Women Spiritual Growth

Lisa Gungor thought she knew her own story: small-town girl meets boy in college and they blissfully walk down the aisle into happily ever after. Their Christian faith was their lens and foundation for everything - their marriage, their music, their dreams for the future. But as their dreams began to come true, she began to wonder if her religion was really representative of the "good news" she had been taught.

Many women joke about having trust issues - laughing at their struggle because it feels common but secretly feeling there is no hope. Grace Valentine was one of them. In her 20s, she realized her trust issues were not humorous because, in reality, hers were trust issues with Jesus, her community, her family, and herself. And they were destroying her faith. Grace told herself she was simply being realistic, but the truth was, she was entangled with doubt and lies.

As an entrepreneur, Kelsey Chapman understands the doubts that hold us back - the moments we wonder, Am I capable? Am I qualified? Am I enough? She also knows what it's like when God brings the right people to guide us through difficult seasons. In What They Taught Me, Kelsey weaves the stories of nine regular women who stepped into her life at the exact right moment. Each woman gave Kelsey a model and example that informed and inspired her during the most critical times of her life personally and professionally.

Become the exceptional person God has called you to be with these seven practices for living a fulfilled and plentiful life from Lakewood Church co-pastor and bestselling author Victoria Osteen. In her latest book, Exceptional You! Victoria Osteen shares seven ways to become the exceptional person God has called you to be. She says, "If you're going reach your highest potential in life, you're going to have to develop the ability to see beyond where you are right now."

Who you really are as an individual is exactly what delights God and what the world needs. Lynne Hybels knows. Sharing from her personal journey, she reveals the tremendous importance of resisting the forces that would shape you into something otherand lessthan who God made you to be.

Traditional language for God has been dominated by a single image—Father—and masculine norms. For some, this language is meaningful. For others, it is deeply problematic. In both cases, it’s limited. One thing is certain: God is more. Mallory Wyckoff believes it’s past time to expand the ways we think about God. Through personal story, theology, spirituality, and social justice (and highlighting the interconnectedness of each), Wyckoff explores feminine metaphors and untapped language for God, all revelatory of a God who is more than we’ve been allowed to imagine.

In her debut book, Eyes Up, Alexandra Hoover reveals that God offers a clear way out of that dark place—by getting your eyes off your surroundings and raising them up to the Ebenezer-stone moments in your life. Ebenezer stone by Ebenezer stone, God did this for Alexandra, helping her trace his grace. He lifted her eyes to see the places He had met her and helped her along, even in the darkest parts of the story, and on top of that, He casted vision for her mission and purpose as a member of His family. And now, in Eyes Up, you can experience the very same thing.

Best-selling author and speaker Sharon Jaynes is here to break down what God really thinks about the grand finale of his creation: woman. You'll discover the lengths Jesus went to during his time on Earth to debunk the belief that women were "less than" and declare the truth that women are co-image bears with immense value and divine purpose. Not only did Jesus accept women as they were, but He also challenged them to become more.

Part cookbook and part spiritual memoir, Bread & Wine illuminates how sharing food together mirrors the way we share our hearts with each other and with God. And it explores what it means to follow a God who reveals his presence in breaking bread and passing a cup.

The little mountain hamlet of Bryson City, North Carolina, offers more than dazzling vistas. For Walt Larimore, a young "flatlander" physician setting up his first practice, the town presents its peculiar challenges as well. Schooled in the latest medical technology, the eager doctor—his wife, Barb, and two-year-old daughter, Kate, in tow—is about to discover that there are some things in rural practice for which medical school just hadn’t prepared him. But he’s about to learn.

How do you turn your struggles into strengths? Beloved Bible teacher Sheila Walsh teaches listeners how the daily spiritual practices of confession, meditation on God’s Word, and prayer result in fresh freedom in Christ.

For anyone who has ever struggled with their identity, Landra Young Hughes has a radically simple message: give up. Specifically, give up your need to be in control of how other people see you. Instead, let God's words - not yours and not others' - define you. Through her own deeply personal story of trying to control her circumstances and others' perceptions of her through an eating disorder, Landra points the way toward a life free from self-obsession and self-resentment.

Let's be honest: the life you're leading isn't the one you've always dreamt of. And maybe the person you've become isn't who you imagined you'd be. Sure, you can work longer, love harder, and eat better. You can scrub the surface of your life until it gleams. But that won't address the fact that you've somehow lost sight of who you really are. Working from the core message of Ephesians 1:11, Jo Saxton implores women to reject mistaken identities. Relying on personal stories from her own life, she identifies key scenarios where identities develop that are not true to God's vision, demonstrating the importance of knowing one's name, embracing the gifts you've been given, confronting body issues, managing seasons of depression and grief, and letting go of perfectionism.

Emily Price - fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist - dreams of having a gallery show of her own. There is no time for distractions, especially not the ultimate distraction of falling in love. But Chef Benito Vassallo’s relentless pursuit proves hard to resist. Visiting from Italy, Ben works to breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccollo. Soon after their first meeting, he works to win Emily as well - inviting her into his world and into his heart.

Gem Fadling helps us identify the competing voices and shows how they hinder our personal transformation. Drawing on years of spiritual direction and leadership at Unhurried Living, she shares her wisdom of how we make sense of inner voices and settle down enough to find our true voice.

Body shaming. Marriage shaming. Single shaming. Mom shaming. Lifestyle shaming. Religious shaming. It seems no matter which direction we turn, women can’t shake the shame that is constantly piled on top of us. Author and podcaster Jasmine L. Holmes knows this struggle all too well. Though shame has been a constant companion (and even a snare) throughout her life, God has broken the chains of shame in Jasmine’s life through the power of the gospel.

As a young Christian woman, do you struggle with insecurities and feel bogged down by the pressures and expectations of society? Do you find it challenging to take care of yourself and be a faithful daughter of God? Emily Wilson Hussem used to feel the same way. In Go Bravely, the Catholic musician and speaker offers 20 bits of advice that will equip you to tackle your deepest concerns about relationships, self-esteem, and dating while strengthening your faith at the same time.

You are royalty. What if you could experience the ups and downs of life with deep confidence and profound security? What if you felt so deeply loved that you stopped caring what people think of you, that you stopped second-guessing yourself? What if you really walked with the dignity and grace of divine royalty? That's what Straighten Your Crown is all about. This audiobook is the mirror that you have been looking for your whole life. It's a mirror that reflects how God sees you and the delight that he feels about you. You will see that you make him smile.

Born the unwanted third daughter, Esther Ahmad grew up Muslim in Pakistan. Her faith and country drove every aspect of her first 18 years, from what she wore and what she ate to her prospects for work and marriage, even to the manner of her death. Unveiled chronicles Esther’s conversion to Christianity and her escape from radical Islam. Chapter by chapter, Esther lays out the lies of the Qur’an and holds them against the truths she found in the Bible.

Too often our friendships with other women can be marked by drama, competition, betrayal, and unforgiveness. As women, we can cause one another deep pain, creating wounds in need of healing. But we were made for connection and healthy friendships with other women to cheer each other on and fulfill our God-breathed purpose - together.