Stepparenting Is Hard...but It Can Also Be Richly Rewarding Stepparenting can sometimes feel like an overwhelming and thankless challenge. Loving and caring for children who aren't biologically yours means having to earn trust, establish authority, and often put your own needs aside in favor of your stepchild's well-being or a birth parent's wishes. But here's the good news: With some expert guidance and God's help, you can have tremendous influence in your stepchild's life and grow in your faith along the way. Seasoned stepmom Laurie Polich Short understands and empathizes with the difficult job you face. Drawing on extensive research, biblical teaching, and her own real-life experience (including an insightful chapter cowritten with her stepson, Jordan), Laurie provides practical and spiritual advice to help you fully embrace and succeed in your role as stepparent. Whether you are about to become a stepparent or are further along on your journey, this compassionate and insightful resource offers the hope, help, and encouragement you've been looking for.

When God's Plan Is Unclear What in the world is God doing? It's easy to wonder this. We are living in an unfolding story, and it's hard to hold on when difficult circumstances linger, or your deepest prayer hangs in the air, seemingly unanswered. Thankfully the Bible is filled with people who experienced the same thing. They had to learn to trust God's way and timing--and their stories give us insights to live that way too. Mining often-overlooked passages of Scripture, Laurie Polich Short has unearthed 30 practical, encouraging gems of wisdom found in the faith and lives of biblical heroes to help you * see more of God's work as it unfolds in your life * have hope in circumstances that previously felt hopeless * be more comfortable--and possibly even excited--to lean into the unknown Here is your compass to living your story well when the way forward is unclear. "Why, God? What are you doing, God? Questions at the crossroads of faith and doubt can lead us to dead ends or to new vistas. Laurie's brilliant, biblical insights will help you see the map from God's mysterious perspective."--JOHN BURKE, New York Times bestselling author of Imagine Heaven

Many of us have our "go to" verses. The ones we memorize, post on social media, and hang on our walls. But sometimes we need a fresh word or promise for the season we find ourselves in--something that ignites our faith in the face of fear, doubt, loneliness, insecurity, or overwhelming circumstances. In this powerful, accessible new book, author and speaker Laurie Short mines the Scriptures, revealing insights and promises from 40 verses we often overlook. Digging in to these "in between" verses, she unearths fresh wisdom, guidance, and encouragement that will help you seek and experience God in new, dynamic ways. From trusting God's timing, to not worrying about the future, to holding on to faith when things look dark, the hidden insights found in these verses will help you navigate the challenges that cross your path, breathe new life into your weary soul, and ignite your faith once again.

What do small group leaders need? Good Bible studies that engage their kids. The purpose of this book in the Studies on the Go series is to provide small group leaders with creative and engaging Bible study questions they won t have to rewrite. Students will be pushed, encouraged, and challenged, but the real goal is that they would be changed. Laurie Polich-Short has designed Matthew for the busy youth worker who either lacks the time or the information to lead a quality Bible study. Without skimping on depth and substance, Laurie has constructed down to earth questions that get kids into the text and so they can hear God s Word on a practical level. Each consecutive passage of Scripture sets a topic to help students think deeply, talk openly, and apply what they are learning to their lives."

Reframing your perspective can transform your life. We often face circumstances that we cannot change-a job we are forced to keep, a relationship that did not work out, a decision we cannot take back. The stress of life can overwhelm us, and we may not see past the obstacles in our path. In the face of unwanted challenges, we may despair over our lack of control and long for an easier way out. Laurie Short offers a simple but revolutionary idea: change nothing that is around you yet still change everything about your life. With the help of four different lenses, Laurie shows how the way you see can have an impact on how you live. If you put on the right lenses, you can reframe whatever comes your way and embrace both the good and the bad, recognizing that every detail of your life is fully in God's sovereign hands. Jesus indicates the power of focus when he says, "The eye is the lamp of the body, if the eye is good then the whole body will be full of light." It's the easiest way to find lasting meaning and purpose. Change nothing, but see differently. Your perspective has more power than you think to determine the course of your life.

