Bücher veröffentlicht von Zondervan

As standards of conduct continue to erode in our shock-proof world, we must fight the soul pollution threatening our health, our faith, and our witness to others. Without even knowing it, people willingly inhale second-hand toxins poisoning their relationship with God and stunting their spiritual growth. Soul Detox examines the toxins that assault us daily including: toxic influences, toxic emotions, and toxic behaviors. By examining the toxins that assault us daily, this book offers the ultimate spiritual intervention with ways to remain clean, pure, and focused on the standard of God's holiness

On a Sunday in May 2008, an F-5 tornado struck the town of Parkersburg, Iowa, killing eight people and destroying 250 homes and businesses within 34 seconds. The next day, Parkersburg's beloved football coach, Ed Thomas, made a stunning prediction: "e;God willing, we will play our first home game here on this field this season."e; One hundred days later, the home team scored a victory on the field they dubbed "e;The Sacred Acre,"e; serving as a galvanizing point for the town to band together and rebuild.But just as Parkersburg was recovering, another devastating tragedy struck. While working with a group of football and volleyball players early one morning, one of Ed's former students walked in and gunned him down point blank. Ed Thomas was 58.The murder of this hometown hero spread across national news headlines. Ed's community and family reeled from shock. Yet the story doesn't end here.What happened next proves that even a double tragedy is no match for faith, love ... and the power of forgiveness.

Their odds were 100,000 to one.Her faith was 1 in a million.In The Gift of Love, bestselling fiction author Amy Clipston shares her story of almost losing the love of her life to kidney disease and the ultimate sacrifice that kept their family together. An ordinary woman who cherishes family above all else, Amy was challenged in every way-from her strength of character to the depths of her faith to the close-knit family that surrounds her. Enduring the good, the bad, and the really bad, she was determined to help her husband once again be the husband and father their family needed.Amy's story will give hope and encouragement to anyone who finds themselves waiting on God. Staring down adversity, Amy and her family received the most important gift of all, the gift of love. And regardless of your situation, this gift can be yours too.An inspirational story of strength and determination, The Gift of Love is the triumph of one woman's faith against all odds, and a soul-filling reminder that no matter how hard life gets, it is worth fighting for.

Do the programs crowding the typical church's weekly schedule today lack an essential element, one that is fundamental to their having the greatest spiritual impact?This biblically grounded book asserts that many leaders overlook the necessary precondition of discerning and cooperating with the empowering will of the Holy Spirit before putting their plans into action. Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit is a highly practical guide for nurturing relations between believers and the Holy Spirit, a process facilitated by seven dynamics.* Love that draws us into engagement* Faith and obedience* Receiving divine guidance* Exercising spiritual discernment* Welcoming the gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit* Intercessory prayer that shapes the future* Seeing and responding to kairos momentsAdvanced by the church leadership and brought into being by the Holy Spirit, these factors help congregations preach and teach, worship, heal, govern, make disciples of converts, and evangelize. One of this book's strengths is the use of case studies to illustrate how the seven dynamics can take root in local congregations.

Over the years, Ann Spangler has read through the Bible several times, plowing straight through from Genesis to Revelation. But like many people who tend to be self-critical, Ann found it easier to absorb the harsher-sounding passages in the Bible than those that speak of God's love and compassion.Then one day, Ann listened as her friend Joan talked about a time in her life when she became convinced of God's love. Ann expected her friend to reveal something complicated and difficult, a tragedy perhaps that God had brought her through. But Joan had simply decided to set aside one month in which she would act as though God loved her. And that settled it for her-for good.In the months that followed, Ann decided to develop a remedial course in which she could reflect morning and evening on the most tender words of God in the Bible. She prayed that God's penetrating Word would transform her as she hunted through Scripture for words of mercy, compassion, peace, and protection. The Tender Words of God is the result of this process, offering ninety days of devotional readings on some of Scripture's most encouraging words. While the core of the book is Scripture, each week contains reflections and daily prayers that chronicle Ann's struggle to know God better. These are included not because she believes her quest is all that remarkable, but precisely because she knows it is ordinary, expressing as it does our common longing to love and be loved, especially by the One who made us. Ann invites you to join her on this journey to know God better, to let his tender words become like guardians at the beginning and at the end of each day, convincing you once and for all of his faithful, committed love.

