Category Archives: Faith

A Spiritual Crisis and a Crossroad: How Should Christians Respond?

Last week, in a stunning departure from the rule of law, the Supreme Court decided that it has the right to speak for God. Five judges voted to defy God and ignore the will of millions of Americans as they declared that marriage is not what God, the Creator of marriage, says it is. Yes, the Supreme Court has made it official: the United States of America has declared that it doesn’t give a hoot about it’s Judeo-Christian foundations. We have gone from teaching our people about the dangers of what God calls sin to celebrating it. God have mercy.

A couple of days ago in Oklahoma, the Supreme Court ruled that the Ten Commandments should no longer be displayed on government property. You know, because God’s words “Thou Shall Not Kill” seem pretty judgmental. We can’t have that. The culture cries, “Don’t judge!” After all, we kill our unborn every day without so much as a second thought. We don’t have a leg to stand on where murder is concerned. Adultery? Who cares? We love that stuff in the good ol’ USA. It’s the theme of most of our favorite TV shows! Coveting? No big deal. We deserve what that other guy has, right?

Yeah. Take them down. Those dated, old-fashioned Ten Commandments need to go, right along with prayer in school and this notion that marriage is a sacred institution given to us by our Creator. To quote former pastor Rob Bell, we Christians wised up and stopped using “letters from two-thousand years ago as our best defense.”

Looking around, it’s clear that many Christians have unbuckled the belt of truth under enormous pressure from the culture. Many pastors have begun exchanging the truth of God’s Word for the easy “truth” of the world in an effort to be “loving,” except that denying the truth of God is never loving. I have to wonder if those pastors who will not stand on the authority of Scripture care more about winning a popularity contest than they do about speaking the truth.

And so, we find ourselves in a full-blown spiritual crisis. So where do we go from here? What do we do?

Christians need to do two things as we find ourselves at this crossroad:

Repent.
Not a popular word, I know. Sort of a crowd-shrinker, really. But we cannot expect God to hear our prayers if they are being hindered by our sin. We need to do business with God.I’m including myself here. I watch things that I know in my heart grieve my Lord. I’ve committed to living more completely for Him than I have been. I have asked God for forgiveness in my own life more in the past year than I have ever—because I realize that I need to do a better job of living the way God says I need to.Our healing must starts with personal repentance. So let me ask you: What are you allowing yourself to watch? To listen to? Are you saying one thing and living another? If so, the Bible says your prayers are being hindered!We must not be hypocrites. It’s time to clean house. Repentance needs to happen within the Church.”Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. And let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:10
Cry out for wisdom. The Bible teaches that the Lord grants wisdom. Not the culture, not judges, not the courts. We cannot possibly navigate the complex issues of our generation correctly unless we ask the Lord to give us wisdom.3Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
4 Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:3-5
Be resolutely committed to reading and “rightly dividing” the Word of Truth.This means that each of us needs to take responsibility for our own walk with God. Your pastor should not, and in fact, cannot replace your personal time with the Lord.We are living in a biblically illiterate generation of Christians who do not know the Word of God and therefore cannot stand upon it. This is a terrible weakness. Christians who do not know the God they claim to serve are sacrificing truth on the altar of compassion. If we are not in the Bible, we will operate on our own thoughts and motives. We must be in the Word!

I have been thinking a lot about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their decision not to bow to the gold statue that their king ordered them to bow to. Despite threat of death, they honored God. We are at a “gold statue” moment in the United States. This is our time to choose whom we will serve.

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, “Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. 17 If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then he will. 18 But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18

Today, we are being given an opportunity to be exactly who God says we are: SET APART. Be set apart, Christian! Be different!

Will you be persecuted? Yes. Criticized? Absolutely. But I’ve decided to follow Jesus. If Jesus was willing to bear the cross for me, then I am willing to bear the criticism of this world.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
(Romans 12:2)

The New Face of “Hate”—and the Message of Grace

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My heart hurts a little today. Not gonna lie. Turns out that God’s word is unpopular. I have gay friends. I love them. I’ve never said an unkind word to them. I’ve never been rude, disrespectful or the least bit “hateful.”

