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38:22

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Shane Emmons, founder and CEO of Swept, to explore the complexities and challenges surrounding AI trust and reliability. Shane explains why AI systems can behave unpredictably due to their probabilistic nature and the inherent uncertainty in their predictions. He delves into how Swept tackles these challenges by assessing AI agents’ consistency and enforcing hardline policies to prevent harmful or unintended outcomes, especially in sensitive fields like healthcare. They discuss the evolution of AI agents, from handling simple tasks to managing complex workflows through specialized sub-agents, highlighting recent breakthroughs that enhance reliability and practical business applications. Shane also shares valuable advice for those looking to deepen their understanding of AI, emphasizing hands-on experimentation with popular models like ChatGPT and Claude. The conversation addresses the balance between AI’s benefits and risks, including ongoing efforts to detect misuse and “jailbreak” attempts, drawing parallels with cybersecurity. Looking ahead, Shane paints a picture of AI’s transformative potential over the next decade—not just automating busy work but enabling new creative and strategic endeavors. The episode closes with Shane reflecting on his career journey and key lessons learned while building Swept, offering encouragement for businesses to pragmatically deploy AI while managing associated risks. This discussion offers a comprehensive look at AI’s current realities and future opportunities for innovators and investors alike.…

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1
Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church 7:47:00

11 днів тому7:47:00

7:47:00

Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church

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1
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (Unabridged) 10:32:32

11 днів тому10:32:32

10:32:32

There is no bigger public health story now than the collapse in youth mental health. The numbers are terrifying and dominate our headlines. There has been much debate over how we got here, and what to do next, and bestselling author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is at the white-hot center of that discourse. Haidt has spent his career speaking wisdom and truth into the most difficult landscapes—communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the perfect storm contributing to a public health emergency for Gen Z.…

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1
Reset: How to Change What's Not Working (Unabridged) 6:35:41

8 weeks тому6:35:41

6:35:41

Reset: How to Change What's Not Working (Unabridged)

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1
The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More (Unabridged) 6:36:01

33 weeks тому6:36:01

6:36:01

The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More (Unabridged)

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1
Unf--k Your Brain 3:39:29

37 weeks тому3:39:29

3:39:29

Our brains are doing our best to help us out, but they can be real assholes sometimes. Sometimes it seems like your own brain is out to get you—melting down in the middle of the grocery store, picking fights with your date, getting you addicted to something, or shutting down completely at the worst possible moments. You already told your brain firmly that it isn't good to do these things. But your brain has a mind of its own. That's where this book comes in. With humor, patience, and lots of swearing, Dr. Faith shows you the science behind what's going on in your skull and talks you through the process of retraining your brain to respond appropriately to the non-emergencies of everyday life. If you're working to deal with old traumas, or if you just want to have a more measured and chill response to situations you face all the time, this book can help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and get your life and brain back.Here's an excerpt from the book:Knowing what’s going on up in your brain is HUGE. So much of how we interact with the world around us is a completely normal response when we take into account our past experiences and how our brains work. • Freaking the fuck out • Avoiding important shit we need to take care of • Feeling pissed off all the time • Being a dick to people we care about • Putting shit in our bodies that we know isn’t good for us • Doing shit we know is dumb or pointlessNone of these things are fucking helpful. But they all make sense.Your brain has adapted to the circumstances in your life and started doing things to protect you, bless it. It’s not TRYING to fuck you over (even though it totally is, at times).As we navigate the world, nasty shit happens. The brain stores info about the nasty shit to try to avoid it in the future. Sometimes these responses are helpful. Sometimes the responses become a bigger problem than the actual problem was. It’s called a trauma reaction.And even if you aren’t dealing with a specific trauma? Adaptive coping strategies, bad habits, and funky behaviors all wire in similar ways. And research is showing that these issues are actually some of the easier ones to treat in therapy … if we address what’s really going on, rather than just the symptoms.…

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Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future 4:50:53

37 weeks тому4:50:53

4:50:53

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This book delivers completely new and refreshing ideas on how to create value in the world.”—Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta “Peter Thiel has built multiple breakthrough companies, and Zero to One shows how.”—Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create those new things. Thiel begins with the contrarian premise that we live in an age of technological stagnation, even if we’re too distracted by shiny mobile devices to notice. Information technology has improved rapidly, but there is no reason why progress should be limited to computers or Silicon Valley. Progress can be achieved in any industry or area of business. It comes from the most important skill that every leader must master: learning to think for yourself. Doing what someone else already knows how to do takes the world from 1 to n, adding more of something familiar. But when you do something new, you go from 0 to 1. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine. Tomorrow’s champions will not win by competing ruthlessly in today’s marketplace. They will escape competition altogether, because their businesses will be unique. Zero to One presents at once an optimistic view of the future of progress in America and a new way of thinking about innovation: it starts by learning to ask the questions that lead you to find value in unexpected places.…

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1
We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends (Unabridged) 5:39:04

1 year тому5:39:04

5:39:04

In this “entertaining mix of social science, memoir, and humor, as if a Daniel Goleman book were filtered through the lens of Will Ferrell” (The New York Times Book Review) a middle-aged man embarks on an entertaining and relatable quest to reprioritize his ties with his buddies and forge new friendships, all while balancing work, marriage, and kids. At the age of forty, having settled into his busy career and active family life, Billy Baker discovers that he’s lost something crucial along the way: his friends. Other priorities always seemed to come first, until all his close friendships became distant memories. When he takes an assignment to write an article about the modern loneliness epidemic, he realizes just how common it is to be a middle-aged loner: almost fifty million Americans over the age of forty-five, especially men, suffer from chronic loneliness, which the surgeon general has declared one of the nation’s “greatest pathologies,” worse than smoking, obesity, or heart disease in increasing a person’s risk for premature death. Determined to defy these odds, Baker vows to salvage his lost friendships and blaze a path for men (and women) everywhere to improve their relationships old and new. From leading a buried treasure hunt with his old college crew to organizing an impromptu “ditch day” for dozens of his former high school classmates to essentially starting a frat house for middle-aged guys in his neighborhood, Baker experiments with ways to keep in touch with his friends no matter how hectic their lives are—with surprising and deeply satisfying results. Along the way, he talks to experts in sociology and psychology to investigate how such naturally social creatures as humans could become so profoundly isolated today. And he turns to real-life experts in lasting friendship, bravely joining a cruise packed entirely with crowds of female BFFs and learning the secrets of male bonding from a group of older dudes who faithfully meet up on the same night every week. “A refreshing and entertaining personal perspective on why men need male friends” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), We Need to Hang Out is a celebration of companionship that is bursting with humor, candor, and charm.…

