Insights Magazine: June 2012 by Insight for Living Canada

June 2012

in this issue 3 Beyond Today Charles R. Swindoll STRONG FAMILY

6 On the Far Side of 50 Scott Tolhurst lifetrac

9 Our Plans, God’s Preparation Marina Hofman Willard pressure points “If we’re alive, we’re aging.

The alternative

to aging is not the most exciting

activity.”

12 Is Your Camel Tied Up? Steve Johnson laughing matters

14 Aging Grace Phil Callaway Help Me Understand

17 Growing Older & Aging Insight for Living Canada

Copyright © 2012 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Insights is published by IFLC, the Bible teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NASB. Printed in Canada. Unless otherwise noted, photography by IFLC staff.

Beyond

TODAY

by Charles R. Swindoll

If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow, and which will not, Speak, then, to me. —William Shakespeare1

ho wouldn’t want to hear from someone like that? Who hasn’t felt him or herself standing on tiptoe, straining to see what lies ahead? Every generation has had its share of individuals who believed they had the supernatural gift of foretelling the future. To take one humorous example, in 1967, Herman Kahn and Anthony J. Wiener wrote a book titled The Year 2000: A Framework for Speculation on the Next Thirty-Three Years, in which they predicted there would be such an enormous explosion of

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growth that by the year 2000, cities would have expanded into “megalopolises” with up to 100 million inhabitants each. The authors tagged the future “megalopolis” stretching between Boston and Washington D.C. BosWash; from San Francisco to San Diego, SanSan; and from Chicago to Pittsburg, ChickiPitts! And can you imagine the traffic jam from Houston to Corpus Christi? I’d suggest that death trap be called WhoseCorpse! Even Newsweek made a few attempts at predicting, as its writers looked beyond the today of 1979. In an article—“The Cracked Crystal Ball”—they asked and tried to answer questions about the future. Tough, sweeping questions. Questions still relevant today. Among them: • Is public education doomed? • Can the world be fed? • Can we find more oil? • Can we keep hoping? That last one is really the root issue, isn’t it? Unless we have hope, it could be a pretty dismal future for us. Shakespeare’s “seeds of time” might very well be scattered and dangerously spread out over the next 15 or 20 years. But let’s limit our thoughts to something we can handle. Most of us must admit those huge questions out of Newsweek are too vast for us. And the idea of living in an oversized megalopolis is too remote to interest us. We need a bite-size chunk to chew on. Okay then, how about that unit called your family? . . . Now there’s something worth thinking about beyond today. Where are you going? What’s your game plan for the next decade? Given any thought to specific objectives you want to reach—or at least shoot for? How about selecting some priorities? You say there’s no hurry? I challenge that. The next 10

years will literally fly by . . . and you’ll rip that last December sheet off your calendar wondering, How did 10 years go by so fast? Ten years. Our four Swindoll “kids” will be 60, 58, 54, and 51. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see those facts in our future. You can do that right now. Stop and add 10 years to your life and (if you have a family) do the same with each one of your children. Suddenly, we’re all a bit more sober. The clapper of urgency has struck the bell of reality, and some of us sense a summons back to our inescapable responsibility. God commands us to “number our days / That we may present to [Him] a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). Forgive me for pressing the issue near the point of offence, but unless some of you who read these words stop and think and plan and start to execute essential goals, then indifference, passivity, and procrastination will win another victory. And instead of making a few hard decisions that will initiate beneficial changes, your family ties will loosen, your children will drift, and you’ll dread the memory of the way you were. How much better to invite the living, all-knowing Lord to show you ways to make the decade ahead much better than the ones behind. Let’s offer this prayer together in faith: Lord, because You can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow, and which will not, Speak then to me. . . . Photograph of Chuck Swindoll © 2010 by David Edmonson William Shakespeare, Macbeth, 1.3.58–60, in William Shakespeare: The Complete Works (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1994), 860.