However, apparently my stance that God created marriage and that His word is authoritative and inerrant on all matters pertaining to life and death has made me hateful. As such, I have become the target for some truly hateful comments. People have said they wished I would die, called me a bigot, said that their god is “disgusted” with me. Several posters questioned whether or not I should be allowed to keep my “indoctrinating” my own children. “I hate you!” one woman yelled in a Facebook post, “You should not be allowed to live in this country!” Shortly after that, another woman said I was the “most ignorant, hateful person she had ever encountered.”

Really? Does she not get out much? If I’m the meanest person she has ever encountered she should meet some of my social media “followers.”

In a breath-taking departure from the rule of law, the Supreme Court has mandated a new moral code for you. So how do we…

Posted by The Busy Mom on Monday, 29 June 2015

A few days ago, when our president colored the White House with God’s rainbow in celebration of what God calls sin, my heart broke. Like many of you reading this, I felt I could barely breathe. It was an affront to the millions of people in this nation whose very souls ached at the sight—but more importantly, it was an affront to God.

As I was being publicly mocked for “sheltering” my kids via homeschooling them, the US Department of Education changed their Facebook profile to celebrate what God calls sin. As I have said before, education is never, ever neutral. In Luke 6:40, the Bible teaches us that when a “student is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.” And now, if you dare to disagree with the state teaching your children their version of morality—get ready—you’ll be called hateful. I can almost guarantee it. This is the new “tolerance.”

Listen. Can I just say again that I stand on the word of God? Shoot the messenger if you must, but one day, I’ll stand before the Lord and give an account of my life. I’m clinging to the only thing in this life that is true: the gospel. I have my own sin. I myself am in need of a savior; of His grace. It is ungrace to deny His power and saving grace in my own life. For me to not love other people would be an affront to the One who gave His life for me. Lord! Help me to love like Jesus loves!

In my grief, I wonder: could it be that these attacks toward anyone who dares to hold to the authority of Scripture betray a deep longing for grace? I believe many who post such things live just beneath a thinly veiled search for grace, a desperate longing to be truly loved. We were created by God and for God … and love is here. Love won at the cross.

Because of the cross, grace is here. The message of the cross is grace; and in the same way I have felt personally wounded, it occurs to me that grace is just that—deeply personal. God’s grace abounds, even now. He rejoices when even one of his lost ones comes home.

Grace baffles those who have never experienced it. The world us the opposite of grace. The world, and unfortunately, the church is known for it’s lack of grace, not for grace. In this context, I understand why one man said I was “just like the Taliban.” He’s never experienced grace. It’s hard to comprehend why or even how God could extend outstretched arms to us even in our sin. And yet, that’s what He does. He freely offers grace, mercy and forgiveness. He says, “I love you—and you’re wrong.” This is a dichotomy that is almost impossible to comprehend in our world. Grace, God’s grace, is only free because God has paid the cost.

We cannot stop saying that grace is for everyone anymore than we can stop speaking the truth about sin.

This is the message of the cross: the hope and change this nation is looking for will never be found apart from faith in Jesus. This is where I stand, battle weary and bruised, wearing humbly the criticism that really is aimed at the cross of Jesus Christ. He gave His very life for me. I can do no less than proclaim His love and mercy until He brings me Home.

Only God’s Love Wins: Love Apart from Truth Is Not Love

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Most of you know that I am a Christian. As such, I believe stranger things than the idea that marriage is between a man and a woman. I believe that Jesus is risen from the dead; that God created us and thereby gets to decide how His created beings should live. God has given us parameters to live in the same way we give our own children parameters; not because we don’t love them, but because we do.

I believe we can be forgiven because the Son of God sent His son to die for our sin. In short, I believe the Bible. I take God at His Word. In the Bible, God, the creator of sexuality, clearly defines how He intended for it to be enjoyed: in marriage, between one man and one woman.

In the seventies, we used to say, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.” This is my stance where God’s Word is concerned, not just over the issue of marriage, but over all issues God addresses.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court wildly overreached it’s role—which is to interpret the Constitution. My heart is heavy over this breach of trust placed in our judicial system—but more than that, I grieve over the trouble that is sure to follow this blatant disregard for the expressed will of our Creator.

Our grief as Christ followers over our nation’s rapid departure from the truth of God’s word is real. God is not silent on the issue of marriage. He defined it, and the Supreme Court of United States, though it may try, can never re-define it.