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1
Elon Musk 20:27:23

2 years тому20:27:23

20:27:23

From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era—a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter. When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist. His father’s impact on his psyche would linger. He developed into a tough yet vulnerable man-child, prone to abrupt Jekyll-and-Hyde mood swings, with an exceedingly high tolerance for risk, a craving for drama, an epic sense of mission, and a maniacal intensity that was callous and at times destructive. At the beginning of 2022—after a year marked by SpaceX launching thirty-one rockets into orbit, Tesla selling a million cars, and him becoming the richest man on earth—Musk spoke ruefully about his compulsion to stir up dramas. “I need to shift my mindset away from being in crisis mode, which it has been for about fourteen years now, or arguably most of my life,” he said. It was a wistful comment, not a New Year’s resolution. Even as he said it, he was secretly buying up shares of Twitter, the world’s ultimate playground. Over the years, whenever he was in a dark place, his mind went back to being bullied on the playground. Now he had the chance to own the playground. For two years, Isaacson shadowed Musk, attended his meetings, walked his factories with him, and spent hours interviewing him, his family, friends, coworkers, and adversaries. The result is the revealing inside story, filled with amazing tales of triumphs and turmoil, that addresses the question: are the demons that drive Musk also what it takes to drive innovation and progress?…

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Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World 5:12:55

2 years тому5:12:55

5:12:55

Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World

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Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink Leif Babin 8:15:59

2 years тому8:15:59

8:15:59

An updated edition of the blockbuster bestselling leadership book that took America and the world by storm, two U.S. Navy SEAL officers who led the most highly decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War demonstrate how to apply powerful leadership principles from the battlefield to business and life. Sent to the most violent battlefield in Iraq, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s SEAL task unit faced a seemingly impossible mission: help U.S. forces secure Ramadi, a city deemed “all but lost.” In gripping firsthand accounts of heroism, tragic loss, and hard-won victories in SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser, they learned that leadership—at every level—is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails. Willink and Babin returned home from deployment and instituted SEAL leadership training that helped forge the next generation of SEAL leaders. After departing the SEAL Teams, they launched Echelon Front, a company that teaches these same leadership principles to businesses and organizations. From promising startups to Fortune 500 companies, Babin and Willink have helped scores of clients across a broad range of industries build their own high-performance teams and dominate their battlefields. Now, detailing the mind-set and principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult missions in combat, Extreme Ownership shows how to apply them to any team, family or organization. Each chapter focuses on a specific topic such as Cover and Move, Decentralized Command, and Leading Up the Chain, explaining what they are, why they are important, and how to implement them in any leadership environment. A compelling narrative with powerful instruction and direct application, Extreme Ownership revolutionizes business management and challenges leaders everywhere to fulfill their ultimate purpose: lead and win.…

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The Pragmatic Programmer: 20th Anniversary Edition, 2nd Edition: Your Journey to Mastery 9:55:40

3 years тому9:55:40

9:55:40

Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt wrote the first edition of this influential book in 1999 to help their clients create better software and rediscover the joy of coding. These lessons have helped a generation of programmers examine the very essence of software development. Now, 20 years later, this new edition re-examines what it means to be a modern programmer. Topics range from personal responsibility and career development to architectural techniques for keeping your code flexible and easy to adapt and reuse.…

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Bandersnatch: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings 6:29:55

3 years тому6:29:55

6:29:55

C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and the other members of the Inklings met each week to read and discuss each other’s work-in-progress, offering both encouragement and blistering critique. How did these conversations shape the books they were writing? How does creative collaboration enhance individual talent? And what can we learn from their example?Beautifully illustrated by James A. Owen, Bandersnatch offers an inside look at the Inklings of Oxford—and a seat at their table at The Eagle and Child pub. It shows how encouragement and criticism made all the difference in The Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, and dozens of other books written by the members of this literary circle. You’ll learn what made these writers tick and more: inspired by their example, you’ll discover how collaboration can help your own creative process and lead to genius breakthroughs in whatever work you do.…

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A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing 7:16:59

3 years тому7:16:59

7:16:59

A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing

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The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma 16:15:26

3 years тому16:15:26

16:15:26

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.…

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1
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ 13:08:12

3 years тому13:08:12

13:08:12

Renovation of the Heart explains the common misunderstandings about human nature and the discipleship process by outlining the general pattern of personal spiritual transformation––not as a formula, but as a systematic process. This bestseller by Dallas Willard explains that as intentional apprentices of Jesus, we are to move deeper into a relationship with God while becoming more like Jesus. In his unique, winning way, Dallas Willard will guide you in discovering your true identity while exploring spiritual growth in a new way.INTRODUCING SPIRITUAL FORMATION 2: THE HEART IN THE SYSTEM OF HUMAN LIFE 3: RADICAL EVIL IN THE RUINED SOUL 4: RADICAL GOODNESS RESTORED TO THE SOUL 5: SPIRITUAL CHANGE: The Reliable Pattern INTERLUDE 6: TRANSFORMING THE MIND, 1: Thoughts 7: TRANSFORMING THE MIND, 2: Feelings 8: TRANSFORMING THE WILL (HEART OR SPIRIT) AND CHARACTER 9. TRANSFORMING THE BODY 10: TRANSFORMING OUR SOCIAL DIMENSION 11: TRANSFORMING THE SOUL 12: THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD 13: SPIRITUAL FORMATION IN THE LOCAL CONGREGATION…

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Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight 2:15:15

3 years тому2:15:15

2:15:15

Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight

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1
Parenting: The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family 7:11:12

3 years тому7:11:12

7:11:12

Parenting: The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

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1
How People Change 9:53:14

3 years тому9:53:14

9:53:14

What does it take for lasting change to take root in your life? If you've ever tried, failed, and wondered why, you need How People Change. This book explains the biblical pattern for change in a clear, practical way you can apply to the challenges of daily life. But change involves more than a biblical formula: you will see how God is at work to make you the person you were created to be. That powerful, loving, redemptive relationship is at the heart of all positive change you experience.…

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Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling 11:05:29

3 years тому11:05:29

11:05:29

It is not enough to condemn culture. Nor is it sufficient merely to critique culture or to copy culture. Most of the time, we just consume culture. But the only way to change culture is to create culture. Andy Crouch unleashes a stirring manifesto calling Christians to be culture makers. For too long, Christians have had an insufficient view of culture and have waged misguided "culture wars." But we must reclaim the cultural mandate to be the creative cultivators that God designed us to be. Culture is what we make of the world, both in creating cultural artifacts as well as in making sense of the world around us. By making chairs and omelets, languages and laws, we participate in the good work of culture making. Crouch unpacks the complexities of how culture works and gives us tools for cultivating and creating culture. He navigates the dynamics of cultural change and probes the role and efficacy of our various cultural gestures and postures. Keen biblical exposition demonstrates that creating culture is central to the whole scriptural narrative, the ministry of Jesus and the call to the church. He guards against naive assumptions about "changing the world," but points us to hopeful examples from church history and contemporary society of how culture is made and shaped. Ultimately, our culture making is done in partnership with God's own making and transforming of culture. A model of his premise, this landmark book is sure to be a rallying cry for a new generation of culturally creative Christians. Discover your calling and join the culture makers.…

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Scandalous Witness: A Little Political Manifesto for Christians 6:07:38

