New Releases

Outlive Your Life
Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson, August 2010
These are difficult days in our world's history. 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God's love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works. He invites us to outlive our lives, not just in heaven, but here on earth. Let's live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad we did.

You Changed My Life
Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson, August 2010
If someone has changed your life for the good, now is the time to celebrate by letting them know how much they matter.Oftentimes true heroes of faith don't stand out in the world, but they have made a lasting difference in someone's life-they're a hero to someone. This gift book celebrates their story by first providing a dedication beginning with "You changed my life by___" to be written in detail by the giver to the recipient. To follow are stories told by Max about others who have answered the call of their convictions and took steps of faith (both big and small) resulting in lasting change in the lives around them. It's a message that honors the person who receives the book, and inspires us all to see that real people with remarkable hearts can change lives.

The Church Awakening
Charles Swindoll
FaithWords, August 2010
In THE CHURCH AWAKENING, Charles Swindoll discusses the challenges, struggles, and priorities of the church in the twenty-first century. He reveals the problems inherent in the entertainment-based postmodern church and shows how a return to biblical teaching will restore its strength and impact. Now being replaced by a feel-good message instead of what Christians need to know to stand strong in a world that's lost its way--Swindoll exposes the problems of--and solutions for--the postmodern evangelical church. Just as he opened readers' eyes with his bold statements in The Grace Awakening, now he offers a straightforward volume revealing how to reestablish a life-altering church with Christ as Lord and Master. Illuminating and empowering, THE CHURCH AWAKENING will ignite a revolution in the way Christians "do church" for years to come.

Nudge: Awakening Others to the God Who's Already There
Leonard Sweet
David C Cook, July 2010
Evangelism is about reaching out to others. Really? You think? Brace yourself. In Nudge, author Leonard Sweet sets out to revolutionize our understanding of evangelism. He defines evangelism as “nudge” – awakening each other to the God who is already there. Sweet’s revolution promises to affect your encounters with others, as well as shaking the very roots of your own faith. So brace yourself.

We Cry Out: The Worship Project
Jeremy Camp
BEC Recordings, August 2010
Grammy-nominated and RIAA multi-Gold selling artist Jeremy Camp is set to release his seventh studio project, We Cry Out - The Worship Project. Once again Camp teamed up with award-winning producer Brown Bannister to create a heartfelt, worshipful project. Returning to his worship music roots, he co-wrote with other notable worship leaders Matt Maher, Reuben Morgan (Hillsong) and Brenton Brown. "It is an overwhelming joy to see how the Lord has been faithful even though I am undeserving of it," shared Camp thinking back on his career. "I just want to continue to seek Him in all that I do, and want to always remember that it's the Lord doing the work...not me!

New Releases

The Power of a Whisper
Bill Hybels
Zondervan, July 2010
'Without a hint of exaggeration,' says pastor and author Bill Hybels in his new book, The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, Having the Guts to Respond, 'the ability to discern divine direction has saved me from a life of sure boredom and self-destruction. God's well-timed words have redirected my path, rescued me from temptation and re-energized me during some of my deepest moments of despair.' In The Power of a Whisper, vision is cast for what life can look like when God's followers choose to hear from heaven as they navigate life on earth. Whispers that arbitrate key decisions, nudges that rescue from dark nights of the soul, promptings that spur on growth, urgings that come by way of another person, inspiration that opens once-glazed-over eyes to the terrible plight people face in this world---through firsthand accounts spanning fifty-seven years of life, more than thirty of which have been spent in the trenches of ministry, Hybels promotes passion in Christ-followers' hearts for being wide open to hearing from God, and for getting gutsier about doing exactly what he says to do. For more information go to: www.thewhisperwall.com.


Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope
Mary Beth Chapman
Revell Books, August 2010
I've told my kids for years that God doesn't make mistakes," writes Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Grammy award winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. "Would I believe it now, when my whole world as I knew it came to an end?" Covering her courtship and marriage to Steven Curtis Chapman, struggles for emotional balance, and living with grief, Mary Beth's story is our story--wondering where God is when the worst happens. In Choosing to SEE, she shows how she wrestles with God even as she has allowed him to write her story--both during times of happiness and those of tragedy. Readers will hear firsthand about the loss of her daughter, the struggle to heal, and the unexpected path God has placed her on. Even as difficult as life can be, Mary Beth Chapman Chooses to SEE. Includes a 16-page full color photo insert.