It’s been coming for a long time, but yesterday, we witnessed the turning of the tide in this nation against God’s word. Many Christians will stay silent, not wanting to be labeled as haters or bigots or homophobes. Can I challenge you to speak instead of being silent? As Christians, we are called to love, and to bear witness to our Savior. As Christians, God’s word is the standard by which we live our lives. As Christians, we do not rejoice over evil, we weep over it.

Sin is certainly nothing new; but what is new is how quickly those who claim the name of Jesus are rejecting the truth of His Word in order to have the wind of culture at their back. Following God today will make you unpopular. Can I challenge you to be among those who will be unashamed of the gospel?

So why is this such a big deal? As Christians we grieve over what is coming, not only because the Bible clearly tells us, but because we have tasted the bitter fruit of our own sin. Apart from the Holy Spirit, we are slaves to sin. Colossians 3:5-6 warns us that the height of sin’s self-destructive power “sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” brings with it the final wrath of God. “On account of these the wrath of God is coming.”

Christian brothers and sisters, Jesus was the ultimate example of speaking the truth in love, and if we are to follow Him, we can do no less. Don’t worry about anyone trying to label you. You have already been labeled. If you claim the name of Christ, you wear the label: redeemed. You have been bought with a price, and you belong to the One who made you.

The culture has pushed an idea that we can no longer disagree and still be loving, yet that’s exactly what Jesus does. Love apart from the truth is not really love. Christians who disagree with this ruling (and all of them should) and proceed to demonstrate hatred don’t speak for Christ. Instead, the fuel exactly what the gay “marriage” movement wants. Don’t give them that chance. They will know we are Christians by our love.

Yesterday’s ruling issues a challenge to Christ followers everywhere—to not only live in such a way that our lives do not make us hypocrites, but to talk about marriage the way Jesus did—as part of the gospel itself, a picture of the way Christ sees Himself and His church.

God gave His Son as a ransom for all our sin. He saved us, He spoke the truth in love.

We can do no less.

The battle is not ours, but the Lords. Take heart. Keep loving. Keep praying.
There will come a day when God will make all things new.

The ART & ACTION of PRAISE

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I didn’t grow up in church attending family. My Sundays weren’t centered around a holy growing community. There was no church. There was no steeple. No opening of doors to see all the people. My walk towards Christ was well versed and beautifully written though. All His love stories are. Mine just didn’t happen to have pews and prayer cards while I wore ponytails.

To many church regular attendees, this may prick. Perhaps I’ve already received a few “bless her heart” whispers too. And that’s okay. I completely understand the sadness felt when a child has not had the opportunity to be wrapped in the communicative arms of Jesus every Wednesday and Sunday. It’s important. Church? Yes. Jesus? Most definitely.

I write all of this to shed light on the absoluteness of what it feels like to be an adult finding my Sunday seat as the months roll in and out into years. Specifically with regards to praise during times of worship. Not knowing Christ and finding Him completely in my heart until the age of 22, I am a bit of an easy proof of childlike faith in an adult-sized package.

When the first chord is played or the first note sung, I immediately become transfixed on Him. I lose absolute sight of the people around me or the place in which I am sitting. Very often, my eyes close. My thoughts turn to an impromptu myriad of thank yous followed by a laundry list of the grieving I have within. I smile with my hands as they burst into the air not long after my hips have begun to rock back and forth to the tunes of His love played right before my very soul.

It’s worship. It’s my gift to Him and His back to me. I equate this love affair to a pep rally of sorts. And I am most thankful for the community of people surrounding me in His house, but, if I’m honest, I am not there for them. At least not during this time of praise and song. I am there to love on my Father with all that I am.

I like to think of it as making up for all those incredible times I missed out on as a little girl. Times that I could’a been singing Jesus Loves Me or The B-I-B-L-E. I often wonder why there aren’t others just like me. Not that I am by any means the role model for public worship, because I’m not. I’m just an adult reminding myself in those very moments of praise that “This I Know” and “That’s the book for me.”

Worship is action. It’s art in your purest, most vulnerable way. It’s trusting the One instead of worrying what the ones beside you might think. It’s being authentic with your maker and losing all that you are for the moments you have just with Him in His house pouring out your praise.

For those uncertain or nervous about raising your hand, singing loud or swaying your hips when you so desperately want to, I am here to remind you. Better yet, I hope this post will encourage you that He is worth it. That worship is action. It’s our human artwork we create for Him – not just on Sundays – but each time that we engage in our authentic best with our love for Christ.