3 years тому6:07:38

6:07:38

Christian identity is in moral and political crisis, scandalized by the many ways in which it has been coopted and misrepresented. Addressing this painful reality, Lee Camp writes that Christianity in America has been made into a bad public joke because of “our failure to rightly understand what Christianity is.” From this provocative claim, Camp’s manifesto makes the convincing case that a renewed Christian politic is more essential than ever, one that is “neither left nor right nor religious,” but a prophetic way of life modeled after Jesus of Nazareth. Camp’s robust vision exposes modern parodies of faith—the American concept of “Christian values,” for one—and challenges Christians to rethink who they are and how they participate in the modern world. Authentic gospel truth is a scandal to the American myth, he argues, and we are called to be scandalous witnesses. PROPOSITION 1 - History Is Not One Damn Thing after Another PROPOSITION 2 - The End of History Has Already Begun PROPOSITION 3 - American Hope Is a Bastard PROPOSITION 4 - Christianity Is Neither a Prostitute nor a Chaplain PROPOSITION 5 - The United States Is Not the Hope of the World PROPOSITION 6 - The United States Was Not, Is Not, and Will Not Be a Christian Nation PROPOSITION 7 - How Christian Values, and the Bible, Corrupt Christianity PROPOSITION 8 - Every Empire Falls PROPOSITION 9 - Christian Partisanship Is like a Fistfight on the Titanic PROPOSITION 10 - Hostile Forces Have a Role in the Unfolding of History PROPOSITION 11 - Christianity Is Not a Religion; Christianity Is a Politic PROPOSITION 12 - Liberal Political Puissance Is Not the Goal PROPOSITION 13 - Exemplary Political Witness Is the Goal PROPOSITION 14 - Christianity Is Not Countercultural PROPOSITIONS 15 - Christian Engagement Must Always Be Ad Hoc…

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Redeeming Heartache: How Past Suffering Reveals Our True Calling 8:04:50

3 years тому8:04:50

8:04:50

Find freedom and healing from painful memories and relational struggles and learn how your past has uniquely prepared you to experience more joy. Tragedy and pain inevitably touch our lives in some way. We long to feel whole, but more often than not, the way we've learned to deal with our wounds pushes us away from the very restoration we need most. Renowned psychologist Dr. Dan Allender and counselor and teacher Cathy Loerzel present a life-changing process of true connection and healing with ourselves, God, and others. With a clear, biblically trustworthy method, Allender and Loerzel walk you through a journey of profound inner transformation--from the shame and hurt of old emotional wounds to true freedom and healing. Drawn from modern research and their pioneering work at The Allender Center, they will help you identify your core trauma in one of the three outcast archetypes--the widow, orphan, or stranger--and chart your path of growth into the God-given roles of priest, prophet, or leader. This book will help you learn: What to do about feeling out-of-place and directionless How your coping mechanisms create a false sense of health How to embrace your divine calling and find lasting reconciliation How your heart wounds are your unique invitation to true strength and purpose. Your past pain does not dictate your life. Answer the call to healing and discover your life's beautiful story and a future of hope and freedom.…

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When to Walk Away: Finding Freedom from Toxic People 8:25:53

3 years тому8:25:53

8:25:53

Your life's calling is too important to let toxic people take it away. When to Walk Away draws from biblical and modern stories to equip you to handle toxic people and live true to your God-given purpose. As Christians, we often feel the guilt and responsibility of meeting the needs of unhealthy people in our lives. Whether a sibling, parent, spouse, coworker, or friend, toxic people frequently seek to frustrate our life's calling. While you're seeking first God's kingdom, they're seeking first to distract your focus and delay your work. Instead of attempting the impossible task of mollifying toxic people, it's time we dedicate our energy to a more worthwhile effort: completing the work God has given us by investing in reliable people. It's only when we learn to say no to bad patterns that we can say yes to the good work God has planned for us. Drawing from years serving as a pastor, Gary Thomas, bestselling author of Sacred Marriage, looks at biblical examples from the lives of Jesus, Paul, and Nehemiah to give you insightful, biblical takeaways that you can apply right away. You'll discover how to: Learn the difference between difficult people and toxic people Find refuge in God when you feel under attack Discern when to walk away from a toxic situation Keep a tender heart even in unhealthy relationships Grow your inner strength and invest in reliable people We can't let others steal our joy or our mission. It's time to strengthen our defense, learn to set healthy boundaries, and focus on our God-given purpose. It's time to know When to Walk Away.…

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Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life 7:17:13

3 years тому7:17:13

7:17:13

Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life

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1
Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women 9:48:28

3 years тому9:48:28

9:48:28

What does the Bible say about the value of women? Does the Bible teach that women are as valuable as men or does it portray them as somehow more flawed, more suspect, or weak and easily deceived? Beginning from Genesis and working all the way through the storyline of the Bible, Worthy demonstrates the significant and yes, even surprising, ways that God has used women to accomplish His kingdom goals. Because, like men, they are created in His image, their lives reflect and declare His worth. Worthy will enable and encourage both men and women to embrace this true and lofty vision of God's creation, plan, and their value in His eyes. Bestselling author Elyse Fitzpatrick and pastor Eric Schumacher together invite women to embrace a transformative and empowering view of their Maker, themselves, and the church. But this isn't only a book for women. It is also a book for men, especially leaders, who want to grow in their understanding of God's perspective on women, people who normally make up the majority of their congregations; men who might be wondering if they've missed something amid the abuse scandals that are rocking the church. Might the headlines they're reading today about abuse have their roots in a denigration of the value and worth of women? Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women will help every reader see the value, place, and calling of women through study questions and a "Digging Deeper" section that will help men and women discover how to cherish, value, and honor one another for God's glory.…

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The Meaning of Marriage - Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God 8:15:47

3 years тому8:15:47

8:15:47

Based on the acclaimed sermon series by New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller, this book shows everyone—Christians, skeptics, singles, longtime married couples, and those about to be engaged—the vision of what marriage should be according to the Bible. Modern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that your spouse is there to help you realize your potential; that marriage does not mean forever, but merely for now; and that starting over after a divorce is the best solution to seemingly intractable marriage issues. But these modern-day assumptions are wrong. Timothy Keller, with insights from Kathy, his wife of thirty-seven years, shows marriage to be a glorious relationship that is also misunderstood and mysterious. The Meaning of Marriage offers instruction on how to have a successful marriage, and is essential reading for anyone who wants to know God and love more deeply in this life.…

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Continuous Discovery Habits 5:17:01

4 years тому5:17:01

5:17:01

How do you know that you are making a product or service that your customers want? How do you ensure that you are improving it over time? How do you guarantee that your team is creating value for your customers in a way that creates value for your business? In this book, you'll learn a structured and sustainable approach to continuous discovery that will help you answer each of these questions, giving you the confidence to act while also preparing you to be wrong. You'll learn to balance action with doubt so that you can get started without being blindsided by what you don't get right. If you want to discover products that customers love-that also deliver business results-this book is for you.…

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The King James Version Debate 3:36:56

4 years тому3:36:56

3:36:56

D. A. Carson addresses laypeople and pastors with a concise explanation of the science of textual criticism and refutes the proposition that the King James Version is superior to contemporary translations. The book provides a readable introduction to two things: biblical textual criticism and some of the principles upon which translations are made.…

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Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible 4:05:34

