Best known today as a fine composer, the twelfth-century German abbess Hildegard of Bingen was also a religious leader and visionary, a poet, naturalist and writer of medical treatises. Despite her cloistered life she had strong, often controversial views on sex, love and marriage too - a woman astonishing in her own age, whose book of apocalyptic visions, Scivias, would alone have been enough to ensure her lasting fame. In this classic and highly praised biography - first published by Headline in 2001 - distinguished writer and journalist, Fiona Maddocks, draws on Hildegard's prolific writings to paint a portrait of her extraordinary life against the turbulent medieval background of crusade and schism, scientific discovery and cultural revolution. The great intellectual gifts and forceful character that emerge make her as fascinating as any figure in the Middle Ages. More than 800 years after her death, Pope Benedict XVI has made Hildegard a Saint and a Doctor of the Church (one of only four women). Fiona Maddocks has provided a short new preface to cover these tributes to an extraordinary and exceptional woman.

Now available in trade paper! USA Today Bestseller Learn how to work your way through life's unexpected challenges with grace and find a deeper faith while on your journey. In this biblical and conversational book by Dr. Tony Evans and his four adult children-Chrystal Evans Hurst, Priscilla Shirer, Anthony Evans, and Jonathan Evans-you will hear five insightful perspectives on what it means to hold on to faith when life breaks your heart. We have all been through difficult seasons and times in life when it seems like the hits keep coming and you can barely catch your breath. The Evans family knows what this is like, as they've experienced the deep grief of losing eight loved ones in less than two years' time, including the devastating passing of Lois Evans, the matriarch of the family. In Divine Disruption, Dr. Tony Evans and his children pull back the curtain on their faith-shaking experiences, in order to provide biblical wisdom and practical encouragement for how to deal with the hard, unexpected things we all inevitably face. You'll walk away with insights on: Why bad things happen despite a good and powerful God Persevering in difficult times and experiencing God's peace What causes distress in your life-and how to move past it How to keep your faith from being damaged during tough times Join the Evans Family in this unique Kingdom Legacy partnership as they candidly share honest questions they've asked, raw emotions they've felt, and solutions they've learned. Your life may have been interrupted, but you can use that to grow closer to God-and find peace.

Years ago, novelist Charles Martin cracked open his Bible and began wrestling with a few fundamental questions. He asked, “What if every single word of Scripture is absolutely true and I can trust it? How do I respond? Something in me should change, but what? How?” This book is the result of that exploration.

With the depth, sensitivity, and emotion that has made his novels beloved to millions, Charles ignites our imaginations as to what the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ mean to us today. Charles asks, “What if dead and crucified Jesus came back to life by the power of the Holy Spirit and is alive today? Right now. What if that same Jesus, the One who walked out of the tomb shining like the sun, holding the keys of death and hades, is alive in me. I write fiction for a living, and that’s either the craziest thing I’ve ever heard or it’s the most important word ever spoken.

You and I have a King who did the unthinkable.” And the answers that his writer’s imagination illuminate for us will change the way that we think about the gospel and the way that we live because of it.

Only God can satisfy the hungry soul. In this five-session video Bible study, Will Graham, the grandson of renowned preacher Billy Graham, shares stories and teachings from his life about what it means to be redeemed in Christ. As Will has traveled the globe, he has observed that deep inside each of our souls, we are all hungering for something. Some of us try to satisfy that need by throwing ourselves into relationships, jobs, or hobbies. Some try to fill the hunger by engaging in destructive vices. Others pursue good deeds, social work, or donating money to worthy causes. But as the psalmist writes, only God "satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:9 NKJV). As we experience this redemption and walk in God's ways, He leads us to a new understanding of His love, helps us to let go of our past, gives us a new heart and outlook on our trials, and opens our eyes to see the eternal needs of those around us. The Redeemed Study Guide includes video teaching notes, discussion questions, Bible exploration, and weekly personal study and reflection materials. Sessions include: A New Understanding of God's Love A New Sense of Freedom from the Past A New Heart and Purpose A New Outlook on Difficulties A New Longing to Share Christ Designed for use with the Redeemed Video Study (9780310099796) sold separately. Digital and streaming video also available.

Learn to listen for the voice of the One who loves you most.

