Recommendations based on "Be Encouraged"

In a world that's difficult to make sense of, and a season that's so often overtaken by consumerism, here you'll find heart-stirring illustrations and thought-provoking meditations designed to show you the raw, powerfully sacred story of Christmas in a new light.Has the joy of the holiday season become painfully dissonant with the hard edges of life? Do you feel weary from the way Christmas has become a polished, predictable brand? You aren't alone. For too many of us, Christmas has lost its wonder. What if we stopped treating the Christmas story as something that happened a long time ago and started believing that it's a story that's still happening today?From celebrated artist and storyteller Scott Erickson comes Honest Advent, 25 days of illustrations and meditations that will help you rekindle the wonder of this season. Honest Advent creates a space for you to encounter the Incarnate Christ in unexpected places: like a pregnancy announcement in an era of political unrest and empirical bloodshed, the morning sickness of a Middle Eastern teenager, and the shocking biology of birth that goes far beyond the sanitized brand of Christmas as we know it today.Within the pages of Honest Advent, Erickson teaches us the valuable lessons he's learned about: Finding hope and light in the darkest winters What it means to embrace the unexpected How God uses everyday vulnerability to help us understand ourselves, and our faith, betterThrough powerful benedictions, prayers, and questions for honest reflection, you'll discover how the wonder of God-with-Us is still happening today: in your unexpected change of plans, your unaccomplished dreams, your overcrowded lodging, and your humble stories of new beginnings.Praise for Honest Advent:"Scott Erickson's beautifully crafted book helped me see God-with-Us with fresh eyes. Honest Advent is no shallow seasonal gift book; it's an invitation to explore the divine flourishes of everyday human vulnerabilities. A transformative read, regardless of the time of year."--Jonathan Merritt, author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch"Beautiful. Evocative. A wake-up call to the mystery of life."--John Mark Comer, author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Can God be good when life is not? Rediscover faith in the character, power, and presence of God. Even in the questions. Even in the hurt."I want to believe, I want to have hope, but . . ." Pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel hears these words often and has asked them himself. We want to know God, feel his presence, and trust that he hears our prayers, but in the midst of great pain, we may wonder if he really cares about us. Even when we have both hope and hurt, sometimes it's the hurt that shouts the loudest.In Hope in the Dark, Groeschel explores the story of the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus, saying, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" In the man's sincere plea, Jesus heard the tension in the man's battle-scarred heart. He healed not only the boy but the father too, driving out the hopelessness that had overtaken him. He can do the same for us today.As Groeschel shares his pain surrounding the health challenges of his daughter, he acknowledges the questions we may ask in our own deepest pain: "Where was God when I was being abused?" "Why was my child born with a disability?" "Why did the cancer come back?" "Why are all my friends married and I'm alone?"He invites us to wrestle with such questions as we ask God to honor our faith and heal our unbelief. Because in the middle of your profound pain, you long for authentic words of understanding and hope. You long to know that even in overwhelming reality, you can still believe that God is good.Hope in the Dark is also available in Spanish, Esperanza en la Oscuridad.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER • The question isn't whether God speaks. The question is what does He have to say to you? The New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker teaches readers how to listen to God.WINNER OF THE ECPA CHRISTIAN BOOK AWARD FOR CHRISTIAN LIVINGThe voice that spoke the cosmos into existence is the same voice that parted the Red Sea, and made the sun stand still in the midday sky. One day, this voice will make all things new, but it’s also speaking to you now!That voice is God’s voice, and what we’ve learned from Scripture is that He often speaks in a whisper. Not to make it difficult to hear Him, but to draw us close.Many people have a tough time believing God still speaks. Sure, in ancient times and in mysterious ways, God spoke to His people, but is He still speaking now?Mark Batterson certainly believes so. And he wants to introduce you to the seven love languages of God; each of them unique and entirely divine. Some of them you might suspect but others will surprise you.By learning to tune in to and decipher each language, you’ll be able to hear His guidance in simple as well as life-altering choices. God is actively speaking through: Scripture, Desires, Doors, Dreams, People, Promptings, and Pain. Batterson gives you the tools you need to unlock each of these languages.God’s whisper can answer your most burning questions, calm your deepest fears, and fulfill your loftiest dreams.Discover how simple it is to hear God’s voice in every aspect of your life!He’s speaking, make sure you know how to listen!

Popular speaker and author Sarah Jakes Roberts shows women they are not disqualified by their pain and failures and offers encouragement and strength to believe God’s best is still possible.Everyone has experiences in their lives that stop them in their tracks and become burdens they carry with them everywhere they go. No one knows this better than Sarah Jakes Roberts. Pregnant at fourteen, married by nineteen, divorced by twenty-two, and all while under the intense spotlight of being Bishop T.D. Jakes’s daughter, Sarah knows what it is to feel buried by failure and aching pain.But when her journey brought her to faith’s fork in the road, Sarah found she had to choose between staying in the comfort of the pain she knew or daring to make new wounds and move forward. Now Sarah shares the numerous life lessons she’s learned along the way with other women also struggling to believe they’re not disqualified by their pain and past mistakes. She delves into topics such as allowing the past to empower the present, choosing to step forward while still being afraid, facing struggles surrounded by community, finding intimacy with God outside preconceived notions of what it has to look like, and learning to focus on others. With deeply personal stories of her own, Sarah helps readers find their way to the right perspective and the confidence to walk toward the best God has for them.

