George MacDonald was a many-faceted nineteenth-century writer-an ordained minister without a church, a popular lecturer, college professor, and most famously, the author nearly 50 books. From sermons to poetry, scholarly essays to novels, and fantasy romances to fairy stories, his writing often combines the flavor of the fantastic with a scent of the spiritual-all the while evincing wisdom based in reality. Rolland Hein, eminent MacDonald scholar, biographer, and editor of this anthology, aptly quotes from MacDonald's novel The Marquis of Lossie, "Life and religion are one, or neither is anything...." The selections from Through the Year with George MacDonald are proof of the unity of MacDonald's vision. They are also proof of the decades Dr. Hein has spent immersed in the writings of this remarkable author, compiling a devotional book that readers will return to many times over for inspiration.

Many who are aware of C.S. Lewis's indebtedness to George MacDonald and, as a consequence, have desired to know this Scottish author better, will find this anthology to be the perfect way into his writings. Rolland Hein is a wise and accomplished guide to MacDonald, presenting readers with selections that speak engagingly of deep spiritual truths such as kindness, trust, obedience, holiness-and chief among these always, the unending love of God the Father for each one of His children. Indeed, in this volume you will encounter, as MacDonald compellingly demonstrates, 'life essential.'

Marjorie Lamp Mead, Associate Director

The Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton College

C.S. Lewis said of George MacDonald, "I know hardly any other writer who seems... closer... to the Spirit of Christ Himself." In this devotional book, renowned scholar Rolland Hein presents gems from the rich array of MacDonald's writings-a rare treasure for all who wish to walk beside one who practiced the presence of God.

Monika B. Hilder, Associate Professor of English,

Trinity Western University,

author of The Feminine Ethos in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia

Rolland Hein is professor emeritus at Wheaton College and the author of several books about George MacDonald.

In the introduction of The Pursuit of God, Samuel M. Zwemer says that this ..". is a book for every pastor, missionary and devout Christian. It deals with the deep things of God and the riches of His grace. Above all," says Zwemer, "it has the keynote of sincerity and humility." The Pursuit of God has become a true Christian classic. First published in 1948, the message is as new and vital and important today as it was then. If you'll look inside many of the Church bodies of today, you'll see exactly the same situation as that painted by Mr. Tozer. Upon publication, Tozer said, "This book is a modest attempt to aid God's hungry children so to find Him. Nothing here is new except in the sense that it is a discovery which my own heart has made of spiritual realities most delightful and wonderful to me."

This Volume is designed to be "THE BELIEVERS COMPANION IN SOLITUDE." The Meditations, interspersed with Hymns, chiefly original, are intended to promote serious reflections, silent aspirations to God, and self-examination; and thus, through the divine blessing, to lead the heart to God in Christ, as the only Foundation for a sinner's hope; and the only Fountain of a sinner's happiness. Should this important end, in any humble measure be attained, the glory will be His from whom all good proceeds. May the Savior, who is love, impart his blessing to these Meditations on his Grace and Power, that he who writes, and they who read, may finally rejoice together in his kingdom of glory.

This Edition Includes: God's Side & Man's Side - The Scripturalness of This Life - The Life Defined - How to Enter In - Difficulties Concerning Consecration - Difficulties Concerning Faith - Difficulties Concerning the Will - Is God In Everything? - Growth - Service - Difficulties Concerning Guidance - Concerning Temptation - Failures - Doubts - Practical Results in the Daily Walk & Conversation - The Joy of Obedience - Oneness with Christ - "Although" & "Yet," A Lesson in the Interior Life - Kings & Their Kingdoms; Or, How to Reign in the Interior Life - The Chariots of God - Concerning the Life of Divine Union in Its Practical Aspects - "God with Us"; Or, The One Hundred & Thirty-Ninth Psalm

2012 Reprint of 1956 American Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Frank Charles Laubach was an Evangelical Christian missionary and mystic known as "The Apostle to the Illiterates." It was a daily record of an effort to hear God's instructions, minute by minute, and to carry them out in a new, creative field which was far beyond anything the author had undertaken.

This collection of 68 profound, powerful prayers and passionate words of Faith and Peace was written by a woman with a dark childhood and, as an adult, was afflicted with an illness that affected her balance. Nearly physically helpless and spiritually hopeless, Mary Ann Popovich researched every possible resource about God. This book is a result of the Faith and Love she gained from the devastating experience. Her heart, mind and Soul are evident in each of the writings. From the author: "As you read the prayers, I hope that you feel the connection to God. My best thought is to tell you to Love God first. Love God. As my life unfolded, I thought God was angry, very angry. This angry God was always in my thoughts. No matter what the challenge or situation, try to Love God. As my balance was devastated, amazingly, I was elevated spiritually. Through this destruction of my normal routine, I learned to Love God. I Love God - without a doubt."

