Popular Southern California millennial pastor Chad Veach casts a vision for a future beyond what most dare to imagine and guides readers toward the abundant plans God has for his children. Pastor Chad Veach lives in Los Angeles, a place many have dubbed the "City of Broken Dreams." Each year, thousands of people move there, hoping to make it big, but most fall short of achieving their dreams. This is reflective of the wider world as well. In fact, only 6 percent of people actually end up doing what they dreamed of as a child. The hard truth is, dreams--whether they have to do with relationships, career, or world impact--often don't pan out. So many are left to wonder, Where do I go from here? In this new book, Veach meets readers in the middle of their disappointments, introduces them to the God who throws his arms around them, and offers a new way to define success. He takes them through the words of Jesus and helps them to understand what the Bible says about ambition, purpose, and fulfillment. Then he casts a vision that inspires readers to reach for a better dream than all the broken ones they tried to pursue on their own, challenging them to put their faith in the person of Jesus every day and follow his lead to a brighter future.

There has to be more than this... because this is no longer enough. Many sincere followers of Jesus are secretly disappointed, dissatisfied and quietly desperate for more than they are currently experiencing. That more is found as we respond to the invitations of Jesus, which hold out to us the hope of dynamic change, of a truly vibrant, transformed life - a better song to sing. Each chapter explores one specific invitation, drawing out its possible implications for our lives, and suggests a spiritual practice or reflection to help us ground that invitation in our present-day reality.

Most books on spiritual formation focus on the individual. But spiritual formation is at the heart of the church's whole purpose for existence. It must be a central task for the church to carry out Christ's mission in the world. This book offers an introduction to spiritual formation set squarely in the local church. The first edition has been well received and widely used as a textbook. The second edition has been updated throughout, incorporates findings from positive psychology, and reflects an Augustinian formation perspective. Foreword by Dallas Willard.

Do you long to go to bed at night knowing you've done the best you could with what you have as a mom and made a difference in your child's life--even if you can't see it yet? It's easy to compare yourself to other moms and set unrealistic expectations that make you doubt you're doing enough. You need hope and encouragement to help you find a new place to start on the days you're tempted to quit! Sharing vulnerable stories of her own struggles and doubts, award-winning author, popular speaker, and mom of three Renee Swope is a friend, cheerleader, and mentor who will come alongside to help you find purpose and meaning in the challenges and adventures of motherhood. By unpacking powerful truths of grace and love God used to rescue her from discouragement and guilt that buried her in the dirt of defeat, Renee fills this book with hope, wisdom, and practical help every mom needs. Let Renee show you simple ways to give your child what they need most through the power of heart-centered parenting that is character-focused and relationship-driven. This book will transform not only the way you parent but also the way see yourself as a mom and as a child of God.

Taking stock of the present moment and the challenges of the future, a host of leading spiritual writers reflect on the most pressing spiritual questions of our time. Whether the focus is on nurturing consciousness, building community, or transforming global structures, the answers provide a road map for personal, ecclesial, and social change.

Compiled in honor of Benedictine writer Joan Chittister, the volume concludes with a moving autobiographical reflection by Chittister herself, "The Power of Questions to Propel".

What does it mean to be a healer in the modern world? In this hope-filled and profoundly simple book, Henri Nouwen offers a radically fresh interpretation of modern ministry. Here he inspires devoted men and women who want to be of service in their church or community, but have found the traditional ways of ministry alienating and ineffective. According to Nouwen, we are called to identify the suffering in our own hearts and make that recognition the starting point of our service. We must be willing to go beyond our professional, aloof roles of service and leave ourselves open as fellow human beings with the same wounds and suffering as those we serve. We heal from our wounds.

This book is an adaptation of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola, to help you to embark on a life-transforming journey toward Christlikeness. For nearly 500 years, the Exercises have been a tool for spiritual formation. During those years their popularity has ebbed and flowed, but they are now experiencing something of a revival across the breadth of the church. This is not a book about the methods or techniques of Christian formation but one that enables you to come before God through the gospel narratives in order to encounter Jesus afresh. If you hunger for something deeper, yearn to walk with Jesus (not just read about him) and desire to embrace more of what God is doing in and through you, then this is the book for you. 'Ignatius's text is re-presented in a modern format and with the needs of people today in mind. Warner himself is an experienced Ignatian retreat-giver, and there is a solidity and assurance to his presentation which inspires confidence. As in the case of the original, this is not a book for armchair spiritual reading, but a manual for those who wish to incorporate the Exercises into their life. But Warner is merciful to those whose time is limited, and rich in suggestions for alternative modes of practice where necessary.' The Church Times, review of the first edition

C.S. Lewis's famous work on the nature of love divides love into four categories: Affection, Friendship, Eros and Charity. The first three are loves which come naturally to the human race. Charity, however, the Gift-love of God, is divine in its source and expression, and without the sweetening grace of this supernatural love, the natural loves become distorted and even dangerous.