In the tradition of the bestselling book The One Minute Manager(R), authors Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy, entrepreneur and founder of Chic-fil-A(R) restaurants, present this Ebook of The Generosity Factor(TM)-a parable that demonstrates the virtues of generosity.It's the story of a meeting between the Broker-a young man on his way up the corporate ladder who has the illusion of success, yet deep inside feels insignificant-and the Executive-the CEO of a very large and successful company who claims the greatest joy in his life is his ability to give to others.Thinking he might get a competitive edge by meeting with the Executive, the Broker's worldview is turned upside down as he talks to the Executive and hears the principles that form his life. He calls it The Generosity Factor(TM)-a way to give time, talent, treasure, and touch to those in need.Providing a unique twist on what it means to thrive in business, at home, and in life, this story will forever change your definition of success.

Success Is Great. But Significance Is Lasting.You've achieved a measure of success in the first half of life, and it's been a thrill. But deep in your heart, you want your second half to count for something far more. Something bigger than you. Significance. You're not alone; you're in "e;Halftime."e; You want to discover where your deepest passions intersect with your greatest abilities and harness them to help change the world. But what does significance look like? How do you attain it? What will it cost you? What if you are not yet financially independent? Who can help you make sense out of this stage of life?Lloyd Reeb knows how it is. He's wrestled with the same questions-and found answers. In From Success to Significance, he unfolds a blueprint that has helped thousands of men and women redefine success and infuse their lives with eternal significance. Adapt Reeb's approach to your circumstances and, with God's help, put it in motion. It works, and it will work for you.Discover God's unique purpose for your life. Your talents, your drives, and everything you are will make sense in a new way and have an impact you've never dreamed of. Go ahead, start dreaming. Because significance is within your reach, and it starts by finding the freedom to dream."e;Many people measure their success by wealth, recognition, power, and status. There's nothing wrong with those, but if that's all you're focused on, you're missing the boat. Lloyd Reeb shows that if you focus on significance-using your time and talent to serve others-that's when truly meaningful success can come your way."e;

The Christian Travelers Guides deal directly with what even the best general travel guides only touch on: Christianity's enormous influence on Europe--and, through its history and culture, Europe's influence on Christianity. This unique series guides you on a pilgrimage to the heart of our Christian heritage. Saints and secularists, martyrs and kings, castles and cathedrals, public squares and rolling hillsides, great works of art, literature, and architecture: The legacy of the Christian faith takes on immediacy and impact as you see firsthand the places where believers through the centuries lived and died, shaping our world with their faith. In rich detail and depth, The Christian Travelers Guide to Italy describes the history, literature, music, art, and architecture of Italy. Nearly 50 Christian Heritage Sites, with fascinating information on different places to visit List of "e;Top 10 Christian Sites in Italy"e; Insights for enjoying your visits to Italian churches and cathedrals Sidebars featuring mini-biographies of key historical figures and short essays on great works of art Glossary of religious terms Access The Christian Travelers Guides Website at http://www.christian-travelers-guides.com

This is the story of the birth and growth of Seattle's innovative Mars Hill Church, one of America's fastest growing churches located in one of America's toughest mission fields. It's also the story of the growth of a pastor, the mistakes he's made along the way, and God's grace and work in spite of those mistakes. Mark Driscoll's emerging, missional church took a rocky road from its start in a hot, upstairs youth room with gold shag carpet to its current weekly attendance of thousands. With engaging humor, humility, and candor, Driscoll shares the failures, frustrations, and just plain messiness of trying to build a church that is faithful to the gospel of Christ in a highly post-Christian culture. In the telling, he's not afraid to skewer some sacred cows of traditional, contemporary, and emerging churches. Each chapter discusses not only the hard lessons learned but also the principles and practices that worked and that can inform your church's ministry, no matter its present size. The book includes discussion questions and appendix resources. "e;After reading a book like this, you can never go back to being an inwardly focused church without a mission. Even if you disagree with Mark about some of the things he says, you cannot help but be convicted to the inner core about what it means to have a heart for those who don't know Jesus."e;-Dan Kimball, author,The Emerging Church "e;... will make you laugh, cry, and get mad ... school you, shape you, and mold you into the right kind of priorities to lead the church in today's messy world."e;-Robert Webber, Northern Seminary

