Religion & Spirituality Audiobooks

Why Hell?: Three Christian Views Critically Examined

Most people believe that hell is the final state of the condemned following the final judgment. At the same time, many people cannot comprehend why God created hell for the unsaved. Respected church fathers held a variety of views dating back to the early centuries of the church. This book explains views on why hell exists: unending suffering, the annihilation of the unrepentant, and the rehabilitation of the lost. Most Christians are unaware of the scriptural basis for each of these positions. Why Hell? is meant to educate the interested reader without advocating for any one point of view. The following are some of the book's features: - Biblical vocabulary of hell and positions held throughout early Christian history - Positive cases presented on three perspectives: traditionalist, conditionalist, and restorationist - Critiques of each view - Helpful charts at the back of the book that summarize and cross-examine the arguments for each view Steve Gregg provides food for thought for both trained theologians and serious Christian readers who want all the data and then consider for themselves the consequences of three Christian perspectives on hell.

Steve Gregg (Author), Tom Parks (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Overcomers: Audio Bible Studies: A Bible Study in the Book of Revelation

In The Overcomers, bestselling author and pastor Matt Chandler reveals what our lives would look like if we lived from a place of believing that we were fully prepared and equipped by God to handle anything that life threw at us. God has built us to be victors in this world. From the moment we received his salvation, we were given the gift of the Holy Spirit to fight the present darkness on this earth with his light. But in these bleak times, we often find that Christians-and the Church-are snubbed, attacked, and criticized in this fight against evil. As a result, many of us struggle with accepting our role in the fight or feel we are on the losing end of a cultural war with no hope for victory. Yet regardless of the events and circumstances in our day, we can live a life of courage emboldened by the Lord. Marked by joy and conviction, we can push back darkness while being used by God to establish light and order. We were made for this exact moment in history-and we are far more dangerous to Satan than we realize! We don't need to be afraid of anything in the present or the future, for Christ has already triumphed over anything we might face. We don't need to live as victims or our circumstances, for God is using our stories-regardless of how messy-to accomplish his will. We don't need to feel isolated, for we belong to a global community that has thrived for centuries to effectively overcome the enemy's plans. This is our reality. We are not liabilities or weak links in God's rescue plan for the world. We are a powerful force for change today. We just need to accept this truth and engage in the battle. The Audio Bible Studies series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, this audio Bible study includes high-quality, live audio sessions from the author that cover important Bible-based topics. These sessions will reflect the ambiance of the unique recording locations, immersing the listener into the teaching. While not required for the audio experience, these studies are designed to partner with the coordinating study guide, sold separately.

Matt Chandler (Author), Matt Chandler (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Sex Talk You Never Got: Reclaiming the Heart of Masculine Sexuality

Men today are starved for sexual formation. They've been failed by parents, churches, and culture alike, leading to widespread shame, confusion, and brokenness in the area of sexuality. In The Sex Talk You Never Got, therapist Sam Jolman helps men reconnect their God-given sexuality with innocence, awe, and joy, and shows readers how to celebrate--instead of struggle against--the gift of sexual desire. In our sex-saturated world, it might seem surprising that men need more talk about sex. But the reality is that sexuality is one of the most neglected aspects of men's lives. From the woefully inadequate sex talks many young men receive from parents (little more than an anatomy lesson or a purity lecture, if anything at all) to cultural messages that unhelpfully weave both shame and permissiveness into men's understanding of their own sexuality and masculinity, too many boys and men experience sexual desire as an area of struggle, confusion, and brokenness. But it doesn't need to be this way. God made men to be moved, to live with wonder and awe--and sexual desire must be formed within the context of that design. Sam Jolman, a professional therapist who specializes in men's issues and sexual trauma recovery, shows men the way out of the wilds of sexual struggle. This timely and incisive book will help readers - learn about the vital link between sexual desire and their identity as worshipers; - regain a wild and vigorous sexuality within the context of God's design; - understand how purity culture has needlessly put men in a conflict-ridden relationship with their sexuality; - see sexual purity not as the goal but as the preparation for becoming fully alive to beauty, awe, and worship; and - discover how to trade shame and confusion for a sexuality that's filled with innocence and wonder. In the Bible, Jesus' greatest kindness was often offered to those suffering sexual harm and brokenness. He offers this same kindness today. He does not want men to repent of their sexual desire. Rather, through reconnecting sexuality with innocence and awe, God opens the door for men to experience the wild joy of desire, rightly ordered toward worship and God's good purposes for their life.

