As we make our way through life, we find ourselves in times of transition where we need to reassess who we are and what we do. Living well doesn't happen automatically for followers of Christ-it happens when we have planned ahead by reviewing and recalibrating our lives on a regular basis, and when we transition from one stage of life to the next. Times of transition, especially in midlife or later life, are ideal moments for recalibrating our priorities and habits. Ken Boa and Jenny Abel give us the perspective and practical tools needed to evaluate our God-given gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, knowledge, resources, and opportunities so we can use them to the full extent God desires. It involves an intentional recalibration and envisioning of one's life based on God's universal and unique purposes for each person as we move from the demands of our careers into a deeper sense of calling. This eternal perspective allows us to live meaningfully now and into the future so that the best is yet to come.

Classic Weekly Devotional through Some of the Bible's Most Fascinating Stories How well do everyday Christians know the stories that have shaped their faith? More than just a collection of significant and entertaining stories, The 52 Greatest Stories of the Bible impresses upon readers the beautiful interconnectedness of the varied narratives we find in the Bible. It: * connects the dots, demonstrating how each individual story is really one chapter in the larger story * shows how Jesus, especially his death and resurrection, is the point of the story, even when the Son of God is not a key player * helps readers build a biblical worldview that answers the ultimate questions of life Readers will gain a better grasp of the whole story of Scripture and, most importantly, why these stories are the ones God chose to preserve for us through the writers of the Bible.

2018 IVP Readers' Choice Award God is everywhere and always with us. So why don't we experience his presence more? Life is full of distractions, and our 24/7 news cycles and social media drown out the voice of God. It's hard to discern God's presence amid the hubbub. But experiencing God is not just for the super-spiritual or ultra-mature. Every Christian can learn to cultivate a greater awareness of God in the everyday. Ken Boa offers a contemporary guide to practicing the presence of God. Using biblical foundations, living and historical examples, and evidence from neuroscience, Ken reveals how we can walk with God and abide in his presence. We need to rethink how we use our time and technology to make room for God, to train ourselves with new habits that deepen our awareness of God. This book offers not a magical technique but dozens of practical exercises and disciplines that help us draw close to God even in the midst of our cacophonous modern culture. Practicing God's presence is not just for the professionals. It's for ordinary people like us. And the more we live in God's presence, the greater our abiding peace and joy.

Ever since the apostle Paul addressed the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers in Athens, relating the Christian worldview to a non-Christian world has been a challenge. And despite Peter's charge to be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15), most Christian laypeople have left apologetics--the defense of the faith--to the ecclesiastical pros. Faith Has Its Reasons is a study of four different models of how apologetics should be done, an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, and a proposal for integrating the best insights of each. Kenneth Boa and Robert Bowman have assembled a wealth of information about what Christians believe and how to present that faith to an unbelieving world. Remarkable both in its depth of content and ease of accessibility, Faith Has Its Reasons gives Christian laypeople the tools to address such critical questions as: Why is belief in God rational despite the prevalence of evil in the world? What facts support the church's testimony that Jesus rose from the dead? Can we be certain Christianity is true? How can our faith in Christ be based on something more secure than our own understanding without descending into an irrational emotionalism?

How do you fix a broken story? In this fallen world, life is often not how we thought it would be. Jobs vanish, relationships crumble, health fails. How do we find the hope to persevere? We can make sense of our broken stories by seeing them in the context of a larger and greater story. Kenneth Boa shows how God can transform our lives with an eternal perspective, when we live with the end in mind. In light of eternity, our struggles are temporary and our plot twists are not fatal. We are hard-wired by God with eternity in our hearts, and that longing gives us purpose, blesses others and helps us make a lasting mark on the world. Knowing our future is crucial to living our present. When we see our stories within his greater story, we learn to live with a heavenly perspective and follow it all the way home.

"The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." 1 Peter 5:10 Suffering comes to us all. It may be disease or debilitation, pain or persecution. Our difficulties may be invisible to others or impossible to hide. Sometimes we suffer because of our Christian witness. Other times it's simply part of living in a fallen world. But suffering affects us all, in ways we don't always anticipate. Christians today are often not prepared to suffer well and have a shortsighted view of pain and trials. Ken Boa shows how God uses suffering to shape his children for eternity and to grow them in Christlike character. The book of 1 Peter tells us suffering is both a guarantee and comparatively brief; we shouldn't be surprised when it comes to us. The nature of our affliction is not as important as our response to it. God is at work through our hardships and wants to use them to prepare us for eternal life. Suffering can make us bitter or better. Rediscover living hope, present joy, and a glorious future.