Recommendations based on "Sacred Strides"

Many of us find ourselves caught somewhere between unbelieving activists and inactive believers. We can write a check to feed starving children or hold signs in the streets and feel like we've made a difference without ever encountering the faces of the suffering masses. In this book, Shane Claiborne describes an authentic faith rooted in belief, action, and love, inviting us into a movement of the Spirit that begins inside each of us and extends into a broken world.Shane's faith led him to dress the wounds of lepers with Mother Teresa, visit families in Iraq amidst bombings, and dump $10,000 in coins and bills on Wall Street to redistribute wealth. Shane lives out this revolution each day in his local neighborhood, an impoverished community in North Philadelphia, by living among the homeless, helping local kids with homework, and "practicing resurrection" in the forgotten places of our world. Shane's message will comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable . . . but will also invite us into an irresistible revolution. His is a vision for ordinary radicals ready to change the world with little acts of love.

Judah Smith, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus Is ______, explores what it looks like to cultivate a healthy soul in the midst of a busy life and points readers to the soul’s only true home and place of rest and fulfillment: God.“How’s your soul?”It may seem like an odd question, but it’s what pastor and bestselling author Judah Smith chooses to ask his friends, rather than “How are you?” It’s a way to look past the externals and consider what’s going on inside, in that essential part of us that is often overlooked in the struggle to make our way through everyday life.In the rush of living moment to moment, many of us find ourselves simply surviving, struggling daily with frustration, restlessness, boredom, and ever-fleeting joy. But if we would pause, we’d find that the things that matter most in life, what we are searching for in our busyness—stability, peace, hope, love—are rooted in the health of what Judah calls the “inside you.”In How’s Your Soul?, Judah explores that “inside you.” Sharing his own, often humorous, mistakes and foibles, he helps us find our way through the emotional roller coasters of life to discover the soul-healing essentials of rest, responsibility, restraint, and relationships, all rooted in what he calls the soul’s only true home—God himself.How’s Your Soul? is an invitation to find lasting emotional satisfaction and stability by bringing our feelings into alignment with God’s truth, moving beyond simply surviving, and learning how to live each day with eternal significance.

Hailed by the Washington Post as "a spontaneous act of generosity", "The Road Less Traveled" has already given more than two million grateful readers an inspirational framework for achieving profound personal growth and satisfaction. Now Dr. Peck, a practicing psychiatrist, reads from his extraordinary work in the first of a series of audio programs drawn from the book. Dr. Peck's crucial premise-- that life is hard-- is challenging for even the strongest among us, but his art lies in his ability to lead us to accept, and ultimately transcend, this idea. The key is discipline, and with Dr. Peck's assistance, you will learn to master the four principles of discipline needed for every healthy, life-affirming Delaying Gratification Accepting Responsibility Dedication to Reality Balancing "The Road Less Traveled" is a landmark. Never before have psychological and spiritual guidance come together so powerfully. It's not the easiest road-- but it is the only one worth taking. Let Dr. Peck's remarkable achievement help you find your way as you journey today, and every day of your life.

Don't let toxic people undermine your God-given calling. . .learn when to walk away. Have you ever counted how many times Jesus walked away from toxic people or let them walk away from him The answer may surprise you. Drawing from years serving as a pastor, Gary Thomas, bestselling author of Sacred Marriage, looks at biblical examples from the lives of Jesus, Paul, and Nehemiah to equip you to handle toxic people with grace and firmness. We often feel the guilt and responsibility of meeting the needs of unhealthy people in our lives--whether a sibling, parent, spouse, coworker, or friend. And most of us struggle to recognize when a relationship has become toxic and how to move beyond it. In When To Walk Away, you'll discover how to: Learn the difference between difficult people and toxic people. Find refuge in God when you feel under attack. Discern when and how to walk away from a toxic situation. Keep a tender heart even in unhealthy relationships. Grow your inner strength and invest in reliable people. Toxic relationships leave us drained, and we all experience them. If you're wondering what to do next, Gary Thomas has written this practical and helpful book for you. --Jennie Allen, author of Get Out of Your Head, founder of IF:Gathering

