A CAT & DOG
Look At The Cross Seeing Christ’s Death Through New Eyes by: Bob Sjogren & Kevin Kimbrough Why did Christ die? To forgive us of our sins, right? Well, that’s true, but it’s also incomplete. Belief in only this partial truth causes conflict and confusion among God’s people, and it limits the depth of our understanding of God and his work. There are seven key reasons Christ went to the cross. All of them focus on the glory of his Father. If the glory of God is primary, it changes everything in our relationship with him. And if Christ suffered for the Father’s glory, then we should be willing to suffer as well. Rethink the cross, and rethink your purpose!
A DISRUPTIVE FAITH
Expect God To Interrupt Your Life by: A. W. Tozer Faith More Dangerous Than It Sounds The word “faith” is common, but placing our faith in God is an uncommonly weighty decision fraught with consequences and, by His design, inconvenience. Faith in God is consoling only so far as we trust Him and unshakable trust is the mark of mature Christians who have allowed faith to intrude on their lives ans shift their gaze away from their own aims, needs and desires. This is a life-discrupting, comfort-disturbing and even painful process. A Disruptive Faith is A. W. Tozer’s never-before-published teaching on what he called “faith that perturbs” that is, faith that contradicts the unbelieving man and threatens the complacency of the Christian. In these pages, the renowned pastor and theologian shows how genuine faith, by God’s design, breeds dissatisfaction with this life, weaning Christians from dependence on earthly things in order to prepare them for the glorious and everlasting life to come. In this way, each of us should be encouraged to deepen our faith to the point of holy discontentment – and experience the fresh hope for eternity with Almighty God!
A long obedience in the same direction discipleship in an instant society
As a society, we are no less obsessed with the immediate than when Eugene Peterson first wrote this Christian classic. If anything, email and the Internet may have intensified our quest for the quick fix. But Peterson’s time-tested prescription for discipleship remains the same–a long obedience in the same direction. Tucked away in the Hebrew Psalter, Peterson discovered “an old dog-eared songbook,” the Songs of Ascents that were sung by pilgrims on their way up to worship in Jerusalem. In these songs (Psalms 120-134) Peterson finds encouragement for modern pilgrims as we learn to grow in worship, service, joy, work, happiness, humility, community and blessing. This 20th anniversary edition of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction features these Psalms in Peterson’s widely acclaimed paraphrase, The Message. He also includes an epilogue in which he reflects on the themes of this book and his ministry during the twenty years since its original publication.
A PLACE OF HEALING
by: Joni Eareckson Tada If God Can Heal Me, Why Won’t He? Over four decades ago, a diving accident left Joni Eareckson Tada a quadriplegic. Since that time, she has become a beloved writer and speaker to millions. But today, Joni faces a new battle: chronic, unrelenting pain. As she writes, Just as I said to God years ago when I was first injured, I find myself praying, Lord, I can’t live like this for the rest of my life! This ongoing urgency has forced me to look back on familiar scriptures and examine them from new angles. Does God miraculously intervene in the lives of all who pray for release from migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, cancer or, in my case, chronic pain? And if not, why not? Here Joni invites you to walk with her through an intense and baffling season of her life. Her words offer not a bundle of ivory-tower theological conclusions but intimate insight from a woman on a journey a woman who believes in healing from a God who chooses when that healing will come.
A praying life connecting with god in a distracting world
This new edition includes an expanded chapter on using the practical “prayer cards”―a hallmark of the teaching found in A Praying Life―and a chapter on the need and use of prayers of lament. Prayer is so hard that unless circumstances demand it―an illness, or saying grace at a meal―most of us simply do not pray. We prize accomplishments and productivity over time in prayer. Even Christians experience this prayerlessness―a kind of practical unbelief that leaves us marked by fear, anxiety, joylessness, and spiritual lethargy. Prayer is all about relationship. Based on the popular seminar by the same name, A Praying Life has discipled thousands of Christians to a vibrant prayer life full of joy and power. When Jesus describes the intimacy He seeks with us, He talks about joining us for dinner (Revelation 3:20). A Praying Life feels like having dinner with good friends. It is the way we experience and connect to God. In A Praying Life, author Paul Miller lays out a pattern for living in relationship with God and includes helpful habits and approaches to prayer that enable us to return to a childlike faith.
A WOMAN WHO REFLECTS THE HEART OF JESUS
30 Days to Christlike Character by: Elizabeth George Elizabeth George has long been a favorite source of encouragement and wisdom for women who hunger to know how God desires for them to live. In her newest release, Elizabeth asks, “Where better can we learn about right character and conduct than Jesus Himself?” There is much we can learn from this perfect life example: His generosity in caring for the needs of others, the abundance of His kindness and forgiveness even to His enemies, His persistence in watching over His own, and His willingness to give His all even though He had nothing. Every woman who desires to… • skillfully make the most of limited time • give freely without expecting anything in return • achieve all things in God’s strength and not her own • let her light shine and glorify God …will find a treasure trove of truths and applications that enable her to follow well in the footsteps of Jesus.
