Showing results by publisher "Moody Publishers" in Religion & Spirituality

You’re exhausted. As you see your time and joy being spent on something that isn’t going the way you planned...some days you wonder if it’d just be better to quit. Whether it’s now or later, we’re all faced with a choice between good and easy, between continuing on through difficulty or giving up. When that day comes, what will you choose? Doug Gehman observed firsthand how God used one man’s relentless perseverance to change a country, and it changed him.

It’s easy to speak to others about the Jesus who cared for the poor, healed the sick, and preached love and justice for the least of these. But what about the God who tells the Israelites to wage war and kill entire people groups? Or threatens exile and then delivers? Or sends people to hell? Can these really be the same God? The simple answer is, yes. God in His Own Image takes you on a journey through the Bible exploring God’s true nature.

In 20 Things We'd Tell Our Twenty-Something Selves, Peter and Kelli Worrall look back on it all - the good, the bad, and the miserable - to give you the best of what they've learned. With humility, warmth, and brilliant storytelling, they invite you not only into their wisdom but into their lives, sharing about marriage, faith, drawn-out adoptions, dark nights of the soul, and the God who's in it all.

A gripping tale of escape from Egypt, The Stranger at Our Shore is the true story of one young man’s journey out of Islam into new life in Christ. Through his remarkable testimony, Chicago pastor Joshua Sherif calls on the Western Church to reconsider the plight of the modern-day sojourners in our land—the strangers at our shore and the ones living right next door—and to return wholeheartedly to its first charge: making disciples. Any believer will walk away from this book feeling less intimidated and better equipped to disciple people who are different than them.

We all want to know, "How can I help without hurting in this specific situation?" But there’s no one answer, and there’s definitely no shortcuts, but there are key principles—or ministry design principles. Think of these like the rules an improvising actor learns—the principles are crucial, but the actor must decide how to put them into practice based on the complexities of the situation. This book contains 20 ministry design principles. They’re in no way perfect, but they represent the very best ideas we have for how to do effective poverty alleviation in the kingdom of God.

What if the secret to pastoral success is to do less ministry? Or, maybe, it’s more like a two-part secret: do less ministry, develop more people. The typical pastor takes on far too much. Who visits the hospital? Who counsels couples? Who teaches and preaches and disciples? Usually, the pastor. But according to Ephesians 4, a pastor’s true goal should be to equip the so-called ordinary members of their church to take on these pastoral tasks.

When Jeff Simmons started in ministry, he was surprised at how much of his time involved business. Yet business was never a part of his theological education. He’s not alone. Most people in ministry receive little or no training in this area. When faced with multiple business decisions and tasks a day, leaders can become discouraged or frustrated.

We Shall All Be Changed is a companion for those experiencing the lonely season of suffering and death. In this book, Whitney reaches out from the the screen to hold the hand of the caregiver. Walking through death with a loved one can be incredibly isolating and unsettling. This book reminds us that we can experience God’s very presence in life’s dark and deep valleys.

The Lord’s Prayer is a beautiful, subversive passage of words given to the church by Jesus. It forms our imaginations and—given time—transforms us. And today, we are in desperate need of renewed imaginations. Christians are living in a wilderness of secularism. In Liturgy in the Wilderness, Anglican priest D. J. Marotta shows how the Lord’s Prayer provides a framework in our secular age for understanding, believing, and living in light of Jesus Christ.

Most Christians are familiar with the opening words of Genesis: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” But push beyond those iconic words, and sometimes the details get a little hazy. And strange. God walked around in a garden? Eve was made from Adam’s rib? A talking serpent? And what the in the world were the “Nephilim”? In The Characters of Creation, Daniel Darling re-introduces listeners to the story they thought they knew.

Just who exactly did Jesus love? Author Jessica Thompson intimately engages with the gospel narratives and helps the listener explore who and how Jesus loves. What does Jesus have to say to the doubter or the denier? How does he address the discouraged, the fearful, or the outcast? Have you ever felt forgotten or faint-hearted? Ever needed spiritual or physical healing? He Loved Them shows the interactions of Jesus with real people who have real needs, struggles, and pain.

Christians love to talk about politics, but the current conversation is full of contentious words that divide our churches and families. Dr. Tony Evans takes a step back to find foundational Bible principles for integrating politics into our daily lives. He challenges listeners to incorporate all of Scripture when addressing divisive issues, forcing us to look at political issues we’ve neglected.

Women are an integral part in God’s call to work—to create and advance God’s kingdom. But work looks different for each one of us. Whether in the home, with children, or in a professional environment—or some combination of all of these—women are cultivating a world of beauty, truth, and hope. But it’s not easy. We have doubts and dreams … questions and concerns.

One day, when author and military spouse Jessica Manfre was reading the book of Ruth, she had an epiphany. Ruth is the story of every military spouse. In the book of Ruth, we witness a woman’s brave journey—one of loss, loneliness, and loyalty. A story of love and faith.

Ministry in modern society presents a perpetual assault on the pastor’s soul. Culture has changed, and the challenges of ministry have changed with it. Many new pastors are discovering that they’re ill-equipped to manage unexpected, soul-health tensions of ministry. Some are walking away, and others are choosing to not enter the pastorate despite a sense of God’s calling.

Why do our hearts thrill over a sunset or cry over a song? The experience of beauty does something profound and powerful within the heart and soul of every human being. We were made by God but also for him and his beauty. Pastor Steve DeWitt invites us to taste and see how God is the beauty behind all beauty.

The primary mission of the church is to glorify God by blessing all peoples of the world through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission’s task of global disciple-making is the most ambitious project ever undertaken. Given the scale and complexity of global missions, it’s no wonder that misconceptions abound, even among invested, godly people.

It’s something many Christians can relate to: the desire to pray but the failure to execute. A Journey to Victorious Praying will tell listeners why this is—and how to move past it.

“You knew what you signed up for!” Megan B. Brown has heard that hint of condescension more times than she cares to remember. But did she? Honestly, no. She fell in love with a military man and had dreams of adventure.

Over the span of four years, journalist Maina Mwaura noticed an intriguing pattern while interviewing hundreds of prominent leaders: many of them were deeply shaped by longtime Dallas Theological Seminary professor Howard Hendricks. The Influential Mentor tells the story of Hendricks’ life while capturing his visionary character and leadership legacy.