The 40-Day Social Media FastExchange Your Online Distractions for Real-Life Devotionby Wendy Speake - Baker Books

The 40-Day Social Media FastExchange Your Online Distractions for Real-Life Devotionby Wendy Speake - Baker Books

Pub Date 03 Nov 2020
you can pre order it here https://amzn.to/3hhbquY

She did it again. Wendy Speake encourages me to focus on Jesus just as she did with the sugar fast, now she encourages us to quit sugar (remember? The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation) for the brain and go for the real thing with God and his Word. 

I have been not around social media since June 2020 to _____ (don´t know yet when I´m coming back, I feel so comfortable and free like this) so I was an ideal reader for this book. I think as I was on this journey this book would be extra support for my life to focus on the important, and sure it was. I love to be in touch and have meaningful connections with people, but I´m a lot like Jesus, needing to go alone with the father, silence and quiet places are a gift for me. For you too if you try. This book is a great company if you decide to have that kind of time.

If you have never ever done something like this I encourage you to do it, it is like a detox for your brain. I have several friends who are always saying goodbye publicly and in some hours they come back, they can´t, it is a huge addiction, I have talked to them but it is very rooted and they don´t really want to change. I hope you don´t have your identity in others or your enjoyment may come from several real places, not just online people. Do not expect something just about quitting your digital habits, but expect to get closer to Jesus, your family, neighbor and get closer to real friends. If you or your family are really into social media, you all may do these devotionals together and get healthier in that area of your life. 

Description

Are you addicted to your phone? Do you find yourself engaging online but unengaged at home with the people right in front of you? Do you spend hours scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, newsfeeds, and YouTube videos? Have your devices become divisive--dividing you from family and friends and, most importantly, God? What would happen if you took some time to fast from social media in order to get social with God and others once more?

In the pattern of her popular 40-Day Sugar Fast, Wendy Speake offers you The 40-Day Social Media Fast. This "screen sabbatical" is designed to help you become fully conscious of your dependence on social media so you can purposefully unplug from screens and plug into real life with the help of a very real God. Take a break from everyone and everything you follow online. Disconnect in order to reconnect with the only One who said "follow me."

Anyone but Me 10 Ways to Overcome Your Fear and Be Prepared to Share the Gospel by Ray Comfort - Baker Books

Anyone but Me 10 Ways to Overcome Your Fear and Be Prepared to Share the Gospel by Ray Comfort - Baker Books

you can get it here: https://amzn.to/2GjPiDT

This book moved me. I didn´t expect to have that reaction to be honest. I just wanted to read and find out about those "10 ways to overcome fear", I guessed I probably would know them already, and I´d just remember and then move on with my life. But oh! why... Bummer! What I found was a deep conviction going through me. Why is that?! because sometimes it is not fear what is involved in you not be sharing the gospel, it is no lack of knowledge either, what is it then? Indifference probably, also a huge love for my comfort... those where my thoughts after I closed the book... is that to get involved with someone it is going to cost you... everything. When you will get involved you will see that happens. Ray Comfort shares lots of histories of his encounters with people, I think it is a unique way he has to get up and look for targets, I know it is because it is his job, his youtube channel, and his mission, but above all even if we don´t have a channel or platform to share about it, we must keep sharing the gospel, even when no one finds out we are doing it. This is a very comforting book, you will be encouraged, exhorted and challenged as a child of God to share about Him. Can´t wait to get to know people around me who God already had planned us to meet, sometimes for a minute, others for hours, a certain season or for life.

Description

Fear is the primary reason we fail to share the gospel with our friends, family, and coworkers. We're afraid of looking weird or out of touch. We're afraid we won't have the right answers to their questions. We're afraid that if they reject the gospel, they're really rejecting us. We don't want to make things awkward or strain our relationships. So we say nothing because our discomfort feels bigger than our loved ones' ultimate destination if they remain outside of the body of Christ. We know it's not, but it's just so hard to get over our fear.

Apologist Ray Comfort can help. In Anyone but Me, he shows you how to overcome your fears by developing ten critical, biblical characteristics so that you can confidently share the message of salvation with those you care about most. If you've been longing to see a dear friend, family member, or coworker come to Christ, now is the time to begin becoming the faithful witness they need. Because we never know how much more time we will have to proclaim God's good news.

Love Riot A Teenage Call to Live with Relentless Abandon for Christ by Sara Barratt - Baker Books

Love Riot A Teenage Call to Live with Relentless Abandon for Christ by Sara Barratt - Baker Books

you can get it here: https://amzn.to/3lIwLj2

pub date 5 may 2020

It is amazing to me read books written by teenagers for teenagers. May this young and wise voice continue to lift others eyes to Jesus. Even if you are not a teen or if you don´t have teens you will enjoy this book. It remind me don´t waste your life and also the Rebelution content. It is convicting, sincere and challenging. If you hate riots you will love this one. I can´t wait my little girl to grow up, 2 more years to gift it to her. "We think we're seeking hard and coming up empty, but in reality, we're hardly seeking." I ask myself: Am I seeking?. "We can't fall back on God's Word only when we need it or we'll be clumsy and unfamiliar with our spiritual sword". I ask myself am I using the sword enough? "As we focus on Christ, we're taking hold of the weapons He has provided. Praise is one of the most beautiful ways to fix our eyes on God, and it's also one of the most powerful weapons against Satan!" "to start a riot against our own apathy." Ouch. Our own apathy.

