ECPA BESTSELLER • A compelling emotional and spiritual case against hurry and in favor of a slower, simpler way of life “As someone all too familiar with ‘hurry sickness,’ I desperately needed this book.”—Scott Harrison, New York Times best-selling author of Thirst “Who am I becoming?” That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren’t pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words: “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.” It wasn’t the response he expected, but it was—and continues to be—the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil. Within the pages of this book, you’ll find a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.

You are what you love. But you might not love what you think. In this book, award-winning author James K. A. Smith shows that who and what we worship fundamentally shape our hearts. And while we desire to shape culture, we are not often aware of how culture shapes us. We might not realize the ways our hearts are being taught to love rival gods instead of the One for whom we were made. Smith helps readers recognize the formative power of culture and the transformative possibilities of Christian practices. He explains that worship is the "imagination station" that incubates our loves and longings so that our cultural endeavors are indexed toward God and his kingdom. This is why the church and worshiping in a local community of believers should be the hub and heart of Christian formation and discipleship. Following the publication of his influential work Desiring the Kingdom, Smith received numerous requests from pastors and leaders for a more accessible version of that book's content. No mere abridgment, this new book draws on years of Smith's popular presentations on the ideas in Desiring the Kingdom to offer a fresh, bottom-up rearticulation. The author creatively uses film, literature, and music illustrations to engage readers and includes new material on marriage, family, youth ministry, and faith and work. He also suggests individual and communal practices for shaping the Christian life.

One of the greatest historical love stories the world has ever seen is not one that is taught in schools. Across much of the pre-Christian Roman Empire sexuality was expressed very differently, but even in Ancient Rome romance can be a dangerous thing when it is with the wrong person.Antinous is handsome, athletic and intelligent, but being the son of a Bithynian fruit trader, his ambition to get to Rome is very distant indeed - that is, until the great Emperor Hadrian appears in his home city of Claudiopolis and their eyes meet across a crowded square. That one look sparks a world of historical romance intrigue for the young Antinous, and he is taken to Rome to be inducted into the Paedagogium, where the noble sons of the city are trained for their future lives. But he can never quite shake his dreams of intimacy with the greatest man in Rome.Hadrian is equally intrigued by the young Bithynian. When the time comes for a tour of his empire, the emperor chooses Antinous as an advisor, and together they set off on the dangerous voyage to the cold lands of the North. Shipwrecked off the coast of Britannia and staying in the royal palace of the Atrebate king, the two men find themselves lost as historical romance gay lovers with passion not seen since the time of Alexander the Great and his general, Hephaestion.But their intimacy and Antinous' growing influence over Hadrian has aroused the ire of the most powerful woman in the Roman Empire: Hadrian's wife. Scorned in public and determined to uphold the traditions of Ancient Rome romance gay lovers feel for each other is swept aside in a plot to remove the low-born Bithynian from his new-found position of power.

Malls, stadiums, and universities are actually liturgical structures that influence and shape our thoughts and affections. Humans--as Augustine noted--are "desiring agents," full of longings and passions; in brief, we are what we love. James K. A. Smith focuses on the themes of liturgy and desire in Desiring the Kingdom, the first book in what will be a three-volume set on the theology of culture. He redirects our yearnings to focus on the greatest good: God. Ultimately, Smith seeks to re-vision education through the process and practice of worship. Students of philosophy, theology, worldview, and culture will welcome Desiring the Kingdom, as will those involved in ministry and other interested readers.

for every healthy tree bears good fruit --; Demand #28 : love your enemies--lead them to the truth --; Demand #29 : love your enemies--pray for those who abuse you --; Demand #30 : love your enemies--do good to those who hate you, give to the one who asks --; Demand #31 : love your enemies to show that you are children of God --; Demand #32 : love your neighbor as yourself,

Rick Renner unearths a rich treasure trove of truths in his remarkable devotional. Drawing from an extensive study of both the English Bible and New Testament Greek, Rick illuminates 365 passages with more than 1,285 in-depth Greek word studies. Far from intellectualizing, he blends his solid instruction with practical applications and refreshing insights. Find challenge, reassurance, comfort, and reminders of God's abiding love and healing every day of the year.