Looking to simplify your life? quiet your mind? find your unique spiritual gift(s) and make a difference? Turn to the Beatitudes! Sometimes teachings from well-known biblical passages are so obvious and preached so often that we overlook other helpful, not-so-obvious lessons. The Beatitudes are celebrated as being the template for humble Christian living. Dig deeper and you'll also find practical applications for living a simpler yet more spiritually engaged life, especially in this distraction-heavy and frenzied world. "…the Beatitudes are not easy sayings we can glibly incorporate in our way of life," writes Redding. "Like so much of what Jesus said, they invite us to move beyond first impressions and surface meanings. They challenge us to explore." Using Jesus' teachings about the kingdom of heaven and how that message spurs us to critically evaluate our priorities, Redding says we must learn to say no to some things to say yes to God. The book's brief chapters are just-right for today's busy schedules and can be read in minutes. Daily exercises following each chapter will help you consider and practice lessons learned and respond to scripture in a self-guided study. Also included are meeting plans for an 8-session small-group study of the book.

Are you going to let God be the focal point of your life when you are at college? Will you follow Him, even when it's not the popular thing to do? Popular author and speaker Mark Matlock helps incoming freshmen figure out if they are ready to combine faith and college by encouraging them to think about their faith in new ways.

Just say no! The world flies at us continually with too many distractions and opportunities. Seeing beyond these to choose the path to which God calls us is often difficult. In The Power of a Focused Heart, Mary Lou Redding, managing editor of The Upper Room daily devotional guide, helps readers simplify their lives by saying no to people so they can say yes to God. Designed for individuals or small groups, this in-depth study of the Beatitudes features: short chapters that can be read in fifteen minutes, five exercises per week to help you apply the scripture to your life, a leader's guide with detailed plans for eight weekly meetings, helps for decision making based on your spiritual gifts. Book jacket.

Too often believers pray for healing but never experience it. They pray for prosperity but never receive it. Why? Because they don’t know how to use a godly imagination correctly. They don’t see themselves healed. They don’t see themselves prosperous. They don’t see themselves victorious. In The Power of Imagination...

Pull away from the things that pull you down and find lasting encouragement for today. The women at Proverbs 31 Ministries offer 100 devotions of wit, wisdom, and encouragement for women. For twenty years the P31 team has equipped and encouraged nearly a million women to live in the power of God’s truths that apply to their everyday life. Written by women from every walk of life, you will find inspiration to live authentically and fully grounded in the Word of God. The P31 Team shares from the realities of everyday life including highs and lows, humorous stories and tender moments. You will be drawn toward the truths God offers and enabled to rise above and become all God created you to be.

The Crisis: People who are in rebellion are not the only ones with hard hearts. The dictionary defines hard when it applies to matters of the heart as being "cold; insensitive; callous; unfeeling; unyielding." This malady has stricken every Christian in some area of their life. This is what keeps us from hearing the voice of the Lord and being led by Him in our everyday lives. The Cause: The condition of our heart is determined by what we focus our attention on. It doesn't matter what we know, it's what we think on that controls whether our hearts is hard or soft (Proverbs 23:7). Once this is understood, this same law that will sensitize us towards God can be used to harden us towards the devil. The Cure: The Cure for a hardened heart is a total commitment to keep our minds stayed on the Lord. This teaching will give you one of the clearest understandings of the relationship between faith and unbelief that you have ever had.

Most of us feel overwhelmed at the idea of embarking on a grand plan for spiritual formation. As much as we'd like to, it just hasn't happened yet. Enter My One Word--an easy and surprisingly powerful practice that will allow God to form your character at a deep, sustainable level with just one word. The concept of My One Word is simple: swap the long list of resolutions for a single word that represents what you most hope God will do in you, and let it become the lens through which you examine your heart and life for an entire year. As you focus on your word, you position yourself for God to form your character at a deep, sustainable level. Join author Mike Ashcraft, who has led his congregation through the My One Word practice for more than five years, and Proverbs 31 Ministries author and speaker Rachel Olsen, who has lived the practice, as they share their insightful and good-humored approach to personal improvement. The stories of growth and change throughout My One Word will: Give you encouragement to discern one word to focus on Deepen your relationship with God Help you make changes that last Are you ready to embrace the life-changing power of My One Word? Let Mike and Rachel be your guides along the way. Praise for My One Word: "You are only one decision away from a totally different life. One change in spiritual disciplines can open up new dimensions of grace and power. Use My One Word to stop repeating the past and start creating the future." --Mark Batterson, author of New York Times bestseller The Circle Maker; lead pastor of National Community Church "My One Word is a lens that can change every area of your life. This is more than a to-do list and more than a New Year's resolution--this can be a lifestyle with pretty dramatic results." --Kyle Idleman, author of Not A Fan and When Your Way Isn't Working; teaching pastor of Southeast Christian Church