RECOMMENDED READ

I’d Like You More if You Were More like Me takes on one of life’s most important questions: How can I get closer to God and other people?

We were created for deep connections. When people have deep connections, says John Ortberg, they win in life. When they don’t have deep connections, they cannot win in life. I’d Like You More if You Were More like Me offers help in overcoming one of the biggest obstacles to making deep connections: the fact that we’re so different. Different from God and different from each other.

The good news is that connectedness is not based on similarity, but on shared experiences. When one person invites another to share an experience, they’re connected. It can be sharing a beautiful sunset or a meal, having a great conversation over cup of coffee, going for walk, or even teasing somebody. And when we share those same experiences with God, we get closer to him, too. God wants to connect with us—so much that he sent his son to live as a human being. God took on flesh and shared every human experience. So we don’t have to wonder what a close relationship with God looks like anymore.

An intimate relationship with God and other people doesn’t have to be a cliché, it can be a daily way of life.

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John Ortberg is the senior pastor at Menlo Church, an author, and a speaker. John’s teaching centers around our everyday life with God and how God cares more about who we are becoming than what we do. He has written books on spiritual formation including, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, Faith and Doubt, Who is This Man?, and Soul Keeping.

Born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, John graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in psychology. He holds a master of divinity and doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Fuller Seminary. Prior to joining Menlo Church, John served as teaching pastor at Chicago’s Willow Creek Community Church. John is a member of the board of trustees at Fuller Seminary and the board for the Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation, and he has served on the board of Christianity Today International.

He can be followed on Twitter @johnortberg and on Facebook.

In this third book of The Prince Warriors trilogy, the Prince Warriors finally receive their last piece of armor—the swords they were promised when they began their adventure in the unseen realm of Ahoratos. And none too soon, for they must face the ultimate enemy, one who is gathering his Forgers and creating unthinkable new evil to stop the Prince Warriors from winning any battle ever again.  

Read an excerpt

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Priscilla Shirer is a homemade cinnamon-roll baker, Bible teacher, and best-selling author who didn’t know her books (The Resolution for Women and Fervent) were on the New York Times Best Seller list until somebody else had told her. Because who has time to check such things while raising three rapidly growing sons? When she and Jerry, her husband of sixteen years, are not busy leading Going Beyond Ministries, they spend most of their time cleaning up after and trying to satisfy the appetites of these guys. And that is what first drove Priscilla to dream up this fictional story about the very un-fictional topic of spiritual warfare to help raise up a new generation of Prince Warriors under her roof. And under yours.

In this second book in The Prince Warriors trilogy, the Prince Warriors face new challenges on earth and in the unseen realm of Ahoratos. The enemy, angry about his last defeat, is targeting them with weapons and tactics they had never imagined, including the flaming Olethron. The kids must turn to Ruwach and the Source, who can give them more pieces of armor to help them stand strong against this deadly threat.

Read an excerpt

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Priscilla Shirer is a homemade cinnamon-roll baker, Bible teacher, and best-selling author who didn’t know her books (The Resolution for Women and Fervent) were on the New York Times Best Seller list until somebody else had told her. Because who has time to check such things while raising three rapidly growing sons? When she and Jerry, her husband of sixteen years, are not busy leading Going Beyond Ministries, they spend most of their time cleaning up after and trying to satisfy the appetites of these guys. And that is what first drove Priscilla to dream up this fictional story about the very un-fictional topic of spiritual warfare to help raise up a new generation of Prince Warriors under her roof. And under yours.

Let Jesus Be Your Reset

Do you want to make a difference with your life, but you’re having trouble moving on from your past? “Follow me,” Jesus told his early followers, “and I’ll show you life as it was meant to be lived.”

Nick Hall reminds us that Jesus says the same thing to us today: “Trust me. Follow me. Come to me dirty, and I’ll clean you up. Come broken, and I’ll reassemble the parts. Come desperate, and I’ll replace pain with joy. Come to me with all your questions, all your confusion, all your fear. I can reset your purity, your self-image, your faith. Come.”

Whatever has been holding you back, a reset is available to you by the grace of God. Say yes to the life you were meant to live.

Read an excerpt here

Purchase your copy here

Nick Hall is the visionary of Together 2016, author of the forthcoming book Reset, and the Founder and Chief Communicator for PULSE. His passion is to “awaken culture to the reality of Jesus.” Since 2006 Nick has shared the Gospel with nearly three million students at PULSE and partnership events around the world. Nick is married to his best friend, Tiffany; they live in Minneapolis, MN. They are proud parents of Truett and Ruby.

