This study guide by Dane Ortlund helps readers reflect further on the biblical truths found in Gentle and Lowly through discussion questions organized into 10 helpful lessons. Designed for individual and small-group use.

"What if we truly belong to each other? What if we are all walking around shining like the sun? Mystic, monk, and activist Thomas Merton asked those questions in the twentieth century. Writer Sophfronia Scott is asking them today. In The Seeker and the Monk, Scott mines the extensive private journals of one of the most influential contemplative thinkers of the past for guidance on how to live in these fraught times. As a black woman who is not Catholic, Scott both learns from and pushes back against Merton, holding spirited, and intimate conversations on race, ambition, faith, activism, nature, prayer, friendship, and love. She asks: What is the connection between contemplation and action? Is there ever such a thing as a wrong answer to a spiritual question? How do we care about the brutality in the world while not becoming overwhelmed by it? By engaging in this lively discourse, readers will gain a steady sense of how to dwell more deeply within--and even to love--this despairing and radiant world."

Take Hold Of The Freedom That Is Yours In Christ! Do you want to become an even more fruitful disciple of Jesus? Are you tired of not fulfilling your full potential as a Christian? No matter how long or short a time you have been a Christian, or how far you are on the journey, you will find The Steps To Freedom In Christ a wonderfully refreshing spiritual check-up. It will help you clear away the spiritual cobwebs and connect with Jesus in a deeper way. Many use it on a regular basis to give God an opportunity to highlight attitudes and behaviors that need to change and to uncover areas where their faith is not as strong as they would like it to be. It's also extremely effective for those facing particular challenges such as: * condemning thoughts * patterns of wrong behavior * spiritual struggles * hopelessness You might also want to use The Steps To Freedom In Christ DVD, in which Neil Anderson and Steve Goss (international director of Freedom In Christ Ministries) take you through this book. Dr. Neil T. Anderson is the founder and president emeritus of Freedom In Christ Ministries, which has offices and representatives in 40 countries. He was formerly chairman of the Practical Theology Department at Talbot School of Theology and has five earned degrees, including two doctorates. Dr. Anderson and his wife live in Franklin, Tennessee. For more information see www.ficm.org or www.ficminternational.org.

If you've always struggled with the stereotypical quiet-time, don't give up hope

As a Christian, you know you need to have devotions. You've heard it from your pastor; you've seen the study guides; you may have even made a dent in the One Year Bible. Some of you have valiantly set your alarm clocks back an hour for morning quiet time, only to find that life creeps back in to steal your resolve. It isn't because you don't love God. You quit because you "bought into" someone's unsustainable habit at an unreasonable pace.

But you don't have to keep running on empty. Bestselling author Doug Fields offers an uncomplicated, practical plan that you "can" carry out. This book won't teach you how to "cram God" into your already-full schedule. Instead, Doug will show you a practical, doable way of setting God first, and then letting everything else in your life fall into place. You "will" experience the fullness God has for you-just take some time to refuel.

Say Yes gives you the mental and spiritual practices you need to enjoy your life again--and bring greater fullness than you could imagine before. "My life doesn't look anything like I wanted it to. How do I even keep going?" When the dreams for our life die, our vision of who we hoped to become often dies too. That's when The Voice of Giving Up appears. Visual artist and spiritual director Scott Erickson has had long midnight conversations with The Voice of Giving Up, and he knows how anxiety and depression make The Voice especially loud. But he's discovered that our darkest moments are sometimes doorways to a deeper, more joy-filled journey of recovering who we are, why we're here, and why the future bursts with possibilities if we are willing to say yes to life's brightest gifts. In Say Yes, Scott helps you learn how to reawaken your deepest desires, disempower your greatest fears, and identify the destructive narratives holding you back. Combined with Scott's beautiful, thought-provoking illustrations, this is a profound exploration of beginning again after: Disappointment at how life is turning out Suspecting we are not prepared or smart enough Losing hope that change is possible and that pain can have a purpose Take the first step to gain the gentle yet powerful tools you need, and say yes to what lies ahead today.

