Snapshots of God’s Caring Presence


Book Description

With an array of stories the author affirms that throughout our lives God is there. Sometimes He is there simply enjoying with us the gifts and treasures He has provided. And at other times He is there in our sad and tragic moments, sitting quietly at our side. This book, Snapshots of God’s Caring Presence is a collection of this author’s true and favorite short stories revealing in a multitude of ways God’s caring presence. As you read, you will sit with a barefoot little girl playing joyfully with God as they enjoy the little tadpoles in her long ago pond. In another story you will watch Jose, with God’s guidance, save the life of this book’s author. Still, further as you read, you will observe the women in a poverty neighborhood, fashion and sew little Catherine’s first dress and coat—clothing her mother could never afford. You will listen to the old saw sharpener as he relates God’s wisdom to the neighborhood children sitting with God in the grass near his feet. You will feel the biting, winter-cold wind as along with neighborhood youth you will help put into gunny sacks coal collected from the railroad tracks—coal that will provide heat for the homes of their neighbors. You will savor the joy of God’s work as you sit later with them enjoying coffee around a pot-bellied-stove. Finally, some stories will take you to the edge of our reality. Was God really there? Did I dream it? The stories of the book will flow to and around you, and you will feel God’s caring presence page after page. As noted in the book’s preface, you may not want to read too quickly for every story is intended to provide its own unique flavor.




Practicing God's Presence 24/7


Book Description

Transform your life by learning a new simple way of prayer to touch Christ.




Luther on Vocation


Book Description

...[C]oncern about the [inherited doctrine of vocation and its relevance for modern life] was generated out of the complexities and frustrations especially of industrial life, and it has produced a voluminous literature of a popular and semi-popular kind which has served to drive home the problem of daily work upon the conscience of contemporary Christians, and also to provide certain resources for handling it. In addition to this varied literature, the last years have also seen a very general discussion of the question at every level of church life: in ecumencal conferences, in the curricular material of the major denominations, and in conferences and study groups of all kinds. About the urgency and importance of the problem of vocation there is now no doubt. But now we find that the rather simple formulae in which we have been dealing with it do justice neither to the Biblical and Reformation inheritance, nor to the profound dilemmas that appear not only in industry, but in every area of professional and commercial life. The problem now is not only to equip our lay-people with fuller theological resources for the understanding of the meaning of discipleship, but to utilize their practical experience of day-to-day dilemmas and day to-day decisions. ...Gustaf Wingren's conscientious analysis of Luther's teaching on the matter...remains our prime resource for the understanding of the relation of faith and works. Nothing could exceed the patience and thoroughness with which Wingren has combed through the Luther corpus.... [I]t will serve to put the full range of Luther's insight at the disposal of those who care for theology as part of their care of all the Churches. Alexander Miller Stanford University




The Fire of God's Presence


Book Description

Many people believe in God and believe that God is everywhere, but they have yet to experience his presence. What did it mean for Moses to encounter God at the burning bush? How did it change his life and his perception of God? What is keeping you from experiencing his presence in your life? It was in that burning bush experience that Moses began to understand and appreciate the sacredness of worship. Through this book, Tozer teaches how proper worship has to be equal to the one we are worshiping, so if we are worshiping God, we must do it on his terms. This means having a spirit of reverence and holiness--like Moses taking off his shoes and kneeling before him. The bush's fire did not frighten Moses, but rather it poured the essence of sacredness into his life, giving him an experience he had never had before. Let this book teach you how, like Moses, to kneel and worship before God's holy fire.




Presence


Book Description

As God's eternal life flows through us, we learn to let go of our pretensions of control and rest into the new life offered in Jesus Christ. This book is an invitation for you to become nonresistant to this movement of God's love for you and the world. Through a variety of sermons and meditations, Sider and Villegas bear witness to a grace that disarms our guardedness and makes room for us to fall into the love of God. Preaching becomes a dispossessive practice, as each person is invited to give and receive God's transforming power. The proclamation of the gospel, Villegas and Sider say, should display the priesthood of all believers. Thus, the call to preach belongs to the whole congregation and its conversation rather than to the lone preacher and her (or his) sermon. Presence: Giving and Receiving God draws on the Mennonite tradition of the Zeugnis ("conversation") to explore how the preached Word echoes through all of our voices.







