A Proven Path to Move from Shame to Healing If you persistently feel you don't measure up, you are feeling shame—that vague, undefined heaviness that presses on our spirit, dampens our gratitude for the goodness of life, and diminishes our joy. The good news is that shame can be healed. With warmth and wit, Lewis B. Smedes examines why and how we feel shame, and presents a profound, spiritual plan for healing. Step by step, Smedes outlines the road to well-being and the peace that comes from knowing we are accepted by the grace of One whose acceptance of us matters most.

Join Sheila Walsh on her journey from despair to joy Beautiful and talented, Sheila Walsh was at the pinnacle of her career, appearing daily on television as cohost of The 700 Club. One day she found herself walking away from it all and checking in to a psychiatric hospital, where she stayed for a month. From the outside everything seemed fine, but on the inside Sheila was in trouble. In her journal she wrote, “Lord, please hold me. I’m falling into a dark well. I feel as if I am disappearing a little more every day. I am so angry inside that I am afraid of myself. I feel so alone.” How did this happen? What brought her to her knees? Loved Back to Life takes readers on Sheila’s journey of the soul from hopelessness to joy as she finds that although the road was scary, at every turn God beckoned her to follow and trust Him. And He did not let her down.

'An outpouring of truth, wit, and beautiful comedic wisdom.' Katherine Ryan 'Such a funny and interesting book.' Sara Pascoe 'Finally my vagina has a voice!' London Hughes 'Powerful, bold, vulnerable, beautiful, hilarious, universal, unique.' Scarlett Curtis ********************************************** For as long as she can remember, Grace Campbell has been told that she doesn't suit her name. But being graceful is no fun anyway. Growing up in a world of privilege and politics, she had a lot to feel confident about. But she was also a record-breaker when it came to feeling shame. Shame about sex, shame about rejection, shame about mental health. But over time, and with a 24 carat gold dose of female friendship, Grace has turned shame into a defiant sense of self. At only 27, Grace has got a lot to learn about being an adult, but she's already got a lot to share about being a disgrace, and how she came to be utterly, disgustingly, disgracefully proud of it. This is the book every young woman should read, and every young man should worry about.

Inside the hearts of every human on earth, there is a place of silent brokenness. It stays silent because most of us don't know how to talk about it or what to do with it. It is the place that speaks to us of worthlessness and failure, keeping us bound to a narrative that we will never be good enough. This brokenness can be defined by one, singular word: SHAME. This place of shame damages our own hearts and the hearts of those closest to us. It passes down from generation to generation and creates layers of dysfunction in our families and communities. But we are not created to be bound by our shame. We are designed to thrive in the freedom of GRACE. We are created with inherent worth and infinite value. We are intended to reflect the beauty and brilliance of the God who calls us his own. Healing, forgiveness, freedom, empowerment, and hope wait on the other side of our shame. You are invited to the path of grace.

The Christian Church in the western world is skilled in ministering grace for guilt. And so we should be. The Christian message is the good news that Jesus Christ, by his sacrifice on the cross, has paid the penalty for our sin and removed our burden of guilt. But what about those who are burdened with shame? Does the Christian Gospel offer anything for shame? Well it turns out that once we begin to ask the right questions we discover that the Bible has a lot to say about shame. We discover that Jesus ministered (and still ministers) grace for shame as well as grace for guilt. And we, as pastors, are invited to participate with God in this broader ministry of grace-grace for shame, as well as grace for guilt. This book explores three questions: What is the nature of shame? What does the Bible have to say about shame? And what are the practical implications of this for the life of the church and for pastoral ministry? If you have ever puzzled over why the Christian Gospel doesn't seem to connect for some people this book may be for you. It turns out that the grace of God is richer and deeper than we, wearing our western-culture spectacles, may have realized. For people who are burdened more by shame than guilt, we have good news also. Are we willing to take a second look at the Scriptures, and consider this forgotten gospel?

With reverence for the church universal, and a keen prophetic eye for the sins and failures of our modern church, this book exposes all the ways we have allowed homosexuality to triumph in the culture at large, and offers hope for the future.

