Showing results for "the system" in Christian Living

Our God has designed each of us to live joyful, victorious, and overcoming lives. But as we look around at the world today, it seems very few people's lives could be described this way. Even among people of faith, constant struggle and worry seem to be the norm. Why is this the case? What keeps us from experiencing the power and triumph that Jesus said would mark His followers?

"You are the stories that you believe." Tim Keller used this phrase to make the point that stories transmit beliefs and assumptions in packageable sizes. Our culture has many such stories. We don't necessarily call them beliefs but rather say, "This is the just the way things are." They are...

It’s time to break free from our Sunday-centric, formulaic versions of church and instead architect fresh kingdom ecosystems as an ancient yet new frontier for sustainable mission. The temptation for many church leaders is to take what’s worked elsewhere and use it as a paint-by-number. Yet Jesus showed us a different way. Every word he spoke and everything he did utterly broke the molds, rules, and laws that people had created to confine God and his kingdom.

Pro football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly and his wife, Jill, were catapulted from a seemingly fairy-tale life of celebrity into a world of private struggle and medical uncertainty. What the public didn’t know, however, was that behind the scenes lurked more than a family’s pain at the dire prognosis of their only son. Hunter’s illness exposed the troubled depths of a marriage that had long been shadowed by uncertainties of its own.

As many self-help gurus will tell you, we are the summation of our daily habits. What has so far been missing is a comprehensive guide to which habits are most valuable to us and how they work together as a system, for the best impact on our lives. This invaluable book by Dr. Andrew Abela shows how attaining virtue requires not a herculean effort but, rather, steady daily practice, which is accessible to all. He explains how the genius of a thirteenth-century philosopher-monk codified the super habits into a veritable human operating system, one that’s more relevant today than ever.

A story about friendships and commitment to one another so incredible you wouldn't believe it if it wasn't true. Kevan is just one of the guys. It's impossible to know him and not become a little more excited about life. He is an inspiring man permeated by joy, unafraid of sorrow, full of...

A beautiful reflection on the rhythm of God's justice and a call to engage with that rhythm in a way that takes us back toward healing, wholeness, and restoration. God gave Israel the Year of Jubilee as a social reset. Taken together with Sabbath laws and gleaning laws (laws dealt with the...

What can you do to be a force for racial justice? Many White Christians are eager to fight against racism and for racial justice. But what steps can they take to make good, lasting change? How can they get involved without unintentionally doing more harm than good? In this practical and...

2021 Christian Book Award Finalist "Jackson's visionary account is a beautiful model of sacrificial love." -- Publishers Weekly Starred Review The House That Love Built is the quintessential story of one woman's questioning what it means to be an American--and a Christian--in light of a broken...

As a teenager, Kristin Berry had heard all the horror stories surrounding foster care and adoption - abuse, neglect, rejection, anger, and misunderstandings. But instead of closing her heart, God opened it wide. This is Kristin's honest, unvarnished story of some of her experiences as a foster parent of 23 children over the course of nine years. What she learned is that living in a foster home is like living with a revolving door. You never know who will arrive or who you will have to say goodbye to. Leaving the door open means there will be heartache and pain, but also adventure and unexpected joy.

"For a woman who thinks of herself as a New Yorker at this point, I buy a lot of clothes from companies named things like Shrimp & Grits. Why? Because identity is complicated." Elizabeth Passarella is content with being complicated. She grew up in Memphis in a conservative Republican family with...

ALL DAY is a behind-the-bars, personal glimpse into the issue of mass incarceration via an unpredictable, insightful and ultimately hopeful reflection on teaching teens while they await sentencing. Told with equal parts raw honesty and unbridled compassion, ALL DAY recounts a year in Liza Jessie...

Do you want to enjoy the life you are living, even as you face significant life challenges? Are you grieving the loss of the life you planned? Is your body or mind failing you? Can you ever find joy, peace, or fulfillment in these challenging situations? The answer is a resounding yes. Cristy Maddox searched for answers that were not coming; for a diagnosis to explain her symptoms. For nearly 10 years Cristy and her husband Greg researched and learned about an illness they had never previously heard of, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome....

Spiritual warfare and demonic attacks are real! You have a real enemy whose sole purpose is to destroy you. Unfortunately, many don’t recognize these attacks and are not prepared to confront them. The Battle Is On will not only prepare you for spiritual battle, but will provide you with knowledge and practical techniques that will ensure your victory.