BOOKS
Honesty with God
One of the big questions for any religion that purports to approach God is: how do you talk to God? What attitude do you take towards Him? What words do you use; what offends Him, what pleases Him, what is He looking for from us? We certainly don’t want to approach Him too casually, nor do we want to feel he is utterly unapproachable. But where is the balance and how can we know? The most we could hope for is that we make a good guess.
In my new book, Honesty with God: Learning to Approach God through the Psalms, I will show how the Psalms model for us how to talk to God. Sometimes we can’t understand what God is doing. We really can’t. But while we are often hesitant to complain to God, the Psalms aren’t. The Psalms register plenty of complaints!
The Psalms are breathtakingly and refreshingly honest. The genius of the Psalms is we hear God saying to us: “Talk to me! And here…let Me show you how!” God wants us to feel free to express the full gamut of emotions we have to Him, and learn how to do all that without sinning. The Psalms are templates for how to speak with our Creator about the things which are truly on our heart.
In a number of popular and powerful Psalms, we will learn not only the timeless message of the particular Psalm, but how to share what’s on our heart in a way that God has ordained. And we will also discover Jesus is in the Psalms. At the end of every Psalm, we will answer the question: Where is Jesus in this Psalm? We will learn that one of the primary things the Psalms are meant to do is to reveal Jesus to us.
So…when our confidence is shot and we realize we can’t fix our lives—we can learn how to approach Him. When we are completely confused about what He’s allowing in our lives—we can learn how to approach Him. And when we are overwhelmed with gratitude and love and in awe of what He has done for us, we can learn how to approach Him.
Each chapter will end with discussion questions for personal and group study.
The Power of Weakness
Embracing the True Source of Strength
When I am weak, then I am strong. Really?
Do we really believe—or even understand—these words penned by the apostle Paul? If so, why do we often rely on our own wits, strength, and resources when the power that God holds is so much greater? Does God’s power matter if He’s already given us talent and ability?
These are some of the questions Dan Schaeffer explores in The Power of Weakness. “We’ve come to believe that we should do everything we can to try to shed all our weaknesses and become powerful,” states Schaeffer. But, as he points out, that perspective is not biblical.
The Power of Weakness encourages you to grasp the biblical truth tht God longs to use your limitations to display His greatness. This careful examination of Paul’s statement helps you shift your focus from your abilities and inabilities to God and encourages you to give God the glory when He accomplishes what you could never orchestrate or predict.
Plunge into the pages of this insightful book, embrace the true source of your strength, and find relief from the wearying pursuit of success.
A Better Country
Preparing for Heaven
What picture comes to mind when you think about heaven?
Most of us have heard that heaven is a wonderful place and everyone wants to go there, but we don’t know much else about it. Maybe you’ve decided, like author Dan Schaeffer once did, that there is little that can be known about heaven this side of life, so there really isn’t that much point speculating. He observes:
“I think if the truth were known, many Christians are at best ambivalent, or at worst afraid, of heaven—or at least of the vision they have in their mind…We’re far more attached to earth than we think. This may partly explain why it can be so hard to get some Christians to think beyond this earthly life to greater spiritual realities.”
And yet, Schaeffer reminds us, there is a restless yearning in our hearts that moments of pleasure cannot long quench and sorrow only intensifies. And that desire has been planted by God Himself—a universal “longing for a better country—a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16).
In these pages you will discover that thing you’ve always wanted; that world you’ve longed for; that life you were meant to live; that goal you were meant to pursue—in a word, heaven.
When Faith and Decisions Collide
Finding God's Will For Your life
How can Christians today know God’s will when they’ve looked everywhere?
In the Bible, God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, but that’s not His pattern. Sometimes we ignore what the scripture tells us about God’s will, and instead rely on emotions, human counsel, or circumstances for direction.
We can do better.
Learn about the myths and principles surrounding this important quest, and then apply what you’ve learned with the study and discussion questions that follow each chapter.
Restored!
God's Salvage Plan for Broken Lives
"A brilliant, divine picture--a portrait of you so beautiful you could never recognize it on this side of eternity--exists in the mind of our Lord, and each distress He allows in our lives is His divine brushstroke, adding color, maturity, depth of character, and a deep and eternal beauty that will be with you forever." --from the introduction.
For some people, distress in this life is as constant as the rotation of the earth. You escape a distressing situation just to have another takes its place. In pain, you yearn for something better--a break from financial woes, a restored relationship, a healed heart.
