The Gospel of Mary Magdalene reveals a very different love story from the one we've come to refer to as Christianity. Harvard-trained theologian Meggan Watterson leads us verse by verse through Mary's gospel to illuminate the powerful teachings it contains.

A gospel, as ancient and authentic as any of the gospels that the Christian bible contains, was buried deep in the Egyptian desert after an edict was sent out in the 4th century to have all copies of it destroyed. Fortunately, some rebel monks were wise enough to refuse-and thanks to their disobedience and spiritual bravery, we have several manuscripts of the only gospel that was written in the name of a woman: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.

Mary's gospel reveals a radical love that sits at the heart of the Christian story. Her gospel says that we are not sinful; we are not to feel ashamed or unworthy for being human. In fact, our purpose is to be fully human, to be a "true human being"- that is, a person who has remembered that, yes, we are a messy, limited ego, and we are also a limitless soul.

And all we need to do is to turn inward (again and again); to meditate, like Mary Magdalene, in the way her gospel directs us, so that we can see past the ego of our own little lives to what's more real, and lasting, and infinite, and already here, within.

With searing clarity, Watterson explains how and why Mary Magdalene came to be portrayed as the penitent prostitute and relates a more historically and theologically accurate depiction of who Mary was within the early Christ movement. And she shares how this discovery of Mary's gospel has allowed her to practice, and to experience, a love that never ends, a love that transforms everything.

The Gospel of Thomas sheds new light on the origins of Christianity and portrays Jesus as a wisdom-loving sage. This collection of aphoristic sayings portrays the kingdom of God as a present fact about the world, rather than a future promise or future threat.

Through facing-page commentary this edition focuses on the meaning of the sayings as those teachings were preserved by an ancient source outside of the canonical New Testament, and brings to life the challenging and intriguing figure of Jesus in a new light. Now readers can approach this important spiritual text with no previous background knowledge in Christian history or thought.

Are your thoughts holding you captive? I’ll never be good enough. Other people have better lives than I do. God couldn’t really love me. Jennie Allen knows what it’s like to swirl in a spiral of destructive thoughts, but she also knows we don’t have to stay stuck in toxic thinking patterns.

As she discovered in her own life, God built a way for us to escape that downward spiral. Freedom comes when we refuse to be victims to our thoughts and realize we have already been equipped with power from God to fight and win the war for our minds.

In Get Out of Your Head, Jennie inspires and equips us to transform our emotions, our outlook, and even our circumstances by taking control of our thoughts. Our enemy is determined to get in our heads to make us feel helpless, overwhelmed, and incapable of making a difference for the kingdom of God. But when we submit our minds to Christ, the promises and goodness of God flood our lives in remarkable ways.

It starts in your head. And from there, the possibilities are endless.

From one of the sharpest Christian voices of her generation and host of the podcast Relatable comes a framework for escaping our culture of trendy narcissism—and embracing God instead.

We're told that the key to happiness is self-love. Instagram influencers, mommy bloggers, self-help gurus, and even Christian teachers promise that if we learn to love ourselves, we'll be successful, secure, and complete. But the promise doesn't deliver. Instead of feeling fulfilled, our pursuit of self-love traps us in an exhausting cycle: as we strive for self-acceptance, we become addicted to self-improvement.

The truth is we can't find satisfaction inside ourselves because we are the problem. We struggle with feelings of inadequacy because we are inadequate. Alone, we are not good enough, smart enough, or beautiful enough. We're not enough--period. And that's okay, because God is.

The answer to our insufficiency and insecurity isn't self-love, but God's love. In Jesus, we're offered a way out of our toxic culture of self-love and into a joyful life of relying on him for wisdom, satisfaction, and purpose. We don't have to wonder what it's all about anymore. This is it.

This book isn't about battling your not-enoughness; it's about embracing it. Allie Beth Stuckey, a Christian, conservative new mom, found herself at the dead end of self-love, and she wants to help you combat the false teachings and self-destructive mindsets that got her there. In this book, she uncovers the myths popularized by our self-obsessed culture, reveals where they manifest in politics and the church, and dismantles them with biblical truth and practical wisdom.

