New Releases: April 16, 2009

Love is a Verb
Gary Chapman
Bethany House, April 2009

Dr. Gary Chapman has spent his life helping people communicate love more effectively and in turn build more satisfying and lasting relationships. His book The Five Love Languages is a regular on the New York Times Best Sellers list--even after being in print for fifteen years--and has made the term "love language" a part of everyday speech. Love Is a Verb takes his teaching to the next level. Rather than a typical marriage self-help book filled with lengthy explanations of principles and techniques, it is a compilation of true stories displaying love in action. These stories--written by everyday people--go straight to the hearts of readers, who often say that illustrations are the most effective parts of a book. Gary Chapman adds a "Love Lesson" to each story, showing readers how they can apply the same principles to their own relationships.


Nooma: Corner (v.23)
Rob Bell
Zondervan, April 2009
Can success separate us from those who could use our help? Can it create a wall between those with and those without? Maybe we are only really successful when we can actually see who could use our help. And maybe when we give to those we see, we are reminded of what we have been given.


Holy Available
Gary Thomas
Zondervan, April 2009
Gary Thomas issues a passionate manifesto of faith fully alive. The Beautiful Fight calls us beyond mere sin-avoidance to a robust holiness that radiates Christ through every aspect of our being. To see with Christ's eyes, feel with Christ's heart, and serve with Christ's hands-this is what Christianity is truly about.



10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe
Larry Osborne
Multnomah, April 2009
Larry Osborne confronts ten commonly held beliefs that are not only false, but dangerous. They're the urban legends of today's church: widely accepted, rarely questioned - and capable of sabotaging genuine faith. Some myths include: Faith can fix anything Christians shouldn't judge Ending up in a valley means you took a wrong turn Everythings happens for a reason A godly home guarantees good kids.


Spirituality for the Rest of Us
Larry Osborne
Multnomah, April 2009
Larry Osborne offers a fresh approach for those who deeply desire to know God more but are tired of adjusting to other people's definitions of spirituality. He shows readers how to leave old assumptions and limiting formulas behind, and discover their own path to a fulfilling relationship with God.



The Unexpected Adventure
Lee Strobel
Zondervan, April 2009
Are you missing one of the most exhilarating and rewarding dimensions of the Christian life? Bestselling authors Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg use compelling and humorous stories from their own lives in a devotional-style book that paints an irresistible picture of what personal evangelism can be—the fulfilling adventure of a lifetime!



House DVD
Ted Dekker
Nelson/Nelson Books, April 2009
Best selling authors Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti transform their supernatural novel into the thrilling film House. The film follows Jack (Reynaldo Rosales, TV’s "Medium”) and Stephanie Singleton (Heidi Dippold, HBO’s "The Sopranos”), a self-absorbed couple who get sidetracked on their way to a counseling session. After blowing out their tires, they find their way to the Wayside Inn, a ramshackle B &B where they meet an equally self-obsessed couple. The foursome quickly find themselves terrorized by a household of ghoulish servants and a masked lunatic, known as "The Tin Man” (Michael Madsen, Kill Bill: Vol. 2), who demands a dead body by sunrise. Their only way out, it seems, is to venture further in. But the deeper they go, the more horrifying the killer’s game and their night becomes. House is "a suspenseful psychological roller coaster ride” (MovieJungle.com) that will keep you pinned to the edge of your seat!


Battlefield of the Mind DVD
Joyce Meyer
Anchor Bay Entertainment
There's a war going on and your mind is the battlefield. If you're one of millions who suffer from worry, doubt, confusion, depression, anger or condemnation, you are experiencing an attack in your mind. Overcoming negative thoughts that come against your mind brings freedom and peace. Find out how to recognize damaging thought patterns and stop them from influencing your life. In this powerful conference, Joyce Meyer guides you through an honest self-appraisal by sharing the trials, tragedies and ultimate victories of her own marriage, family and ministry, including the truth she learned about what she was thinking and feeling every step of the way. You'll gain insight into how Joyce won the battle in her own mind, and how you can as well. You'll also discover how to: Find peace and stop the brain-storm of mental activity. See the truth by thinking correctly Learn how to use spiritual weapons effectively. Overcome the 10 wilderness mentalities that hold you in harmful circumstances. Don't surrender to misery another day. Find out today what you can do to ensure your victory in the Battlefield of the Mind.


Because I Said So...
Dawn Meehan
GuidepostsBooks, April 2009
Written by the e-bay mom--who garnered 1 million hits to her blog in I month--with a huge dose of laugh-out-loud, real life examples, Because I said So affirms that parents are not alone in the daily chaos, struggles and joys of childrearing. Throughout the crazy tales and adventures, Dawn reminds the reader that parenting is fun, children should be enjoyed, and a sense of humor is a must. She takes the everyday and spins it into a humorous light and endearing mom-to-mom tone. The stories also communicate that it's ok if there's marker on the walls, it's ok if a mother doesn't get a shower today, or hasn't had time for a haircut in six months. Poignant and amusing, this is a refreshing look at the mistakes we all can make in child-rearing and a hilarious testimony to parents who don't have it all figured out.