Your Invitation Awaits… You’ve tried harder. You’ve been more intentional. You’ve done everything “right.” In your search for meaning and purpose, you’ve placed your hope in many different things—only to find yourself at a turning point, quietly asking, Is this it? Is this all there is? If the direction of your life is leading you away from peace, contentment, and true fulfillment, Emily Lex has some great news to share with you: God is offering you a better way. A way of real rest. A way of quiet confidence. A way to free yourself from expectations. A way to become the person he created you to be. A way to learn his unforced rhythms of grace. Do you breathe a sigh of hope when you hear this holy and gentle invitation from Jesus? “Come to me… Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” If so, then you are ready to accept his offer to recover and renew your life. Start your journey today.    

perhaps O Book In This Generation Has Had A More Profound Impact On Our Intellectual And Spiritual Lives Than the Road Less Traveled. With Sales Of More Than 7 Million Copies In The United States And Canada, And Translation Into More Than 23 Languages, It Has Made Publishing History, With More Than 10 Years On the New York Times Bestseller List. told In A Voice That Is Timeless In Its Measure Of Understanding, the Road Less Traveled Continues To Unable Us To Explore The Nature Of Loving Relationships And Leads Us Toward A New Serenity And Fullness Of Life. It Help Us Determine How To Distinguish Dependency From Love; How To Become A More Sensitive Parent; And Ultimately How To Become One's Own True Self. recognizing That Life Is Difficult And That The Journey To Spiritual Growth Is A Long One, Dr. Peck Never Bullies His Listeners, But But Gently Guides Them Through The Hard And Often Painful Process Of Change Toward A Higher Level Of... library Journal this Book Proved A Smash When It Debuted In 1978, Selling Several Million Copies. This 25th-anniversary Edition Includes A New Introduction In Which The Publisher Claims The Author Explains The Ideas That Shaped This Book And Continue To Influence An Expanding Audience Of Readers. That Might Sound Like Pr, But This Truly Was One Of The First Books Dealing With The Psychology Of Spirituality And Paved The Way For Numerous Others That Followed In Its Wake. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

A Moving Story of Redemption and Second Chances Jep Robertson, the youngest son of Duck Commander Phil Robertson, and his wife, Jessica, open up about their personal trials, their early years together, and the challenges that might have destroyed them both had the grace of God not intervened. Jep describes being molested as a child and his reluctance to tell anyone until only a few years ago, his downward spiral into drug and alcohol abuse, and the eventual intervention of his family. Jessica shares about the difficult failure of her first marriage while still a teenager and the hurt that came along with it, much of it from the church. Her insecurities spun out of control as she wondered whether she would ever be good enough or pretty enough. This book is their love story but, more importantly, their love story for God. "We are desperate to let people know that no matter what you've do≠ no matter what you've lived through, you can come out of it. You can be washed clean. You are redeemed."

A life-changing guide to accessing the new life Jesus came to bring—from the bestselling author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World   “You’ll emerge from this reading experience a changed woman.”—Liz Curtis Higgs   You long to serve God with grace and strength and reflect Christ in every word and action. Yet you find yourself continually struggling to bring that vision to life in your daily walk. At our very core, every one of us is a “twisted sister” within whom the flesh and spirit are battling constantly for control. We are afflicted with a chronic disconnect between our good-girl desire to put Jesus first and our bad-girl realities that crowd our thoughts and push Him out of the way. In Having a Mary Spirit, Joanna Weaver directs your gaze past your own shortcomings to the God who stands ready, willing, and able to make a new woman out of you. She equips you with biblical insights and practical tools to partner with Christ, inviting Him into the hidden places of your soul and giving Him full permission to redeem and renovate. Drawing on the stories of the biblical Marys (Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary, sister of Martha; and Mary Magdalene) and others whose experience with God transformed their lives, Joanna points you toward lasting personal transformation—soul-deep change that results in a complete makeover—from the inside out.   Includes a fourteen-week Bible study (adaptable to twelve weeks) for both individual reflection and group discussion.

Highlighting the presence of God's perfect peace, Elizabeth George helps women know God's perfect peace in every circumstance in their lives. They will discover how to respond to the needs of others; mature in Christ; and overcome anxiety. The "heart response" sections help readers grasp Paul's teachings and focus on God's loving provisions.

Elizabeth George's Living Life with Passion and Purpose is the newest release in the popular Woman After God's Own Heart® Bible study series.Focusing on Jesus' teachings and the principles He lived by, this study of the book of Luke helps women know Him more intimately. Readers will explore—the lives of New Testament women who knew and ministered to Jesusthe passion and purpose of Jesus' lifethe powerful prayer life of Jesusthe servanthood practiced by Jesusthe prophecies regarding Jesus and how He fulfilled themWith gentle encouragement and solid Bible teaching, Living Life with Passion and Purpose reveals how readers can become more like Jesus in their daily lives and joyfully share the gospel. Excellent for group and individual study.