Practical Ministry

Anyone who prays or has tried to pray and given up in discouragement knows praying, really praying, is not easy. Praying consistently seems almost impossible. Too often and too easily, prayer becomes a burden: one more item on an already overcrowded to-do list. Failing to pray becomes a source of guilt and stress as we must once again admit our inconstancy and procrastination to our father confessor. The purpose of this audiobook, then, is not to add to the burden, but to ease it by distilling the advice and experience of those who pray.

No one is immune from life’s difficulties, yet many people are reluctant to talk about mental health or seek professional help when they are struggling. People of faith who are battling issues such as anxiety, depression, life changes, stress, or relationship problems may suffer in silence, believing things will get better if only their faith was stronger, they prayed more, or they had more self-discipline. The stigma about needing to seek help is all too real. But seeking professional help isn’t a sign of weakness.

Number one New York Times best-selling author Joyce Meyer shares powerful, practical ways to experience a new level of joy and excitement about life every day. The traffic is backed up, the kids are screaming, and the car is making a funny noise again. Any one of these challenges can test our temperament and rob us of joy. Our impulse is to write today off and hope for a better tomorrow. However, this creates a hard pattern to break. One terrible day easily turns into many-and soon we're living a life far from what God has in mind for us

If you have suffered spiritual abuse from a toxic church, toxic organization, or toxic leader, your trust has been broken. You entrusted your life to someone you thought would care for you: someone who initially inspired you to know God, only to reject you in the end. Now you are left wounded and disillusioned, wondering if you can ever trust others, yourself, or possibly even God, again.

Beatrice Bruteau was a philosopher whose vision of life was an inspiration to some of the most influential thinkers of our time. In Radical Optimism she shines new light on the deepest truth we can know about ourselves: each of us is one with God, here and now. She helps us to understand what this really means, to know the happiness it brings, and to cultivate a contemplative consciousness. This book is both enlightening and immensely practical.

There are things that God must do, and man must not attempt to do them. There are other things that he has decided in his sovereignty to let man do. He will not do them for man. If man decides not to do them, they will remain undone. This book, Sanctified and Consecrated for Spiritual Ministry, presents the responsibility of the believer to do that which he must do for his sanctification, consecration, and spiritual ministry.

Most of us are trying to put together the jigsaw puzzle we call life without a very important piece. Over time this becomes incredibly frustrating. In this extraordinary book, Matthew Kelly powerfully demonstrates that we cannot live the life we have imagined or experience the joy we yearn for unless we learn to tend the soul. From there, with his classic style of practical wisdom, he teaches us how to remedy this problem.

Every artist has been given an invitation to co-create with the Creator of the Universe. As we cooperate with him, though the power of the Holy Spirit, we can reveal, reflect, and release his image, nature and presence into the world through our creative expression. It's simply mind-blowing and yet, that's his invitation to us. Art, like any other created means, is a vehicle for the presence of God to move in and through. It functions almost as a stealth language by which God can commune with us as kingdom artists.

Like a succession of failed diet regimens, the much-touted techniques that are supposed to bring us closer to God "in our hearts" can instead make us feel anxious, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Phillip Cary explains that discipleship is a gradual, long-term process that comes through the gospel experienced in Christian community, not a to-do list designed to help us live the Christian life "right." He covers ten things we don't have to do to be close to God, skillfully unpacking the riches of traditional Christian spirituality. The expanded edition includes a new afterword.

Most of the world is lazy. Too many believers are idle. Few attain their God-given potential. The kingdom suffers because of the too many spectators who are said to be soldiers in the army of the Lord. The loss to God, to the kingdom of God, and to the lazy person that is caused by the sin of laziness is beyond measure. Must things continue that way? I do not think so. Laziness is a deadly sin. The one who commits this sin can be delivered. That is what this book is about. May the Lord bless you as you listen to it! Amen.

In Sticky Faith, the team at FYI presents youth workers with both a theological/philosophical framework and practical programming ideas that develop long-term faith in teenagers. Each chapter presents a summary of FYI’s quantitative and qualitative research, along with the implications of this research, including program ideas suggested and tested by youth ministries nationwide. This resource will give youth pastors what they need to help foster a faith that sticks with all the teenagers in their group long after they’ve left the youth room.

For generations when Christians have engaged in spiritual warfare, most of the time they have focused on "Satan" as the main opponent. However, C. Peter Wagner has gathered together a number of ministers who teach from personal experience that the "principalities and powers" are more than just Satan - there is an entire hierarchy of demons in this world.

The School of the Seers is the how-to guide for seeing into the spirit realm. With the addition of three new chapters, including a small group study guide, this best-selling book is sure to excite listeners worldwide. As a teacher and seer himself, author Jonathan Welton raises the standard for walking in wisdom, character, and power. Carrying a revelatory forerunner anointing, he imparts fresh new understanding and kingdom perspectives for every believer.

Research has proven that the greatest contributor to cell group success is the quality of coaching provided for cell group leaders. Many are serving in the position of a coach, but they don't fully understand what they are supposed to do in the position. Joel Comiskey addresses how to polish your skills as a coach with instructions on diagnosing problems in a cell group, how to lead coaching meetings, and what to do when visiting a cell group meeting. This book will prepare you to be a great cell group coach, one who mentors, supports, and guides cell group leaders into great ministry.

In this book, the possibilities are offered through Bible meditation, prayer, and obedience, for the overcomer to enter into a daily encounter with God that will transform every aspect of his walk with him. God can indeed be heard and met every day, and many times a day. He is waiting to be heard. He is anxious to talk to his children, to hear them and to answer them. He is not silent. You can encounter him today and he can encounter you, and you will never be the same.

Based on extensive research and handled with Dr. Dobson's trademark down-to-earth approach, Bringing Up Girls will equip parents like you to face the challenges of raising your daughters to become healthy, happy, and successful women who overcome challenges specific to girls and women today and who ultimately excel in life.

God is looking for honest preachers that will listen to him and deliver his Gospel message to the world, and you're about to learn how to hear from God while preparing, deliver your sermon in a way that captivates, operate in the Holy Spirit after you have ministered, be more productive in your ministry, and achieve godly success. With many copies sold, How to Preach the Gospel with Power is already helping Christians across the world become more effective ministers of the Gospel, no matter what their calling.

If you are currently providing care for your aging parents or facing the prospect of doing so in the near future, you are definitely not alone. Dr. Grant Ethridge and his wife, Tammy, have been there, having given care during their dads' last days. They know the stress and uncertainty you face. Through their story and those of other caregivers, Grant and Tammy share research and practical tips to aid you in dealing with everyday caregiving struggles and situations. You will learn how to decide which care is best, prepare legal documents, handle family disputes, and much more.

The Bible is rich with leadership gold. But we haven't mined it for all it's worth. Leaders know a lot about the Bible and a lot about leadership — separately. We haven't yet explored the depths of the Bible as a primary source for leadership insight. This book aims to change that.

"It's a moral jungle out there," writes Peter Kreeft. In Making Choices, he describes why we find decision-making so difficult and living with our choices even harder. With penetrating wisdom, good humor, and common sense, Peter Kreeft draws a map through the everyday jungle of moral choices, one simple enough for the believer and convincing enough for the skeptic.