Personal Ministries

Family is difficult because family - every family - is an echo of the gospel. Family can be the source of some of the most transcendent human joy, and family can leave us crumpled up on the side of the road. Family can make us who we are, and family can break our hearts. Why would this social arrangement have that much power, for good or for ill, over us?

Almost overnight, America's public schools have become morally toxic. They are especially poisonous for the hearts and minds of children from religious families of every faith - ordinary families who value traditional morality and plain old common sense. Parents' first duty is to their children - to their intellect, their character, their souls. The facts on the ground point to one conclusion: Get out now.

With honesty and humor, Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory will help you take a breather and find reassurance as you face the bullies of perfectionism, performancism, people-pleasing, and procrastination. Self-assessments and personal stories will guide you from panic to peace as you learn to pick battles worthy of your time and energy; embrace the freedom of a carefully considered "no"; recognize your strengths and weaknesses in the quest for balance; use authenticity as a weapon to battle bullies; and release yourself from the endless pressure of pleasing others.

As parents, we long for our kids to have family relationships that last a lifetime. But how do we create an atmosphere for connection on this messy journey of parenting? The Messy Life of Parenting shows you small changes you can make now to build lasting relationships, even when the going gets tough. By applying God's design for interdependence, you'll be able to: strengthen family relationships, encourage leadership skills, distinguish between enabling and helping, discuss without creating division, and so much more.

You have a voice. And you have God's permission to use it. In some communities, certain voices are amplified and elevated while others are erased and suppressed. It can be hard to speak up, especially in the ugliness of social media. Power dynamics keep us silent and marginalized, especially when race, ethnicity, and gender are factors. What can we do about it? Activist Kathy Khang roots our voice and identity in the image of God. Because God created us in our ethnicity and gender, our voice is uniquely expressed through the totality of who we are.

The best marriages are not necessarily the most perfect and picturesque. Marriage is about walking together through all of life's ups and downs; its challenges and triumphs. Collecting true stories from some of today's best writers, Dawn Camp offers listeners a chance to sit back and reflect on the heart of marriage. With poignant prose, this collection is a great gift for the bride-to-be, the couple celebrating a significant anniversary, or for any time listeners need a lift.

Deep in the heart of every believer, there is a faint whisper. A call. A prompting. In Compelled, Dudley Rutherford shares his earnest desire for each and every believer to be equipped and bold with the good news of salvation. He encourages you with inspiring stories of men and women, young and old, who have accepted the irresistible call to share Jesus with everyone they meet. And he provides practical methods to overcome your fears and effectively articulate the message of salvation.

Every parent wants the best possible education for their child - one that fits their child's unique needs, challenges them to grow, and equips them to succeed. But there are so many options - public, private, and charter schools, plus homeschooling and online schooling - that it's easy for parents to feel overwhelmed and, well, undereducated about the choices. What's more, while one schooling option may be right for one child, it may be challenging for another.

Morality. Relativity. Right and Wrong. The issues we face are complicated and everyone has an opinion. But who has the answer when it comes to sexual issues? Sex dominates our popular culture to a degree we've never seen before and unrestricted sex is being touted as a shortcut to personal fulfillment and satisfaction - but it's a counterfeited and cheapened imitation of the real thing. Respected pastor Tony Evans refuses to let the voice of God be drowned out amidst the clamor of the crowd.

There are true things about us and there are truer things. David Lomas invites readers to move beyond what may simply be true to the truest thing, discovering a real identity in Christ. We are all bundles of competing desires and half-true labels. We arry them around like scars; we carry them around like badges. They tell us we are no more than a job description, relationship status, or appearance. But the most important and truest identity of every Christian is that they are loved, accepted, and created in the image of God.

The next time God asks you to speak, be ready! Chances are, if you’re active in your church, at some point you’ll have to talk to people. Your presentation may be informal—like greeting people at the door—or formal—like sharing your testimony before a congregation. But either way, it will make an impact. Whether you are called to preach, teach, greet, encourage, or share, Purpose-Filled Presentations will teach you the techniques to help you improve what you are already doing.

In this provocative book, Franky Schaeffer shows how Christians today have sacrificed the artistic prominence they enjoyed for centuries and settled instead for mediocrity. The evidence for this sad state of affairs abounds. We are flooded with "Christian" doodads, trinkets, tee shirts, bumper stickers, etc., that use God's name as an advertising slogan: "Things Go Better with Jesus", putting the Creator of the universe on the same level as soda pop!

Every Christian isn't called to adopt, but everyone is called to care for orphans. The evangelical adoption movement is but one strand in a long cord of Christian care for orphans. While adoption trends have fluctuated over time in different contexts, the Bible has not changed its position. The gospel is decidedly pro-adoption and on the side of the orphan. Yet many obstacles stand in the way of the Christian's mission to provide care to the least of these. So, what now?

Through the challenges of raising five young children, Susan Alexander Yates realized the need for an honest, practical book that helps parents. This best-selling book has helped thousands handle common struggles such as priorities, discipline, and fatigue. Yates is honest about parenting frustrations, yet encourages parents, offering a biblical perspective on shaping a Christian home.

You were meant for more. Your money was meant for more. You and your money are meant for an exciting, adventurous, and satisfying purpose. God designed you to be not a hoarder but a conduit through which his generosity flows. In The Money Challenge, Art Rainer takes you on a journey to financial health. But it is not simply for the sake of financial health. The Money Challenge was written to help you experience God's design for you and your finances.

Dirty laundry, crayon-smeared bills, smashed crackers...and there's your Bible, buried under a pile of diapers. Bleary-eyed from a lack of sleep, without a moment of peace and quiet, you wonder if the spiritual life you crave is even possible. But God sees you. He designed this parenting journey, after all. He understands the chaos of motherhood, and he joins you in everything - whether you're scrubbing the floor, nursing a fussy newborn, or driving your kids to soccer practice.

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.

You may feel lonely, abandoned, overwhelmed, and ill-equipped in your life as a single mother, but you are not alone on this journey. God is with you, and if you are willing, he will help you build a strong home and legacy for your family. As a former single mother, Michelle Lynn Senters understands you could use a little soul nourishment. In The Unseen Companion, she explores the 10 needs every single mother has and asks, "God, where are you in this?"

"It sounded at first like something out of an old horror movie. I thought maybe someone was just playing around, but then I heard it again and again, a loud piercing cry, and less like Hollywood every time. The windows were down in my police cruiser on that warm fall day, but I still couldn’t tell where the sounds came from. I began looking around for the unlikely sight of someone being disemboweled in a mall parking lot on a Saturday afternoon. Seeing nothing, and still hearing the screams, I called in a “disturbance”.... Around the next corner I found the source of the commotion.

You'll marvel at how patients received exactly what they needed to see or hear in order to die peacefully and well. And you'll find great hope and peace in knowing that God goes to great lengths to redeem, comfort, and prepare His children to come home. Whether you are facing the death of a loved one or confronting a terminal disease, Glimpses of Heaven will touch your heart and reassure you of the great love and peace God longs for you to receive.