Fearless Women of the Bible


Book Description

How to Live in Bold Confidence Have you ever needed confidence in a specific circumstance and couldn’t think of an example of anyone who had “been there, overcome that”? Author and speaker Lynn Cowell took every form of insecurity we experience as women and asked God to reveal how we should respond. The result is this in-depth, six-week Bible study spanning obscure and recognizable women in Scripture who demonstrate unshakable confidence no matter their circumstances. This six-week study will help you to: Stand with resolve when your confidence faces adversity—Women of Exodus Step out in your own defense when your confidence is challenged— The Daughters of Z Remain faithful when your confidence in God is elusive—Rahab Focus on what is true when your confidence in relationships is questioned— Abigail & Michal Trust when your confidence is in doubt—Martha & Mary Includes biblical and historical background insights, practical application, and a memory verse for each chapter. This study may be completed individually or with a small group.




When God Stops


Book Description

What Does It Take to Grab God’s Attention? When God Stops shares the key to living a life that honors the Lord and jumpstarts your faith. Dr. Derek Grier dissects the extraordinary God-encounters of eight ordinary men and women in the Bible and reveals them as “hidden figures” of the New Testament. The retelling of the biblical accounts from a new perspective will uncover the answer to the age-old question: What makes God stop and pay attention? The answer is faith. Whether it was a man with leprosy, a sick child, or a short tax collector sitting in a tree, they all had one thing in common—a burning desire to get God’s attention. Dr. Grier adds to the narrative by sharing the details of his personal pilgrimage. Growing up angry at God and looking for an identity, Grier eventually attended college and found the kind of faith that made him feel loved and centered for the first time in his life. Each chapter includes insightful verse-by-verse biblical teaching, compelling personal testimony, a section of practical application, and a thought-provoking discussion guide.




Dangerous Prayers


Book Description

Be inspired to pray boldly, pray powerfully, pray with passion, and trade ineffective prayers and lukewarm faith for raw, daring prayers that will transform your daily life. Do you ever wonder if God answers your prayers? Do you wish you could see the evidence that prayer changes lives? Do you long for more than playing it safe in your faith? Join New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel as he helps you discover the power of authentically communicating with God, breaking out of the restrictive spiritual safety bubble, and expanding your ideas about what's possible with God. The Bible tells us that prayer has the power to move God's heart, but some prayers move him more than others. He wants more for us than a tepid faith and half-hearted routines at the dinner table. God called you to a life of courage, not comfort. In Dangerous Prayers, Groeschel will show you how to pray the prayers that search your soul, break your habits, and send you out to pursue the calling God has for you. But be warned: If you're fine with settling for what's easy, or if you're okay with staying on the sidelines, this book isn't for you. You'll be challenged. You'll be tested. You'll be moved to take a long, hard look at your heart. But you'll be inspired, too. Dangerous Prayers will give you the encouragement and tools you need to: Transform the patterns around your daily prayer life Truly embrace and believe in the power of intentional prayer Start to pray daring, faith-filled, God-honoring, life-changing, world-transforming prayers You'll discover the secret to overcoming fears of loss, rejection, failure, and the unknown, and you'll welcome the blessings God has for you on the other side. But best of all, you'll gain the courage it takes to pray dangerous prayers.




Unsinkable Faith


Book Description

For many people, remaining optimistic and feeling positive about themselves and their lives is a constant battle—especially when circumstances are difficult and life is hard. For others, negativity is something that only sneaks up from time to time, yet still wreaks havoc in their hearts. Regardless of the root causes, once pessimistic thoughts permeate our minds, our feelings and emotions begin to control us instead of us controlling them. Eventually it doesn’t seem possible to stay positive, happy, and full of joy, and negative thought patterns shake our faith, causing us to sink emotionally, mentally, and spiritually over time. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Despite what storms roll in, hearts anchored in God don’t sink. When we change the way we think, we can change the way we feel and live, even if our circumstances remain the same. Intentionally embracing the opportunity to experience a transformed heart and a renewed mind opens the door for a changed life, because a positive mind will always lead to a more positive life. In Unsinkable Faith, author and Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker Tracie Miles offers hope for women who struggle with negativity. Each chapter explores Tracie’s and other women’s personal stories, showing how they rose above their circumstances by transforming and renewing their minds. Unsinkable Faith is a breath of fresh air for anyone longing for a heart full of joy, an unbreakable smile, and a new, more optimistic perspective on life. This book will equip you to: Replace pessimism with positive thinking by becoming the captain of your thoughts; Learn how true joy and happiness are based on choice, not circumstances; Overcome unhealthy habits of negative thinking by intentionally implementing three easy mind-renewing steps; Stop feeling hopeless and pitiful, and start feeling hope-filled and powerful instead; and Discover that when you change the way you think, you change the way feel, and in turn you can change your life completely.




