Showing titles in Holidays

Families will treasure this fresh perspective on the nativity for years to come. Song of the Stars, written by best-selling author Sally Lloyd-Jones, enhances Advent traditions and adds depth to Christmas Eve readings of the Christmas Story.

Preparing for Christmas: A Family Advent Devotional for Hope and Reflection invites families to journey together through the Christmas season with purpose, faith, and connection. This beautifully crafted devotional offers daily reflections, prayers, and meaningful discussions designed to draw families closer to each other and to the heart of Christ. Perfect for creating cherished memories, each day's devotion centers on themes like hope, joy, love, and faith, building anticipation for the celebration of Jesus' birth. Gather as a family around the table, by the Christmas tree, or during ...

A Chicago journalist finds himself in a small Texas town on Christmas Eve. Lonely and alone, he encounters old faces and new facts: a hand carved manger, a father's guilt, a young girl's faith. The trip into the past holds his key to the future, and a scarlet cross shows him the way home.

Scripture shares a basic story, from God's first creative act in the beginning to its final scene—the renewal of all creation as a new heaven and earth. Around the Bible in 80 Days offers you an accessible guide to the Bible's high points that can enrich your faith and help you better understand God's overall redemptive story. On this eighty-day excursion, join master teacher John Mark as he encourages you to reflect deeply on specific Scriptures and what they say about God's unfolding drama.

Christmas is a time of seasonal cheer, family get-togethers, holiday parties, and-gift giving. Lots and lots - and lots - of gift giving. It's hard to imagine any Christmas without this time-honored custom. But let's stop to consider the gifts we receive - the rooster sweater from Grandma or the singing fish from Uncle Mike. How many of us get gifts we like? How many of us give gifts not knowing what recipients want? Did your cousin really look excited about that jumping alarm clock?

In prayer we need to be deeply conscious that God is the almighty one, the supreme creator, the ruler of the Universe, that he is infinite and eternal; we need to know that God is the underlying, unchangeable truth, "with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning". God as principle is the absolute good expressed in all creation. When we know God and "worship him in spirit and truth" we recognize him as this great goodness, which is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, ready and willing to guide, to bless, and to uplift.

This unique collection includes four sermons by C.H. Spurgeon on Jesus and Christmas. The reading provides a beautiful and thoughtful devotional narrative for each week of Advent. All delivered originally in December by Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, the message and hope of Christmas shines clear and strong throughout each sermon. Dive into the rich fullness of the gospel and of Christ’s love for His children as eloquently expressed by the "Prince of Preachers."

In his first ever Christmas book, beloved pastor Dr. Charles Stanley takes us back to our truest and best reason for celebration - the birth of the Christ child. By revisiting the people and events of that first Christmas, Dr. Stanley reveals the unique lessons that long ago starry night offers to each of us still today.

The subject of these stories ranges from saints to single mothers, from Depression-era childhoods and poverty to times of great peace and prosperity. Together they serve to remind us of the miracle, faith, transformation, and mystery that live in the spirit of Christmas.

Christmas is the most important holiday of the year. After the corresponding days that exalt the national pride of each country, such as Independence Day in the United States, Victory Day in Russia, or Bastille Day in France, it's December 25 that articulates the life, the work, and the economy in much of the world, including many non-Christian countries. Since ancient times, the beginning of winter has been the occasion for most people to eat, drink, dance, and get together to beat the drum and take a break.

For generations, churches and families have used Advent wreaths to help prepare for celebrating the Lord's birth at Christmas. The evergreen wreath symbolizes eternal life and includes four candles—typically three purple and one pink, with a white candle in the middle that symbolizes the purity of Christ. Various traditions assign different topics to each candle, and the candles are usually given names to remind us of the good news of Christ's birth.

During the holidays, so many of us can suffer for all kinds of reasons. More and more churches are acknowledging this fact with "Blue Christmas" services (also called "Longest Night" services) and offering resources to give particular support and comfort to those struggling during the "most wonderful time of the year". In A Weary World, Escobar provides 28 daily reflections paired with prayers and practices to honor our struggles during the holidays. Weekly resources make this Advent devotional suitable for group study as well.

Christmas is the world's biggest festival, yet we barely understand how we got here. Somewhere between Jesus, Dickens and Coke, Christmas became the beloved chaotic present-fest that it currently is. If it's a turkey, we should really stop stuffing it. So let's unwrap it instead....

Even though he's got 3.5 million copies of books in print, Pastor Robert Morgan writes only one short fiction story each year - an original work he shares with his church on Christmas Eve. Now with a fresh new cover and six new stories, the entire collection of 12 is available in this beautiful volume. Beginning is a foreword by David Jeremiah, followed by adventures that evoke the splendor and love found at the manger over 2000 years ago.

The promise that miracles can happen is never more certain than during the holiday season, when it really does seem that your dreams and wishes can come true. From a guardian angel who finds a desperately needed job for a man whose wife is about to give birth right before Christmas, to a pair of grieving parents who receive a warm Christmas message from their recently departed son, these incredible-but-true, larger-than-life miracles celebrate the wondrous joys of this special time of year. Because the first Christmas - and every one since - is a miracle.

Part travel journal but mostly spiritual guide, Finding Jesus in Israel takes an unvarnished look at the Holy Land with an off-the-bus peek into the people and places that make Israel such an amazing destination. We are shaped and transformed by the oceans we sail, the deserts, mountains, and valleys we wander, and the people we meet along the way. And as any traveler worth his salt knows, the real trip happens within.

Pentecost may well be the most misconstrued day on the church calendar. A long legacy of cessationism has drained Pentecost of much of its significance, and it's largely misunderstood in many Western churches today, if not outright ignored. That's not the case in Emilio Alvarez's tradition, though. In this Fullness of Time volume, the Pentecostal bishop and theologian offers us a rich biblical and theological introduction to the day of Pentecost and sets it in its liturgical context.

Christmas is a wonderful Christian holiday that has been enjoyed by many for hundreds of years. Or is it a collection of repackaged pagan practices setup by the Roman Catholic church in order to replace paganism? I guess it would depend on who you ask, but ultimately it cannot be both. Today there seems to be a battle between two camps concerning the origins of Christmas. Memes, videos, and blogs are filled with opinions, but what is the truth behind the matter? What evidence is there to support the views that are being shared? In this book we will be looking at the Biblical account of the ...

One of the many joys of Christmas comes from the traditions associated with it. Best-selling author Caroline Kennedy drew on her own family's traditions to create this charming collection of favorite stories, poems, and writings that celebrate the holiday spirit.

Now more than ever, people are seeking a reprieve from the constant pressure to achieve, produce, and consume. While many turn to mindfulness and meditation, organizational change expert Marilyn Paul, PhD, offers a complementary solution that is as radical as it is ancient.