If Only God Would Give Me a Sign!

If Only God Would Give Me a Sign! PDF Author: Linda M. Potter
Publisher: Bibliocast
ISBN: 9780979531576
Category : Families
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
How to (and how not to) find meaning in everyday signs.

If Only God Would Give Me a Sign!

If Only God Would Give Me a Sign! PDF Author: Linda M. Potter
Publisher: Bibliocast
ISBN: 9780979531576
Category : Families
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
How to (and how not to) find meaning in everyday signs.

No More Faking Fine

No More Faking Fine PDF Author: Esther Fleece Allen
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310344778
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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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.

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die PDF Author: Sarah J. Robinson
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0593193539
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Pulpit Science Fiction

Pulpit Science Fiction PDF Author: George L. Murphy
Publisher: CSS Publishing
ISBN: 0788023772
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Book Description
To keep the Christian message relevant in our rapidly changing times, it's vital that churches come to terms with how modern technology and scientific knowledge have changed the way we understand the world. And because preaching is the church's primary mode of communication (especially with adults), it offers a significant opportunity to shape how we think about the larger questions of our existence. One innovative way for preachers to address these concerns is through popular science fiction. Because many of the genre's stories deal with the impact of science and technology on individuals and cultures, they often have implicit religious implications. Pulpit Science Fiction is a fascinating collection of creative story sermons that shows how you can use elements drawn from science fiction to boldly proclaim the Christian faith. In addition to 14 imaginative "science fiction parables," a pair of essays are also included that illustrate how references to science fiction films and stories can be utilized in preaching. George Murphy has extended Christian parable telling into the 21st century with a series of preachable stories. These engaging, sometimes poignant, and often provocative tales spotlight particular theological themes from scripture. Comments following each pulpit-tested story help to contextualize it in relation to literary sources and the liturgical year. This book is a remarkable gift to those charged with proclaiming the Word to that spacefaring species, Homo sapiens. Jim Miller, Senior Program Associate Program of Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion American Association for the Advancement of Science George L. Murphy is a graduate of Ohio University, Johns Hopkins University (where he earned a Ph.D. in physics), and Wartburg Theological Seminary. An adjunct faculty member at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Murphy is also a Lutheran pastor who now serves on the staff of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio. He has been widely published in both scientific and religious periodicals, and has received two awards from the Templeton Foundation for his papers on science and religion. Murphy is the author of Toward A Christian View Of A Scientific World and Cosmic Witness (CSS), The Trademark of God (Morehouse-Barlow), and The Cosmos in the Light of the Cross (Trinity Press International). He is also a member of the writing team for the online preaching resource The Immediate Word (www.csspub.com).

Sermons on the Gospel Readings

Sermons on the Gospel Readings PDF Author: David T. Ball
Publisher: CSS Publishing
ISBN: 0788023705
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 402

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Book Description
Packed with inspiring illustrations that enlighten the mind and warm the heart, this complete collection of thoughtful sermons for each Sunday and major celebration throughout the entire church year is a gold mine of creative preaching ideas -- and an invaluable source of insight into faithful Christian living amidst the challenges of today's secular world. Five outstanding preachers from diverse ministry settings reflect on the events of Jesus' life and their contemporary meaning in messages based on Gospel passages from Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary. Combining a strong foundation in the scriptural text with a deep understanding of vital current issues, these sermons passionately proclaim the Good News while pointing readers toward a strengthened and renewed spiritual relationship with Christ, the rock of our salvation. This essential resource is useful for: - Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts - Preaching illustrations - Understanding scripture passages - Adult study and discussion groups - Personal devotions and Bible study

Oh! for Heaven's Sakes!

Oh! for Heaven's Sakes! PDF Author: Anthony Pereira
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
ISBN: 1553693779
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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Book Description
The jokes contained in this book are indexed by categories or topics since some jokes can be used in multiple ways for multiple occasions and can be accessed quickly. They make perfect gifts for one's favorite priests or public speakers to spice up their talks with humor. Humor allows them to connect with their audience or congregations. The wide variety of jokes will prevent them from the need to repeat the same jokes often too frequently.

