Affliction & Suffering
The Christian has a unique perspective on the whole concept of affliction and suffering, one which comes straight from the pages of Scripture. Men and women of the world see no benefit in suffering and generally can think of only one goal: to get it over with! Then, hopefully, to not ever have this experience again or figure out how to avoid it. But the one who believes in Jesus Christ knows that our God has a purpose for these events and they are neither pointless nor unprofitable to us. They do not primarily originate with Satan, but are part of life lived under the reign of our sovereign God, and He is working His will in this world and in us individually even through unpleasant events that we would rather not have experienced. The books in this section come to the topic with that perspective and can help us to see our afflictions with a sound spiritual mind, so that we respond in a Christlike way and not merely react.
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Heart’s Ease in Heart Trouble (James Burdwood)
Some teach today that being a Christian exempts a person from trials and suffering. But our Lord Himself said, “In this world you shall have tribulation.”
In this rare work, the author shows that trouble is the norm for a Christian. He explains why our hearts are not to be troubled and how faith in God and Christ is the best antidote for a troubled heart.
$18.00 -
Singing In The Fire: Christians in Adversity (Faith Cook)
Faith Cook’s subject is familiar to Christian literature but these pages have several factors which make them arresting and captivating. Instead of meeting with well-known names, here is a portrait gallery which includes a number who lived far from public notice. Perhaps John Bradford, Richard Cameron and Edward Payson are still remembered, but who knows of such things as John Oxtoby’s fellowship with God, Wang Ming-Dao’s resolution, Susannah Spurgeon’s ministry of love and Catherine Boston’s lonely sufferings? These pages are full of moving records from the old and the modern.
$10.00 -
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God (John Piper and Justin Taylor)
In the last few years, 9/11, a tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and many other tragedies have shown us that the vision of God in today’s churches in relation to evil and suffering is often frivolous. Against the overwhelming weight and seriousness of the Bible, many Christians are choosing to become more shallow, more entertainment-oriented, and therefore irrelevant in the face of massive suffering.
In Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, contributors John Piper, Joni Eareckson Tada, Steve Saint, Carl Ellis, David Powlison, Dustin Shramek, and Mark Talbot explore the many categories of God’s sovereignty as evidenced in his Word. They urge readers to look to Christ, even in suffering, to find the greatest confidence, deepest comfort, and sweetest fellowship they have ever known.
$24.99 -
The New Book of Christian Martyrs (Johnnie Moore and Jerry Pattengale)
An inspiring keepsake that honors the heroic sacrifice of today’s martyrs for the Christian faith—and shows how their actions mirror the courage of a long line of brave Christians.
In the twenty-first century, we are witnessing an escalation in Christian persecution like we have rarely seen since the first century. Many people don’t realize that today thousands of Christians are dying cruel deaths throughout much of the world. There were, in fact, more martyrs in the last century than in all the previous Christian centuries combined. Millions have given their lives since the fall of Rome, and today tens of thousands die annually for their faith in Jesus. Most of these modern stories are not legendary; in fact, many are unknown.
The New Book of Christian Martyrs commemorates those modern-day heroes. In this update to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Johnnie Moore and Jerry Pattengale highlight key martyrs of past centuries and feature stories of contemporary martyrs around the world. Through tears, Johnnie and Jerry offer this compendium of heroes from the first century to the twenty-first century, from Europe to Africa and from Asia to the Americas, to inspire Christians around the globe. Today, we live in solidarity with them and in the next life, we will rejoice by their side. We will never forget their sacrifice for the truth.
$34.99 -
Viewing Sickness Biblically: How to Make Sense of Seemingly Senseless Sickness (Joseph Whiting)
In Viewing Sickness Biblically, Joseph Whiting draws from the wellspring of Scripture, seasoned with personal experience, to address these questions every Christian must grapple with and help show the path to a more biblical understanding of the cause, purpose, and benefits of sickness.
$16.00 -
Humbled: Welcoming the Uncomfortable Work of God (David Mathis)
How do we humble ourselves? Or, would you prefer to get humbled?
Humility, according to the Bible, is not something we can just up and do. Both the negative and positive examples of Scripture—from Pharaoh to Rehoboam, from Josiah to Ahab, from Hezekiah to Manasseh, and even to Christ himself—teach us that humility first comes from the hand of God. He initiates the humbling of his creatures. And once he has, the question confronts us: Will you receive it? Will you humble yourself in response to His humbling hand, or will you kick against Him?
This concise, accessible study of Scripture’s humble-yourself commands uncovers two surprising lessons about the pursuit of humility in the Christian—both what we cannot do and also what steps we can take.
$9.99 -
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Dane Ortlund)
“I have read no book that more carefully, thoroughly, and tenderly displays Christ’s heart.”
—Paul David Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries; author, New Morning Mercies and My Heart Cries Out
Christians know what Jesus Christ has done—but who is he? What is his deepest heart for his people, weary and faltering on their journey toward heaven? Jesus said he is “gentle and lowly in heart.” This book reflects on these words, opening up a neglected yet central truth about who he is for sinners and sufferers today.
$19.99 -
Nugget and the Refiner (Kerry Tittle)
Nugget is a rock. Not a gem but an ugly hunk of ore buried in the ooze, and he’s comfortable there. That is, until one day when a traveler wrenches him from the ground and takes him on the most uncomfortable but surprising journey of his life.