The Culturally Savvy Christian


Book Description

In The Culturally Savvy Christian—his incisive critique of contemporary culture and religion—Dick Staub concludes that though it is influential, American popular culture is generally superficial (diversionary, mindless, and celebrity-driven) spiritually delusional (moralistic, therapeutic, and deistic) and soulless (sustained not by art, craft, and ideas, but by the mad pursuit of profit—propped up by marketing and technology). Similarly American Christianity has devolved into its own mindless, diversionary, and celebrity-driven superficiality. Because humans are created in God's image with spiritual, intellectual, creative, moral, and relational capacities, we long for more, yet the true seeker faces the lose-lose alternatives of a soul-numbing culture and a vacuous Christianity-lite. The renaissance we need in both faith and culture will originate in a deep spiritual renewal that restores God's image in us and creates a new breed of culturally savvy, thoughtful creatives who rekindle the spiritual, intellectual, and creative legacy of Christians as enrichers of culture.




The Path of Life


Book Description

“This book should be your next read! I give The Path of Life my highest recommendation.”--Lysa TerKeurst, #1 New York Times bestselling author Uncover joy on your path of life. God has a path for each of our lives--a path full of adventure, challenges, and joy. Biblical paths are not all that different from the paths we encounter in our world today. Finding God’s path is not a mystery. Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that He will teach us, show us, speak to us, and guide us on this path. Lisa Robertson is passionate about walking alongside women to uncover the mysteries, symbolism, and truths about the path of life. Perfect for fans of Lysa TerKeurst and Priscilla Shirer -- this book blends sound, Biblical teaching with heartfelt wisdom.




Wonderstruck


Book Description

We Were Created for WonderYou were created and designed to experience wonder. Woven into the fabric of our humanity is an innate ability and desire for the wonder of God. It's felt in the moments when you watch the sun melt behind the horizon, when you reach out to cradle a baby and smell the sweet scent of new life, when you can't help but smile as you witness two wrinkled souls renew their vows to each other. Such moments remind us we were made for something more than deadlines and debt, carpools and coffee breaks. Yet despite such wondrous moments, we can still find ourselves going through the motions of faith. Whether you're: A long time follower of Jesus or still figuring Him out. Unemployed, overly-employed, or an entrepreneur. A creator, innovator, or conformist. Grumpy, ebullient, grey-haired or bed-head. An average Joe or have-a-gym-membership-but-never-go. A superhero (of any era), supermom, superdad, super grand, super great grand, or don't feel particularly super at all No matter who you are or where you've been-if you've lived a life where you've seen it all, done it all, or feel like you're past it all-God still longs to take your breath away. Isaiah 29:4 records God's desire for you: "Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder." Do you see it? God is busting at the seams to display His glory, power, and might in your life. And He wants to give you the greatest gift of all-Himself. Yet why do we pass by the wonder of God unaware?




And So It Is


Book Description

Where is God in today's world? No matter where you are in your faith or your life, And So It Is gives you an opportunity to develop and strengthen your relationship with God through the relevance of Scripture, as it applies to everyday experiences. The daily devotionals presented inside capture in a few words a topic for reflection and meditation that allows you the opportunity to discover God within your own life circumstances. You will be taken through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation as each day highlights a verse for contemplation. Through the words of Sheri Sutton, you will see that: God exists in all things God is always faithful God's love is forever Since God is found in the ordinary as well as the extraordinary, And So It Is can help you find God's presence in the everyday activities of your life. "Conversationally-as if over a cup of morning coffee-Sheri Sutton reminds readers of the nearness of God, helping to open minds and hearts to His powerful, loving presence in our day-to-day lives." -Marjorie Hodgson Parker, author of Shaken to the Core (and Finding God's Strength)