God Wants to Use You

There was the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:27–34. God could have reached him without human help. Instead, He allowed Paul and Silas to be incarcerated in his jail. From these two prisoners, the jailer heard the gospel, and he and his family came to faith. I think also of Cornelius in Acts 10, a centurion searching for God. An angel told him he needed to meet someone named Simon Peter, and the angel explained where to find him. Interesting. The angel could have given him the gospel. Instead God chose to use Simon Peter. And what about Saul (later the apostle Paul) in Acts 9? While it’s true he was converted through an encounter with Christ Himself on the Damascus Road, God sent Ananias to confirm this with Saul and to pray for him to receive the power of the [ … ]

“Greater” Hits “New York Times” Bestseller List

Pastor Steven Furtick’s new book Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God’s Vision for Your Life. debuted at #4 on The New York Times Hardcover “How-To, Advice” Bestseller list on Sunday, Sept 23.  Greater is Steven’s second book and his first New York Times bestseller.

NEWS: Altared Featured on ChristianityToday.com & Crosswalk.com

Altared: The True Story of a She, a He, and How They Both Got Too Worked Up About We, by Claire and Eli, was featured on ChristianityToday.com, Crosswalk.com, and WORLD on Campus. Go here, here, and here to read the excerpts and reviews!

A Life of Joy and Energy

Jesus did not endure his days on earth out of a sense of obligation. His life was characterized by joy and energy; it was spent in relationship with others. Today, too many Christians line up to follow God out of duty or guilt, or even hoping to win a ticket to heaven. They completely miss the warmth and richness of the experience of living with God. They fail to pick up the aroma of what God is doing in their part of town.

Here’s the truth: God has set up shop where you live. The doors are open and the coffee is brewing. God is serving the refreshing antidote to the conventional, unsatisfying, arms-length spiritual life—and God invites you in. God won’t make you stand in line.

Excerpted from The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet

---

[ … ]

SNEAK PEEK: Rocky Mountain Heiress Collection (eBook exclusive) by Kathleen Y’Barbo

Take a trip back to the nineteenth-century Wild West in these three inspirational romance novels, attractively priced and packaged as an eBook omnibus.

Click here to download chapter one of The Rocky Mountain Heiress Collection eBook exclusive.

Kathleen Y’Barbo’s The Rocky Mountain Heiress Collection includes the rollicking romances of three amazing young women; an adventure-seeking heiress pretending to be a governess to go west, a feisty well-to-do society girl longing to become a journalist and chase the story of a lifetime, and the millionaire’s daughter who is being asked to marry for the good of the family business . Fans of westerns will find themselves transported to frontier Colorado, and into stories with independent heroines, adventure, [ … ]

Zeal for Good

Sometimes you’ve got to be zealous for what is good and not worry about the outcome. When I go out on a limb, I ask myself, “What is the worst thing that could happen here?” Usually, it’s not that bad. It’s things like, “I’ll be embarrassed”—well, that’s nothing new. Or, “I’ll lose their friendship”—risky, but many times by taking a stance you earn their respect and strengthen your friendship.

Then, I consider, “What is the best thing that could happen if I do this zealous, good thing?” Lives could be improved, hearts could be changed—it could be incredible!

Excerpted from Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs

---

Daily Reflection:
What zealous passion is God calling you to act on?

SNEAK PEEK: Ollie Chandler Collection (eBook exclusive) by Randy Alcorn

Three suspense detective novels for the price of one in this eBook-exclusive omnibus.

Click here to download chapter one of The Ollie Chandler Collection eBook exclusive.

Ollie Chandler is a brilliant and quick-witted homicide detective who lives by Ollies’ First Law: “Things are not what they appear.” These best-selling novels offer readers a compelling, intriguing story of Ollie Chandler combined with other favorite characters. Deadline, Randy Alcorn’s first novel, stayed on the bestsellers list for thirty-six months. Dominion is a dramatic story of spiritual searching, racial reconciliation, and hope. Deception responds to readers’ demand for more of his believable, compelling fiction. Readers will gain a greater understanding of heaven while recognizing a new idea of why God [ … ]

Dealing with Anxiety

When anxiety strikes and blurs our vision of God’s glory and the great­ness of the future that he plans for us, this does not mean that we are faith­less, or that we will not make it to heaven. It means our faith is being attacked. At first blow, our belief in God’s promises may sputter and swerve. But whether we stay on track and make it to the finish line depends on whether, by grace, we set in motion a process of resistance—whether we fight back against the unbelief of anxiety.

[. . .] Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Notice: it does not say, “I never struggle with fear.” Fear strikes, and the battle begins. So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead, the Bible [ … ]