In Sticky Church, author and pastor Larry Osborne makes the case that closing the back door of your church is even more important than opening the front door wider. He offers a time-tested strategy for doing so: sermon-based small groups that dig deeper into the weekend message and tightly velcro members to the ministry. It's a strategy that enabled Osborne's congregation to grow from a handful of people to one of the larger churches in the nationwithout any marketing or special programming. Sticky Church tells the inspiring story of North Coast Church's phenomenal growth and offers practical tips for launching your own sermon-based small group ministry. Topics include: Why stickiness is so important Why most of our discipleship models don't work very well Why small groups always make a church more honest and transparent What makes groups grow deeper and sticker over time Sticky Church is an ideal book for church leaders who want to start or retool their small group ministryand velcro their congregation to the Bible and each other.

When I found out my wife, Christine, was pregnant, I had no idea what I was thinking or feeling, and no clue what I should be thinking or feeling. Christine had daily heart-to-hearts with her girlfriends and a stack of parenting books by her bed. I had lots of questions with no answers. So I started writing. It was either that, or try to ignore the whole thing - a choice that became increasingly difficult as Christine's belly became increasingly swollen.Rookie Dad is the story of a young husband and father learning how to pay attention to his family's changing size and shape. It's a story filled with hard questions, with laughter and tears, and with the unexpected joy of first-time fatherhood. It's my story - the story of how I became a dad.

Joni Eareckson Tada wants to help you become rich in faith and wealthy in hope. Some people focus on material treasures, but Joni reminds you that life's true gems come from God-priceless pearls that are worth everything to purchase ... and own.In the tradition of Diamonds in the Dust and More Precious Than Silver comes this book, Pearls of Great Price. Written by a remarkable woman who has known firsthand God's faithfulness in the midst of indescribable difficulties, these 366 inspiring new devotions, each filled with Joni's signature storytelling, will touch your soul like a genuine pearl-rare, beautiful, and precious.To wake up each morning is, for Joni, to need the Lord Jesus desperately and to feel his blessing. And she yearns to help you grasp this blessing for yourself. Not a day breaks when she doesn't cling to God, asking for a fresh touch from heaven as well as a fresh view on his Word. It's the reason for her life. It's the reason why she writes. Pearls of Great Price so clearly depicts Joni's passion.Allow these 366 meditations to uncover a wealth of promise, of eternal truths waiting to transform the events of your life into opportunities to catch and reflect God's glory. Featuring Joni's own beautiful line drawings, Pearls of Great Price will open your eyes and your heart to an abundance of blessings.

For many women, knowing God's five purposes for their lives-worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism-leads to the natural questions, "e;What am I doing in the midst of deadlines, diapers, to-do lists, laundry, and daily schedules? What is the connection between my life purposes and the daily existence I am living now?"e; In these three companion volumes, Katie Brazelton helps women connect the dots between living amidst the details of their lives and living out God's purposes for their lives. She provides road-tested tools that have become the stepping stones for women along the pathway to living in purpose.Pathway to Purpose for Women: Connecting Your To-Do List, Your Passions, and God's Purposes for Your LifeHow does a woman live through-see through-the ordinary when she yearns for the significant? This how-to guide, filled with true personal stories, provides stepping stones through the challenges of not only discovering your universal purposes, but also discerning your unique purposes in this life.Praying for Purpose for Women: A Prayer Experience That Will Change Your Life ForeverDo you want God to tell you more about his specific plan for your life? This 60-day prayer experience will guide you to ask God to mentor you in your life's purposes. Included are insights from modern-day role models, examples of biblical characters, specific questions to ask yourself and to seek God's answers, and an eye-opening analysis of your life patterns and purposes.Conversations on Purpose for Women: Ten Appointments That Will Change Your Life ForeverDesigned to be used with a Purpose Partner, this workbook is filled with conversation starters, Scripture verses, questions, and specific self-assessment exercises to help you uncover God's Dream for your life, moving you from an initial sneak preview to the most challenging steps you will want to take on your journey toward purpose-filled living.Consumers may purchase Pathway to Purpose or Praying for Purpose independently of the other. Conversations on Purpose should be sold as a companion book to Pathway to Purpose.

