How to Stand Firm in Your Faith When the World Is Falling Apart

Philippians is one of the most practical books of the Bible, which Robert Morgan says is as fresh as ever. Its theme can be summed up in these verses: "Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then . . . I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you" (1:27-28).

Life is unpredictable, and the world is unstable. People have never been so confounded, sensing our culture, economy, and geopolitical systems are spiraling downward. Even in our personal lives, none of us knows what will happen next--which is why God gave us the book of Philippians. This short letter, with just over 100 verses, can help us learn to live overflowing lives in an overwhelming world.

Among the many lessons in Whatever Happens, readers will learn how to:

• Use prayer to energize their life and embrace uncertainty
• Make today about serving others and lifting them up
• Glorify the Lord and stay as cheerful as possible in all circumstances
• Let others lean on their strength
• Start everything with praise and end everything with prayer

As the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from a prison cell, he was facing dire circumstances and an unsettled future. Would he be released or executed? But he knew one thing--that whatever happened, he was going to stand firm in his faith and live a life worthy of the gospel. And no matter what we are going through today, we can do the same.

Your brain is always listening and responding to these hidden influences and unless you recognize and deal with them, they can steal your happiness, spoil your relationships, and sabotage your health. This book will teach you to tame the:

• Dragons from the Past that ignite your most painful emotions;
• Negative Thought Dragons that attack you, fueling anxiety and depression;
• They and Them Dragons, people in your life whose own dragons do battle with yours;
• Bad Habit Dragons that increase the chances you’ll be overweight, overwhelmed, and an underachiever;
• Addicted Dragons that make you lose control of your health, wealth, and relationships;
• Scheming Dragons, advertisers and social media sites that steal your attention.

Passing the Plate shows that few American Christians donate generously to religious and charitable causes -- a parsimony that seriously undermines the work of churches and ministries. Far from the 10 percent of one's income that tithing requires, American Christians' financial giving typically amounts, by some measures, to less than one percent of annual earnings. And a startling one out of five self-identified Christians gives nothing at all.
This eye-opening book explores the reasons behind such ungenerous giving, the potential world-changing benefits of greater financial giving, and what can be done to improve matters. If American Christians gave more generously, say the authors, any number of worthy projects -- from the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS to the promotion of inter-religious understanding to the upgrading of world missions -- could be funded at astounding levels. Analyzing a wide range of social surveys and government and denominational statistical datasets and drawing on in-depth interviews with Christian pastors and church members in seven different states, the book identifies a crucial set of factors that appear to depress religious financial support -- among them the powerful allure of a mass-consumerist culture and its impact on Americans' priorities, parishioners' suspicions of waste and abuse by nonprofit administrators, clergy's hesitations to boldly ask for money, and the lack of structure and routine in the way most American Christians give away money. In their conclusion, the authors suggest practical steps that clergy and lay leaders might take to counteract these tendencies and better educate their congregations about the transformative effects of generous giving.
By illuminating the social and psychological forces that shape charitable giving, Passing the Plate is sure to spark a much-needed debate on a critical issue that is of much interest to church-goers, religious leaders, philanthropists, and social scientists.

Psalms vir ’n vreugdevolle lewe is ’n versameling inspirerende aanhalings uit die psalms wat volgens temas ingedeel is. Temas soos lof en aanbidding, rykdom en vertroue op God bring elke leser nader aan God. Psalms vir ’n vreugdevolle lewe bevestig opnuut hoeveel troos en bemoediging die Skrif bied vir elke gelowige wat tot God nader.

Old Testament heroes are best known for their most celebrated moments: Moses dividing the Red Sea; David slaying Goliath; Gideon routing an insurmountable army; Joshua marching around the defiant walls of Jericho.

And Elijah—calling down fire on Mount Carmel.

Blinded by the remarkable narratives of our biblical heroes, we can forget they each had a backstory—months and years of development, even difficulty, which fortified their spiritual muscle and prepared them for the tasks that made their lives unforgettable.

Every serious believer longs to summon up the kind of boldness and faith that can stand firm on Mount Carmel and pray down heaven into impossible situations. Yet few are willing to go through the process required to get them there. Strength of faith, character, and boldness can only be shaped in the hidden fires of silence, sameness, solitude, and adversity. Those who patiently wait on God in the darkness emerge with their holy loyalty cemented, their courage emblazoned, and their confident belief in Him set afire.

Join Priscilla Shirer on this 7-session journey through the life and times of the prophet Elijah to discover how the fire on Mount Carmel was forged in the valley of famine. And how the emboldened, fiery faith you desire is being fashioned by God in your life right now.

