Once you see your gifts from God’s perspective, your giving will never be the same. When she was a toddler, Jeff Anderson’s daughter opened his eyes to how delighted God is with our gifts. She brought him a plastic donut from her play kitchen, and he was surprised by the intensity of his reaction. His delight in receiving this simple gift—and his daughter’s joy in giving it—led him to dig deeper. Anderson would not rest until he found the scriptural connection between our gifts and God’s heart. Plastic Donuts removes the awkwardness and uncertainty that often accompany discussions about giving. Now you can think differently—and biblically—about what and how you give. Your gifts can capture God’s attention and connect you more intimately with His heart. Plastic Donuts brings everyone—leaders and followers, teachers and learners—onto the same page.

Have you ever felt held back from the abundant life God promises you? Do you ever look at the satisfaction and success in other people’s lives, and wonder where yours is? In You Be You, beloved podcast host and author Jamie Ivey reveals that the abundant life you want is closer than you think. It’s not over there in someone else’s life. No. It’s right here, right now, in your life as it already is—you just have to know how to take hold of it. And in this book, Jamie shows you how to: Throw out false definitions of success Give up the idea that you must have someone else’s skills, talents, family, or resources to succeed Use the beautiful level of influence that God has given you Start leaving your deepest mark on the world by living your story Are you ready to finally bloom where you’re planted? To finally free yourself to flourish? To live a life that could only be done by Him and through you? Then jump into You Be You, and you’ll find yourself satisfied and succeeding in ways you never expected.

We all know that everything we have is a gift from God. But sometimes it s hard to know just how to give back to God. How much is enough? What does the Bible really say? What should giving look like in our everyday lives? Filled with good news for followers of Jesus, Mark Allan Powell s Giving to God shows Christians the way to a better life and a better relationship with their money — and with God. Powell presents stewardship as an act of worship, an expression of faith, and a discipline for spiritual growth. Faithful use of our time, talents, and money starts with a deep, satisfying relationship with the God to whom we belong. We can then learn, says Powell, to give gladly and generously out of our heartfelt connection with God. Informative, concise, and eminently practical (including discussion questions), Giving to God gives us resources for best using the treasures, material and otherwise, that God has given us.

The astonishing, Job-like story of how an existence filled with loss, suffering, questioning, and anger became a life filled with shocking and incomprehensible peace and joy. Vaneetha Risner contracted polio as an infant, was misdiagnosed, and lived with widespread paralysis. She lived in and out of the hospital for ten years and, after each stay, would return to a life filled with bullying. When she became a Christian, though, she thought things would get easier, and they did: carefree college days, a dream job in Boston, and an MBA from Stanford where she met and married a classmate. But life unraveled. Again. She had four miscarriages. Her son died because of a doctor's mistake. And Vaneetha was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, meaning she would likely become a quadriplegic. And then her husband betrayed her and moved out, leaving her to raise two adolescent daughters alone. This was not the abundant life she thought God had promised her. But, as Vaneetha discovered, everything she experienced was designed to draw her closer to Christ as she discovered "that intimacy with God in suffering can be breathtakingly beautiful."

USA Today Bestseller Learn how to work your way through life’s unexpected challenges with grace and find a deeper faith while on your journey. In this biblical and conversational book by Dr. Tony Evans and his four adult children—Chrystal Evans Hurst, Priscilla Shirer, Anthony Evans, and Jonathan Evans—you will hear five insightful perspectives on what it means to hold on to faith when life breaks your heart. We have all been through difficult seasons and times in life when it seems like the hits keep coming and you can barely catch your breath. The Evans family knows what this is like, as they’ve experienced the deep grief of losing eight loved ones in less than two years’ time, including the devastating passing of Lois Evans, the matriarch of the family. In Divine Disruption, Dr. Tony Evans and his children pull back the curtain on their faith-shaking experiences, in order to provide biblical wisdom and practical encouragement for how to deal with the hard, unexpected things we all inevitably face. You’ll walk away with insights on: Why bad things happen despite a good and powerful God Persevering in difficult times and experiencing God’s peace What causes distress in your life—and how to move past it How to keep your faith from being damaged during tough times Join the Evans Family in this unique Kingdom Legacy partnership as they candidly share honest questions they’ve asked, raw emotions they’ve felt, and solutions they’ve learned. Your life may have been interrupted, but you can use that to grow closer to God—and find peace.

What if we were wired for happiness? If you were to ask a room full of people about how God wants us to live, you’d likely get a wide range of answers. Some people would say he wants us to be holy. Others might claim he wants us to love people and stand up for peace and justice. But chances are, you wouldn’t hear anyone say, “God wants us to be happy.” We all want to be happy, but we may feel guilty for this longing. Isn’t it selfish to pursue happiness? Isn’t it more spiritual to frown than to smile? In a world full of brokenness, is happiness a worthy pursuit? For those seeking to follow Jesus, should this quest be written off as superficial and unspiritual? In Does God Want Us to Be Happy?, New York Times bestselling author Randy Alcorn offers a collection of short, easy readings on one of life’s biggest questions. As he explores what happiness is and how we attain it, Alcorn provides wisdom, insight, and scriptural proof that God not only wants us to be happy—he commands it! (Adapted from the trade book Happiness.)

Fears. Faults. Failures. Frailties. Every woman at some point wonders, Do I have to get past all my weaknesses before God can use me? Wendy Pope is happy to tell readers: No! You don’t have to overcome, correct, rise above, or get strong before you are qualified to be part of God’s plan. He can use you right now. You are a worthwhile possibility. In Hidden Potential, readers see that they can be: faithful, even in fear included in God’s plans, even in weaknesses worth something, even in failure valuable, even in pain Pope explores the life of a fearful murderer on the run with a speech problem and daddy issues—also known as Moses—to show readers God’s power and grace. As she writes, God will never count anyone out as long as they count themselves as His children. Hidden Potential includes discussion, reflection, and Bible study questions, challenges to take readers further in their faith, and real-life stories from other women to remind readers they are not alone.

Written by an L. A. County homicide detective and former atheist, Cold-Case Christianity examines the claims of the New Testament using the skills and strategies of a hard-to-convince criminal investigator. Christianity could be defined as a “cold case”: it makes a claim about an event from the distant past for which there is little forensic evidence. In Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally recognized skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. Including gripping stories from his career and the visual techniques he developed in the courtroom, Wallace uses illustration to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity. A unique apologetic that speaks to readers’ intense interest in detective stories, Cold-Case Christianity inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity.

With Playing God, Andy Crouch opens the subject of power, elucidating its subtle activity in our relationships and institutions. He gives us much more than a warning against abuse, though. Turning the notion of "playing God" on its head, Crouch celebrates power as the gift by which we join in God's creative, redeeming work in the world.

"God's gift of Christmas is Himself. God with us. Immanuel!" -- back cover.