Strong Family

by Scott Tolhurst

“We move from a four-bedroom home to a more manageable condo, then a single room in a care facility and ultimately a box.”

ook in the mirror. That’s right, you’re getting older. So am I. More are entering senior years than ever before, and we are older longer than past generations. Frankly we are not aging well. We dread it. Society has us convinced that getting older is a curse. So, we try to cream away our wrinkles, comb over our bald spots and worry whether our health and money will last as long as we do. Is this how we want to walk into our senior years: laden with fears and clinging to yesterday? God considers long life to be a blessing (Deut.6:2), but we get half way and experience a mid-life crisis. There is a better way. To prepare for the far side of 50, most counsel suggests we build a retirement nest egg, cultivate hobbies, downsize our stuff, and prepare a will. That’s good advice, but it isn’t the main thing. In the far side of 50, the main thing is a new work of God within us. Consider this: The second half is harder than the first

The first half of living is about going from dependence to independence. We get an education, find a career, buy a home, and raise a family. Life’s demands in the first half are hard, but still, the second half is harder. In the second half we face physical changes. Our bodies creak and pop, even

in good health. Fragility and frailty are twin causes for too many trips to the doctor. Our world gets smaller in the second half. We move from a four-bedroom home to a more manageable condo, then a single room in a care facility and ultimately a box. We surrender control in the second half. They will take away my car keys, ask for my bank pin number, and make decisions, which once were mine alone. And then, we confront the ultimate fear, our own mortality. I’m not morose about aging—just honest. In the first half of living we move from dependence to independence. In the second half we move back to dependence. The second shift is harder than the first. The second half of living requires an adjusted game plan Every sport team knows that winning requires adjustments in the second half. So too in aging. The second half is not simply a repeat of the first half. The early side of 50 is about identity, security, acquirement, and contribution. We employed a set of tools to achieve that. Yet, in the far side of 50 we face a different set of issues. We move from certainty to mystery, complexity to simplicity, doing to being, achievement to significance. The tools we’ve used aren’t sufficient for the second half. We need a new set of tools. 7

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The second half of living is about going deeper Paul speaks of the body failing but the spirit thriving—so don’t lose heart! (2 Cor.4:16). Is that what you see around you? Within you? As we age, many reverse that order. We fight to maintain the strength and appearance of youth, but grow angry and fearful of heart. We need a new work of God—a new set of tools. The second half of living is about moving from the external to the internal. It’s about going deeper with God. The changes of age are not threats. They are God’s invitation to a spirituality rooted deep within our souls. They’re God’s method to strip us down to what matters. I recognize that there’s a grey tone to these paragraphs, so let me add some colour! Since you are getting older... Embrace it! Smile at birthdays. Getting older is better than not getting older! The second half holds great delights. (Did I mention grandchildren?) Engage your mind, keep physically active, but nurture your soul.

on the air in

Mentor us. Those on the far side of 50 are trailblazers. Families and churches could use more models of senior grace, peace, and joy. Seniors are in front, show us the way. Change today. We are not cheese that improves with age. Aging won’t fix us; it reveals us. What we are now, we will be in the second half— only more so! If you don’t want to be a grumpy senior, the time to change is today. Live full of hope. It sounds like a cliché, but the best is yet to come. The far side of 50 is a good place to be. Despite the losses, aging is not about losing. Listen to the Psalm writer. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, Until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come. (Ps.71:18 ESV) Scott Tolhurst is senior pastor at Richmond Bethel Church in Richmond, BC

JULY:

God’s Masterwork

Volume 7: T he Final Word—A Survey of Hebrews–Revelation

Jesus is coming back; that’s for certain. But He never gave us the date. God wants us to live each day in anticipation of Christ’s return. This study will encourage you to look back at Jesus’ cross of salvation, teach you how to live in light of His present reality, and stimulate your longing for His return. 8

Upcoming Messages Include: Hebrews: Jesus Christ, Our Superior Saviour James: A Plea for Authenticity 1 Peter: Hope for the Hurting 2 Peter: Beware . . . Be Ready!

