Religious Growth

A sermon preached at the funeral of The Right Honorable Lady Mary Vere on January 10, 1671. Puritan William Gurnall speaks of the rewards that Christ’s faithful servants will receive in heaven.

These are the firsthand accounts of sisters Helen and Barbara Shores about growing up with their father, Arthur Shores, a prominent Civil Rights attorney, during the 60s in the Jim Crow south Birmingham district - a frequent target of the Ku Klux Klan. Between 1948 and 1963, some 50 unsolved Klan bombings happened in Smithfield where the Shores family lived, earning their neighborhood the nickname “Dynamite Hill.” Due to his work, Shores’ daughter, Barbara, barely survived a kidnapping attempt.

Renee Altson's powerful, personal narrative details the evil done to her throughout her life---almost exclusively at the hands of the church---and how she struggles and stumbles toward faith despite her ordeal.

Journey with Shawn Hurley through his story of deep darkness into the life-changing light of Father God's love and presence. Discover how Jesus met Shawn in prison and redeemed him from all the sin and pain of a childhood of abuse, neglect, abandonment, and evil. And, most importantly, experience Shawn's revelations of Father God's love and his own transformed identity in Christ.

The mysteries unfold. As a Starlighter, Koren knows her destiny is to save her fellow human slaves from the dragons’ bondage - but by following the orders of the smooth-talking dragon king, Taushin, has she in fact doomed her people and herself? As Koren struggles over her choices, Elyssa discovers a new aspect to her Diviner gifts when her pendant begins to unlock mysteries surrounding the star drops from the Exodus star.

This is the true story of Ora-Jay and Irene Eash, Amish farmers from northwest Montana whose lives changed in an instant when a semi-truck struck the family buggy, killing their two young daughters. After the accident, the couple turned to their Amish community for comfort, but they remained haunted by the thought that they might not see their girls again in heaven. Would their deeds be good enough?

Many Christians are under the impression that God's grace and his favor are two different things - that while his grace may be a gift, his favor is something we must earn. This misunderstanding has led to destructive teachings about "prosperity" and blessings, and ultimately to lives that feel unfulfilled and inadequate. Pastor Greg Gilbert puts favor back in its rightful place, as God's gift through Jesus Christ. He shows how the favor that Jesus earned through his perfect life and sacrificial death becomes ours the moment we believe.

In Unshaken, Jeanne shares powerful, relevant, and inspirational teaching that answers the critical question we are all facing: How do I stand strong in these uncertain, turbulent times and not be controlled by fear, stress, apathy, or frustration?

The Fool and the Heretic is a deeply personal story told by two respected scientists who hold opposing views on the topic of origins, share a common faith in Jesus Christ, and began a sometimes-painful journey to explore how they can remain in Christian fellowship when each thinks the other is harming the church. This book provides a model for how faithful Christians can hold opposing views on deeply divisive issues yet grow deeper in their relationship to each other and to God.

A sweet and loving poetry book.

In the first three books of the Torn Between Two World series, we established a framework for human dualism. In the fourth book, we move from a philosophical discussion to a hands-on self-help presentation, providing helpful answers to everyday issues. Every human being can aspire to their full potential, and therefore, all the suggestions in this book can be used to move closer to this goal, regardless of the current state of your spiritual health.

In this engaging memoir, Andrea speaks to all of us who wrestle with faith, doubt, and spiritual identity. Join Andrea as she navigates the Thames River, the Oxford Atheist Society, romance in ancient pubs - and a new perspective on who God is. As Andrea learned, sometimes it takes letting go of old ideas to discover lasting truth.

The United States is in the middle of an unprecedented spiritual, technological, demographic, political and social transformation—moving from an older, mostly white, mostly Protestant, religion-friendly society to a younger diverse, multiethnic, pluralistic culture, where no one faith group will have the advantage. At the same time, millions of Americans are abandoning organized religion altogether in favor of disorganized disbelief. Reorganized Religion is an in-depth and critical look at why people are leaving American churches and what we lose as a society as it continues.

Antonio Perez is a former conspiracy theorist plagued with mental health issues. He managed to escape Alex Jones' grip in 2008. In Converting Conspiracy Theorists, Antonio reveals a few powerful techniques you can use to rescue your loved one from dangerous and destructive conspiracy theories such as Qanon. Converting Conspiracy Theorists is a sneak peek into the psychology of conspiracy theories and the tools that can be used to rescue people from them.

The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal (1650 - 1678) was originally written as a private letter to explain Christianity to a friend. Just before his death in 1677, Scougal allowed the private communication to be published. It has become a classic Puritan text and one of the most influential treatises ever written for the comfort of believers. Scougal wrote that Christianity is not about external duties, nor is it an emotion.

Inside Syria and Iraq, and even along the refugee trail, they’re a religious minority persecuted for their Christian faith. Outside the Middle East, they’re suspect because of their nationality. A small remnant of Christians is on the run from the Islamic State. If they are wiped out, or scattered to the corners of the earth, the language that Jesus spoke may be lost forever - along with the witness of a church that has modeled Jesus’ way of nonviolence and enemy-love for two millennia.

Mix six teenaged girls and one '60s fashion icon (retired, of course) in an old Victorian-era boarding home. Add boys and dating, a little high-school angst, and throw in a Kate Spade bag or two ... and you've got The Carter House Girls, Melody Carlson's chick lit series for young adults! When her mom died, DJ had to move in with her grandmother, internationally famous '60s fashion model Katherine Carter....

Growing up in the only Korean family in a Minnesota town, Michelle Lee-Barnewall has felt the pain of racial discrimination and the resulting identity confusion that follows. Through the telling of her personal story, she seeks to transcend the current divide between those who emphasize social justice concerns and those who believe these concerns compromise the core of the gospel. A Longing to Belong integrates a biblical worldview and personal experience on the topic of race and race relations.

Johnnie Moore, like many American Christians, didn't fully appreciate the extent of Christian persecution in other parts of the world - until he witnessed the graduation of theology students in India. Unlike graduation ceremonies in America - where feel-good speeches made by visiting celebrities are common - this one featured a remarkable oath. It wasn't an oath to excel or succeed. It was an oath to be willing to die, if necessary, for the cause of Christ. This was no empty promise. This was a choice, choosing the eternal over the temporal.

Today, so many are fearful of the unknown - a crumbling economy, job loss, loneliness, terrorism, tragic news around every corner. We are overwhelmed. Does the security and peace that should come from knowing we are in the hands of a loving God now seem to be an empty promise?