These books will always go back to my parents who brought life into this body. In loving memories to Lee Kenneth Carter and Jeannette Bryant Carter. For the learning and teaching of Christ first and then general living and working for the things that life has brought forth unto me. For without them, none of this could have been possible for me. For as I walk daily, IaEUR(tm)m walking in the anointing of them. When IaEUR(tm)m operating business, IaEUR(tm)m being that daddy; and when IaEUR(tm)m sewing, IaEUR(tm)m being that mother. And the blessing of God falls down on me at all times in my life because of them. For without the parents that God had given me and my sisters and brother, well, letaEUR(tm)s say we could have turned out much differently. Hopefully our children and their children will follow within the footsteps that they had laid out before us as well. From birth, God had made me a servant, a servant to His finest of peopleaEUR"federal government. For I have one of the oldest trades. They wore uniforms in the Bible days, and today, I supply uniforms to GodaEUR(tm)s finest of people. If they work for the post office, police, Department of Transportation, or even a nurse, I got them. For these are mostly what they are truly worth to people, no indeed. Well, being a police officer, what can that person be paid to risk their life in that uniformaEUR"no amount! Because the people that they are there for to protect and serve will blow their heads off. And doctors practice medicine, but God is the healer and doctors are there for the nonbelievers in Christ. God covers all the people in the world; regardless to the color of their skin or anything else, HeaEUR(tm)s there for us. He did it back in the Bible days and HeaEUR(tm)s still doing it today, if we trust and serve and believe in him. And IaEUR(tm)m that believer in Christ and the mighty works that He has done within my life. These books will be healing of daily life tasks, and we generally arenaEUR(tm)t talking to the oneaEUR(tm)s beside us but carrying the tasks of life, just the same. And I will share my testimonies and others with you, giving the praise back to God for all the healing within oneaEUR(tm)s life. And you can see youaEUR(tm)re not alone but others have had the same task and are now sharing them with you for the healing within your life as well. Enjoy the healing and blessing that God has given unto us, and give the praise back to God for what he has done, and the ministry will carry on in books of the grace and mercy of God in our lives. For God has never failed us but people always do, and He is always there to repair us from those its within our lives. The its are the people and places and the things that wasnaEUR(tm)t good for us but we felt we needed them anyway, and God opens up our eyes to how they didnaEUR(tm)t benefit us at all in our lives and puts us in a better place than ever after they were long gone from us.

Abandon dead, dry, religious rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved. Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). Bethke's message clearly struck a chord with believers and nonbelievers alike, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged. In his New York Times bestseller Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair, and hope. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior. Along the way, Bethke gives you the tools you need to: Humbly and prayerfully open your mind Understand Jesus for all that he is View the church from a brand-new perspective Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply an ordinary, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. On this journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him with love beyond the props of false religion. Praise for Jesus > Religion: "Jeff's book will make you stop and listen to a voice in your heart that may have been drowned out by the noise of religion. Listen to that voice, then follow it--right to the feet of Jesus." --Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always "The book you hold in your hands is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz meets C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity meets Augustine's Confessions. This book is going to awaken an entire generation to Jesus and His grace." --Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of Limitless Life: Breaking Free from the Labels That Hold You Back

This book is based on the Bible and the many trials people went through. This book highlights how so many overcame through the power of Jesus Christ. The good news is, so can you. There is nothing that can come your way that you can't overcome if you give your will over to the will of God. I know first hand. I know because my own life has not been a bed of roses. In this book, you'll learn about my kids, my marriages, my sickness, my disappointments, and my victories. I give God the praise for all of it. I agree with the Apostle Paul, In Him, I live, move and have my being.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