A Weaver of Tales

A Weaver of Tales PDF Author: Z.A. Mayes
Publisher: eBookIt.com
ISBN: 1456627112
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 347

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Book Description
"Hear the song of Trajan Drevo, The Castle of the Enduring Tree. Brave youths and gracious maidens Dance there no more, nor are guests Feasted with honor at well-laden tables..." An ancient secret casts its shadow over the castle, and over the two people who are its only hope of redemption: Martin, the long lost son of a powerful nobleman, and Ylla, the last survivor of a family destroyed by treachery. Their fates are interwoven for good or ill, in a tale of love unlooked for, of vengeance not to be denied.

When God Steps In, Miracles Happen

When God Steps In, Miracles Happen PDF Author: Neale Donald Walsch
Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing
ISBN: 1612830900
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
From every corner of the world and all walks of life, readers of Conversations with God have written to Neale Donald Walsch about their own experiences of God’s presence in their lives. Their stories of incredible synchronicities, extraordinary coincidental circumstances, and everyday miracles are collected here in this warm inspirational book, previously published in hardcover as Moments of Grace and now available for the first time in a paperback edition. These are stories of everyday folks who have experienced God touching their lives in very real, visible, and direct ways. Walsch weaves these tales seamlessly into the concepts and messages presented in the Conversations with God books. These amazing stories will show you how you, too, can experience miracles in your life and discover that they are all around us.

Holy Envy

Holy Envy PDF Author: Barbara Brown Taylor
Publisher: Canterbury Press
ISBN: 1786220792
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
The renowned Christian preacher and New York Times bestselling author of An Altar in the World recounts her moving discoveries of finding the sacred in unexpected places while teaching world religions to undergraduates in Baptist-saturated rural Georgia, revealing how God delights in confounding our expectations. Christians are taught that God is everywhere--a tenet that is central to Barbara Brown Taylor's life and faith. In Holy Envy, she continues her spiritual journey, contemplating the myriad ways she encountered God while exploring other faiths with her students in the classroom, and on field trips to diverse places of worship. Both she and her students ponder how the knowledge and insights they have gained raise important questions about belief, and explore how different practices relate to their own faith. Inspired by this intellectual and spiritual quest, Barbara turns once again to the Bible for guidance, to see what secrets lay buried there. Throughout Holy Envy, Barbara weaves together stories from her classroom with reflections on how her own spiritual journey has been challenged and renewed by connecting with people of other traditions--and by meeting God in them. At the heart of her odyssey is her trust that it is God who pushes her beyond her comfortable boundaries and calls us to "disown" our privatised versions of the divine--a change that ultimately deepens her relationship with both the world and with God, and ours.

Chickening IN: From Fear to Courageous Faith, 8 Pillars of Transformation

Chickening IN: From Fear to Courageous Faith, 8 Pillars of Transformation PDF Author: JJ Gutierrez
Publisher: Ambassador International
ISBN: 1620207370
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 106

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Book Description
Like the flip of a switch, Chickening IN created an epiphany or “God Moment.” Where there was once hopelessness, fear, and doubt . . . now there is new found hope, courage, and strength. We live in an unpredictable, uncontrollable world where things change often, and fear can plant itself deeply within our hearts. Chickening IN is a practical approach to defeating the fear and doubt that is preventing us from becoming brave, bold women of God. Do you long to overcome the fear and doubt that is sabotaging the life God has for you? Are you ready to grow in courage and put feet to your faith? You’ve come to the right place! I’d like to invite you to join me on a transformation journey to stop chickening out and start Chickening IN. By accepting my invitation you will embark into the land of transformation. A place where fear-filled lives can be reconstructed into courageous faith-filled lives. Chickening IN will require hard work and honest assessment, but I will lead you step by step through the eight pillars of Chickening IN that have changed my life and that can change your life, too!