Recommendations based on "Life in the Balance"

Most of us feel overwhelmed at the idea of embarking on a grand plan for spiritual formation. As much as we'd like to, it just hasn't happened yet. Enter My One Word--an easy and surprisingly powerful practice that will allow God to form your character at a deep, sustainable level with just one word.The concept of My One Word is simple: swap the long list of resolutions for a single word that represents what you most hope God will do in you, and let it become the lens through which you examine your heart and life for an entire year. As you focus on your word, you position yourself for God to form your character at a deep, sustainable level.Join author Mike Ashcraft, who has led his congregation through the My One Word practice for more than five years, and Proverbs 31 Ministries author and speaker Rachel Olsen, who has lived the practice, as they share their insightful and good-humored approach to personal improvement.The stories of growth and change throughout My One Word will: Give you encouragement to discern one word to focus on Deepen your relationship with God Help you make changes that last Are you ready to embrace the life-changing power of My One Word? Let Mike and Rachel be your guides along the way.Praise for My One Word:"You are only one decision away from a totally different life. One change in spiritual disciplines can open up new dimensions of grace and power. Use My One Word to stop repeating the past and start creating the future."--Mark Batterson, author of New York Times bestseller The Circle Maker;lead pastor of National Community Church" My One Word is a lens that can change every area of your life. This is more than a to-do list and more than a New Year's resolution--this can be a lifestyle with pretty dramatic results."--Kyle Idleman, author of Not A Fan and When Your Way Isn't Working; teaching pastor of Southeast Christian Church

How do we overcome those battles in our lives that we always seem to be fighting? Learn to overcome the “giants” in your life—the fears and insecurities that keep you from reaching your full potential. It’s likely you have a threatening giant in your life: an adversary or stronghold that’s diminishing your ability to live a full and free life. Frozen in the grip of rejection, fear, anger, or addiction, we lose sight of the promise God has for our lives. Demoralized and defeated, we settle for far less than his best. In Goliath Must Fall, pastor Louie Giglio uncovers a newfound twist in the classic story of David and Goliath. It is not God's plan for you to live with a giant standing in the middle of your life, demoralizing you day after day. Our freedom and God's glory are forever interwoven into one story. God does want us to live free. He wants us to recognize that He's already killed the giant. In Goliath Must Fall, discover: Hope and encouragement that God has a better plan for you—a plan for you to live in victory Powerful insights from the Biblical story of David  How to silence your giants once and for all The key to living free from our giants is not better slingshot accuracy but keeping our eyes on the one and only giant-slayer—Jesus. Once you understand the source of your giants, you can ensure that whatever your affliction is, it can, will, and must fall with the power of Jesus. Put your hope in God and watch Goliath fall.

ECPA BESTSELLER—Over one million copies sold! • What Would Your Life be Like if Anything Were Possible? Born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic overcame his disabilities to live an independent, rich, fulfilling, and “ridiculously good” life while serving as a role model for anyone seeking true happiness. Now an internationally successful motivational speaker, Nick eagerly spreads his message: the most important goal is to find your life’s purpose and to never give up, despite whatever difficulties or seemingly impossible odds stand in your way.Nick tells the story of his physical disabilities and the emotional battle he endured while learning to deal with them as a child, teen, and young adult. “For the longest, loneliest time, I wondered if there was anyone on earth like me, and whether there was any purpose to my life other than pain and humiliation.” Nick shares how his faith in God has been his major source of strength, and he explains that once he found a sense of purpose—inspiring others to better their lives and the world around them--he found the confidence to build a rewarding and productive life without limits. Let Nick inspire you to start living your own life without limits.Nick offers practical advice for realizing a life of fulfillment and happiness by building trust in others, developing supportive relationships, and gaining strength for the journey. He encourages the reader by showing how he learned to accept what he could not control and focus instead on what he could.   Includes a Life Without Limits Personal Action Plan to help anyone determine their unique path to a successful life.

