by R. Kent Hughes and W. Carey Hughes

Press Release
Interview Questions (TBD)

For Immediate Release
Contact: Angie Cheatham
Sign up for Press Release email or RSS

Young Men, Are You Man Enough?: Recruiting Youth to Train for Godliness

Father-son co-authors Kent Hughes and Carey Hughes challenge the next generation of men, “Are you man enough?”. In a culture that defines manhood by a completely different standard, Kent and Carey recognize that godliness is the exception, not the rule.

In their new book, Disciplines of a Godly Young Man, they recruit young disciples to forego the cultural norm. Are you man enough to meditate, confess, adore, submit, sweat, and endure? Are you man enough to set boundaries? To limit the mind numbing video gaming and 15,000 hours of TV exposure the average guy invests before age 20 to pursue a mind and life shaped by an awesome God?

1 Timothy 4:7 challenges the Christian adolescent to train themselves for godliness. Disciplines of a Godly Young Man is gospel-centered discipleship resource for guys aged 13-18—a guide for purity, relationships, the training of the mind, the study of the Word, devotion, prayer, work, church life, generosity, and more.

by Phil Ryken

Press Release
Interview Questions

For Immediate Release
Contact: Angie Cheatham
Sign up for Press Release email or RSS

Loving the Way Jesus Loves

In Loving the Way Jesus Loves, Dr. Phil Ryken suggests that 1 Corinthians 13—the well-known “love chapter” often read at weddings—is commonly pulled out of context, misunderstood, and misapplied. Not just speaking to newlyweds, “the apostle was trying to show a church full of self-centered Christians that there is a better way to live,” explains Ryken, the current president of Wheaton College.

The problem the apostle Paul addresses is that most Christians are not loving as well as they think they are. 1 Corinthians 13 wasn’t written to a couple standing at an altar, it was written to people in the church who thought their way of talking about God, worshipping God, serving God, and giving to God was better than everyone else’s. A people who were supposed to be recognized by their love were better known for their judgments, hypocrisy, and stinginess.

“Studying 1 Corinthians 13 in a Christ-centered way helped us to learn how to love the way Jesus loves,” Ryken says. “As I hope it will help you.” Through the lens of this chapter, this book gives readers a beautiful portrait of love, connecting Paul’s words to the life of Christ.

Loving the Way Jesus Loves incorporates photography from the Lovetown PA project—based on the concept of What would Paul’s beautiful but difficult text on love look like on the streets of Philadelphia? You can learn more about the project and the art at http://www.lovetownpa.com.

by Thabiti Anyabwile

Press Release
Interview Questions

For Immediate Release
Contact: Angie Cheatham
Sign up for Press Release email or RSS

How Does a Church Find Faithful Elders and Deacons?

Wheaton, IL— “A church without godly leaders in an endangered church. And a church that does not train leaders is an unfaithful church,” says Thabiti Anyabwile, author of Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons. While many books analyze and debate the finer points of church polity, few have been written specifically on both elders and deacons, and fewer still provide practical help in regard to identifying and reproducing legitimate leaders and willing servants throughout the ranks of the church body.

Thabiti Anyabwile writes with his pastoral expertise as well as from his personal experience of being led by faithful men—men who believed he was qualified to be an elder and invested their time, energy, and love into training him to join their ranks. Balancing thoughtful analysis of Scripture with practical application, Anyabwile answers the questions, “Who should we look for to lead and serve in the church?” and “What should they do to fulfill their calling?”

One of the most helpful features of the book is the suggested practical observations, questions, and concise conclusions at the end of each chapter. The author also includes sample ordination vows at the end of the book. Rather than exacerbating the controversial questions surrounding these issues, this book provides meaningful action points that will prove effective for a wide range of interpretations.

Edited by Anthony Bradley

Press Release
Interview Questions (TBD)

For Immediate Release
Contact: Angie Cheatham
Sign up for Press Release email or RSS

A Crisis in the Black Community

Wheaton, IL— “The black community is in trouble. Some might even call it a crisis,” writes Anthony B. Bradly in the preface of Keep Your Head Up: America’s New Black Christian Leaders, Social Consciousness, and the Cosby Conversation. Continuing the renowned “Cosby Conversation,” first started in 2007 by Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin Poussaint, Bradley has assembled a team of pastors, scholars, and leaders to address specific issues within the black community. Bradley’s volume features contributions from himself, Vincent Bacote, Ralph C. Watkins, Eric M. Mason, Anthony Carter, Craig Mitchell, and others.

