Download or read book Human Relationships and the Experience of God written by Michael St. Clair and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2004-09-15 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When people are interested in the spiritual life they are, 'de facto', saying: I deeply value relationships - relationships with themselves, others, and God. Spirituality and an appreciation of the relationships they have go hand in hand.Given this, when we turn to contemporary psychology, the school of thought which seems so naturally relevant and supportive to those interested in spiritual maturity is object relations theory. However, since this sophisticated approach to understanding the human person is quite complex in that it stands on the psychological shoulders of a great deal of previous psychoanalytic thought and practice, to mine this theoretical jewel and apply it to further the appreciation of one's own or someone else's spiritual life has been quite difficult for most people. And so, the development of a basic work on object relations theory and the spiritual life has been sorely needed.With this in mind, Michael St. Clair, the author of the widely-read and respected book 'Object Relations and Self Psychology', and a person possessing extensive theological background as well as graduate-level teaching and clinical experience in pastoral counseling and the integration of psychology and religion, was asked to prepare a book on the topic.The result is a volume that presents not only principles that are understandable and enlightening, but also psychological illustrations that offer a clear connection with religious experience. In addition, although St. Clair doesn't skirt the issues and controversies or subtle nuances that are open to question when one attempts an integration of psychology and spirituality from a particular vantage point, first and foremost this book is a practical work. In this regard it serves to be stimulating in one's reflection about the spiritual life: one's own and that of those persons who come to us for guidance.This volume provides a real service to those of us who wish to see in an intelligent way what contributions modern psychology from an object relations perspective can make to our efforts to walk honestly and faithfully with God as we walk with others.

Download or read book The God Relationship written by Paul K. Moser and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-07 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paul K. Moser proposes a new approach to inquiry about God, including a new discipline of the ethics for such inquiry.

Download or read book Love Human and Divine written by Edward Collins Vacek and published by Georgetown University Press. This book was released on 1994-04-01 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the two great commandments to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves are central to Christianity, few theologians or spiritual writers have undertaken an extensive account of the meaning and forms of these loves. Most accounts, in fact, make love of God and love of self either impossible or immoral. Integrating these two commandments, Edward Vacek, SJ, develops an original account of love as the theological foundation for Christian ethics. Vacek criticizes common understandings of agape, eros, and philia, examining the arguments of Aquinas, Nygren, Outka, Rahner, Scheler, and other theologians and philosophers. He defines love as an emotional, affirmative participation in the beloved's real and ideal goodness, and he extends this definition to the love between God and self. Vacek proposes that the heart of Christian moral life is loving cooperation with God in a mutually perfecting friendship.

Download or read book Experiencing God s Love as Your Father written by Mark DeJesus and published by Turning Hearts Ministries. This book was released on 2018 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God is a Loving Father. But is that what you have experienced? What comes to mind when you hear the word "father" or "dad"? Does it stir up references of love, hope and empowerment? To experience the love of God in i's greatest measure, we need to encounter God in His identity, as a Father. Everything that Jesus lived out was designed to show us what the heart of the Father is like. Even so, masses of Christians are going to Jesus, yet avoiding the Father. To them, their reference of father has been wounded or left empty. As a result, the enemy works relentlessly to keep us from experiencing the great love that our Heavenly Father extends to us. This book will help heal your lens of what father means and usher you into a renewed and powerful relationship with Abba; your Dad. In this book, you will be encouraged to discover: - The two greatest needs that you have in your heart. - What keeps us from knowing who God is as Father? - How to overcome flawed earthly father experiences. Allow yourself to break through the hinderances that make you feel far from God and experience His love like never before!

Download or read book If God Is Love Don t Be a Jerk written by John Pavlovitz and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thou Shalt Not Be Horrible. Imagine for a moment what the world might look like if we as people of faith, morality, and conscience actually aspired to this mantra. What if we were fully burdened to create a world that was more loving and equitable than when we arrived? What if we invited one another to share in wide-open, fearless, spiritual communities truly marked by compassion and interdependence? What if we daily challenged ourselves to live a faith that simply made us better humans? John Pavlovitz explores how we can embody this kinder kind of spirituality where we humbly examine our belief system to understand how it might compel us to act in less-than-loving ways toward others. This simple phrase, "Thou Shalt Not Be Horrible," could help us practice what we preach by creating a world where: spiritual community provides a sense of belonging where all people are received as we are; the most important question we ask of a religious belief is not Is it true? but rather, is it helpful? it is morally impossible to pledge complete allegiance to both Jesus and America simultaneously; the way we treat others is the most tangible and meaningful expression of our belief system. In If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk, John Pavlovitz examines the bedrock ideas of our religion: the existence of hell, the utility of prayer, the way we treat LGBTQ people, the value of anger, and other doctrines to help all of us take a good, honest look at how the beliefs we hold can shape our relationships with God and our fellow humans—and to make sure that love has the last, loudest word.