Our Plans,

Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Preparation

by Marina Hofman Willard

On lifetrac.ca/blog this month: Deeper Reality and Mere Appearances By Robyn Roste

“God’s preparations far exceeded mine!”

t was to be a three-hour surgery, and I would spend one night in the hospital. For the few days post-surgery, I would have no pain because my whole face would be numb. In about two weeks, I would back to normal. Or so I thought. The day before the surgery I was shown a clay model of my teeth. The doctors had fractured it in seven places and put it back together with what looked like glue. My jaw would be held together by titanium plates. It looked to be a fairly straightforward procedure. My husband was supposed to get a call after about three hours to come see me in the ICU but his phone didn’t ring until after 10 long hours. When he arrived he saw two people. One lady was about 30 years older than me, and so a basic process of elimination suggested it was me in the other bed. I saw my husband pointing at me and felt relief to finally see him. Oddly, he didn’t seem as relieved to see me. Rather, he stopped to talk to the nurse. Later he confessed that he didn’t recognize me and was asking the nurse, “Is this really my wife?” Nothing could have prepared us for what lie ahead. For the next four days, blood continually poured out of my mouth and nose, requiring me to get six blood transfusions and creating a drowning sensation every few minutes. The pain was so great that my body

convulsed in agony, despite receiving the legal limit of morphine and practically drinking a bottle of children’s Advil. The blood and clots in my throat had me coughing all night. By the second night, I was nearly insane with exhaustion. After four days in the hospital, I was released, though I still needed 24-hour care for three days. When the worst of the pain passed, I opted to go off morphine “cold turkey.” It neither occurred to my husband nor me that I would go through a bout of detoxification. One week after the surgery, I woke up in tears. For the next 24 hours, everything upset me. I lost touch with reality and later, thinking I was living one massive hallucination, off I went to the hospital for a post-op visit in my husband’s large, red housecoat. The next week was another nightmare; the doctors wired shut my mouth. Completely. I could congest liquids only by syringing them down my throat through the opening behind my back teeth. By the end of the week my mouth was so blackened from not cleaning it I was literally sick from swallowing the foul bacteria. I look back now and see how God prepared the way for me to survive this ordeal. I did everything I could. I brought everything I needed for the hospital stay—even a Brita filter to avoid the city water at the hospital!

Our Plans, God’s Preparation continued from p. 9

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But God’s preparations far exceeded mine! As we drove into the hospital at 5:30 a.m. the morning of the surgery, I realized how anxious my husband felt. He hardly said a word, and his knuckles were white from clenching the wheel. In this moment of fear and anxiety, I walked into the admittance room, and there was a dear friend waiting. Within one minute, she had us laughing and completely relaxed. For an hour, she kept us peaceful and I daresay cheerful. After I went into the operating room, she stayed with my husband another hour, ensuring he was relaxed and calm before leaving. God knew exactly what we would need. This same friend arrived early the next morning and sat with me all day, allowing my husband to go home and sleep for a few hours. She brought me a sheepskin so I would not get bedsores. She, along with others who came throughout the difficult two weeks that followed, took care of me steadily, hour after hour. As I look back, I realize the surgery and recovery was far worse than I had anticipated. I thought I was prepared. My husband thought he was prepared. But I also realized through this ordeal that God’s plans far exceed anything we can be prepared for. God had sent our friend to be a much-needed comfort and resource. God had scheduled a team of nurses the first two nights who showed patience and kindness far beyond normal expectations. Indeed, God carefully orchestrated every detail so I would be completely cared for. Proverbs 16:9 teaches, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (NLT). Humans are designed to plan, but our knowledge is limited. We can trust that God is preparing things in ways we can’t imagine, and we can trust Him with our future. I might not know what is coming, but God does and He will take care of me.

“’Lord, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor!” (Ps. 107:28-30 NLT)

Handling the Storms of Life Calm evenings can turn quickly into stormy nights. What starts calmly as the beginning of a new school year can lead into storms of struggling to continue. What begins as a calm evening of marriage can lead into the stormy nights through the passing years. No one is immune to these life surprises so make sure you’re anchored to the One who can calm the storm Listen online anytime at lifetrac.ca

Free mp3 Chuck Swindoll says there is no more influential role for a man than being a father. And in this month’s free mp3, Four Qualities in a Great Dad, we discover just how influential that role can be in the story of the Prodigal Son. Through this account in Luke 15 Chuck teaches us the importance of a father, and what we can learn from the story. Download this impactful message today at lifetrac.ca

Marina Hofman Willard is finishing her PhD in the Old Testament at the University of Toronto. She is dedicated to encouraging Christians to live vibrant lives for Christ by faithfully appropriating biblical texts to daily life.