You can connect with Nick through Facebook or on his website. Follow Nick on Twitter and Instagram.

Letting Go of Expectations and Grasping God’s Adventure for You

Have you been waiting for life to turn out the way you expected? In I Don’t Wait Anymore, Grace Thornton challenges readers to find their calling and purpose from God and go after it with completely committed hearts.
When Grace got brutally honest with herself and asked the hard question, “Why do I think the world has more to offer than God does?” the answer was stunning. Her honesty led to the path God had for her. One that would write a story for her life that was even better than the one she had dreamed for herself.
This positive and encouraging book offers inspiration to anyone who wants to live a fulfilling life right now. Grace decided to let go of her expectations of the way life “should be” and grasp God’s hand for the adventure He had for her.
You can too.

Click here for more about the book and Grace Thornton, the author.

Based on Ephesians 6:10–18, The Prince Warriors is the first book in Priscilla Shirer’s epic new children’s series that brings to life the invisible struggle ensuing in the spiritual realm. Xavier, Evan, and their friends have typical lives until they enter a mysterious land called Ahoratos. There they meet their guide, Ruwach, who offers wisdom and direction as the kids’ initial adventure begins—an adventure filled with armor and danger and a very real enemy.

Read an excerpt

Purchase here

Priscilla Shirer is a homemade cinnamon-roll baker, Bible teacher, and best-selling author who didn’t know her books (The Resolution for Women and Fervent) were on the New York Times Best Seller list until somebody else had told her. Because who has time to check such things while raising three rapidly growing sons? When she and Jerry, her husband of sixteen years, are not busy leading Going Beyond Ministries, they spend most of their time cleaning up after and trying to satisfy the appetites of these guys. And that is what first drove Priscilla to dream up this fictional story about the very un-fictional topic of spiritual warfare to help raise up a new generation of Prince Warriors under her roof. And under yours.

God’s not dead . . . but they’re trying to kick him out of the public square!

Welcome back to Hope Springs . . . where Christian Grace Wesley teaches high school history. She is on the hot seat with the school district after she answers Brooke Thawley’s question about Jesus during a classroom discussion. Suddenly, Brooke becomes a pawn in an epic court case that could cost Grace the career she loves.
Tom Endler, a lawyer with the teachers’ union, is tapped to reluctantly represent Grace in her fight for her First Amendment rights. He finds himself fighting for a cause he doesn’t even believe in. Tom’s research leads him to Amy Ryan, a reporter and former skeptic who found faith while battling cancer and watching the classroom battle unfold at Hadleigh University a year ago. Both are soon on a journey to understand what genuine faith really means as they fight to save Grace’s job and avoid a court decision that could cripple the free speech rights of all Christians in the marketplace.
Based on the highly anticipated movie sequel, this novel tells more about the story behind the new blockbuster film and gives fans an update on favorite characters from the original film.

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Critically acclaimed and creatively diverse novelist Travis Thrasher has made a career out of defying expectations. Writing stories that have moved, haunted and provoked readers, Thrasher has told tales in a variety of genres. His one common theme is brokenness, and his one common tactic is surprise. He lives with his wife and three daughters in a suburb of Chicago. You can find Travis on Facebook or at his website.

How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life’s Biggest Yes

“But everyone else has it.” “If you loved me, you’d get it for me!” When you hear these comments from your kids, it can be tough not to cave. You love your children—don’t you want them to be happy and to fit in?
Kristen Welch knows firsthand it’s not that easy. In fact, she’s found out that when you say yes too often, it’s not only hard on your peace of mind and your wallet—it actually puts your kids at long-term risk. In Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, Kristen shares the ups and downs in her own family’s journey of discovering why it’s healthiest not to give their kids everything. Teaching them the difference between “want” and “need” is the first step in the right direction. With many practical tips and anecdotes, she shares how to say the ultimate yes as a family by bringing up faith-filled kids who will love God, serve others, and grow into hardworking, fulfilled, and successful adults.
It’s never too late to raise grateful kids. Get ready to cultivate a spirit of genuine appreciation and create a Jesus-centered home in which your kids don’t just say—but mean!—“thank you” for everything they have.