Book Review

Wild Goose Chase
by Mark Batterson
Multnomah 2008

Reviewed by Diane Busch

"Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit "An Geadh Glas" - the wild goose. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed." Following the call of the Holy Spirit can be like chasing a wild goose. (Not in a straight line, quite adventurous, and you don't know where it will lead you.) Mark challenges us that six cages keep us from roaming free with the wild goose and living the spiritual adventure God has for us.
1. Cage of responsibility
2. Cage of routine
3. Cage of assumption
4. Cage of guilt
5. Cage of failure
6. Cage of fear
Mark helps us identify the things that hold us back from following God with all our heart, soul, mind and life. Along with the challenges, he offers scriptures and solutions to help us get free from the cages. I highly recommend this book for Christ followers who are ready for more -- more adventure; more challenge; more fun; more risk; more purpose. Get ready for a wild ride!

New Release

Love At Last Sight
Kerry & Chris Shook
WaterBrook Press, August 2010
A simple, effective 30-day plan to deepen the key relationships in your life! Contending that real friends aren't just added on Facebook, the best-selling authors of One Month to Live offer weekly principles, daily challenges, relevant illustrations, Bible verse insights, and action steps to help you change, improve, repair, and build more meaningful connections.

New Releases

God & Football

Chad Gibbs

Zondervan, August 2010

In 2008 over six million people attended an SEC football game. They spent thousands on season tickets, donated millions to athletic departments, and for three months a year ordered their entire lives around the schedule of their favorite team. As a Christian, Gibbs knows he cannot serve two masters, but at times his faith is overwhelmed by his fanaticism. He is not alone. Gibbs and his six million friends do not live in a spiritually void land where such borderline idol worship would normally be accepted. They live in the American South, where according to the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey, 84 percent identify themselves as Christians. This apparent contradiction that Gibbs sees in his own life, and in millions of others', has led him to journey to each of the twelve schools to spend time with rabid Christian fans of various ages and denominations. Through his journey, he learns how others are able to balance their passion for their team with their devotion to God.

Dare to Drop the Pose: Ten Things Christians Think but Are Afraid to Say

Craig Groeschel

Multnomah, August 2010

Is the REAL you getting lost because the FAKE you is just so annoyingly impressive? “Stepping onto the platform to preach that morning, I admitted to myself that I was not a pastor first, but a regular, scared, insecure, everyday guy whose life had been changed by Jesus. And if Jesus really loved me as I was (I knew He did), then why should I go on trying to be someone I wasn’t?” Why DO we fake it so much? Why do we spend so much time trying to please everyone else and make so little effort trying to please God? When Craig Groeschel asked himself those questions, he couldn’t come up with a good answer. So one day he decided to drop the act and start getting real. With that one choice, his life began to change in a big way. And yours can, too. Craig’s passionate, funny, warts-and-all confessions and the lessons he learned will help you find you own path to authentic living and a deeper relationship with God.
Includes study guide for personal or group use.

The Berenstain Bears Show God's Love

Jan & Mike Berenstain

Zonderkidz, August 2010

This five-book collection of highly popular Berenstain Bears stories will provide children with an ideal gift they will enjoy all year long. Each of the stories' values, morals, and life lessons will be invaluable for children throughout every stage of their lives.

Titles include: The Berenstain Bears and the Gift of Courage The Berenstain Bears: Faithful Friends, The Berenstain Bears and a Job Well Done, The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game, The Berenstain Bears Love Their Neighbors.

Fatal Convictions

Randy Singer

Tyndale Fiction, July 2010

Alexander Madison is part lawyer, part pastor, and part con artist. When a Muslim imam is accused of instigating honor killings, Alex must decide whether to take the case that every other lawyer in town is running away from. He doesn’t realize until it’s too late that defending the imam may cost him the one thing in life he cares about most. Fatal Convictions is the story of a lawyer willing to risk it all and the women who must choose between faith and love.

