Akron Public Library

Philip Yancey explores grace at street level. If grace is God's love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy?

Explore the Beatitudes with a fresh eye. Jesus preached these in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 two thousand years ago, and they still offer the secret to a truly satisfying life.

"The human soul has a built-in yearning for joy and beauty and all good things. But that craving for life has taken a real beating in recent years. Between false promises of ease and comfort on one side and the sheer trauma of global disease and disasters on the other, people today are facing a shortage of peace, happiness, and strength. In Resilient, Eldredge provides skills and tools to strengthen your heart and soul--and reveals a path toward genuine...

Argues that one's beliefs play a key role in how one lives and interacts in the world, inviting readers to envision a world where everyone shares a belief that God loves every person and proposing world transformation through spiritual change.

"...Drawing on rich examples from Scripture and everyday life, Grace Bomb shows us how we can: Go beyond cultural expectations of kindness, deepen our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, overcome barriers such as fear, busyness, and prejudice, have fun while exercising our faith beyond Sundays, break the ice with our neighbors today. With inspiring stories from people around the world who have discovered the joy of Grace Bombing, this energizing book...

"Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls 'a religious but not-so-spiritual life.' Tattooed, angry, and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people--a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA. As she lives and worships alongside...

"As a busy wife, new mother, business owner, and designer, Emily Ley came to a point when she suddenly realized she couldn't do it all. She needed to simplify her life, organize her days, and prioritize the priorities. She decided to hold herself to a standard of grace rather than perfection. This mantra led to the creation of her bestselling Simplified Planner®, a favorite among busy women everywhere--from mamas to executives and everywhere in...

Many know the acclaimed author Walter Wangerin Jr., the storyteller who gave us the national bestseller The Book of the Duncow. In Wounds Are Where Light Enters, you'll see how God's love breaks into our lonely moments in unexplainable ways. Wangerin tells the stories of memorable characters facing the same struggles we all face as we try to trust in God's faithfulness. Wounds Are Where Light Enters is a collection of stories that are warm, sometimes...

The forgiven life. The grace-filled life. It begins with an embrace. Wherever you are spiritually, whatever you have been through emotionally, you are already enfolded in the arms of One who believes in you, supports you, treasures you. He is waiting for you to embrace him in return. To accept the gift he's offering you. To listen for the whispered words you've longed a lifetime to hear: You are loved. All is forgiven.

Robin Jones Gunn reveals poignant truths from her life as well as from the lives of women in the Bible as she flips the notion that we are at the mercy of circumstances. She asks, what if God has dreams for you? What if he is accomplishing those dreams in the midst of shattered hopes? When life doesn't go as expected, it's easy to feel like a victim. We look at the events that have gone wrong and view our lives as impaired. What if we could see our...