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Kristen Welch grew up in a suburb of Houston, Texas. When she became a busy mother of three that she began to blog about her life on wearethatfamily.com. In 2010, Kristen traveled with Compassion International to Kenya on a blogging trip to write about poverty in a huge slum. As a result, she and her family founded a non-profit called Mercy House Kenya.
In 2011, Kristen wrote her first book, a devotional for moms called Don’t Make Me Come Up There! She is also one of Dayspring’s (in)Courage writers, a frequent speaker, and a regular contributor to Lifeway’s HomeLife and ParentLife magazines. Connect with Kristen on her Facebook page or over at We Are THAT Family.

Being Unqualified Is God’s Favorite Qualification

Our culture tells us that the answer to our failures is to fix them. The solution to our weaknesses is to hide them. The secret to our success is to appear as flawless as possible. But God’s qualifying system is different than the world’s. So is his view of our weaknesses, our purpose, and our true selves.
The truth is, God has created us to be more, to accomplish more, and to love life more than we ever thought possible. But to become who he has called us to be, we must embrace who we are right now. (Un)Qualified equips us to face obstacles and failures without losing a sense of purpose. We can have a thriving sense of hope that God is working in us and through us, not in spite of our weaknesses but often as a direct result of them.

Read the first chapter here.

Purchase your copy here.

Pastor Steven Furtick is the lead pastor of Elevation Church. He and his wife, Holly, founded Elevation in 2006 with seven other families. The church has been listed by Outreach Magazine as one of the fastest growing and largest churches in America.  Pastor Steven holds a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also the New York Times Best Selling author of Crash the Chatterbox, Greater, and Sun Stand Still.  Pastor Steven and Holly live in the Charlotte area with their two sons, Elijah and Graham, and daughter, Abbey.

You can connect with Steven on Facebook or at stevenfurtick.com

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. Psalm 119:18 (NLT)

Check out the Bible being used in the World’s Biggest Small Group

The Illustrated Study Bible invites you to open your eyes to the wonders of God in a whole new way. The Scripture is brought to life by giving readers an entirely new visual study experience. The who, what, where, when, and why of the Bible come alive with stunning photos, illustrations, infographics, and full color maps integrated seamlessly with background material, study notes, and theme articles. The Illustrated Study Bible empowers readers to draw closer to God by opening their eyes to Scripture’s living, powerful message.

Open your eyes to…
God’s Creation, Humanity, God’s Chosen People, The Church, The Life of Christ and so much more.

See for yourself

Buy your copy now

Join the World’s Biggest Small Group right now!

Reframe invites you to reconsider life and what it might look like if you were ruined for anything else but a life-giving connection to the almighty God.
Reframe challenges you to change your paradigm about your relationship and connection with God, because in truth, you are engineered so that life will not work without Him.
Reframe peels back the layers revealing what a relationship with God is not so that we can finally find out what it could be.

Read an excerpt of Reframe

Accomplished recording producer Brian Hardin experienced a mediocre Christian faith until one day, he purposed to read the Bible daily. His resolve led to the start of the Daily Audio Bible, which after ten years has had more than 80 million downloads and feeds hundreds of thousands of listeners each day. He is the author of Passages: How Reading The Bible In A Year Will Change Everything For you and Reframe: From The God We’ve Made…To God With Us. Connect with Brian and the Daily Audio Bible (DAB) on Facebook and on Twitter.

Not entitled to get angry? Really?

  It’s a radical, provocative idea: We’re not entitled to get offended or stay angry. The idea of our own “righteous anger” is a myth. It is the number one problem in our societies today and, as Dallas Willard says, Christians have not been taught out of it.
As it turns out, giving up our “right” to be offended can be one of the most freeing, healthy, simplifying, relaxing, refreshing, stress-relieving, encouraging things we can do.
In Unoffendable readers will find something of immeasurable value—a concrete, practical way to live life with less stress. They’ll adjust their expectations to fit human nature and replace perpetual anger with refreshing humility and gratitude.
The book offers a unique viewpoint, challenging the idea that Christians can ever harbor “righteous anger” or that there even is such a thing for believers.
Few other books exist with such a radical, provocative proposal to consider. We have no right to anger. We are to get rid of it, period. Completely. And it is possible to choose to be “unoffendable.”
Through the author’s winsome, humorous, and conversational style, this book doesn’t add another thing to do on a stressed-out person’s ever-growing list. Better, it actually seeks to lift religious burdens from readers’ backs and allow them to experience the joy of gratitude, perhaps for the first time, every single day of their lives.

