Personal Ministries

Author Mac Barron assures us that Jesus loves us, even though we're human. We know this, because the Bible says so. Over and over and over again. With its hilarious, sometimes irreverent, and always humble reflections, this book will make you laugh and help you look at the Bible - and yourself - in a whole new way.

Successful people confront well. They know that setting healthy boundaries improves relationships and can solve important problems. They have discovered that uncomfortable situations can be avoided or resolved through direct conversation. But most of us don't know how to have difficult conversations, and we see confrontation as scary or adversarial. Authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend take the principles from their award-winning and best-selling book, Boundaries, and apply them to a variety of the most common difficult situations and relationships.

Many know the heroic story of Jim Elliot’s violent death in 1956, killed by a primitive Ecuadorian tribe he was seeking to reach. Many also know the prolific legacy of Elisabeth Elliot, whose influence on generations of believers through print and broadcast testimony continues to resonate. What many don’t know is the remarkable story of how these two stalwart personalities - single-mindedly devoted to pursuing God’s will for their young lives, certain their future callings would require them to sacrifice forever the blessings of marriage - found their hearts intertwined.

This book is for everyone who has a father. And for all those who know what it's like to long for a father's blessing: his approval, affection, and attention. It's for anyone who's ever longed to hear your dad say, "I love you. I'm so proud of you." You may already know what it's like to live in the rays of such a blessing, to flourish in the marvelous light of a father's love. Yet, in this "fatherless generation", it's also likely you've never known the blessing of your earthly dad.

He was your love. She was your partner. Now your heart is broken. What do you do with all the pain, confusion, and anger? What will life be like? Who are you now? Your heart needs answers. Heartbroken can help. Best-selling author, hospice chaplain, and grief specialist Gary Roe has walked with hundreds of spouses through this painful valley. From their stories he has composed this incredibly practical work that will touch your heart and comfort your soul.

In this eight-session Bible study, well-known Bible scholars N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird team up to take you on a tour of the story behind the explosive story of the New Testament. You will discover things you never knew about Jesus’ baptism and journey into the wilderness, the meaning behind his parables and miracles, the significance of his death and resurrection, the incredible expansion of the early church into the Greco-Roman world, and how the transforming mission of Jesus can still turn the world upside down today.

Did you know that spiritual, emotional, physical and relational exhaustion lead to anger? And unresolved anger leads to sin. All couples deal with anger and how they respond (stuff it, spew it or study it), can make all the difference in their relationship and in their lives. In From Anger to Intimacy, Gary Smalley and Ted Cunningham explore this often maligned and God-given emotion that unless dealt with can strip us of everything we love.

Children today live in an unpredictable, disruptive, and often violent world. Many of them live in two different homes with different sets of expectations. They face bullying at school and online. They hear news of school shootings, and racially or religiously motivated violence. They may have lost a friend or a loved one. As parents, the impulse to protect our children is strong, but that very protection can end up handicapping them for life. Rather than seek to save them from the hard things, parents must teach their kids how to cope with and rise above their problems.

The Hurting Parent takes a realistic approach to the problems young people face today - peer pressure, easy access to drugs and alcohol, and cultural influences that pull them from their family's faith. The Lewises acknowledge there are no simple formulas or simple answers. But the biblical insight, emotional understanding, and practical encouragement they offer will be life changing.

How can a good parent like you become an even greater parent? By shifting the focus to what's right with your kids instead of what is wrong with them. Discover how you can replace your frustration with joy by taking the pressure of performance and comparison off your children's shoulders. Based in the belief that every child has God-given greatness within them, Play to Their Strengths shows you how to move with the natural momentum of your kids' talents and make the shift to a collaborative, strengths-based, and motivational approach to parenting.

No Better Mom for the Job is for any mom who has ever felt inadequate - who loves her kids fiercely but sometimes thinks another mom would do a better job in her shoes. Becky Keife knows the ups and downs of motherhood. And she has learned along the way and from other mamas that it doesn't work to try to do more or be better. Confidence comes from leaning on the One who made you a mother.

No matter what need brings a group of people together, from marriage enrichment to divorce recovery, from grief recovery to spiritual formation, members are part of a small group because they want to grow. This book by psychologists Henry Cloud and John Townsend provides small-group leaders with valuable guidance and information on how they can help their groups to grow spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.

The Nature of Success is an inspirational audiobook of Mac Anderson's wisdom and insight on the keys to personal success. An inspirational quote will introduce each "success chapter" followed by two to three pages of insights, unforgettable real life stories, and Mac's favorite quotes on each topic. Anderson's insights take on new life as he brings a solid Christian perspective to The Nature of Success.

Author Michelle Van Loon weaves together personal stories and keen insights on the biblical themes of pilgrimage and exile. She will help you embrace your own pilgrim identity and reorient your heart toward the God who leads you home. Engaging and thoughtful, enhanced with practical suggestions, prayers, and questions, Born to Wander will teach how to trust God even when you don’t understand what’s happening around you and follow him even when it hurts. Embrace the purpose behind the wandering and discover the freedom and safety of resting in God alone.

Through this 52-week devotional experience, you will be reacquainted with the obstacles and outcomes of familiar couples like Abraham & Sarah... and meet some lesser-known couples like Othniel & Aksah. Each week focuses on one couple of the Bible, from Adam & Eve to Christ & His Bride. You will read their story, learn about their cultural setting and explore how their story can teach you important truths about your own marriage. Each week you will be guided with questions applying biblical truth to your relationship with your spouse.

This audio download collection of Marianne Williamson's audio recordings includes her popular lectures on manifesting abundance.

When life feels like a perpetual treadmill rather than a grand adventure, something is off. As bills increase, income seems to fall behind, and the economy wavers unreliably, you must figure out how to create the life you desire with the money you have rather than wish you had. Discover a simple-to-implement plan that merges your unique life goals with your money - complete with concrete, workable how-tos each step of the way. No matter how much you earn, you can make strategic money moves that will build your confidence in your current financial standing.

With an understanding voice that will speak into your own circumstances, Kristen Strong walks beside you along the less traveled but more satisfying third way - the back road way - to belonging: remaining in Christ and relaxing into the unique role God has for you. Along the way, you will learn simple, doable actions that not only will help you feel and know that you belong but will welcome others in as well.

We often think of doubt as the opposite of faith, but could it actually strengthen our relationship with God? According to John Ortberg, best-selling author and pastor, the very nature of faith requires the presence of uncertainty. In this refreshingly candid look at a life of faith, he traces the line between belief and unbelief: less a dividing line between hostile camps than a razor's edge that runs through every soul. His findings point us toward the relief of being totally honest.

Adopting or fostering a child brings its own unique set of challenges only another parent facing the same uphill climb could possibly understand. From parenting children with traumatic pasts, to dealing with attachment issues, to raising a children with special needs, it can sometimes be a struggle just getting through the day. Mike Berry knows the loneliness and isolation you can easily feel in your particular parenting role - because he's been there.