Download or read book Experiencing God 2008 Edition written by Henry T. Blackaby and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2008 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A modern classic--revised with more than 70 percent new material--is based on seven Scriptural realities that teach Christians how to develop a true relationship with the Creator.

Download or read book Made for Friendship written by Drew Hunter and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2018-09-20 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God made you for friendship. Friendship is one of the deepest pleasures of life. But in our busy, fast-paced, mobile world, we've lost this rich view of friendship and instead settled for shallow acquaintances based on little more than similar tastes or shared interests. Helping us recapture a vision of true friendship, pastor Drew Hunter explores God's design for friendship and what it really looks like in practice—giving us practical advice to cultivate the kinds of true friendships that lead to true and life-giving joy.

Download or read book You re Only Human written by Kelly M. Kapic and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2022-01-18 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Work. Family. Church. Exercise. Sleep. The list of demands on our time seems to be never ending. It can leave you feeling a little guilty--like you should always be doing one more thing. Rather than sharing better time-management tips to squeeze more hours out of the day, Kelly Kapic takes a different approach in You're Only Human. He offers a better way to make peace with the fact that God didn't create us to do it all. Kapic explores the theology behind seeing our human limitations as a gift rather than a deficiency. He lays out a path to holistic living with healthy self-understanding, life-giving relationships, and meaningful contributions to the world. He frees us from confusing our limitations with sin and instead invites us to rest in the joy and relief of knowing that God can use our limitations to foster freedom, joy, growth, and community. Readers will emerge better equipped to cultivate a life that fosters gratitude, rest, and faithful service to God.

Download or read book Suffering and the Heart of God written by Diane Langberg and published by New Growth Press. This book was released on 2015-09-01 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She's seen slave dungeons in Ghana. Genocide in Rwanda. Systemic sexual abuse in Brazil. Child abuse and domestic violence in the US. After forty years of counseling abuse survivors around the world, Dr. Diane Langberg, a world renowned trauma expert, remains certain that what trauma destroys, Christ can and does restore. This book will convince you, too, of the healing heart of God. But it's not a fast process, instead much patience is required from family, friends, and counselors as they wisely and respectfully help victims unpack their traumatic suffering through talking, tears, and time. And it's not a process that can be separated from the work of God in both a counselor and counselee. Dr. Langberg calls all of those who wish to help sufferers to model Jesus's sacrificial love and care in how they listen, love, and guide. The heart of God is revealed to sufferers as they grow to understand the cross of Christ and how their God came to this earth and experienced such severe suffering that he too is "well-acquainted with grief." The cross of Christ is the lens that transforms and redeems traumatic suffering and its aftermath, not only for the sufferer, but it also transforms those who walk with the suffering. This book will be a great help to anyone who loves, listens to, and seeks to help someone impacted by trauma and abuse. There is no quick fix, but there is the hope for healing through the love of God in Christ.

Download or read book Neale Donald Walsch on Relationships written by Neale Donald Walsch and published by Hampton Roads Publishing. This book was released on 1999-10-01 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bestselling author of the Conversations with God series discusses the purpose of relationships in our lives, and how we can improve them and ourselves. We are all involved in relationships. Indeed we are all in relationships with everything and everyone, all of the time. We have a relationship with ourselves, with our family, with our environment, with our work, with each other. Everything that we know and experience about ourselves, we understand within the context created by our relationships. For this reason, relationships are sacred—all relationships. And somewhere within the deepest reaches of our hearts and soul, we know it. That is why we yearn so for relationships—and for relationships of meaning. It is also, no doubt, why we have such trouble with them. At some level, we must be very clear how much is at stake. Yet it is possible to have joyful relationships. In Neale Donald Walsch on Relationships, the author examines the patterns that hinder our ability to build and maintain successful relationships. He teaches us to move beyond restrictive ways of relating. He also explores different types of relationships—with God, with self, with others—demonstrating how they all affect and enhance each other. If you want help in understanding relationships, here is a usable, powerful—and entertaining—key to opening the door to awareness.

Download or read book Conversations with God for Teens written by Neale Donald Walsch and published by Hampton Roads Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-01 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Suppose you could ask God any question and get an answer. What would it be? Young people all over the world have been asking those questions. So Neale Donald Walsch, author of the internationally bestselling Conversations with God series had another conversation. Conversations with God for Teens is a simple, clear, straight-to-the-point dialogue that answers teens questions about God, money, sex, love, and more. Conversations with God for Teens reads like a rap session at a church youth group, where teenagers discuss everything they ever wanted to know about life but were too afraid to ask God. Walsch acts as the verbal conduit, showing teenagers how easy it is to converse with the divine. When Claudia, age 16, from Perth, Australia, asks, "Why can't I just have sex with everybody? What's the big deal?", the answer God offers her is: "Nothing you do will ever be okay with everybody. 'Everybody' is a large word. The real question is can you have sex and have it be okay with you?" There's no doubt that the casual question-and-answer format will help make God feel welcoming and accessible to teens. Conversations with God for Teens is the perfect gift purchase for parents, grandparents, and anyone else who wants to provide accessible spiritual content for the teen(s) in their lives.