Stem-cell research. Cloning. Genetic engineering. Today, discoveries in biotechnology are occurring so rapidly that we can barely begin to address one ethical debate before another looms overhead. This brave new world we've entered is a daunting one as well, with disturbing implications for the sanctity of life and for human nature itself. How should we respond as Christians? Drawing on an abundance of cutting-edge information and life experience, Joni Eareckson Tada and Nigel M. de S. Cameron help you think through issues no Christian can afford to ignore. As a quadriplegic who has spent three decades advocating for the disability community out of a wheelchair, Joni offers the insights of a woman intimately acquainted with suffering and struggle. Dr. Cameron shares from his vast knowledge as one of today's foremost bioethics. Together, they offer deeply informed perspectives on such pressing issues as Human cloning Designer babies Redefining human nature Human harvesting Here is thoughtful, passionate, and gripping reading about the world that is coming-that, indeed, is already here-and how to live out your faith with conviction in its midst.

Lee Strobel presents thirteen phenomenal claims by God that can change the entire trajectory of your life and revolutionize your attitude, your character, and your relationships. Take the Bible seriously and you'll discover that God makes some pretty amazing claims about you-and about what he wants to do in your life. God's Outrageous Claims examines important assertions that can transform your life into an adventure of faith, growth, and lasting fulfillment.

Today is the day you choose . . . which game you want to win, which prize you want to collect, which priorities you want to set.It's a thrill to win at checkers or Clue or Trivial Pursuit. You sweep aside the other players and you ';own' the board. It's also a thrill to win a promotion at work the new house you wanted that sports car you've always eyed. But just like the game cards, the tokens, and the timer, those prizes are temporary. When the game is over, they all go back in the box.Games can cast a powerful spell, says bestselling author John Ortberg. But the wisest player remembers that the game is always going to end. So what can we take with us to the kingdom of God? Only the love we have for Christ, the love we have for each other, and our own souls. While it's not bad to be good at chess or Riskor the game of life on Earthwe can't allow it to get in the way of what really matters.Using his humor and his genius for storytelling, Ortberg helps you focus on the real rules of the game and how to set your priorities. When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box Participant's Guide helps explain how, left to our own devices, we tend to seek out worldly things, mistakenly thinking they will bring us fulfillment. But everything on Earth belongs to God. Everything we ';own' is just on loan. And what pleases God is often 180 degrees from what we may think is important.In the six sessions you will learn how to:Live passionately and boldlyLearn how to be active players in the game that pleases GodFind your true mission and offer your bestFill each square on the board with what matters mostSeek the richness of being instead of the richness of havingYou can't beat the house, notes Ortberg. We're playing our game of life on a giant board called a calendar. Time will always run out, so it's a good thing to live a life that delights your Creator. When everything goes back in the box, you'll have made what is temporary a servant to what is eternal, and you'll leave this life knowing you've achieved the only victory that matters.Sessions include:When the Game Is Over It All Goes Back in the BoxKeeping Score Where It Really CountsResign as Master of the BoardCalling or Comfort? Choose Your Move WiselyPlaying the Game with Greatness and GraceThe Kingdom Has One More MoveDesigned for use with When the Game Is Over It All Goes Back in the Box DVD 9780310808244 (sold separately).

The Story group Bible study provides groups of all sizes the opportunity to discuss and apply what they experience during the 31-week The Story church campaign.To understand the Bible, says Frazee, you need bifocal lenses, because two perspectives are involved. The Lower Story, our story, is actually many stories of men and women interacting with God in the daily course of life.The Upper Story is God's story, the tale of his great, overarching purpose that puts the individual stories together like panels in one unified mural.In 31 sessions, The Story video-based group study opens your eyes to God's master plan unfolding in the lives of the Bible's characters and in your own life.Discover the heart of God's Upper Story, and the joy that comes as you align your story with God's. The Story Study Guide and DVD (sold separately) are designed for use by groups of all sizes, including small groups and Sunday school and adult education classes.Designed for use with The Story Adult Curriculum Study DVD (9780310329527) sold separately.

