A new, but ancient, way to pray can turn your life around. Discover how to experience God's love at your core, freeing you to love others, and even yourself. When biblical scholar and coach Brian Russell discovered centering prayer at a difficult crossroad in his life, he had no idea how his life would change. "Sensing God's love for me has been so transformational that it almost feels as though I've experienced conversion all over again," he writes. He became calmer, less anxious, less reactive, freed of past wounds, and a better listener in the presence of others. Centering prayer, also known as the prayer of silence, helps you quiet your mind from the constant thoughts and impulses, and frees your true self to experience more of God's love in the very core of your being. This inviting guide gives you practical tools to make centering prayer a consistent habit in your life, gives the history and theological foundation for the practice, and helps identify and overcome common obstacles. Beginners, as well as seasoned practitioners, will gain inspiration, rich insight, and practical knowledge of a contemplative prayer practice that can open you up to deep experiences of inner healing and peace.

It is now generally accepted that the nature of human thought has much to do with the structure and function of the human body. In Spirituality in the Flesh, Robert C. Fuller investigates how our sensory organs, emotional programs, sexual sensibilities, and neural structures shape religious phenomena. Why is it that some religious traditions assign spiritual currency to pain? How do neurochemically-driven emotions such as fear shape our religious actions? What is the relationship between chemically altered states of consciousness and religious innovation? The body has recently become a subject of investigation among scholars of religion. Many such studies focus on the concept of the body as a cultural construct. Whereas these treatments helpfully demonstrate how cultures construct ideas about the body, Fuller asks how the body itself influences religious concepts. Seeking to establish a middle ground between purely materialistic or humanistic arguments, he skillfully pairs scientific findings with religious truths. Both perspectives could learn from the other: Fuller takes scientific interpreters to task for failing to understand the inherently cultural aspects of embodied experience even as he chides most religion scholars for ignoring new knowledge about the biological substrates of human behavior. Comfortable with the language of scientific analysis and sympathetic to the inherently subjective aspects of religious events, Fuller introduces the biological study of religion by joining our unprecedented understanding of bodily states with an experts knowledge of religious phenomena. Culling insights from scientific observations, historical allusions, and literary references, Spirituality in the Flesh provides fresh understandings that promise to enrich our appreciation of the embodied religious experience.

“I have read no book that more carefully, thoroughly, and tenderly displays Christ’s heart.” — Paul David Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries; author, New Morning Mercies and My Heart Cries Out

Christians know what Jesus Christ has done—but who is he? What is his deepest heart for his people, weary and faltering on their journey toward heaven? Jesus said he is “gentle and lowly in heart.” This book reflects on these words, opening up a neglected yet central truth about who he is for sinners and sufferers today.

A Jesus-Shaped Life, How Diving Deeper into Theology Can Transform Us and Our World with the Radical Kindness of God, A Back Porch Theology Book.

A true and simple understanding of theology will reveal to us the God who loves us unconditionally, has good plans for us (even in the hard times), and wants to do life with us. When we understand this, it will radically and beautifully change the way we see ourselves, others, and view our relationship with the Lord. When many of us hear the word theology, we conjure up visions of stuffy old guys in dark clothing, scratching a pen across paper (or maybe a quill across parchment!) and assume that it's not for us. But at its most basic, theology is just words (logos) about God (Theos). Conversations, if you will, about the most important part of our lives--our good, loving, and grace-filled God.

With her signature style and humour, bestselling Bible teacher Lisa Harper invites you into this life-changing conversation. She makes theology fun, practical, and applicable, explaining how academic-sounding concepts--such as imago Dei, atonement, the Trinity, the transcendence and immanence of Christ, and much more--are actually daily realities that make an enormous difference in how we live our lives, how we treat other people, and how we understand our own relationship to our Creator.