  Brant Hansen is a toast-obsessed nerd who, when in high school, was no less than PRESIDENT of the Illinois Student Librarians Association. He was also All-Conference in “Scholastic Bowl”, and lettered in basketball and football (both for keeping statistics) and was President of his own Stamp Collection Club, which consisted of himself.
He’s also an “Aspie” – diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome as an adult. And he’s happy about it.
Brant works full-time for CURE International, a network of hospitals serving the poor around the world. He’s also a radio host. In his spare time, he walks his three-legged dog, Nigel, while looking inappropriately intense. He can’t help it.
He is a Christian with a distaste for religion. He’s under the impression there was no religion in Eden, and there won’t be any in Heaven, either. Thank God.
Brant is also a husband and dad, and he’s won multiple awards for his radio skills and is typing all of this himself, and putting it in third-person in hopes that it seems more impressive that way.  You can buy the book and find Brant at branthansen.com

We need a better vision for saving the world.

Across the world, people like you are rising up to fight poverty, oppression, and injustice—not just professionals, but bloggers, musicians, entrepreneurs, artists, homemakers, and advocates. People who refuse to accept the world as it is, who dare to believe change is possible.

But we face a crisis of vision. We sense what needs to be done, but often we don’t know how to do it. Without a better blueprint for doing good well, our moment in history will slip away.

Stephan Bauman, president of a leading charity, believes true change begins in the hearts and actions of ordinary people. In Possible, he presents clear and biblical thinking, powerful stories, and practical tools for sustainably impacting our workplaces, neighborhoods, villages, and cities.

Possible is an eloquent and personal call to reconsider what it means to change ourselves so that we can change the world.

Read the first chapter now

Stephan Bauman is the president and CEO of World Relief, a church-based international relief and development agency. Bauman oversees programs in health, economics, agriculture, and refugee assistance in twenty countries. He has worked with international relief organizations for over twenty years, including World Hope International and Mercy Ships International.

An ordained minister, Stephan holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Wheaton College, and the University of Wisconsin. He and his wife, Belinda, and their two sons live in Baltimore, Maryland.

Take a walk.

Change your world.

Reading through the Bible is difficult. The Daily Walk Bible will help you complete the journey. Drawing from the rich resources of Walk Thru the Bible’s Daily Walk magazine, The Daily Walk Bible offers a simple daily reading plan and tools to help you complete the journey and see how the Bible fits together.

Each day’s reading includes an overview to give you a bird’s-eye view of the day’s reading, several chapters from the Bible, an Insight offering an interesting fact from the day’s reading, and My Daily Walk—a short devotion to help you reflect on and apply a specific insight from the day’s reading.

Every seventh day offers a pause on the journey as you are invited to Look Back over the readings from the previous week, Look Up to God, and Look Ahead to the reading to come.

Preview an excerpt from The Daily Walk Bible

For more information and additional resources go to dailywalkbible.com

What is it that you long for?  Dream about? Hunger after?

We all desire more than just the endurance of our daily routines. But often we feel limited and stuck — like we’re merely existing instead of living.

That’s not the way it was meant to be. God intends the humanity in each of us to be deeply experienced, lavishly enjoyed, and exuberantly celebrated. In fact this is what the gospel is all about.

Yes, the gospel. Contrary to conventional thinking — inside and outside the church — following Jesus is not about denying our humanness but embracing it. Rather than acting more spiritual or being more religious, we’re called and enabled to become more fully human…  and alive.

Matt Heard escorts us on a journey of discovery: that Jesus didn’t come to save us from our humanity — Christ instead yearns to restore it to what God originally intended. Matt then explores ten key areas where everyday life can become extraordinary Life.

Christ promised we could “live life to the full.” He didn’t just mean eventually.

Life with a Capital L is the Life you are longing for. Now.

Read the first chapter

Matt Heard and his wife, Arlene, live in Colorado Springs and are the privileged parents of three adult sons. A speaker and writer, he was the senior pastor at Woodmen Valley Chapel for twelve years.  Whether standing in front of people with a microphone or in a trout stream with a fly rod, whether sitting around a dinner table with friends or serving a need in his city, he loves exploring and experiencing Life with a capital L.

INSCRIBED IS A COLLECTION OF STUDIES BY WOMEN INSPIRED BY PROVERBS 3:3

Each of the books within the InScribed Collection take on real-life matters from the perspective of Scripture. Just as in real life, the InScribed studies are at times uncomfortable but always appropriate, helping to bring understanding and healing. They all have common elements ranging from personal reflections, biblical illustrations and principles, study helps, reflective questions for application and comprehension, along with suggested tasks, projects, or additional studies for the reader and concluding with discussion.

