This second book in the Perfect Illustrations series contains 300 more anecdotes and illustrations for pastors, writers, teachers, and other Christian communicators on a variety of topics. Each entry includes Scripture references, cross-references to related topics, and an anecdote or illustration, and its source.

Every preacher, teacher, or writer knows the value of a good illustration in helping connect the truth of the passage with the congregation or class—and how hard it is to come up with good illustrations week after week. This book contains the cream of the crop: 1001 illustrations carefully selected from among thousands on Christianity Today International’s popular website PreachingToday.com. These illustrations are proven, memorable, and illuminating. As the saying goes, they will preach! And they’re fresh, all written within the past seven years. Of course the best illustrations are no good if you can’t find the right one. These illustrations have been arranged according to twelve master topics, each divided into several subtopics. Further, they’ve been indexed according both to Bible references and to 500 keywords. A searchable CD-ROM is included, allowing you to get the illustration into your lesson or sermon with ease.

Many times people wrack their brains for succinct, “preachable” quotations to drop into sermons or teaching materials. Now they can relax! 101 Quotations that Connect features inspiring observations from a wide spectrum of influential people of the past two millennia, culled from the collection of Christianity Today. This volume—which contains the reflections of church fathers, missionaries, poets, and celebrities—is a gold mine for preachers, teachers, and writers.The sayings are arranged under eight descriptive categories, including Ancient Words, Rattling Words, and Keen Words. They are helpfully listed by source, then according to key topics, making retrieval of just the right quote a snap. Whether one is driving home the point of a sermon or simply wants a quote book for reflective reading this unparalleled collection is a “must have” resource!

Everyone gets "down to nothing" at some point in life, whether in relationships, finances, vision and courage for the future, physical or emotional exhaustion, or disappointment with God--everybody at some time comes to the end of their rope. It's exactly at those points that God does His best work. When we're down to nothing, God is up to something--truths to teach us, answers to satisfy us, assurance to bolster us, resources to supply us, or directions to guide us. In this book, Robert Schuller chronicles a particularly dark period in his life and shares with the reader what he learned God was up to in his relationsips, meeting his needs like health and finances, providing guidance in his emotional life, but most of all, in learning to know and trust God more.

You are twentysomething and in the prime of your life. You are current, capable, cosmopolitan, and completely confused. Thrust out of the comfortable existence of a college student and into the cold, hard reality of life in the "real world", you face a whole new array of responsibilities. You have to find a job, possibly relocate to a new city, find a place to live, figure out how to pay the bills with the entry-level salary you land, make new friends, and find a church (just to name a few)! The good news is that you're not alone. Margaret Feinberg-twentysomething herself-wants you to know that there are tens of thousands of others facing these same challenges. "Our twenties really can be some of the best years of our lives, no matter what our landlords, bosses, parents, or anyone else says," encourages Feinberg. Offering Scriptural insights, encouragement, humor, and practical wisdom, twentysomething confronts this "crisis" and shows you how to survive without losing your patience or your passion for life. twentysomething will inspire you to hold onto your dreams and to embark fearlessly on the journey God has for you.

A book full of inspiration for the Christian.

Author Simeon Rosete is an experienced speaker and pastor, who has gathered together a collection of resources mixed with new, never-before-seen inspirational, educational, entertaining, and Bible-based thoughts. This book is a treasure trove that contains a wide variety of materials for personal daily devotions. It is also a good source for teachers, pastors, and speakers who are searching for materials to use in the classroom, newsletters, or sermons. These stories and quotations are emotionally inspiring, wisdom-filled, thought-provoking, heart-warming, healthful, witty, fun, and spiritually uplifting. Much of the material is spiritually challenging to the reader on a personal level, and most include a short biblical discussion, Bible scripture quotations, and applications for life. These will brighten your day, challenge you to become a better person, teach you life lessons, and encourage you on your journey through life.

What’s at the heart of every thriving person, every thriving marriage, kid, and business? Hope! The Hope Quotient is a revolutionary new method for measuring—and dramatically increasing—your level of hope. Hope is more than a feeling; it’s the by-product of seven key factors. When these are present in your life, they cause hope to thrive. Factor 1: Recharge Your Batteries Nobody does well running on empty. Factor 2: Raise Your Expectations You don’t get what you deserve; you get what you expect. Factor 3: Refocus on the Future It’s time to throw away your rearview mirror. No one goes forward well when they are looking back. Factor 4: Play to Your Strengths Be yourself; everyone else is taken. Factor 5: Refuse to Go It Alone Never underestimate the power of support. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Factor 6: Replace Burnout with Balance Burning the candle at both ends isn’t as bright as you think. Factor 7: Play Great Defense Avoid these five toxic hope killers that can threaten your future. Using seven years of research, powerful biblical illustrations, and compelling human-interest stories, Ray Johnston explains how these seven essential factors will support, sustain, and strengthen your hope. And when consciously built into your life, how they will unleash hope in your marriage, your kids, your career, your church, your community, and the world. Discover your HQ level, the most important contributor to your overall success, and then learn how to improve it. Because when hope rises—everything changes. FLAP COPY: Hope: It’s the one thing that can change everything! When you have hope, eleven things are unleashed in your life: You have more satisfying relationships. You’re more productive. You’re less affected by stress. You’re more successful. You’re more satisfied. You’re more compassionate. You’re more willing to help people in need. You’re physically healthier. You hold yourself to higher moral and ethical standards. You’re more likely to assume leadership. You’re more likely to see God as loving, caring, and forgiving. This book will help you discover your HQ level and learn the seven key factors that, when built into your life, unleash hope. When you have genuine hope—not trite, pious platitudes but authentic hope that produces inner strength and confidence—anything is possible.

"We must all listen to Nina Garcia. Sharp and genuine, her advice can make or break an outfit." -- Tim Gunn, Fashion Consultant and Mentor of Project Runway "Believe me-there's pressure when you're deciding what to wear to a meeting with an iconic fashion designer or a member of the press. It can be terrifying. But instead of panicking, I stop, take a deep breath, and remember that I speak "fashion." And by the time you have read this book, you'll be able to speak the language of fashion too, at all the key moments of your life." -- from Nina Garcia's Look Book Every woman, at one time or another, has contemplated an all-important job interview, first date, formal party, or important presentation and wailed to herself and to her closest girlfriends, "What should I wear" In Nina Garcia's Look Book, style guru Nina Garcia solves this universal quandary with an inspired and unbeatable combination of fashion knowledge and common sense. She shows us the pieces, the accessories, and the strategies to create the looks that will take us from the first day on a job through the day we ask for a raise and beyond, from the first time we meet our boyfriend's parents (or his children) through the day we see our own children walk down the aisle. With Nina by your side, you can't go wrong. You'll have all the tips you will need to navigate every day looking your best. True style is not about having a closet full of expensive and beautiful things-it is instead about knowing when, where, and how to utilize what you have.