"The present humble work is a Pastoral effort, flowing from love to the Lord's people, and a desire to honour His great name. It is an acknowledged fact, that many of the Lord's people are living far below their privileges; and are walking as men, not aiming simply at the Lord's glory. This is to be regretted; and while none but the Lord the Holy Spirit can produce the change we desire to witness, yet the means are to be used, and we must stir up their pure minds by way of Remembrance. In this little work, I aim to speak in the closet, in the cottage, in the kitchen, and even in the field, to the different classes of the Lord's family; endeavouring to draw them nearer to their God and gracious Father. My desire is to promote the power of godliness; and these little pieces are written to convince, comfort, and correct; to fan the flame of devotion, and to produce holiness of heart and life. To this end some degrees of sameness in the pieces, and a repetition of some important truths, appeared absolutely necessary. Habitual dependence upon God for all we need, acknowledging the hand of God for all we receive, and walking with God, notwithstanding all that may happen to us below, enter into the very vitals of genuine Christianity; and it is only while we are thus acting that we enjoy peace with God, and walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost. That the Lord, who often uses weak things to confound the mighty, may bless this little work to thy good and His glory."

2011 Reprint of 1898 Edition. Andrew Murray's "True Vine" is a thirty-one day devotional focusing on Christ's Parable of the Vine and the Branches in John 15. The devotional for each day, though short, elaborates and expounds upon John 15, providing spiritual insight along the way. Murray repeats important themes--like abiding in Christ--throughout the different days. Noticing how they develop and grow with each successive read, countless small groups and individuals have found Murray's keen spiritual teachings fruitful. An excellent devotional, "True Vine"is recommended for daily spiritual nourishment. Andrew Murray (1828-1917) was an amazingly prolific Christian author. He lived and ministered as both a pastor and a writer from the towns and villages of South Africa. All of his publications were originally written in Dutch and then translated into English. As his popularity grew, Murray's books found their way into more than twelve foreign languages during his lifetime alone. Andrew Murray's early writings were primarily written for the edification of the believer. Includes lectures: "Absolute Surrender" "Separated Unto The Holy Spirit" "Peter's Repentance" "Impossible With Man, Possible With God" "Having Begun In The Spirit" "Kept By The Power Of God" "Ye Are The Branches" "Be Filled by the Holy Spirit" "The Blessedness of Being Filled with the Spirit" and others.

Only God is big enough to fill a human heart. So often the busyness and uncertainty of life crowd God out, leaving us with barren hearts. Truly joyful, abundant life is possible only one way-through personal spiritual revival. In Revive My Heart, author Catherine Martin presents nine weeks of daily personal devotions that will challenge you to experience the depths of God, His ways, and His character through prayer and consistent study of His Word. Exploring passages such as Psalm 119, Revive My Heart looks at the many aspects of spiritual revival. Through these daily quiet times you can gain spiritual depth, joy, and access to your heavenly Father's resources in times of trouble.

In this book Paramahansa Yogananda offers prayers and affirmations that beginners and experienced meditators alike can use to awaken the boundless joy, peace, and inner freedom of the soul. Features more than 300 uplifting meditations, prayers, affirmations, and visualizations as well as introductory instructions on how to meditate.