$18.00 -
Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls (Joni Eareckson Tada)
As an author, speaker, and advocate for people with disabilities, Joni Eareckson Tada has inspired people around the world with her story of faith in the midst of suffering. In this beautiful collection of hymns and devotions she acts as a “song leader,” guiding readers through their own painful seasons with heartfelt praises to God.
Songs of Suffering includes 25 hymns with accompanying devotions and photography designed to spark hope in hardship. Opening with a special message from hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty, this book is a source of comfort for anyone who needs biblical encouragement, prompting readers to seek refuge in the Lord and rejoice in his goodness.
$22.99 -
Laughing at the Days to Come (Tessa Thompson)
Page after page, author Tessa Thompson directs our focus to Christ and his work for us. We all face suffering in this fallen world, but we are not without hope. In Laughing at the Days to Come, readers are equipped to face their own stories of suffering with joy because of our present and future hope in Christ.
$18.00 -
Tell God How You Feel: Helping Kids with Hard Emotions (Christina Fox)
Tell God How You Feel by Christina Fox is a discipleship tool for parents to use in engaging their children with their emotions. It is designed to help children learn to bring their emotions to God and tell him what hurts. It teaches them the process of Biblical lament.
Featuring warm encouraging story times to help children engage with the vivid, descriptive words of the Psalms of Lament, helping them develop the habit of turning to God during hard and difficult times. These read aloud stories are ideal for family times with thoughtful questions and discussion starters at the end of each story.
$12.99 -
Why Is My Teenager Feeling Like This? (David Murray)
Unlock the Chains of Anxiety or Depression
Have you ever looked at your anxious or depressed teenage son or daughter and wondered, Why is my teenager feeling like this?
Pastor and counselor David Murray offers spiritual encouragement and practical direction for parents and other adults who want to help but don’t know where to start.
Structured around eighteen real-life examples, Murray provides tips for having open conversations with teens about anxiety and depression, as well as discussion questions, Bible verses for memorization, and prayers. With these tools in hand, parents and teenagers alike will be equipped to experience freedom from the chains of anxiety and depression.
$14.99 -
Broken Cisterns: Thirsting for the Creator Instead of the Created (Sarah Ivill)
Today many of us are figuratively drinking from broken cisterns that hold no water. Rather than finding satisfaction in God, the Fountain of living waters, we seek to satisfy ourselves with the broken cisterns of this world, and we remain discontented.
In Broken Cisterns, Sarah Ivill exposes these broken cisterns—addictions to things like social media, physical appearance, shopping, sex, and others. She helps us understand why we are drawn to these things and how dangerous it is to seek contentment in them. Using Scripture, she also gently and practically leads us to the Fountain of living waters, who will transform our hearts and eternally satisfy our thirst.
$12.00 -
Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression (Zack Eswine)
Depression affects many people both personally and through the ones we love. Here Zack Eswine draws the experience of from Charles Spurgeon to encourage us. What Spurgeon found in his darkness can serve as a light in our own darkness. Zack Eskwine brings you here, not a self-help guide, but rather ‘a handwritten note of one who wishes you well.’
“Spurgeon, from his early years to his final days, found dark distress ever hovering on the edges of his mind and sometimes launching an all out assault on his very being. How he managed all this, by the grace of God, both for himself and for others, drives both the gripping content and the riveting literary style of Zack Eswine in this book.”
— Tom Nettles, Professor of Historical Theology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky$9.99 -
Anger and Stress Management God’s Way (Wayne Mack)
Anger and stress affect each of us every day—even if we aren’t feeling them ourselves, we come into contact with people who are. But their commonplace nature shouldn’t cause us to shrug them away. Anger and stress are both destroyers, and they must be controlled before they bring devastating harm to your life and the lives of those around you.
Mack exhorts us: “You don’t have to be overcome and destroyed by ungodly anger or stress. By God’s grace, you can be an overcomer.”
Of all the resources available to us, the Bible contains the most trustworthy and helpful guidance on how to handle ungodly anger and stress. Internationally respected and experienced biblical counselor Wayne Mack shows how to turn to God’s Word to find help, explaining principles that can be adopted for lasting positive change.
Includes study questions and evaluation materials.
$14.99 -
If You Bite and Devour One Another (Alexander Strauch)
This is perhaps the only book of its kind, examining virtually all biblical passages on conflict and outlining key scriptural principles for handling various kinds of conflicts among Christian — whether personal disputes, issues of Christian liberty in lifestyles, congregational matters, or disagreements about important doctrines.
He emphasizes Spirit-controlled attitudes and behaviors through solid Bible exposition and true-to-life stories of Christians handling real-life conflicts in a Christ-honoring way.
$17.99 -
Learning Contentment: A Study for Ladies of Every Age (Nancy Wilson)
We tend to think being “stressed out” is a normal state of affairs, and that contentment means sitting back and just bottling things up. For the Christian, however, contentment is something we must apply, work at, and make our own in every circumstance, because anxiety and frustration are not neutral behaviors.
It is certainly easier to just go with our natural impulses when times are “annoying” or when times are very hard, but contentment is an important part of our Christian life. Even the apostle Paul had to “learn” contentment. So we shouldn’t wonder why we’re still in spiritual kindergarten—repeating the same lessons over and over again—if we haven’t given ourselves to study contentment.
$12.00