Brand New this October are the following titles (click on title to download a sample chapter)

 Barren Among the Fruitful : Navigating Through Infertility with Hope, Wisdom, and Patience

The problem of infertility has reached epidemic levels in our society. It is projected that 40% of women currently 25 and younger will have difficulty conceiving a child or reaching a live birth.
Amanda Hope Haley had married David, the man of her dreams, and earned a master’s degree from Harvard. She and David purchased their first home and settled down to start a family. All her hopes and dreams were coming true according to plan—until the family didn’t happen.
Using Amanda’s personal stories, and the stories of other women who have struggled to have children, Barren Among the Fruitful surrounds those women struggling with infertility or miscarriage with a sense of community while providing honest facts. It leads women from confusion to understanding. Each chapter is titled with a well-meaning, but sometimes thoughtless comments Amanda was offered during her seven-year struggle with infertility.

“Women will DEVOUR this book. Some might even sleep with it under their pillow. It brings comfort and rich insight from a friend who understands the heartbreak of infertility and miscarriage. Amanda hands us women a true GIFT with the words of this book.”  Lysa TerKeurst, New YorkTimes Best-Selling Author of Unglued and President of Proverbs 31 Ministries

 Amanda Hope Haley has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Rhodes College and a Master of Theological Studies degree in Hebrew Scripture and Interpretation from Harvard University. She contributed to The Voice Bible Translation as a writer and editor, and she has been an editor and curricula ghostwriter for popular Christian authors. Today she maintains a blog, “Healthy and Hopeful,” where she encourages women to live whole lives in community with God, family, and each other. Amanda loves cooking, crafting, and party planning, and she enjoys traveling to new places and spoiling her godsons, Elijah and Jack.  Amanda and her husband David recently moved to Denver, Colorado, and look forward to new friends and new adventures out West.  Connect with Amanda on her Facebook page.

Just RISE UP! A Call to Make Jesus Famous

It is common to look at our faith as something that just “is”. It’s not strong, nor is it weak; it’s simply a part of us. But faith is something we desire to strengthen. It is a vital relationship with our Lord that should be nurtured, celebrated, and shouted from the rooftops as the most incredible gift we will ever receive.
Just RISE UP! is a call to do just that. This invigorating study motivates women to do life differently by making Jesus famous in all aspects of life.
Many have the itch to make a difference with their lives but don’t know how. By living a life of praise, with a humble posture and a Kingdom perspective, women will step into their life purpose. With Just RISE UP! readers will evaluate their present stance before the Lord and become excited to RISE UP! and take their place in the Kingdom to make the name of Jesus renowned.

Sarah Francis Martin has a passion to do life and ministry with women. By coupling real, raw and relevant life examples with Biblical truth, Sarah encourages women to RISE UP! and make Jesus famous in every area of life. Sarah is a graduate of Texas A&M University and Charles Colson’s Centurions discipleship program, a year-long intense study of biblical worldview. You can read more from Sarah in her first book Stress Point: Thriving Through Your Twenties In A Decade Of Drama.  You can find Sarah at her Facebook page.

Inseparable : Who I Am, Was, and Will Be in Christ

As women, we are constantly on a search for self-worth. In today’s world, it can be easy to measure our significance by what we do for others rather than out of a deep-rooted sense of identity.
Based on the book of Romans, Inseparable aims to give an overview of our identity in Christ from the grand narrative of Scripture as a whole. Throughout the book, guided Bible study sections will lead readers to discover truths in Scripture for themselves and challenge them to apply those truths to their everyday thought processes and choices. Readers are encouraged to look to Christ for approval, identity, and significance rather than themselves or the world around them. Readers will be enabled to live confidently and securely in today’s culture, ready to face life’s challenges with strength and courage.

“A lovely, dazzling gem of a book. Written in a singular voice that speaks directly to the soul, Ashley Linne shows how to read the Scripture with a gentleness and gentility that will take the breath away from both the beginner and the scholar. This is a book for which one might be grateful on that proverbial desert island everyone asks about.”  Leonard Sweet, Drew University, George Fox University, chief contributor to sermons.com.

Ashley Linne is a wife and mom who loves to write, sing, and travel. She is passionate about discipleship, mentoring, and sexual abuse prevention. She has been leading small group Bible studies for over 15 years and cut her ministry teeth as a collegiate campus minister in her home state of New Mexico. Ashley has a Bachelor of Arts in Religion with a minor in Greek, a Master of Arts in Family Life Education from the Oxford Graduate School, and studied at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ashley lives with her husband and son in Bellingham, WA.  Get to know Ashley on her Facebook page.