Addressing victim mentality, hip-hop, masculinity, the prosperity gospel, and Rev. Michael Eric Dyson’s contribution to the conversation, this book will open readers’ eyes to the serious challenges facing the black church today. It will not leave readers without hope, however, as each contributor brings the conversation back to the Bible, and specifically the gospel, as the only source of true, enduring change.

by Hayley DiMarco and Michael DiMarco

Press Release
Interview Questions
Author Bios

For Immediate Release
Contact: Angie Cheatham
Sign up for Press Release email or RSS

Die Young Challenges Readers to Abandon the Pursuit of Happiness
Best Selling Authors Urge Readers to “Bury Your Self in Christ”

Wheaton, IL —Award-winning and bestselling authors Hayley and Michael DiMarco live in the real world. They understand that self-fulfillment is part of the American Dream. They also understand that the only way to a truly rich and fulfilled life is death: death to self. Their counter-cultural message is spelled out clearly in the pages of Die Young: Burying Your Self in Christ (Crossway, January 31, 2012). The DiMarcos guide readers into a practical understanding of what it means to become “living sacrifices” for
Jesus Christ. Die Young is a manifesto written by a transparent husband/wife duo who is committed to living intentionally and helping others do the same. Today’s culture drives people towards selfishness and ego, but Die Young flips that notion on its head and offers a better way—a way that leads to life as God intends. As Paul calls to readers in Romans 12, so the DiMarcos call their readers to become “living sacrifices.”

The DiMarcos weave Biblical teaching with “first person” confessionals from each of the authors, so Die Young is both theologically rich and completely relatable. Hayley confesses how her obsession with perfection permeates led to her first engagement being called off. Michael describes how doing time in jail was exactly what he needed to wake up to whole concept of dying young. Michael explains, “For me, to die young was to remove me as the center of my world, and put God and others in my place, loving and serving them as much, if not more, than I do myself.” Hayley adds, “It’s about an ability to deny yourself so you don’t serve your desires over God’s.”

Based on the premise that the gospel turns life upside down, the DiMarcos explain the paradoxes that result: death is the new life; less is the new more; weak is the new strong; slavery is the new freedom. Throughout Die Young they examine what the life and death of Christ means for themselves, as well as those who have given their lives to Jesus. The DiMarcos hope Die Young will turn the reader and his or her priorities upside down. The authors believe “dying young” will show readers:

• How in today’s society people bury themselves in things they hope will save them, or bring them comfort. But it never works.
• The deception of freedom—demanding to make one’s own choices, wanting to be subject to no one. True freedom is only found by surrendering.
• The only path to real life is through death— dying to the obsessive need to please yourself, to comfort yourself, and to enjoy yourself, so that you can live only to please God.
• By dying young, you give all of your needs, fears, worries, wants, hopes, dreams, and failures over to God, who can handle them.

While many of the titles published by this popular husband/wife duo have been geared toward youth, Die Young expands their target audience to all age groups. The DiMarcos are convinced that no one is too old to die young. Michael explains, “It is never too late. Too much of your life has not passed. You have not made too many mistakes for God to forgive. But when you are determined to completely bury yourself in Christ so deep that nothing can ever really harm you again, that’s when his love is all that surrounds you and all that contains you and all that you contain. Then life is a whole new ball game.”

Hayley and Michael DiMarco form Hungry Planet books. Since their first book hit the shelves in Fall 2003, Hungry Planet has published more than three dozen titles and, as of 2011, sold over 1,000,000 books. Their newest title, Die Young: Burying Your Self In Christ, is a challenge to readers to die to self and live for Christ, in ways that are completely counter-cultural. Hayley has written numerous best-selling books, including God Girl, Mean Girls, Idol Girls, Dateable, and the 2007 and 2010 ECPA Christian Book Award winners, Sexy Girls and B4UD8. Michael’s best-selling books include; God Guy, Cupidity, Unstuff, All In, Almost Sex, and the 2010 ECPA Christian Book Award winner, B4UD8. Michael and Hayley live with their daughter on the shores of Old Hickory Lake just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. More information can be found at hungryplanet.net.