Of jy nou krag nodig het vir ’n moeilike dag, of troos te midde van uiters uitdagende tye, Alles wat ek nodig het sal jou bemoedig met beloftes en hoop uit God se Woord. Die 366 oordenkings deur die bekende evangelis Angus Buchan sal jou bewus maak van God se teenwoordigheid in jou lewe en dat Hy alles voorsien wat jy nodig het.

Word bemoedig om God se liefde elke dag uit te leef terwyl jy inspirasie put uit die Skrifgedeeltes en die plat-op-die-aarde raad en bemoediging van Angus Buchan.

Bakens van geloof is ’n kragtige getuienis en praktiese voorbeeld van ’n daaglikse bonatuurlike wandel met God. Hierdie boek sal jou ’n voorskou gee van hoe groot en hoe werklik God se goedheid is teenoor sy kinders.

Ilse Roux deel haar passie vir die Woord en haar praktiese geloofspad met God op so ’n manier dat mens net weer oorweldig word met wie hierdie liefdevolle God werklik is. Sy het die waarde daarvan ontdek om in kinderlike geloof op God se Woord te vertrou en sien die vrug daarvan in haar en haar gesin se lewens.

Die deurlopende draad van gehoorsaamheid aan God se beginsels en sy stem, sal jou inspireer om ook jou verhouding met Hom te verdiep en sal jou leer dat jy Hom ten alle tye kan vertrou. Kort voor lank sal jy jou eie bakens van geloof hê wat spruit uit jou persoonlike geloofspad met Hom.

In this moving personal account of faith and fortitude, internationally ranked surfer Bethany Hamilton tells how she survived a shark attack that cost her arm--but not her spirit.

They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else could one explain the passion that drives her to surf? How else could one explain that nothing--not even the loss of her arm--could come between her and the waves? That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii, Bethany responded to the shark's stealth attack with the calm of a girl with God on her side. Pushing pain and panic aside, she began to paddle with one arm, focusing on a single thought: "Get to the beach...." And when the first thing Bethany wanted to know after surgery was "When can I surf again?" it became clear that her spirit and determination were part of a greater story--a tale of courage and faith that this soft-spoken girl would come to share with the world.

Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany's life as a young surfer, her recovery after the attack, the adjustments she's made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in God. It is a story of girl power and spiritual grit that shows the body is no more essential to surfing--perhaps even less so--than the soul.

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.

Dawid skryf in Psalm 119:103, “Hoe aangenaam is U Woord, soeter as heuning in die mond.” Soos wat ’n vars byekorf nog uitgepers moet word om egte, onverwerkte heuning voort te bring, so help Soeter as heuning jou om Bybelse waarhede te ontdek en selfs te herontdek, soos jy diep oor elkeen nadink en dit in jou lewe toepas.

Deur God se Woord sorgvuldig in te neem, ontdek Dawid die diepte van God se liefde en vergifnis. Hy ervaar innerlike genesing en lewensvreugde wat net God in sy lewe kon bring.

Soeter As Heuning kan jou help om ook so ’n ervaring soos Dawid te hê.

Daniel's story is one of extraordinary faith in God lived out at the pinnacle of executive power.

It tells of four teenage friends, born in the tiny state of Judah about twenty-six centuries ago, but captured by Nebuchadnezzar, emperor of Babylon. Daniel describes how they eventually rose to the top echelons of administration. Daniel and his friends did not simply maintain their private devotion to God; they maintained a high-profile witness in a pluralistic society antagonistic to their faith. That is why their story has such a powerful message for us. Society tolerates the practice of Christianity in private and in church services, but it increasingly deprecates public witness. If Daniel and his compatriots were with us today they would be in the vanguard of the public debate.

What was it that gave that ancient foursome, Daniel and his three friends, the strength and conviction to be prepared, often at great risk, to swim against the flow?

Kom Saam is spesiaal geskryf vir vroue wat inspirasie, wysheid en hoop nodig het vir hul lewensreis.

