Showing results by narrator "Mark Smeby" in All Categories

Ministry is hard. Much like marriage, it's full of unanticipated challenges, requires a great deal of selflessness, and often comes with little reward. Marriage and ministry together? It's a unique calling, yet couples who enter into it seldom receive adequate preparation, training, or even warning! Geoff and Sherry Surratt have been at both marriage and ministry together for over 30 years and have seen the highs, the lows, and everything in between - they've managed to figure out a way to make it all work together.

In both Christian and pop culture, there is a certain fascination with the afterlife. What happens after you die? What happens if you die with Christ or without Christ? What happens when Jesus returns if you have or haven't accepted Christ? What exactly comes next? Randy Frazee, popular pastor of Oak Hills Church and general editor of the wildly successful Believe and The Story programs, answers these questions and more.

More meets Christians where they're at, acknowledging the roots of their discontent and demonstrating how to move from inspiration and desire into action. Church strategist and ministry activator Todd Wilson shows how all believers can live more abundant lives around the uniqueness of how they were made and what they are called to do.

Jacob and Solomon were polygamists. Tamar and Rahab were prostitutes. What are polygamists and prostitutes doing on the pages of holy scripture? And God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. What about Cain - did he really marry his sister? Abraham did, and he was also a polygamist. Lot offered his daughters up for rape, David committed adultery (or rape?), and the Bible calls both men righteous. Love, Old Testament style, was bizarre.

A leading young theologian and public intellectual shows how the life and legacy of Chuck Colson can equip Christians to live a bold and loving faith in the public square. During his life, Chuck Colson was the preeminent evangelical in American public life. He dedicated himself to public witness in the mold of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and William Wilberforce, creating and leading efforts such as Prison Fellowship, Angel Tree, Breakpoint, and the Centurions program.

Presented by best-selling author and pastor Randy Frazee, the Believe Storybook shows children how they can think, act, and be more like Jesus. With 60 Old and New Testament stories from the Bible that showcase the themes, children and adults alike will be inspired to become more like their savior and the person they were meant to be.

In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.

What can you learn from the world’s most successful companies? The Marvel Studios Story will help you understand and adopt the competitive strategies, workplace culture, and daily business practices that enabled a struggling comic book publisher to parlay the power of myth and storytelling to become one of history’s most successful movie studios.

Doctor turned pastor Scott Vaudrey shows listeners how to have stronger, more meaningful relationships by mastering the balance between building bridges and setting boundaries.

From the influential and ever-growing movement "I Am Second" comes a remarkable collection of well-known lives transformed from restless to happy by the power of God.

The Bible promises us more than inspiration. More than influence. The Bible promises us access to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. So what keeps us from drawing on that incredible resurrection power in our daily lives? In His Mighty Strength, popular pastor and author Randy Frazee explores Jesus’s time on Earth to uncover the amazing source of his strength. Jesus continually sought direction from the Father and found the power to live the Father’s will through the Holy Spirit. He said yes to God every day of his earthly life - and we can, too.

With so many financial pressures and responsibilities, it can be challenging to know how to follow God's principles for managing money. Yet stewarding our finances is a significant part of seeking God's peace in every area of our lives. The God Who Provides: 100 Bible Verses for Financial Wisdom gives priceless insight and inspiration on finance management - including saving, budgeting, giving, debt, investing, and planning for the future. Each verse is paired with a prayer and an encouraging devotion to lead you into deeper dependence on God.

It's hard to believe sometimes, but the God who created the universe and everything in it desires a relationship with each of us. God knew you before you were born. He hears your prayers, wants to come near to you, and plans for you to have abundant life. In Draw Near to God, you'll find Scripture and reflections that will guide, support, and assure you that your heavenly father loves you and longs to spend time with you. You'll encounter His grace and mercy as you study and learn more about His tender care.

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 illuminating guide drawn from more than 20 years of cross-cultural work and learning from some of the greatest leaders of color, pastor and racial justice advocate Daniel Hill provides nine practices rooted in Scripture that will position you to be an active supporter of inclusion, equality, and racial justice.

When it comes to pursuing our dreams, Ryan Romeo is convinced of two things. First, God knows where you come from. He knows about your past. He knows about the seemingly impossible situation you may find yourself in. And yet, he is even more committed to seeing your dream come to life than you are.

God’s vision for your marriage is far more than mediocre, and money and sex are two of the most common tension points. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In Your Money, Your Marriage, Brian and Cherie Lowe offer straight talk and power principles for getting your finances back on track so you can get back to your romance. Take it from them - the Lowes worked off $127,000 in debt in just four years, and emerged not only financially free but better together.

Authored by a millennial, The Passion Generation will guide you beyond the stats of what millennials are doing to why they’re doing it and how we can all move toward healthy community. With wit, compassion, and startling insights, this audiobook shares stories and studies drawn from Skeldon’s years of working to bridge generational gaps. In his signature conversational style, Skeldon offers researched strategies that will spark healthy connections and practical methods that will help you make disciples of the millennials you love.

Christ never actually told us how to "do church". Yes, he had a lot to say about the church, but what he did say was mostly unrelated to stylistic issues or contextual trends. He never spoke about its leadership hierarchies or the pros and cons of denominational fellowships or the types of music. And yet, much of our time and energy as leaders and shepherds is consumed by chasing after tips, tricks, and secrets to "grow" churches.

How to Be Present in an Absent World is a guide for cultivating a self-awareness that empowers you to take ownership of your life in every area of influence. It provides a biblical way to handle the daily pressures of life without denying, escaping, or outrunning the present, past, or future. Montgomery and his coauthors, Webb and Silva, equip you with the kind of self-understanding that allows you to overcome obstacles - whether in your church, in your job, or in your family - that were previously discouraging and seemingly insurmountable.

52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life will change the way you think about this holiday staple, from the lightheartedness of George and Mary's floor-parting dance to the poignancy of a community that rallies to save a desperate man, Bob Welch's 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life will inspire you to live for the things that matter most.