AFTER THE HEAVY RAIN
Khmer Rouge Killed His Family. He Tracked Them – But Not for Revenge… by: Sokreaksa S. Himm Thirteen of Reaksa Himm’s immediate family, including both his parents, were executed by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot. The young killers marched them from the remote northern village to which they had been exiled, out into the jungle.One by one the machetes fell.Severely wounded, Reaksa was covered by the bodies of his family. His remarkable story of survival is told in ‘The Tears of My Soul’. In this second book he describes how he tracked down his family’s killers, one by one, embraced them, gave them a scarf of friendship and presented each with a Bible.He has also funded and had built a clinic, school and five churches in the area. This is an astonishing tale of the consequences of spiritual rebirth. Today Sokreaksa Himm is an evangelist and church planter in Cambodia, with an international speaking ministry. He is a frequent visitor to the UK.
ANOTHER CHANCE AT LIFE
by: Warren W. Wiersbe Find Your New Beginning in the Story of the Prodigal Son—and a Cast of Characters When you’ve really blown it . . . . . . is there is any way out of the mess? In his unique depiction of the prodigal son, Warren Wiersbe examines the cast of characters from this well-known story and draws lessons from each individual. Find yourself in the wasteful son, or perhaps in the spiteful brother, and recognize afresh the One who can forgive every sin—our merciful Father. If you’ve left the path of grace and think you’ve gone too far, or if you simply need a reminder of God’s mercy and love, this book holds a welcome dose of encouragement. Your Father is waiting to receive you, ready to give you another chance at life.
Astronished by God: Ten truths to turn the world upside down
For more than thirty years, John Piper pastored in the rough and tumble realities of downtown Minneapolis, preaching his people through the ups and down of life one Sunday at a time. When it came to capturing a generation of joy in one final sermon series, he turned to ten trademark truths to leave ringing in his peoples’ ears. These ten are world-shaking truths—each astonishing in its own way. First they turned Piper’s own world upside down. Then his church’s. And they will continue to turn the whole world upside down as the gospel of Christ advances in distance and depth. These surprising doctrines, as Piper writes, are “wildly untamable, explosively uncontainable, and electrically future-creating.” Join a veteran author, pastor, and Christian leader as he captures the ten astonishing, compassionate, life-giving, joy-awakening, hope-sustaining truths that have held everything together for him.
ATTITUDES THAT ATTRACT SUCCESS
by: Wayne Cordeiro Does your cup runneth over, or is life running you over? Here are practical steps to building internal values and perspectives that will change your life! Embedded in God’s Word are the keys to abundant living, and Hawaiian pastor Wayne Cordeiro guides you through those keys with humor and insight. This book will show you the common mistakes people make without realizing it; what seperates successful people from unsuccessful ones; how to see people as God does; and how to change the way you think. You are just an attitude away from a fantastic life.
BATTLE PLAN FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE
God’s Strategy for Overcoming The Enemy by: Joe Wasmond & Rich Miller War is Here. Are You Prepared to Win? Every day you spend on planet Earth is a day in a spiritual war zone. In this dynamic basic training, Freedom in Christ president Joe Wasmond and Rich Miller use Joe’s experiences as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam to show you what spiritual warfare is, what the Bible says about getting ready and how you can win by executing God’s strategy. Enemy Attack : God can’t be trusted. Your Battle Plan : Know that God is good wants the best for you and every human being. Enemy Attack : You’re nothing but a sinner who happens to be going to heaven. Your Battle Plan : Grasp that you are God’s child and that the father loves, like and accepts you in the same way He loves His Son, Jesus. Enemy Attacks : The situation is hopeless for you and everyone else on planet earth. Your Battle Plan : Help set people free who are captives of sin and the enemy by serving with others under Christ’s authority and staying in contact with your Father through prayer. Properly outfitted, you’ll see your morale boosted, your marriage and family protected, and your mind and emotion renewed. Best of all, you’ll find true significance as an active participant in the Commander in Chief’s master plan.