These new titles join the others in the series, released March 2014. 

Amazed and Confused: When God’s Actions Collide with Expectations by Heather Zempel

Dive Deeper: Finding Deep Faith Beyond Shallow Religion by Jenifer Jernigan

Leaving Ordinary: Encounter God Through Extraordinary Prayer by Donna Gaines

Living “So That”:  Making Faith-Filled Choices in the Midst of a Messy Life by Wendy Blight

For more information go to www.inscribedstudies.com

You can also connect with InScribed Studies on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter

BE THE MESSAGE

Taking Your Faith Beyond Words To A Life Of Action

  What would happen if we talked about God less and walked with God more?

Be the Message reminds us that Christianity was meant to be a faith of action, not a faith of words. Yet often we sacrifice doing    something for the sake of talking about it. When we actually act out on our faith, we find our faith grows even more.

People’s lives are changed when you allow your life to be the gospel to the world.

Living out the gospel in the world today is both simple and costly.  The Shooks explore that paradox through biblical stories and their  own experience of making a decision to live out the gospel in practical ways.  Choosing to be the gospel changed their family, church  and personal relationships with God.

   How can it change your life?

   Read the first chapter

Kerry and his wife, Chris, founded Woodlands Church, formerly Fellowship of The Woodlands, in 1993; and since then, the church has grown to 17,000 in average attendance each weekend.

Kerry Shook is one of today’s most gifted communicators offering a clear, contemporary and creative teaching style.  Kerry believes that church should be engaging and fun, calling it “The Best Hour of Your Week.” He strives to eliminate the barriers of boredom, unfriendliness and fear that keep people from experiencing not just religion but a relationship with Jesus Christ. His messages are relevant, and his illustrations memorable.

Chris is the Director of Missions and Women’s Ministry at Woodlands Church. Her missions’ work has touched thousands of under-resourced people locally and in numerous countries around the world. Her Women’s Ministry is one of the largest in the country providing fellowship, worship and Bible study opportunities to hundreds of women each week.

Kerry Shook Ministries is a worldwide television ministry that broadcasts to a local, national and international audience.  Pastor Kerry and Chris can now be seen by millions in 50 states and over 200 countries worldwide.

Kerry and Chris have been married twenty-five years and have four children.

You can find The Shook’s at their website or Facebook.

By Steven Furtick

Welcome to a place called Greater. 

Are you ready to open your imagination to the possibility that God has a vision for your life that is greater?

We all have honest moments when we’re gripped by a desire to feel that what we’re doing matters more. That who we are matters more. In GREATER, Pastor Steven Furtick draws on the biblical story of Elisha to empower you to take a God-given dream from idea to reality, stretch your limited resources and abilities in ways you never thought possible, replace the images of yourself that keep you feeling stuck in the past and make a significant impact with your life starting today.

If you’re tired of being ordinary, it’s time to dream bigger. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about where to begin, it’s time to start smaller. It’s time to ignite God’s greater vision for your life.

Read the first chapter.  

Order your copy today

Steven Furtick is the New York Times best-selling author of Crash the Chatterbox and Sun Stand Still. He is also the founder and lead pastor of Elevation Church, which since its founding in 2006 has grown to more than 13,000 attendees at nine locations. He holds a master of divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Holly, have three young children. Connect with Steven on Facebook or his website.

By Nick Vujicic

With no arms, no legs, and no defense, Nick Vujicic was once a bully’s target and knows what it feels like to be picked on and pushed around:  It makes your stomach hurt, gives you nightmares, and feels like there is no hope in sight. But Nick shows how you too can overcome and rise above bullying.

No Bully Can Define Who You Are 

Nick has experienced bullying of all kinds for being “different.” But he’s learned that he doesn’t have to play the bully’s game–and neither do you. In Stand Strong Nick gives you strategies for developing a “bully defense system,” so you can handle bullies of all kinds by building your strength from the inside out.

Find out how to:

·         Turn being bullied into a great opportunity (yes, really!)

·         Create a safety zone within yourself

·         Establish strong values that no bully can shake

·         Deal with cyber bullies

·         Develop a spiritual foundation to stay strong against bullying

·         Monitor your emotions and control your response to them

·         Help others who are being bullied

Are you facing the unwanted attention of a bully?  You can stand up to the challenge, because you have greater power over your feelings and your life than you may think! Just ask Nick–the man with no arms or legs…and “a ridiculously good life.”