Let go of the stigmas.
Let go of the opportunity to play church.

And BE the very church that’s full of people ready to give Him just exactly what He deserves. Glory. Honor. And praise.

So I’ll stand. With arms high and heart abandoned,

Don’t Let Your Youth Pastor Raise Your Kids

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Sweet mom—do you know how important your job is? The questions this generation is asking are big.

They’re soul-altering big.

They’re too big to ignore. I believe the questions this generation is asking will define our culture.

Several years ago, I found this soul-nugget in the book of Luke:

“When a child is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40

Little children who are playing blocks on the kitchen floor will soon be standing on the Senate floor—sent there by another generation of children who are, at this moment, sitting on the laps of their mothers.

Many years ago, I sat and listened as a tearful mom from a small Illinois town told me a cautionary tale about her daughter. Christian home. Good parents. Church-going. All-the-right-stuff … and her daughter was gone. Anne’s daughter, heavily influenced by a school counselor and deeply entrenched in a community of kids who did not share her family’s faith, had decided to walk away from God, and from everything their family held dear. She moved out shortly before graduating from high school.

… when a student is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.

Anne felt blind-sided. “We sent her to youth group every Wednesday! She was at every youth event they had! Our youth pastor knew my daughter better than I did! Why didn’t he say something?”

Devastated, Anne struggled with voices that echoed in her soul. She felt the familiar sting of guilt, a favorite tool of the enemy, as it spoke condemnation into her life, carried along by a cruel consequence of poor choices: regret. Anne regretted not being more involved in her daughter’s spiritual life—but even more than that, she regretting believing that her pastor could take her place in the life of her daughter.

She was telling me a story I had heard many times in my seventeen years as a pastor’s wife—and I share it with you, because I want to speak for your pastor: He wants you to know that he doesn’t want to raise your kids. In fact, he can’t.

Parents, there’s no substitute for being in the Word of God. Your pastor’s job is to rally the troops—to teach, to admonish, to encourage you to do what only you can do: walk with God daily on your own. A youth pastor’s job is to encourage your children toward right thinking and right relationship with God—but he’s no substitute for you.

I have heard it said that we have “lost” this generation of kids, but I don’t believe it. You don’t just “lose” kids. You lose their parents first. Parents are lost to discouragement, disillusionment and fear—but we must not give in to fear. We can’t simply drop our kids off at school or church and leave the parenting up to others. It is our responsibility alone. Now is the time. My generation of parents is fully up to bat. We must not fail in teaching our children what it means to live our lives for Christ. We do that by modeling.

Words are not enough.

Our kids need to see us taking God at His Word by being IN His Word. I love my pastor but I don’t want to take his word for God’s Word … I want to read it for myself—and that’s what any pastor worth his salt would want me to do.

Today’s parents need to be in the Word of God. We need to know it. To live it. To teach it to our kids.

The questions that are being asked right now need an answer. Sit down with your kids and take them to God’s Word for the answers.

Sweet tired mom—you are not alone. It’s tiring work, this business of shepherding the next generation. God will give you strength.

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.”
Psalm 138:3

This generation of children and young adults need God’s truth in them now more than ever —to be dug down deep, planted in the rich soil of God’s Word. Stay in there. The work is too important to pass off to someone else, even if that someone else is your pastor.

Your work carries eternal significance with it. It carries the weight of glory—the hope of things to come. Your work carries Jesus to the next generation.

When Your Problem Isn’t Solved In 5 Easy Steps

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Growing up, my favorite sitcom was Full House. DJ Tanner and I were the same age and we both had best friends who lived next door. Every Friday night at 8 P.M, I sat in front of my t.v. to see what was going on in the Tanner house. I watched DJ, Michelle and Stephanie grow up into adults and have all their problems solved in exactly 22 minutes.

Now I have a family of my own with seven kids ranging from 17-2. Life is busy in my Little Red House. Between preparing for high school graduations and potty training my youngest, those Friday nights seem like a life time ago. Life was simpler back then. With a turn of the dial, the TV was turned off and forgotten. Life was black and white.

Not anymore. Technology has made wondrous leaps and bounds. We can accomplish things we only dreamed about 20+ years ago. Facetime and smart phones allow us to connect with people on the other side of the world with one swipe of our finger. But, with this giant leap for mankind, comes much adversity.