Pressure Points

Is Your Camel

Tied Up? by Steve Johnson

“Faith is living in total dependence on the Lord. It means I am to make my plans in the context of God’s sovereign plan for all things.” 12

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huck Swindoll tells the story about his brother Orville who drove his family back from the mission field in a beat up old Chevy. Chuck’s Dad was the kind of Christian who believed you needed to have money in the bank and extra bucks in your wallet if you’re going to make it. So he said to Orville “How much money do you have?” And he replied, “Ah, Dad, don’t worry about it.” “No,” he said, “I saw the tires you’ve got are so slick.” And then he said, “How much do you have?” Orville reaches in his pocket, pulls out a nickel, and he rolls it across the table. His dad said, “You’re kidding!” And Orville said, “No. Isn’t that exciting?”1 So which is it? Do we plan and make provision or do we just wing it, and hope for the best? Do I buy insurance or instead rely on faith that the Lord will provide? What about planning for the days when I no longer work and have an income? What does the Bible teach? The Bible teaches the importance of careful planning and calculations. Proverbs 14:15 says “…a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” And Proverbs 20:18, “Make plans by seeking advice…” In Ephesians we are told, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil (5:15,16). Even God Himself had a plan from before creation. He executed His plan in history in sending Christ. Jesus planned to build His Church and plans to return at the end of the age. Therefore, as those made in the image of a planning God I believe He expects us to also plan. But there are passages, which seem to contradict what I just noted. They teach not to worry about the future, seek first the kingdom, and trust the Lord for daily needs (cf. Matt. 6). They also teach us to pray for daily

bread, living with the belief that“…God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). We shouldn’t do what many of us like to do—camp only on verses that suit us. We must live in balance. James points out the sin of planning without considering the Lord’s will. Planning isn’t sin. But failing to acknowledge the sovereignty of God in our plans is (Ja. 4: 13-16). God expects us to always depend on Him totally, even when we plan. He desires us to plan in faith. How do we do that? Planning in faith does not mean I plan believing those plans will occur because of my faith. Faith is not wishful thinking, or presumption based on unbiblical assumption and supposition. Faith is living in total dependence on the Lord. It means I am to make my plans in the context of God’s sovereign plan for all things. Nobody knows what God’s future plan is and therefore I must humbly acknowledge that He is God and His will is supreme. To avoid becoming arrogant I should acknowledge that God might have a different plan. Everything I plan is ultimately subject to whether God is willing for that to happen or not. In His providence the Lord supplies our daily needs. And if we are wise stewards with what He gives we realize He also supplies enough for our future needs, or provides wisdom so instead of burying His supply in the ground of our own indulgence, we are able to multiply it for future needs. That is commendable to the Lord. When it comes to planning in faith the old Arab saying is right,

“Trust in the Lord, but tie up your camel.” Steve Johnson is the executive director at IFLC.

Laughing Matters

Aging

Grace by Phil Callaway

Let me ask you a question. It’s been on my mind since a friend asked it during our bi-weekly gathering of the Circle of Six. If you haven’t heard of us yet, allow me to explain. We are six handsome middle-aged men who get together every other Wednesday to sample chocolate cheesecakes and consider deep questions such as, “If you can’t see your feet while standing up, should you go on a diet?” Of course we discuss other things, too. Lately, for instance, we’ve been talking about aging. The discussion started with an interesting question. A question I’d like you to consider. Do you look forward to growing old? Of course, all of us in the Circle of Six had a different answer. Personally, I did my best to avoid the question as long as I could by stuffing my mouth full of cheesecake. Age is relative, I thought. Fifty is old when you’re 15, but not when you’re 90. Furthermore, aging is the one thing we can’t do anything about. If we’re alive, we’re aging. The alternative to aging is not the most exciting activity. But sooner or later I had to answer the question. And I admitted that I don’t look forward to growing old. I’m not alone on this one. The show 20/20 ran a story on a European woman who is spending her $100,000 inheritance trying to look like a human version of Barbie. 14

