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How can young adults make the best use of these years? Be like Jesus and advance!…in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man.Your teens and 20s will be put to the best and highest use if you make them a time of sanctification. Even now you can make bold steps in overcoming sin and embracing righteousness.The Christian faith rises and falls upon this remarkable fact: God became man. Even Jesus had to grow from a baby to an adult, from immaturity to maturity. Even he had to submit to his parents and advance in wisdom, stature, and favor with both God and man.Advance! is my call to teens and young adults to learn from Jesus and make these years a time of deliberate preparation for the rest of life. I plead with you to use these years not first to focus on outward accomplishments that might shape the world, but inward achievements that will shape your character. In short, I call on you to be like Jesus.-Tim Challies

God wants your heart. The whole Bible teaches truth and awakens emotions, but the Psalms are in a category of their own. They do not just awaken heart; they put it in the foreground. They do not just invite our emotions to respond to God's truth; they put our emotions on display.The Psalms are not just commanding; they are contagious. We are not just listening to profound ideas and feelings. We are living among them in their overflow. We touch pillows wet with tears. We hear and feel the unabashed cries of affliction, shame, regret, grief, anger, discouragement, and turmoil. But what makes all this stunningly different from the sorrows of the world is that all of it-absolutely all of it-is experienced in relation to the totally sovereign God.This book is an invitation. God wants our hearts. He will take them as he finds them. And then, with the healing contagion of the Psalms, he will shape them. Accept his invitation to come.

How does the Bible instruct us as we grow older? Age gracefully, age wisely, age resolutely to the glory of God.There are few longings in my heart deeper than this: that God would let me live a godly, purposeful, dignified old age. I mean to encourage us both to age gracefully, to age wisely, to age resolutely to God's glory.We are all aging. We are passing through time until we reach the end of our time. We soon learn that greater age brings greater sorrow but also greater joy, especially to those who are in Christ.To age gracefully we must age in Christ and for Christ. What does it look like to age gracefully? What do we need to be doing now to ensure we finish this race strong?These are questions for all Christians, young and old. Thankfully the Bible speaks clearly about how to age and how to age well. Join me in exploring what the Bible has to say about age and aging and learn how we can all hear those beautiful words, "well done, good and faithful servant."-Tim Challies

A commandment from God. A commandment with a promise. A commandment we forgot.We are all children, we ought to pursue God's blessings, and we need to give prominence to God's prominent command: Honor your father and your mother. For these reasons, we can no longer ignore the forgotten Fifth Commandment.This commandment is not just for children. Rather, it pertains to the whole of life and to every person of every age. In the home, the church, and the workplace, it provides a stable foundation for all of society. Yet, we often neglect it and fail to appreciate its relevance to our lives. It is the commandment we forgot.This booklet is a brief exploration of the Fifth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother. It answers important questions relevant to every Christian: Does this commandment expire when we move out of our parents' home and gain our independence? Does it cease being relevant once we are married? Is obedience synonymous with honor? Do we need to be prepared to provide for them financially? What if our parents are especially difficult or unworthy of respect?My hope is that this booklet will restore the centrality of the fifth commandment, even and especially to adults. Let's look together to the Bible and, ultimately, to Jesus Christ as the perfect fulfillment of the commandment we forgot.-Tim Challies

Learn to be a model of Christian maturity.D.A. Carson has pointed out that the list of qualifications for elders is "remarkable for being unremarkable." Why? Because these traits are repeated elsewhere as qualities that ought to characterize all believers.Are you growing in godliness? How would you even know?A good place to begin is understanding and imitating the character qualifications the Bible lays out for elders. While elders are meant to exemplify these traits, all Christians are to display them. And, with just one exception, each of them is related to character.Join me as I explore the Bible to consider how we can better exemplify the highest Christian virtues. As we consider the character of the Christian, we will spur one another on to love, good works, and Christlikeness.-Tim Challies

Don''t try to do it all. Do more good. Better.I am no productivity guru. I am a writer, a church leader, a husband, and a father with many responsibilities and with new tasks coming at me all the time.I wrote this short, fast-paced, practical guide to productivity to share what I have learned about getting things done in today''s digital world. Whether you are a student or a professional, a work-from-home dad or a stay-at-home mom, it will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God.In Do More Better, you will learn:> Common obstacles to productivity> The great purpose behind productivity> 3 essential tools for getting things done> The power of daily and weekly routines> And much more, including bonus material on taming your email and 20 tips I have learned along the way.It really is possible to live a calm and orderly life, sure of your responsibilities and confident in your progress.You can do more better. And I would love to help you get there.-Tim Challies

At one time or another, most Christians struggle with depression, discouragement, or despondency. When this happens, spiritual joy is the great need. William Farley has written a practical book to help flawed human beings discover and implement the secret to spiritual joy.The author contends that the gospel is the key to a life overflowing with joy. That is because a right understanding of the gospel produces the humility that motivates a life of continual thanksgiving. A heart humbled by the gospel is the well from which stressed believer can draw the gratitude that generates spiritual joy.This book also examines common joy-killers like grumbling, complaining, boasting, and self-pity, and provides practical suggestions for conquering them. Such attitudes cannot co-exist in a heart saturated with gospel-gratitude. Ultimately, a clear grasp of the cross is the secret to spiritual joy.