Ons dae is tot oorlopens toe vol met aktiwiteite, beplanning, besluite, krisisse en vrese. Hoe weet ons wat is die regte keuses as daar so baie is? Wat gebeur as ons verkeerde besluite neem en hoe hanteer ons die gevolge? Elke dag moet ons te midde van die gewoel koers kies en antwoorde ge-reed hê oor die lewe vir onsself en ander; en nie net ten opsigte van ons persoonlike- en werksverhoudinge nie, maar ook ons geloof. Gelukkig is daar ook vreugde, vriende en samesyn op die paaie van ons lewensreise – en ons betroubare, drie-enige God.

Hierdie dagstukkies nooi jou uit om teen jou eie pas Jesus Christus beter te leer ken, om te begryp hoe innig God jou lief het, en hoe naby Hy langs jou stap op jou lewenspad.

Ons harte en gedagtes ontvang daagliks ’n ontelbare hoeveelheid boodskappe. Sommige hiervan is waar en behulpsaam, maar ander maak seer, verwoes of is nie in lyn met die boodskappe wat God vir ons in sy innige liefde en wysheid wil gee nie.

Watter boodskappe kies jy om te glo en aan jouself te herhaal? Hoe klink jou interne gesprek wanneer jy na jou spieëlbeeld staar? Spreek jou woorde van hoop en geloof, of van nederlaag en moedeloosheid? Watter verskil glo jy sal dit maak as jy vir die volgende een-en-dertig dae sou kies om te fokus op wat die Here vir jou wil sê en wat Hy reeds vir jou in sy Woord vertel het? Laat Rig jou gedagtes hierop die eerste stap in die opwindende reis te wees na nuwe insigte, geestelike bemoediging en onderskraging.

Ontdek die krag van self-aanvaarding en daaglikse geestelike vernuwing wat voortvloei vanuit die persoonlike boodskappe vir jou uit die Woord van God.

Facing obstacles? Feeling stuck? Transitioning into a new season of life? Let this seasoned broadcast journalist-turned-preacher help you find your poise when your red-light moments arrive.

From childhood, we are trained to associate the color red with negative and even dangerous situations. To grow spiritually, however, pastor Elictia Hart insists we must redefine our responses to red situations. With highlights from her glamorous career as a broadcast journalist for FOX, ESPN, and Entertainment Tonight, along with a balanced look into the lives of beloved heroes in the Bible, Elictia Hart explains how our "red moments" can become "green lights" for trusting God and embracing our divine destiny.

Every television reporter knows when the red light is on, you are on. Red means go. Playing off this insider phrase, Elictia Hart-now a wife, mother, and pastorpassionately shares how God transformed the red flags in her life into victorious banners for personal growth, a deeper faith, and a richer sense of her purpose for his kingdom.

The Power and Freedom of a Humble Life

Pride is often the true reason why we get our feelings hurt, why we feel rejection, why we won't admit to mistakes, why we want to be seen with certain people, and why we stay angry.

Jesus gives us the perfect example of a powerful life lived without conceit, smugness, or arrogance. So why do we not want to admit to our pride? It is because of our pride!

In The Power of Humility, R. T. Kendall challenges us to look deeply into our hearts and motives to recognize the pride and self-righteousness there. Using personal stories and enlightening examples from the Bible, he demonstrates how pride interferes with a close relationship with God and reveals how to overcome pride and become more like Jesus.

When life’s problems weigh you down, it’s time to stop and focus on Jesus. Remember that no problem you face today is beyond His power to help you!

During Jesus’ time on earth He gave His followers many life-changing promises and teachings for living in line with God’s commands. This year-long devotional explores these words of Jesus and helps you reflect on how you can apply His truths to your daily life.

The more you get to know the loving Savior, the more you’ll love Him and find peace in His presence. Immerse yourself in His words through these 366 devotions and hear what He wants to say to you.