We often try to do a lot for God--without him. Relaxed is a call to let go of spiritual performance, reject our cultural tendency to live under pressure, and find freedom to walk with God and toward God, one gentle step at a time. Jesus was never in a hurry to be anywhere other than where he was, trusting and obeying his Father. Could the same be said of us We long to know peace, purpose, and contentment, but life's stresses, the world's discouragements, and our own striving for growth get in the way. In Relaxed, pastor and teacher Megan Fate Marshman explores what it means to set aside our addiction to trying to figure everything out and relish a slower, compelling, powerful, and relaxed life with God. As Megan takes us word by word through Proverbs 3:5-6, she helps us discover: The joy of a continual, intimate relationship with God What God calls us to do with the burden of shame and guilt What it looks like to be relaxed in the midst of grief, financial stress, mistakes, and fatigue The freedom and forgiveness of being found "in Christ" How to incorporate rhythms of walking with God into our everyday routines God never intended for us to be in control. As we lean away from our own understanding and into an intentionally relaxed spiritual life, we join Jesus in trusting a God who knows what he is doing--and isn't worried about a thing.

USA TODAY, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, AND ECPA BESTSELLER • The author of Radical takes readers on a soul-searching journey through impoverished villages in the Himalayan mountains, daring them to make a difference in a world of urgent need, starting right where they live. “Grippingly vulnerable and unforgettable. I could not put this book down.”—Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts While leading a team on a week-long trek of the Himalayas, bestselling author and pastor David Platt was stunned by the human needs he encountered, an experience so dramatic that it "changed the trajectory of my life." Meeting a man who'd lost his eye from a simple infection and seeing the faces of girls stolen from their families and trafficked in the cities, along with other unforgettable encounters, opened his eyes to the people behind the statistics and compelled him to wrestle with his assumptions about faith. In Something Needs to Change, Platt invites readers to come along on both the adventure of the trek, as well as the adventure of seeking answers to tough questions like, "Where is God in the middle of suffering?" "What makes my religion any better than someone else's religion?" and "What do I believe about eternal suffering?" Platt has crafted an irresistible message about what it means to give your life for the gospel--to finally stop talking about faith and truly start living it. Praise for Something Needs to Change “Rugged. Authentic. Gritty. Real. Worshipful. There are no other books like this one. I always pick up David’s books with a sense of excitement and, quite honestly, apprehension—because I know that areas of compromise and complacency in my life are going to be exposed. But this book exceeded even my high expectations, for which I am grateful. And so will you be. As David writes, it’s time to run, not walk. Let’s go.”—J. D. Greear, president of the Southern Baptist Convention “Extraordinary and challenging. I’ve just never read a book like this before. I am so moved. Bring your full heart to this story and watch how God opens your eyes, changes your mind, and broadens the dreams you have for your life.”—Annie F. Downs, best-selling author of 100 Days to Brave and Remember God “If you dare to read this book, you might just have an unexpected encounter with Jesus that leaves you weeping on the floor, as David’s experience did. Something changes within us when the seemingly overwhelming needs of the world present themselves simply in the life of a single person. Ultimately, I pray your compassion will be transformed to action.”—Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado, president and CEO of Compassion International

One hundred relatable prayers for talking to God during all those busy, joyful, hard, or mundane moments of each day when you can't seem to find the right words. Prayer—the act of entering into conversation with God—is one of the hallmarks of our faith. Yet, prayer also tends to be one of the spiritual practices believers struggle with the most. So how do we cultivate a lifestyle of “praying without ceasing”? Tama Fortner, author and ghostwriter of several bestselling books, understands this challenge all too well. But she also knows the peace and comfort that comes when we bring every moment of our days—from the small annoyances and great joys to the seemingly insurmountable challenges and seasons of doubt—to the feet of our Father. In Prayers for Each Moment, she shares one hundred prayers that you can turn to whether you're feeling worried, excited, conflicted, or grateful. Each prayer comes with a related Scripture verse, and an additional section includes Prayers to Pray Together. Prayers include: When Five O’clock on Friday Seems Like It Will Never Come When I Need to Hear God’s Voice When I’m Awake in the Night When I've Absolutely Crushed It The struggle to know how to pray is nothing new. Even the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, and he gave them—and us—the beautiful template we now know as “the Lord’s Prayer.” Just as we can use that prayer as a springboard for the cries of our own heart, may the prayers in this book help encourage you to practice your own rhythm of sharing your heart with God.

