Religion England

In a world filled with self-promotion and individualism, Improving Your Serve, by the highly esteemed pastor, teacher, and author Charles Swindoll, brings us back to the timeless biblical principle of servanthood. This classic book on volunteering and service shines a light on how we can live more purposefully by serving others effectively. With very few titles that focus on how to be effective in service and volunteerism, Improving Your Serve fills a crucial gap.

You'll be enthralled by this story of a man and his lovable Labrador retriever, Hannah, and what their canine friendship can show us about life, grace, and long walks in the park. Hannah was Dave Burchett's best friend. He couldn't imagine starting a day without her tail wagging an energetic greeting, her body wiggling with sheer gratitude when her food dish was filled, and her unbridled enthusiasm for tennis balls.

It began with a key. One afternoon in 1956, in the home of the Hitchings family in Battersea, south London, a small silver key appeared on Shirley Hitchings's bed. This seemingly insignificant event heralded the beginning of one of the most terrifying, incredible and mysterious hauntings in British history. The spirit, who quickly became known as 'Donald', began to communicate, initially via tapping sounds, but over time - and with the encouragement of psychical researcher Harold Chibbett, whose case-files appear here - by learning to write.

In Twelve Unlikely Heroes, pastor and best-selling author John MacArthur uses his deep knowledge of the Bible and history to take us back to see these three-dimensional men and women in their own times and cultures. In doing so, it becomes clear how their dramatic stories apply to us today. People who might at first seem foreign quickly become familiar and unforgettable - particularly as they reveal the true Hero behind every witness, the power counterbalancing every weakness, "the Author and Finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1).

Dr. Crabb envisions a day when communities of God's people - ordinary Christians whose lives connect as husband to wife, brother to sister, friend to friend - will accomplish most of the healing that we now depend on mental health professionals to provide. God has deposited within us the power to heal soul-diseases and that power is released to do its work as we relate to each other in revolutionary new ways. In challenging, practical language, Dr. Crabb shows us how.

Writing as always with keen insight into the human condition and God’s provision for it, Yancey debunks this theory once and for all. Yes, he agrees, the Old Testament can be baffling, boring, and even offensive to the modern listener. But as he personally discovered, the Old Testament is full of rewards for the one who embraces its riches.

Exploring the folk customs and magical traditions of guilds and rural fraternities such as the Shoemakers and Horsemen and the secrets guarded by the Free Gardeners, Witches, Toadmen, and Bonesmen, Nigel Pennick shows how the common working people of the Fens belonged to secret societies based on their specific trade. He details the hidden aspects of rural life most historians ignore - the magical current that flowed through the lives of working people - and describes the secret rites, ceremonies, oaths, and initiation rituals of the guilds and fraternities to which the folk belonged.

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus told a simple parable about a family...a father and his two sons. It was a story of rebellion, repentance, and unfathomable grace. The Parable of the Prodigal Son still stands out as a crucial lesson about our struggle with sin and dependence on divine salvation. But there is a part of this story that often goes untold. It’s a message you need to hear. This powerful book provides fascinating new insight into one of the Bible’s most important stories.

Is this all you're living for? For years, Pastor Paul Tripp understood we were "hardwired for forever". But he didn't understand that it was more than a valuable insight. It is a practical tool to help us face the disappointment of everyday life. Now he knows, and he can help you discover how to survive and thrive in the middle of your story, with the final chapter of Heaven in view. With practical insights on how eternity impacts your relationships, your job, your kids, and your deepest struggles, you'll be encouraged to relax into the eternal story God is writing for you.

The parish, the lowest level of hierarchy in the medieval church, was the shared responsibility of the laity and the clergy. Most Christians were baptized, went to confession, were married, and were buried in the parish church or churchyard; in addition, business, legal settlements, sociability, and entertainment brought people to the church, uniting secular and sacred concerns.

At the time of his death, Christopher Hitchens was the most notorious atheist in the world. And yet, all was not as it seemed. "Nobody is not a divided self, of course," he once told an interviewer, "but I think it's rather strong in my case." Hitchens was a man of many contradictions: a Marxist in youth who longed for acceptance among the social elites; a peacenik who revered the military; a champion of the Left who was nonetheless pro-life, pro-war-on-terror; and, after 9/11, something of a neocon.

Brennan Manning has been dazzingly faithful in preaching and writing variations on the ragamuffin theme, Yes, Abba is very fond of you! But today the crowds are gone and the lights are dim, the patches on his knees have faded. If he ever was a ragamuffin, truly it is now. In this his final book, Brennan roves back his past, honoring the lives of the people closest to him, family and friends who've known the saint and the sinner, the boy and the man. Far from some chronological timeline, these memories are witness to the truth of life by one who has lived it.

Grace is the defining feature of the Christian faith. Once we understand how undeserving we are and how much favor we’ve been given, grace becomes shocking, thrilling, inspiring, and contagious. Best-selling author and Pastor John MacArthur illuminates this profound concept with verse upon verse of Scripture. He also shows that misunderstandings about grace have led to some of the church’s greatest problems, perhaps because grace is her most precious gift.

The most important question a grieving parent can ask is "is my baby in heaven?" With scriptural authority and the warmth of a pastor's heart, bestselling author John MacArthur examines the breadth of the entire Bible and reveals in this compelling book the Heavenly Father's care for every life. With pastoral compassion yet a focus on candid Biblical truth, Safe in the Arms of God excels at presenting what the Bible has to say on the matter. It provides insights not only to families who have lost small children, but to pastors and Christian leaders who minister to them.

In nearly 40 years of pastoral counseling, Rob Morgan has seen a lot of changes in our culture. People are anxious, and everyone seems increasingly tense and taut. We're overextended, running on empty, and often running late. We're worried, and we're weary. One moment we're alarmed about global politics, and the next we're frustrated with a clogged commode or a cranky boss. Stress can have a way of keeping us on pins and needles from dawn to darkness.

William Law’s classic book, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life was a clarion call to action; to live a life worthy of one’s calling. “Devotion signifies a life given, or devoted to God.” The writings of William Law were challenging in the 18th century. Generations later the message is even more instructive and necessary.

World-renowned author, preacher, and evangelist Reverend Billy Graham answers questions about heaven and eternity with understanding and reassurance. God's Word says heaven awaits all the saints of his kingdom, but what will heaven be like? The Heaven Answer Book is biblically based and written in an easy-to-understand question-and-answer format.

What does it take to be a "real" man? You don’t have to be perfect to be a man of God. As Dr. Charles Stanley writes, a man of God is a maturing man, a striving man, a knowledgeable man. And the first step in real manhood is spiritual rebirth.

People are leaving the church J. D. Greear pastors. Big givers. Key volunteers. Some of his best leaders and friends. And that's exactly how he wants it to be. When Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission, he revealed that the key for reaching the world with the Gospel is found in sending, not gathering. Though many churches focus time and energy on attracting people and counting numbers, the real mission of the church isn't how many people you can gather.

Jesus was always asking questions. Whether with a small group or large crowd, Jesus opened hearts and minds by asking questions that grasped attention and made one think. In The Jesus Code, author O. S. Hawkins poses 52 thought-provoking questions found throughout the Bible that believers should be able to answer as they grow in their faith and share their faith with others. This book features one question each week to study and meditate on until the answer is firmly fixed in your heart.