Download or read book God Is Not Mad at You written by Joyce Meyer and published by FaithWords. This book was released on 2013-09-03 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When bestselling author Joyce Meyer posted "God's not mad at you" on Facebook, she didn't anticipate that her words would trigger thousands of responses of gratitude and relief. Apparently many Christians struggle to reconcile their perception of God as both a loving parent and a stern judge. In GOD IS NOT MAD AT YOU, Joyce will help those who haven't truly received God's love because they are afraid of His anger and disapproval. She explores the source of this confusion, so His genuine character can be better understood and His love can be experienced on an entirely new level. Chapter titles include: * Perfectionism and Approval * The Pain of Rejection * Guilt and Shame * Developing Your Potential * Run to God, Not from Him * Getting Comfortable with God "It is important for us to remember that God's anger is directed toward our sinful behavior rather than toward us. If you feel guilty right now and are afraid that God is mad at you, then you are miserable. But your misery can be immediately changed to peace and joy by simply believing God's Word. Believe that God loves you and that He is ready to show you mercy and forgive you completely. Believe that God has a good plan for your life. Believe that God is not mad at you!" --Joyce Meyer

Download or read book Born Again This Way written by Rachel Gilson and published by . This book was released on 2020-03 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addresses some of the questions raised by Christians with same-sex attraction. As a Christian who experiences same-sex attraction, is it possible to live a life that's both faithful and fulfiling? Rachel Gilson wants to show you that it is and that it's not just a case of limping to the finish line, it's possible to run the race with joy. In this powerful and personal book, she describes her own unexpected journey of coming out and coming to faith... and what came next. As she does so, she addresses many of the questions that Christians living with same-sex attraction are wrestling with: Am I consigned to a life of loneliness? How do I navigate my friendships? Will my desires ever change? Is there some greater purpose to all this? What comes next, and next, and next? Drawing on insights from the Bible and the experiences of others, Born Again This Way provides assurance and encouragement for Christians with same-sex attraction, and paints a compelling picture of discipleship for every believer. Whatever your sexuality, this book is an inspiring testimony of how a life submitted to Jesus will be fulfilling and fruitful, but not always in the ways we might expect.

Download or read book True Love Dates written by Debra K. Fileta and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2013-10-08 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is possible to find true love through dating. In True Love Dates, Debra Fileta encourages singles not to "kiss dating goodbye" but instead to experience a season of dating as a way to find real love. Through powerful, real-life stories and Fileta's personal journey, this book offers profound insights from the expertise of a professional counselor. Christians are looking for answers to finding true love. They are disillusioned with the church that has provided little practical application in the area of love and relationships. They're bombarded by Christian books that shun dating, idolize courting, fixate on spirituality, and in the end, offer little real relationship help. True Love Dates provides honest help for dating by providing a guide into vital relationship essentials. Debra is a professional Christian counselor who reaches millions with her popular blog, Truelovedates.com, and her book offers sound advice grounded in Christian spirituality. She delivers insight, direction, and counsel when it comes to entering the world of dating and learning to do it right the first time around. Drawing on the stories and struggles of hundreds of young men and women who have pursued the search for true love, Fileta helps readers bypass unnecessary pain while focusing on the things that really matter in the world of dating.

Download or read book Our Deepest Desires written by Gregory E. Ganssle and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2017-08-01 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As human beings, we are created with universal longings. Where can our restless hearts find fulfillment? Philosopher and apologist Greg Ganssle argues that our widely shared human aspirations are best understood in the light of the Christian story, and that the good news of Jesus Christ makes sense of—and fulfills—our deepest desires.

Download or read book Christianity and Gestalt Therapy written by Philip Brownell and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-06-01 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christianity and Gestalt Therapy is a unique integration written for psychotherapists who want to better understand their Christian clients and Christian counselors who want a clinically sound approach that embraces Christian spirituality. This book explores critical concepts in phenomenology and how they relate to both gestalt therapy and Christianity. Using mixed literary forms that include poetry and story, this book provides a window into gestalt therapy for Christian counselors interested in learning how the gestalt therapeutic model can be incorporated into their beliefs and practices. It explores the tension in psychology and psychotherapy between a rigid naturalism and an enchanted take on life. A rich mix of theory, philosophy, theology, and practice, Christianity and Gestalt Therapy is an important resource for therapists working with Christian patients.

Download or read book A Study of Ephesians written by Shante Grossett and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2020-10-14 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Join me for an in-depth four week study of the book of Ephesians where we'll break down the truths about our identity in Christ and learn how to live each and every day in light of it. Let's take a deeper look at the foundation of the gospel and how it establishes our identity and empowers us to live the Christian life God called us to.