Deborah Wittmier is an ordained minister who has been teaching the Bible since 1984. Her twenty-five years in full time ministry include being executive director of a large church and vice president of a large international teaching ministry. Deborah founded Deborah Ministries International (DMI) in 1996 and continues to serve as its president. DMI reaches numerous denominations and cultures through Deborah's teaching in leadership training seminars, evangelistic crusades, and Bible schools in more than 20 countries across the world. The vision of DMI is to minister in answer to Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Her teaching is motivated by the scripture, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). Deborah and her husband Harvey founded and pastor Crossfire Church, in Centennial, Colorado. They have been married for thirty-seven years and reside in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. To book Deborah for your next conference, visit her website at DeborahMinistries.org. You have been saved by grace, apart from your works. Knowing this to be true, what about all the good works you do as a Christian; do they matter at all? This pivotal question has many people either mistakenly trying to earn salvation, or working to maintain it. However, if you can understand where your works fit into God's plan, you will be freed from the confusion and futility of what the Bible calls dead works. Deborah's book untangles the concepts of salvation by grace and reward for works. Learn what the Bible says about the various heavenly rewards promised to Christians and how to earn them. This book will help you in the ultimate preparation for the moment when He says, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!" You have only one life to live, so learn how to get the maximum eternal benefit out of this life!
Gods plans for women is to nurture their children and be the first role model to their daughters but most mothers of today are failing in this responsibilities. Are you looking for answers to some difficult questions or situations which youre being faced? God is faithfully at work today in the lives of many families around the world, renewing their hearts, strengthening their love and making their stories a great success. God wants to help you too. This book has been written as a guide to the younger women, singles and married on how to actually lead a successful Christian life in this changing world full of unexpected events such as sudden loss of job, loss of close relations, terminal illness, loss of property, academic failure, business failure, sudden relationship breakup, accident etc. This book is to inspire women on the importance of taking on the lead role in their homes and in their communities, not as the lady boss but as a godly role model to the younger women and due to the fact that children learn by what they hear, see and feel, there is an urgent need to feed their ears with positive words, their minds with love and an urgent need to show them not just the luxuries but also the challenges that come with luxuries, an urgent need to lead them out of darkness into God's marvellous light, for them to be who they are created to be and for us to fulfil our parts not just as mothers but as great godly mothers. Get ready to experience your relationship with your husband and children in a brand new light as God takes the wheel and rekindle the flame of your fist love. Just as we fan a charcoal fire in order to maintain the fire, our love can cool down unless we fan it everyday.
An inside look at the young, diverse, and progressive Christians who are transforming the evangelical movement Deborah Jian Lee left the evangelical world because she was frustrated by its conservative politics. But over the years, she noticed how evangelical culture and politics were changing—and moving in a more progressive direction. What Lee came to find is that most of what we think we know about evangelicals is wrong, or is well on its way to becoming dated. In Rescuing Jesus, she ventures into the world of progressive evangelicalism, telling the stories of those at the forefront of a movement that could change the face and the substance of religion in the United States. These men and women are a young and diverse array of people—LGBTQ and straight; white, black, Asian, Hispanic, and indigenous—who are working to wrest political power away from conservatives. These young evangelicals are more likely than their elders to accept same-sex marriage, more inclined to think of “pro-life” issues as being about supporting society’s disenfranchised, and more accepting of equality between men and women. With empathy, journalistic rigor, and powerful storytelling, Lee unpacks the diverse and complex strands of this movement—and what it means for the rest of us. Given the clout that evangelicals still hold in national politics, Lee argues, this movement is important not only for the future of evangelicalism but also for the future of our country.
I Am His: He Is My Rose of Sharon describes Jesus as the Rose of Sharon mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. This book also tells the story of the Rose of Sharon as the church, the Bride of Christ, and her close relationship with Jesus, the Savior of the World. Jesus is also revealed as the Bridegroom, who has given his life for his Bride because of his uncompromising love for her. As his bride learns more about him as a Prophet, Savior, and Son of God, her love grows stronger for Him. This love story reveals to the reader the process of growth and maturation of the bride as she learns who she is in her relationship to Jesus. This bride is now able to grow in confidence in discovering her purpose on earth. As the reader is drawn to the title and content of this written work, he or she will desire to know Jesus on a personal level because the love of Jesus is so sweet to ones soul and spirit. The author shares the beauty and colorful splendor of the traditional American rose. However, the Rose of Sharon, as a flower, has another name and a special beauty and fragrance. The reader will begin a journey of discovery, love, and power as they read this account of the Rose of Sharon.