BREAKTHROUGH PRAYER
The Secret of Receiving What You Need from God by: Jim Cymbala Break Through! … to prayer that God answers Do you long to break through your limitations to a life transformed by God? Breakthrough Prayer helps you connect with God’s heart and obtain answers to your prayers. Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle—a church built on prayer—explains the principles of faith-filled, mountain-moving prayer that can transform circumstances, change lives, and draw you closer to God than you’ve ever imagined. From the Book Meet three who discovered the power of “breakthrough prayer.” “My husband and I had a dream of helping desperate young women. But no banker in his right mind would finance such a venture. So we prayed and God broke through every single obstacle we faced. That was just the beginning of the wonderful roller-coaster ride we call ‘faith.’” —Grace (chapter 7) “Voices inside my head were constantly screaming at me. I became like an animal in the street, muttering or yelling out a stream of profanity as people passed by. One day I screamed out, Jesus, help me! O God, you’re my only hope! That was the breakthrough prayer that saved my life.” —Danny (chapter 2) “Talk about breakthrough prayer! I was buried under 110 stories of steel and concrete after the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers when God heard my cry for help.” —Genelle (chapter 3)
Calling christian leaders
John Stott found on his many travels that contemporary models of Christian leadership were often shaped more by culture than by Christ. In stark contrast, he urges that our view be determined by our view of the church, not the other way round. Focusing on 1 Corinthians 1 – 4, he demonstrates the centrality of the theme of ‘power through weakness’. He explains the role of the Holy Spirit in God’s revelation, and examines four of Paul’s most striking models of ministry, each of which is an aspect of humility. Over against seductive styles of leadership being advocated by the wisdom of the world, he urges Christian leaders to be characterized above all else by ‘the meekness and gentleness of Christ’.
CAN MAN LIVE WITHOUT GOD
by: Ravi Zacharias In this brilliant and compelling defense of the Christian faith, Ravi Zacharias shows how affirming the reality of God’s existence matters urgently in our everyday lives. According to Zacharias, how you answer the questions of God’s existence will impact your relationship with others, your commitment to integrity, your attitude toward morality, and your perception of truth.
CAT & DOG PRAYER
Rethinking Our Conversations With Our Master by: Bob Sjogren & Gerald Robison Cats and dogs respond differently to their masters’s care. While the dog thinks “You must be God!” the cat thinks “I must be God!” When we first become believers, we still have a natural tendency to be self-centered, especially in how we pray. As a result, many Christians prayers that are more of a laundry list of “all about me” requests. Because God doesn’t answer these kinds of prayer, we tend to give up on praying believing that God doesn’t answer prayer. As a result, we end up checking in from time to time making sure he knows we’re there and reminding him of our needs hoping he’ll do something about them. will help move you from self-centered prayers to God-focused prayers. You’ll learn how to pray, as the authors show: This book will change the way you pray. It is a natural outflow of also written by Bob and Gerald.
CAT & DOG THEOLOGY
by: Bob Sjogren & Gerald Robison There’s a joke about cats and dogs that conveys their differences perfectly- A dog says, “You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, you must be God.” A cat says, “You pet me, you shelter me, you love me, I must be God.” These God given traits of cats (“You exist to serve me”) and dogs (“I exist to serve you”) are often similar to the theological attitudes we have in our view of God and our relationship to him. Using the differences between cats and dogs in a light-handed manner, the authors compel us to challenge our thinking in deep and profound ways. As you are drawn toward God and the desire to reflect His glory in your life, you will worship, view missions, and pray in a whole new way. This life-changing book will give you a new perspective a nd vision for God as you delight in the God who delights in you.
CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE
The Path To Spiritual Growth by: Richard Foster Arguably the most established contemporary spiritual classic by our most profound living religious writer. This timeless classic has helped well over a million people discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace and a deeper understanding of God. The book explores the ‘classic disciplines’ of Christian faith: the inward disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study; the outward disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission and service and the corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance and celebration.
CHOOSING TO LEARN FROM LIFE
by: Mike Breen Are You Ready To Stop Letting Life Just Happen To You? The key events of your life unlock the secrets God wants you to learn. Everyday, each of us experience opportunities that we can either choose to ignore or choose to learn and grow from. These significant or kairos moments were intended by God to be powerful life altering events.’ The Life Shapes Circle: Choosing To Learn From Life will help you reconize and respond to these” Learning moments” in a healthy and complete way. It’s time to stop letting life just happen, learn the principles that can lead to unimaginable spiritual growth. When you star Choosing To Learn From Life you start living the way Jesus taught his disciples to live!