So far she has undergone over 100 plastic surgeries. But just like 100 per cent of the living, she is aging. Consider for a minute the non-BOTOXed people who paint an invigorating picture of the aging process. Although not on the level of Noah (who became the father of three after turning 500 and completed the ark 100 years later), recent history is replete with names of those who refuse to act their age. Those who, like the aging mosquito, aren’t content to wait for an opening. They get in there and make one. Here are just a few. • Leo Tolstoy learned to ride a bicycle at 67 • At 75, Charles Schultz, the creator of the “Peanuts” comic strip, was still playing ice hockey • Claude Monet began painting his famous Water Lily series at age 76, finishing the work at age 85 • Thomas Edison was 84 when he produced the telephone • Both in their 90s, pianist Arthur Rubenstein and cellist Pablo Casals both performed professionally • Roget was updating his famous thesaurus when he expired (passed on, died) at age 90 • At 94, Leopold Stokowski, signed a sixyear recording contract • At 91, George Bernard Shaw was still writing plays

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• At 100, Grandma Moses was still painting pictures • And Tesichi Igarishi celebrated his 100th birthday by climbing to the 12,395-foot high summit of Mount Fuji

“Fifty is old

when you’re 15,

90.”

but not when you’re

Recently, a friend and I were contemplating the shared characteristics of elderly people we admire. People who make aging look attractive. Here is a short list we came up with. 1. They are thankful people. Their conversation and their correspondence are marked with appreciation 2. Their funny bones are intact. Their sense of humour is obvious, cultivated, and welcome 3. They show enthusiastic interest in the accomplishments of the younger generation. Change is not their enemy but their friend 4. They keep their minds sharp. Scripture is on their minds and the newspaper is on the coffee table. Theirs is not the world of yesterday, but today

5. They are big picture people. They look at life from the largest point of view, resisting panic when terrible events grab the headlines 6. They never retire. They may slow down and walk away from a job, but they still live life with a mission 7. They are servants. They realize that if people are going to see the show, others will have to be backstage 8. They are not afraid of death. It’s not that dying doesn’t bother them, but they fully understand Paul’s words: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21) Since that meeting of the Circle of Six, I’ve done some reconsidering. And I’ve discovered that my idea of old age is changing. I used to think life was lived on a hillside. That you went up, up, up, until you reached about 50, at which point you hit an unavoidable banana peel and began a swift descent down the other side. Paul’s words make me wonder if I’ve had it backwards. As we grow older, the things that matter in heaven should matter more on earth. As we age, the stuff of earth should lose its value. For the Christian, the best is yet to come. We may have slipped on a few banana peels, but there’s cheesecake ahead. Phil is a popular speaker and author. You can help with his retirement plan by buying his books at philcallaway.com

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a happy life

Could you use a little more joy in your life? With heart and humour, Chuck’s sister and beloved writer Luci Swindoll shares 50 “secrets” to live by for a simple, scriptural, and intentional life. 16

See enclosed form for ordering information

Growing Older & AGING

Growing older & Aging

“Where has the time gone?”

When I was young I felt like everything I did and said would make a difference in the world but now I’m not so sure. Reality is making me cynical and it’s difficult to imagine growing older as something to look forward to. Instead of expecting the joyful bliss the media makes retirement look like I find myself fearing loneliness and a sense of uselessness. Does everyone go through this as they age or is it just me? Each year I notice my friendship group growing ever smaller, my family continues changing, needing me less, and no wonder—I’m not as young as I once was. It’s difficult to keep up. As I grow older will I have any purpose? Where do I fit in?

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Our Problem—Sin’s curse results in

physical deterioration and eventually death (Gen. 3:16-19). Aging is the accumulation of undergoing physical, emotional, social, and psychological changes throughout life. These changes can bring about loneliness, lack of purpose, guilt, self-pity, loss of friends, and limiting health issues. They become more problematic as we age.

God’s Answers

1. The fear of aging and ultimately death is taken away by faith in Christ (Heb.2:14,15). When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:54,55). Without its stinger, death is just an interesting bug. 2. Even though we waste away physically, we are being renewed spiritually and moving toward greater and greater Christlikeness. “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor. 4: 16,17). 3. In Scripture, death for the believer is a departure to be with Christ and therefore it is a doorway. It is packing up the tent and going home to the mansion. “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Cor. 5:1). 4. God has given believers spiritual gifts, the exercise of which brings purpose because every gift has a place in the

Church and an important part to play (1 Cor. 12). Gifts are not withdrawn later in life; therefore God’s purpose is for us always to minister in some way. 5. Your body is the temple of God’s Spirit. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” (1 Cor. 6:19). Therefore we must treat our bodies with respect and not abuse them. We are stewards of the bodies He has given us.