Watch Nick speak to a group of teens about bullying here.

Read the first chapter.  

Nick Vujicic is an international and New York Times best-selling author, evangelist, motivational speaker, and the director of Life Without Limbs, an organization that helps share the message of the hope in Christ to the entire globe. Nick is an inspiration worldwide with crowds and the media for his positive attitude towards overcoming obstacles and achieving dreams. A longtime resident of Australia, he now lives in southern California with his wife, Kanae, and son, Kiyoshi.  You can find Nick on Facebook or his website.

By Francine Rivers

To those who matter in 1950s Hollywood, Lena Scott is the hottest rising star to hit the silver screen since Marilyn Monroe. Few know her real name is Abra. Even fewer know the price she’s paid to finally feel like she’s somebody.

To Pastor Ezekiel Freeman, Abra will always be the little girl who stole his heart the night he found her, a wailing newborn abandoned under a bridge on the outskirts of Haven. Zeke and his son, Joshua—Abra’s closest friend—watch her grow into an exotic beauty. But Zeke knows the circumstances surrounding her birth etched scars deep in her heart, scars that leave her vulnerable to a fast-talking bad boy who proclaims his love and lures her to Tinseltown. Hollywood feels like a million miles from Haven, and naive Abra quickly learns what’s expected of an ambitious girl with stars in her eyes. But fame comes at an awful price. She has burned every bridge to get exactly what she thought she wanted. Now, all she wants is a way back home.

In this riveting and highly anticipated tale of temptation, grace, and unconditional love, New York Times best-selling author Francine Rivers delivers big-canvas storytelling at its very best.

Available now for pre-order and in stores April 22.

Read the first chapter.  

Author photo by Elaina Burdo copyright © 2014. All rights reserved

New York Times best-selling author Francine Rivers became a born-again Christian in 1986 and wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith. Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published numerous novels with Christian themes—all best sellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Francine’s novels have been translated into over 20 different languages, and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa.

Francine and her husband, Rick, live in northern California and enjoy time spent with their three grown children and taking every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren. Francine uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.

Connect with Francine at her website or Facebook.

By Steven Furtick

“I used to think that someone who struggled with the kinds of weaknesses I deal with daily was useless to God. I felt so often like I was drowning in internal dialogue I couldn’t control. It had been the soundtrack of my life for as long as I could remember.

“Yet everything changed when I began to realize God has given us the ability to choose the dialogue we believe and respond to. And once we learn how, we can switch from lies to truth as deliberately as we can choose the Beatles over Miley Cyrus on satellite radio.

“This is the key to pressing ahead and doing God’s will anyway, even as you are bombarded with thoughts, feelings, and even facts about why you can’t do it.

“I’m now awakening to the reality that we can access the power of God’s promises to constantly crash the system of our broken beliefs. I’m learning how to overpower the shouts of the Enemy by bending my ear to the whisper of God’s supernatural truths about my identity in Him and His strength in me.”

Crash the Chatterbox is for anyone looking to overpower the lies of insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement with the promises of God. Discover how to hear God’s voice above all the others.

For more information on the book visit crashthechatterbox.com

Steven Furtick is the New York Times best-selling author of Greater and Sun Stand Still. He is also the founder and lead pastor of Elevation Church, which since its founding in 2006 has grown to more than 13,000 attendees at nine locations. He holds a master of divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Holly, have three young children.Connect with Steven on Facebook or his website.

By Daniel Ryan Day

A Rebellion against Apathy.

A Strategy for Action.

My life was full of good intentions—those things we write down in journals and share with friends or family, the important ideas that make us feel good about ourselves, the things we know we’re “supposed” to do as followers of Christ. But for too many of us, our good intentions never become good actions. Without action, good intentions don’t move us forward, draw us closer to God, or make a difference in the world. Good intentions are cans of paint that could have become amazing works of art—but never did. (Excerpted from Ten Days Without by Daniel Ryan Day)

Daniel Day could tell you all about his love for God and his desire to live as a follower of Jesus. But it took a simple but radical experiment to move from simply talking about it to actually living like it. For ten days at a time, Daniel chose to abandon a certain “necessity”—a coat, a voice, shoes, media, furniture, legs, touch—and to blog about it to raise funds and awareness for organizations that are doing amazing things to make a difference in the world. And then he invited others to join him in the experiments and spread the vision. Together they served God and others—and experienced significant personal change in the process. Ten Days Without is the story of their life-altering adventure

Ten Days Without is a compelling story and practical guide that will equip you and your friends to break through walls of convenience and indifference, and join a movement that is confronting apathy and ignorance around the world to make an impact on people’s lives in a God-honoring way. Ten Days Without is where our good intentions end and making a difference in the world begins.