CHRIST’S FILIAL PIETY
by: Pastor Jerry S. H. Eng From the Asian perspective, there are two major popular misconceptions about the Christian faith. The first is that it is conceived as a Western religion which advocates ideas that destroy Eastern values, especially that of the families and hence societies. The second misconception is that if and when as Asian person believes and accepts Jesus Christ as his/ her Savior and Lord, he / she will inevitably dishonor his / her parents, filial piety and ancestral worship will be thrown out altogether. Jesus Christ was from Palestine: born in Bethlehem; grew up in Nazareth; taught and ministered largely in Palestine; crucified, died, and resurrected in Jerusalem. Christianity is well rooted in Asia. However, the significance of Christianity is beyond the confines of Asia. The teachings of the Christian Scripture set out a high moral and spiritual standard for individuals, families and societies. They are achievable through the grace of God. Jesus represents God to us and interprets him for us. As the Son, he honors God the heavenly Father in every way; he exemplifies God’s way for us to emulate
CONSEQUENTIAL LEADERSHIP
15 Leaders Fighting For Our Cities, Our Poor, Our Youth And Our Culture by: Mac Pier CHALLENGES? YES. But people can do make a different. Here are the stories of fifteen entrepreneurial leaders doing just that. Drawn from church, business, government and non-profit sectors, these world-class visionaries and activists offer examples that motivate and principles to imitate. Their stories show that mature networks of leaders and organizations can offer opportunities to a new generation of young people, change communities ravaged by HIP/AIDS, reach new groups of people with the message of hope–and more. A book for those who see a need and want to contribute with consequential leadership. “Mac Pier has done us a great service by bringing forth the stories of great entrepreneurs who have crossed over from politics, business and other fields to form a vanguard that may yet bring us back from what the ever-wise David Brooks calls ‘a crisis of legitimacy’. These tales are a call to action for all of us.” BOB BUFORD, author of Halftime “Leadership matters. The leaders in this book have made an extraordinary difference in their churches, communities and cities. I applaud their impact and invite you to read this book and discover your own leadership assignment.” BILL HYBELS, chairman and founder, Willow Creek Association “The God-stories contained in these biographical sketches will encourage you to see and embrace the God-story of your life.” D.G.ELMORE, chairman of the board of directors, The Navigators, and chairman, Elmore Companies, Inc. “Great leaders are as interested in significance as they are in success. Mac Pier profiles fifteen leaders we all want to emulate. . . They are activists, preachers and CEOs. They have created foundations, planted churches, furthered the cause of peace and impraved the lives of thousands of people. Read this book–it will inspire you to open your world and become a leader of consequence.” KEN BLANCHARD, coauthor of The One Minute Manager®and Great Leaders Grow
Counterfeit Gods
New York Times bestselling author of the forthcoming God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life and nationally renowned minister Timothy Keller exposes the error of making good things “ultimate” in this book, and shows readers a new path toward a hope that lasts. Success, true love, and the life you’ve always wanted. Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they held the key to happiness, but with a sneaking suspicion they might not deliver. No wonder we feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and resentful. There is only one God who can wholly satisfy our cravings—and now is the perfect time to meet Him again, or for the first time. In Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller shows how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our own hearts. This powerful message cements Keller’s reputation as a critical thinker and pastor, and comes at a crucial time—for both the faithful and the skeptical.
DID YOU THINK TO PRAY
Making Prayer The Foundation of Your Life by: R. T. Kendall Children spell love T-I-M-E. What if God spells love T-I-M-E? The brilliant new book by bestselling Christian writer, R. T. Kendall. Prayer is one of the most fundamental practices of the Christian faith, yet how many of us really commit adequate time to talking to God? As R. T. points out in DID YOU THINK TO PRAY?, God likes our company. We can only benefit from spending more time with him. This wonderful new book helps us to better understand what prayer is, why it is so important and how we can overcome the obstacles that seem to prevent us doing it.Children spell love T-I-M-E. What if God spells love T-I-M-E?The brilliant new book by bestselling Christian writer, R. T. Kendall.Prayer is one of the most fundamental practices of the Christian faith, yet how many of us really commit adequate time to talking to God? As R. T. points out in DID YOU THINK TO PRAY?, God likes our company. We can only benefit from spending more time with him.This wonderful new book helps us to better understand what prayer is, why it is so important and how we can overcome the obstacles that seem to prevent us doing it.
Discipling in a multicultural world
Our multicultural world needs countercultural disciplers. People from all over the world are coming to Christ from a variety of backgrounds. This requires more people who are willing to commit to the effort and sacrifice it takes to invest in new believers. Rooted in over four decades of multicultural discipleship experience, Ajith Fernando offers biblical principles for discipling and presents examples showing how they apply to daily life and ministry. He addresses key cultural challenges, such as the value of honor and shame, honoring family commitments, and dealing with persecution, and helps us think realistically about the cost and commitment required for productive cross-cultural ministry. This practical guide to discipleship will help us help others grow into mature and godly followers of Christ.
DRAWING NEAR
A Life of Intimacy With God by: John Bevere In Drawing Near, John Bevere invites readers to explore a life of intimacy with God. Emphasizing the need for obedience, he urges us to practice-just as we would practice anything we hope to improve-our communication with the Holy Spirit. Understanding that prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue, Bevere encourages us to listen at the Father’s feet. Study questions in each chapter offer opportunity for reflection, and a “How to draw near to God” section offers practical steps toward developing true intimacy with Him.