But what if, in your desire to escape pain, you are missing the point of it in your life?
From the story of Ruth and Naomi, author Dan Schaeffer shares insights to help you see the value in your distress. As he guides you through the book of Ruth, the blurred vision of pain begins to clear and God's perspective of your distressing situation is revealed with purpose far beyond anything you could imagine. You will be reminded that God is at work to restore you--and your distress is but a prelude to the restoration He has planned for you."
Defining Moments
When Choices Matter Most
One morning you wake up, totally unaware that you will make a decision that will define your life for years to come, maybe forever.
If you had known this moment was coming, you would have prepared for it; but you didn’t. From accounts in the Old and New Testaments, Dan Schaeffer highlights defining moments of real people in real life situations, to encourage you and help you prepare for your own.
Our character is the scene of great battles; it’s the seedbed from which life-changing decisions arise. When we can extract and apply insights and wisdom from the experiences of others, we are better equipped to handle our own failures and successes—catalysts of our own defining moments—in God pleasing ways.
In Search of the Real Spirit of Christmas
“This Christmas, I’ll start shopping earlier.” “This Christmas, we’ll visit all the relatives.” “This Christmas, I’ll find that box of missing decorations.” “This year, I’ll bake the cookies from scratch.” “This year, we’re going to do Christmas right!”
If these promises sound familiar, In Search of the Real Spirit of Christmas is for you. Christmas seasons come and go, often leaving us with vague pangs of regret. Why does the Christmas spirit seem so elusive? What is the real Christmas spirit anyway? Even those who know the Reason for the season can find themselves wondering if they’ve missed something.
Dan Schaeffer understands that familiarity can rob us of the glory of Christmas. We become immune to the Story’s real power. But Schaeffer also has some help for us. He even has advice for what to do when it doesn’t feel like Christmas. In Search of the Real Spirit of Christmas takes you beyond the trappings and into the wonder of the best gift of the season—the essence of Christmas.
The Six Miracles of Calvary
Unveiling the Story of the Resurrection
Join William Nicholson as he approaches the cross of Calvary and draws timeless insights about the meaning of the six miracles that occurred there:
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The miraculous darkness
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The tearing of the temple curtain
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The miraculous earthquake
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The miracle of the opened graves
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The undisturbed grave clothes of Jesus
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Revivals to life in the Calvary graveyard
These miracles were the very trumpets that God used to herald the glorious message of Jesus' death and resurrection. Nicholson clearly reveals the purpose behind each of these supernatural events, and the confidence we may draw from them for our own anticipated resurrection.
Faking Church
The Subtle Defection
“Don’t worry—we’re all faking church to some degree. None of us tell ourselves the whole truth, all the time, about our spiritual lives. But when we’re just going through the motions…when the untruths begin to drain all the joy out of worship…when we’re considering not even showing up on Sunday morning…it’s time to get real again with God.
Dan Schaeffer invites you to unflinchingly examine your heart, to ask questions you’re not used to asking yourself, to explore motivations you’ve always taken for granted, and to challenge some of your longstanding assumptions about church and ministry.
Exploring the common traps and misconceptions that seduce believers into becoming spiritual fakes, Schaeffer points the way for allowing the Holy Spirit to create in you a genuine servant’s heart.
You’ll need self-honesty. A determined will. And resolute prayer. But you’ll never have to go back to faking church again.
Why I Wear A Plastic Dinosaur
A Call for Dads to Sieze the Moment
This book encourages fathers to take a deeper look at their calling as dads and to value most what often gets put on the back burner—time!
Why I Wear a Plastic Dinosaur is written by a father to fathers. Many fathers know what their job description is—they just aren’t doing it. This book is not so much about telling fathers what to do as to why to do it. Dan learned to do by doing. You can too!
And about that dinosaur? You’ll have to read the book!
Dancing with a Shadow
Making Sense of God's Silence
An intensely personal look at God's providence in difficult circumstances, Dancing with a Shadow will take you through the often overlooked book of Esther to make sense of God's silence. The author discusses the uncommon features of this fascinating Old Testament book and how they apply to our lives: first, Esther makes no mention of God; second, the book makes no reference to miracles by God. And yet the events recorded there can only be attributed to God, and the book's outcome is clearly miraculous.
Discussion questions, action steps, and studies of the main characters and themes in the story of Esther will help lead you to an accurate, insightful perspective on how God ordinarily works in our daily circumstances.
