Spiritual Growth Bible

A survey of the various ways--often unrecognized and overlooked--whereby Christianity has impacted the world, making the world a better place and enriching our everyday living.

Chase the Lion is more than a catch phrase; it’s a radically different approach to life. It’s only when we stop fearing failure that we can fully seize opportunity by the mane. With grit and gusto, New York Times best-selling author Mark Batterson delivers a bold message to everyone with a big dream. This is a wake-up call to stop living as if the purpose of life was to simply arrive safely at death. Our dreams should scare us. They should be so big that without God they would be impossible to achieve.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many translations of the Bible? It can be overwhelming and challenging to make sense of the differences, similarities, strengths, and weakness of each. With over 400 English translations to choose from, how do you know one is right for you? This book is here to help. Chapter by chapter, it tells the story of many different versions of the Bible, including information about their historical context, the people who translated them, and what makes them unique.

Why is it so important to know the One who knows all about you? The answer is simple: When you come to a point where you understand his ways, your life takes on new meaning. Most people know a little something about God, but their knowledge of who he is and how he works stops just past the point of an initial introduction. In Step with God, pastor and author Charles F. Stanley offers simple, clear teaching that answers questions such as: What is God like?

He who wants a correct understanding of holiness must first begin by examining the vast and solemn subject of sin. He must dig down very deep if he wants to build high. Wrong views about holiness are generally traceable to wrong views about human corruption. Practical holiness and entire self-consecration to God are not given adequate attention by modern Christians. The unsaved sometimes rightly complain that Christians are not as kind and unselfish and good-natured as those who make no profession of faith.

We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in the church. Not since the Reformation five centuries ago have so many Christians come together to ask whether the church is in sync with their deepest beliefs and commitments. These believers range from evangelicals to mainline Protestants to Catholics, and the person who best represents them is author and pastor Brian McLaren. In this much anticipated book, McLaren examines ten questions facing today's church - questions about how to articulate the faith itself, the nature of its authority, who God is....

From Dallas Willard, one of the most important Christian intellectuals of the 20th century, comes a collection of readings, interviews, talks, and articles - many previously unpublished. In his groundbreaking books, teacher, philosopher, and spiritual guide Dallas Willard forever changed the way many Christians experience their faith. Three years after his death, the influence of this provocative Christian thinker - "a man devoted to reestablishing the exalted place moral reasoning once held in the academy" ( Christianity Today) - remains strong.

The first person ever to complete the perilous 10,000 mile journey across the inscrutable desert landscape of the Middle East, Bruce Feiler, a fifth generation Southern Jew, embarks upon a quest to reconnect with the stories of the Bible, and uncover fresh answers to profound questions.

With clear facts and answers to the questions kids and those new to faith ask most, this adaptation of Lee Strobel's New York Times bestselling and award-winning The Case for Christ uses kid-friendly language, examples, and easy-to-understand information to introduce young listeners to the research and evidence behind the question of whether Jesus really was the savior the Bible promised, and what that answer means for our lives today.

"God has a plan for our lives", but what does that mean in practical terms? How do we know God's will for important life decisions, like who to marry, what job to take, what church to join? How can we be free if God has a perfect plan for us? Does suffering mean we are off track? How exactly does God speak? Author Jerry Sittser explores these questions and offers a biblically based approach that is truly liberating.

Bible Bedtime Stories for Stressed Out Adults is a soothing version of the New Testament. As a special treat for you, the four gospel stories are spoken from Jesus’ perspective. Hearing Jesus tells his own story is an extremely powerful and reassuring experience. The calming music will soothe your soul. Relax, close your eyes, and rest as Jesus tells you his story and reads the Bible to you. As you focus on listening to him speak, the day’s tensions will vanish and you’ll experience a peace that surpasses all understanding as you sleep.

In this twelve-session audio Bible study, some of today's best-loved Christian authors and speakers look at the spiritual lessons learned from twelve daring women in the Bible and what they mean for you today.

As the world grows more volatile with looming wars, rampant pandemics, and violence in the streets, many people are wondering, is the end near? Jesus is coming soon! Sure, there is plenty of bad news on the horizon—but not for the Christian. Jesus’ end-time agenda is to give you great hope and joy. He wants to bless you and prepare you for your destiny in these last days. For more than 30 years, author, minister, and host of the weekly End of Days Update, Joseph Morris, has been awakening the Church to Jesus’ hastening return.

Accessing mindfulness is a therapeutic touchstone for a range of emotional issues, from mild distress to the treatment of trauma, but the term mindfulness has often left Christians wary. Stripped of Christlike spirituality, it sounds self-focused at best, and at worst like a fusion with modern pop-religions of the day. But the quality of mindfulness - of being fully present, aware of ourselves and our situation so that we can better respond to the chaos around us - is a profoundly biblical concept. And it can be used effectively by Christian counselors and healing practitioners.

What does an ancient Jewish prophet have to do with modern America? What, if anything, can we learn from a man who lived 2,400 years ago as a captive in the land we now call Iraq? As it turns out, quite a bit. David and Jason Benham are convinced the biblical example of Daniel holds the keys to contemporary Christians thriving in a world increasingly hostile to people of faith. Like Daniel, believers today find themselves in a changing culture, one opposed to the god they serve.

We all have dreams. But many of us have no clue what they mean—or that God is speaking, even imparting matchless wisdom, to us through them. Cutting through the confusion and unbiblical teachings on dreams, prophetic leader Demontae Edmonds offers a hands-on guide to this supernatural realm grounded in biblical truth. You'll discover how God uses dreams to heal, give direction and answers, expose the enemy, give warnings, reveal mysteries—and more.

Women comprise at least half the world, and usually more than half the church, but so often Christian teaching to women either fails to move beyond a discussion of roles or assumes a particular economic situation or stage of life. This all but shuts women out from contributing to God's kingdom as they were designed to do.

A woman's longing to present herself as physically beautiful is universal. Beauty is extolled throughout the Bible as complementing God's plan for women's lives. There are currently no books that examine the beauty practices of biblical women, the plants and products God created to accent their beauty, and the spiritual roots of feminine rituals. Beautiful women abound in the Bible: Queen Esther, the bride of Solomon, Delilah, Rachel, Sarah, and more. Their beauty was a gift from God, and God also supplied the many foods, spices, and oils that perfected each woman's appearance.

Does it ever feel like life is out of control? Could you use the reminder that God is in control? When tragedy strikes, people desperately search for answers. Believers and unbelievers alike find themselves turning to God. Best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado tells us that, though it may not be quick or painless, God will use this mess for good.

Transforming Presence talks you through 10 vital practices that will help you have a new experience of the Holy Spirit. You’ll learn how our relationship with the Holy Spirit changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament, what common misconceptions of the Holy Spirit are, and how to think and speak (and sing) rightly about him. It can be hard to discern what’s right and wrong in a world of gray scales, differing preferences, and emotional highs, but when we start with the Bible, all the secondary things fall into place.