A Program for Implementing a Christ-Centered Recovery Ministry in Your ChurchAlcoholism - Divorce - Sexual Abuse - Codependency - Domestic Violence - Drug Addiction - Sexual Addiction - Food Addiction - Gambling Addiction and others.There is a way the church can help the hurting move beyond their wounds to experience the healing and forgiveness of Christ. Since 1991, more than 200,000 people have participated in the Celebrate Recovery programs offered at more than 3,500 churches, prisons, and rescue missions.Drawn from the Beatitudes, Celebrate Recovery helps people resolve painful problems in the context of the church as a whole.

A Program for Implementing a Christ-Centered Recovery Ministry in Your ChurchAlcoholism - Divorce - Sexual Abuse - Codependency - Domestic Violence - Drug Addiction - Sexual Addiction - Food Addiction - Gambling Addiction and others.There is a way the church can help the hurting move beyond their wounds to experience the healing and forgiveness of Christ. Since 1991, more than 200,000 people have participated in the Celebrate Recovery programs offered at more than 3,500 churches, prisons, and rescue missions.Drawn from the Beatitudes, Celebrate Recovery helps people resolve painful problems in the context of the church as a whole.

Basics of Latin introduces students, independent learners, and homeschoolers to the basics of Latin grammar. Readings and exercises are all taken from texts in the Christian tradition and enable students to develop their skills of the language as well as grow in their appreciation for the breadth and depth of ancient Christian thought.

Basics of Hebrew Accents by Mark D. Futato, Sr. is a small reference tool for all readers of Biblical Hebrew. This book is a basic introduction to Hebrew accents that will give readers a working knowledge of Hebrew accentuation, aiding them in interpretation and translation.

In How to Read Theology for All Its Worth, professor and author Karin Stetina introduces the basic skills for reading theological works with confidence and understanding.

When used in conjunction with the textbook Conformed to His Image, the Study Guide helps offer a comprehensive, balanced, and applicable approach to what it really means to know Christ by presenting a variety of pathways in the spiritual life and showing how each of these pathways can contribute to the dynamic process of spiritual growth.

"If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain?" And what about the suffering of animals, who neither deserve pain nor can be improved by it? The greatest Christian thinker of our time sets out to disentangle these knotty issues. With his signature wealth of compassion and insight, C. S. Lewis offers answers to these crucial questions and shares his hope and wisdom to help heal a world hungering for a true understanding of human nature.

Addressing some of the most difficult issues we face in our day-to-day lives, C. S. Lewis's ardent and timeless words provide an unparalleled path to greater spiritual understanding. Considered by many to be his most moving address, "The Weight of Glory" extols a compassionate vision of Christianity and includes lucid and compelling discussions on forgiveness and faith.

One of the most popular introductions to Christian faith ever written, Mere Christianity has sold millions of copies worldwide. The book brings together C. S. Lewis's legendary broadcast talks of the war years, talks in which he set out simply to "explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times." Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity's many de-nominations, Lewis provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith. It is a collection of scintillating brilliance that remains strikingly fresh for the modern reader and at the same time confirms C. S. Lewis's reputation as one of the leading writers and thinkers of our age.

A fresh and fun way to engage with 40 big real-life urban issues using the popular new paraphrase, the street bible.

From best-selling author Adrian Plass, here is a collection of songs, poetry and drama. In Clearing Away the Rubbish Adrian Plass applies his own particular brand of wry humour to the stresses of modern day life. He considers the way we all clutter up our lives with complications and wonders whether they aren't just more pieces of rubbish that we could well do without. Using his own examples of songs, poetry, humour and drama, Plass suggests that we sweep away the rubbish to find an clearer path to the truth

In this workbook, best-selling author Dr. Charles Stanley reveals a simple fact: There are only two ways to journey through life?wisely or unwisely. Those who walk wisely can expect to live a life pleasing to God and graced by the blessing of His love and pesence.