A case-by-case look at how current laws impact Christianity in the workplace explains where one can find help and aims to give readers an understanding of the First Amendment, radical agendas, civil rights and religious wrongs--and challenges readers to take a stand for traditional values in their own communities. Original.
God created all of us for relationship with God and each other. This nine-session LifeGuide® Bible study explores Old and New Testament teachings on Christian community, showing how God responds in love to those who are often marginalized and excluded so that we too can welcome people of all different abilities.
Why is forgiveness so hard? People who refuse to forgive often sabotage their future and create an emotional cancer that spreads into every other aspect of their lives. Even those who genuinely desire to forgive often struggle to get beyond their wounded emotions. In Forgive, Let Go, and Live, Deborah Pegues provides specific guidelines to help us better understand what forgiveness is and what it's not how to overcome seemingly unforgivable hurts when to restore, redefine, or release a hurtful relationship how it's possible to forgive without forgetting why learning how to forgive is a process Pegues showcases the triumphs of famous and everyday people as well as biblical characters who decided to pursue forgiveness and also the tragedies of those who chose to wallow in anger and revenge. If you've been wounded by another, this book will empower you to find joy, freedom, and peace as you let go of your desire to avenge the wrong and make a commitment to release the offender from his debt.
We often try to avoid the painful trials in life. After all, we would prefer to live our Christian lives from victorious moment to victorious moment. But the apostle Peter has challenged us to look at our trials differently: "Instead, be very glad–for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world" (1 Peter 4:13, NLT).
Elizabeth doesn't think she needs to be in a thirty-day rehab facility. Just because she has a drink or two, has five dead house plants, and has showed up to work on Sunday instead of Monday, it doesn't mean she has a problem. But after taking twenty-seven sleeping pills and calling 911, the decision isn't hers anymore. In a daily group therapy in Safe Haven, Elizabeth learns to deal with the tragic loss that has shattered her world. Helped and encouraged by a variety of troubled souls like herself, Elizabeth sees how their shared lives lighten their pain. In her dreams at night, Elizabeth encounters God, Jesus, and the blessed Spirit but just not as she has ever imagined them to be. Each of the Trinity seeks to help Elizabeth on her road to recovery. Each helps her face reality, battle her anger, and learn to forgive and trust again during their nightly adventures at the beach, riding the tandem bike, or while building a tree house. Could talking with her group during the day, and talking with God each night, really help Elizabeth get her life back on track?
What is the difference between good worship and good entertainment? Too often, people disparage some aspect of worship by calling it “just entertainment” or “just a performance.” Others say that they do not need to go to church because they have profound spiritual or even religious experiences at concerts, plays, movies, or dances. How is worship different from these performing arts? How is art different from entertainment? This book looks at the history of the performing arts both in worship and as worship, with particular attention to the attitudes that shape our ideas about both worship and entertainment. Working definitions of words like “art,” “excellence,” “liturgy,” and “play” help to illuminate what different people mean when they use them in conversations about Christian worship. Putting theological, scriptural, and practical writings on worship and the performing arts in conversation with interviews with dancers, musicians, actors, preachers, and liturgical scholars, this volume is intended to help pastors, performers, and everyone who plans, leads, or cares about worship talk with one another in mutually respectful and helpful ways.
This book is meant to be an encouragement to others. For the reader to see that they can have a real relationship with God the Father, a relationship that is full of love, companionship, and growth. People see God as this far off, disengaged, and indifferent deity that sees human beings as a nuisance when it is quite the opposite. God created each and every individual to be unique and God created each person with a desire to have a loving relationship with each person. God also created humans with free will, which means each person has the choice to either love God or not to. Deborah uses real life stories to illustrate this love that God the Father has for His adopted children. That God is a loving Father, just like her earthly father, Bob Shisler. This book is also a dedication to not just Deborah's father, but to the lives of those Bob Shisler has touched over the course of his life. As a teacher, as a coach, and as a godly man, Bob Shisler has made an impact on many people. This book is meant to him for that impact, as well as the impact he has made on his children. This book is also meant to make an impact on its readers, just as Bob has made an impact on countless people. Just as Bob Shisler continues to influence others in a positive way, this book is meant to positively influence its readers in the love of God the Father.