God is not silent. We know that He speaks to His people. Throughout the pages of Scripture, He guides, instructs, corrects, and encourages. But what does He say to you? How does He say it? How can you know when you’ve heard Him?

Hearing His Voice is a beautiful 90-day devotional to help you discover patterns and practices you can adopt to hear God better, illustrated with beautiful color art. If we listen, He will speak—and His words are powerful and life-changing.

What does healing mean for Christians and others in an age of science? How can we combine scientific findings about our bodies, philosophical understanding of our minds and theological investigations about our spirits with a coherent and unified model of the person? How does God continue to create through nature and direct our wandering towards becoming created co-creators capable of ministering to others? The reality of human suffering demands that theology and science mutually inform each other in a shared understanding of nature, humanity, and paths to healing. In Insight to Heal, Mark Graves draws upon systems theory, pragmatic philosophy, and biological and cognitive sciences to deal with wounds that could limit personal growth, and uses information theory, emergence, and Christian theology to define healing as distinct from a return to a prior state of being, but rather to create real possibility in who the person may become.

There's a ticking time bomb in your ministry. Is it you? The pressures of pastoring are endless, leading many to burnout and depression, sexual misconduct, or substance abuse. But moral failures can be averted and shipwrecked ministries can be repaired. Counselor Michael MacKenzie, a longtime expert in helping pastors at risk, deals with the issues beneath the issues, such as shame, fear, and pain. If we don't address our own weakness and brokenness, we will hurt ourselves and those around us. With vivid pictures of both self-destructive patterns and reconstructive grace, MacKenzie shows how to lay the groundwork for restored identity and service. God can use those exact areas of vulnerability as a catalyst to you becoming the pastor and person he intends you to be. Defuse the bomb before it goes off. Find hope for healing and recovery.

The subject matter of Richard Skinner's poetry starts with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden and concludes with the events of the first Easter, taking in on the way Julian of Norwich's hazelnut, Mastermind, God as a blizzard, and the eighth deadly sin. A psalm based on the New Testament and a modern take on Epiphany are included, along with a dozen new `Invocations'. Both witty and reflective, the poems will appeal to a wide range of readers. Colliding with God, and wearing no seat-belt, he suffered extensive injuries to his life. They say he is not the same man since the accident. God, too, did not escape unscathed, but received nasty wounds to his hands and feet, and a deep laceration in his side. His condition is said to be critical, and a full recovery is unlikely. Neither party is covered by insurance. About the author: A Londoner by upbringing, Richard moved to Devon in 1975 to write a novel which remains as unpublishable now as it was then. Several collections of his poetry have, however, been published, including Invocations (WGP 2005). A former member of Cambridge University Footlights, he also occasionally writes and performs sketch-based comedy; and in recent years he has enjoyed a collaboration with composer Nigel Walsh, being the lyricist for their musical Bethlehem!, several liturgical pieces, and a number of songs. He and his wife are members of the Anglican parish of Central Exeter.

This early thirteenth-century West Midlands guide for women recluses is not only one of the major works of early Middle English prose, but is also a key document for the development of medieval spirituality. It reflects the 'democratization' of religious experience which was one of the outcomes of the 'Medieval Reformation'. Drawing on new kinds of pastoral literature designed to appeal to a more general audience, the insight, wit and charm of Ancrene Wisse led to its adaptation for other readers, both religious and lay, and it continued in use until the end of the Middle Ages. This new annotated translation, based on the text in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 402, incorporates the most recent research on Ancrene Wisse's contemporary context and offers an accessible, up-to-date introduction for both scholars and students.

God wants His children to walk in the freedom purchased for them by Christ at Calvary. Every person has been given the responsibility to make right choices in life--we must choose truth, reject lies, and forgive those who hurt us--but God has not left us as orphans to fend for ourselves! The Holy Spirit gives us the power to walk in the freedom that is already ours in Christ. Following these twenty-one days of select readings will increase the liberating work that God has begun in you through the Steps to Freedom in Christ. Each daily devotional provides three truths--the truth about God, the truth about you, and the truth about freedom--as well as recommended Scripture readings that affirm each of the three. As readers begin to hide these truths in their hearts, they will learn how to stand firm in their freedom and build a strong and holy shield against the enemy's attacks.