I have had a heavy heart lately regarding the internet. I have been praying about and hiding from it. I stopped blogging. I pulled myself away from my online communities and focused on my work. What once was a girl who could pour her heart out on the keys daily, now was someone who didn’t even have the words to make a sentence. My blog page sat empty…

The truth is, for me, the internet turned into noise… static.

Loud static.

With every click, I ran across blog after blog, e-book after e-book, each one promising me something different. Each blog guaranteeing me a perfect home, marriage, meal, relationship with Jesus. 5 easy steps. That’s all it took. All I had to do was read it.

Fluffy words that made me feel good for only the moment, long, flowy sentences that were so pleasing to read but left me sadder and empty the moment I got up from my computer and turned to see the reality of life: messy kids, a shedding dog and stacks of to-do lists…

My kindle sits there full of catchy-titled, unread, $1.99 books – more things looking to fill my mind and steal my time….

So, I simply stopped.

I stopped reading blogs. I stopped writing mine. I stopped following my favorite writers and conversing with my blog friends. I turned down invites to attend conferences and broke all of my writing commitments. I stepped off the platform that was overcrowded with noise and left.

And then I began thinking… What if the enemy was using the very instrument that has been blessing us as a curse?

What if his goal is to flood our minds with SO much information, how tos and 5 easy steps that we have no time to sit and hear HIM!

What if the roaring lion actually disguised himself as a sweet, innocent lamb? What if we were actually looking to the internet more frequently for answers to our problems and not Jesus? What, if we as a society got so over-run with noise that we were not able to hear HIS VOICE?

And that is when my heart got heavy. That is where I was able to pinpoint why I was running. Because I know I was guilty of this too. Our life is so noisy that we can’t hear the one voice that will heal. The ONE voice that holds the answer, the only voice that matters: Jesus.

As I put down my iphone, I realized I couldn’t remember the last time I had picked up my Bible. It was lost in the mess of my night stand… books I wanted to read and my latest Pinterest scarf project. Right there… right where I left it last… waiting for me to pick it up.

It felt so good to have my old Bible back in my hands again. Reading those words were like medicine to my hungry soul, a craving I didn’t realize I had until it was satisfied.

I was away from the noise of the world and I could hear Him again. There He was, waiting for me… patiently. And It felt wonderful.

“Oh be careful little ears what you hear,

Oh be careful little eyes what you see

‘Cause the Father up above is looking down in Love

Oh be careful little ears what you hear..”

Dear USA Presbyterian Church: Read Your Bible

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Years ago, when I was a student at Multnomah University, I had the privilege of sitting under the teaching of Dr. John G. Mitchell. He always used to say, “Don’t you folks ever read your Bibles?” I wish he was still here. He died in 1990 at the age of 97, but I heard him enough to get the message: we need to read and know our Bibles if we’re going to live for Christ in this world.

I am troubled by something I see happening in our churches. Christians, the people who bear the name and image of God, are trending away from the truth of God’s Word and careening toward fear-based living. This generation of Christians is in a full-blown spiritual crisis. We’re listening to everyone but God. We’re not reading our Bibles.

Don’t believe me? Look no further than the USA Presbyterian church (not to be confused with the PCA.) Last week, millions watched as it finally caved into cultural and political peer pressure and fear, turning a blind eye to the Word of God and declaring that God is cool with homosexuality—when His Word, the Bible, clearly states the opposite. And they’re not alone: just weeks ago, controversial former pastor Rob Bell flat out told Oprah Winfrey that the church is “moments away from embracing” gay marriage.

Ummmm. Mr. Bell. Read your Bible. You’re making emotional arguments for spiritual problems. God says this is a sin issue. It’s not up for emotional debate. This is an issue for God alone to decide. And please. Don’t speak for the the Church. (Big “C” here.)

Brother and sisters, read your Bibles! God is not silent on the issues we are facing today. God’s view on sexual sin, including homosexuality, can be clearly seen in the Bible: Romans 1:24-27 Lev 20:13, Leviticus 18:22

While we cannot (and should not) expect the world to understand or apply God’s Word to their lives— surely we can and should expect those who claim the name of Jesus Christ to live by God’s standard. The USA Presbyterian church, in sanctioning homosexuality, is in sin. They’re not reading their Bibles.