Description

Young people are walking away from the church and those still in the church often struggle with indifference about their faith. But it doesn't have to be this way. It's time for a revolution, a holy uprising. A riot.

With passion and authenticity, teen author Sara Barratt calls on her generation to reject apathy and embrace a daring, costly faith. Not content with safe religion that demands nothing of us, Sara shows teens how they can stop giving in to the status quo and devote themselves fully to Christ, following him no matter what their friends do or the culture around them does. She challenges them to give everything over--their comfort zones, their time, their loyalties, their pride--and discover that in losing control they are gaining the life that was meant for them all along. Love Riot is a battle cry from one teen to another to embrace a life of wholehearted commitment and relentless abandon for Christ . . . no matter the cost.

See-Through Marriage Experiencing the Freedom and Joy of Being Fully Known and Fully Loved by Ryan Frederick; Selena Frederick - Baker Books

 See-Through Marriage Experiencing the Freedom and Joy of Being Fully Known and Fully Loved by Ryan Frederick; Selena Frederick - Baker Books

you can get it here: https://amzn.to/3lNyQdr
pub date 5 may 2020

Where I live there is divorce everywhere. I wonder if it is because a couple stops sharing because they lost that transparent quality of lovers. It is sad but lack of communication kills every kind of relationship, not just marriages. Isolation in your own home may appear and strangers living under the same roof is something common. I´m glad this resource exists, hopefully, it is not just on a shelf but lived out by many.

Description

Marriage is all about sharing: sharing space, sharing joys and sorrows, sharing hopes and dreams. Yet we often hold back a part of ourselves because we fear that being wholly transparent--about our past, our desires, our failures, our faults--will bring judgment, rejection, or even just unwanted friction to our relationship. We are afraid to be fully known. As a result, we never experience being fully loved.

Fierce Marriage authors Ryan and Selena Frederick think your marriage deserves better. In this new, paradigm-shifting book, they show you how to develop a see-through marriage, one that is marked by full transparency and confident vulnerability. Through personal stories, testimonies from other couples, and biblical truth, they make the case that living authentically in front of each other is the only way to experience love the way we were designed to.

If you desire an honest, no-holding-back marriage where you are fully known, fully accepted, and fully loved, you need this book.

Good Man An Honest Journey into Discovering Who Men Were Actually Created to Be by Nathan Clarkson - Baker Books

Good Man An Honest Journey into Discovering Who Men Were Actually Created to Be by Nathan Clarkson - Baker Books

 

you can get it here: https://amzn.to/2JFt7tf

Pub date 5 May 2020

Every page reminds me of my son. I wonder how he will be. This year I also read Sally's new book Awaken (wonderful) and I should say I can now understand how it is that this man has this kind of words inside. It is a very enjoyable book. I recommend to gift this to your teen or young man, highschooler or university young man will enjoy this content. It is well organized and clear. Nathan opens up and shows himself vulnerable, that is something to be thankful. Moms are always asking me for resources for men, well this is one. I'm glad He wants to find his identity in Christ and not in other shiny things about the culture.

Description

One look at our cultural moment and it's easy to tell that men and their identities are in crisis. Though lost and fractured, men face the pressure to be perfect. Our reactionary society is quick to condemn and slow to forgive, leaving men more confused than ever about how to live and who to be. Yet in Scripture, we continually find God choosing to work in and through flawed, imperfect, and broken individuals. Men who had massive character flaws and significant moral failings, but who also shared one important characteristic: the desire to follow the call of their Creator.

With engaging personal stories and insight into biblical truths, Nathan Clarkson declares to today's man that he is more than what the culture is telling him he is--angry, selfish, predatory, violent, and bored. Instead, still on the journey himself, Nathan calls today's man to find his identity in the One who created him on purpose, for a purpose, and encourages him to live an honest, authentic life marked by a winsome combination of confidence and humility.

#GoodMan

God-Confident Kids Helping Your Child Find True Purpose, Passion, and Peace by Cyndie Claypool Neve - Baker Books

God-Confident Kids Helping Your Child Find True Purpose, Passion, and Peace by Cyndie Claypool - Neve Baker Books

you can get it here: https://amzn.to/33NVBYS
pub date 1 oct 2019

Some real-life stories are heartbreaking to me, that is why one of my goals is to read more about children and teens and to help parents to improve their relationship with them. If a person understands themselves and their unique design and purpose since they are little, and they embrace their identity in christ is less possible that they make bad decisions such as cut themselves, live licentious sexual lives, or suicide. If you are a counselor you will find it useful to find this kind of resource. 

Description

Today's children and teens are growing up more anxious, depressed, and fearful than previous generations. But if we help this generation, often called "Gen Z," to discover true God-confidence, instead of chasing the illusive self-confidence, we can empower them to embrace their uniqueness and find their purpose, passion, and peace as they grow into humble, compassionate, and resilient young people.

