“Epic Families not only identifies a problem within today’s church but presents suggestions that equip parents to raise kids who are passionate for Jesus and offers ways that churches can partner with and empower parents in this mission. Definitely well worth the read!” — Rev. Allen Perdue Lead Pastor, Jersey Life Church Today’s children are not raised in a bubble. Daily, they are bombarded with worldly wisdom and are tempted at earlier ages with things that would have stunned parents of previous generations. Epic Families strives to help parents reclaim their God-given mandate to raise their children to know and love Him. Developed through more than a decade of ministry experience as well as one-on-one coaching with parents and church staff, this book identifies ways that the church has taken over a role that was designed for parents. It offers suggestions to parents to help them confidently teach their children about the God who made them, loves them, and wants a relationship with them, while also suggesting ways that churches can partner with parents, while not usurping the parents’ role. Epic Families can empower parents to inspire their children to trust God and make wise choices. In the busy and sometimes scary world we live in, parents need to intentionally showcase God’s presence to their children and let Him permeate their lives; this book offers them a valuable resource to do that.

The times are definitely changing. What was once simply referred to as a Nuclear Family in North America has morphed into labels such as Non-Traditional Families, Fragmented Families, Single-Parent Families, Gay-Partner Families, Blended Families, and beyond. "It may not always be pretty, but it is reality, and that's the intersection between biblical ideal and ministry practice," writes editor Michael J. Anthony in A Theology for Family Ministry. With thoroughly researched input from a broad team of family experts, the book advises church and ministry leaders on how to make biblically and philosophically informed choices when reaching out to adults and children within these shifting paradigms. Emphasis is placed on what the Scriptures teach about the composition of the home, followed by discerning and hopefilled strategies for helping all families live out their God-given mandates. "While the family may continue to change into models that bring discomfort and angst to some of us, we rest in the assurance that God has a plan for those who live in any of these new configurations of what we now call family," explains Anthony. Other contributors include Ken Canfield, Michelle D. Anthony, Karen E. Jones, Freddy Cardoza, Michael S. Lawson, Richard Melick Jr., Curt Hamner, Leon Blanchette, Gordon R. Coulter, James W. Thompson, Timothy Paul Jones, Randy Stinson, Kit Rae, and David Keehn.

As God allows us to understand the mystery and marvel of brain science, we have the exciting opportunity to reexamine our assumptions about human behavior. Perhaps nowhere does this impact our lives more profoundly than when we think about raising children--especially teenagers. Where parents often see a sweet boy or girl who has morphed into an incomprehensible bundle of hormones and angst, what we really ought to be seeing is an amazing young adult whose brain is under heavy construction. And changing the way we see our teens will revolutionize our relationships with them. Organized by what we hear teens say--things like I'm bored, You just don't understand, Why are you freaking out?, I hate my life!, or Hold on . . . I just have to send this--this book helps parents develop compassion for their teens and discernment in parenting them as their brains are progressively remodeled. Rather than seeing the teen years as a time to simply hold on for dear life, Dr. Jeramy and Jerusha Clark show that they can be an amazing season of cultivating creativity, self-awareness, and passion for the things that really matter.

“To prepare yourself to make difficult medical decisions in a distinctly Christian way, you won’t do better than to read Between Life and Death.” —Tim Challies Modern medical advances save countless lives. But for all their merits, sophisticated technologies have created a daunting new challenge, namely a blurring of the expanse between life and death. The dying process is often hidden behind a complex web of medical terminology, statistics, and ethical decisions, making it difficult for patients and loved ones to know how to approach the end of life in a dignity-affirming, Godhonoring, faith-filled way. This book offers a distinctly Christian guide to end-of-life care. It equips readers by explaining common medical jargon, exploring biblical principles that connect to common medical situations, and offering guidance for making critical decisions. In these pages, readers will find the medical knowledge and scriptural wisdom they need to navigate this painful and confusing process with clarity, peace, and discernment.

The Unedited Truth About Sex · Is hooking up really wrong? · What about living together if you fall in love? · If the Bible bans sex before marriage . . . is everything else fair game? · What about same-sex relationships? Since when does God deny any kind of true love? Great questions . . . but who has the answers? Our culture creates a lot of confusion about sex. Honestly, sometimes it's difficult to know who's telling the truth. On one hand, when we read our Bibles or go to church, we hear how God's design is to wait for sex and save that kind of intimacy for marriage. But on the other hand, when we go to school, turn on the TV, or listen to many of the songs on our favorite playlists . . . they say quite the opposite. Naturally, this makes many of us wonder. Who's right? Sex seems fun. How can something so natural be off-limits? In Sex Matters, Jonathan McKee tackles all of these questions, giving you the frank, unvarnished truth about sex--regardless how awkward or embarrassing. "Sex Matters provides super-helpful, truthful answers to the big questions you've wondered about, but never asked. Way better than anything you'll find through a web search."--Scott Rubin, junior high pastor, Willow Creek Community Church "'Just don't do it' isn't enough. Let's face it. Today's young people chronically encounter sexually charged images and messages, but rarely hear the whole story. They are looking for real answers to tough questions, and Sex Matters isn't afraid to tell them the unedited truth. Every teenager with an Internet connection or a phone in their pocket needs to read this book!"--Doug Fields, youth pastor for thirty years at Saddleback & Mariners Church "This isn't a sanitized, Christianized, moralized 'just say no' tactic, but a practical approach to what's really pressuring kids today, with biblical wisdom for how to succeed."--Pete Sutton, director of student ministry and middle school pastor, Christ Community Church, St. Charles, Illinois "This could be the most honest and relevant book available for teenagers in your ministry. I wish I had something this honest and helpful in my hands when I was a teenager."--Brooklyn Lindsey, youth minister, Nazarene Youth International and ReThink Group "There are a lot of potentially embarrassing questions that rattle around the minds of many Christian teenagers when it comes to sex (How far is too far? Is masturbation a sin? stuff like that). Using powerful stories, eye-opening facts, and surprisingly blunt biblical truth, Jonathan McKee answers these kinds of tough questions with the right mix of truth and grace. He gives teenagers a clear path to living a pure life in a sex-saturated world. Get it, read it, and learn how to let your life and light shine in the darkness."--Greg Stier, president, Dare 2 Share (www.dare2share.org) "Every great adventure starts with preparation. Sex is a great adventure! But it requires thoughtful preparation. Jonathan McKee's Sex Matters is the perfect tool to prepare you for that journey. Do yourself a favor and spend some time thinking, processing, and preparing for the great adventure of sex."--Josh Griffin, Founder of DownloadYouthMinistry.com and high school pastor at Saddleback Church