Is the Christian mystical tradition a relic of another time, shaped by celibates for celibates, unable to engage meaningfully with people of our time who embrace their corporeality and sexuality as crucial aspects of their journey towards union with God? This book reflects in serious theological depth and detail on the spiritual and sexual journeys of gay men of mature and committed Christian faith, employing the Christian mystical tradition as the lens and the interlocutor in this process. This study examines the major themes and stages of the mystical tradition as outlined by Evelyn Underhill, but also including more recent work by Ruth Burrows, Thomas Merton and Constance Fitzgerald. Using methods of qualitative research, it then considers the texts of in-depth interviews conducted with men, most of whom are theologians or spiritual leaders with a deep Catholic faith, and all of whom are openly, self-affirmingly gay. Finally, it employs Ricoeur's hermeneutical theory to engage in a creative theological conversation between the traditional mystical stages and themes and these men's lives, as described in their interviews. This is a unique study that brings together ancient spirituality with contemporary lived religion. As such, it will be of interest to scholars of religious studies, theology, Christian mysticism and spirituality, and queer studies. It will be of particular interest to those teach spiritual direction and to all who seek new ways to engage with the spiritual lives of LGBTIQ+ people.

When Nazi Germany occupied Hungary in March 1944 violent persecution of the Jews began, including taking hundreds of thousands to concentration camps. It did not help Klara Kardos that she was Catholic: because of her Jewish background, she was also taken to Auschwitz in June of 1944 at the age of 24. At the camp, younger women were not killed; they were taken to ammunition factories to do forced labor. Klara survived the horror of death camps and was liberated in May 1945. Years after her return to Hungary, at the request of her friends, she wrote down her camp experiences in a small book in the Hungarian language. This is her story.

From the visual and textual art of Anglo-Saxon England onwards, images held a surprising power in the Western Christian tradition. Not only did these artistic representations provide images through which to find God, they also held mystical potential, and likewise mystical writing, from the early medieval period onwards, is also filled with images of God that likewise refracts and reflects His glory. This collection of essays introduces the currents of thought and practice that underpin this artistic engagement with Western Christian mysticism, and explores the continued link between art and theology. The book features contributions from an international panel of leading academics, and is divided into four sections. The first section offers theoretical and philosophical considerations of mystical aesthetics and the interplay between mysticism and art. The final three sections investigate this interplay between the arts and mysticism from three key vantage points. The purpose of the volume is to explore this rarely considered yet crucial interface between art and mysticism. It is therefore an important and illuminating collection of scholarship that will appeal to scholars of theology and Christian mysticism as much as those who study literature, the arts and art history.

Now a major motion picture *** The Jesus Movement transformed the church--and it can transform you God has always been passionate about turning unlikely people into His most fervent followers. Prostitutes and pagans, tax collectors and tricksters, the pompous and the pious--the more unlikely, the more it seemed to please God to demonstrate His power, might, and mercy through them. America in the 1960s and 1970s was full of many such characters--young men and women who had rejected the conformist religion of their parents' generation, didn't follow conventional rules, and didn't fit in. Their longing for something more set the stage for the greatest spiritual awakening of the twentieth century. Discover the remarkable true story of the Jesus Movement, an extraordinary time of mass revival, renewal, and reconciliation. Setting intriguing personal stories within the context of one of the most tumultuous times in modern history, Greg Laurie and Ellen Vaughn draw important parallels with our own time of spiritual apathy and overt hostility, offering a new vision for the next generation of unlikely believers--and hope for the next great American revival. Because God can always bring a new Jesus Revolution.

Every day we encounter scores of people headed to an eternity without God. What will it take to wake us up to their desperate need for a Savior?

While the earth's time clock ticks away, well-meaning Christians go to church, pay their tithes, and pray for foreign missionaries--going through the motions of Christian life as millions face an eternity without God. If heaven is indeed for real, and only those who have put their faith in Christ will be given entrance, shouldn't we be making the most of every opportunity to share the Gospel, the last great hope for all the world?

Join pastor Ronnie Floyd as he challenges readers to face reality and begin a global movement to reach the lost. He says, "God is calling us to an awakening regarding his most urgent command found in Matthew 28:19 to go and make disciples of all nations. This Great Commission is the compelling charge given to us with divine authority by our Commander in Chief, Jesus Christ."