In this work, Anderson Blanton illuminates how prayer, faith, and healing are intertwined with technologies of sound reproduction and material culture in the charismatic Christian worship of southern Appalachia. From the radios used to broadcast prayer to the curative faith cloths circulated through the postal system, material objects known as spirit-matter have become essential since the 1940s, Blanton argues, to the Pentecostal community's understanding and performances of faith. Hittin' the Prayer Bones draws on Blanton's extensive site visits with church congregations, radio preachers and their listeners inside and outside the broadcasting studios, and more than thirty years of recorded charismatic worship made available to him by a small Christian radio station. In documenting the transformation and consecration of everyday objects through performances of communal worship, healing prayer, and chanted preaching, Blanton frames his ethnographic research in the historiography of faith healing and prayer, as well as theoretical models of materiality and transcendence. At the same time, his work affectingly conveys the feelings of horror, healing, and humor that are unleashed in practitioners as they experience, in their own words, the sacred, healing presence of the Holy Ghost.

A true story of freedom and miraculous healing as a Muslim girl finds faith in Christ When Gulshan Esther, a devout Muslim girl, was six months old, typhoid left her a cripple. Her loving father took her from Pakistan to England to find a cure, but the only hope the British specialist could offer was prayer. Gulshan and her father made pilgrimage to Mecca and begged Allah for healing, but it was not until her father's untimely death that Gulshan began to receive an answer. In her grief she wanted to die, but as she called out to God, for the first time in her life she sensed she was being heard. She heard a low, gentle voice say, "I won't let you die. I will keep you alive"I am Jesus, son of Mary." As Gulshan began reading the Quran, her interest in Jesus grew, until one amazing night he appeared to her in her bedroom in a blaze of light. He restored her crippled arm and leg and taught her The Lord's Prayer. He told her to go to his people-now her people-and tell them what he had done. Since that time, and to this day, she has been a joyous, obedient disciple of Christ. The Torn Veil is an amazing story of faith and determination. This moving autobiography was first published in 1984 and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

Founder and Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church and author of LIVE LOVE LEAD shows how, with God's power, you can believe and achieve a life that exceeds every earthly expectation. When you surrender control and follow God's guidance, you become empowered and equipped to do the impossible, reach higher, and go further than you could imagine. By building our lives around godly principles, surrounding ourselves with wisdom, and living for a cause greater than ourselves, we can effectively live out God's purposes and have an enduring impact. As Brian Houston has personally discovered, when we depend on Jesus as the source for our identity, our lives can be a lasting legacy that maximize the gifts He has given each of us as unique individuals. There is More is for anyone who wants to be challenged to live with expectancy. Ephesians 3 is a call to release the immeasurable potential within you and the exceeding, abundant, and above plans and purposes of a Holy God that are beyond your greatest imagination. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).

How do you stand firm in your convictions in a world that's trying to pull you down? Madison Prewett helps you keep your standards high and your roots deep in this strikingly personal look at why you were made for this exact moment. When Madison Prewett appeared on season 24 of The Bachelor, she quickly earned a reputation for her incredible ability to maintain her convictions in the face of uncertainty. But it wasn't just because she stayed strong in the moment--instead, it was because she was fully prepared to stand up for what she believed in before opportunity came knocking at her door. If you're eager to learn how to make wise choices in any stage of your life, from navigating complex relationships to practicing work-life balance and everything in between, Madison's authentic voice and real-life challenges will help you stand firm with strength, grace, and courage. In Made for This Moment, Madison examines how the biblical story of Esther will give you the encouragement you need to: Decide who you want to be before you step into your Big Moments Claim your confidence so you can get out of the comparison game Learn strategies for dealing with your past so it won't hinder your present Break free from the labels others put on you Learn how to respond to offense with grit and grace Discover how to be true to yourself no matter what No matter what stage of life you're in, Made for This Moment will help you navigate the complex realities of living in an age of social media and confusing standards. God's timing is not a mistake--you were made for such a time as this. Praise for Made for This Moment: "In this current culture that is steeped in low expectations for morality and high expectations for appearances, Made for This Moment comes at just the right time. This book is the perfect resource if you want insights on the struggles of those you love in their teens and twenties who often feel the tug-of-war between the world's ways and God's ways. And at the same time, this will boost your faith in the God who holds it all together and helps us stand strong in the face of tough choices." --Lysa TerKeurst, #1 New York Times bestselling author, president of Proverbs 31 Ministries "Our lives are made up of memories, and our memories are made up of moments. Made for This Moment will help you prepare for those courage-demanding moments so that they become memories you're proud of, learn from, and cherish. With wisdom beyond her years, Madi shares how she is able to stand firm in her convictions and values even amid pressure and the public eye." --Audrey Roloff, New York Times bestselling author of A Love Letter Life

Joan Chittister quenches our thirst for living waters through 365 reflections on Scriptural passages -- one for each day of the year.

She begins each month with a personal story that relates to a passage from the Bible, and continues with a meditation for each day that reflects the chosen theme.

In a life filled with uncertainty, former missionary Elisabeth Elliot clung to the God who never left her side. Through the deaths of two husbands, a life of travel and danger, and raising her daughter as a single parent, God provided Elliot with a security that could not have come from relying on the world. In this handsomely repackaged edition of Secure in the Everlasting Arms, you are invited to join her as she recounts how she relied on God during some of the most amazing and difficult events of her life.