Self-initiation is killing our young men. Without strong mentors, boys are walking alone into a wilderness of conflicting messages about who they should be as men. It's no wonder that our sons are confused about what the world expects from them and what they should expect of themselves. The Intentional Father is the antidote. This concise book is filled with practical steps to help men raise sons of consequence--young men who know what they believe, know who they are, and will stand up against the negative cultural trends of our day. Jon Tyson lays out a clear path for fathers and sons that includes specific activities, rites of passage, and significant "marking moments" that can be customized to fit any family. It's not enough to hope our sons will become good men. We need them to be good at being men. This book shows how fathers, grandfathers, and other male mentors can lead the way.

Parenting strategies you can be proud of You know the feeling. You got frustrated, desperate, or overwhelmed and you reacted before you could think it through. Whether it’s a one-time thing or it becomes a habit, we all parent in ways we don’t like. But it doesn’t have to continue. Whether it’s bribery, yelling, counting to three, or threats of punishment you didn’t mean to make, reacting never feels good. But if you can learn to act with intentionality, you’ll feel better about your choices and be grateful for the results. Dr. Kathy Koch (pronounced “cook”), author of Screens and Teens and 8 Great Smarts, will teach you proven strategies for training your child’s heart and parenting in a way that honors God. She’ll help you move your child from, “I can’t, I won’t," to “I can, I will, and I did.” We can do better than “Because I said so.” or “No screen time for 3 days.” We can do better than mere behavior modification. We can change our children’s hearts and teach them to do what is good, godly, and right even when we’re not around. Once you’ve learned to put these motivation strategies in place there’s no more need to nag, you’ll be astounded at what your kids will do without being asked. Dr. Kathy doesn’t offer a quick-fix. Starting with the heart is all about changing what children believe in order to change their behavior. And learning to use this kind of motivation takes effort, consistency, and strategy, but it works. And it’s never too late! If you’re willing to commit to a little hard work up front, you’ll enjoy your kids, your life, and yourself much more when you learn to start with the heart.

OVER 500,000 SOLD IN THE PRAYING THE SCRIPTURES SERIES As parents of adult children, we often worry about whether our children will make good choices when they're on their own. Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children provides you with biblically based prayers and encouraging stories to guide you as you pray for your adult children through anything they face. Parent and author Jodie Berndt understands what it's like to release children into the world and still care deeply about them and everything they're up against in life. In Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children, Jodie shares prayers designed with your adult children in mind, whether they're just leaving the nest, flying well on their own, or struggling to take off at all. Jodie shares advice on navigating all aspects of adulthood with encouraging stories from experienced parents who are praying their children through real-life issues like leaving the church, struggling with health concerns, navigating broken marriages, fighting addiction, dealing with financial problems, and more. In Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children, Jodie addresses some of the most difficult questions that confront parents: How can I support my children when they make decisions I disagree with? Is it too late to start praying for my children? What does the Bible teach us about praying for our children? With the grace and wisdom of someone who's been there, Jodie shares the tools and encouragement you need to find the strength to keep praying, even as you doubt yourself and grieve over your children's choices. Whatever you're praying for, Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children will help you find confidence and peace taken straight from Scripture, guiding you to the bedrock of God's promises as you release your children to God's shepherding care.

Parenting comes with stresses that can make the most laid-back among us feel irritable, frustrated, and angry. Even parents who sincerely love their children sometimes use the wrong methods of anger and frustration in an attempt to control their children. But angry parenting doesn’t just weaken relationships between parents and their children; it can, over time, destroy them. Few parents set out to become yelling meanies who no longer enjoy their children. Yet many feel stuck, unable to pull themselves out of their ugly habits. This book: Provides practical and biblical solutions to get to the other side of the issue Gives hope and freedom from the tyranny of stressed-out and angry parenting Offers solutions that are ideal for any family. If anger is in your home — even in small ways — this book is for you. It is time to replace that anger with something more powerful: patience and peace. Israel and Brook share candidly from their experience as parents.

Glimpses of God's Grace in the Hospital Room If you've ever spent time in a hospital, you know that it can be a place of struggles and hardships. These hardships aren't limited to physical problems; often when our bodies are in pain, our spiritual lives can suffer too. Former trauma surgeon Dr. Kathryn Butler experienced this firsthand as she walked alongside patients, colleagues, and friends through various illnesses and aching loss. In Glimmers of Grace, Butler draws from this experience to guide believers through the deep questions of God's trustworthiness in the midst of suffering. Blending memoir and devotional reflections, Butler interweaves her own stories of grace with narratives from Scripture to reveal how God's steadfast love endures even in times of great affliction.