To be human is to suffer—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In addition to our own suffering, we also encounter the suffering of those around us. While the world of medicine attempts to relieve suffering and the media tries to sell us on a life without pain, only the Church offers the perspective that suffering has meaning. St. John Paul II said that suffering without meaning can lead to despair, but if we can attach meaning to our suffering, we are capable of going through anything.

The Activated Disciple teaches you how to imitate God, so you can become an instrument for him to transform the world. If you yearn for a life that moves beyond believing and practicing and if you yearn to become an activated disciple, then this audiobook is for you. The foundation of discipleship is imitation. An activated disciple learns to walk in the ways of the Lord. Discipleship requires such a close relationship with God that every area of your life is transformed.

Over the past hundred years, scholars have attacked the historical truth of the Gospels and argued that they were originally anonymous and filled with contradictions. In The Case for Jesus, Brant Pitre taps in to the wells of Christian scripture, history, and tradition to ask and answer a number of different questions, including: If we don't know who wrote the Gospels, how can we trust them? How are the four Gospels different from other Gospels, such as the lost Gospel of "Q" and the Gospel of Thomas?

The path of following Jesus is an ancient and storied spiritual tradition. Yet many believers are not familiar with the three major forms of prayer and the three stages of spiritual growth that exist to bring them closer to God. In his most personal book yet, Brant Pitre, PhD, draws on the riches of the Bible, the words of Jesus, and the writings of mystics across the centuries to shed light on the mystery - and wonder - of the spiritual life.

Most parents have no trouble telling their children how to dress, drive, study, or shave, but struggle to talk with them about how best to live about real love, faith, integrity, values, true enrichment, and success. In the tradition of Tuesdays With Morrie, Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft shares with us the wisdom that he has compiled for his children as his best gift to them. These heart-to-heart chats present priceless truths to live by in a casual yet compelling way.

In 2019, Peter Kreeft published Socrates' Children, a four-volume series on the 100 greatest philosophers of all time, spanning from ancient Greece to contemporary Germany. But he made a terrible mistake: He somehow left out women, and with this, he overlooked the greatest mind of them all. This book is a one-of-a-kind study on Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus. If Jesus Christ is wisdom incarnate, and if Mary loved Him more than anyone else ever did, then it holds that Mary is the greatest philosopher, the greatest wisdom-lover.

The Mass may seem routine, and it may be the common property of millions of Catholics, but much lies beneath. Mike Aquilina not only answers practical questions about this central act of Catholic worship, but also walks you through the Mass, explaining the meaning behind the prayers and practices.

Fr. Robert Barron's comprehensive work goes straight to the core of the Catholic faith. He first examines the foundations of Christ's incarnation, life and ministry, and then works through the essentials of the Catholic tradition: from sacraments, worship and prayer, to Mary and the saints, and on to salvation, heaven and hell. Throughout this epic journey, Fr. Barron uses art, literature, personal stories, Scripture, theology, philosophy and history to present a complete picture of the Church to the world.

Hahn explores the "covenant love" God reveals to us through the Scriptures and explains how God patiently reaches out to us—despite our faults and shortcomings—to restore us into relationship with his divine family. Join Hahn as he follows the high adventure of God's plan for the ages, beginning with Adam and Eve and continuing down through the generations to the coming of Christ and the birth of the Church. You'll discover how the patient love of the Father revealed in the Bible is the same persistent love he has for you.

Drawing from the rich tradition of the church and powerful insights from the saints and the Bible, this invaluable resource teaches Catholics how to recognize God's voice, discern spirits, and know which vocation God is calling them to. It will also show you that it is possible to be in the waiting yet fully joyfully alive at the same time. After listening to this book and following this five-step discernment process, Catholics can be at peace with their decision, knowing that they have truly discerned God's will.

Of all things Catholic, there is nothing that is so familiar as the Mass. With its unchanging prayers, the Mass fits Catholics like their favorite clothes. Yet most Catholics sitting in the pews on Sundays fail to see the powerful supernatural drama that enfolds them. Pope John Paul II described the Mass as "Heaven on Earth," explaining that what "we celebrate on Earth is a mysterious participation in the heavenly liturgy."

In Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary, Dr. Pitre takes listeners step-by-step from the Garden of Eden to the Book of Revelation to reveal how deeply biblical Catholic beliefs about Mary really are. Dr. Pitre uses the Old Testament and ancient Judaism to unlock how the Bible itself teaches that Mary is in fact the new Eve, the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, and the new Ark of the Covenant.

There is a voice within you. Listening to that voice is the difference be­tween happiness and misery, wonderful memories and heartrending regrets. The Rock­ing Chair Prophet is a transformational story about reclaiming that voice and the unmiti­gated joy that comes from following it.

The saints, the heroes of the Roman Catholic faith, lived lives of holiness, dedicated to serving God. The saints lived at different times in different places throughout history, but they all shared a love of God that has been documented through the teachings of the Church. Today, the saints serve as examples for all Catholics, showing the believers how to lead a more spiritual life. Catholic devotions are particular customs, rituals and practices of worship or in honour of the saints that are in addition to the liturgy of the Catholic Church.