New Releases

Missional Small Groups
M. Scott Boren
Baker Books, July 2010
Small groups are a great place to connect with other churchgoers, but many wonder, is this all there is? Is sitting in a living room, talking about a book or watching a video the extent of what we can do together? Isn't being a Christian community about something more than this? Pastor and author Scott Boren thinks so. In this latest release from missional thinktank Allelon, Boren gives leaders and members of small groups the tools they need to make an impact on their communities. Beginning with a gentle critique of current small group models, Boren goes on to show how a uniquely Christian paradigm can set groups free to transform their communities. The final section of the book offers over twenty practices that groups can do to become more missional. Ultimately Missional Small Groups is about helping groups follow Jesus by equipping them to bring his message and healing to a hurting world.

The Mentor Leader
Tony Dungy
Tyndale, July 2010
'Without a hint of exaggeration,' says pastor and author Bill Hybels in his new book, The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, Having the Guts to Respond, 'the ability to discern divine direction has saved me from a life of sure boredom and self-destruction. God's well-timed words have redirected my path, rescued me from temptation and re-energized me during some of my deepest moments of despair.' In The Power of a Whisper, vision is cast for what life can look like when God's followers choose to hear from heaven as they navigate life on earth. Whispers that arbitrate key decisions, nudges that rescue from dark nights of the soul, promptings that spur on growth, urgings that come by way of another person, inspiration that opens once-glazed-over eyes to the terrible plight people face in this world---through firsthand accounts spanning fifty-seven years of life, more than thirty of which have been spent in the trenches of ministry, Hybels promotes passion in Christ-followers' hearts for being wide open to hearing from God, and for getting gutsier about doing exactly what he says to do. For more information go to: www.thewhisperwall.com.

Life in the Balance
Joni Eareckson Tada
Regal Books, July 2010
Never before has it been so important for Christians to discover the answers God’s Word holds to our culture’s biggest ethical and social dilemmas. Every day, the 24-hour news cycle offers stories from around the world of unimaginable physical, mental and emotional suffering. Yet more often than not, these stories and the underlying problems they represent are reported with no suggestions for resolution. Can it really be true that there are no solutions to our world’s biggest crises? Joni Eareckson Tada refuses to believe it. On her TV show, she has interviewed scores of people who have faced life’s toughest battles—and emerged victorious! In Life in the Balance, Joni and her friends take on some of the most difficult issues covered by the evening news, such as street violence, abortion, autism, genocide and stem-cell research. But they won’t just tell the stories; they’ll dig deep into the Word of God to find real and lasting solutions to so-called “unsolvable” problems. This workbook, designed for participants in a Life in the Balance individual and group study (Leader Guide with DVD sold separately), will guide readers to apply the timeless yet timely truth of God’s Word to society’s greatest challenges.

Letters to God DVD
Vivendi Entertainment, July 2010
A heartfelt tale of inspiration, hope and redemption. Tyler Doherty is an extraordinary eight-year-old boy facing his daily battle against cancer with bravery and grace surrounded by a loving family and community. Inspired by a true story Letters to God is an intimate, moving and funny story about the effect one child's belief can have on his family , friends and community.

VeggieTales Sweetpea Beauty DVD
Big Idea Productions, July 2010
In July, Big Idea released its first ever VeggieTales(R) adventure for girls on DVD, VeggieTales(R): Sweetpea Beauty-A Girl After God's Own Heart. This creative fairy-tale parody teaches a valuable lesson about true beauty based on 1 Samuel 16:7 and features the song, "Beautiful For Me," from singer-songwriter Nichole Nordeman.


Children of God Storybook Bible
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Zonderkidz, July 2010
The Children of God Storybook Bible is a collection of beloved Bible stories written by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and presents the idea of God's forgiveness and reconciliation to children. Each of the stories emphasizes God's desire for all people to live in community.