Romans 8:5-8 tells us that when we live by our flesh, we have our minds on what our flesh desires. Denominations like the USA Presbyterian church are doing nothing short of granting a license to live by the flesh, which is the opposite of living by the Spirit.

We are living in a world that is full of fearful, spiritually immature Christians. Rather than learn to rightly apply God’s word to our lives, have chosen to “go with the flow” of the culture and remain “Christian” in name only. We have bought into religion instead living in right relationship with Jesus. We have allowed sin to run rampant in our churches and have become complacent—an overcorrection from the equally damaging legalism and hyper-judging we’ve engaged in for years.

It’s fear that drives Christian pastors to accept homosexuality and fail to protect the unborn. It’s fear that keeps Christian men and women from speaking the truth in love. Fear drives “Christians” to hold hateful signs on street corners. Fear says, “God hates homosexuals,” when in fact, He loves them! Fear whispers, “It doesn’t matter. God doesn’t care,” and the fearful Christian leans in to listen, either unaware of the price God paid for His freedom or unwilling to obey the call of the cross. Fear is not from God.

We must return to the Word of God. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Power. A sound mind—and love. Yes, we can speak the truth in love. The truth and love are not mutually exclusive. In God’s economy, they’re one in the same.

It was love that caused a holy God to send His only son as a ransom for mankind. It was love that drove Jesus to talk that long walk to the cross. What message are we sending to our children when we disregard the truth of God’s Word? We cheapen the message of the cross when we live in disobedience to the Bible. We mock the One who gave His life for us when we decide to turn a blind eye to sin.

Dear Christian, you have the mind of Christ. You can know His will for your life!

Our lack of Biblical knowledge has made us impotent in the spiritual battle we are facing. We want the love of God, but not the sacrifice it takes to walk rightly with Him, and the USA Presbyterian Church is a perfect example of this. It’s time to get back to reading—and living out—the Word of God. And yes. Standing up for what’s right may cost you, but in the end, we answer to a holy God, not people. We need to do a better job of loving people like God loves them.

Christian parents need to teach their children how to live in the world and not be "of" it.

Christian mom, let me ask you—are you teaching your children about God’s love? About His standard? About sin?

God’s Word should change people, not the other way around.

Read your Bibles, women of God! Let love transform you—and then speak the truth in love.
You can do it. You have the power of Christ in you!

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Resources for today’s podcast:

New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp

Mornings can be tough. Sometimes, a hearty breakfast and strong cup of coffee just aren’t enough. Offering more than a rush of caffeine, best-selling author Paul David Tripp wants to energize you with the most potent encouragement imaginable: the gospel.

Forget “behavior modification” or feel-good aphorisms. Tripp knows that what we really need is an encounter with the living God. Then we’ll be prepared to trust in God’s goodness, rely on his grace, and live for his glory each and every day.

Only God Can Make a Kitten by Rhonda Greene

Only God Can Make A Kitten, written by award-winning author Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrated by bestselling artist Laura J. Bryant, follows a conversation between a mother and child as the child repeatedly asks “Mama, who made . . . ?” In the end, children learn that God is responsible for everything in creation—including kittens!

Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live. by David Platt and Francis Chan

In this new book, David Platt, author of the New York Times bestselling book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, contends that multitudes of people around the world culturally think they are Christians yet biblically are not followers of Christ.

Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World by Craig Groeschel

As standards of conduct continue to erode in our shock-proof world, we must fight the soul pollution threatening our health, our faith, and our witness to others. Without even knowing it, people willingly inhale second-hand toxins poisoning their relationship with God and stunting their spiritual growth.

Soul Detox examines the toxins that assault us daily including: toxic influences, toxic emotions, and toxic behaviors.

By examining the toxins that assault us daily, this book offers the ultimate spiritual intervention with ways to remain clean, pure, and focused on the standard of God’s holiness.

The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn’t Exist Craig Groeschel

“The more I looked, the more I found Christian Atheists everywhere.” Former Christian Atheist Craig Groeschel knows his subject all too well. After over a decade of successful ministry, he had to make a painful self admission: although he believed in God, he was leading his church like God didn’t exist. To Christians and non-Christians alike, to the churched and the unchurched, the journey leading up to Groeschel’s admission and the journey that follows—from his family and his upbringing to the lackluster and even diametrically opposed expressions of faith he encountered—will look and sound like the story of their own lives.

Heidi St. John

Speaking the Truth in Love