RESPECT, TRUST, COMMITMENT. These are the cornerstones of a dedicated relationship between a teacher and a student. For a passionate student yearning to learn and understand the essence of a subject, they must demonstrate these traits before a teacher will take them under their wing. In this case, the teacher was Thomas Troward of Cornwall England and the student was Genevieve Behrend. Not long after her time with Troward, Behrend began her mission in New York City where she established and headed The School of the Builders up until 1925. She then established another school in Los Angeles before touring other major cities throughout North America for the next 35 years as a celebrated lecturer, teacher, and practitioner of Mental Science. Behrend presents the Troward philosophy at its best because of the way her incomparably direct, and dynamic personality relates the life-changing concepts on a personal level. Now it's up to you to respect, trust, and commit.

When we get out of bed in the morning, we don't know what the day ahead holds. It could be routine. It could be amazing. It could be devastating. No matter what happens, one of the biggest influences on the direction our days take is our own attitude.

We can live in fear, worry, and anxiety, or we can choose to live with purpose, trusting God in every circumstance. Compact and beautifully designed, Carolyn Larsen's Courage and Hope for Every Day offers you 180 inspiring devotional readings that will help you remember God's presence in your days and see your world from a positive perspective.

These short, to-the-point readings illuminate God's promises and show you just how they apply to your everyday life.

Die meeste mense beland die een of ander tyd in ’n net van ellende. Die planne wat jy gemaak het, het in duie gestort, en jou lewe val uitmekaar. Jy het jou lewensmaat verloor, of jou werk, of jou gesondheid het ingegee. Jy het die moed verloor om aan te hou lewe.

In die Christelike geloof is daar die troosryke boodskap van ’n net wat inderdaad gebreek het: Met die sterwe van Jesus is die toegang tot God vry gemaak vir almal. Die prys vir die skuld van die mensdom is betaal, sodat alle mense God te alle tye met vrymoedigheid kan nader. Die blydskap oor die gebreekte vangnet kan egter slegs ervaar word deur diegene wat weet van die net wat hulle gevange hou en waaruit hulle nie self kan ontsnap nie.

Alleen die nederige persoon kan opreg bid, en nederigheid is ook die gevolg van ’n gesonde gebedslewe.

Many of us end up in a net of misery at some point. The plans we made have collapsed, and our lives are falling apart. You have lost your partner, or your job, or your health has given in. You have lost the courage to keep living. A major crisis can, however, lead to inner growth and enrichment.

In our Christian faith there is the comforting message of a net that has indeed broken: With the death of Jesus, free access to God was made possible to all. The price for human guilt has been paid so that all people can always approach God with courage and boldness. But the joy of the broken net can only be experienced by those who know of and acknowledge the net that holds them captive, one from which they cannot escape themselves.

Only the humble can pray sincerely – and humility is the result of a healthy prayer life.

Sixty modern and inspiring liturgies that offer compassionate insight to nurture your soul, from the bestselling authors of Liturgies for Hope.

What if my current life is preparing me for something I can’t see?
Oh God, when I feel overlooked and forgotten,
when I ache to be important,
redirect my heart to You who remembers me.

When your spirit is restless and you can’t find the words, these modern-day liturgies help you articulate your brokenness to the God who calls you beloved.

The lyrical prayers in Liturgies for Wholeness name our longings—the ache for physical rest, the grief over something we never had, the desire for healing in a relationship—even as they call us to notice the blessing of washing our face and watching nightfall and sink deep into an awareness of God’s presence.

Divided into eight sections—including Mind, Senses, Body, Home, and Community—these liturgies can be read communally or individually to bring you into greater intimacy with God. Each prayer includes related Scripture references to offer you further opportunity for meditation and reflection.

With each liturgy in Liturgies for Wholeness, may you sense God’s deep desire for you and may you delight in the only One who can make you whole.

’n Storieryke wandeling deur plaashuisgange, landerye wat reg en ryp is vir oes en God se drome van oorvloed vir ons lewens.

Caitlin Henderson vertel allerhande verhale oor alles van steekse trekkers tot haar waarnemings oor ’n eens vaal huwelik wat nou floreer, en alles en nog wat tussenin. Sy verweef haar staaltjies met God se Woord en leer ons hoe om verlossing in ons eie stories raak te sien. Selfs al woon jy in die stad en nie iewers op die platteland soos Caitlin nie, sal jy aanklank vind by haar interessante, en somtyds lawwe stories. Die universele lesse en waarhede daarin spreek tot die hart van elkeen wat waarlik nader aan God wil leef.

