A tattoo can tell a lot about a person. Some reflect a rebellious season, like the demons that cover Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers. Some express religious ties, like actor Mark Wahlberg’s once tattooed rosary. Some are symbols of love and loyalty; Some serve as remembrances, like rapper Lil Wayne’s teardrops, representing deaths of loved ones.Inked by Janet E. Kusiak and Kimberly D. Goad uses the language of tattoos to explore the question: what has marked your life? ...

In this short excerpt from The Cure for the Common Life...It's Sunday afternoon and you're already dreading the inevitable Monday morning. You spend 50+ hours at a job you hate, only to come home too exhausted to pursue anything other than reality TV.Well, you are not alone: 87 percent of workers don't find meaning in their work and 80 percent believe their talents are not used. And there are consequences-whether or not we realize it, our resulting attitude impacts our heal...

Do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you." These and other seemingly simple lessons were hard-won for a hardheaded young man who was more "wise guy" than "wise" early in life.Now, internationally known psychologist and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Kevin Leman shares the biblical wisdom that has shaped him into the successful, joy-fil...

On those days when French fries litter the floor of your minivan, when you think bad words about other drivers, when your smile hides an anxious heart–in those moments when you fall short of all you’d hoped to be–what does God see when He looks at you?In your less-than-lovely moments,God sees a precious daughter in need of His perfect love.In this liberating look at how God adores and transforms imperfect people, Bible teacher Lisa Harper weaves poig...

This morning, somewhere between your first step on the floor to your last step out the door, you stuffed your bag full. No, not your purse, or a diaper bag, or your child's lunch box, but one created in your mind. And you didn't stuff it with books, band-aids, or baby food-you filled it with burdens. The kind of burdens moms carry.The suitcase of guilt. A sack of discontent. You drape a duffel bag of weariness on one shoulder and a hanging bag of worry on the other.No wonder you're...

In the years following the senseless and tragic shooting on the campus of New Life Church in northern Colorado Springs, Colorado, senior pastor Brady Boyd has received countless questions from the faith-filled and faithless alike. As the nation watched the suffering congregation reel from the gunman's rampage and, later, steady their stance once more, the one question on everyone's mind was, "How has New Life weathered such a horrible storm so well?"In Fear No ...

If Jesus were to sit down with you right now and have a DTR (Define the Relationship) conversation, how would you respond? In Not a Fan Student Edition, bestselling author Kyle Idleman challenges you to go beyond fandom into a true follower relationship with Jesus.If someone asked, "Are you a fan of Jesus?", how would you answer? You attend every movie featuring a certain actor, you know the stats of your sports hero, and you can ...

“I wrestled with whether a God that I couldn’t see or touch would be willing to single me out from the millions of other people who wanted love, attention and help.” To women all over the country, from all walks of life, this uncomfortable uncertainty is all too familiar. Now—for inspiration, for affirmation, for a divine connection—you have a new place to turn … to this authentic look at what it takes to pursue God with abandon, by acclaimed author Stacy Hawkins Adams. Offering insight, i...

"Lisa's fine grasp of Scripture and love for the Lord make her a trustworthy teacher, yet we learn from her own hard-earned lessons as well. She speaks and writes from a place of understanding, as she clings to God's hand, giving us the privilege of stumbling into grace with her."—LIZ CURTIS HIGGS, best-selling author of Bad Girls of the Bible"So, today I've been thinking about...things thatbind us. The thoug...

Whether giving or receiving, forgiveness is the key toward true healing and blessing.God says there are no limits to forgiveness toward others or ourselves. And when Matthew West set out on a journey asking people to share their true life stories, Renée shared about how she chose to forgive the drunk driver who hit and killed her daughter.This remarkable story and others like it bring peace and healing to the one needing and the ones giving forgive...

If we pay attention to the alarms in our lives, they could save us.Worry. Anger. Loneliness. Negative emotions are uncomfortable by design. Like any good fire alarm, they alert us to a greater danger. But they won’t help us if we try to cover them up, hide them behind excuses, or assume they will always plague us.The only healthy way to manage negative emotions is to find their source and address the problem that set them off. As pastor Jeff Schrev...

The Christian life isn't always a walk in the park. Children of Christian parents do die. Christian businessmen do lose their jobs. And husbands of Christian wives do cheat. Being a Christian doesn't protect you from the tough punches life throws.Taking fourteen strategies from the biblical account of the Israelite journey, Walking with God on the Road You Never Wanted to Travel offers real hope to those on an unexpected, difficult journey. For forty years the Israelites w...