4 years тому4:05:34

4:05:34

The Legacy of the King James Bible The King James Version has shaped the church, our worship, and our mother tongue for over 400 years. But what should we do with it today? The KJV beautifully rendered the Scriptures into the language of turn-of-the-seventeenth-century England. Even today the King James is the most widely read Bible in the United States. The rich cadence of its Elizabethan English is recognized even by non-Christians. But English has changed a great deal over the last 400 years—and in subtle ways that very few modern readers will recognize. In Authorized Mark Ward shows what exclusive readers of the KJV are missing as they read God’s word. In their introduction to the King James Bible, the translators tell us that Christians must “heare CHRIST speaking unto them in their mother tongue.” In Authorized Mark Ward builds a case for the KJV translators’ view that English Bible translations should be readable by what they called “the very vulgar”—and what we would call “the man on the street.”…

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The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex (and You Thought Bad Girls Have All the Fun) 7:08:31

4 years тому7:08:31

7:08:31

Candid and contemporary, this audiobook gives you a Christian place to turn for answers to your most intimate - and embarrassing - questions. Billions of people have had sex. Far fewer have made love. In The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex, author Sheila Wray Gregoire helps women see how sexual intimacy was designed to be physically stupendous but also incredibly intimate. Whether you're about to walk down the aisle, newly married, or you've been married for decades, The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex will lead you on a wonderful journey of discovery toward the amazing sex life God designed you for. With humor, research, and lots of anecdotes, author Sheila Wray Gregoire helps women see how our culture's version of sex, which concentrates on the physical above all else, makes sex shallow. God, on the other hand, intended sex to unite us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Gregoire walks through these three aspects of sex, showing how to make each amazing, and how to overcome the roadblocks in each area we often encounter. Drawing on survey results from over 2,000 people, she also includes lots of voices from other Good Girls, giving insight into how other women have learned to truly enjoy sex in marriage. Tables and statistics charts included in the audiobook companion PDF download. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio. ©2012 Shelia Wray Gregoire (P)2012 Zondervan…

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The Christian in Complete Armour 2:56:47

4 years тому2:56:47

2:56:47

Written in the 17th century by Pastor William Gurnall and compiled into 365 readings by Bell, this collection supplies Christians with a soul-searching supplement to the Bible. Gurnall gives readers eternal knowledge that can be embraced daily, providing extra strength for victory. The Christian in Complete Armour is certainly one of the greatest of all the Puritans' practical writings. This 3-volume paperback set is a modernized abridgement of the Puritan Classic by William Gurnall.…

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The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You’ve Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended 7:09:42

4 years тому7:09:42

7:09:42

What if it's not your fault that sex is bad in your marriage? Based on a groundbreaking in-depth survey of 22,000 Christian women, The Great Sex Rescue unlocks the secrets to what makes some marriages red hot while others fizzle out. Generations of women have grown up with messages about sex that make them feel dirty, used, or invisible, while men have been sold such a cheapened version of sex, they don't know what they're missing. The Great Sex Rescue hopes to turn all of that around, developing a truly biblical view of sex where mutuality, intimacy, and passion reign. The Great Sex Rescue pulls back the curtain on what is happening in Christian bedrooms and exposes the problematic teachings that wreck sex for so many couples--and the good teachings that leave others breathless. In the #metoo and #churchtoo era, not only is this book a long overdue corrective to church culture, it is poised to free thousands of couples from repressive and dissatisfying sex lives so that they can experience the kind of intimacy and wholeness God intended.…

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Healing PCOS: A 21-Day Plan for Reclaiming Your Health and Life with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome 6:46:29

4 years тому6:46:29

6:46:29

A proven 21-day diet and lifestyle plan to help women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) take back control of their health and resolve their symptoms from a certified health coach and founder of the large PCOS Diva online community. PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders, and the most common cause of female infertility, affecting roughly five million American women. Because it’s symptoms are widespread—including stubborn weight gain, acne, mood swings, abnormal hair loss or growth, and irregular menstrual cycles—women suffering from PCOS are often misdiagnosed and treated with "Band-Aid" pharmaceuticals with uncomfortable side effects that only mask PCOS’s root causes. While there is no cure for PCOS, women can learn to control their symptoms naturally. In this welcome guide, Amy Medling shows how to combine an anti-inflammatory and hormone-balancing diet, daily movement, and stress-reducing self-care to successfully treat their PCOS. Grounded in the latest medical research and filled with the knowledge she’s acquired dealing with PCOS herself and working with thousands of women, Healing PCOS offers women small, manageable steps that help alleviate their symptoms and control the inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and insulin resistance that underlie the condition. Amy’s revolutionary program consists of: A 21-day anti-inflammatory, hormone-balancing and gluten-free meal plan, including meal prep and plan-ahead tips to make eating this way simple and fast 85 delicious recipes—half fan favorites and half new dishes Daily self-care exercises, including meditation and journaling prompts Amy has helped tens of thousands of women with PCOS take back control of their health and their lives through lasting, healing, and sustainable lifestyle change. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have struggled with PCOS, her revolutionary program can now work for you.…

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Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness 10:10:19

4 years тому10:10:19

10:10:19

Something that matters to you just isn't right. First you see the problem, then you feel it. It starts with a rush of adrenaline and often a rush of words, but it ends with an overwhelming sense of irritation that impacts how we talk to those we live and work with. We know anger affects us negatively, but we don't know any other way to respond when life goes wrong. In this groundbreaking book David Powlison undertakes an in-depth exploration of the roots of anger, moral judgment, and righteous response by looking in a surprising place: God's own anger. Powlison reminds us that God gets angry too. He sees things in this world that aren't right and he wants justice too. But God's anger doesn't devolve into manipulation or trying to control others to get his own way. Instead his anger is good and redemptive. It causes him to step into our world to make wrongs right, sending his own Son to die so that we can be reconciled. He is both our model for change and our power to change. Good and Angry sets listeners on a path toward a faithful and fruitful expression of anger. Powlison offers practical help for people who struggle with irritation, complaining, or bitterness and gives guidance for how to respond constructively when life goes wrong. You, your family, and your friends will all be glad that you listened to this book.…

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Something's Not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuse - and Freeing Yourself from Its Power 4:50:37

4 years тому4:50:37

4:50:37

Maybe you don’t know for sure: all you know is something feels off when you think about a certain relationship or interaction with an institution or organization. You feel alone and confused―but calling it “abuse” feels extreme and unsettling, a label for what happens to other people but not you. Yet you can’t shake the feeling: something’s not right. In his debut book, researcher and advocate Wade Mullen introduces us to the groundbreaking world of impression management―the strategies that individuals and organizations utilize to gain power and cover up their wrongdoings. Mullen reveals a pattern that accompanies many types of abuse, almost as if abusers are somehow reading from the same playbook. If we can learn to decode these evil methods―if we can learn the language of abuse―we can help stop the cycle and make abusers less effective at accomplishing destruction in our lives. Something’s Not Right will help you to identify and describe tactics that were previously unidentifiable and indescribable, and give you the language you need to move toward freedom and create a safer future for yourself and others.…

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Rethinking Sexuality: God’s Design and Why It Matters 6:06:39

