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More devastating then economic downturns and school violence, the Character Deficit has been chipping away at the core of our country one person at a time. Journey with Michael B. Ross as he explores the fascinating and frightening effects of the Character Deficit and teaches you how to overcome Character Deficits in your world.

The church used to be recognised as a force for good, but this is changing rapidly. Christians are now often seen as the bad guys, losing both respect and influence. In our post-Christian culture, how do we offer the gospel to those around us who view it as not only wrong but possibly dangerous? And how do we ensure that the secular worldview does not entice us away with its constant barrage, online and elsewhere, of messages about self-determinism?

On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed a remarkable emergency landing when Captain "Sully" Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. His story is now a major motion picture from director/producer Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks, Laura Linney, and Aaron Eckhart.

Your church's sermons often include a call to evangelize. You've held evangelism training events. You give out invites to your Christmas and Easter services. So… where are all the new Christians? Is your church actually reaching the lost with the gospel? For many of us, despite having the best intentions our churches struggle to reach out with the gospel effectively. J.A. Medders and Doug Logan, Jr. have decades of experience in leading churches and mentoring pastors, and here they outline six principles for cultivating a genuine evangelistic culture throughout your church.

We are living in a time of rapid cultural change, when Christian views are often seen as outdated and even dangerous. This can leave us feeling anxious about how to live out what we believe and uncertain about the future of the church. Steve McAlpine’s first book, Being the Bad Guys, sought to explain how our culture ended up so far away from biblical Christianity and how to reach out with the gospel wisely. In this book, he explores where things are heading and what we can do about that now, both as individuals and as a church.

Michael Oren served as the Israeli ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013. An American by birth and a historian by training, Oren arrived at his diplomatic post just as Benjamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton assumed office. During Oren's tenure in office, Israel and America grappled with the Palestinian peace process, the Arab Spring, and existential threats to Israel posed by international terrorism and the Iranian nuclear program.

In this inspirational autobiography, Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, the airline pilot whose emergency landing on the Hudson River earned the world's admiration, tells his life story and talks about the essential qualities that he believes have been so vital to his success.

For more than a year, Howard Schultz, the chairman and former CEO of Starbucks, and former Washington Post senior correspondent and associate editor Rajiv Chandrasekaran searched the country for even more of America's unsung heroes, as a follow-up to Upstanders' first season. Now you'll hear the stories and voices of the people they found - local citizens who are demonstrating unbelievable courage and inspiring a better America at a time when we need these heroes more than ever.

In addition to the regular demands of preaching and shepherding, modern pastors feel undue pressure to entertain congregants and increase attendance numbers. Often, churches resort to the latest business models to keep pace. But true, life-giving guidance lies in Scripture and the wisdom of those having come before us. Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls helps pastors to embrace a classic, biblical vision of ministry through the study of selected pastoral virtues and early church figures.

Every man is being shaped by some kind of wisdom. However, the key question is – what type of wisdom is guiding us? Scripture doesn’t suggest every form of wisdom produces a better, more flourishing life. In fact, it warns us of the opposite condition – that we ought to be mightily aware of the possibility that we may be digesting and guided by worldly wisdom, which eventually leads to our own downfall, devastation, and death – yet it will feel so satisfying going down.

At a time of political polarization and economic turmoil, we yearn for superior leadership. Few have demonstrated this trait better than Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, a man who embodies the core values that are at the heart of America: responsibility, optimism, integrity, loyalty, and compassion. In this follow-up to his best-selling memoir, Sullenberger engages nearly a dozen distinguished Americans to explore the nature of leadership, what it means, what it takes, and how it can be fostered and developed in all of our lives.

At the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus commissioned his followers to embrace a way of life making disciples. He extends that mission to us―a way of life rooted in relationship, focused on mutual growth, intentionality, and transformation as we follow Jesus together. Sadly, the activities and events that dominate many churches too often become an end in themselves and actually distract from discipleship. The Great Commission drifts out of focus of the whole church and becomes outsourced to a spiritual elite.

The Modern Scholar series offers you college-level courses taught by the world's most respected professors. As these expert teachers guide you through the course material, you become more knowledgeable and better versed in the subject. Learning has never been easier or more enjoyable!

What greater act of friendship is there than making someone dear look and feel their most beautiful and powerful? That was the priceless gift acclaimed designer B Michael gave to one of Hollywood’s greatest actresses, Cicely Tyson over the course of their close, decades-long relationship. In this glorious memoir, B Michael recalls the bond they shared and what it was like to dress the Queen of Hollywood for all the extraordinary events of her life.

Vampires don't exist, do they? That is a question Private Detective Tony Mandolin finds himself pondering as the evidence piles up in a case involving a string of dead redheads and the usual dose of weirdness San Francisco has to offer. To complicate things, Mandolin has to deal with the perception that he has become the latest golden boy of the fog city's crime boss. Then there's his cross-dressing friend Frankie.... Just another day in San Francisco.

Ten of Me, One of You is a candid and practical guide for junior executives navigating the unique pressures of middle leadership. Caught between frontline employees, upper management, and client demands, junior executives often face a role few fully understand—and even fewer can advise on. Drawing from over two decades in the telecommunications industry, Jesse Cook offers real-world insights for those leading from the middle.

Anyone who has tried it, even for a day, knows that children’s ministry is challenging. Pastors Deepak Reju and Marty Machowski have been in your shoes and they want to help. Drawing on decades of family ministry experience, they have a passion to help children’s ministry directors, pastors, and volunteers remember the “why” of children’s ministry and gain a fresh vision for the “how” of effective discipleship and proactive nurturing of the next generation.

In these chapters, former CEO Ben Beckhart offers a stimulating look at what is needed from leaders, both today and as we move into the future. The central tenet is that leadership can have the most significant positive impact when it is graced with a sense of character. Leaders who can do that will become role models for generations to come

This story is inspired by true events based on the life of Michael B. Blacc (as Kamar Washington) and T.N.M. (as Joaquin Parker). T.N.M. is the real-life beloved friend of Michael B. Blacc. When We Were Boys - Book I heavily concentrates on the life of T.N.M. Joaquin Parker escapes from Brooklyn after a gruesome fight that hopefully puts an end to his traumatic past. He is on board a plane, flying to Atlanta to get help from his Aunt Emilia. On the flight, he is fated to meet a man named Kamar Washington.

Aunt Emilia calls Kamar to reveal shocking news as he is battling his murky past. He has to face the atrociousness of the days gone by to find solace in his present ones. When We Were Boys, Book II starts with Young Kamar being separated from his mentally ill guardian, supposedly for his own good. But even after that, Kamar has yet to know what “good” seems like. He has yet to know what a real and loving family feels like — because all he knew was a dysfunctional and nightmarish one. The one that just might shove you in front of a moving vehicle then leave you for dead.