Most Christians will agree that we ought to love our God. But what about fearing God? The Bible says that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10), yet a broad survey of modern evangelicalism reveals that the fear of God is hardly regarded as such anymore. Many Christians seem to wrongly assume that the gospel of grace trumps the fear of the Lord. However, it is only the God of the gospel that is truly worthy of our reverential fear. The purpose of this book is to equip Christians with a healthy view of fearing God and to illustrate how it reconciles with the gospel of God''s grace to sinners.

Neither a comprehensive marriage manual, nor a complete exploration of the theological significance of marriage, Friends and Lovers focuses on two key ingredients in a vital marriage: friendship and sexual intimacy. Drawing from the wisdom of the Bible, especially the Book of Proverbs, Joel Beeke shows you how to grow closer to your spouse both emotionally and physically.

The earthly ministry of Jesus was all about rightly interpreting and applying God''s Word.We can do the same. No special training required.In fact, right interpretation of Scripture, followed by right application, is the primary way that Christians are to be like God.This is not an issue of education. It''s an issue of imitation.The example of Jesus'' life shows us how.

As common as it is terrible. As easy to overlook as it is dangerous.Backsliding is the worst thing that can happen to anyone claiming faith in Jesus.Learn the diagnosis. Experience the cure.The Christian life is a race. Through the gospel,God summons us to sustained and persevering effort. He empowers his children by grace-free and undeserved blessing through Christ. But he does not carry them to heaven on flowery beds of ease. Faith is a living, athletic grace. God''s mercy motivates Christians and energizes them to press on and overcome great obstacles. Christ blazed the trail before us. He now calls us to follow Him to the end (Hebrews 12:1-2).Looking unto Jesus-that is how we persevere. In him is everything we need. But realistically speaking, Christians are not always pressing forward. Sometimes they wander off the narrow path, slip, and injure themselves. To the confused and injured runner, this book says, "God can help you. You can finish this race-and finish it well." Drawing from the wisdom of the Scriptures and aided by the insights of godly Bible teachers through the centuries, Getting Back in the Race addresses the age-old problem of backsliding.Backsliding is a season in the life of a professing Christian when his sin grows stronger and his obedience to God declines. The beginning of the book uncovers signs of sliding into a spiritual rut, for this is often more subtle than falling into scandalous sins. The rest of the book shows that there is hope for the backslider. God is so amazing! Even though our backsliding insults him, dishonors him, grieves him, and pushes away his love, still He calls us to return to him. When you grasp hold of God''s methods by faith, you discover that Christ has grasped hold of you. Our spiritual Physician has potent medicines to heal his people from their injuries and get them back on track to finish the race. This book is a wake-up call to careless Christians and an encouragement to all believers to keep running to the Lord.

Here is a tender blending of memoir and theology, a joining of heart and mind, a sober yet joyful consideration of Scripture in the face of one of life''s deepest and most grievous trials.What exactly happens to those who die as Christians? What do they immediately experience? What is their existence like right now? What will happen to them when Christ returns to earth?These questions can be especially acute for grieving loved ones who remain. What comfort and assurance does Scripture offer you? What can you truly know and be confident of?These are the questions and concerns that faced Pastor Albert N. Martin following the death of his wife of nearly 50 years. He knew that, if he were to grieve in a way that glorified God, he needed to know the answers to those questions, as clearly as possible, directly from Scripture. This book is the product of his grief, his tears, his travails, his prayers, and his concentrated study of God''s Word.A beloved pastor and widely respected preacher for half a century, Albert Martin handles Scripture with the greatest of skill, care, wisdom, and respect. In this book, you will learn what God tells us with regard to the burning questions that so often accompany the death of a loved one in Christ.There is comfort for the grief. There are answers to the questions. The Bible does offer hope, solace, healing, and confidence. Pastor Albert Martin has been there. Let him share with you the deep comfort, encouragement, and joy that he found, through Scripture, in the midst of his grieving.

