Spiritual Growth Love

My dear Beth, though Uppsala, Iowa, takes its name from a city in my native Sweden, life here is different from what I have known. With my parents' blessing, I have taken employment in the home of Mr. Bridger, a dairy farmer, caring for his ill mother and two young, orphaned nieces. It is most unlike me to leave home, even in a temporary manner. But the need is great and Hattie Bridger and the children are so endearing. As for Dirk Bridger, he is an unhappy man, but also loyal, hardworking, and honorable.

Learn how a successful Christian book publishing business began with a vision from God on the side of a busy interstate highway. The Prayer God Loves to Answer is a fascinating story of a man who said “yes” to God, which led to extraordinary opportunities in the spiritual and physical worlds. Through powerful personal stories and biblical encouragement, author and pastor Don Nori Sr. shares how God’s plan and desire is for you to say "yes" to Him, no matter what.

Here, I examine Jesus' first response to some of the people that He encountered who were in some form of sin, namely the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery. I also share how Jesus repeats those same principles of “first response” in His telling of the parable of the prodigal son. I compare Jesus' response to the types of responses that I received as a “prodigal” trying to return home to a right relationship with the Father. Further, I examine how I have also failed to extend the proper first response to others who were in a condition of woundedness and sin.

Did you know there are two laws of God? Both laws have a priesthood and a high priest. Both laws tell us how to live, how to treat each other, and how to relate to God. But...one law leads to judgment, curse, and death. The other law leads to forgiveness, grace, peace, and eternal life. The Lord has revealed in the Scriptures the law of the priesthood of Melchizedek, of which Jesus is high priest. It is the law by which the Lord is calling all believers to live. It is the oldest and the highest law of God and is in fact the law of heaven.

Including practical theology of why living out of a place of authentic desire is central to living in the kingdom of God, Rick McKinley will help you understand how your innermost desires shape your experience of following Jesus. A Kingdom Called Desire will help you: Uncover your core desires, discover the freedom of living honestly before God, allow God's desires to shape your life, and see how your own unique personality, gifts, and experiences can be used by Jesus in his kingdom.

Life is full of challenges and even as Christians, we are not strangers to pain and suffering. The stories in the Bible have shown us that even favored kings like David and Solomon had their share of ordeals. The apostle, Paul, had to walk a lonely and hardship-filled road on his way to greatness. Job, a person worthy of admiration, went through sickness and almost loses the fight for his faith.

Do we love people like Jesus loves them?Jesus loved verbs. He loved action words such as live, come, rest, learn, hear, give, go, and even die. Wouldn’t it make sense that the people who claim to follow Jesus would love the same words Jesus loved?Unfortunately, somewhere along the way someone tried to make the word Christian an adjective. So now people speak of "Christian" books and "Christian" music and "Christian" schools.

Women's hearts are designed by God for relationships. But in this fractured world, the relationships we so deeply desire are often the sources of great pain. Drawing on the Bible's wisdom, counselor Sharon Hersh reveals the secret to enduring life's heartaches and still coming up living wholeheartedly, loving with abandon, and daring to hope and believe.

In Is This The One?, Steve Arterburn - an award-winning author and the founder and chairman of New Life Ministries - has created a "how-to" plan for happier, stronger marriages. He contends that living in a "no regrets" relationship can be as simple following this spiritually solid and personally drawn plan before the first "I do" is even spoken. He prescribes three sets of ten carefully devised dates designed to help couples reveal their true colors and clarify whether or not they are a compatible match.

Happy Couples Know How to Talk About Money - The number one cause for divorce is financial infidelity. Now "The Money Couple" reveals the missing ingredient needed before any financial program or plan can work: healthy financial communication. This book tells you how to diagnose your level of financial infidelity; identify your individual Money Personality; master the Money Huddle and the Money Dump; and achieve financial goals once and for all.

To experience the best life that God intends for you, you must learn to live fully, love completely, and lead boldly - the hallmarks of Jesus' time on earth. Brian Houston now shares his transformative approach to the Christian life through practical tools and inspiring teaching that will help you identify your unique gifts and reenergize your faith, no matter where you are in your relationship with God.

Many Christians misunderstand and trivialize the biblical meaning of love and miss the transformation that God wants for them. We may practice the disciplines without grasping the life that Jesus desires to give within us. Through many years of spiritual formation teaching, coaching, and spiritual direction, I have found that both pastors and lay folk seem to simply blow past the central teaching of Scripture that love forms the heart of the Gospel message.

Having faith isn't an all-or-nothing situation and we all deserve to enjoy the parts that bring us comfort. In Have a Little Faith, Kate reveals for the first time the surprising truth about what faith means to her and how, ultimately, it can make us all happy. Kate is not your average vicar; in fact, she says herself that believing in the resurrection is 'a bit bonkers' so, whether you believe in God, the universe's plan or simply the goodness of humanity, Kate argues that having belief equals having hope, and we all deserve to feel hopeful.

Mark Buchanan evaluates the four best places to live - not according to the United Nations, Money, or Forbes - but according to God and Scripture. Where do we find the greatest joy, peace, and wisdom? Where can we go to experience the deepest sense of belonging? Is there a place that abounds with adventure where we can also feel safe, refreshed, and joyful? With compelling insight, Buchanan explores what God has revealed in His Word about where we become most alive, become most fully ourselves, and can dwell most closely with Him.

In this encouraging devotional, best-selling author Shannon Ethridge points to examples of New Testament believers to show how any woman can confidently share her faith. Through the stories of these early saints, you'll learn that drawing others to Christ doesn't have to involve specific steps or persuasive words. In fact, when God's love fills your heart, it overflows naturally into the lives of those around you and creates in them an irresistible yearning to experience it for themselves.

In Fear Not, Ed Love unpacks 11 biblical stories in which God commanded someone to "fear not". Each story exposes a common fear and challenges listeners to face their own fear and follow in faith. Listeners will discover how God uses ordinary people to accomplish his extraordinary purposes.

We all yearn for greater contentment. We try new planners, new apps, new jobs, new diets, and new relationships hoping that one more change will finally make our lives feel right. But no matter what we do, the peace we seek feels out of reach. How can we find the meaning and purpose we long for? Fourth-century philosopher and theologian St. Augustine asked the same question.

Moral evaluation must be based on more than our subjective feelings or the received wisdom or majority opinion of our community. But thinking objectively and reasonably about our ethical commitments is a process that's rarely taught in contemporary education or even in churches. Ethics Beyond Rules is a clear and accessible introduction for thoughtful Christians who want to lead moral lives - who want to define their moral code by firm biblical standards while acknowledging the complex nature of the issues at hand.

Women today feel pressure to be the best wife, mom, and professional possible - often at the expense of their own identity. But what if you could experience deep peace - knowing you are loved right now, just as you are? In Brave Love, the founder of the multi-million-dollar company Lisa Leonard Designs inspires women to find themselves again amidst the noise and competing demands of real life.

The world around us is in a constant state of reinvention, from technology, to careers, to family. It's easy to struggle in the midst of change, and each season brings new challenges. But we need reinvention: the kind that leads us to new fulfillment and our calling in Christ. To reinvent ourselves in Christ means a transformation in our hearts, souls, bodies, and minds. And we can achieve this by biblically exploring and answering the questions: What do you want? What do you have? What will you do? and Why will you do it?