In Geanker in geloof verken ons bybelse waarhede deur die oë van ’n boer se vrou. Of jy nou jaag om die kinders by die skool te kry, hard werk om jou eie besigheid op die been te bring, of rustig deur die weivelde van jou eie stukkie grond stap, dáár kan jy hoop kweek en vreugde vind.

This groundbreaking walk through Scripture by former physician and carpenter Dr. Matthew Sleeth makes the convincing case that trees reveal more about God and faith than you ever imagined.

Fifteen years ago, Matthew Sleeth believed that science and logic held the answers to everything. But when tragedy struck, he opened the Bible for the first time and was surprised to find that God chose to tell the gospel story through a trail of trees.

There’s a tree on the first page of Genesis, in the first psalm, on the first page of the New Testament, and on the last page of Revelation. The Bible’s wisdom is referred to as a tree of life. Every major biblical character and every major theological event has a tree marking the spot. A tree was the only thing that could kill Jesus—and the only thing Jesus ever harmed.

Reforesting Faith is the rare book that builds bridges by connecting those who love the Creator with creation and those who love creation with the Creator.

Join Dr. Sleeth as he explores the wonders of life, death, and rebirth through the trail of trees in Scripture. Once you discover the hidden language of trees, your walk through the woods—and through Scripture—will never be the same.

You probably know what it's like to be driving down the road when you suddenly feel the vibration and hear the guh-guh-guh-guh-guh of the rumble strips--those groves in the pavement--warning you that you've drifted out of your lane. You didn't mean to get distracted. You only took your eyes off the road for a moment, but you drifted off course. And that's a lot like life, isn't it?

In Undistracted, Bob Goff lovingly yanks us back in our lane and helps us get back on track so we can live our lives with real purpose and joy.

In his trademark storytelling style, Bob helps us:

• Learn the destruction of distraction and the benefits of living a life of undistracted love and authentic connection
• Identify the distractions in our lives and either eliminate them or route around them
• Catch a vision of our future, undistracted selves where we can experience true happiness and joy

Bob's inspiring and entertaining stories in Undistracted show us what it looks like to live a beautiful and purposeful life rather than drifting aimlessly from one season to the next. He encourages us to fix our eyes on Jesus and harness life's distractions so we can find joy despite our circumstances.

“What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” —Matthew 24:3

The disciples could not wait. Christ had said He would bring an end to human rule and establish His kingdom. But when? Eager to learn how the future would unfold, they asked Him about the signs of His coming and the end times. What should they expect to take place?

In The Time of the Signs, pastor Barry Stagner explores the events that will precede Christ’s return. As he describes Earth’s final days, he answers the many questions people ask, including:

• Why is the rebirth of Israel the most significant sign that the end times are near?
• What other important clues, evident today, reveal the closeness of the tribulation and Christ’s return?
• Where does the rapture fit in the chronology of all that will occur in the last days?
• After Christ returns, what is next?

As you study the signs Jesus foretold, you’ll see amazing evidence that we are living in the very time of these signs—and gain a clear understanding of what will happen, and when.

A commemorative edition of the work that inspired Martin Luther King Jr. and helped shape the civil rights movement.

In this beautiful gift edition of the classic theological treatise, complete with a place-marker ribbon and silver gilded edges, celebrated theologian and religious leader Howard Thurman (1899–1981) revolutionizes the way we read the gospel. Thurman lifts Jesus up as a partner in the pain of the oppressed and reveals the gospel as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. In this view, the example of Jesus’s life shows us that hatred does not empower—it decays. Only by recognizing fear, deception, contempt, and love of one another can God’s justice prevail.

With a new foreword by acclaimed womanist theologian Kelly Brown Douglas, this edition of Jesus and the Disinherited is a timeless testimony of faith that demonstrates how to thrive and flourish in a world that attempts to destroy one’s humanity from the inside out. Having witnessed firsthand the depths of white supremacy and the heights of human civility, Thurman reiterates the inherent dignity of all of God’s children.