Women and Religion in the First Christian Centuries focuses on religion during the period of Roman imperial rule and its significance in women's lives. It discusses the rich variety of religious expression, from pagan cults and classical mythology to ancient Judaism and early Christianity, and the wide array of religious functions fulfilled by women. The author analyses key examples from each context, creating a vivid image of this crucial period which laid the foundations of western civilization. The study challenges the concepts of religion and of women in the light of post-modern critique. As such, it is an important contribution to contemporary gender theory. In its broad and interdisciplinary approach, this book will be of interest to students of early religion as well as those involved in cultural theory.
Have you ever asked a kid you know what’s up with "the gospel"? Can they explain what the gospel is, and even more importantly, do they know what it has to do with them? Or do they suspect that being good, listening to parents, and obeying rules is ultimately what God expects? What's Up? is a flexible middle-school (ages 10–14) curriculum ...
This book presents the first three Christian centuries through the lens of what Foucault called “the care of the self.” This lens reveals a rich variation among early Christ movements by illuminating their practices instead of focusing on what we anachronistically assume to have been their beliefs. A deep analysis of the discourse of martyrdom demonstrates how writers like Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp represented self-care. Deborah Niederer Saxon brings to light an entire spectrum of alternative views represented in newly-discovered texts from Nag Hammadi and elsewhere. This insightful analysis has implications for feminist scholarship and exposes the false binary of thinking in terms of “orthodoxy” versus “heresy”/”Gnosticism.”
Taking seriously Paul’s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing,” Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger challenges pastors and congregations to put prayer at the center of their Christian practice and theological reflection. In this thought-provoking book Hunsinger reclaims spiritual practices from token use and unites them in a dynamic network of interdependent caring traditions. The book begins with the three foundational disciplines of spiritual reading, careful listening, and self-reflection. Hunsinger then explores prayers of petition, intercession, confession, lament, and thanksgiving. Finally she offers practical, workable suggestions for developing pastoral care groups and teaching care-giving skills at the congregational level. Clergy and laity alike will reap the benefits of this revitalizing look at the spiritual disciplines as dynamic forces in the life of the church.
New York Times bestselling author Deborah Bedford sweeps readers into this compelling drama with her trademark style of beautiful, lyrical writing. Since her divorce from Eric, Hilary has done everything she can to control life for herself and her son. Beneath a calm surface, she is terrified of failing Seth. She's worked hard to raise him on her own, and she's succeeded -- he's now set to graduate from high school and enroll at the University of Illinois with a full scholarship. But Hilary's worst fears are realized when there is a rock-climbing accident at a post-graduation campout. A young girl is hurt, and Seth is arrested. Pamela, Eric's new wife and Seth's stepmother, blames Hilary for letting Scott go to the campout in the first place. With Seth's college scholarship now just a distant memory and his entire future at stake, the two women must come together for Seth's sake. Is Hilary's love strong enough to save her son and release him to her ex-husband's other wife?
Life is full of ups and downs. All believers, at some point or another, will stand at a crossroads whether in our ministries, while weathering a major storm, or while contemplating why our faithfulness to God seems to cause humiliation, betrayal, or gossip. One day we will all have our garden of Gethsemane—the call God has on our lives that will require pain, trials, and sorrow in order for his glory to become evident, and strengthen us to walk in our destinies and build God’s kingdom. In a powerful and unique spiritual guidebook, Deborah Faulks utilizes the story of Jesus’s temptations at the Garden of Gethsemane to educate believers on how to be prepared for the advances of the devil as well as on how to leave the garden successfully and ultimately fulfill God’s destiny and purpose. Faulks includes Christian characteristics that qualify a believer, twelve keys of wisdom, comparisons between the Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane, ways to prevent getting stuck, why Jesus is the model of prayer, and a detailed explanation of the heart of Jesus in prayer. The Tears of Gethsemane reveals hidden biblical truths while educating the believer standing at the crossroads of a God-ordained ministry to fulfill their spiritual destiny and purpose.
A little girl changes her perspective about her mother as she journey's though life's stages A loving and powerful transition takes place from her childhood understanding of a repetitive phrase by her Mom, into a deep spiritual revelation as she matures. She sees her elderly mother with a newfound compassion and love.
