New Releases: February 18, 2009

Experiencing The Spirit
Henry & Melvin Blackaby
Multnomah, February 2009

The first Christians “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) shaking the gates of hell even in the face of severe persecution. The result: People all around “were filled with wonder and amazement” (Acts 3:10). What can give Christians today the same impact? God’s Holy Spirit is ready to answer that for us in an awesome way, as Henry Blackaby and his son Mel Blackaby make clear in Experiencing the Spirit. You’ll see how the proof of the Spirit’s presence is our awareness of God’s personal assignments for us, plus our supernatural enablement to carry out those assignments. You’ll find essential clarification on the difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts. You’ll explore the dynamics of being filled with the Spirit through intimate relationship with Him, committed obedience, and radical departure from sin. Instead of considering what you can do for God with your abilities and talents, you’ll be encouraged here to seek what God wants to do through you supernaturally by His Spirit, empowering you beyond your personal competence and capacities.



Gigi's Ginormous Sneeze (DVD)
Thomas Nelson, March 2009

It's the perfect day with several fluffy feet of new snow! Gigi and Frances have all kinds of fun planned, but without warning, somebody comes down with a serious cold. When great disappointment strikes, what's the most important thing to do? Based on Philippians 4:6-7. This includes 2 fully-animated videos on one DVD!




It's a Green Thing
Melody Carlson
Multnomah, February 2009

For the first time that she can remember, Maya Stark is beginning to feel like a “normal” teenager. Even with her mother in jail for drug possession and her pop-star father away on his comeback tour, Maya’s new life with her uncle Allen and cousin Kim is coming together. Summer vacation’s just beginning, and with a new job, a new boyfriend, and a new car (hybrid, of course), things are finally starting to look up. But that doesn’t mean life is about to get any easier. Maya’s still devoted to living Green, and her uncle offers her a Green column in his newspaper. With the opportunity to make a difference in the town’s attitude toward the environment, Maya wonders how this fits with her newfound commitment to Christ. And if she can really consider herself a Christian when her feelings toward a fellow youth group member are anything but loving…



Finally Alive
John Piper
Christian Focused Publications, February 2009

Why is the church so ineffectual and characterized by the mosaic generation as unchristian? The term born again has been devalued both in society and in the church. Recent social studies surveys have shown that those who regard themselves as born again Christians have the same tendency to divorce as people who aren't Christians at all! In these surveys, being born again is defined by what people say they believe. The New Testament defines Christians very differently. Piper defines new birth biblically and helps us to embrace the reality of it. I hope that showing that the new birth is not in our control helps make pastors and other Christians desperate for the supernatural in their ministries



His Name Is Jesus
Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson, March 2009

This is Max Lucado's first book that journey's from the birth of Christ to His resurrection. Drawing from his classic writing on Jesus combined with new reflections and breathtaking art, Max Lucado again opens our eyes and hearts to the life and work of the Savior in a way that will change lives forever. "Jesus was, at once, common and not; alternately normal and heroic. One minute blending in with the domino players in the park, the next commanding the hell out of madmen, disease out of the dying, and death out of the dead." Who was this man who spoke as easily with kids and fishermen as widows and waves? It is the question that has echoed down through the centuries to us today, and here is a visually stunning book that answers aspects of that question.



Franchising McChurch: Feeding Our Obsession with Easy Christianity
Thomas White & John Yeats
David C. Cook, February 2009

We live in a fast-food nation where the service is efficient, the products are peer-tested, and size is king. And this consumer-driven approach is seeping into the church. Across the country churches are creating entertaining, pop culture-savvy services that feel more market-driven than ministry focused. And what's on the menu? A proven blend of dynamic music, high-tech dazzle, and topical teachings. And just like any successful product, churches are launching campuses that build on their brand. Franchising McChurch takes an honest look at the rise of consumer-minded ministries. Candid and compelling, it calls us back to the heart of Christ's church and shares the Biblical design for delivering meaningful, life-changing ministry in a fast-food world.