"Our Last Great Hope" will move us beyond casual and theoretical talk about the Great Commission and lead us into a Great Awakening.

"This book could revolutionize the way we think. . . . Read it and be inspired, changed, and equipped."

--Bruce Wilkinson, best-selling author of "The Prayer of Jabez"

"Floyd challenges us to engage the next generation . . . a must-read."

--Greg Surratt, lead pastor of Seacoast Church and author of "IR-REV-REND"

"This book inspires me to do extraordinary things through my most ordinary life. "Our Last Great Hope" should be your fi rst required read."

--Leonard Sweet, best-selling author of "Jesus Manifesto"

""Our Last Great Hope" pushes us beyond predictability and points us to a deep, intimate knowledge of why we are here."

--Ed Young Jr., pastor of Fellowship Church and author of "Outrageous," "Contagious Joy"

"I'll be pulling this book off my shelf again and again."

--Pete Wilson, author of" Plan B" and "Empty Promises"

"This book is an energizing wake-up call to today's churches."

--Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research

Parenting is a school for spiritual formation, says author Gary Thomas, and our children are our teachers. The journey of caring for, rearing, training, and loving our children profoundly alters us forever...even when the journey is sometimes a rough one.Sacred Parenting is unlike any other parenting book on the market. This is not a "how-to" book that teaches readers the ways to discipline their kids or help them achieve their full potential. Instead of a discussion about how parents change their children, Sacred Parenting turns the tables and demonstrates how God uses children to change their parents.Stepping beyond the overly-tilled soil of method books, parents can learn a whole new side of parenting. They'll be encouraged by stories that tell how other parents handled the challenges and difficulties of being a parent - and how their children transformed their relationship with God.The lessons the author writes about are timeless. But in this edition, Thomas adds in some additional insights and stories that he's learned and lived over the past fifteen years of his own parenting. Gary has found that the lessons have remained much the same but there are new applications for the readers in this generation who are just now coming to his book.

Using the biblical idea of pilgrimage, Sally Welch walks alongside us as leader and guide, but also fellow traveller, to explore how we can understand this biblical principle and make it our own. This book is divided into sections of a journey, beginning with the preparations necessary before setting out, exploring the obstacles which might be put in our path and sharing ways in which the journey can be made easier and more productive. At the end of each reflection there is a suggestion for an activity or prayer to enable the reader to apply the learning to their own life.

Most Christians have experienced the "laundry list" phase of spiritual life, in which praying means giving God an agenda of needs to handle. But how do you move to having real conversation with God? How do you hear what God is saying back to you? How can you make your experience of God's presence part of everyday life? In this six-session LifeGuide(R) Bible Study, Jan Johnson covers the disciplines of prayer and of practicing God's presence. Going deeper in these areas will help you to draw closer to God in everything you do. For over three decades LifeGuide Bible Studies have provided solid biblical content and raised thought-provoking questions--making for a one-of-a-kind Bible study experience for individuals and groups. This series has more than 130 titles on Old and New Testament books, character studies, and topical studies.

If you had the chance to change your life for the better, would you? All it takes is a decision.

Trapped by harmful habits, behaviors, and attitudes, we struggle to become the person God has created and called us to be. Saddleback Church teaching pastor Doug Fields says it's never too late to get a fresh start. With personal stories and youthful writing, Doug challenges readers to recognize that they may say they want God in their lives, but they really don't want to change. They are stuck. He says, "It's not about trying harder, it's about plugging into God's transforming power and submitting your entire life to Christ. Age doesn't matter; fresh starts are for everyone." Topics include:

• Dealing with pride
• Defining success
• Living with guilt
• Struggling with conflicts
• Finding true friendships
• Overcoming discouragement
• Facing rejection
• Attacking anger