5 years тому6:06:39

6:06:39

This ground-breaking resource challenges and equips Christians to think and act biblically and compassionately in matters of sexuality. Sexual abuse, sex addiction, gender confusion, brokenness, and shame plague today's world, and people are seeking clarity and hope. By contesting long-held cultural paradigms, this book equips you to see how sexuality is rooted in the broader context of God's heart and His work for us on earth. It provides a framework from which to understand the big picture of sexual challenges and wholeness and helps you recognize that every sexual question is ultimately a spiritual one. It shifts the paradigm from combating sexual problems to confidently proclaiming and modeling the road to sacred sexuality. Instead of arguing with the world about what's right and wrong about sexual choices, this practical resource equips you to share the love and grace of Jesus as you encounter the pain of sexual brokenness--your own or someone else's.…

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Forgiving What You Can't Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That's Beautiful Again 8:07:42

5 years тому8:07:42

8:07:42

You deserve to stop suffering because of what other people have done to you. Have you ever felt stuck in a cycle of unresolved pain, playing offenses over and over in your mind? You know you can't go on like this, but you don't know what to do next. #1 New York Times Bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst has wrestled through this journey. But in surprising ways, she’s discovered how to let go of bound-up resentment and overcome the resistance to forgiving people who aren’t willing to make things right. With deep empathy, therapeutic insight, and rich Bible teaching coming out of more than 1,000 hours of theological study, Lysa will help you: Learn how to move on when the other person refuses to change and never says they're sorry. Walk through a step-by-step process to free yourself from the hurt of your past and feel less offended today. Discover what the Bible really says about forgiveness and the peace that comes from living it out right now. Identify what's stealing trust and vulnerability from your relationships so you can believe there is still good ahead. Disempower the triggers hijacking your emotions by embracing the two necessary parts of forgiveness.…

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Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture 5:34:00

5 years тому5:34:00

5:34:00

"How did I get here?" These are the words of many Christian men on the brink of burnout or in the midst of breakdown. They are exhausted, depressed, anxious, stressed, and joyless. Their time is spent doing many good things, but their pace is unsustainable— lacking the regular rest, readjustment, and recalibration they need. But there is good news: God has graciously provided a way for men to reset their lives to a more sustainable pace. Drawing on personal experiences—and time spent counseling other men in the midst of burnout—David Murray offers weary men hope for the future, helping them identify the warning signs of burnout and offering practical strategies for developing patterns that are necessary for living a grace-paced life and reaching the finish line with their joy intact.…

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When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community from Emotional and Spiritual Abuse 6:20:11

5 years тому6:20:11

6:20:11

Why does narcissism seem to thrive in our churches? We've seen the news stories and heard the rumors. Maybe we ourselves have been hurt by a narcissistic church leader. It's easy to throw the term around and diagnose others from afar. But what is narcissism, really? And how does it infiltrate the church? Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as well as those wounded by narcissistic leaders and systems, for over 20 years. He knows firsthand the devastation narcissism leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is. In When Narcissism Comes to Church, DeGroat takes a close look at narcissism, not only in ministry leaders but also in church systems. He offers compassion and hope for those affected by its destructive power and imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects. DeGroat also offers hope for narcissists themselves - not by any shortcut, but by the long, slow road of genuine recovery, possible only through repentance and trust in the humble gospel of Jesus.…

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Lies Men Believe: And the Truth That Sets Them Free 9:06:27

5 years тому9:06:27

9:06:27

FOREWORD 11 INTRODUCTION 15 SECTION ONE: FOUNDATIONS CHAPTER ONE: CROSSING THE BRIDGE WHEN WE GET THERE 23 SECTION TWO: LIES MEN BELIEVE CHAPTER TWO: LIES MEN BELIEVE ABOUT GOD 35 1. God is not a whole lot different from me. 41 2. God isn’t actually involved in or concerned with the details of my life. 44 3. I can earn God’s favor. 48 4. There are many ways to God. 51 5. Church? I can take it or leave it. 54 CHAPTER THREE: LIES MEN BELIEVE ABOUT THEMSELVES 59 6. I’m not responsible for my actions. 63 7. Pleasure and entertainment can satisfy me. 67 8. I’m the master of my own destiny. 70 9. Real men don’t cry. 73 10. I don’t need male friends. 75 CHAPTER FOUR: LIES MEN BELIEVE ABOUT SIN 81 11. Who others think I am matters more than who I really am. 87 12. If I mean well, that’s good enough. 91 13. My sin isn’t really that bad. 94 14. God could never forgive me for what I’ve done. 97 15. I can hide my secret sin since it only hurts me. 100 16. Holiness is boring. 106 CHAPTER FIVE: LIES MEN BELIEVE ABOUT SEXUALITY 109 17. A little porn is harmless. 114 18. What my wife doesn’t know won’t hurt her. 119 19. If I experience same-sex attraction, I should pursue a same-sex relationship. 122 20. I have sexual needs my wife can’t fulfill. 127 CHAPTER SIX: LIES MEN BELIEVE ABOUT MARRIAGE AND FAMILY 133 21. Love doesn’t require spoken words. 138 22. My wife is supposed to make me happy. 142 23. I don’t have what it takes to be the CEO of my home. I can leave that role to my wife. 145 24. I don’t have to grow up. 153 25. If I discipline my kids, they’ll rebel. 157 CHAPTER SEVEN: LIES MEN BELIEVE ABOUT WORK AND WEALTH 163 26. Making more money will make me happier. 169 27. How I spend my time is my business. 172 28. I’m not responsible to be the provider for my wife and family. 176 29. My faith and my work are unrelated. 182 30. I can’t afford to give more money away. 188 CHAPTER EIGHT: LIES MEN BELIEVE ABOUT CIRCUMSTANCES 193 31. I have the right to be angry when things don’t go my way. 199 32. Pain and suffering are always bad. 201 33. The world is rigged against me. 206 34. I can’t help how I react to certain people or circumstances. 211 35. I can run away from God. 216 CHAPTER NINE: LIES MEN BELIEVE ABOUT THE WORLD 221 36. The world is too messed up to bring children into. 228 37. I’m measured by how I compare with other men. 233 38. With everything going on in my life, it’s really not possible to live with integrity. 238 39. Being a Christian is supposed to be cool. 242 40. My death will be the end of my story. 246 SECTION THREE: WALKING IN TRUTH CHAPTER TEN: COUNTERING THE LIES WITH THE TRUTH 253 CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE TRUTH THAT SETS US FREE 267 “If there ever was such a thing as a ‘shortcut’ to the wisdom of the ages, you’re holding it in your hands. This is the kind of wisdom that can only be earned over a lifetime of trial and error, trial and error, and, finally, trial and success.” -Patrick Morley Author, The Man in the Mirror “In 2001, I wrote a book called Lies Women Believe. Since then this message has reached millions of women and been translated into dozens of languages. But I’ve often been asked about a ‘male counterpart’ to the book. When God brought Robert into my life in 2015, I soon realized he was the ideal choice to pen this message for men. You’ll find that reading Lies Men Believe, with its warm, relatable style, is like having a conversation with a good friend. Be prepared, in the process, to grapple with some tough issues. And be prepared to experience the liberating power of the Truth—in your own life, and in the lives of those you influence.” -Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth Revive Our Hearts Teacher & Host; Lies Books Series Editor You are being hunted. Like a seasoned angler, our enemy opens his tackle box and selects the lure most likely to attract his intended prey—usually the one you and I are least likely to consider harmful. Each lie we bite on causes us to feel pain, lose or injure relationships, and miss out on the abundant life that God wants us to have. Lies Men Believe exposes the lies that men most commonly believe, and shows you how to combat those lies with the truth. Lies like: Pleasure and Entertainment Can Truly Satisfy Me If I Mean Well, That’s Good Enough If I Discipline My Children, They’ll Rebel. I’m Measured by How I Compare with Other Men. Find out how lies are holding you back from freedom, joy, and intimacy with God and others. Discover the power of the truth. Because once you fully embrace the truth, nothing is ever the Review Clear, engaging, well crafted. And best of all, anchored in the truth. This book is going to be life changing for a lot of men. I hope you’re one of them! Bob Lepine Cohost, FamilyLife Today It was the Greeks who said great communicators embodied logos (content), ethos (ethics or integrity), and pathos (passion). Well, if that be the case, then Robert Wolgemuth has checked all three boxes in this much-needed volume, Lies Men Believe. I found my heart greatly stirred as I read these inspiring words all from a man who has built a lifetime walking with Jesus and living in authentic manhood. You will be a better man after drinking in these words. Bryan Loritts Lead Pastor, Abundant Life Author of Insider, Outsider It took a long time and some unexpected circumstances for there to be a companion volume to Lies Women Believe, but in God’s good and mysterious providence it is here at last. I’m thankful for Robert’s efforts in writing a book that so wonderfully complements Nancy’s. This book will prove to be both a challenge and a blessing to you. Tim Challies Blogger When presented with the opportunity, I didn’t immediately read Robert’s manuscript. Not seeing myself as a “lie believer,” I felt no urgency. Now, I stand corrected—and grateful! Those of us who know Robert regard him as accomplished, gifted, and wise. He’s ready for anything and gracious in everything. As you will discover in this volume, he’s also candid in exploring the challenges men face. Learning from him was like a workout for the soul, leaving me convicted and inspired. There were moments when I flushed with emotion, and others that left me galvanized with resolve. Lies Men Believe is personally relevant to every manand will prompt you to do business with God—as I did. I highly recommend it. Paul Santhouse Publisher, Moody Publishers The most dangerous lies are always the most alluring. They come to us in the guise of the good, the delightful, and the wise (Gen. 3:6). Thankfully, in this insightful and practical book, Robert Wolgemuth not only unmasks those lies, he teaches us how to recognize them for what they are. If only I’d had this book forty years ago! George Grant Pastor of Parish Presbyterian Church Even though the most prominent word on the cover of this book is “Lies,” I know from experience that the most important word can be found in the subtitle. It’s “Truth.” This is a book about truth . . . the power of truth. Truth that sets a man free. And this truth can be found in the absolute reliability of God’s Word, the Bible. Patrick Morley Bestselling author and founder, Man in the Mirror For many years, I have had the privilege of preaching the gospel . . . the good news of Jesus Christ who is, Himself, the Truth. This book, Lies Men Believe, identifies some of the awful things Satan whispers in our ears . . . lies that are shattered because of freedom that God’s grace and His truth provide. I’m thankful to Robert Wolgemuth for putting this in writing and I enthusiastically recommend this book to you. Jack Graham Host of PowerPoint, author, and pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church About the Author PATRICK MORLEY founded Man in the Mirror in 1991 and has since impacted the lives of more than 10,000,000 men worldwide. Since 1986, he has taught a weekly Friday morning Bible study to 150 businessmen in Orlando, Florida. This study is broadcast on iTunes and webcast around the world. Pat also speaks to men daily through the Man in the Mirror radio program. He has written 16 books, including The Marriage Prayer, A Man's Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines and Pastoring Men. Pat lives in Winter Park, Florida with his wife, Patsy. They have two grown children and two granddaughters.…