Ma Lpc Sam Jolman, Sam Jolman (Author), John Eldredge, Sam Jolman (Narrator)

Audiobook

You Can Be Free: Overcoming Temptation and Habitual Sin by the Power and Promises of the Gospel

Beat the cycle of habitual sin as Kirby Kelly guides you through how God's strength can win back your freedom and bring you everyday peace. Find rescue and relief through a practical battle plan to defeat that sin that feels stuck on repeat and win back your life. Tired of the same cycle over and over again? Of the endless spirals of self-destructive sin? In You Can Be Free, discover a real-life battle plan to break the spiritual bondage of habitual sin. You're not alone. So many Christians are desperate to find a way to overcome recurring sin in their lives, a dominating factor when it comes to coping mechanisms in today's society. Kirby Kelly has been there, and she's created a battle plan to help others break free from unhealthy thoughts, behaviors, and cycles to find God's actual peace in their lives. Leading from the front, Kelly offers her own story first and shares biblical strategies to: - Connect and confess - Stay in bounds - Know your enemy - Know your God - Know yourself - Set your green and red light zones - Turn around and come home - Makeover your mind Kirby Kelly offers practical, tactical advice to the questions: How does one break, and stay, free? And how does one truly overcome what they thought they broke free from, only to see its disappointing return in their life? Through theology, hope, and God's guidance, there is a way to become vulnerable with your community, grow spiritually and personally, and welcome God's promise of freedom.

Kirby Kelly (Author), Hosanna Wong, Kirby Kelly (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hearing the Message of Habakkuk: Living by Faith in a Violent World

What does it mean to be faithful disciples in a violent and unjust world? Habakkuk described an era of rampant moral and social evil among his own people, and a vision of the rapid rise of the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar. The world he described is familiar in so many eras of human history, including our own. The frightening international tensions, confusion about political alignments and alliances, fractured moral and religious traditions, and social dissolution and degradation cause the same fear and anxiety today as they did back then. Confusing is a mild world for it--international, political, religious, moral confusion. It was (and still is) a world of national wickedness and international turmoil and violence, a world in which God appears to be asleep on his watch and yet claims to be 'working a work' in Habakkuk's day and ours. Hearing the Message of Habakkuk walks through the questions the prophet asked God about injustice and the jaw-dropping answers he received. This popular-level exposition addresses: - God's silence. - God's sovereignty. - Living by faith. - God's judgement. - Trusting God's Word. What we learn from Habakkuk's dialogue with God can help us today as we struggle to work out what it means to believe in God's sovereignty, justice, and love, and to live as faithful disciples in an unjust world.

Christopher J. H. Wright (Author), Christopher Wright (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ownership: The Evangelical Legacy of Slavery in Edwards, Wesley, and Whitefield

Sean Mcgever (Author), Tyler Boss (Narrator)

Audiobook

Doctrine, Spirit, and Discipline: A History of the Wesleyan Tradition in the United States

An expansive, substantive history of the Wesleyan tradition in the United States, Doctrine, Spirit, and Discipline offers a broad survey of the Methodist movement as it developed and spread throughout America, from the colonial era to the present day. It also provides an theological appraisal of these developments in light of John Wesley's foundational vision. Beginning with Wesley himself, Watson describes the distinctiveness of the tradition at the outset. Then, as history unfolds, he identifies the common set of beliefs and practices which have unified a diverse group of people across the centuries, providing them a common identity through a number of divisions and mergers. In the midst of the sweeping changes happening in Methodism and the pan-Wesleyan movement today, Watson shows that the heart of the Wesleyan theological tradition is both more expansive and substantive than any singular denominational identity.

