Recommended Reading by Pastor Steve

 Do you long for an intimate relationship with your Creator, but He seems elusive? Perhaps it is because something utterly essential is missing—the fear of the Lord. Don’t let this frighten you. Fearing God is very different than being afraid of God. It’s the key to everything.  Holy Fear is not a topic you’ll hear much about these days. But if you want to build a faith that stands strong through troubled times, you cannot afford to ignore this book.  In The Awe of God, John Bevere invites you to take a fresh look at what it means to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. This healthy, holy, and largely forgotten virtue is the uncommon path to a more fulfilled and fruitful spiritual life. In this book you will see why godly fear is the foundation of:  Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge Foresight, clarity, and divine direction Maturity and conformity to the image of Jesus Christ Building an eternal legacy Confidence, fearlessness, and security Freedom from the fear of man as all lesser fears are eclipsed If you look at the men and women in Scripture, the ones who lived and finish well all have one thing in common: they are marked by holy fear.  The Awe of God was designed to be read slowly and intentionally, given its devotional format. At the end of each of the 42 chapters are five tools to help you deepen your understanding and apply what the Spirit of God is teaching you. With this compelling and convicting message, you can experience a revival in your relationship with God, whether you’re new to following Him or have walked 

 Gary Thomas, pastor and bestselling author of Sacred Marriage, believes that one simple word can bring hope, light, and life into any marriage: Cherish.  Most marriages survive by gritting teeth and holding on. But what if surviving marriage wasn't the goal? What if we aimed to thrive instead? In Cherish, Thomas teaches us that although there are a countless number of marriages consisting of two people just going through the motions, there are real ways this pattern can be reversed: when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another in their everyday actions and words.  The way we treat something acknowledges whether we cherish it or hold it with indifference or contempt. To truly cherish something is to go out of our way to show it off, protect it, and honor it. We want others to see and recognize and affirm the value that we see. Thomas reminds us that in a world desperate for marriage redemption, the act of cherishing is needed now more than ever.  Cherishing your spouse will elevate your marriage relationally, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. You will set different goals for your relationship, and you'll see your marriage with fresh eyes. Through personal stories, real-world examples, and timeless biblical truths, Thomas shares the tools you need to turn your marriage around, including:  Using your mind to change your heart Sacrificing for your spouse Praying with intentionality Prioritizing your life partner Through the biblical act of cherishing, we can empower our spouses to become who they are called by God to be, and in the process to become more of who we are called to be, creating a marriage that feels more precious, more connected, and more satisfying. If you're ready to revolutionize your relationship, it's time to learn how to truly Cherish it. 

 Somewhere along the way, our culture lost its definition of manhood, leaving generations of men and men-to-be confused about their roles, responsibilities, relationships, and the reason God made them men. It's into this "no man's land" that New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson declares his mantra for manhood: play the man.  In this inspiring call to something greater, he helps men understand what it means to be a man of God by unveiling seven virtues of manhood. Mark shares inspiring stories of manhood, including the true story of the hero and martyr Polycarp, who first heard the voice from heaven say, "Play the man." Mark couples those stories with practical ideas about how to disciple the next generation of men. This is more than a book; it's a movement of men who will settle for nothing less than fulfilling their highest calling to be the man and the father God has destined them to be. Play the man. Make the man. 

 From the author of ECPA and CBA top sellers, Thus Saith the Lord?, Breaking Intimidation, and The Fear of the Lord  BEST SELLING BOOK WITH OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE  Are you compelled to tell your side of the story? Do you fight thoughts of suspicion or distrust? Are you constantly rehearsing past hurts? Have you lost hope because of what someone did to you?   The Bait of Satan exposes one of the most deceptive snares Satan uses to get believers out of the will of God--offense. This trap restrains countless Christians, severs relationships, and widens the gulfs between us. Jesus said, "It is impossible that no offenses should come” (Luke 17:1). Although you will encounter offense, you can choose how you will react.   In this new twentieth anniversary edition, John Bevere shows you how to identify the traps ahead of you and escape the victim mentality. With declaration-style prayers and testimonials from people whose lives have been changed by his message, this book will inspire you to stay free from offense and its destructive power.   Don’t let anyone affect your relationship with God! 

 The world needs real men, real bad.  But here's the problem: While we know what men are not supposed to be, it's not clear to us what masculinity looks like when men are at their absolute best.  Into our cultural confusion, Brant Hansen paints a refreshingly specific, compelling picture of what men are designed to be: keepers of the garden. Combining depth and humor, he calls for men of all interests and backgrounds (including avid indoorsmen like himself) to make key decisions to set them apart, including  ● protect the vulnerable ● be ambitious about the right things ● choose today who you will become tomorrow ● take responsibility for your own spiritual life  The Men We Need is witty, challenging, bracingly honest, and perfect for any man who wants to know "Why am I here?"--and is ready to show up. 

There aren’t a lot of places or people in this world that are here to help men. There’s a group called the National Organization for Women but no National Organization for Men. You can get a degree in Women’s Studies, but the hairy pitted, non-binary, pronoun police professors do not also offer a degree in Men’s Studies. There’s no class on how to be a man. The strip club will take your money and put your hepatitis shot to work. The sports bar will feed you wings, pour you a beer, and let you yell but doesn’t have a lot of wisdom to offer. Most churches are run by men who might die if shot with a Nerf gun. But who is there to help? That’s the goal of this book. 

