Recommendations for the National Day of Prayer

Many people throughout the nation have specifically focused on prayer today, we wanted to offer a couple suggestions of books that can help deepen a relationship with Christ. Hope these are helpful!

Perhaps you need some encouragement in your spiritual life? Check out Living in His Presence: Experience the Reality of God by Gina Moroney. Read what others are saying about this book:

Gina reveals her deepest reflections as she pulls back the curtain to give us a glimpse of her spiritual life. Truly, it is her witness to the touch of the Master’s Hand. Sit back, relax, and enjoy; let the story of Living in His Presence unfold page by page
~ Senior Pastor Charles E. Green, Message of Life Ministries, Loveland, Colorado

Living in His Presence is a gentle encouragement to go deeper with God and experience His presence on a daily basis. In a tender and gracious manner, Gina draws the reader in with practical, attainable steps for growing in intimacy with God.
~ Doug and Becky McKenna, Know Him Christian Sportswear

Living in His Presence reveals the heart of God through Gina, in whom He has obviously placed His heart. How does God become the satisfaction and delight of your life, moment by moment? Ask through the pages of this book, and you will see.
~ Tim and Terri Hayes, Division Director, Marketplace Chaplains USA

Gina points the way to a vibrant life in God’s presence, using a powerful combination of biblical truth and personal experience. Discover fresh insights from Gina’s story. Join her in this rewarding journey filled with incomprehensible joy.
~ Gail Horstman, Pastoral Care, New Community Christian Church

**Or, maybe you need a plan in how to put your faith into action? Anne Fortenberry's Faith that Works can help.

Anne explains what difference faith should make in our lives? If works don't insure our salvation, what's the purpose of right Christian behavior? If we have transformed lives in Christ, what specific works represent an outgrowth of our belief? Anne Fortenberry tackles all these questions in her nine-week interactive Bible study, Faith that Works. In a warmhearted, personal approach, Anne reveals fresh insights into the Book of James that will strengthen participants' faith, enrich their walk with the Lord, and challenge them to apply well-known scriptural principles.

Will God “crush” this bruised, rebellious reed?

A Bruised Reed is based on bites of information about the life of Lucey Hanks, Abraham Lincoln’s grandmother. This work is not intended as a biography, since so little is known about Hanks’ life. Not even her size, attributes, or hair color found agreement among historians. However, the story that can be pieced together from these historical bites gives a beautiful revelation of how deeply God loves His children and works through circumstances and persons to bring them to Himself.

The author, Helen Stephenson Spaulding, is eighth cousin to Abraham Lincoln. Because of a challenge to prove the relationship, much research was done into Lincoln’s relatives, especially his grandmother, Lucey Hanks. During this research, the gaps in Hanks' life were intriguing. What changed a young, rebellious, unwed mother—indicted for “unbecoming behavior”—to a married mother of eight more children, of whom two became ministers of the gospel and all the rest were active, deeply committed Christians? It was a story that begged to be written! (A few years ago, some interested persons worked hard to have the indictment expunged from Hanks' legal record.)

Some parts of this work are historically accurate. Others could have happened, given the actual history of that time. For instance, the massacre of Christian Dakota Indians did occur in 1782; the survivors did migrate south. Fictional events were woven into these historical parts to carry forward the theme.

Kids Can Learn About Missions with New Book

In a new book by Tara Rye, Kids Can Do Missions, Too!, a young girl learns that short-term mission trips aren't just for adults. The story includes pictures from a real mission trip to Guatemala. This can be used as a wonderful resource for those teaching kids about missions.

Modern, Meaningful Proverbs Inspire Others

In the ancient world scholars believed that wisdom was best demonstrated by the capacity to reduce a complex truth about the world into one brief, poignant remark.

In One-Liners to Live By, Dr. William E. Anderson dishes out his own brand of "ancient wisdom" by sharing 500 meaningful nuggets of God's truth. These proverbial truths are sure to encourage, challenge, and edify any wisdom-seeker.

Dr. Anderson is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He recently retired from Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, FL, at which he was senior pastor for 27 years. Since then he has acted as interim pastor of First Baptist Churches of Euless, Wichita Falls, Dallas, and Sulphur Springs, TX.

Alcohol and the Church: A Three-Part Series

Curious about alcohol and Christianity? Wondered about how many drinks is OK for a Christian to consume? Not sure where the church body stands in regard to alcohol?

In a three-part series that was published this week by the Baptist Press (the official newswire of the Southern Baptist Convention), Peter Lumpkins addresses the topic of alcohol and the church. Peter is the author of Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence (Hannibal Books, 2009), a popular blogger at SBC Tomorrow, and a 20-year Southern Baptist pastor. He has degrees in religion and philosophy (B.A.), theology (M.Div.) and expository preaching (D.Min.). He also completed graduate work in bioethics.

Visit Peter's blog to read his introductory comments (and find links to other sites on which an ongoing discussion is held on this topic), then head over to the Baptist Press website to read the three-part series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).

Do You Know God's Purpose for Your Life?

In a new book published by CrossHouse Publishing, Hannibal Book's sister imprint, the author addresses how to determine God's purpose for your life, as well as how to live out that purpose.

Discovering your purpose in life and then living for that purpose can be challenging. In a practical, conversational style, Kelsha T. Jones honestly shares her journey from feeling homeless in her life, to running from God's plan, to embracing and enjoying her newfound calling in Stop Running from the Calling of God.

Along with questions designed for personal reflection and a study of what God's Word says about the subject, Kelsha answers questions such as, How do I determine what God's will is for my life?, What will happen if I submit to God's will?, and Why do I still encounter difficult circumstances if I'm following God's plan? To help fellow believers pursue their purpose in life, Kelsha's story and biblical advice will guide Christians to stop running from God's plan and start living with a renewed direction and understanding that brings ultimate personal fulfillment.

Bloggers Review Ambassadors on Mission

Much thanks to these bloggers who read Ambassadors on Mission and gave it their honest review. Please check out each of their blogs for the review and a preview of the first chapter.

SelahV Today
Sunflower Faith
WORD Up!
Winning Readings
Marta's Meanderings (review coming soon)
A Life Better Than I Deserve (review coming soon)
Lil' Maddie's Meemaw (review coming soon)