Looking to simplify your life? quiet your mind? find your unique spiritual gift(s) and make a difference? Turn to the Beatitudes! Sometimes teachings from well-known biblical passages are so obvious and preached so often that we overlook other helpful, not-so-obvious lessons. The Beatitudes are celebrated as being the template for humble Christian living. Dig deeper and you'll also find practical applications for living a simpler yet more spiritually engaged life, especially in this distracti...

Understanding Spiritual Gifts Participant's Book is available for small group members. This leader's guide includes a process and resources for an introductory meeting and 6 weekly meetings of either 45 or 90 minutes. The longer format includes group lectio divina (contemplation of and individual response to scripture) in each session.

Understanding Spiritual Gifts Leader's Guide is also available. This 6-week experiential study (7 weeks, including the introductory session) helps individuals and small groups explore spiritual gifts using selected passages from the Bible.

Sometimes our prayers flow easily, and we talk to God just as naturally as we would to a dear friend. But sometimes we can't find words to express our thoughts, no matter how hard we try. What can you do when you can't pray, or when you need a prayer for a specific occasion but don't know where to begin? You can turn to the prayers of other Christians to carry you into God's presence. Prayers for Life's Ordinary and Extraordinary Moments is a unique collection of prayers that give you words t...

Many of us feel intimidated about our prayer life—we look at other Christians, and prayer seems to come naturally to them. But somehow we feel that we just don't "get it." Author Mary Lou Redding reminds us that the disciples were with Jesus continually, and still they had to ask him for help in learning how to pray. That should reassure us, she says. Because the Lord's Prayer is so familiar, we run the risk of praying it by rote without really thinking about the meaning of the words. Redding...