Read the first chapter.

Resources available at www.10dayswithout.com

Daniel has a B.S. in Business Administration from Appalachian State University, and is a graduate of the Focus Leadership Institute. In 2005, he spent a summer in Romania helping run a summer camp for orphans. Daniel spent two years as a sales associate for Cornerstone Bookstore in college, where he also lead worship for Campus Christian Fellowship. He then became the Director of Marketing for Asheville’s Fun Depot and Brookstone Lodge in Asheville, NC before joining Axis in 2010. Originally from North Carolina, Daniel lives in Colorado with his wife Rebecca, and their three kids Noah, Finley, and Ava.

Daniel started 10 Days Without in September of 2011. He was tired of just saying he was a Christian and wanted to live it out with his life. The 10 Days Without blog is about giving up good intentions and living intentionally as a Christian. #IntentionalChristian

You can find Daniel on Facebook or at his website.

By Sharon Jaynes

Powerful, effective prayer for your husband is easier than you think.

As a wife, you have been given the privilege of serving as a mighty prayer warrior for your husband. Yet sometimes, even when poised with the best of intentions, you may find the task overwhelming. You wonder: What should I pray? How should I pray? What prayers does he need right now?
In Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe, Sharon Jaynes maps out sixteen landmarks to help you consistently and effectively cover your husband in prayer. From his mind and the thoughts he thinks, to his eyes and the images he sees, all the way down to his feet and the path he takes, Sharon teaches you how to pray for your husband in ways that are powerful, practical, and life-changing.

The 30-day prayer guide provides Scriptures for each day along with corresponding prayers to target the crucial areas of every man’s life. You’ll be equipped and empowered to establish the habit of purposeful prayer in just a few dedicated minutes each day.

Perfect for group use or individual reflection, this book maps out a memorable and reproducible pattern of prayer to strengthen your marriage, deepen your personal prayer life, and cover your husband from head to toe—in ways that will lift not only his spirit, but yours as well.

“I have never seen a more practical book on how to pray for your husband.”  Gary Chapman, PhD, author of The Five Love Languages

Read the first chapter.

Learn more at www.prayingforyourhusband.com

Listen in to the Podcast with Sharon, hosted by Katie Rose from the The Wally Show

Sharon Jaynes is an international conference speaker and the author of seventeen books. She served as vice-president and radio co-host of Proverbs 31 Ministries for ten years and is a popular guest on Christian radio and television programs such as Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey, and Focus on the Family. Sharon is the co-founder of Girlfriends in God, a ministry that crosses denominational, generational, and racial boundaries to bring the Body of Christ together.

You can find Sharon on Facebook and on her website.

By Joyce Meyer

Coach, cheerleader, confidant, chef and chauffeur–the job description of a mom is as broad as the horizon. Perhaps this is why so many mothers deal with insecurity and uncertainty as they do their best to raise their children in a challenging and ever-changing world. If you’ve ever gone to bed disappointed with yourself, if you’ve ever felt like you weren’t measuring up, or if you’ve ever wished there was a manual for motherhood, #1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer has just the book for you.
In THE CONFIDENT MOM you will be encouraged that you are not alone–God is with you and He wants to help you with the challenges you face each day. Through inspiring stories, Biblical principles and Joyce’s own valuable life lessons, there is no doubt you will discover the path to a new confidence and joy in motherhood. No matter your age, the size of your family, or the circumstances you find yourself in, THE CONFIDENT MOM will help you become the joyful, confident mother God created you to be!

Purchase your copy today.

Joyce Meyer is one of the world’s leading practical Bible teachers. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on the mind, mouth, moods and attitudes. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.

Joyce has authored nearly 100 books, which have been translated into 100 languages. More than 30 million copies of her books have been sold. She hosts a daily TV and radio show, Enjoying Everyday Life?, which broadcasts worldwide to a potential audience of 4.5 billion people.
Joyce conducts approximately a dozen domestic and international conferences every year, teaching people to enjoy their everyday lives. Her annual women’s conference has attracted well over 200,000 women to St. Louis for specifically themed teachings by her and guest speakers.

Joyce also sponsors Hand of Hope, which provides feeding programs, medical care, homes for orphans, and programs combating human trafficking.

You can find Joyce at her website and on Facebook.