Young people are leaving the church today in ever-increasing numbers, but the frantic attempts of pastors and teachers to prevent this from happening have been futile. Solutions to this problem have been proposed, but this mass exodus of the next generation from the Christian faith continues. In this eye-opening book, Deborah Roman describes her own experiences as a child in the church and what it was that kept her from becoming yet another statistic. She recounts her childhood and teenage memories of attending a modern church and describes their impact on her Christian life-but in many cases that impact was anything but positive. From seemingly innocent activities including children's church and giving to missionaries to controversial topics such as speaking in tongues and divine healing, When I Was a Child describes Deborah's own struggles with what she was taught in the modern church. She explains that the only thing that kept her a Christian as she became an adult was her love for God's Word. For each and every topic, Deborah gives a solid Biblical answer to the questions she had as a child. This book is a must-read for any Christian who has ever had doubts about church doctrine or wondered what their children are really getting from the church service. When I Was a Child shows how far the modern church has fallen from the truth of the Bible and challenges each and every Christian to return once more to the truth of God's Word given to us in Scripture.
For the weary dementia or Alzheimer's caregiver If you are a caregiver to someone with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, you carry a heavy load. On top of having to watch someone you love suffer, you are probably losing sleep, growing frustrated, and struggling with loneliness or even depression. With little to no help and no time for a break, this unrelenting stress is hard to carry. Whether that’s you or someone you know, the caregiver needs care, too. Grace for the Unexpected Journey: A 60-Day Devotional for Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia Caregivers provides that support. Each daily devotion: Is short, ideal for demanding schedules Reflects on a relevant Scripture passage Features a relatable caregiving story Offers a key Scripture for meditation Debbie Barr is a speaker, health educator, and the author of multiple books, including Keeping Love Alive As Memory Fades (coauthored with New York Times bestselling author Gary Chapman). As a health educator with a deep concern and compassion for dementia caregivers, she saw their need for faith-based encouragement. With compassion and understanding she uses Scriptures to address their practical hardships and spiritual concerns. When the struggles seem insurmountable, this devotional offers strength. When stress floods in, it points to peace. And when darkness falls, it illuminates hope. Caregivers walk a long, difficult road. This devotional gives grace for their journey.
Have you ever asked a kid you know what’s up with "the gospel"? Can they explain what the gospel is, and even more importantly, do they know what it has to do with them? Or do they suspect that being good, listening to parents, and obeying rules is ultimately what God expects? What's Up? is a flexible middle-school (ages 10–14) curriculum ...
Through the Holy Spirit, the love of God is paramount to victorious living throughout eternity in spite of Satan's direct attempts to trick and draw followers of Christ away from Him in order to discredit God's powerful Word. By reading and meditating on these biblical studies in this book, the readers will discover the love of God is the answer for a marriage, mental illness, and even business. Perhaps those who do not know Christ will be compelled to learn more about Him for God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to the world because of His love for all people. Deborah L. Pagán, an inspiring author and novice owner of Writing with Love Publishing, LLC, has accepted God's assignment to reach out with compassion to anyone searching for the simplest way to have victory in this life concerning, for example, marriage and business, and eternally by sharing milestones of her parents' marriage of 47 years and counting. To honor God's calling, Deborah has studied theology through Life Christian University for the past three (3) years. She will receive her Master's Degree in 2008 and her Doctoral Degree in 2009.
David and Abby Treasure seem to have everything together: a perfect marriage, a perfect son, and a perfect life. But one simple phone call turns their world upside down. Years ago, David had an affair outside of his marriage, and though he never knew it, the affair produced a daughter. Now his former lover calls with heartbreaking news: his daughter is dying of leukemia. Her only hope for survival is a bone marrow transplant-from David or his son. Can David and Abby set aside their betrayal and anger to save a little girl's life? If they can make it through, they may find that their love for one another and their faith in God can be redeemed . . . and grow stronger than ever before.
A Christ-centered approach to dealing with trauma on both a personal and a communal level Traumas abound. Post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional and sexual abuse, unbearable anxiety and fear, and a host of other traumas afflict people everywhere. In this book Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger weaves together threads from the fields of psychology and pastoral theology as she explores the impact of trauma on people’s lives and offers practical strategies and restorative practices for dealing with it. Not only a teacher of pastoral theology but also an experienced pastoral counselor herself, Hunsinger draws on the resources of depth psychology, including object relations theory, trauma theory, family systems theory, nonviolent communication, and restorative circles. She then places her findings in a Christian theological context, emphasizing God’s work in and through Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, to present a cohesive, faith-based vision for healing.
