"This is the beginning of a beautiful love story," Nancy wrote in her diary after meeting Don Heche, the man she was to marry. Five children and 25 years of marriage later, it seemed as if they were the perfect family. Then Don was diagnosed with AIDS--the shocking discovery of his homosexual secret was only the beginning of loss and heartache. Shortly after Don's death, their 18-year-old son, Nathan, died in a car crash and Nancy fell into years of personal darkness. Eventually, as she wa...

Some of us fear moments when we need to defend our theology. Some of us seek them out. But we are seldom ready the way Jesus seemed to be ready. So how do we draw others to God in the midst of these ordinary conversations the way Jesus did?In Speaking of Jesus, Carl Medearis draws on his experience of international reconciliation between Muslims and Christians to remind us of the heart of the matter: Jesus. Here he gives us tools, stories, and the foundation we need to mov...

The question of how the church deals with homosexuality has become the great moral and spiritual issue of this generation.How do we respond to gay people who tell us how much they love the Lord and experience God's power? How do we answer them when they say that the greatest law is the law of love, and that love requires us to embrace them as they are? What do we do with the argument that the Old Testament laws (such as the prohibition against homosexuality and the ...

Restoration of The House of God

In Why Forgive? Arnold lets the untidy experiences of ordinary people speak for themselves--people who have earned the right to talk about forgiving.Some of these stories deal with violent crime, betrayal, abuse, hate, gang warfare, and genocide. Others address everyday hurts: the wounds caused by backbiting, gossip, conflicts in the home, and tensions in the workplace. The book also tackles what can be the biggest challenge: forgiving our...

In 2001, Kathy Baldock, a straight conservative evangelical Christian, met Netto Montoya, a lesbian Native American, on a local hiking trail near her home in the Sierra Nevada. Their developing friendship challenged Baldock’s cultural and religious beliefs about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.In Walking the Bridgeless Canyon: Repairing the Breach Between the Church and the LGBT Community, Baldock constructs a narrative timeline, including fascinating storie...

Ruth Tucker recounts a harrowing story of abuse at the hands of her husband—a well-educated, charming preacher no less—in hope that her story would help other women caught in a cycle of domestic violence and offer a balanced biblical approach to counter such abuse for pastors and counselors.Weaving together her shocking story, stories of other women, and powerful stories of husbands who truly have demonstrated Christ’s love to their wives, with reflection on biblical, theological, ...

Why is my daughter drifting from God? Why can't I explain my life choices to my parents? When will my son get a real job?Within the last several decades, the world has shifted dramatically. The cracks of this fundamental shift appear everywhere: in our economy, in our cultural debates, in our political landscape, and, most important, in our churches. The problem is we tend to overreact to these changes, fearing that Christianity is dying. We need better Generational...

Divine Design calls us back to God's original intent for men and women. Clearing away the cultural noise and misconceptions, author John MacArthur tackles big issues such as authority in marriage, mothers in the home, and God's view of equality, all while exploring the innate differences between men and women. Throughout, Divine Design provides an indispensable guide for understanding your mate, and shares how embracing your unique design can foster security, blance, and ...

Loving, Biblical Answers on HomosexualityIn the next year at least one of these things will happen in your life:• A family member will come out of the closet and expect you to be okay with it.• Your elementary-age child's curriculum will discuss LGBT families.• Your company will talk about building a tolerant workplace for LGBT co-workers.• Your college-age child will tell you your view on homosexuality is bigoted.Are you...

In our anonymous and dehumanized world, the simple practice of friendship is radically countercultural. But sometimes Christians inadvertently marginalize and objectify the very ones they most want to serve. Chris Heuertz, international director of Word Made Flesh, and theologian and ethicist Christine Pohl show how friendship is a Christian vocation that can bring reconciliation and healing to our broken world. They contend that unlikely friendships are at the center of an alternative par...

Whether you are a young single hoping to be married, a single of any age contemplating a celibate lifestyle, or one of the many under-recognized older singles in the church today, including those who are widowed or divorced, I hope you will find encouragement and affirmation in these pages.The object of these essays is not to teach you how to grit your teeth and bear the burden of being single, nor is it to teach you how to shed that burden as quickly as possible.Instead, I...