'The book of Romans is rich with spiritual wisdom. By studying Paul s letter to the Romans, your students will explore everything from new life in Christ to how to live a life like Jesus. Through engaging activities and thought-provoking questions that get right to the heart of Romans, your students will see that even though Paul wrote this letter to the Romans, the instructions also apply to them. In 30 studies, your students will find practical applications for their life as they explore the concepts of: * Righteousness * Faith * Salvation * Sacrifice * Freedom * Friendships, and much more Written with the busy youth worker in mind, Studies on the Go: Romans provides Scriptural depth and substance to be tackled in a manageable time frame. The questions are real, down-to-earth, and straight to the point to get students quickly into Romans so they can hear God s word on a practical level. Designed for Sunday school classes, youth groups, and small groups, this curriculum is guaranteed to get your students excited about and engaged with the Bible.'"

The lights are dim. The crowd is hushed. And a dozen teens start laughing hysterically, piling into a human 'boat' that helps set up the mind-blowing miracle of Jesus walking on the stormy Sea of Galilee. Maybe you re after a booster shot for midweek youth group meetings that feel 'same old, same old.' Or you ve just been asked (last minute, of course) to run the service at the shelter during your mission trip, and you need a jolt of energy that ll draw kids into your lesson. Whatever your creative need, Spontaneous Melodramas 2 will fill the bill. Continuing where its predecessor--Spontaneous Melodramas--left off, this volume offers another two dozen tales from the Old and New Testaments that bring the biblical accounts to life . . . with distinctive, contemporary twists Although these no-rehearsal skits will leave your students in stitches, the humor never buries the message of Scripture. So you can be confident when bringing your kids--whether or not they re familiar with the Bible--into sketches like: The Sumptuous Spare Rib (Adam and Eve) Touched by an Angel (Jacob s wrestling match) Love on a Threshing Floor (Ruth and Boaz) The Wizard of Eyes (Jesus heals the blind man) The Great Pool Party (Healing at the pool) Dead Man Walking (Jesus raises Lazarus) Spontaneous Melodramas 2 is full of flexible skits that youth workers, Sunday school teachers, camp counselors, and retreat directors can use for discussion starters, icebreakers, or talk intros. And they re natural fits for Bible study programming, all-nighters, mission trips, camps, retreats, parent meetings, and many other events. More than a year s worth of slapstick, pratfalls, and fun, Spontaneous Melodramas 2 will make the Bible--and its unforgettable characters and adventures--extra memorable for your students."

Meet students where they are.With Small Group Strategies, you can effectively guide students in your small group toward the most important relationship they will ever have---a lifelong relationship with Christ. Respected authors Laurie Polich and Charley Scandlyn offer 30-plus years of collective youth ministry experience to these proven ideas, which offer: *a strategic approach to small group ministry*hundreds of ideas to reach students at every level*practical applications that foster spiritual growthMeet your students where they are in life. You have the heart. You have the vision. Here are the ideas you need to make it happen.

So you're leading a small group? Your small group can accomplish big things in the lives of your teenagers. And in Help! I'm a Small-Group Leader! you'll find methods and approaches you can use. Foibles and minefields to avoid. Solutions and tips that will help you nurture your small group into a growing community, whatever you goals. Inside you'll discover -- How to put small groups together - How NOT to lead a small group - How to start a discussion -- and KEEP IT GOING - How to ASK QUESTIONS that get responses - Three kinds of BIBLE STUDY questions to ask - How to work with DIFFERENT personalities in a small group - How to help you kids LEARN TO PRAY - 10 ideas for BUILDING COMMUNITY in your small group . . . and to top it off are 20 pages of questions (100 questions, to be exact) that you can use in your small group Bible study, on the most common subjects discussed in junior and senior high small groups. All this in a no-frills, straight-to-the-point style -- perfect for volunteer small-group leaders, or for youth pastors or youth directors to lead their staffs through.