The Solution

1. Regardless of your age do not face aging with denial. Aging is not a choice but our response to it is. Acceptance is the best response. We are not ready to live until we accept we are going to die. 2. Do not adopt the contemporary ageism mindset of our culture, which discriminates against you because you are too young or too old. Recognize that aging means you are “further ahead” in life than those younger. Your greater experience in life can be used to be more effective in life, in ministry, and in mentoring those who are further behind you. 3. View aging as a challenge to be met, not a threat to dread. There is no shame in aging. 4. Do all you can to stay emotionally and physically healthy with proper diet and exercise. 5. Discover and use your spiritual gifts to build God’s Church. They are part of His purpose for you. 6. Do not isolate yourself. Maintain relationships with people of all ages. 7. Understand, anticipate, and plan for the changes that come with aging. by

Insight for Living Canada

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YOU ALSO, like living stones,

are being built into a spiritual house 1 Peter 2:5

Men and women across Canada depend on Insight for Living for spiritual nourishment. Your generous support allows us to continue the teaching of God’s Word. Please help us to finish our fiscal year strong. Together we can help God’s living stones become a building that glorifies Him.

Donate to our fiscal year end by using the enclosed form or going to insightforliving.ca Thank you for your support! info@insightforliving.ca • insightforliving.ca • 1.800.663.7639

Simple Secrets to a Happy Life: 50 Ways to Make the Most of Every Day hardcover by Luci Swindoll, 224 pages

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STAFF PICK “Laugh Again gave me a whole new perspective as I discovered how joyful the Christian life could be! “ ~ Joy McKee

Communications Manager, Insight for Living Canada

Laugh Again: Experience Outrageous Joy 14 CD messages + study guide

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The Bible isn’t a joke book, but that doesn’t mean God’s Word isn’t full of humour and joy! In these messages you’ll discover that Philippians is one of the most joy-filled books in the Bible.

The Mystery of God’s Will: What Does He Want For Me? paperback by Charles R. Swindoll, 222 pages

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How can you know that the decisions you make are in God’s will? With practical insights, humour, and unforgettable stories, Chuck will demystify, clarify, and put your mind at ease concerning God’s will.

Who Put My Life on Fast-Forward? paperback by Phil Callaway, 264 pages

Phil recounts his journey from burnout to a rediscovery of how to pause and play in a fast-forward culture. You’ll find inspiration to help you slow down, add joy to your life, and find the missing peace.

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Ten Reasons to Give God Praise: Truth to Carry You Through the Tough Times single CD message

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ON THE AIR THIS MONTH God’s Masterwork, Volume Six: Letters to God’s People— A Survey of Romans-Philemon 13 CD messages

Whether you struggle with legalism, conflict, carnality, or need help sharing God’s truth, the letters from the Apostle Paul will equip you for biblical success. Discover how these letters apply to your life today!

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DIG DEEPER Insights on Romans Set 44 CD messages and hardcover by Charles R. Swindoll (purchase individually online)

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Taking on Life With a Great Attitude

Encourage Me: Caring Words for Heavy Hearts

booklet by Charles R. Swindoll, 31 pages

paperback by Charles R. Swindoll, 90 pages

Is it time for an attitude adjustment? Chuck reveals how you can overcome five debilitating attitudes that keep you from facing life’s challenges with confidence and enthusiasm.

Are you discouraged? This classic devotional offers tender insight into the needs of your heart and how God wants to meet those needs through the gift of encouragement.

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The Rising Hope: Encouragement for Your Heart paperback by Charles R. Swindoll, 64 pages

Hope is essential to survival. But where does it come from? In this booklet you’ll learn that there is an everlasting, inexhaustible hope you can draw from every day for the rest of your life.

Real Quest ions. Real Answers. Introducing two new Bibles for the young ones in your life!

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With approximately 4,000 tough questions with answers right next to the applicable passages, this leatherbound Bible clarifies verses that could seem confusing or weird. Perfectly designed for the tween or teen in your life. Full NIV translation. See enclosed form for ordering information