When Serena Dyksen heard the news that over 2,200 babies remains were found on the property of abortion doctor Ulrich George Klopfer, her whole body went numb from shock. She began to sob tears of grief. Is my baby one of those remains? she questioned. Dr. Klopfer performed her abortion when she was just thirteen years old. Just months before, Serena had decided to share her abortion story. After watching one of the last scenes in the pro-life movie Unplanned, she felt it was time to share the hope and healing God had done in her life. Serenas story reads like a traumatic tale: a childhood of dysfunction, rape, abortion at thirteen years old, a pregnant teenager at the age of sixteen, health issues, and a devastating event that led her to alcohol and drug abuse. But in her book, She Found His Grace: A True Story of Hope, Love and Forgiveness After Abortion, Serena reveals the transforming power of Gods healing in her life that set her completely free. She now finds comfort from Genesis 50:20 (ESV): As for me, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Serena wants everyone who reads her book to know that she walks in freedom because of the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everyone needs to walk through the healing process of their past abortion, no matter what the circumstances, she testifies. If you dont, you will be walking through deception, pain, and all the bondage that goes with that. But the same God who sent people to show His love for me is the same God who will redeem your life too! Headlines of Dr. Ulrich Klopfers evil highlights the horrors of the abortion industry, but Serenas testimony overshadows that darkness with the truth of God's word. There is forgiveness, hope, and healing for your past abortion. God shines through my life; he can shine through yours too!

You were made for more than a love/hate relationship with your body. It's one thing to know in your head that you were created in the image of God. Yet it's quite another to experience this belief in your body, against the cultural ideals of a woman's worth. And between the two lies a world of frustration, disappointment, and the shame of somehow feeling both too much and never enough in your body. Jess Connolly is a bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and trusted Bible teacher who knows this inner conflict all too well, and this book details her journey--and yours--of setting out to discover how to break free from the broken beliefs we all hold about our bodies that hold us back from our fullest life. The truest thing about you is that you are made and loved by God. And the truest thing about Him is that He cannot make bad things. This book will help you believe it with your whole self, as Jess guides you through an eye-opening, empowering process of: Renaming what the world has labeled as less-than Resting in God's workmanship Experiencing restoration where there has been injury And becoming a change agent in partnering with God to bring revival to a generation of women Far from a superficial issue, self-image is a spiritual issue, because God has named your body good from the beginning. Whether your struggle is with eating and exercise habits, stress or trauma, infertility or injury, this book makes space for you to experience God meeting you in this tender place, and ring His freedom bell over your body in a whole new way.

If you asked a millennial or younger person in your church, "What do I need to believe to be a Christian?" what would they say? At a time when "truth" is up for grabs, a journalist-turned-pastor wants to help believers understand what they believe. How? By using the simple lyrics "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." In this winsome book, bestselling author John S. Dickerson clearly and faithfully explains essential Christian beliefs, using simple stories that have resonated with his congregation of thousands. He guides readers into these basic beliefs, and most importantly, he illustrates why these beliefs matter. The result is an easy-to-read primer, designed for a time when Christianity is questioned and challenged. It is a great study for young adults, new believers, and long-time believers who want to reclaim the essentials. For anyone who wants their small group, church, or loved ones to embrace the authority of Scripture and the nonnegotiable doctrines of Christianity. "What does it mean to be a genuine Jesus follower in an age when most people, including many self-described Christians, believe that God is well-pleased with a life lived in alignment with a 'designer faith' of their own making? In Jesus Loves Me, John Dickerson answers that question with a deep dive into the simple but profound gospel that Jesus taught as the only kind of faith the Heavenly Father would be well-pleased with. As Dickerson points out, we can't be true Jesus followers if we don't know who He is or what He said and never bother to actually live like He told us to live. Whether you are a brand-new Jesus follower or a longtime veteran, this book will help you nail down the basics of what it means to genuinely know and follow Jesus."--Larry Osborne, author and pastor, North Coast Church "Most Christians would tell you they believe the Bible to be God's Word. And yet many of those same Christians could not even articulate what the core beliefs are to the Christian faith. In Jesus Loves Me, John Dickerson does a great job of helping believers understand the basic teachings of Scripture. This is a great resource for any Christian who needs to build a stronger foundation to their faith."--Steve Poe, lead pastor of Northview Church, Carmel, Indiana

Shame is everywhere. Whether it's related to relationships, body image, work difficulties, or a secret sin, we all experience shame at some point in our lives. While shame can manifest itself in different ways—fear, regret, and anger—it ultimately points us to our most fundamental need as human beings: redemption. Shame never disappears in solitude, and Heather Davis Nelson invites us to not only be healed of our own shame but also be a part of healing for others. She shines the life-giving light of the gospel on the things that leave us feeling worthless and rejected, giving us courage us to walk out of shame's shadows and offering hope for our bondage to brokenness. Through the gospel, we discover the only real and lasting antidote to shame: exchanging our shame for the righteousness of Christ alongside others on this same journey.