Spiritual Friendship

All ministry leaders need to cultivate healthy and life-giving friendships with peers, and especially with Jesus. Unfortunately, the concept of friendship has been reduced to clicks and “likes” on social media sites that are neither life-giving, nor truly signs of friendship.

We need companions on our spiritual journey. The modern world has taught us to value autonomy and individualism. Our churches often see spirituality as personal and private. But we cannot go long in our Christian pilgrimage before realizing that isolation leads to spiritual barrenness. We soon discover that our souls long for accompaniment, intimacy, and spiritual friendship. As a result, many Christians today are rediscovering the ancient practice of spiritual direction.

Why is the third person in the Godhead - the one Jesus said would be the believer's ultimate source of truth and comfort - the source of such confusion? In The God I Never Knew, Robert Morris clearly explains that the Holy Spirit's chief desire is for relationship - to offer us the encouragement and guidance of a trusted friend. This insightful and biblically-based book moves beyond theological jargon, religious tradition, and cultural misconceptions to clarify what the Holy Spirit promises to do in your life.

There's just something about people who are close to God. Through the ups and downs of life, they remain secure, hopeful. If you want a more rewarding spiritual life, if you want the pleasure of knowing your Creator's heart, this soul-lifting book is for you. Learn from Dutch Sheets as he shares his life lessons for cultivating an intimate relationship with God. Each of the 30 short chapters reveals a simple practice or biblical mindset that will help draw you away from the noise of life and into the Lord's peaceful presence.

In No Greater Love, Rebecca McLaughlin walks us through the highs and lows of friendship love—a love that’s been neglected and malnourished in our modern world. She draws especially on Jesus in the Gospels and on Paul to show how powerful and precious Christian friendship is and how we can walk through the hurt, loss, and disillusionment that comes from broken friendship trust. Beginning with the words of Jesus on the night he was betrayed and abandoned, she points us to his battle-tested love as the unending source of our best love for one another.

Too often our friendships with other women can be marked by drama, competition, betrayal, and unforgiveness. As women, we can cause one another deep pain, creating wounds in need of healing. But we were made for connection and healthy friendships with other women to cheer each other on and fulfill our God-breathed purpose - together.

In his most accomplished novel to date, Roger DeBlanck delivers an unforgettable contemporary story of a young Native American man on the road to recovery. Abuse and addiction have ruined Thomas Newsome’s youth, but he refuses to follow the wasted path of his father, Gilbert. After Thomas narrowly avoids tragedy, he vows to get clean and stay that way. Before he can bury his past and move on, he wants answers from his father for why he never changed. But then Gilbert falls ill and takes off on a personal journey. With only a handful of clues from his Apache past, Thomas sets out on a ...

Relational Intelligence is your action plan for getting smart about your purpose partners. Relationships were God's idea, writes Daniels, and when we understand and apply what God has to say about them we end up avoiding unnecessary relational turmoil, advancing in all areas of our life, and accomplishing our God-given purpose. When your purpose is on the line, the cost of relational unintelligence is too great to pay. In this audiobook, you will explore and learn how to activate the relational intelligence you need for the life of purpose you want.

Meet a woman who redesigns her garden in response to God’s redesign of her life. Meet a man who wants to laugh with his family more often. Watch a mother and daughter connect in new ways. Observe a grandmother entering into her grandson’s home with encouragement and hope. Listen to the stories of people who are trying to figure out what their gifts are and how they can serve and grow. Set in Washington State, Oregon, London and Switzerland, the short stories in this collection are slices of everyday life on the pathway of self-discovery and spiritual growth. Review The stories in A ...

In Friendship in the Desert, we explore the teachings of John Cassian, a key figure in early Christian monasticism, particularly his reflections on friendship as seen in his Conferences with the Fathers of Scetis. This book focuses on how the Desert Fathers understood and practiced friendship in a way that went beyond worldly companionship, rooted in the pursuit of holiness, humility, and spiritual growth. Through the Conference on Friendship, Cassian addresses how true Christian friendship is built upon mutual support, patience, and a shared commitment to asceticism and self-denial. These ...

