Women Spiritual Growth

At some point in life, every woman struggles with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. Whether fueled by a culture of makeover shows, by the lingering memories of mean girls, or by events and regrets much more wounding to the soul, our thoughts can become so conditioned by self-doubt that it's often the primary lens through which we view ourselves or expect to be viewed by others. But what if we could rewrite the narrative? What if we could exchange our uncertainty for an abiding confidence? And what if in unearthing our worth, we uncovered our purpose as well?

Heather Holleman used to live a fragile life, a prisoner to fear, anxiety, and despair. Like many younger women, she knew Jesus, but she wasn't strong in Him. Her search for comfort seemed unending. Then, one day, while reading a simple statement in Scripture, "God guards the lives of his faithful ones" (Psalm 97:10), that all began to change. In Guarded by Christ: Knowing the God Who Rescues and Keeps Us, Heather guides women through a series of practical mental shifts that immensely helped her live strong in the Lord.

What if there was a real-life invitation to a lifetime of unexpected destinations and adventure? What if your faith was the key? In her warm, conversational way, Proverbs 31 author Suzie Eller shows how your faith is just that. How when you take a step away from the uncertainty, the to-do list, the busy life, the worries and excuses, you take a step toward the one who promises to delight and surprise. Who brings you deeper than you ever thought possible.

In this encouraging and empowering audiobook, Deidra Riggs calls listeners to accept God's invitation to join him in making a difference right where they are, regardless of their current life stage. She shows listeners that they were created with a purpose and with the capacities to fulfill that purpose. And she reminds them that it's not up to us to fix the world, but it is up to us to join God - and the rest of his people - in his redemptive work.

Jesus didn't say that the world would know we are his followers by our biting rhetoric, our political leanings, our charity work, or even by our knowledge of Scripture. He said the world would know us by our love for one another. Yet it's so easy to put others at arm's length, to lash out, to put up walls. Deidra Riggs wants us to put our focus on self-preservation aside and, like Jesus, make the first move toward reconciliation.

You may feel lonely, abandoned, overwhelmed, and ill-equipped in your life as a single mother, but you are not alone on this journey. God is with you, and if you are willing, he will help you build a strong home and legacy for your family. As a former single mother, Michelle Lynn Senters understands you could use a little soul nourishment. In The Unseen Companion, she explores the 10 needs every single mother has and asks, "God, where are you in this?"

Jen Pollock Michel guides us on a journey of understanding who we are when we want and reintroduces us to a God who gives us the desires of our hearts. That same good God calls us into a new reality in which we seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and we discover our disordered desires burned away while our truest longings are happily fulfilled and purified. The disciples asked Jesus to "teach us to pray." This audiobook says, "Teach us to want."

If you want to find freedom from the forces vying for your heart, let Christine Hoover equip you for the fight. In this approachable yet provocative audiobook, she helps you root out your own misplaced allegiances so that you can live wholly as a subject of the king who made and redeemed you.

Into the Deep is an invitation to dive headfirst into a life of courageous faith. With endearing warmth and authenticity, Lauren Gaskill shares how she and others have learned to swim with Jesus in the deep waters of life-facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, and chronic illness - only to discover a more authentic, enduring faith that cannot be shaken by circumstances.

What is your response when your life turns upside down? When you lose your job? When you receive a difficult diagnosis? Do you blame God or beg Him for a way out of your suffering? In more than a decade of misdiagnoses and debilitating treatments, Stephanie Tait admits she did plenty of both before hearing the two words that had drastically altered her life: Lyme disease. Yet she has discovered it's in her pain that Jesus is most present.

None of us signed up for a conventional experience with the unconventional God, yet too often the spiritual life can become routine, dare we say, even boring. In Adore, Sara Hagerty gives us all permission to admit "I barely know You, God," and with this honest admission, to scoot a little nearer to this familiar stranger. Adoration is the simple practice Sara discovered for starting where you are, and letting the grit of your day greet the beauty of God's presence.

Drawing on her experience on America's Next Top Model and her work as a fashion model, Leah Darrow exposes the lies we are told about our worth being tied to our appearance and instead invites us to look again at the real meaning of beauty. She shows how we can reclaim true and lasting beauty - the kind that doesn't depend on self-doubt, exploitation, or comparison - when we reflect God's glory and embrace our value as he made us to be: strong, brave, and free.

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.

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....

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.

Being the wife of a pastor or an elder is a joy - and a challenge. These devotional meditations encourage and equip wives of church leaders by pointing them to the word of God for refreshment and counsel. Whether you are new to being a pastor's or elder's wife or have been in that role for decades, the truths in this book will speak to you amid the complexities of ministry life and testify that the Lord is unfailingly good.

Waiting is a vital part of our stories, and what we do with our times of waiting matter. Life isn't about navigating around seasons of waiting. It is learning to embrace them. In Now Waiting, Sarah will explain how you can remain confident in the goodness of God when your season of waiting leaves you feeling discouraged, frustrated, and left out of God's plan; embrace seasons of waiting as a time to thrive, not just to endure; and find hope in the promises of God for today and tomorrow, even when things aren't going the way you planned.

As Christian girls, it's hard to hold on to a sense of who we are in Christ in a world that is constantly telling us who we should be. But our worth isn't defined by society. It's defined by our loving God, who made us and calls us his redeemed daughters. God has a good plan for our beauty, femininity, relationships, and identity and wants to help us thrive in his freeing design. That's what Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal have been sharing in their popular books, videos, podcast, and blog. Now they offer this 60-day devotional to help you find your entire identity in Christ.

Author Elizabeth Laing Thompson walks alongside listeners as she tackles the difficulties that stymie our faith, stifle our prayers, and stunt our relationship with God. When God Says No will help you to discover hope when life feels hopeless, good in what feels bad, and new dreams when old ones have died.

In the summer of 2013, family and friends watched helplessly as author Sarah E. Ball spiraled into the darkest season of her life. A passionate woman of God, wife, mom of five, and popular blogger, Sarah nevertheless found herself abruptly taken captive by a severe anxiety and panic disorder that left her bedridden for months. Those around her were shocked at her fast derailment because she had always been a very strong, dependable woman. With time and perseverance, her determination and faith in God led her out of anxiety.