A new kind of Bible study… After the success of her first two books, Heather Holleman received many requests to write a Bible study. And as a college English instructor, she wanted to make sure it really taught and didn’t simply inform. So she surveyed several women about what their dream study would look like, then got to work. The result is Included in Christ, a narrative-driven study where you can bring your life before Scripture in the context of community. Together women will discern their personal shadow narratives—ways they are living outside of their identity in Christ—and then rewrite those narratives according to biblical truth. This in-depth, 8-week study in Ephesians willequip women with six “signature stories” of God’s work in their lives—helping them combat exclusion, loneliness, weakness, decay, emptiness, and silence. Designed to facilitate honest sharing and help you internalize biblical truth, Included in Christ will provide community and connectedness as well as spiritual nourishment. It will also guide you in how to share your story and the hope of Christ with someone who doesn’t yet know Him.

Countless faithful gay Christians serve God wholeheartedly while holding the Bible as the highest authority in their lives. However, many are rejected from families and churches based on the commonly held premise, “homosexuality is a sin.” Included in Christ offers the scriptural basis held by those who believe that the premise is wrong. Many influential Christian leaders believe that someone within the LGBTQ community cannot be a Christian without renouncing their LGBTQ identity. But is that true? This book outlines every angle of the debate, including the Bible passages, as well as the idea that the entire Bible, beginning in Genesis, describes heterosexuality. It concludes with the clarification within Scripture that God does not condemn gay Christians but welcomes them into His Kingdom. God’s Word and His Church exemplify His plan for “one man, one woman” in the vast majority of Christian families. This book explores biblical exceptions to the idea that heterosexuality is His perfect plan for everyone. Additionally, the author presents the evidence that the phrase, “homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God,” was a mistranslation from the original Greek. Included in Christ provides readers with the tools they need both to make decisions regarding their beliefs about the LGBTQ community as well as to engage in debate. If you believe that homosexuality is a sin against God, please read this book with a red pen in hand. You’ll see the arguments from both viewpoints. If you agree with the author’s premise or are unsure of your stance, this book is an excellent guide for navigating this topic according to the Bible, from a perspective that affirms, accepts, loves, and welcomes the LGBTQ community. “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14

As Christians find themselves trapped in the rhetoric of platform, influence, retweets, and fame, they need a ladder out of the fray. Many of us live in a prison of self-absorption. Shackled with pride and despair, we compare ourselves to others constantly in our frantic, unending pursuit of perfection. Seated with Christ gets to the root of this behavior and charts a path to freedom. Scripture says that God’s beloved are seated with Christ in the heavens (Eph. 2:6), treasured by Him and given a place at His table. Heather Holleman unveils what this means for us. It means we walk out on the fight for acceptance. We quit measuring ourselves to others.We leap free from cycles of shame. Securely-seated people can ask themselves hard questions about their lives; they can deal with sin, grieve their losses, and move forward in hope. From a position of security and self-forgetfulness they can joyfully do the good works prepared for them uniquely. They can even celebrate the successes of others. Seated with Christ is a deeply personal, liberating look at a glorious truth: that we have a place at God's eternal table.

WINNER OF THE 2022 ECPA CHRISTIAN BOOK AWARD FOR NEW AUTHOR Healthy relationships across cultures are possible. Dr. Michelle Reyes takes a close look at the concept of cultural accommodation found in Scripture—and especially in the letter of 1 Corinthians—to redefine how Christians interact with cultural narratives that are different from their own. Christians—whose standard of living is oneness in Christ, whose gospel is radically nonexclusive—should be at the frontlines of justice and of cross-cultural unity. But many of us struggle to reach outside of our own cultural bubbles and form real relationships that move beyond stereotypes and lead to understanding, healing, and solidarity across cultural lines. Why is that? Why is it so difficult to reconcile our call to be united in Christ with a celebration of different cultural expressions? What are the reasons for cultural differences and how do they so often lead to stereotyping, appropriation, gentrification, racism, and other forms of injustice? What does the Bible say about human beings as cultural image bearers? How do we reevaluate our awareness of culture identity in a healthy and constructive way? These are just some of the questions that Dr. Reyes explores as she faces the challenges surrounding cross-cultural relationships in America today and her thoughts on the way forward. Spoiler Alert! The way forward does require willingness to change. It requires embracing cultural discomfort. But by engaging with this book, you will be empowered to learn how to become all things to all people—that is: how to reflect Jesus' love in a multicultural, multiracial body of Christ and to share that love with a hurting world.

In this unique introduction to the hidden life in Christ, James Bryan Smith walks readers through a thirty-day immersion in Colossians 3:1-17. Each of the thirty short chapters hones in on a single word or phrase from this life-changing passage, followed by a simple daily practice, a prompt for reflection and small group follow-up questions.

Do you long to know your unique purpose? Do you feel you have a calling but wonder how to fulfill it? As we pursue a sense of purpose and scramble to be the ones chosen for internships, graduate schools, marriages, careers, or some special honor, we often tie our identity to people, places, and clear plans that leave us frustrated and unfulfilled. We feel like we’re missing the life we’re supposed to live and we somehow veered off course. We ask questions like, “Is this God’s plan for me? How do I know? What is His plan, anyway?” What if Scripture not only answered these questions but also taught us an entirely new way of living? Instead of waiting for the perfect person, place, or plan, what if we lived, above all else, as chosen for Christ? Chosen for Christ invites you to step into the life you’ve been missing. You were chosen for a Person, not a plan. Now it’s time to live out your calling to: worship Jesus live as His treasured possession belong to a new household become like Jesus display God’s power complete the good works He designed for you live differently from the rest of the world In a world fixated on personal purpose and impact, Chosen for Christ presents a new way to think about calling. Each chapter includes discussion questions that will help women embrace their identity as chosen ones and step into a new way of living each new day. Chosen for Christ completes Heather Holleman’s vivid verbs trilogy, which also includes Seated with Christ and Guarded by Christ. It works wonderfully as a stand-alone book or as a powerful companion to her previous works. It also provides an expansion of ideas that appear briefly in Holleman’s devotional Included in Christ.

Heather Holleman used to live a fragile life, a prisoner to fear, anxiety, and despair. Like many younger women, she knew Jesus, but she wasn’t strong in Him. Her search for comfort seemed unending. Then one day, while reading a simple statement in Scripture, “God guards the lives of his faithful ones” (Psalm 97:10), that all began to change. In Guarded by Christ: Knowing the God Who Rescues and Keeps Us, Heather guides women through a series of practical mental shifts that immensely helped her live strong in the Lord. Learn how in Jesus, you are guarded: By righteousness instead of condemnation By peace instead of anxiety By hope instead of despair By the Holy Spirit’s power instead of self-effort By a crucified life instead of a self-important one We all need maturity in Christ that prepares us not just to endure anything, but to live from the strength and peace of Jesus in every season. Guarded by Christ will help women cultivate this maturity, reconnecting them with the Savior who rescues, keeps, and holds us with His love.