Becoming who you were before the world told you who you had to be. You're not alone when it comes to experiencing shame or fear of not being enough. Shame isn't felt only by those who have gone through failure or trauma or been told they'll never amount to anything. Many people—even those who are considered successful—struggle with a sense that they are deficient or inadequate. Drawing on a rich variety of personal experience, Scripture, spiritual formation classics, psychology, and relational neuroscience; award-winning author and pastor Ken Shigematsu shows how a deep, experiential encounter with the love of God can heal us of our shame, make us whole again, and inspire us to fulfill our purpose by making a faithful contribution to the world. Now I Become Myself will help you: Break free of an unhealthy self-image and from jealousy of others' achievements. Discover how beauty and spiritual joy can help you overcome the unhealthy shame you're clinging to. Create space in your life to draw close to Jesus and deepen your sense of God's boundless love for you. Written with pastoral compassion and understanding, Shigematsu's stories and teachings will uplift you and help you break free from the feeling of not being enough so that you can find rest in the security of God's grace. Each chapter concludes with a prayer exercise intended to nurture your relationship with the God who formed you in love and created you in beauty.

You don't have to keep striving for freedom. You can live into the freedom you already have in Christ.In You Are Free, Rebekah Lyons--author of Rhythms of Renewal--reveals her journey of releasing stress, anxiety, and worry to uncover the peace that comes from Jesus Christ.Have you bought into the lie? So many of us do. We measure our worth by what others think of us. We compare and strive, living our lives for the approval of others. Pressure rises, fear and anxiety creeps in, and we hustle to keep up.But Jesus tells us that he gave his life to set us free, giving us purpose and calling us to live in that God-given freedom and purpose. Maybe we're afraid to live in this truth because we can't even believe it. Rebekah reminds us that Christ doesn't say we can be or may be or will be free. He says we are free. Do you dare to believe it?In You Are Free, Rebekah invites you to:Overcome the exhaustion of trying to meet others' expectations and rest in the joy that God's freedom bringsFind permission to grieve past experiences, confess your areas of brokenness, and receive strength in your journey toward healingThrow off self-condemnation and step boldly into what our good God has for youDiscover the courage to begin again and use your newfound freedom to set others free Freedom is for everyone who wants it--the lost, the wounded, and those weary from all of the striving. It's for those of us who gave up trying years ago and for those of us who are angry and hurt, burnt out by the Christian song and dance. You are the church, the people of God. You were meant to be free.Join Rebekah as she helps you discover the freedom that comes when we learn that God is enough.

What the Eldredge bestsellers Wild at Heart did for men, and Captivating did for women, LOVE & WAR will do for married couples everywhere. John and Stasi Eldredge have contributed the quintessential works on Christian spirituality through the experience of men and the experience of women and now they turn their focus to the incredible dynamic between those two forces.   With refreshing openness that will grab readers from the first page, the Eldredges candidly discuss their own marriage and the insights they’ve gained from the challenges they faced. Each talks independently to the reader about what they’ve learned, giving their guidance personal immediacy and a balance between the male and female perspectives that has been absent from all previous books on this topic.   They begin LOVE & WAR with an obvious but necessary acknowledgement:  Marriage is fabulously hard.  They advise that the sooner we get the shame and confusion off our backs, the sooner we'll find our way through.   LOVE & WAR shows couples how to fight for their love and happiness, calling men and women to step into the great adventure God has waiting for them together. Walking alongside John and Stasi Eldredge, every couple can discover how their individual journeys are growing into a story of meaning much greater than anything they could do or be on their own.

This #1 New York Times bestseller is an inspiring and motivating guide to help you uncover your God-given strengths and live with more joy, hope, and peace every day.Joel Osteen, pastor of America’s largest church, has inspired millions to live to their fullest potential. His practical insights in Become a Better You have helped people look within themselves to find their authentic soul and become a better person. In Become a Better You Osteen offers seven simple yet profound steps to help you discover your purpose and destiny, and includes key biblical principles, devotions, and personal testimonies that will uplift and enlighten. As you incorporate these key principles into your life, you will be amazed by how much more God has in store for you. Become a Better You encourages you to reach your full, unique, God-given potential and helps you enjoy every day of life, no matter your circumstances.

At last! The news you've been waiting for! Success, fulfillment, and satisfaction are finally within your reach. In How to Succeed at Being Yourself, Joyce Meyer will help you discover that emotional, spiritual, and social transformation are possible as you begin to see yourself in a whole new way. Through understanding who you are, you will find the confidence to take hold of lasting, fulfilling success. Experience today the joy of becoming the unique person God intended you to be!

Look at the supernatural aspects of the fruit of the Spirit and that you cannot grow, learn, or produce the fruit on your own. Beth challenges you to develop the fruit by maintaining an intimate relationship with the Spirit of God.