Showing results for "If...." in Christian Living

With his trademark enthusiasm and contagious joy, Mark Batterson helps listeners overcome feelings of guilt, fear, and doubt because in Christ there is no condemnation. Unpacking the promises of Romans 8, he shows listeners that they are more than conquerors - right now and forever. And because of that, the possibilities for their lives are limitless. Christians from all walks of life will find themselves set free by this inspiring and entertaining listen.

What would it mean for your life if Jesus really did rise from the dead? There are some things which, if they are true, change everything. If Jesus rose from the dead, it would transform what we think of God and how we see ourselves. We could make sense of some of the deepest mysteries of our existence and enjoy real hope in our everyday lives. But can a rational person actually believe that Jesus rose from the dead?

Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us. In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a...

You don't have to be controlled by difficult people! Strange as it may seem, other people are not nearly as committed to our happiness as we are. In fact, sometimes it seems like they’re on a mission to make us miserable! There’s always that one person. The one who hijacks our emotions. The one who seems to thrive on drama. If we could just “fix” that person, everything would be better. But we can’t fix other people. We can only make choices about ourselves.

All parents want their daughters to marry godly young men. But which qualities, specifically, should they be looking for? What He Must Be...If He Wants to Marry My Daughter outlines 10 qualities parents should look for in a son-in-law, including trustworthiness, a willingness to lead his family, an understanding of his wife's role, and various spiritual leadership qualities.

For marine biologist Rachel Jordan, both science and Scripture are means of knowing creation and Creator. In If the Ocean Has a Soul, Rachel considers the natural world through a spiritual lens, meshing marine biology with biblical truths in a keen and current take on faith and science. In these chapters, Rachel recounts fascinating aquatic phenomena alongside the sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic stories of animals she has known.

Pharisaism is one of the sins that angered Jesus the most. Yet we are often in bondage to it without realizing it. How can we recognize the warning signs in our own hearts and lives and be set free? Do you consider yourself a better Christian than others? Do you enjoy pointing out others’ faults while ignoring your own? Do you fail to practice what you preach? If so, you might be a Pharisee - a modern-day version of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day whom he condemned for their legalism and self-righteousness.

Dodie Osteen, mother of Joel Osteen, gives readers a personal account of her extraordinary life and shares what she has learned about love, faith, and family. As the wife of forty-four years to the late Pastor John Osteen, founder of Lakewood Church, Dodie Osteen stood as a wife, mother, and...

Rachel used to be a mom who spent her days weary, anxious, and guilt laden. She had five kids in five years, lived on three different continents, and then was blindsided by a devastating health diagnosis. Neglecting her own physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional needs for so long—in an effort to be a selfless mother—had left her utterly depleted. And physically unwell. Then she began asking a question she’d never considered before: Could it be that taking good care of myself is not actually selfish, but maybe, just maybe, something a responsible adult does?

For more than three years, while imprisoned in a cell 30 feet below ground in Communist Romania, Richard Wurmbrand composed sermons for an audience of One. When released from prison, he retained the treasure that God had given him there—sermons composed in solitary confinement. Though isolated from people, VOM founder Richard Wurmbrand was never separated from God's presence. In his book If Prison Walls Could Speak, he shares how God graciously brought His beauty to one of the most horrific places ever known.

What if Christianity was far more liberating than the culture wars suggest? Can the conflict concerning Christianity and homosexuality be viewed from a more interpretative lens? James Alison, a Catholic priest who is also a gay man, has been wrestling with the matter for over forty years. This luminous and rigorous book dismantles the fear-based binaries which have dominated conversations in the Church.

Among our greatest fears is the dread of what others would think of us "if they only knew" - the parts of our past we hope to forget, the parts of our present we work to conceal. Yet the part we actually do the best job of hiding is not the unsightly debris of our own mess, but rather the stunning beauty of God's grace. The fear that demands we protect this false image at all costs leads us to unwittingly declare a false gospel at every turn. Jamie Ivey finally grew tired of doing that, tired of being too ashamed and insecure to let others see the full extent of what God was capable of doing with our unworthiness. So she quit hiding.

Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us. In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a...

So much of our belief can be formulaic. We often think that if we do A, B, and C, then God will do X, Y, and Z. We check things off the “Good Christian Checklist,” trusting we’ll be okay, and our trials will be minimal. But when our experiences inevitably deviate from that belief, our trust in God often crumbles. After a series of life-altering trials—including a devastating diagnosis—uncovering faith in the cracks of pain is something Kristen LaValley knows well.

A beloved pastor and a New York Times bestselling author examine scripture and share inspiring personal stories to help show the important role that Jesus’ resurrection plays in our everyday lives. The Son of God was crucified, died and buried, and He lay in the tomb for three days—until He...

In a world that tells us to fit the mold instead of breaking it, struggling with mental health isn't a weakness. It's inevitable. When you feel like you must hustle harder and the stress is wearing you down, it can be hard to just breathe. But author Jennifer Renee Watson offers an encouraging word in What If You're Doing Better Than You Think?: Finding Courage and Confidence When Life Gets Messy. She explains that struggles are an invitation to pay attention to your need for self-care and restructure your life to work for you, not against you.

How do you worship God even if life isn’t going the way you had hoped? “Even If is not some bumper sticker to display, but a daring commitment to live.”—Kyle Idleman, senior pastor of Southeast Christian Church “I believe we will see more resilient people in the face of suffering...

The Cure gives the diagnosis of this century’s religious obsession with sin-management. It has poisoned the Church, obscuring the Original Good News and sending millions away-wounded, angry and cynical, from nearly any organized expression of faith. The Cure offers an authentic experience in Christ that frees some from a self-rewarded righteousness, and others from a beaten down striving for a righteousness they can never seem to attain. The Cure infuses a relational theology of grace and identity, which alone can heal, free and create sustainable, genuine, loving, life-giving communities.

Life doesn't always go the way we hope it will. Whether it's singleness, childlessness, or some other big disappointment, it's hard to be content when life lets us down. Author Jennie Pollock knows what it's like to feel discontent. Drawing on encouragements from the Bible and the stories of others, this book helps listeners to trust in God's plan for their lives and enjoy true contentment through a genuine conviction that Jesus is better than even our most keenly felt hopes and longings for this life.

In What If Jesus Was Serious about Justice?, Skye Jethani explores what the Bible really says about God's restorative justice and how he punishes evil and rewards good. Jethani examines the biblical understanding of justice as the restoration of right relationships both among people and between people and God. He considers themes of judgment and mercy in Jesus's ministry and explains Jesus's warnings about God's final judgment of those opposed to his kingdom of justice.