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No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts That Will Transform Your Ministry 8:30:48

5 years тому8:30:48

8:30:48

What if I told you that you were only one step away from unlocking new levels of maturity and growth in your church? The myth of the silver bullet still exists because we desperately want it to. We all prefer quick fixes and bandage solutions to the long, hard, slow work that produces real change. So the moment we learn about a new ministry or strategy and see its effect in another church, we run to implement it in our own. Unfortunately, this impulse is usually met by opposition, skepticism, and ultimately rejection. What if the solution isn't a new model or a complicated strategy but a shift in perspective? What if you could keep your church's current vision, values, and model and simply make a few microshifts...leading to macrochanges? This book explores five microshifts that have the potential to produce macrochanges in your church. As you listen you will discover how to integrate these microshifts into the life of your church, starting with the way you disciple. You will finish by developing a plan to structure, communicate, and evaluate these changes to ensure that they take root and pave the way for lasting change and kingdom impact. About the Author Daniel Im is the Senior Associate Pastor of Beulah Alliance Church, a multiplying multisite church focused on reaching 1% of Edmonton for Christ. His latest book is You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love. He is also the author of No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform Your Ministry, and co-author of Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply (2nd ed) with Ed Stetzer. Daniel is a speaker and leader who has traveled to cities like New York, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Sydney, and Seoul to teach, consult, and coach. He co-hosts the New Churches Q&A Podcast as well as the IMbetween Podcast, and his podcasts have been downloaded over 3 million times. He has pastored in five major cities around the world in churches ranging from 100 people to 50,000 people. Daniel has an M.A. in Global Leadership and is a Gallup Strengths Performance Coach. He has led over 500 people through the StrengthsFinder assessment in multiple countries. He is a Maximizer, Learner, Intellection, Developer, and Strategic. Because of their love for the local church, after pioneering and leading the church multiplication initiative for LifeWay, Daniel and his wife, Christina, moved back to Canada with their three children. For more information, visit danielim.com and follow him on social media @danielsangi. Review "While discipling others who will then disciple others is Jesus' master plan, defining maturity is sometimes tricky. I'm grateful that Daniel outlines a research-based, yet practical way, to understand and move people toward Christlikeness. Don't miss this." - Robert E. Coleman, distinguished senior professor of Evangelism and Discipleship, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, author of The Master Plan of Evangelism "Daniel Im is a brilliant young thought leader who in No Silver Bullets offers hope to every leader by showing us five micro shifts that can bring macro changes in our churches. This book is a reality check reminding us quick fixes will not bring lasting change; but a change in perspective can usher in a new day. If you are done with easy solutions and ready for a clear path to lasting change this is the book for you!" - Dave Ferguson, lead pastor of Community Christian Church and author of Finding Your Way Back to God and Starting Over "There may not be a silver bullet when it comes to discipleship, but this book is a must-read bullet to put in the barrel of your disciple-making environments. Daniel Im has created an incredibly insightful and practically helpful work that I will read several times over both alone and with our team. If you're wondering how you or your church can become effective at the mission Jesus gave us, this book is for you." - Jeff Vanderstelt, pastor at Doxa Church, visionary leader of Saturate and The Soma Family of Churches, and author of Saturate and Gospel Fluency "No Silver Bullets is as good a read as the title is honest. Finally a new, young voice enters the fray with clear thinking, rational conclusions, and a radical call. I felt lit up, called out, and calmed down all at the same time." - Hugh Halter, US Director of Forge America and author of The Tangible Kingdom and Flesh "While God will complete in us the good work that He began, there are no silver bullets in our spiritual growth. And there are no silver bullets in discipling and shepherding a church. There are, however, important perspectives we may adopt that will greatly impact how we lead and the direction and development of those we lead. I am grateful for Daniel's work and believe this book will challenge and encourage you." - Eric Geiger, vice president of LifeWay Christian Resources and coauthor of Designed to Lead and Simple Church "I've often said that the quality of a church's leadership is directly proportional to the quality of discipleship. If you fail in the area of making disciples, you will fail in the area of leadership development. Daniel gets this as he examines the systems and pathways for discipleship in the local church. Don't miss out on this important work." - Alan Hirsch, author of numerous books on missional Christianity including The Forgotten Ways and 5Q and founder of 100Movements and Forge "No Silver Bullets is a refreshing effort to help church leaders guide the local church to more effective ministry. Far too many books offer over-simplified solutions and over-reaching promises. In this incredible work, Daniel reveals the necessity for church leaders to focus their efforts to faithfulness to the timeless practices of healthy churches. Every leader church should read and reread this book!" - Kevin Peck, lead pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church and coauthor of Designed to Lead "If the central command of the Great Commission is to make disciples, and you have a plan for marketing, facilities, and organization, but not a plan for discipleship, you have missed the point. Don't miss this important work by my friend, Daniel. In it, he will help you develop a discipleship pathway for your church by leveraging research that I was a part of." - Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Wheaton College "In this important book, Daniel returns discipleship to the center of the church's ministry. The discipleship process begins in evangelism and progresses all the way through healthy involvement in a local church. Daniel, who practices what he preaches, offers practical, inspiring stories and steps to guide you through every step of this process." - J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina and author of Gaining by Losing --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.…