Features:

•Leader guide to help with questions and discussions within small groups
•Personal study segments to complete between 7 weeks of group sessions
•Seven enriching teaching videos, approximately 30–40 minutes per session, available for purchase or rent
•Articles to enhance your study and application of the content

Benefits:

•Understand the value of seasons of growth and testing in your spiritual maturity.
•Be encouraged to wait on God’s good work in your heart and mind, even in seasons when you feel like no one sees.
•Learn to trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God and His purposes for your life.

How to Defeat the Enemy During These Dark Days As the time approaches for Jesus' return, the spiritual battle between good and evil is heating up. Evidence is all around: shootings, genocide, civil wars, increased persecution. Our enemy is real, and it seems as if he is winning. The good news is that God is at work in powerful ways--and that Satan is not winning. But we need to know how to wage war against him and his plans for these turbulent days. We must understand not only the intensified warfare environment of the end times, but how we can walk in our authority in Jesus Christ. Here are the practical insights you need on how to fight using the spiritual weapons God has given us: the blood of Jesus, the Word of God, our own testimony, and more. When we learn how to wield these weapons, we will see victory over Satan and his kingdom and bring hope to these dark days.

Of jy vandag leiding nodig het, God wil loof vir sy seëninge, of God se aangesig soek omdat jy mislukking of versoeking ervaar, Beloftes vir elke dag het die inspirasie wat jy nodig het om jou in God se teenwoordigheid te bring. Temas soos beskerming, genade, krag, redding en liefde vir God, en aanhalings deur mense soos Billy Graham en Charles Spurgeon belig God se beloftes aan gelowiges. Dit lei elke leser om te weet dat God elke oomblik by ons elkeen is.

Die bekoorlike volkleur-illustrasies sal klein ogies betower voor hulle toeval terwyl Mamma of Pappa die ritmiese gediggies voorlees om hulle aan die slaap te sus.

Elke gediggie het ’n gebed en ’n Bybelvers wat ouers sal aanspoor en bemoedig in hulle kosbare taak om kinders groot te maak.

Spreuke vir jou daaglikse wandel bied praktiese wysheid vir elke gelowige oor ’n verskeidenheid lewensaspekte. Die versameling bemoedigende teksverse uit Spreuke is tematies gerangskik en bied leiding en insig oor sake soos jou verhoudings, beroepslewe, finansies en ander aspek van die lewe.

Spreuke vir jou daaglikse wandel sal gelowiges met hoop vul en hulle aanmoedig om die lewe te leef wat God vir hulle beplan het.

Mini-oordenkings vir vroue is ’n geskenk van hoop en vreugde wat vroue herinner dat God altyd naby hulle is. Die 180 kort en inspirerende oordenkings sal elke vrou aanmoedig om God se belofte van onfeilbare liefde te koester.

Die handige sakpas-formaat laat vroue toe om enige tyd en enige plek stil te word en tyd saam met Hom deur te bring.

Ons seuntjie se eerste jaar is kostelike herinneringsboeke wat ouers sal help om daardie kosbare herinneringe van hulle kleinding se eerstelewensjaar vas te bewaar. Hierdie pragtige boeke bied:

• plek om belangrike mylpale soos ’n eerste tree of tand aan te teken.
• blaaie waar foto’s van spesiale oomblikke geplak en versier kan word.
• 2 koeverte waarin baba se hospitaalbandjie of haarlok bewaar kan word

Die 180 kort maar kragtige oordenkings in Mini-oordenkings: Genade vir elke oomblik verseker lesers opnuut van God se genade en moedig gelowiges aan om ’n Christus-gesentreerde lewe te leef. Temas wat ter sprake kom, is God se getrouheid, liefde, krag en beloftes.

Die handige sakpas-formaat maak dit ideaal vir daaglikse stiltetyd in God se teenwoordigheid waar jy ook al is.

This booklet is a concise and easy-to-read study of the very real questions surrounding Jesus that your guests might be thinking about when first attending your church or Alpha: Who is Jesus? Why do we need Him? Why did He have to die? Why is He relevant to my life today? These booklets are an effective evangelistic tool to pass out to guests at your services or at Alpha, sharing the Gospel in a warm and relevant way.

Alpha is based on a pattern found in the New Testament of people bringing their friends, family, and work colleagues to meet Jesus. Alpha is an easy way to say to friends, "Come and see, come and explore your questions, come and hear about Jesus, come and see for yourself." Everyone is welcome at Alpha, but the program is designed especially for people who would not describe themselves as Christians or church-goers.