A Simple and Hope-filled Blueprint to Break Free from a Hurtful Childhood that May Be Holding You Back―Secret Hurts, Destructive Cycles, Buried Anger, and More  Hiding inside every man is a little boy. For some this kid is healthy and strong. For others he’s insecure. Afraid. Angry. And broken. This describes Patrick Morley. Successful entrepreneur and businessman, Patrick ignored the pain of his childhood wounds for decades. This book tells his story and offers a surprising remedy. An ironclad promise of wholeness. Today, millions of men are suffering silently and not breaking the cycle because they’ve never processed the pain of their father and mother wounds. Does that describe you?  If so, you are not alone. And there’s hope. A better way. You can find healing and finally break free from a lifelong cycle of pain and smoldering rage. You can, by God’s grace, re-write the script for your future and achieve so much more. Can you imagine?  In From Broken Boy to Mended Man, Patrick Morley describes his own revealing and healing journey and offers answers on how to safely uncover wounds that may have fueled destructive patterns for decades. This book will help you discover: How to overcome denial and acknowledge your suffering; How to find healing for your childhood wounds and break free from any destructive, dysfunctional cycles that hold you back; How to shift your perspective to have a compassionate view of your parents (even if they’re gone) and reach a place of biblical forgiveness; and How to create an action plan to help you better parent your own children so hurtful patterns are not repeated. You can move forward from unprocessed pain. Discover today how to start brand new. 

The Spiritually Healthy Leader uncovers the core commitments that threaten to sabotage your relationships and ministry.  Most ministry leaders don’t usually implode from outside pressures; rather, they are most often incapacitated from their inner struggles. Dave Wiedis, the Founder of ServingLeaders Ministries, helps pastors, counselors, and teachers uncover what is functionally most important to them, understand how their core commitments or “ruling passions” can hijack their lives, marriages, and ministries, and gently guides them to grow in their passion for God.  The Spiritually Healthy Leader exposes these root causes and offers the path to deep life transformation, freedom in Christ, and deliverance from self-sabotage. With Christ as the true center of their lives and ministry, leaders can walk vibrantly with God, live free from self-sabotage of the heart, experience the ripple effect of spiritual flourishing, and see that effect positively impact close relationships, families, churches, and the next generation.  Helps uncover the root causes of self-sabotage so leaders can understand what hinders life and ministry. Actionable, gospel-focused direction to encourage spiritual flourishing and living wholeheartedly for Christ. Based on decades of experience counseling Christian leaders, author Dave Wiedis understands the pressures of ministry and wisely guides them to depend on Christ. 

During the time of Moses, an estimated 2.5 million Israelites followed him out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Yet, of this group, the Bible only mentions two men who followed the Lord wholeheartedly. The rest wavered in half-heartedness and unbelief. In fact, an entire generation died while God promoted those two men, Joshua and Caleb, to lead the next generation into the promised land. We are calling men to the same level of wholehearted living today.

In this field guide, we expose the enemy’s attack on the hearts of men in today’s culture, which results in fatherlessness, isolation, identity crisis, purposelessness, and a life of trying to prove ourselves.

WE ARE CALLING MEN...

Out of orphanhood into sonship. Out of loneliness into brotherhood.

Out of futility and into fathering a generation who desperately needs us to walk in the fullness of our calling.

This is not a self help book nor a quick fix. This is an invitation to a journey of becoming whole, that you may live wholehearted. An invitation to resisting the self-made life and instead following the narrow road that leads to true life. Grab your friends and join a company of men across the globe who have said YES to the call of living wholehearted!

 “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?” Proverbs 20:6

The Measure of Man:
The ultimate measure of a true man is not where he stands in ordinary moments of fun and entertainment but where he stands at the crossroads of life when chal- lenged by controversy of truth, standing up for what is right. The man who chooses to act courageously with strength of integrity in the face of difficult situations and whose priority is to serve and protect the welfare of his loved ones by defending them against all poten- tial harm are true men. A true man will do anything it takes to leave a legacy of blessing to his family. He is willing to demonstrates his willingness to protect his loved ones by always standing up for what is right re- gardless of the fact that it may cost him to lose prestige, popularity, fame, fortunes, or any such thing that could possibly compromise the principles and convictions he holds true.
The attitude and expression of pursuing genuine man- hood often results in an incredible offense taken by others, especially by those who have decided to live in the perpetual wanderings of spiritual mediocrity. Others may prefer to side-skirt the issue and find it difficult to pursue the true meaning of manhood. These men rather choose an easier road towards a world of leisure and fantasy (non-reality) by holding on to the perpetual state of life long immaturity. However when real life confronts these men and their unrealistic imaginations they only know to respond with childish tantrums, full of fanciful rebellion, like a Peter Pan, refusing to grow up. Soon all men will realize that the pathway toward the full measure and stature of a mature man is to follow Christ and Christ alone.

by: Dr. Joaquin G. Molina
-World Changer 

 Allow your faith to grow as you read a simple man’s desperate attempt at trusting God and His faithfulness. Despite his faltering faith at times, God proved Himself to be faithful and true to His promises. With pennies in the bank at times, God enabled him to build his home debt-free. Journey with the Morris Family as they head to their “Promise Land” in this second edition of Miracle on Markel Street.