The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments


Book Description

Winner of a 2018 Catholic Press Association Award: Sacraments. (Second Place). In the first book to directly integrate the Twelve Steps with the practice of Catholicism, Scott Weeman, founder and director of Catholic in Recovery, pairs his personal story with compassionate straight talk to show Catholics how to bridge the commonly felt gap between the Higher Power of twelve-step programs and the merciful God that he rediscovered in the heart of the sacraments. Weeman entered sobriety from alcohol and drugs on October 10, 2011, and he's made it his full-time ministry to help others who struggle with various types of addiction to find spiritual wholeness through Catholic in Recovery, an organization he founded and directs. In The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments, Weeman candidly tackles the struggle he and other addicts have with getting to know intimately the unnamed Higher Power of recovery. He shares stories of his compulsion to find a personal relationship with God and how his tentative steps back to the Catholic Church opened new doors of healing and brought him surprising joy as he came to know Christ in the sacraments. Catholics in recovery and those moving toward it, as well as the people who love them will recognize Weeman's story and his spiritual struggle to personally encounter God. He tells us how: Baptism helps you admit powerlessness over an unmanageable problem, face your desperate need for God, and choose to believe in and submit to God’s mercy. Reconciliation affirms and strengthens the hard work of examining your life, admitting wrongs, and making amends. The Eucharist provides ongoing sustenance and draws you to the healing power of Christ. The graces of Confirmation strengthen each person to keep moving forward and to share the good news of recovery and new life in Christ. Weeman's words are boldly challenging and brimming with compassion and through them you will discover inspiration, hope, sage advice, and refreshingly practical help.




God Within Us


Book Description

Why did Jesus come to Earth as a man more than two thousand years ago? Was it to fulfill prophecy? To save us from our sins? To make the world a better place? Gaye Lisby suggests that Jesus came to be more than fire insurance: He came to cleanse us with the water of salvation and to prepare us for a second baptism of fire and power-a baptism of the Holy Spirit. The result? We are indwelt with the very Spirit of the Father and restored to fellowship with Him. Unlike books that focus on godhead theology, spiritual gifts, or speaking in tongues as evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, God within Us speaks of a journey to completion. Using uplifting, lyrical prose, Lisby suggests that just as the cross wasn't Jesus's destination, this Christian life doesn't end with salvation. Jesus came that you may have the person of the Holy Spirit within you. Just as God breathed life into Adam, the Holy Spirit breathes the eternally living Word into each of us so that we may manifest Christ in all we do, in turn breathing life into a world desperate to live.




God in Us


Book Description

God In Us is a radical representation of the Christian faith for the 21st century. Following the example of the Old Testament prophets and the first-century Christians it overturns received ideas about God. God is not an invisible person 'out there' somewhere, but lives in the human heart and mind as 'the sum of all our values and ideals' guiding and inspiring our lives. This new updated edition includes a foreword by Bishop John Shelby Spong and an afterword from the author.




Jesus Untangled


Book Description

What if the greatest threat to Christianity in America was American Christianity? As the Church has become increasingly entangled in the pursuit of politics, the Gospel has become tarnished and often abandoned as the primary focus of the Body of Christ. Jesus Untangled is a prophetic call for the Church to awaken from the "American Dream" and to return to Her first love. Because, as the author powerfully demonstrates in these pages, you can't convert a culture that has already converted you.




God in You


Book Description

For many believers, the mystery of the Holy Spirit remains just that. God in You, now in popular trade paperback format, is the layperson's guide to this often-misunderstood member of the Trinity. Pastor David Jeremiah explores the Holy Spirit in concrete terms, leaving abstract concepts behind. Not an idea, not an influence, not some vague, mystical force, Jeremiah explains, the Holy Spirit is actually the almighty God of the universe come to live inside the believer's skin. And a clear understanding and appreciation of His attributes can ignite the passion of every Christian's walk with Christ. In this compelling, gently instructive book Jeremiah affirms, "Without [the Spirit], we're about as useful to God's kingdom as an unplugged toaster."




The Spirit of God Within You


Book Description

Who is the Holy Spirit? What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? These common questions and more are answered in this yearlong devotional that combines the writings of Southern Baptist pastors, ministry leaders, and devoted teachers who seek to remind you about the comfort and contentment that comes from walking God's Way. The Spirit of God Within You led by Dr. Johnny Hunt includes: brief, powerful devotions for 52 weeks biblical teachings on ways to learn more about Jesus and the Holy Spirit and to discover a life well lived with Him Scripture readings to support the teachings prayers to encourage a deeper relationship with God and be grateful for the wonderful things He has done for us ways to reflect on and deepen your relationship with God The MyDaily® devotional series offers readers invaluable wisdom and Biblical encouragement to stir the hearts of Christians and bring them closer to their Savior. Designed with an attractive, luxury package, The Spirit of God Within You is a beautiful gift for pastors, worship leaders, or anyone eager to cultivate a sense of praise in their everyday lives.




Out of the House of Bread


Book Description

Spirituality needs fresh meaning. Even the disciplines of the Spirit have gotten covered with dust and lay unused by Christians. It is time for spirituality to get fresh meaning in our world and with God's people. In Out of theHouse of Bread author Preston Yancey leads us in a new direction of spirituality through the symbolism and experience of the spiritual disciplines made plain by the baking of bread. The benefits of this book of devotion include: Finding a nearness to the holiness of God Feeling and experiencing the forgiveness of God Learning again the disciplines of celebration, confession, and conversion Each chapter pairs a spiritual discipline or practice with a baking discipline. You will encounter ancient practices such as the prayer of examen, lectio divina, intercessory prayer, icons, and stillness. Yancey shows how, like in Brother Lawrence's kitchen in The Practice of the Presence of God, that when you lift up your hands to God and pray, God will show up right there in the midst of your work and livelihood while you bake. Out of the House of Bread is a glorious celebration of the sacraments and the seasons of God, meant as reminders and symbols to take us to God in worship. An appendix, about gluten-free and vegan bread and the spirituality involved, will close off the book.




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.







The God in You


Book Description

The God in You is a empowering book by Robert Collier. Before he went into business, Collier had trained to be the priest and this book is the result of his religious foundations and his business principles. His concepts and ideas are consistent to what most self-help books subscribe to such as power of thoughts and law of attraction. Collier sets himself apart with level of detail, intellectual depth and spiritual directness that aligns with people of faith.