Description: ""We tend to use words like miracle and mystery in the context of serendipity. In this frank and eloquent account of life transformed by cancer, Deanna Thompson explores these articles of faith as they are also wont to appear--on the hard edges of hope and the dark side of joy."" --Krista Tippett, from the Foreword Hoping for More is a story of a young religion professor with a stage IV cancer diagnosis and a lousy prognosis for the future. Amid the grief and the grace of her fractured life, this theologian--who is also a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend--searches for words adequate to express her faltering faith. More Anne Lamott meets Harold Kushner than the teller of a pious, God-saved-me-from-cancer tale, Thompson unpacks the messy realities that arise when faith and suffering collide. Told in shimmering prose, Hoping for More takes readers on an unsentimental journey through the valley of the shadow of cancer--beyond the predictable parameters of prayer, the church, even belief in life after death. What emerges is a novel approach to talking faith and accepting grace when hope is all you've got. Endorsements: ""Deanna Thompson's honest and faithful book shows how healing happens in community, and how blessing is found amid doubt and pain. This is a book of grace."" --Sara Miles Author of Take This Bread (2007) and Jesus Freak (2010) ""I learned so much by reading this book, as a pastor, friend, and mother. Thompson's insights are for everyone who has ever struggled with serious illness or loved someone who has, which means that this book is ultimately for everyone. If you have ever wondered, ""What do I say?"" or ""What do I do?"" this book offers wise counsel, with humor, intellect, and, most of all, grace. In Hoping for More, you get to eavesdrop on the intimate thoughts of someone worth listening to. In the end, Thompson's deepest theological insights are not about cancer but about life itself."" --Lillian Daniel Senior Minister, First Congregational Church UCC, Glen Ellyn, Illinois Author of This Odd and Wondrous Calling (2009) and Tell It Like It Is: Reclaiming the Practice of Testimony (2006) ""Thompson stands in her cancer with rare, radical awakeness to its bracing truth . . . and gives us a moving, life-lived testimony to the graciousness of grace."" --Serene Jones President of Union Theological Seminary ""In Hoping for More, Deanna Thompson presents her extraordinary journey of diagnosis and treatment of stage IV breast cancer. Thanks to her strong personal voice, reading this book is like listening to a friend tell you about part of her life over a cup of tea. Of the many miracles in this book is Deanna's ability to reflect on her faith, illness, and loved ones at the same time. She quietly offers a systematic theology enriched by living with cancer--making this book a valuable resource for those interested in the intersection of medicine and faith."" --Monica A. Coleman Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religions, Claremont School of Theology Author of Not Alone: Reflections on Faith and Depression (2012) About the Contributor(s): Deanna A. Thompson is Professor of Religion at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and author of Crossing the Divide: Luther, Feminism, and the Cross. She lives with her husband and two daughters in St. Paul

2013 Reprint of 1937 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Evelyn Underhill was an English Anglo-Catholic writer and pacifist known for her numerous works on religion and spiritual practice, in particular Christian mysticism. This book contains in an expanded form the four addresses on the Spiritual Life which were given by Underhill in 1936. The are published in response to numerous requests from listeners and in the hope that they will be found suitable for Lenten reading. The spiritual life is here considered, not as an intense form of piety peculiar to saints, but as the living heart of all religion, and therefore of vital concern to ordinary men and women. Its essence is held to consist in a growing communion with God, a growing cooperation with Him, inspiring and transforming every kind of action from the most routine to the most heroic. Essays are: What is the Spiritual Life The Spiritual Life as Communion with God The Spiritual Life as Co-operation with God Some Questions and Difficulties.

How does one say just the right thing at just the right moment? That, indeed, is the special gift of Dan Scott. Reverend Scott, Baylor School's Chaplain since 2003, has blessed our school family with special prayers in times of triumph and challenge, joy and sorrow. Somehow, through God's grace, Dan seems to find just the right words to comfort us and to lift us. Though he is a Baptist preacher, Dan's prayers reach across denominations and faiths to find their ways into the hearts of all. In God's name, he reaches out to all of us. So we are proud to share some of Reverend Scott's prayers in this volume. We know that they will bless you just as they have blessed us. A grateful school says, "Thanks, Rev. Scott, for being who you are for us." Scott Wilson '75 Headmaster

Whether you are walking through a difficult season of your life or just need hope and encouragement for the day-to-day challenges, Three Days at Sea offers a life preserver of inspiration, prayer, and scripture. The pages of this devotional point you to the Rescuer through stories, prayers, poetry, and Scripture. Carefully placed questions invite you to a moment of solitude to reflect and make application in your own life. The author draws from her own life experiences around the world and from Scripture to reveal God's presence, power, and passion towards you during both the ordinary and the overwhelming circumstances of life.

If you or someone you love is facing difficult health issues, you will find this compilation of over 200 short prayers and quotations from ten different faith traditions a source of great comfort and encouragement. Originally compiled for use in hospital chapels, over 40,000 of the pocket edition are in print. Now, for the first time, this larger gift edition is available for individual purchase. It has more pages, larger type and decorative borders. Organized by subject rather than by religion, headings include: God Can Help Us, God Loves Us, God Protects Us, God Heals Us, God Calls Us Home and God Comforts Us - along with several others. Prayers include categories of: prayers for assistance, guidance, forgiveness, healing, prayers for the departed, prayers for serenity, and more. Faith traditions represented include Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, the Sufis and the Baha'is, plus some Interfaith prayers. This book makes a wonderful gift for family and friends of any faith - whether they are facing a long-term illness or are just temporarily under the weather.

