This is savage satire on religious fundamentalism and pop culture. Mephistopheles took over the religions of the world and after thousands of years of holy wars, genocides, inquisitions and holocausts, will unite his religions and establish his kingdom on Earth. Trailer Park Buford, college football hero, is arrested for raping and murdering a six-year-old girl, but because he is so passionately admired by sports fans, corporate America spends billions on his defense. The oratory in the trial is so brilliant that bin Laden, who sees it on television, concludes that Buford is the Seventh Mullah, makes peace with the television evangelism industry, and Buford becomes Buford Christ. Mephistopheles' new religion turns the world into a low class trailer park that is so ugly that it causes God to begin His suicide. But little Laurie, the only child to survive an encounter with Buford, stands alone and fights back against Mephistopheles as the stars go out. The universe hangs in the balance.

As a girl, Alia Joy came face to face with weakness, poverty, and loss in ways that made her doubt God was good. There were times when it felt as if God had abandoned her. What she didn't realize then was that God was always there, calling her to abandon herself. In this deeply personal exploration of what it means to be "poor in spirit," Joy challenges our cultural proclivity to "pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps." She calls on readers to embrace true vulnerability and authenticity with God and with one another, showing how weakness does not disqualify us from inclusion in the kingdom of God--instead, it is our very invitation to enter in. Anyone who has struggled with feeling inadequate, disillusioned, or just too broken will find hope. This message is an antidote to despair, helping readers reclaim the ways God is good, even when life is anything but.

John Piper poignantly shares what God wants us to know about his sovereignty and Christ's supremacy when we encounter sin or tragedy.

Critical reading for parents, educators, and anyone wanting to understand the tragic epidemic of suicide—”a powerful book [that] will change people's lives—and, doubtless, save a few" (Newsday). The first major book in a quarter century on suicide—and its terrible pull on the young in particular—Night Falls Fast is tragically timely: suicide has become one of the most common killers of Americans between the ages of fifteen and forty-five. From the author of the best-selling memoir, An Unquiet Mind—and an internationally acknowledged authority on depression—Dr. Jamison has also known suicide firsthand: after years of struggling with manic-depression, she tried at age twenty-eight to kill herself. Weaving together a historical and scientific exploration of the subject with personal essays on individual suicides, she brings not only her remarkable compassion and literary skill but also all of her knowledge and research to bear on this devastating problem. This is a book that helps us to understand the suicidal mind, to recognize and come to the aid of those at risk, and to comprehend the profound effects on those left behind.

Anyone who has suffered knows that there is no such thing as "getting a grip on oneself" or "pulling oneself up by the bootstraps. The only bootstrap in the Christian life is the Cross," says Mason. "Sometimes laying hold of the cross can be comforting, but other times it is like picking up a snake." Job knew this firsthand. From him we learn that there are no easy answers to suffering. That the mark of true faith is not happiness, but rather, having one's deepest passions be engaged by the enormity of God. And through Job we learn the secret of the gospel: that "mercy is the permission to be human." The Lord never gave Job an explanation for all he had been through. His only answer was Himself. But as Job discovered, that was enough. The Gospel According to Job sensitively brings the reader to this realization, using a devotional commentary format that reminds them that it's all right to doubt, to be confused, to wonder–in short, to be completely human. But what will heal us and help us endure is a direct, transforming encounter with the living God.

Albert Y. Hsu wrestles with emotional and spiritual questions surrounding suicide, ultimately pointing survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief and hope for the future. This revised edition now includes a discussion guide for suicide survivor groups.

Looking away from despair towards hope can feel risky. What if God doesn't come through for you? What if you don't feel instantly better? Instead of offering simple platitudes or unrealistic cure-all formulas, Edward T. Welch addresses the complex nature of depression with compassion and insight, applying the rich treasures of the gospel, and ...

A tragic suicide may have ended the earthly life of Harriet Deison, but it didn’t end the love story she shared with her husband, Pete. Their connection continued through Pete’s vivid dreams of Harriet sent from her new home in heaven. Pete and Harriet Deison were enjoying a full life of being parents, grandparents, and partners in ministry when deep depression spiraled Harriet into a darkness that caused her to take her own life. Suddenly thrust into unimaginable grief, Pete, a Presbyterian minister, turns to his roots as a student and educator in an attempt to make sense of it all. Visits from Heaven is the love story of a man and his wife of forty-three years, which quietly becomes the story of God’s love for his children. The narrative of strange coincidences, amazing answers to prayer, and dozens of dreams by Pete and others affirms that there is a continued existence of a loved one that can be experienced here on earth. Is heaven a place where real life continues, or is it all clouds, pearly gates, and long church services? Visits from Heaven answers those questions, giving readers a clearer picture of what life is like for a believer after he or she leaves earth. It’s also a wake-up call for those who secretly think heaven is a dry and boring place. Deeply grounded in the Scriptures and in the classic works of writers such as C.S. Lewis, Sheldon Vanauken, John Claypool, Randy Alcorn, and N.T. Wright, Deison shares biblical truths about the reality of our continued existence and the nature of our heavenly home. Visits from Heaven gently leads grieving people on an effective and insightful journey through the grief and recovery process.

It’s never too late to be a better father Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family, is an expert in fatherhood—in part because his own "fathers" failed him so badly. His biological dad was an alcoholic. His stepfather deserted him. His foster father accused Jim of trying to kill him. All were out of Jim's life by the time he turned 13. Isn’t it odd—and reminiscent of the hand of God—that the director of the leading organization on family turned out to be a guy whose own background as a kid and son were pretty messed up? Or could it be that successful parenting is discovered not in the perfect, peaceful household but in the midst of battles and messy situations, where God must constantly be called to the scene? That is the mystery unraveled in this book. Using his own expertise, humor, and inexhaustible wealth of stories, Jim will show you that God can make you a good dad, a great dad, in spite of the way you’ve grown up and in spite of the mistakes you’ve made. Maybe even because of them. It’s not about becoming a perfect father. It’s about trying to become a better father, each and every day. It's about building relationships with your children through love, grace, patience, and fun—and helping them grow into the men and women they’re meant to be.