Crazy Good Sex
Les Parrott
Zondervan, April 2009
The combustive force of a man’s sexual drive can incinerate his wedding vows and family commitments—or it can ignite a flame of passion within his marriage that brings mind-blowing pleasure to both partners. In this practical guidebook filled with straight talk about the issues that concern men, psychologist Dr. Les Parrott reveals the truth about six areas that can undermine a man’s confidence, damage his marriage, and leave him struggling unnecessarily with temptation. Parrott counters these false beliefs and uncovers the answers to:
• how much sex women want
• whether married sex can be truly satisfying and steamy
• the biological effects of pornography
• what it really takes to please a woman
• whether masturbation is harmful or helpful
• the controlling force behind a man’s sexual drive
Readers will learn how to change both their beliefs and their behavior, paving the way for a whole new dimension of sexual pleasure.


Praying For Those You Love
Jack Hayford
Chosen, April 2009
Few prayers are more fervent than the longing for loved ones to come into the kingdom. While this place of intercession is a privilege, explains Jack Hayford, it is also a place of challenge. It requires perseverance, boldness, and sometimes getting out of God's way! With biblical insight and personal examples, this beloved author and pastor provides the tools readers need to pray effectively for those they love. Regardless of the crisis--an unbelieving spouse, a wandering child, a friend at a crossroads--here is encouragement to move in rightful authority, press in with intercession and see God's answers come.


The Woman of Mystery
Hayley DiMarco
Tyndale, April 2009
Popular author Hayley DiMarco employs her unique skill of tapping into the deepest longings of her reader on a topic most women yearn for— romance. Women crave it in their relationships, their entertainment, and even their physical surroundings. In The Woman of Mystery, DiMarco teaches women of all ages the secret of true romance and how it can lead to a life of peace and self-confidence in and beyond dating and marriage. You—and others— will notice an amazing difference in your thoughts, actions, words, and even your soul when you bring some mystery into your life.


The Long Fall Back to Earth
Jars of Clay
Provident, April 2009
The acclaimed rock band is back with lyrics that explore real-life issues and day-to-day experiences of the beauty and tension of relationships---and why they're worth fighting for! Arena-swelling rhythms and '80s-influenced sound flavor this 14-track CD that includes the songs "Two Hands," "Closer," "Hero," "Headphones," "There Might Be a Light," "Scenic Route," "Forgive Me," and "Heaven."


A New Hallelujah DVD
Michael W. Smith
Provident, March 2009
Experience a night of powerful worship! Recorded live from Houston, Texas, this passionate DVD features all the songs from Michael W. Smith's A New Hallelujah CD, plus four new tracks, behind-the-scenes footage, the African Children's Choir, and more. Includes "Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone," "Love in His Right Hand," "Help Is on the Way," and "Healing Rain/Let It Rain."


Clutter-Free Christianity
Robert Jeffress
Waterbrook Press, March 2009
Through solid biblical teaching and practical insights, Dr. Jeffress points you toward a revitalized faith centered on becoming more like Jesus in action, attitude, and affection. You’ll learn how to partner with God in the process of spiritual transformation as you choose to follow Christ in forgiveness, obedience, trust, contentment, service, and prayer. Through a renewed focus on experiencing the kingdom of God right now, you’ll find your to-do list shrinking and your spiritual life deepening. It all comes with Living in the Heart of God.


Multi-Site Churches
Scott McConnell
B&H Books, March 2009
Based on research of forty congregations that have grown by opening one or more additional worship locations, Multi-Site Churches provides the next generation of believers interested in this same type of growth with practical insights about how and when to proceed. Common practices and mistakes to avoid are clearly explained, and first-person advice and anecdotes from leading multi-site church pastors offer an invaluable advantage for when your church considers whether or not to follow this path of ministry.


Missional Renaissance
Reggie McNeal
Jossey-Bass, February 2009
Reggie McNeal's bestseller The Present Future is the definitive work on the "missional movement," i.e., the widespread movement among Protestant churches to be less inwardly focused and more oriented toward the culture and community around them. In that book he asked the tough questions that churches needed to entertain to begin to think about who they are and what they are doing; in Missional Renaissance, he shows them the three significant shifts in their thinking and behavior that they need to make that will allow leaders to chart a course toward being missional: (1) from an internal to an external focus, ending the church as exclusive social club model; (2) from running programs and ministries to developing people as its core activity; and (3) from professional leadership to leadership that is shared by everyone in the community. With in-depth discussions of the "what" and the "how" of transitioning to being a missional church, readers will be equipped to move into what McNeal sees as the most viable future for Christianity. For all those thousands of churches who are asking about what to do next after reading The Present Future, Missional Renaissance will provide the answer.


Spilt Milk
Linda Vujnov
Spilt Milk is a collection of brief, hilarious stories and meditations mixed with biblically based applications that encourage women in their spiritual journey. Written by a Gen-X mom, these stories remind busy mothers that God's grace is always there in the messes and marvels of life, love, and being a mom.