The Rainbow in the Clouds is an inspiring work by one of history's finest devotional writers. Covering subjects such as Eternal Joy, Everlasting Love, The Greatest Gift, The Blessed Hope and others MacDuff gives us thirty three scripture topics with insightful commentary. John Ross MacDuff was a Scottish divine and prolific author. MacDuff was educated at the University of Edinburgh, and was ordained as minister of Kettins, a parish in Forfarshire. He left to take charge of Sandyford, a new church in Glasgow where he preached there for fifteen years. His best known books were: The Prophet of Fire; Memories of Bethany: Memories or Gennesaret; The Shepherd and His Flock: Sunset on the Hebrew Mountains.

Which would you rather attend-a boring lecture or a lively small group discussion?
How do you turn some quiet bump-on-a-logs into a lively small group discussion?
Ever attended a group and the leader tried to create a lively small group discussion and it went badly? (How embarrassing for her and painful for us. Awkward.)
If you believe discussion is the best way to lead a small group, this book is for you. In this practical book you will learn the skillful use of twelve types of questions that have groups talking.
Hi, I am Josh Hunt, the author of Good Questions Have Groups Talking. I have written more small group lessons than any human, living or dead. I write four lessons a week and have done so for years. I have written literally thousands of lessons.
In this book I will walk you through, step-by-step, how I write small group lessons that have groups talking. (My lessons are called Good Questions Have Groups Talking.) Here are some of the lessons we will cover:
Life exposure question. This question is about the student, not about the Bible. It gets everyone started talking and allows the small group to get to know one another. Example: state your name and where were you in the birth order of your family?
What does the text say? Ask these fast. They are not as interesting as the ones that follow. Still, you have to know what the text says before you can understand what it means.
What does the text mean? This is classic Bible study. We need to spend some time here, but not too much.
Jump-ball question. This is the heart of the discussion. Truth is often a mid-point between two extremes. Jesus said, "be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen of them," and, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven" Question: are we to do our acts of righteousness publically so people can see?
What are ten ways we could apply this to our lives? Application questions are different from commitment. These are things you could do, not things you necessarily will do. Example: what are ten ways a man could express love to his wife?
How will it benefit me if I do? What will it cost me if I don't? These twin questions are based on this truth, explored at some depth in the book: it is always in our best interest to live the Christian life. God is good. Following Him is good. God is a rewarder. We cannot come to him unless we believe that. You must come to love the Christian life or you will never come to live the Christian life.
Commitment question: what do you want to do about what you heard today?
These are only half the questions discussed in the book. There are 12 types of questions in all that I explore.

A copy of the devotional book originally owned by Abraham Lincoln.

This collection of sermons arises from the culture of an active parish life as a part of its usual worship routine. With over sixty sermons spanning Pre-Lent, all forty days of Lent, and the Sundays after Easter, this book now serves as an excellent daily devotion for both pastors and parishioners. Distinctive in his preaching style, Pr. Petersen fluidly interweaves the words of Holy Scripture with his own, immersing us in the text and applying Law and Gospel with sharp insight. As Luther explains in his catechisms, preaching the Word brings the kingdom of heaven from Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to the individual, always pointing us to Christ and Him crucified, died, and risen.

Counsel and Help is a collection of daily readings selected from the writings of J. R. Miller. They are specifically selected to help set your mind upon a positive path for that day and carry you through the year. Each day is arranged with space to write your own thoughts.Christian Endeavour Times: "In this admirable series of selections, averaging half a page in length, the sweetness and light which give to all the author's work distinction seem to be focused, and the result is a little book which in its own way is without a peer." James Russell Miller was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois. He was the General field Agent for the United States Christian Commission, an organization established by the Young Men's Christian Association after the First Battle of Bull Run. Miller authored nearly 100 books and articles.

Cooking has always been a part of Dene Ward's life. She grew up in a house where they were always feeding someone and she followed that same path as a wife and mother. On the table, she has always offered a nourishing meal; she now offers this collection to feed your souls, lessons from her hearth to your heart.

1897. A collection of prayers for daily use that were gathered from many sources, ancient and modern. It has historical interest, and the literary quality has been carefully considered, but the primary object is to nourish the spiritual life. As the design is to provide a brief selection for every day, in many cases a portion only of a long prayer is given, or it is condensed by omission, but alterations have been made as sparingly as possible.