Religious Growth

Theology is the study of the nature of God and of religious belief. But why should that matter to us? In this wonderfully accessible book, renowned theologian Alister McGrath answers that question--What's the point of theology?--and explores the depth and breadth theology can bring to our lives. Drawing on insights from his experience of coming to Christianity from atheism, this enlightening volume reveals how theology can help us grow in wisdom, contribute to our wellbeing, spark our innate sense of wonder, and above all, grow in faith and love as we draw ever closer to the divine.

"Benedict XVI was a spiritual master," writes Robert Cardinal Sarah of his longtime mentor, after his death early 2023. "His very precise and profound theological thought is rooted in an authentic mystical and spiritual experience." This book offers not an academic analysis of Ratzinger's intellectual work, but a personal sketch of the "soul of Joseph Ratzinger", a glimpse into "the secret recesses of his heart". In He Gave Us So Much, Cardinal Sarah traces the spiritual contours of Ratzinger's life and thought, revealing the image of a man on fire with love for God and neighbor.

In Coming Clean, Seth Haines writes a raw account of his first 90 days of sobriety, illuminating how to face the pain we’d rather avoid, and even more importantly, how an abiding God meets us in that pain. Seth shows us that true wholeness is found in facing our pain and anxieties with the tenacity and tenderness of Jesus, and only through Christ's passion can we truly come clean.

The apostle Paul paints a beautiful picture when he describes the fruit of the Spirit but all too often, we reduce this list of virtues into a checklist of attributes to pursue and strive for. However, pastor and author Eugenia Gamble contends that this understanding is backwards. By tending that relationship, the virtues of God develop and blossom as a fruit grows on a well-tended tree. Tending the Wild Garden explores the true meaning behind each of the virtues in Paul's list, guiding us to discover anew what it means to be a deeply loved child of God indwelt by God's Spirit.

In this updated edition of the best-selling classic, Wild at Heart, author John Eldredge reminds men we need adventure in our lives...in our work, in our love, and our spiritual lives. He reveals how God designed men to be dangerous. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: to be a hero, to be a warrior, and to live a life of adventure and risk. Sadly, most men today have abandoned these dreams and desires - aided by a Christianity that feels like nothing more than pressure to be a "nice guy".

Religious freedom is a bitterly contested issue that spills over into political, public, and online spheres. It's an issue that's becoming ever more heated, and neither of the global political polarities is interested in protecting it. While the political left is openly hostile toward traditional religion, the political right seeks to weaponize it. How can we ensure that "religious freedom" is truly about freedom of one's religion rather than serving an ethno-nationalist agenda?

This audiobook bundle includes four favorite I Can Read! titles from The Berenstain Bears' Living Lights: A Faith Story series: The Berenstain Bears: Faith Gets Us Through, The Berenstain Bears: God Made the Colors, The Berenstain Bears: God Made the Seasons, and The Berenstain Bears: Thank God for Good Health.

While most of us have heard about Christians suffering for their faith, we tend to think "persecution" mainly impacts believers in times past or in hostile nations today, far removed from our daily lives. But this eye-opening book describes the various stages of persecution, revealing that persecution is something all followers of the Way can expect to face in this fallen world. Trouble on the Way will not only help listeners recognize persecution in all its forms but enable them to stand firm against it.

In 1994, the world looked on in disbelief and horror as Rwanda erupted in violent bloodshed. Now, on the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, a powerful testimony emerges of the power of God to bring peace and reconciliation into hearts full of fear and hate. In Forgiveness Makes You Free, Father Ubald shares his own dramatic story of how he survived the genocide and its traumatic aftermath. He testifies about how God spared his life so that he might help others with deep physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds to experience peace and healing.

In this sequel to his best seller, The Myth of a Christian Nation, Dr. Gregory Boyd issues a clear call to manifest God’s beauty and revolt against evil—with Jesus’ life as our example. Passionate theology and practical insight combine to create a guidebook for simple, radical, Christlike living.

The longing for joy is one of the deepest yearnings of the human heart. After times of trial—including the pandemic, economic turmoil, wars and rumors of war, and grief— our desire rises to the surface demanding relief. We’ve had to rally. Yet at some point, we have to replenish our soul’s reserves or we will burn out. In this Resilient audio Bible study series, John Eldredge provides the awareness and skills you need to strengthen your weary soul.

Contemporary Theology: An Introduction by Kirk MacGregor introduces major thinkers and schools of thought from the beginning of the 19th century to the present, including non-Western voices, evangelical perspectives, and philosophical developments alongside the widely acknowledged main streams of modern theology.

The Fool and the Heretic is a deeply personal story told by two respected scientists who hold opposing views on the topic of origins, share a common faith in Jesus Christ, and began a sometimes-painful journey to explore how they can remain in Christian fellowship when each thinks the other is harming the church. This book provides a model for how faithful Christians can hold opposing views on deeply divisive issues yet grow deeper in their relationship to each other and to God.

Further Along the Road Less Traveled takes the lectures of Dr. Peck and presents his profound insights into the issues that confront and challenge all of us today: spirituality, forgiveness, relationships, and growing up. In this aid for living less simplistically, you will learn not to look for the easy answers but to think multidimensionally. You will learn to reach for the "ultimate step," which brings you face to face with your personal spirituality. It will be this that helps you appreciate the complexity that is life.

When political division shows up not only on the campaign trail but also at our dinner tables, we wonder: Can we be part of a better way? The Spirit of Our Politics says "yes," offering a distinctly Christian approach to politics that results in healing rather than division, kindness rather than hatred, and hope rather than despair.

Could you use a daily reminder of His love? The devotions in Live Loved by New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado will calm your soul and nourish your heart. Each of the 150 devotions include a prayer and Scripture verses that nurture your spiritual life by helping you to live in God’s presence. Live Loved is a wonderful book for men and women wanting to deepen their relationship with God with a daily devotional.

This is more than a Bible you listen to; it’s an experience that helps you enter God’s Word...so God’s Word can enter you. Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, one of the most sought after and beloved narrators of audiobooks in the country, this vivid recording of the New Testament in the NIV will help you hear the Bible again...for the first time.

Rob Schenck’s extraordinary life has been at the center of the intersection between evangelical Christianity and modern politics. Attacked by partisans on both sides of the aisle, he has been called a "right-wing hate monger", the "ultimate D.C. power-broker", a "traitor", and "turncoat." Now, this influential spiritual adviser to America’s political class chronicles his controversial, sometimes troubling career in this revelatory and often shocking memoir. He reflects on his path to God, his unconscious abandonment of his principles, and his return to the convictions that guide him.

As a beloved evangelist and a respected man of God, Billy Graham’s stated purpose in life never wavered: to help people find a personal relationship with God through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This was a calling that only increased over time, and Billy embraced it fully throughout his active ministry and beyond. Yet Billy pursued his life’s work, as many men do, amid a similarly significant calling to be a loving husband and father.

The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal (1650 - 1678) was originally written as a private letter to explain Christianity to a friend. Just before his death in 1677, Scougal allowed the private communication to be published. It has become a classic Puritan text and one of the most influential treatises ever written for the comfort of believers. Scougal wrote that Christianity is not about external duties, nor is it an emotion.