Cyndie Claypool de Neve, an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, shares her personal journey from feeling anxious and suicidal to learning God-confidence. She explains how parents and youth workers can use these principles to encourage this next generation to discover the purpose for which God created them. God-Confident Kids is filled with stories, Scripture, psychological insights, and practical tips to help families move from fear-based parenting to faith-filled parenting as we claim Ephesians 2:10 for our kids: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart Discovering the Beauty and Freedom of God-Defined Sexuality by Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal - Baker Books

Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart Discovering the Beauty and Freedom of God-Defined Sexuality by Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal - Baker Books

These ladies give very good advice to young ladies about sex, relationships, purity, and boundaries. I have listened to them in their youtube channel and have read their blog posts. I wish the next generation to listen to their message. They have been criticized because their message is very countercultural, but that is why it is so good.  I hope and pray they continue to write and speak as this message spreads and avoids so much pain in little girls hearts because they live as if they would not face consequences to their unresponsible and shameful acts, every girl, and woman deserves respect and a life full of freedom in those areas, to enjoy when it is time.

you can get it here https://amzn.to/2NzyXfw
Pub date 30 april 2019

Description

For the modern Christian woman living in today's sexually charged society, embracing God's design for sex and purity can often feel like an impossible pursuit. As the culture seeks to normalize things such as pornography, erotica, and casual sex, both single and married women of all ages feel immense pressure to conform. With alluring temptations constantly inviting them to join in, they might even begin to question whether God's design is truly good. They wrestle with questions like

- What is the purpose of my sexuality?
- What does it mean to pursue purity?
- Are my sexual longings good or bad?

In this encouraging book, Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal share honestly about their own struggles and victories, and invite women on a personal journey to discover and reclaim a biblical vision for their sexuality. Kristen and Bethany help women understand why God's design for sexuality is good, relevant, and leads to true hope and lasting freedom.

#SexPurityAndTheLongingsOfAgirlsHeart #NetGalley #reviewaton

Glorious Weakness Discovering God in All We Lack by Alia Joy - Baker Books

Glorious Weakness Discovering God in All We Lack by Alia Joy - Baker Books

you can get it here https://amzn.to/2zx3QZQ

If you have suffered, it is impossible not to have empathy for Alia, you feel she just understands. You just wish you can know her and hug her and help. But you know you can not help, and she can not help you... only God can, she knows that for sure, so will you. But oh! how much hope and relief you feel while you read and cry. What she has is a gift, to put into words with such musicality and cadence in a beautiful way the most painful parts of her life... and what it is to come. This book is a plain reality in this fallen world and complete hope in what is to come. You just don´t get why some people get so much pain, tears, and brokenness. And then every time you turn the page, you get it, their soul turns more beautiful each time.  The book is divided into 4: Weakness, Hope, Strenght, and Glory. It is such a beautiful book you just want to highlight all. Capture all. Quote it all. I highly recommend this reading not just for the one who suffers, but for the one who wants to try and understand who is in deep pain.

Some quotes you may like or find compelling:

• “Weakness is a holy invitation to allow grace to do its work.”

• “My deficiency was the strongest thing about me because God was fully present in my lack.”

• “Ordinary life has been the hardest calling I’ve ever answered, the hardest thing to bear witness to, because who could possibly care about the mundane and ordinary life? I had no idea the depths of my own selfishness until asked to share myself with my family. To lay my will down day after day and seek God’s.”

• “We’ve valued one side of the equation and not the other because we don’t imagine the poor have anything to teach us about God. We go with our gospel but don’t always understand grace. We are not students of the poor, the weak, the broken, the outside, or the other. We don’t learn from the margins, we still esteem power and success and skill.”

• “We’ve valued one side of the equation and not the other because we don’t imagine the poor have anything to teach us about God. We go with our gospel but don’t always understand grace. We are not students of the poor, the weak, the broken, the outside, or the other. We don’t learn from the margins, we still esteem power and success and skill.”

• “What the world desperately needs is a church that looks more like Christ and less like a parody of how to be respectable, comfortable, and safe.” 

• “Our need might be the thing that most blesses the body of Christ.” 

• “My saltwater tears have mixed with the ash from the Refiner’s fire, and they form the ink to pen my story, a story that helps me find my way to the beauty that was always buried and waiting.” 

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Description

As a girl, Alia Joy came face to face with weakness, poverty, and loss in ways that made her doubt God was good. There were times when it felt as if God had abandoned her. What she didn't realize then was that God was always there, calling her to abandon herself.

In this deeply personal exploration of what it means to be "poor in spirit," Joy challenges our cultural proclivity to "pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps." She calls on readers to embrace true vulnerability and authenticity with God and with one another, showing how weakness does not disqualify us from inclusion in the kingdom of God--instead, it is our very invitation to enter in.

Anyone who has struggled with feeling inadequate, disillusioned, or just too broken will find hope. This message is an antidote to despair, helping readers reclaim the ways God is good, even when life is anything but.

Publish date: 2 abril 2019