If you want to grow closer to God and take a more active role in your community of faith, it's time to take your understanding of God to the next level with sound theology rooted in Scripture. Let Lisa be your (very entertaining) guide in A Jesus-Shaped Life

Start each day on a positive and inspiring note with 366 refreshing devotions especially for women. When the Day Breaks will help you deepen your relationship with God and encourage you to be a shining light, reflecting His image to others throughout the day. As you make time to meet with God in the early morning, let the sunrise remind you of what Jesus did when He rose as the Sun of Righteousness in our midst. This hardcover devotional is beautifully designed, and a ribbon marker allows you to mark your progress through the book.

A unique and validating look at the tension you feel between disillusionment and a desire for truth, Searching for Enough helps you see your doubt not as an emotion to fear but as an invitation to be followed. Do you ever find yourself thinking, "I'm not enough, and I'm never going to be. And I know I'm not supposed to say this, but God's not enough for me either." Whether or not we attend church, deep down we wonder if the biblical story of faith is really enough for the complexity of the world in which we live. We fill our lives with other things, hoping that maybe the next experience or accomplishment will complete us. Yet with every goal we reach, we still feel discouraged and anxious. In Searching for Enough, Pastor Tyler Staton draws on ancient and modern insights to introduce us, as if for the first time, to Jesus' disciple Thomas: history's most notorious skeptic. Like Thomas, we are caught between two unsatisfying stories: We want to believe in God but can't reconcile his presence with our circumstances and internal struggles. But what if there's a better story than shame? What if there's redemption so complete that there's nothing left to hide? What if there is a God who can heal your resentments, fears, and loneliness in such a profound way that you feel whole? From a place of spiritual companionship and deep authenticity, Tyler shows us that it is not an empty tomb that will change our lives, but the presence of the living God. Whether you are a distant skeptic, an involved doubter, or a busy but bored Christian, Searching for Enough invites you to find enough in a God who offers the only promises that never disappoint.

We all have times when we feel trapped by life. A world of dysfunction seems to hem us in on every side as our hearts yearn for horizons that seem just beyond our grasp. We search for pathways forward we just can't seem to find. But, as Derek Webster demonstrates, God wants to lead us to health. How do we do that? Viewed through the lens of the familiar Old Testament Bible story of Joseph, Your Mess, God's Masterpiece shows us a way to journey from trapped to triumphant living. This book will help you move from the mess you're stuck in, to become the masterpiece God longs for you to be.

As a trauma-informed professional life coach, Janell Rardon spends a good deal of her day-to-day work with brokenness--broken families, broken relationships, broken hearts and souls. In response to the pleas of her clients, she developed a set of emotional health tools that help them repair the broken parts of their lives. In Stronger Every Day, she shares those powerful tools with you. In this heartlifting book, she helps you to - transform pain into meaning - experience secure attachment with God - shape healthy thoughts - shift from shame to self-compassion - practice healthy assertiveness - set mental and emotional boundaries - understand triggers and defense mechanisms - regulate emotional highs and lows - cultivate healthy human connection With inspiring Scriptures, quotes, prayers, personal stories, and case studies, Rardon sets you on the path of emotional health so that you can be stronger than ever--every day.

“Moet ek eers wag tot ek dood is voordat ek God se wil verstaan?” So begin Stephan Joubert sy boek God se wil vir jou lewe.

Op sy unieke manier doen Stephan Joubert ’n diepgaande ondersoek na hierdie vraag om vas te stel hoe ons nou al God se wil kan ken. Die boek is verdeel in twee dele:

• Deel 1 is 9 hoofstukke waarin Stephan onder andere kyk na die misterie van God se wil, Jesus as die gesig van God se wil, reëls oor God se wil en vensters op God se wil.
• Deel 2 is 31 Bybelstudies, vir individue of groepe, wat die verskillende fasette van God se wil bekyk, waaronder: Verander God se wil my in ’n robot?, Mag ek vrae vra oor God se wil? en vele meer.

God se wil vir jou lewe wys dat God se wil vir ons duidelik in die Bybel gegee word en dat ons dus nie tot ons dood hoef te wag om dit te verstaan nie. Dit is moontlik om elke dag in blydskap en volkome binne God se wil te leef.