Retreats give us a space for contemplation and developing our relationship with God, but they aren't always possible. So can we still appreciate and detect the everyday God, even without special 'holy' places and spiritual practices? Dancing at the Still Point is a book for those who can't or aren't ready to go away for a residential Christian retreat, but who want to be in daily relationship and connect with God in a satisfying way. In sessions that you can work through at your own pace, Gemma Simmonds guides us through the practices and disciplines of retreats, such as being still physically and spiritually, developing a habit of prayer and learning some basic discernment skills. With insights from the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, she explores how we can fold these practices into every day and shows that a rich life of prayer, in which we have time and space to let God be present, is achievable even in a busy working or family life. Practical and flexible, Dancing at the Still Point will help you find a richer and more balanced life, where the spiritual takes its rightful place amid all the other calls on time and attention.

If God loves me, why did my child die?

If life is supposed to be so wonderful, why do I feel so bad?

If God hears my prayers, why am I still single?

If God is in control of the world, why is life so hard?

Sheila Walsh hears questions like these wherever she goes. In her own life journey, she has struggled with difficult questions―a nd has found some answers. Not easy, pat answers, but real-life, lived-out-in-the-flesh answers that can help you find meaning and purpose in spite of pain and suffering. "Life Is Tough but God Is Faithful" offers encouraging insight into God's presence in the midst of our questions and struggles―and highlights positive choices you can make, no matter what your circumstances may be.

"Life is tough, but God is faithful" has become Sheila's motto. "The Bible is full of stories of men and women who, in the midst of the toughest situations of life, discovered the faithfulness of God," she says. "When our dreams go sour or seem unfulfilled, we can choose to allow Satan to slither into our lives, or we can choose to remember that God is faithful, no matter how hopeless life gets."

Sheila looks at thirteen crucial turning points that can help you rediscover God's love and forgiveness. Showing how the choices you make affect your life, she offers insights from the book of Job, from her own life, and from the lives of people whose simple but determined faith helped them become shining lights in a dark world.

God’s Precious Jewels Are Crystallized Tears contains stories of turning hardship into gems of inspiration and joy from America’s favourite author of inspirational humor, Barbara Johnson – The Geranium Lady. God’s Precious Jewels Are Crystallized Tears contains the stories of 14 extraordinary women as they journeyed through incredible hardship to become sparkling jewels of joy and encouragement to others. Best-selling author Barbara Johnson includes her own story of grief turned into blessing, with her signature touch of hope and humor. Woven throughout these inspiring stories are the stories of real gemstones – their creation and their traditional meanings.

The story of what can happen when you dare to let go of what you think to be true.

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.

She never expected the questions to lead as far as they did when her husband told her he no longer believed in God. The death of a friend, the unraveling of relationships and career, the loss of a worldview, and the birth of a baby girl with two heart defects all led Lisa to a tumultuous place; one of depression and despair. And it was there that her perspective on everything changed. The Most Beautiful Thing I’ve Seen tells the story of what can happen when you dare to let go of what you think to be true; to shift the kaleidoscope and see new colors and dimension by way of broken pieces.

Lisa’s eloquent, soul-stirring memoir brings you to a music stage before thousands of fans and a front porch where two people whisper words that scare them to the core. It is the story of how doubt can spark the beginning of deeper faith; how a baby born with a broken heart can bring love and healing to the hearts of many, and ultimately, how the hardest experience in life often ends up saving us.

Improve your mental health by discovering God's promise of comfort for the most common sources of daily anxiety, including loneliness, anger, fear, relationships, and finances. God never meant for us to feel so alone in facing our emotions. Though they often steal our peace and cause us restless nights, too often we just try to press through. In forty days of readings from the world's most popular Christian meditation app, Abide, you can journey through their most popular content on attaining the timeless peace found throughout Scripture, and renew your heart with God's abiding love. Through simply practicing slowing down to reflect on God's Word and release one care each day, you'll find rest for your soul and a deeper appreciation of Jesus's parting gift to his followers: peace of mind and heart (John 14:27) in even the most trying circumstances of life. Begin a new daily habit of self-care and experience a renewed outlook through: Reflections on biblical passages Engaging journal prompts Explorations of common sources of anxiety And suggested prayers You don't have to shoulder the burden of life's worries alone. Cast your cares on God one day at a time and discover the reassurance available to all believers at any time.