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When God Writes Your Love Story: The Ultimate Guide to Guy/Girl Relationships 5:21:49

5 years тому5:21:49

5:21:49

In their most popular book, bestselling authors Eric and Leslie Ludy challenge singles to take a fresh approach to relationships in a culture where love has been replaced by cheap sensual passion. When God Writes Your Love Story shows that God's way to true love brings fulfillment and romance in its purest, richest, and most satisfying form. This new edition includes an extra chapter from Leslie Ludy about the surprises of life after marriage! “I had dreamed of a perfect love story for my entire life. But somewhere in the midst of the endless cycle of temporary romances, my dreams had shattered.” How can I find a love worth waiting for? Lay the foundation now—whether you’ve met your future spouse or not—for a lifelong romance. Bestselling authors Eric and Leslie Ludy invite you to discover how beautiful your love story can be when the Author of romance scripts every detail. Story Behind the Book Eric and Leslie Ludy want to offer an exciting vision of hope, proving that the Author of romance is alive and well and that true and lasting love can become a reality. Using the “four secrets to an amazing love story,” Eric and Leslie present a Christ-centered approach to building a relationship that will stand the test of time. About the Author Eric Ludy As full-time speakers, writers, and musicians, Eric and Leslie Ludy challenge and encourage young adults and singles around the world to pursue holiness in every aspect of their lives. The Ludys live in Windsor, Colorado. Leslie Ludy As full-time speakers, writers, and musicians, Eric and Leslie Ludy challenge and encourage young adults and singles around the world to pursue holiness in every aspect of their lives. The Ludys live in Windsor, Colorado. --This text refers to the paperback edition. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. All the Kens and Barbies sat around the table. (Note: technically, it’s now supposed to be “Blaine and Barbie,” but I still have a soft spot for good old Ken.) Amid glistening smiles and Coppertone tans, the fragrance of Polo, with a hint of Skin So Soft (yes, this was the good ol’ nineties!) wafted through the café booth. I nibbled at my burrito as the conversation around me finally arrived at its ultimate destination. “So, Kevin,” Barbie No. 1 flirted across the table, “tell us who you’re seeing now.” Kevin, the son of a state senator, was used to having eyes upon him. Being a Tom Cruise look-alike has a way of boosting the ego. As he crunched a chip between perfect teeth, an “I thought you’d never ask” smirk found its way across his face. As all of us camp counselors leaned in, eyes bulging with expectancy, Kevin finally revealed the secret in a low monotone: “Her name is…Sandra!” This only added to the excitement and wonder, because no one had any idea who Sandra was. “Is she a babe?” crooned the resident Brad Pitt, alias Mike from Wyoming. Say no more! Swift as the bionicman, Kevin whipped out his wallet. Moments later we all observed a photograph of the “hottest girl on the planet,” as Kevin so proudly referred to her. “Niiice!” came the rumble of approval from Brad Pitt and Matt Damon (Wayne from Denver). “I think she has a huge nose!” grumbled one of the girls under her breath. I continued to pick at my burrito. Barbie No. 2, sitting beside Top Gun, was next in the heartthrob inquisition. She displayed a photo of her boyfriend to cheers of “You go, girl!” from the Barbies and disapproving rumbles about his skinny neck from the Kens, Brads,Matts, and Toms. After a week of having to exhibit saintlike behavior to all the little campers and being superspiritual while around the camp leaders, it was time to let our hair down—time to let the real passions of life come out. I mean, in your late teens and early twenties, you can sing only so many spiritual camp songs before you need an infusion of good old-fashioned romance. One year earlier, talks like this had really litmy fire. I used to love to brag about my love life at camp and exaggerate about my “sexy new girlfriend” in a way that would make all the guys jealous and all the girls insecure. You could say just about anything and get away with it; no one was going home with you to check out your story. I used to crave these love chats, but something about Eric Ludy had changed—something big. Something that made me want to slide under the table when all those inquisitive eyes turned my way. I’ll never forget the moment. There I was, my fork poking at the jalapeño stranded on the corner of my plate and my mind screaming over and over, Please don’t ask me…please don’t ask me. They asked. “So, Eric, tell us about your exciting love life!” All the periwinkle, emerald, and dark brown eyes were twinkling at me with expectation. I gulped. “Uhhhh,” I mumbled.My palms were sweaty.My tongue was dry and thick, like I had a felt eraser in my mouth. Finally, I found my voice. “Uhh, I uhh, actually, uh, I am waiting on God.” But to be honest, it didn’t really come out as clearly as I just wrote it.The last part of my sentence mumbled under my breath, sounding something like, “Ima waying on Gaw.” I hoped a brief answer would encourage them to move on to Elle Macpherson (a.k.a. Kayla from Utah) seated next to me, poised and ready with a photo of her hunk. The plan backfired. They became even more interested. “Uh, I think we missed that, Ludy,” Tom Cruise sarcastically challenged. “Was that a girl’s name or some kind of Chinese food?” After the laughs subsided, I began again, this time a little more clearly. “I know this may sound strange, you guys, but I’ve decided that I won’t give my heart to another girl until God shows me it’s my wife.” I have often wished I could have been more eloquent, that I could have made my resolve sound a little more appealing to my audience, now staring at me with mouths ajar. But I guess God wanted me to know that I was following a different path, that I was not to seek the approval of the Kens and Barbies of this world but simply to honor and love Him. It was a lonely moment. Silence filled our corner of the restaurant, and all eyes focused on the jalapeño I was ruthlessly stabbing to death. “That’s…interesting!” Barbie No. 1 awkwardly noted, her eyes large with disbelief. Wayne from Denver was not quite as subtle in his disapproval. “Oh, give me a break!” he exploded in disgust. “How in the world do you expect to find someone, Ludy, if you’re not out there looking?”His words incited a chorus of yeahs and exactlys from around the booth. After a moment of reflective silence, I took a deep breath and stated, “I believe that if God wants me to be married”—another deep breath—“He will pick her out for me.” A dark cloud settled over the entire group and rained down bewilderment in the form of pursed lips and rolled eyes. I glanced up from my tortured jalapeño to discover a long bony index finger pointing at me, about twelve inches from my nose. Kevin used that finger like Clint Eastwood used a gun.He didn’t shoot to maim—he shot to kill. His bronzed face had turned red with annoyance, and his lips were quivering with indignation, like a lava pool ready to explode. After three long seconds, he finally erupted. “I totally disagree with you!” he fumed, his index finger still targeting my right nostril. “God doesn’t want us hanging around nagging Him about something like that!” A few “amens” from the crowd textured his passionate sermon. He continued. “I believe God wants us to pick,” he preached, “and then He blesses our choice!” He paused and then came to a climactic finish: “It’s sappy Christianity like yours that gives us Christians the image of helpless orphans! It is absolutely ridiculous to think that God would care that much about your love life!” The finger held fast for another few long seconds, then slowly dropped as if to say, You show any sign of life, and I’ll shoot again! I was the ultimate bummer to their titillating conversation. If ever you want to drain the juice right out of romance, just bring God into the picture. I had committed the unpardonable camp counselor sin, and all the eyes around the table were letting me know it. Growing up, I had always gotten along with everybody. I knew how to be liked by the crowd and not offend anyone. I was careful to say the right thing in order to avoid disagreements. Eric Ludy had never been known for his backbone…well, except maybe in championing the Denver Broncos. But when it came to things that really mattered, I was just plain spineless. This was one of the first times in my life I can remember actually standing up for something I believed in (that wasn’t orange and blue). Ironically, I didn’t even know exactly what I was talking about. Just twelve months before, I, too, would have “totally disagreed” with what I had just said. But over the past year, God had been challenging me to apply my Christianity to every area of my life.Was it ridiculous to think God would be interested enough in my love life to direct me to the girl He wanted me to spend my life with? I shifted in my seat, stabbed my jalapeño one last time, and spoke. “All I know,” I said, “is that every time I’ve tried to find someone myself, I realize in the long run that I have horrible taste.” All eyes were wide with amazement as I concluded, “Kevin, if God had ten women line up in front of me and said, ‘Eric, you pick,’ I would fall flat on my face before Him and say, ‘God, you know me better than I know myself…You pick! ’ ” I’ll bet no one present other thanmyself remembers that scene.To them it was probably just the ramblings of a lunatic named Ludy. But for me it was a defining moment. It was almost as if God was saying, “How seriously are you going to trust Me, Eric?” So there it was, in front of the babes and the big egos, that God challenged me to officially trust Him with the “pen” of my life. I had held onto that pen for twenty years, and now, over a chicken burrito and a mangled jalapeño, I handed it over to the great Author to allow Him to work His wonders. I’ve never regretted it for a moment.…