Made This Way is an excellent resource for all parents who wish to introduce their children to the beauty of the Church’s moral teaching concerning human sexuality. In a practical way, it allows the adults themselves to become more acquainted with the rich natural law tradition thus enabling it to be shared with a new generation.

Is praying a duty or a delight? J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom say that it's both; an essential, expected practice as a follower of Christ, but also a privilege and joy. As we start out learning to pray properly, however, the delight often seems to be missing. Here is practical help for active, honest praying that involves all of who we are - heart, hands and head - and moves us to deeper obedience, joy and intimacy with our Father.

Times of disaster are unavoidable. We don’t get to choose whether or not to live in such times. We can only choose what to do with the time that we live. Will we let fear and darkness overwhelm us, or will we choose to shine the light of hope? In Hope in Any Crisis, pastor and best-selling author Bill Johnson reveals the powerful divine protection offered to you as a believer, three responses you can experience in times of uncertainty, and your responsibility to have hope in all things.

First published in 1992, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home has become a classic on its eponymous subject. Awarded Christianity Today's Book of the Year award and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's Gold Medallion award, Prayer continues to receive widespread acclaim as one of the most thorough and insightful treatments of this central spiritual practice.

Prayer is as necessary to the Christian as breathing is to the human body - but it often doesn't come quite as naturally. In fact, prayer in the church often gets subtly pushed to the side in favor of pragmatic practices that promise tangible results. This book focuses on the necessity of regular prayer as a central practice in the local church - awakening us to the need and blessing of corporate prayer by examining what Jesus taught about prayer, how the first Christians approached prayer, and how to prioritize prayer in our congregations.

For most of us, fear is something we try to avoid. And fearing God hardly sounds like an occasion for joy. But Jerry Bridges shows how the fear of the Lord is actually the key that opens the door to a life of true knowledge, wisdom, blessing, and joy. We all want a deeper, more intimate relationship with God - one that's characterized by joy. But how does fearing God lead to joy? After all, aren't we supposed to love him and live in intimate relationship with him?

Do you realize that the God of the universe speaks your love language, and your expressions of love for Him are shaped by your love language? Learn how you can give and receive God's love through the five love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Gary writes, "As we respond to the love of God and begin to identify the variety of languages He uses to speak to us, we soon learn to speak those languages ourselves.

Jodie Berndt shows you how to make the Bible a book of prayers that can powerfully influence your children's lives. You'll discover how to pray specifically and expectantly for their faith, character, safety, relationships, and future. You'll gain new, biblical perspectives on God's purposes for your children. And through the encouragement of the Scriptures and true-life stories, you'll find out what a huge difference your prayers really make in the lives of those you love most.

Many Christians experience low points in their faith, times when their spiritual lives have grown cold, stagnant, or routine. They feel frustrated and are desperate to reconnect with God. Yet encouragement alone is not enough. We need God's power to bring transformation, and we need specific tools and a focused intent to know the Lord.

Based upon powerful insights from the scriptural book of Ephesians, and seasoned with personal stories and practical wisdom, Defined challenges you to let the One who knows you best be the One who guides your heart the most. It’s time for all of us to live in the amazing light of His acceptance, abundance, and strength.

Whether you know it or not, you have the authority to change the world through prayer. When God said, “Let mankind rule over all the earth,” He was arranging the dominion of the world so that the partnership of mankind was essential for the accomplishment of His purposes. Through his unique perspective on this often-misunderstood subject, best-selling author Dr. Myles Munroe takes the mystery out of prayer, providing practical answers for difficult questions about communicating with God.

David Jeremiah approaches the good news of God's willingness to respond to our prayers from a fresh angle, describing prayer as the built-in trigger for the good things that happen in this world. Listeners will discover just how eagerly God is waiting to answer us. Like a loving father, He is always glad to have us come to Him as children with the things that are on our heart! Prayer delights God's heart, because He has ordained the processes of the world to work through the prayers of His people.

We all have those days: when small problems become crises, when doubt begins to overwhelm faith, when exhaustion hits and depression colors the world black. Fact is, the daily grind of life is not going away! Since we cannot escape it, we must find a way to live beyond it. And the book of Psalms holds the answers, offering words of surpassing strength and comfort for those difficult and demanding times. Through 26 engaging weeks in the Word, Charles Swindoll will guide you to listen to the Psalms and to live them.

Newlywed Laura Story thought she had control over the great life ahead of her. After all, she followed Jesus and had a promising new job as a worship leader. Why would God not want to fulfill her dreams? But when Laura and her husband, Martin, faced a brain tumor, infertility, and a son’s birth defect, she realized she’d been looking for a happiness that comes from circumstances, rather than a deeper joy that comes from God. Again and again, Laura had to surrender her vision for her life so she could embrace God’s vision.

Most Christians earnestly desire to connect with the Holy Spirit, but we all need to understand that the Holy Spirit earnestly desires to connect with us! He wants to unleash divine miracles and supernatural forces that can change the world around us. Power Portals explains how these connections work and reveals the benefits that come to the believer when they make the connection.

For years Stormie Omartian prayed the prayer, "Change my husband, Lord." Then she realized that she had to pray for herself - and examine her own heart - before she could pray effectively for him. Her prayer become, "Change me, Lord." Here, she presents that process for all wives who want the power to pray for themselves and their husbands.