With clarity and depth characteristic of the classics, this spiritual bestseller from the author of The Return of the Prodigal Son lays out a perceptive and insightful plan for the spiritual life and achieving the ultimate goal of that life—union with God.“One of the world’s greatest spiritual writers.”—Christianity TodayHenri Nouwen views our spiritual “ascent” as evolving in three movements: The first, from loneliness to solitude, focuses on the spiritual life as it relates to the experience of our own selves. The second, from hostility to hospitality, explores our spiritual life as a life for others. The final movement, from illusion to prayer, offers penetrating thoughts on the most mysterious relationship of all: our relationship with God. Throughout, Nouwen emphasizes that the more we understand (and not simply deny) our inner struggles, the more we will be able to embrace a prayerful and genuine life that is also open to others’ needs. Reaching Out is a rich book to be read, reread, pondered, and shared. It “does not offer answers or solutions,” Nouwen cautions, “but is written in the conviction that the quest for an authentic Christian spirituality is worth the effort and the pain, since in the midst of this quest we can find signs offering hope, courage, and confidence.”

Master the decisions that will make your life everything God wants it to be. Every day we make choices. And those choices accumulate and eventually become our life story. What would your life look like if you became an expert at making those choices In this inspiring guidebook, New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel shows how the choices that are in your power, if aligned with biblical principles, will lead to a life you've never imagined. Divine Direction will help you seek wisdom through seven principles. You'll consider: One thing to stop that's hindering you How to start a new habit to re-direct your path Where you should stay committed And when you should go even if it's easier to stay The book also includes criteria that will help you feel confident in the right choice, and encourages you with principles for trusting God with your decisions. What story do you want to tell about yourself God is dedicated to the wonderful plan he's laid out for you. The achievable and powerful steps in Divine Direction take you there one step at a time, big or small. Spanish edition also available.

Women today feel pressure to be the best wife, mom, and professional possible, often at the expense of our own identities. But what if you accepted that you're loved right now, just as you are? Join jewelry designer Lisa Leonard as she inspires you to find yourself again--even amid the mess of real life. When Lisa said her wedding vows, she was determined to be the best wife she could be. When her first son was born with a severe disability, Lisa promised herself she would always be the mother he needed. When she began her jewelry business, Lisa committed to giving it her all. Over the years, the exhaustion of trying to be everything to everyone took its toll. Lisa knew it wasn't working. She wanted to change things, but how? One evening, in tears and desperation, Lisa realized that somewhere along the way, she had lost herself. As you explore Lisa's own journey to finding freedom from the things that were holding her back, her story will teach you how to: Find more peace and joy in your everyday life Stop trying to be everything to everyone Discover your truest self   In Brave Love, Lisa shares her story of finding her own voice again--and walks with you as you do the same. Praise for Brave Love: "I'm so thankful for the path that Lisa Leonard has walked, from perfection and performance toward connection and grace, and I'm thankful as well for her vulnerability and creative storytelling. Her journey is one that will resound with so many women." --Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author of Present Over Perfect

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  What do you do when God’s timing seems questionable, his lack of intervention hurtful, and his promises doubtful? Lysa TerKeurst unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances, inviting you to live assured when life doesn't turn out like you expected. Life often looks so very different than we hoped or expected. Some events may simply catch us off guard for a season, but others shatter us completely. We feel disappointed and disillusioned at best and overwhelmed and hopeless at worst. We quietly start to wonder about the reality of God’s goodness and why he allows us to suffer and experience grief and loss. Lysa TerKeurst understands this deeply. But after many tears, godly counseling, and prayerful seeking, she's also discovered that our disappointments can be the divine appointments our souls need to radically encounter God. In It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa invites us into her own journey of faith and, with grit, vulnerability, and honest humor, helps us to: Stop being pulled into the anxiety of disappointment by discovering how to better process unmet expectations and other painful situations. Train ourselves to recognize the three strategies of the enemy, so we can stand strong and persevere through unsettling relationships and uncertain outcomes. Discover the secret of being steadfast and not panicking when God actually does give us more than we can handle. Shift our suspicion that God is cruel or unfair to the biblical assurance that God is protecting and preparing us. Know how to encourage a friend and help her navigate hard realities with real help from God's truth, the Bible. Look for additional biblically based resources and devotionals from Lysa: Good Boundaries and Goodbyes Forgiving What You Can't Forget Uninvited You're Going to Make It Embraced Seeing Beautiful Again