On a beautiful spring morning in 2004, Brian Foutz heard a car door slam shut in his driveway. He walked to his window, expecting to see his daughter, Victoria, returning from an overnight stay with a friend. Instead he saw two officers from the county sheriff's office. The officers were coming to deliver news that would change Brian's life forever. Once inside, the officers told Brian that his daughter wouldn't be coming home. At only eighteen years old, Victoria had been shot in the head and killed. From Misery to Ministry is the story of how Brian and his wife, Leah, find the strength to overcome the loss of their daughter. Brian and Leah offer a moving, intimate account of Victoria's funeral, the trial of her accused killers, and their efforts to find meaning after the grief and heartbreak caused by their daughter's death. With advice on dealing with sudden rushes of emotion, seeking professional counsel, and maintaining a loving marriage in the face of the darkest of tragedies, From Misery to Ministry is a powerful tool for any family that has lost a loved one. Brian and Leah bless all readers with their honesty, their vulnerability, and their message of hope.

Are you bound? Are you trapped in a body of death and it seems that there is no way out? Evangelist Lisa Veney tells you about her real life story of how the devil caused her to be bound with a 9-year crack cocaine addiction, which lead to sex, shame, pain and prison.For years Evangelist Lisa Veney thought that there was no way out, until one day she accepted Jesus Christ into her heart. She believes in her heart that as you read this book, freedom will take place in your mind, body, and spirit. She is fully persuaded that whom the Son sets free is free indeed.

The words of Job, in an epic poem by the talented John Piper, will touch readers' hearts. For while the story of Job's misery is not unfamiliar, we don't often think of God's mercy in the midst of it. Piper's beautiful words, combined with the stunning photography of Ric Ergenbright, will remind readers of the Lord's sovereignty, and His provision for His servant--and for us all.

ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR “The best science-fiction nonfiction novel I’ve ever read.” —Jonathan Lethem "If I could get policymakers, and citizens, everywhere to read just one book this year, it would be Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future." —Ezra Klein (Vox) The Ministry for the Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, using fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all. Its setting is not a desolate, postapocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us. Chosen by Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of the year, this extraordinary novel from visionary science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson will change the way you think about the climate crisis. "One hopes that this book is read widely—that Robinson’s audience, already large, grows by an order of magnitude. Because the point of his books is to fire the imagination."―New York Review of Books "If there’s any book that hit me hard this year, it was Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future, a sweeping epic about climate change and humanity’s efforts to try and turn the tide before it’s too late." ―Polygon (Best of the Year) "Masterly." —New Yorker "[The Ministry for the Future] struck like a mallet hitting a gong, reverberating through the year ... it’s terrifying, unrelenting, but ultimately hopeful. Robinson is the SF writer of my lifetime, and this stands as some of his best work. It’s my book of the year." —Locus "Science-fiction visionary Kim Stanley Robinson makes the case for quantitative easing our way out of planetary doom." ―Bloomberg Green

Every year thousands of God's servants leave the ministry convinced they are failures. Years ago, in the midst of a crisis of faith, Kent Hughes almost became one of them. But instead he and his wife Barbara turned to God's Word, determined to learn what God had to say about success and to evaluate their ministry from a biblical point of view. This book describes their journey and their liberation from the "success syndrome"-the misguided belief that success in ministry means increased numbers. In today's world it is easy to be seduced by the secular thinking that places a number on everything. But the authors teach that true success in ministry lies not in numbers but in several key areas: faithfulness, serving, loving, believing, prayer, holiness, and a Christlike attitude. Their thoughts will encourage readers who grapple with feelings of failure and lead them to a deeper, fuller understanding of success in Christian ministry. This book was originally published by Tyndale in 1987 and includes a new preface.

The aim of this book is to help every believer and minister of the Gospel to boldly speak about their painful past with the intent to positively impact lives through their respective testimonies and ministries that were born out of their past miseries. Thus, 'My Ministry Is Where My Misery Was.' Some of us are conscious of the genesis of our calling and the correlation between our painful past and present ministry, some may not. However, through these difficulties of life came our present ministries. There are many of such ministries out there, probably including yours. The ministry of Tim Ryan to whom I dedicated this book to, is one of such ministries that has touched my life in many ways. Tim shares his personal testimony of liberation from addiction with many today. us, his present ministry was his past misery. The book further discussed how we respond to God's call, the challenges associated with the call and how to overcome them and thrive in ministry. 'But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive' (Gen. 50:20, NKJV). Joseph's past misery became his ministry that liberated an entire nation to the glory of God.

In The Art of Prophesying, Puritan William Perkins (1558-1602) teaches how to preach the Word with "studied plainness," not relying on technique or soaring flourishes of oratory, but rather by unleashing the majestic power of the unencumbered Word of God. Unlike so much of the milquetoast preaching heard today, Perkins teaches how to utilize the Scripture in all its capacities: for teaching correct doctrine, for reproof and correction, and for training the godly in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). This type of preaching changed lives during Perkins' lifetime, and it has the same effect today. Includes a biographical preface by Benjamin Brook. Scripture references (from the ESV) are embedded in the text as hyperlinks--no internet connection required.

This book is a memoir by a certified addictions counselor who suffered sexual and severe verbal abuse by her parents, addictive behaviors, and self-loathing growing up in Central New York. She recounts how she became a Christian and how she was eventually healed of all the hurts and betrayals of her parents to go on to obtain a Master's Degree and be in a position to help others with similar backgrounds.

Hope Carpenter opens up about her personal struggles that nearly destroyed her family, her church, and her ministry, but then God did something miraculous—out of her brokenness, He made something beautiful. As co-pastor of one of the nation's largest megachurches, Hope Carpenter had perfected the roles of supportive wife, good mother, devoted worship leader, and dutiful homemaker. But inside, she was secretly ashamed, sad, and afraid. She didn't know who she was, and she didn't know how to ask for help without bringing down the whole façade. A series of bad choices led to multiple affairs; her husband kicked her out and announced from the pulpit of their church that their marriage was over. Hope was sure her life was done. But in her lowest moments, something beautiful happened. God met her there, and, with a lot of hard work, time, and mountains of therapy, she started to understand the pain that had caused her to act out. She and her family faced their brokenness together, and in powerful acts of forgiveness only God could have arranged, they all found real breakthrough and healing. Ron and Hope rebuilt their marriage and their family, and their ministry thrives today. In The Most Beautiful Disaster, Hope helps readers understand the lasting impact of childhood trauma and gives readers practical steps to uncovering the root of pain in their own lives. She shows how small decisions can lead to big changes, and helps readers find healing and wholeness in Scripture and prayer. Ultimately, readers will be led to hope, reconciliation, and true freedom.