Spiritual Growth Love

Puritan John Flavel (1630-1691) in Keeping the Heart (originally titled: A Saint Indeed or The Great Work of a Christian Opened and Pressed) has proven to be a steady and timely friend to many over the years. Using Proverbs 4:23 ("Keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flow the springs of life."), Flavel creates a treatise designed for all professing Christians.

Christians today face a dilemma: In a world that seems to reject everything we believe, how do we walk closely with God without caving to pressure or alienating those we hope to reach? In this eye-opening new book, Chris Hodges provides a solution by examining the life of the prophet Daniel, who persevered in a corrupt culture that closely resembles our own — and emerged as an influential force in God’s redemptive plan.

In this book, Joni unveils the God whom she has found to be faithful through over 30 years as a paralytic. This is not the story of a woman who has all the answers or who is very different from you. Joni struggles with the same fears, questions, and heartaches we all have in common. But as the weeks and months turn into years and the years into decades, she meets her Savior at every turn.

The key to spiritual and emotional health is to grasp the truth of God's transforming love for us and then let that reality influence our own hearts and relationships. It seems simple, but we are experts at complicating simple things. Instead of living lives characterized by love we find ourselves trapped in cycles of shame, violence, and addiction that steal our joy and keep us from loving others - so much so that, by all indications, Christians are living no differently than anyone else when it comes to abuse rates, use of pornography, alcohol and drug addiction, and more.

As we lie down in green pastures or walk through the shadowy valley, we're assured that whatever our path, whatever our stumbling, the Shepherd will lovingly guide, carry, and protect us. We can depend on His goodness and mercy all the days of our lives. Listeners will find comfort, guidance, and reassurance with A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.

In this audiobook, Megan Hill answers a common question of churchgoers: What's so great about the church? With rich theology and practical direction, Hill encourages and equips both first-time visitors and regular members to delight in being a part of the local church - no matter how messy and ordinary it seems today. It is only when God's people begin to see one another as the Lord sees them that they will truly find a place to belong.

Stormie Omartian’s bestselling books on the power of prayer have touched millions of lives. Recent books have taken a closer look at the leading of the Holy Spirit and the call to be a prayer warrior for God. Now Stormie takes a fresh look at another powerful aspect of knowing our Creator…His amazing and great love for us. We reflect God most clearly when we are motivated by the power of love in all we say and do. But first we have to understand the depth of God's love for us and receive it.

This groundbreaking walk through Scripture by former physician and carpenter Dr. Matthew Sleeth makes the convincing case that trees reveal more about God and faith than you ever imagined.

We were set up to feel like failures in romantic relationships by the dysfunctional perspectives and expectations of love and romance we learned growing up. There is no happily-ever-after that we can reach when we find our prince or princess. As an adult you obviously know that intellectually - but emotionally you are still looking for it because it is what we were taught as children, it is part of the foundation programming that determines how we relate to life.

Prophetic gifts without love are nothing. But what does love look like through the gift of prophecy? Four verses penned nearly 2,000 years ago capture one of the world's greatest descriptions of love. These verses embedded in the context of instruction on spiritual gifts unveil 13 secrets for healthy function of the gift of prophecy within society, and they are the ultimate prophetic protocol.

You are not alone. Whether you’re a free spirit, an office exec, a writer, musician, college student, or tired parent - your soul, like mine, knows life is meant to go beyond rat races and rare applause. This book speaks to that belief. And if you’re not careful, you may find tears warming your eyes as you read because finally someone is naming your weariness, your striving, your questions of why you just can’t quite make it, or the emptiness that hit because maybe you did.

Qu’est-ce qui empêche notre épanouissement ? L’aspiration à vivre sa foi dans une joie quotidienne se heurte fréquemment au constat que cette joie nous échappe. Pourquoi ? Bien souvent, c’est parce que nous avons été influencés par la société, qui nous incite à nous centrer sur nous-mêmes. Sous couvert de vérité, cette manière de penser a même infiltré l’Église. Il est donc temps que nous apprenions à discerner les enseignements toxiques de ceux qui sont vrais et purs.

You may say that you love your family, your spouse, your church, or the Lord. You may also express love for temporal things like a good cup of coffee, your home, or a nice dinner at your favorite restaurant. But it is rarer to truly say "I love my life!" It's common to be more frustrated with life than at peace with it, because the daily grind wears you down. Responsibilities and burdens become heavy and rob you of the happiness you're meant to have as a child of God. But you can be hopeful, learn to rise above your challenges, and be filled with wonder at what God might do every day.

We all need more energy, the vitality that helps us stay motivated, focused and productive in life. We know we receive energy from good nutrition, along with working out, adequate sleep and maintaining positivity. But there is another major source for the energy we need: having the right kinds of relationships with others. Not the ones that drain us, but the ones that refuel us.

It's time to remember. Dr. Kelly Flanagan is known to millions for the letters he writes to his children and shares on his blog. Loveable is written to the little one in each of us, who is all too ready to be reminded: You are enough, you are not alone, and you matter. In Loveable, Dr. Flanagan reveals the core insight gleaned from his years of clinical work - you are here for a reason, yet you cannot truly awaken to it until you have first embraced your truest, worthiest self and then allow yourself to be truly embraced by others.

In this deeply personal book, Jonathan Martin draws from his own stories of failure and loss to find the love that can only be discovered on the bottom. How to Survive a Shipwreck is an invitation to trust the goodness of God and the resilience of your soul. Jonathan’s clarion call is this: No matter how hard you’ve fallen, no matter how much you’ve been hurt, help is on the way - just when you need it most.

Thomas Keating was a Cistercian monk who founded the worldwide 'Contemplative Outreach', teaching people the art of meditation. Invitation to Love provides a road map for the journey that begins when Centering Prayer is seriously undertaken. Pointing to some of the recognizable landmarks on this journey, as well as to its ultimate destination, Father Keating addresses common questions regarding contemplative practice: How will it affect my life? Where does it lead us spiritually? What obstacles will I encounter along the way? How does it work?

"The Lord is my shepherd...." The words of this famous psalm have brought comfort to many - but what impact do they have on an actual shepherd? Best selling author and shepherd Phillip Keller draws on his firsthand experience to lead and prod listeners to the greenest pastures of discovery and coolest waters of fulfillment hidden in the psalm. This lively devotional commentary will show you how to experience Psalm 23 in a new way. See with the eyes, touch with the hands, and feel with the heart of our Lord - the Great Shepherd.

Create a church unchurched people absolutely love to attend. Deep and Wide provides church leaders with an in-depth look into North Point Community Church and its strategy for creating churches unchurched people absolutely love to attend. Andy Stanley shares his strategy for preaching and programming to both mature believers and cynical unbelievers, essential ingredients for creating irresistible environments, and North Point's spiritual formation model (The Five Faith Catalysts).

The book is a hands-on primer for bringing to life the basic message that Christ brought. In it, Meyer examines what will happen if we each decide that we will refuse to live only for ourselves and love intentionally through action.