A. J. Swoboda

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• 

  Teachable Spirit : The Virtue Of Learning From Strangers, Enemies, And Abso

  $26.99

  Being a know-it-all isn’t a fruit of the Spirit. But the ancient call of Jesus beckons us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength” (Matt. 22:37). How do we love God with our mind? In A Teachable Spirit, A.J. Swoboda helps followers of Jesus develop the discipline of teachability.

  In a world marked by distraction, mind-numbing entertainment, endless content, polarization, and a decreasing desire to humbly learn from those we dislike, the way we engage sources of information like news media, science, and social media content could not be more important. Thankfully, the Christian faith provides sharp tools and rich traditions for learning how to be the best learners. By drawing on his experiences as a professor, theologian, and lay pastor, Swoboda explores the potency of seeing learning as a part of one’s spiritual formation to Jesus.

  With the right posture, Christians can learn from even the most unexpected places.

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• 

  Gift Of Thorns Study Guide Plus Streaming Video (Student/Study Guide)

  $24.99

  Discover God’s good will for our wants.

  The Gift of Thorns Study Guide, a companion to The Gift of Thorns, dives deep into some of the hardest questions we wrestle with in the war for our wants:

  *What do God’s desires and Satan’s desires have to do with us?
  *Which desires did God place in our hearts at creation, and why?
  *What can we do when we start losing our desire for God?
  *Why do some unwanted desires persist after we start following Christ?
  *Can we want a good thing too much?
  *How can we discern which desires to crucify and which to nurture

  This study guide has everything you need for a full personal or group experience.

  *The study guide itself–with thoughtful introductions, questions for personal reflection and application, and discussion questions for leading a group or team.

  *An individual access code to stream all video sessions online. (You don’t need to buy a DVD!)

  Sessions and video run times:

  1. God’s Desire (26 min.)
  2. Human Desire (24 min.)
  3. Satan’s Desire (17 min.)
  4. Fleshly Desire (18 min.)
  5. Waning Desire (16 min.)
  6. Undesired Desire (14 min.)
  7. Killing Desire (15 min.)
  8. Nurturing Desire (16 min.)
  9. Ordering Desire (19 min.)
  10. Resurrecting Desire (15 min.)
  11. Longing Desire (17 min.)

  Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2029. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.

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• 

  Gift Of Thorns

  $26.99

  Today’s follower of Jesus exists at a moment in history when our desires, longings, and wants are being weaponized against us by cultural, spiritual, and relational forces. “Follow your heart” and “You do you” has become our moment’s mantras. The result, for too many, is feeling torn asunder by the raging desires within. What do we do with our desire? What about our unwanted desires? And how do we cultivate desires which bring life and freedom and lead to Christ? The Gift of Thorns, by A. J. Swoboda, addresses these questions and more.

  The path forward is anything but easy. It is assumed by too many in the Christian community that desire is in and of itself bad or dangerous and must be crucified for simply existing. Desire is demonic for some. But, for many others–particularly in the secular West–desire must be followed through and through. This side deifies desire. But these two options sidestep the joy in the great challenge of finding God in our desire. There exists an ancient and sacred way that is forged around the life, wisdom, and power of Jesus and his Spirit. In short, what makes a follower of Christ is not whether or not we have desires. Rather, it is what we do with the desires we have.

  Near the end of the story of humanity’s rebellion, the theme of “thorns” is introduced. As readers will discover, the thematic repetition of “thorns” pops up over and over throughout the Bible. What are the thorns for? They will be, in the words of God, “for you” (Gen. 3:18). The premise of this book is that a world where we do not get all that we want is, well, the greatest gift ever.

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