We all struggle with the demands of modern living. We feel overscheduled, overworked, overloaded. Our current sermon series, Simplify, seeks to offer scriptural principles to help us learn how to slow down and simplify our lives so that we can enjoy our lives more, as God intended. The series is based on the BIC core value called Living Simply which says, We value uncluttered lives, which free us to love boldly, give generously, and serve joyfully.
To help us dig more deeply into this challenge, the Resource Centre has brought in three brand new books for you. Borrow these books soon because they are going to be popular:
The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Best Thing by Jeff Goins
Jeff Goins, a brilliant new voice counting Tom Fenske, Seth Godin and Jon Acuff among his fans, is the author of “The In-Between,” “Wrecked,” and two successful ebooks: “You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One)” and “The Writer’s Manifesto.” A professional blogger and public speaker, he also podcasts and hosts a well-attended online course, TribeWriters. His work has been featured at Copyblogger, Problogger, Write to Done, Relevant, and MichaelHyatt.com, among other outlets. He lives with his family outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
We’re an “instant gratification” generation—but most change happens gradually.
Many of us spend our lives searching and longing for something more than what is in front of us. Whether it’s traveling abroad or chasing cheap (or expensive) thrills, we’re all looking for the medicine to satisfy our restlessness. And so often we’re looking in the wrong place.
The In-Between is a call to accept the importance that waiting plays in our lives. Can we embrace the extraordinary nature of the ordinary and enjoy the daily mundane—what lies in between the “major” moments? Learning to live in this tension, to be content in these moments of waiting, may be our greatest struggle—and our greatest opportunity to grow.
If you’re ready to slow down and savour the smaller moments of life, you can participate in the 5-day Slow Down Challenge by going to the In-Between website. Are you ready to take the scenic route in life?
The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa Terkeurst
The women of Westheights who attended the women’s 2014 retreat will recognize this bestselling author who also wrote “Unglued.” She is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and writes from her sticky farm table in North Carolina where she lives with her husband, Art, five kids, three dogs, and a mouse that refuses to leave her kitchen. Connect with her at www.LysaTerKeurst.com.
Are you living with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule and aching with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul?
Lysa TerKeurst is learning that there is a big difference between saying yes to everyone and saying yes to God. In The Best Yes she will help you:
- Cure the disease to please with a biblical understanding of the command to love.
- Escape the guilt of disappointing others by learning the secret of the small no.
- Overcome the agony of hard choices by embracing a wisdom based decision-making process.
- Rise above the rush of endless demands and discover your best yes today.
In addition, you can participate in the 5-day Unrush Me challenge by going to the Best Yes website. It all comes down to knowing your best yes answers.
Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul by Bill Hybels
Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., and chairman of the board for the Willow Creek Association. The bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Leadership Axioms, Holy Discontent, Just Walk Across the Room,The Volunteer Revolution, and Courageous Leadership, and classics such as Too Busy Not to Pray and Becoming a Contagious Christian, Hybels is known worldwide as an expert in training Christian leaders to transform individuals and their communities through the local church. He and his wife, Lynne, have two adult children and two grandsons, Henry and Mac.
Exhausted. Overwhelmed. Overscheduled. Sound familiar? Today’s velocity of life can consume and control us . . . until our breakneck pace begins to feel normal and expected. That’s where the danger lies: When we spend our lives doing things that keep us busy but don’t really matter, we sacrifice the things that do.
What if your life could be different? What if you could be certain you were living the life God called you to live―and building a legacy for those you love? If you crave a simpler life anchored by the priorities that matter most, roll up your sleeves: Simplified living requires more than just cleaning out your closets or reorganizing your desk drawer. It requires uncluttering your soul. By eradicating the stuff that leaves your spirit drained, you can stop doing what doesn’t matter―and start doing what does.
In Simplify, bestselling author Bill Hybels identifies the core issues that lure us into frenetic living―and offers searingly practical steps for sweeping the clutter from our souls.