of earthly possessions. In True Community, best-selling author Jerry Bridges guides you through koinonia and its implications for today’s church.

This newly revised edition is an essential guide for preachers who want to stir the embers of revival. Piper focuses his study on the example of Jonathan Edwards as an illustration of a leader who submitted to God.

Are you sometimes perplexed with Jesus' teaching? Do you really want what he wants? Best-selling author Kyle Idleman reveals that the key to the abundant life Jesus promised lies in embracing his inside-out way of life. As he examines Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Kyle unpacks the many counterintuitive truths, including: brokenness is the way to wholeness, mourning is the path to blessing, and emptiness is required in order to know true fullness.