Kevin M. Watson (Author), Mike Lenz, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Way of Belonging: Reimagining Who We Are and How We Relate

No one is a stranger to loneliness. Despite how social we are via text, chat, and notifications, we are far from being truly connected. We all want someone else to really see us and choose us for who we are. We want a place to finally fit in. But what if finding the right people or the right place is not the answer? From her community-building background, Sarah E. Westfall takes our longing to belong as an invitation to embrace and extend the deep love of God. After years contemplating how she fit in and trying to earn acceptance, she realized 'belonging is not something to attain, but someone to become.' Through narrative, research, Scripture, and spiritual practice, she teaches how belonging is a way of being-a posture of welcome in the spirit of the Father who extends his arms to those returning and those who don't yet know they've resisted his love. Whether you understand the perspective of the outsider in need of acceptance well or you're eager to include, the barriers to belonging can come down as Sarah gently guides us toward deep connection-a connection where our humanity draws us closer to people and envelops us in the heart of God. Embark with Sarah on this challenge that will awaken your empathy and affirm you with the truth of these words: 'You are welcome.'

Sarah E. Westfall (Author), Sarah E. Westfall (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Adoptee's Journey: From Loss and Trauma to Healing and Empowerment

Every adoption is rooted in loss. Adoption is often framed by happy narratives, but the reality is that many adoptees struggle with unaddressed trauma and issues of identity and belonging. Adoptees often spend the majority of their youth without the language to explore the grief related to adoption or the permission to legitimize their conflicting emotions. Adoptee and counselor Cameron Lee Small names the realities of the adoptee's journey, narrating his own and other adoptees' stories in all their complexity. He unpacks the history of how adoption has worked and names how the church influenced adoption practices with unintended negative impacts on adoptees' faith. Small's own tumultuous search for and reunion with his mother in Korea inspired him to help other adoptees navigate what it means to carry multiple stories. His adoptee-centered advocacy helps adoptees regain their agency and identity on a journey of integration and healing, with meaningful relationships in all their family systems.

Cameron Lee Small (Author), Cameron Lee Small (Narrator)

Audiobook

Worth Seeing: Viewing Others Through God's Eyes

'We are in the business of seeing others, seeing them the way God sees them, and letting them know they have value.' Amy L. Williams has spent three decades doing ministry with youth in gangs and prisons. While most of society sees high-risk youth through lenses of fear or disregard, she has come to see them through God's eyes as having tremendous value and potential. Worth Seeing provides an up-close look at her work-successes, losses, lessons, and embarrassing mistakes. Through personal narrative, Amy reveals the lives of youth who are often pushed to the margins of society. Her storytelling both challenges perceptions and increases compassion and understanding, not just with youth, but all people. Practical tips equip you to take action to see others the way God sees them.

Amy L. Williams (Author), Amy L. Williams (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Sacred Feminine Through the Ages: Voices of Visionary Women on Power and Belief

A fascinating history of women's belief, faith, and spirituality, as told through the art and writing of thirty-three women of wisdom. This is an exploration of feminine spirituality from the beginning of time to the present day. These extraordinary women have expressed their experiences of the agony and ecstasy of pursuing spiritual enlightenment through their poetry and prose, which is beautiful, inspirational, and very moving. Paula Marvelly has selected powerful and evocative words of wisdom from women of widely differing ages and faiths, including but not limited to Jewish, Christian, Sufi, Hindu, Buddhist, or Taoist. The author reveals the common and overriding theme between them, which can be expressed as 'non-duality'-not two but one. This is the experience of losing one's individuality and of becoming one with the universe. Whether you are interested in reviving lost and misunderstood women of history, or you are looking to find new ways to understand the many ancient questions that generations before us have been asking, you will discover a wealth of wisdom and inspiration from these women of wisdom.

Paula Marvelly (Author), Polly Lee (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Journey from War

In the spring of 1957, Jacob Versteeg is graduating from high school at the top of his class. Quite an accomplishment for a guy who spent his young childhood in a German concentration camp. When the war ended, he was adopted by Huub Versteeg, a kind fellow POW at Bergen-Belsen who had taken him under his wing. For ten years Jacob grew up in Chicago surrounded by the love of his new family, including Danny and Anya McClain and their two young children. In fact, he has thrived. But Jacob still struggles to understand the void left in his heart by his German parents who discarded him at the doorstep of war. After his first year at Wheaton College, Jacob joins a summer study course in West Germany. There, he realizes he must gather his courage to overcome his past if he's ever to complete his long journey from war.

Diane Moody (Author), Justine Eyre (Narrator)

Audiobook