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Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church 6:14:17

5 years тому6:14:17

6:14:17

The church has a leadership crisis. For every celebrity pastor exiting in the spotlight, there are hundreds of lesser known pastors leaving in the shadows. Why are so many pastors leaving the ministry? Best-selling author Paul David Tripp suggests that lurking behind the failure of a pastor is a weak leadership community. Turning to the Scripture for guidance, Tripp presents listeners with 12 leadership-community principles necessary for a gospel-centered leadership model, making this an essential tool for anyone in church leadership. Here is a book with a message for the young and hopeful, as well as the experienced and weary — God’s abiding presence is your hope in ministry leadership. “As is often said, everything rises or falls on leadership, including the family, the home, and the spiritual self. Dangerous Calling was eerily prophetic in its anticipation of the fall of a number of high-profile leaders, each one adding to the heartbreak of a church in a leadership crisis. I am grateful to see that conversation extended, and I hope many will not only read this book, but saturate themselves in the gospel it puts forward.” (J. D. Greear, President, Southern Baptist Convention; author, Not God Enough; Pastor, The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina) “Tripp’s books have been some of the most influential books in my life. Lead is no exception! You will find within the pages of this book practical, gospel-centered help as you lead and serve others.” (Jennie Allen, New York Times best-selling author, Get Out of Your Head; Founder, IF:Gathering) “This book is the perfect complement to Tripp’s Dangerous Calling. The warning of ‘functional gospel amnesia’ captures so well why this book is needed. Leaders do not need more gimmicks. Leaders need more grace. They need more gospel.” (Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) Preface Introduction: Crisis Achievement Principle 1: A ministry community whose time is controlled by doing the business of the church tends to be spiritually unhealthy. Gospel Principle 2: If your leaders are going to be tools of God’s grace, they need to be committed to nurture that grace in one another’s lives. Limits Principle 3: Recognizing God-ordained limits of gift, time, energy and maturity is essential to leading a ministry community well. Balance Principle 4: Teaching your leaders to recognize and balance the various callings in their life is a vital contribution to their success. Character Principle 5: A spiritually healthy leadership community acknowledges that character is more important than structure or strategies. War Principle 6: It is essential to understand that leadership in any gospel ministry is spiritual warfare. Servants Principle 7: Being called to leadership in the church is a call to a life of willing sacrifice and service. Candor Principle 8: A spiritually healthy leadership community is characterized by the humility of approachability and the courage of loving honesty. Identity Principle 9: Where your leaders look for identity will always determine how they lead. Restoration Principle 10: If a leadership community is formed by the gospel it will always be committed to a lifestyle of fresh starts and new beginnings. Longevity Principle 11: For church leaders, ministry longevity is always the result of gospel community. Presence Principle 12: You will only handle the inevitable weakness, failure, and sin of your leaders when you view them through the lens of the presence, power, promises, and grace of Jesus. ©2020 Paul David Tripp (P)2020 Paul Tripp Ministries, Inc.…

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Interview with Jack Welch 19:09

5 years тому19:09

19:09

Here is the Summary

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Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament 5:12:54

5 years тому5:12:54

5:12:54

Lament is how you live between the poles of a hard life and trusting God’s goodness. Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God—but it is a neglected dimension of the Christian life for many Christians today. We need to recover the practice of honest spiritual struggle that gives us permission to vocalize our pain and wrestle with our sorrow. Lament avoids trite answers and quick solutions, progressively moving us toward deeper worship and trust. Exploring how the Bible—through the psalms of lament and the book of Lamentations—gives voice to our pain, this book invites us to grieve, struggle, and tap into the rich reservoir of grace and mercy God offers in the darkest moments of our lives.…

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The DNA of Relationships 6:44:41

6 years тому6:44:41