SpillWay is the story of one familys journey with God in the world of a traumatic brain injury. Along with offering experiences following their sons brain injury, this true story also offers encouragement to trust God in whatever stormy circumstances the reader finds themselves in. When there is no evidence of what tomorrow holds, the book encourages one to put their trust in the one who holds tomorrow. God is revealed in some of the most difficult times when the answers to your prayers are not the answers you hoped for. SpillWay is an opportunity to see God as a refuge in times of trouble.
For Christian educators who desire to hear God's voice specifically addressing their daily work, this daily devotional offers inspiration, challenge, and encouragement to help live out their call from a biblical, God-centered focus. Whether teaching in a private or public school or homeschooling children, a Christian teacher can benefit by a daily orientation to the call of God on his/her life as an educator. Each day's offering inspires, challenges, and encourages teachers to continue in the calling God has placed on their life to educate and facilitate spiritual growth in their own professional and personal life and in the lives of their students. Each month is planned according to the rhythms of a traditional school year: August focuses on preparing for the school year, and September addresses new beginnings and getting to know their students, for example. Each week is themed to have a specific focus that reflects the events of a typical school calendar. Written as God speaking to His children, each day's message begins with focused scriptures for the week, then addresses common challenges in the daily life of a teacher. The format asks educators essential questions at the beginning of each unit, with scriptures aligned to that unit's theme. Each unit offers a collection of short, inspirational devotionals ending with reflection questions designed to reinforce the principles found in God's Word.
Sam Tibbits loves life -- especially life at Piddock Beach, where his family spends their vacations. It's here that he's come to care for Aubrey, his childhood confidante. So the year Aubrey's family moves away with no forwarding address, Sam is crushed. He was going to propose. Aubrey McCart enjoys being with Sam; he accepts her unconditionally like her father never has. But when her father's pride and joy -- her brother -- is killed in Vietnam, Aubrey is unable to cope. She chooses a path that changes her life forever, leading her away from Sam. Years later, when Sam and Aubrey find themselves back at Piddock Beach, the two are forced to confront their abandoned friendship and make peace with their lives. But can they do so without overstepping their moral boundaries?
This book provides a framework for a new theology of disability which begins with the notion that limits are an unsurprising element of human life. This profoundly challenges common sense categories of disabled and non-disabled and offers significant new images and possibilities for theological reflection and action
A child lay gravely ill, his parents praying for a miracle. But on opposite sides of the hospital bed. Jennie and Michael Stratton’s marriage had fallen apart, leaving them both devastated and alone. Yet now, as Michael sat holding his son’s small hand, he finally knew what it meant to believe. Jennie struggled to resolve her feelings for the stubborn man she’d married. But their brave little boy needed the strength of their united love. They had to forget their past and focus on the here and now. And then a marriage that had been put asunder might begin to heal, too.
As an artist, Deborah Sokolove has often been surprised and dismayed by the unexamined attitudes and assumptions that the church holds about how artists think and how art functions in human life. By investigating these attitudes and tying them to concrete examples, Sokolove hopes to demystify art--to bring art down to earth, where theologians, pastors, and ordinary Christians can wrestle with its meanings, participate in its processes, and understand its uses. In showing the commonalities and distinctions among the various ways that artists themselves approach their work, Sanctifying Art can help the church talk about the arts in ways that artists will recognize. As a member of both the church and the art world, Sokolove is well-positioned to bridge the gap between the habits of thought that inform the discourse of the art world and those quite different ideas about art that are taken for granted by many Christians. When art is understood as intellectual, technical, and physical as well as ethereal, mysterious, and sacred, we will see it as an integral part of our life together in Christ, fully human and fully divine.
Through her own personal struggles author Deborah Ross shares with readers a message of hope and emotionally identifies with the suffering of a broken marriage.
From a brutal and impoverished background in Reading, England, Tom Hamblin became a believer as a teenager before serving as a missionary in the Far East. He and his wife Edna spent more than a decade leading expeditions into the heart of Borneo. Gradually they become convinced that the Lord was calling them to minister in the Arabic peninsula: in particular, to carry in thousands of Bibles in Arabic, Farsi and Urdu. They conveyed shipment after shipment into this region, never losing a copy and surmounting all restrictions. Customs guards turned a blind eye. Tom distributed Bibles very simply: walking around with a bag and waiting for people to ask him what he was doing. The Islamic world is widely regarded as closed to the gospel, but this is untrue. Tom discovered an extensive network of believers - very few churches, but many clandestine meetings for worship - and a huge hunger for the Truth. Under Their Very Eyes is the remarkable biography of a Bible smuggler to the Arab world that will stir the reader's spirit.
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