This Cinderella invited to the ball gets help from a surprising source. But will she win her "Prince Charming", who's relegated her to the friend zone? When store department manager David Warwick, her secret crush, unexpectedly invites shy florist Ellie Ashton to represent the store at a glittering London ball, she feels more the ugly step-sister than princess material. No make-up, hair that was last styled for her high school prom, and not a single dress in her wardrobe, let alone a ballgown. Only a complete makeover can help her to look and feel the part. Attending the ball with the ...

Broken-hearted after a tragic accident killed her husband and daughter, Hettie Shaw, in her mid-fifties, finds escape in the arms of younger men. When military-trained, Sir Charles reluctantly hires Hettie to solve a blackmail case, it leads to a growing partnership. Their investigation causes a chain reaction that reveals a sinister web surrounding the Welsh town. As they dig deeper, Hettie bites off more than she can chew, and only Gran’s words of wisdom from beyond the grave stop Hettie from becoming a murder victim herself. Set in present-day Wales, UK., free-spirited, PI Hettie Shaw ...

Charlotte Carter is sure that Colorado Stevens is the one she’s been waiting for, but unforeseen events have caused them to become distant. Both the young nurse and her handsome suitor are hiding secrets that they can’t find the courage to share. As Charlotte watches Colorado pulling away, her past begins eating at her heart and threatening her entire future. Complicating matters is the arrival of Sarah, a young mother with a secret of her own. Sarah is pregnant, on the run, and in desperate need of help. Colorado is happy to do the Christian thing and lend a hand, but Charlotte can’t...

With the warmth, wisdom, and grace that infuse his works, Father James Martin explains why Jesus' crucifixion and death on the cross is an important teaching moment in the Gospels. Jesus' final statements, words that are deeply cherished by his followers, exemplify the depth of his suffering but also provide a key to his empathy and why we can connect with him so deeply.

Join Rachel Anne Ridge, author of the beloved memoir Flash, in a journey back to the pasture. As she adopts a second rescue donkey as a little brother for Flash - a miniature named Henry - she finds that walking with donkeys has surprising lessons to teach us about prayer, renewing our faith, and connecting to God in fresh ways.

Signs & Wonders is a captivating tale of two childhood friends who reconnect after twenty years apart. Charlie is now an accomplished reporter, while Leah has become a devoted member of a religious cult that claims to perform miraculous signs and wonders. As Charlie investigates the cult and its leader, she uncovers unsettling truths about its inner workings and the dangers that Leah is facing. Meanwhile, Leah grapples with her faith and loyalty to the cult as she confronts the reality of the organization's true nature. As the two friends delve deeper into each other's lives, they must ...

She's tired of having her heart broken by cowboys. He waited too long to ask her out. Can Lance fix things quickly, or will Amber leave Last Chance Ranch before he can tell her how he feels? Amber Haws has never had a problem saying yes to a date. She's been out with lots of men in the time she's been at Last Chance Ranch, but she's finally gotten her heart broken one too many times. She swears off cowboys right to the one who's been watching her for months now. Lance Longcomb followed the advice of his friends and waited to ask her out after each of Amber's break-ups. But now she's done ...

Leaving Arrow Rock is a gripping exploration of addiction, redemption, and the often unseen struggles of those seeking a second chance. Roger "Wilks" Wilkins works with a program that helps clergy and religious leaders transition back into society after serving prison sentences. In 1988, he’s assigned to Joe Campbell, a former pastor just released from an eight-year stint at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. Joe's new home, the Lighthouse—a halfway house and rehab facility—is his stepping stone to freedom. But adjusting to life outside proves more difficult than expected. As Wilks and...

In tough times, we can become more familiar with pain than progress and more acquainted with loneliness than companionship. But what if the purpose of our faith is not to reach the Promised Land but to recognize that God is with us in our lowest moments and times of our own personal wilderness? In Experiencing Friendship with God, speaker and pastor Faith Eury Cho draws on ancient wisdom about intimacy with God to help us cultivate a relationship with Him, even among all the complications of today’s world.

The Bible reveals not just butterflies and broken hearts. In Scripture, we see God’s beautiful design for the partnership of marriage. We witness friendships that cross all boundaries. We watch as families navigate the many seasons of life. Our guiding example for them all is the deepest, most abiding, foundational love ever known: God’s unconditional love for His people. In The Love Stories of the Bible Speak, Shannon Bream draws lessons from the good, the bad, and the ugly of Biblical romances, friendships, and families.