What Is God’s Grace—and What Does It Mean for You? Grace. It’s a word we’ve heard since the very first step in our faith journey—but do we really believe in God’s grace? Grace raises eyebrows. It begs questions. Grace turns everything upside down. The Grace Message invites you to discover the best flavor of Christianity and celebrate the good news of the Gospel to the fullest. Here, you’ll learn: • how to abandon rule-based living and stop trying to measure up • why your new identity in Jesus matters more than you can imagine • how you can now enjoy God’s New Covenant way of grace Bestselling author and radio host Andrew Farley’s no-nonsense straight talk will awaken you to a revolutionary perspective every healthy Christian should have. Life is too short to miss out on God’s best—and what you don’t know can hinder you from experiencing Jesus in every area of your life. So if you’ve been weighed down by ruthless religion, or you’ve been searching for that high-octane version of the Gospel that you know must be out there somewhere, here it is. This thought-provoking book will challenge you to dismiss the lies you’ve believed and to make up your own mind about how big God’s grace really is. “Andrew Farley shows why the good news is actually great news. This extraordinary, battle-tested message of hope and freedom has a proven track record of transforming lives. The Grace Message is bursting with truth. The love of God practically drips from its pages. Read it and see for yourself!” —Bart Millard, singer/songwriter for MercyMe

“As facets on a gem reveal its hidden beauty, so Dr Ellens’ sermons for Ordinary Time(s) disclose the depth and beauty of the scriptures relating to these months of the Christian year between Pentecost and Advent. His long career prepared him well to author this book. With the approach of a scholar, the patience of a teacher, and the understanding of a pastor, he gives the reader new insights into these familiar scriptures. To read one of his sermons on a glorious summer day is to pray in the words of a favorite hymn, ‘Be Still, my Soul, The Lord is on Thy Side.’ To read one of his sermons on a day of great need, will give the reader reason to be grateful for this book.” – Beuna Coburn Carlson, Church Administrator and Christian Educator, PCUSA, Retired “I have only actually heard one sermon by J. Harold Ellens, but reading this wonderful collection reminds me why he has long been one of my favorite homilists. More like a conversation than a monologue, these sermons immediately pull me into dialogue within myself and with God. Read them and be challenged, stimulated, provoked, informed, and edified. Receive them as medicine for your spirit and soul. Be prepared to be blessed by the Spirit that inspired them.” – Dr David G. Benner, author of Soulful Spirituality and Spirituality and the Awakening Self; website: www.drdavidgbenner.ca

Do you ever feel like your emotions are working against you? Though we may find ourselves stuffing down emotions, exploding with emotions, or reacting somewhere in between, Lysa TerKeurst assures us it’s possible to make our emotions work for us. Lysa admits that she, like most women, has had experiences where others bump into her happy and she comes emotionally unglued. But the good news is, God gave us emotions to experience life, not destroy it. With gut-honest personal examples and biblical teaching, Lysa shows us how to use our emotions for good. Unglued will equip you to: Know with confidence how to resolve conflict in your important relationships. Find peace in your most difficult relationships as you learn to be honest but kind when offended. Identify what type of reactor you are and how to significantly improve your communication. Respond with no regrets by managing your tendencies to stuff, explode, or react somewhere in between. Gain a deep sense of calm by responding to situations out of your control without acting out of control.

In the wake of the "What Would Jesus Do?" movement, Allen Verhey's Remembering Jesus takes a serious look at what Jesus really did and what he might do in the strange world of contemporary ethics. Verhey asserts that following Jesus requires remembering him, and this entails immersing ourselves in Scripture and Christian community, where the memory of Jesus is found. This book, which promises to be Verhy's magnum opus, explores how Christians can practice medical, sexual, economic, and political ethics with integrity. An ideal text for courses in Christian ethics, Remembering Jesus is also a valuable resource for pastors and general readers in search of readable, biblically based guidance for living in today's complex world.

Pastors want to reach the lost with the good news of Jesus. However, we've too often assumed this requires loud music, flashy lights, and skinny jeans. In this gentle manifesto, Jared Wilson—a pastor who knows what it's like to serve in a large attractional church—challenges pastors to reconsider their priorities when it comes to how they "do church" and reach people in their communities. Writing with the grace and kindness of a trusted friend, Wilson encourages pastors to reexamine the Bible's teaching, not simply return to a traditional model for tradition's sake. He then sets forth an alternative to both the attractional and the traditional models: an explicitly biblical approach that is gospel focused, grace based, and fruit oriented.

Maurice Roberts' articles speak to the needs of the times. They have God and his Word as their starting place; and their horizon stretches beyond time to eternity.