Okay, so they used mule mail instead of e-mail -- but they were still surprisingly modern men and women. With emotions, decisions, and dilemmas as raw and real as the students sitting in front of you every week. David and Rahab, Daniel and Ruth--even with their rough edges, they passionately loved Jehovah in a way today's adolescents can understand and emulate. Here are 12 Old Testament character studies, including-- Believe it or not -Abraham: Living by faith is not for wimps - Faith overcomes a fast past -Rahab: What you live is what you believe. Everything else is just talk. - The waiting game -Joseph: Trials and temptations can make us strong. - Benchwarmer to first string -Moses: Often God uses the least likely person to do great things. - Right woman, right place, right time -Esther: God has created each one of us for a purpose. - Keeping promises -Ruth: Commitment means more than saying the right words. - Bad days for good people -Job: Suffering may be the condition from which humans benefit the most. - The long way home -Jonah: Sometimes we simply say no to God. -- And to help you teach the lesson are clips from easy-to-get videos . . . games for mixing and games that teach . . . in-depth, ready-to-use questions guaranteed to spark small-group discussion . . . original role plays, scripts, dilemmas faced by these ancient but very human believers in their Yahweh. For youth workers, Sunday school teachers, and CE directors, Creative Bible Lessons from the Old Testament will help your students understand that the God who offered hope and courage to ancient history-makers still does the same for teenagers today.12 lessons.

Studying the Bible can be a daunting prospect, with each passage revealing new truths at every reading. The Studies on the Go series is designed to help keep your youth group focused and exciting, exploring the rich depths in every book of the bible. In Genesis, Laurie Polich-Short delivers a set of 30 in-depth study sessions to unlock the potential in the first book of the Bible. Every chapter is examined with care and matched with questions to promote discussion in a group study setting. These segments also include tips to help your students apply what they learn in their everyday lives. The Studies on the Go series has provided invaluable resources for small group leaders, and Genesis is a title in that same tradition. Structured study questions and varied discussion topics promise a rich experience and deeper understanding of God s word for your small group."

You know them as hilarious, boisterous skits that get kids involved, whether they're hamming up front, or in the audience cheering for the good guys, hissing the bad guys, and getting nearly as animated as the onstage actors. Better yet, these no-rehearsal skits are comic takes on 24 classic Bible stories, from Babel to Zacchaeus. Use these skits to take your students into or out of your Bible lesson -- for the humor never buries the central message of the Bible passage. Inside you'll find 12 Old Testament and 12 New Testament stories -- like these: - The First Tongue Twister (the Tower of Babel) - Josephine's Dream (Joseph and his brothers) - The Young and the Hairless (Samson and Delilah) - Dave, the Wave, and the Giant Kahuna (David and Goliath) - Dances with Lions (Daniel) - World Serious: The Empire Strikes Out (the temptation of Jesus) - Good Sam, the Levis, and Judas Priest (parable of the Good Samaritan) - Showdown at Tombstone (Jesus and the demon-possessed man) Unchurched teenagers who can't tell Samson from Solomon, or long-time youth group kids -- everyone will love not merely hearing or reading Bible stories, but doing them. Welcome to more than a year's worth of slapstick, pratfalls, and melodrama. These Bible-story skits are anything but solemn, but they'll make Bible stories memorable for your students.

Creative, engaging Bible study questions are hard to come by without rewriting questions for yourself. Each book of questions leads a small group through a book (or combination of books) in the Bible---helping students become more biblically literate, and allowing them to come face-to-face with God s Word. Students will be pushed, encouraged, and challenged by these studies. But more than all this, they will be changed. Each passage of Scripture sets the topic---and the questions are constructed to help students think deeply, talk openly, and apply what they are learning to their lives. Leaders will be able to pick it up and use it immediately with kids. Volunteers are looking for good book of the Bible studies they can pick up and use in their groups. Grab it and go, these studies will meet your students where they are and help them see how God s Word can speak to their world."