A 40-Day Lenten Devotional written by Shane Stanford and the members of Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Join us on a meaningful journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday through learning to love Jesus and to love like Jesus.

In a world of fast-paced schedules and priorities, conversations about what makes for a life well lived are a rarity and a luxury. But what if the daily pace of life held in itself the way to make choices more significant? What if the daily to-do lists gave a glimpse into how people might change their future? What if the daily grind, as arduous as it might seem, held the key to a life full of meaning and potential? What if everyday, simple steps, instead of some complex list of seemingly unattainable principles, showed how to make life matter? Making Life Matter answers these questions and shows that the steps for making life matter are found in rather ordinary decisions, attitudes, and patterns found in normal routines. Author Shane Stanford will confront the way in which God, every day, means for us to live deeper, closer, and better in him in essence, the way God intends for life to matter.

Award-winning artist Anthony Thaxton captures the beauty of the Gulf of Mexico in this stunning book of photographs pre-dating the BP oil disaster. Complete with prayers from best-selling author Shane Stanford, The Gulf is a must-have for those who love that region.

Examine how the God of the universe uses the broken pieces of our lives to reframe our purpose, turning our discarded hopes and dreams into something beautiful and useful a mosaic in which God uses all of the pieces.

The author says, "This journey will take us along the same path Jesus walked in the days surrounding" "his journey to Jerusalem. We will see the similarities to our own stories as well as the lessons we should pick, like pebbles along the path."

This seven-session study, appropriate for both group and individual use, provides one lesson for each week in Lent. Each lesson includes a key Scripture reference, a brief reading, questions for reflection or discussion, a brief prayer, and guided helps for daily Scripture reading and additional reflection in the coming week."

The book describes the setting, people, and perception surrounding the scene from Matthew 5 and addresses each of the eight beatitudes or blessings. The chapters offer illustrations from Jesus' ministry, a discussion of the theme and spiritual dimensions of the blessing, and application of the blessing to our contemporary lives. Stanford uses poignant stories of contemporary people to help the reader claim the blessings as a way of life. A leader's guide at the back of the book offers discussion and reflection questions for small-group use.