Religious Growth

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.

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 most important work of the devotio moderna movement, Thomas à Kempis’s classic, The Imitation of Christ, is saturated with Scripture and classical philosophy and reveals a deep understanding of human nature. Matthew Arnold called it “the most exquisite document, after those of the New Testament, of all that the Christian spirit has ever inspired.”

Discover a beautiful friendship between Billy Graham and his friend and pastor, Don Wilton. This book looks behind the scenes of Graham's life, which continues to inspire us in our own spiritual journeys. Most Saturdays for 15 years, Don drove the long road to meet with Billy at his home in Montreat, North Carolina. There the two friends spent hours talking about family, politics, sports, and their spiritual lives.

In this five-session Bible study, Will Graham, the grandson of renowned preacher Billy Graham, shares stories and teachings from his life about what it means to be redeemed in Christ. As Will has traveled the globe, he has observed that deep inside each of our souls, we are all hungering for something. Some of us try to satisfy that need by throwing ourselves into relationships, jobs, or hobbies. Some try to fill the hunger by engaging in destructive vices. Others pursue good deeds, social work, or donating money to worthy causes.

Here is a perceptive evaluation of the new “emerging church” movement showing how we must not only interact with a fast-changing culture but also have our vision and practice of ministry shaped by biblical theology with Scripture as the norm.

Pages are turning on God's prophetic calendar, approaching that glorious day when his son will step once again into the world of time and space. What is the key to this timetable? The answer is Israel. And the controversy over her destiny affects every nation on Earth. In an urgent plea for prophetic watchmen, James W. Goll calls you to join the global prayer movement to remind God of his promises toward his ancient covenant people, according to a targeted biblical plan.

What They Meant for Evil is the account of that unimaginable journey. With the candor and purity of a child, Rebecca recalls how she endured fleeing from gunfire, suffering through hunger and strength-sapping illnesses, dodging life-threatening predators - lions, snakes, crocodiles, and soldiers alike - that dogged her footsteps, and grappling with a war that stole her childhood. Her story is a lyrical, captivating portrait of a child hurled into wartime, and how through divine intervention, she came to America and found a new life full of joy, hope, and redemption.

One of the world's most influential religious leaders shares his legacy message and spiritual memoir for the first time. Tracing his faith journey from humble beginnings on the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to sharing the good news with millions and counseling world leaders, Luis' life is filled with adventure, risk, and faith. A very personal audiobook with never-before-told stories and a 16-page photo insert, Luis recounts losing his father at an early age and caring for his five siblings and his mother.

More than a decade ago, Jerry Sittser prayed for the protection of his family, yet three of his loved ones - his daughter, his wife, and his mother - died in an automobile accident. What went wrong? When God Doesn't Answer Your Prayer takes an honest and probing look at the problem of unanswered prayer. In doing so, it draws us ever deeper into a relationship with the God who is the end of all our prayers, the object of our faith, and the one who fulfills our deepest longings.

America's pastor has gone home. But his lifelong message, his passion for the gospel, and his compassion for people still echo in Hear My Heart. This intimate work, a compilation of articles that spans Billy's ministry from 1955 to 2014, invites you to sit down with Billy and hear in his own unvarnished words the things that moved his heart regarding relevant issues of the day. The Biblical convictions he abided by. The reasons and regrets behind some of his decisions. And the wisdom he gained in his century on this earth.

Once a trained athlete in peak condition, Joanne Moody suffered a postpregnancy injury that sidelined her for the next 14 years. Not one to give up easily, Moody fought to find an answer to her pain year after year. Countless doctors attempted to treat her until, finally, one recommended a surgeon in France. Joanne and her sisters made the trek only to stare death in the face again. At the moment of greatest pain, God reached down and gave her a promise.

Evangelical pastor Ed Dobson chronicles his year of living like Jesus and obeying his teachings. Dobson's transition from someone who follows Jesus to someone who lives like Jesus takes him into bars, inspires him to pick up hitchhikers, and deepens his understanding of suffering. As Dobson discovers, living like Jesus is quite different from what we imagine.

Before May 31, 2008, September Vaudrey's life was beautiful. But on that day, with one phone call from the ER, her whole world - everything she knew and believed - was shaken to the core. Katie, her 19-year-old artist daughter, had been in a car accident and would not survive. How does a family live in the wake of devastating tragedy? When darkness colors every moment, is it possible to find light? Can God still be good, even after goodbye?

From conservation to protecting endangered species to sustainable living, A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth offers a faith-based framework for viewing our responsibility to the natural world as well as practical, biblical ways we can care for the magnificent creation around us. Drawing on science and Scripture, this hope-filled and listener-friendly guide helps us navigate questions about caring for and respecting God's world.

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.

Originally published in 1978, A Step Further is Joni Eareckson Tada's response to thousands of letters she received from people puzzled about the "whys" of suffering. Joni answers these questions by taking a personal look at how God has used circumstances, people, and events in her own life and the lives of others.

In the summer of 1969, Buzz Aldrin had a mission. His goal was to fly 240 million miles from earth and, along with fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong, be the first to walk on the moon. But moments before that historic step, Aldrin poured a specially prepared drink into a cup and partook in a sacred celebration that had first occurred two thousand years before. In this five-session study, bestselling author and pastor Levi Lusko journeys back in time and forward in hope, using the 1969 lunar mission as an analogy of the metamorphosis that was unleashed by the man from Galilee.

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.

Discoveries is Eugenia Price's honest account of her quest to find out what Jesus Christ means to her, and how her newfound belief in him has changed her life. Eugenia Price wrote Discoveries - her first book - two years after her conversion to Christianity at the age of 33. It is an authentic journal of her spiritual journey from nonbeliever to believer. Discoveries is filled with the vitality and excitement of a new disciple, and yet, as the author states, it is still startlingly central to what I believe today.