The perfect Everyday-Carry Large Print Bible There are Bibles for your study, and Bibles you take with you. This is the latter. Designed with the everyday-carry lifestyle in mind, this durable buffalo leather NASB Thinline Large Print Bible is the ideal Bible for people on the go. The blue, genuine leather cover, raised spine hubs, art-gilt pages edges, gilt line, and perimeter stitching make this a rugged, handsome Bible skillfully crafted to keep up with your busy lifestyle. Universally recognized as the gold standard among word-for-word translations, the beloved New American Standard Bible, 1995 Edition, is now easier to read with Zondervan's exclusive NASB Comfort Print (R) typeface. Available in a variety of sophisticated designs, NASB Thinline Bibles give you the translation celebrated for faithfulness to the original biblical languages in a portable, easy-to-read format. Features: The full text of the New American Standard Bible, 1995 Edition Durable buffalo leather in blue with raised spine hubs Smyth-sewn and edge-lined construction for flexibility and durability Art-gilt page edges, with gilt line and perimeter stitching Two double-sided satin ribbon markers, each 3/8-inch wide Less than one inch thick Double-column format Presentation page Eight pages of full-color maps Words of Jesus in red Exclusive Zondervan NASB Comfort Print typeface 10.5-point print size

Seeing yourself as God sees you is essential to overcoming your deepest struggles, having healthy relationships, living in freedom, and fulfilling your life purpose. Yet most of us look at ourselves with warped mirrors, believing lies that lead to shame, guilt, fear, insecurity, and spiritual stagnation. The lies of our past keep us stuck, struggling with the same issues and habits for years. But according to the first three chapters of Ephesians, that's not how God sees us at all. Pastor and author Chip Ingram wants to open your eyes to your true self, the "new you" that God sees, the person who is immeasurably valuable and beautiful. In this Scripture-soaked book, he shows you how getting God's perspective - satisfies your search for significance - undoes your shame - makes you secure - frees you from comparing yourself with others - helps you discover your calling - and more Are you ready to see yourself as God sees you? Then let Chip Ingram show you how to silence the lies of your past and experience your true identity.

Hóé dien ’n hedendaagse gesin God? Watter maniere is daar om gesinstyd met God opwindend te maak, om lofsang en aanbidding ’n fees te maak en om saam uit te reik na ander op maniere wat lekker én lewensveranderend is? Hoe inisieer ’n enkelouer dit? Of hoe motiveer jy dit wanneer jou huweliksmaat nie daarvoor te vinde is nie? Hoe doen jy dit wanneer jy tieners én kleuters in die huis het? En hoe doen jy dit sodat hulle dit wéér wil doen uit eie vrye wil?

Met hierdie boek wil Louise Viljoen gesinne toerus om God binne gesinsverband te dien. Sy gesels oor die uitdagings wat gesinne ondervind, soos bv. die gebrek aan Bybelkennis en tyd asook die druk onder portuurgroepe. Sy gee praktiese wenke oor hoe om gesinstyd met God spesiaal te maak en stel opwindende aktiwiteite voor vir die hele gesin. Daarna volg 52 oordenkings wat gesinne weekliks kan deurwerk.

Geniet die heerlike reis om as gesin by Hom in te trek. Kom ons laat gesinstyd met God herleef.

In a society that is quickly abandoning its biblical standards, parents can create an effortless culture in their home that lends itself to the spiritual development of their child.

David Ireland, known for his dynamic teachings on prayer, provides a framework that helps parents elevate their prayer life, then parents can pass along the secrets to their little ones so they too may become spiritual giants over time.

Parents will be equipped with practical exercises, sample prayers, and developmentally appropriate mentoring plans that will encourage their children to pray effectively now and into adulthood.

How God is described today strikes many as mean, primitive, backward, illogical, tribal, and at odds with the frontiers of science. At the same time, many intuitively feel a sense of reverence and awe in the world. Can we find a new way to talk about God?

Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Rob Bell does here for God what he did for heaven and hell in Love Wins he shows how traditional ideas have grown stale and dysfunctional and reveals a new path for how to return vitality and vibrancy to how we understand God. Bell reveals how we got stuck, why culture resists certain ways of talking about God, and how we can reconnect with the God who is with us, for us, and ahead of us, pulling us forward into a better future--and ready to help us live life to the fullest.