It's Not Supposed to Be This Way


Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to live assured when life doesn't turn out like they expected. What do you do when God’s timing seems questionable, His lack of intervention hurtful, and His promises doubtful? Life often looks so very different than we hoped or expected. Some events may simply catch us off guard for a moment, but others shatter us completely. We feel disappointed and disillusioned, and we quietly start to wonder about the reality of God’s goodness. Lysa TerKeurst understands this deeply. But 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.




You Are Free


Book Description

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 brings Find permission to grieve past experiences, confess your areas of brokenness, and receive strength in your journey toward healing Throw off self-condemnation and step boldly into what our good God has for you Discover 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.




When God Stops Working


Book Description

Christians today are desperate for biblical answers to the exhaustion that so many of us suffer from the pace and demands of modern life. Keith brings words of liberation and challenge to us all, articulating in this thoughtful exposition of scripture a higher demand than the clamor of culture. Savor in these pages the life-giving word of God's command that we find and make time for rest. Author and Pastor Dave Cheadle, Denver, Colorado Ruckhaus's study calls us back to the basics, and in so doing calls into question the very way we do our faith. The subject of God's Sabbath is therefore not just another doctrine or issue. How we grasp and understand this Day of days defines the kind of discipleship we are willing to profess and practice... This book will exact an effort on your part, which means it will demand your time. Alas, time you perhaps don't have. Ah, this could then be the first step toward keeping the Sabbath. You will have to lay aside something if you are to grasp the significance of Ruckhaus's insights. Don't just read this book; enter it. Let it affect you. For it demands a response. Take it up into your life and your lifestyle. Enter the rest God is giving. And don't forget to take others along. Charles E. Moore Plough Publishing Spring Valley Bruderhof, PA




When God Isn't There


Book Description

Why does God feel so far away? Why is my worship so empty? Has God left me? David Bowden knows these questions firsthand, having wrestled for years with God’s apparent absence and studying what the Bible says about it. In this new book, Bowden tackles the subject head-on, finding the key to understanding it in the Bible’s depiction of a God who is infinitely far from us, free to move where he wants, but who chooses to come near in the person of Jesus. A resource of encouragement for those who struggle with feeling God’s absence and a wake-up call to those who take God’s presence for granted, When God Isn’t There will forever change your understanding of why God sometimes seems to vanish and how he can be found again. Praise for the work of David Bowden “Awesome and inspiring.”—Blake Mycoskie, Founder and Chief Shoe Giver at TOMS Shoes “David brings a fresh, engaging and highly impactful approach to Scripture. His passion for the Word is both contagious and inspirational.” —Roy Peterson, President of American Bible Society




Unleash the Power of Prayer in Your Life


Book Description

Are you hurting or suffering in silence? God has a purpose in your pain. Many people in general, and even Christians admittedly avoid the subject of pain almost as much as they avoid pain itself. But once you understand the purpose of pain, you can make the most of the painful experiences in life. In The Furnace of Affliction: How God Uses Our Pain and Suffering for His Purpose, Horace Williams, Jr. tackles this challenging topic. Based on the Word of God, insights from other leaders, and his studies, he addresses several key points, including: How pain develops our faith How pain determines our path How pain delivers comfort, joy, and peace And how pain deepens our commitment to God. Packed with personal stories and scripture to support his points, Horace shares his insights on the problem of pain. His candid and straightforward communication style engages the reader as he addresses this critical topic for the body of Christ today.




No More Faking Fine


Book Description

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.