Living Religions

Negative perceptions. Church dropouts. Prodigals and nomads. It's easy to get discouraged by all that's going wrong when it comes to Christianity and the emerging generation. Yet what's going right? In fact, signs of hope are springing up all around. Faith for Exiles unveils major new Barna research that uncovers what's working - five practices that contribute to resilience. In a world where always-connected smart devices and search algorithms educate and entertain, digital Babylon is the new context for discipleship.

There are many blessings that come with age: retirement, grandchildren, travel, and life experience. Today's culture, however, marginalizes old age, often portraying it as burdensome and hopeless. Many older women can feel like an encumbrance rather than a blessing to their friends and family members. In response to these struggles, Sharon Betters and Susan Hunt encourage women to find hope through both real-life and biblical accounts of women who rediscovered gospel-rooted joy later in life.

Award-winning author, Pastor, and Professor A. J. Swoboda has witnessed many young people wrestle with their core Christian beliefs. Too often, what begins as a set of critical and important questions turns to resentment and faith abandonment. Unfortunately, the church has largely ignored its task of serving people along their journey of questioning. The local church must walk alongside those who are deconstructing their faith and show them how to reconstruct it.

The average person spends twenty-six years of life sleeping. That time was created not only to enjoy the physical benefits of rest but to engage in the presence of God and access His guidance for our days. Through fascinating real-life stories, Pastor Stephanie Ike Okafor reveals how dreams have equipped her and many others throughout history, and she shows how you, too, can receive revelation from God through your dreams.

Am I really saved? Am I going to heaven? How can I know for sure? Every believer has wrestled with these questions at some point in his or her journey. Saved Without a Doubt examines scripture to uncover the truth of salvation while addressing tough questions that can hinder our faith. Listeners will develop a Bible-based theology of salvation and be encouraged to securely rest in their personal relationship with Christ.

Carrying only basic camping equipment and a collection of the world's great spiritual writings, Belden C. Lane embarks on solitary spiritual treks through the Ozarks and across the American Southwest. For companions, he has only such teachers as Rumi, John of the Cross, Hildegard of Bingen, Dag Hammarskjöld, and Thomas Merton, and as he walks, he engages their writings with the natural wonders he encounters, demonstrating how being alone in the wild opens a rare view onto one's interior landscape, and how the saints' writings reveal the divine in nature.

The most successful women are often not the most talented, the most gifted, or even the most experienced. What these women have is a knack for communicating that opens doors and gives them influence. Gleaning from powerful research, best-selling author and life strategist Valorie Burton unearths practical insights you can put to work in your life immediately.

You cannot discover lands already inhabited. Injustice has plagued American society for centuries. And we cannot move toward being a more just nation without understanding the root causes that have shaped our culture and institutions. In this prophetic blend of history, theology, and cultural commentary, Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah reveal the far-reaching, damaging effects of the "Doctrine of Discovery."

In a 50-day reading plan journey, Welch unpacks anger while encouraging and teaching listeners to respond with patience to life's difficulties. This biblically wise resource is a useful tool for pastors, counselors, and lay helpers who are working with people who struggle with a short fuse. In A Small Book about a Big Problem, Welch invites listeners to consider how everyone can find anger in their actions and attitudes, but Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is the only one who can empower his people to grow in patience, peace, and wholeness.

Jamie Winship spent nearly thirty years living and working in conflict zones, and during that time he has learned an important truth: all human conflict originates from fear, and fear originates from a false view of God, ourselves, and others. Until we exchange what's false for what's real, we will never experience being fully alive, fully human, and fully free. Living Fearless is your invitation to listen closely to what God is trying to say to you about himself, about the person he created you to be—and also about all those other people he created and loves.

Suppose you could ask God the most puzzling questions about existence, and God would provide clear, understandable answers? It happened to Neale Donald Walsch. Conversations with God is Neale Donald Walsch's account of his direct conversations with God, beginning in 1992 while Walsch was immersed in a period of deep depression. He composed a letter to God in which he vented his frustrations, and much to his surprise, even shock, God answered him.

In this book of pastoral reflections, N. T. Wright explores how the Lord's Prayer sums up what Jesus was all about in his first-century setting. Wright locates the Lord's Prayer, clause by clause, within the historical life and work of Jesus and allows the prayer's devotional application to grow out of its historical context. The result is a fresh understanding of Christian spirituality and the life of prayer. This deeply devotional book will refresh and stimulate the heart and mind of any listener.

Recovering nice guy Paul Coughlin points the way for all men who yearn to live lives of boldness and conviction - like Jesus. Using anecdotes from his own life, powerful and poignant stories, and vivid examples from our culture, Coughlin shows how men can say no to the "nice guy" syndrome and yes to lives of purpose, passion, and vitality.

With honesty, humor, and keen biblical insight, best-selling authors Bill and Beni Johnson help you discover the keys to successful parenting in God's kingdom. With this guide, you will gain the wisdom, kingdom concepts, and practical tools you need to help raise your children to their best. You'll discover how to parent to their uniqueness, gifts, and strengths, as well as how you can demonstrate and reveal who God is to your kids.

Every man was once a boy. And every little boy has dreams, big dreams: dreams of being the hero, of beating the bad guys, of doing daring feats and rescuing the damsel in distress. Every little girl has dreams, too: of being rescued by her prince and swept up into a great adventure, knowing that she is the beauty.

Transform your self-image and embrace the power of positive thinking with two simple words: Declare "I Am" and celebrate the life God has created for you! Joel Osteen reveals how The Power of I Am can help you discover your unique abilities and advantages to lead a more productive and happier life. His insights and encouragement are illustrated with many amazing stories of people who turned their lives around by focusing on the positive power of this principle. You can choose to rise to a new level and invite God's goodness by focusing on these two words: I am!

Excerpt of best-selling title, The Peacemaker. Conflict-resolution expert Ken Sande shows you how to help permanently resolve disputes in your everyday life. He takes you beyond quick fixes to true, life-changing reconciliation with family members, coworkers, and fellow believers.

With a healthy dose of wit and a heaping helping of wisdom, New York Times best-selling author, Eric Metaxas, answers questions about Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and much more.

The Christian life is built on three seemingly unremarkable practices: reading the Bible, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. However, according to David Mathis, such "habits of grace" are the God-designed channels through which his glorious grace flows - making them life-giving practices for all Christians.

We need companions on our spiritual journey. The modern world has taught us to value autonomy and individualism. Our churches often see spirituality as personal and private. But we cannot go long in our Christian pilgrimage before realizing that isolation leads to spiritual barrenness. We soon discover that our souls long for accompaniment, intimacy, and spiritual friendship. As a result, many Christians today are rediscovering the ancient practice of spiritual direction.