Street-level apologetics for everyday Christians.Because faith in Jesus makes sense. And you don''t need an advanced degree to understand why.This book was written for two reasons:First, too many people think believing in Christianity means blind faith, against all evidence, the way a child believes in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. Nothing could be further from the truth.Second, every few years a new book intended to undermine Christianity becomes a best seller and shakes the faith of many. Yet the arguments in these books are rarely compelling.Jesus likened faith in God to a house built on a foundation. If built on sand, storms of doubt will tear the house apart. But if we build on a solid foundation, we will stand. In these pages, Joe Coffey inspects our foundation - so we can know why we believe, and so we can speak of our faith to others with greater confidence and clarity.The conclusion? The Christian faith is built on a tremendous amount of credible evidence. You don''t need to be a scientist, an historian, an archeologist, or a philosopher to understand why belief in Jesus makes perfect sense.Think of the last time an unbeliever asked you a seemingly unanswerable question as a way of supporting their unbelief. Did you feel thwarted in your attempt to "give an account for the hope that is in you"? Smooth Stones answers six of the toughest of these questions:How do you know God exists?How can you be sure the Bible is authentic and true?If God exists, why is there evil and suffering?Doesn''t science disprove the Bible?Aren''t all religions the same?How can you be sure the claims of Christ are true?Joe Coffey writes in a style that is clear, winsome, and compelling. Smooth Stones will equip you with answers to some of the toughest apologetics questions a Christian can face.There is plenty of evidence to support the claims of Christianity. Smooth Stones puts much of that evidence at your fingertips and offers practical guidelines for how to unpack it in ways that are "gentle and reverent."

Whether from the pen of Moses, Paul, or other biblical authors, "But God" appears in various forms hundreds of times in the Bible. To understand these two words as they are used in Scripture is to understand the gospel. This book focuses on nine of the most important appearances of this key phrase, drawing in numerous other passages of Scripture and in the process unfolding the magnificent drama of God''s sovereign grace-from his mercy on Noah to our security in a resurrected Savior.Taken together, this collection of brief Bible expositions provides a big-picture overview of the consistent way in which God has chosen to save sinners. It has always been by his might, his power, his grace, and his initiative.James Montgomery Boice wrote that "If you understand those two words-''but God''-they will save your soul. If you recall them daily and live by them, they will transform your life completely."

The fight against chaos is universal, whether it be the outward chaos of disorder and frenzy or the inward chaos of fear and self-criticism. Even if we already know how to do better, something falls apart between our good intentions and getting it done.Most books on organization just add more rules to your life, whether it be another plan, another calendar, or another method. This book will show you a different, better way that is grounded in the grace of God.Jesus taught that true change doesn''t come by the addition of more rules, but from the inside out, with a change of the heart that only the gospel can bring. When you identify the heart problems behind the chaos in your life, lasting change can happen. This will not only reduce the stress in your life, but help you be more effective in your service to God.

One of the ambitious dreams that Reclaiming Adoption and its authors share with the Apostle Paul is that when Christians hear the word adoption, they will think first about their adoption by God. As it now stands, Christians usually think first about the adoption of children. Reclaiming Adoption sets out to change this situation by providing breathtaking views of God''s love for and delight in His children - views that will free you to live boldly in this world from God''s acceptance, not in order to gain it.Reclaiming Adoption begins by examining Jesus'' Parable of the Prodigal Son because it ultimately puts God the Father''s love on display - a love that embraces the younger son with uninhibited joy (Luke 15:20) and goes out to entreat the self-righteous older son to come join the celebration (Luke 15:28). The book is premised on the belief that behind the Parable of the Prodigal Son(s) is Scripture''s teaching on adoption. The story of the Bible is that God the Father sent his only true and eternal Son on a mission, and that mission was to bring many wayward and rebellious sons home to glory (Hebrews 2:10) in order to adopt them into His family.That is the Story behind the story of the Prodigal Sons. It is the only story that gives our stories any meaning or significance.Dan Cruver and his co-authors are convinced that if Christians learn to first think about their adoption by God, and only then about the adoption of children, they will enjoy deeper communion with the God who is love, and experience greater missional engagement with the pain and suffering of this world. That''s what this book is about. What the orphan, the stranger, and the marginalized in our world need most is churches that are filled with Christians who live daily in the reality of God''s delight in them. Reclaiming Adoption can transform the way you view and live in this world for the glory of God and the good of our world''s most needy.

"It sounded at first like something out of an old horror movie. I thought maybe someone was just playing around, but then I heard it again and again, a loud piercing cry, and less like Hollywood every time. The windows were down in my police cruiser on that warm fall day, but I still couldn''t tell where the sounds came from. I began looking around for the unlikely sight of someone being disemboweled in a mall parking lot on a Saturday afternoon. Seeing nothing, and still hearing the screams, I called in a ''disturbance.'' Around the next corner I found the source of the commotion."So begins Greg Lucas'' captivating account of life as a husband, a police officer, and Jake''s dad. Jake Lucas, the first of four children, lives with severe physical and mental challenges. Caring for him each day is an ordeal few of us can imagine, and this story of Jake''s first 17 years is not one you will soon forget. But the remarkable thing is how the whole narrative is saturated with wonder at the grace and goodness of God, who brings hope and promise through his Son into the darkest of circumstances.In this book, we see that Jake''s problems are our problems, only bigger, and the challenges of caring for him carry profound lessons about God''s care for us. Wrestling with an Angel is about tragedy and laughter and pain and joy. It is about faith and grace and endurance and God''s unfailing, loving wisdom daily being worked out in each of our lives, whatever the nature or extent of our difficulties. Here is a book that may explain faith to you in ways you never quite grasped, through a life few of us can relate to. When it is all done, we come away better able to live as Christ calls us to live.