Tag: Biographies
Showing 1–12 of 161 results
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By Life Or By Death
$16.99Add to cartOne of the most incredible missionary stories of the 20th century.
As a young boy Andrew Montonera stumbled upon a cabinet of books in his grandparents’ house. He was captivated by what he discovered–the library of his distant relatives, John and Betty. By Life or by Death shares the story of these two remarkable people–inspirations of contagious joy and kingdom-focused lives.
John Cornelius Stam and Elisabeth Alden “Betty” Scott met at Moody Bible Institute in fall 1929. A few years later, their paths crossed again–this time in China. The two were united in marriage and in their love for the Chinese people.
Using family scrapbooks and unpublished sources, Montonera takes a fresh look at a famous story–how two missionaries and their baby were kidnapped by Chinese soldiers and ransomed. Montonera recounts the courage and martyrdom of the Stams, as well as the succeeding miraculous tale that captured the world’s attention.
The Stams’ lives were cut short, but their faithfulness continues to impact Christianity in China today. By Life or by Death looks at the legacy of the Stams, including new testimonies of those shaped by their commitment to the gospel.
Shortly before his death, John Stam mailed a letter to the mission authorities. He wrote, May God be glorified whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20).
Discover how that prayer was answered both in the deaths and lives of John and Betty Stam.
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American Story : Everyone’s Invited
$29.99Add to cartThe remarkable true story of a young immigrant from Venezuela who had a dream to change the world, a talent for entertaining, and a determined spirit to build a new life, taking as many as possible with him on the journey.
An American Story is the stirring memoir by actor, producer, and activist Wilmer Valderrama, delving into his upbringing in Venezuela where he was raised by two hard working parents as they navigated their family through a rapidly changing country and the rise of Hugo Chavez. With the economy crashing around them and their livelihood disappearing, the family decides to flee the country. Suddenly, the young boy who had loved riding his horse and dreaming of being Zorro from his favorite black and white tv show had to grow up quickly, journeying as a teenager from a tiny little pueblo in Venezuela to the big city of Los Angeles.
After being cast in a school theatre production, Valderrama knew he had found his calling, and began thinking of ways to help support his struggling family. He would attempt the impossible: find work in Hollywood as an unproven Latino actor. Following countless auditions and frequent criticisms of his accent, he created the personality that would eventually land him the role as Fez on the hit series That 70s Show, which catapulted him to stardom.
Over the coming years, he would create the smash show, Yo Mamma, voice the lead character in Disney’s Encanto, and so much more, culminating in his joining the cast of the hit show NCIS in 2016.
It was through service to others and his first USO trip, however, where Valderrama found his expanded calling, entertaining and encouraging U.S. troops around the world. He has since traveled with the USO a multitude of times, having participated in almost 50 tours domestically and internationally and was recently named USO Global Ambassador.
Through his work, Valderrama hopes to demonstrate his love and gratitude for the country that changed his life. An American Story weaves Valderrama’s personal stories with those of the remarkable people he’s met along his philanthropic journey. This isn’t just Valderrama’s story, though. It’s a view of America through an immigrant’s eyes, in both its stunning unmatched wonders and all its native challenges. It is the profound and gripping story of someone who found the way and is now inviting as many as possible to join him on the adventure.
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School Desk For Mamie
$18.99Add to cartMiddle-grade readers will learn the little-known story of Mamie Tape, an eight-year-old Chinese American girl whose desire for knowledge and belonging led her family to fight for her right to attend public school in San Francisco.
In the fall of 1884 in San Francisco, California, Mamie excitedly arrived for her first day at an American public school, only to find the principal blocking her way. Why? Because Mamie was Chinese.
Thus began the Tape family’s yearlong struggle to secure Mamie’s right to attend public school. In the spring of 1885, Mamie’s case reached the California Supreme Court, who reaffirmed a lower court’s ruling that public schools should be open to children of all races.
Kids will be introduced to this largely unknown tale from American history and learn to treat others with empathy and respect.
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Mission Without Borders
$29.99Add to cartAuthor, speaker, and former Force Recon Marine Chad Robichaux offers an honest, no-holds-barred account of what has really been happening in Ukraine and shares powerful stories that are soaked in resiliency and determination, faith and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming opposition.
When Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, former Force Recon Marine Chad Robichaux knew that innocent people were about to be exposed to untold brutality. He also knew that God was inviting him to get involved. With little idea of the trials that would follow, Chad’s response was simple and clear: “yes.” As he gathered a team of elite special operations veterans, he invited his twenty-five-year-old son, Hunter–also a Marine combat veteran–to partner with him in Ukraine. Over the course of seven trips, Chad saw a change in Hunter as his confidence grew and he exceled among the team. Chad’s own faith also grew as he learned to relinquish control and trust God with his son and what he witnessed in the brutality of war.
A Mission Without Borders is a powerful account of the lessons we can learn whenever we say yes to God. Chad’s experience will help readers:
*understand what the conflict in Ukraine was like for everyday citizens beyond the political fog;
*discover how a bond can grow between a father and son as they face hardship together; and
*realize that God doesn’t just call us to go to the aid of the people we know and love, sometimes he calls us to help strangers–because it’s the right thing to do.
A Mission Without Borders will take readers deep into the war in Ukraine. From Russia’s use of ballistic and chemical weapons on civilians, to the inspirational story of the role that the Ukrainian church has played in the war, Chad’s story of courage and hope needs to be heard. It is rich in human and spiritual truth and will connect deeply with readers of all walks.
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Joni Eareckson Tada
$14.99Add to cartIn this beautifully illustrated hardback, Kristyn Getty recounts Joni Eareckson Tada’s lively childhood, life-changing accident, and challenging adjustment to a very different way of life, and shares how God has used her in amazing ways to bless others.
Children will hear how, when a terrible diving accident left her severely disabled, Joni was left with a lot of questions about God. It was easy to trust him when she was healthy and happy, but did she want to follow him now that life was so hard?
As young ones discover how Joni held on to her faith and used her circumstances to love others, they’ll be inspired about the great things they can do for God, like being a friend to those with disabilities or in hard situations.
As well as being an award-winning hymn writer and a mother of four, Kristyn writes as a good friend of Joni, bringing a uniquely personal touch to the story.
This book is part of a series designed to show kids how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Download free extras, such as worksheets, to help children interact with the true story and think of ways in which they can also follow God and encourage his people today.
These stories can be read to young children or enjoyed independently by early readers. The free extras make these stories useful for homeschool, Sunday school, missions events and more.
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What I Saw In Heaven
$18.99Add to cartHeidi Barr didn’t believe in Jesus. No one in her Jewish family did, nor did they want to–especially not her father, who told her that Jesus Christ was the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on humankind. So when Heidi was in a terrible horseback riding accident and died at age 16, Jesus was the last person she expected to see. Yet she did. And then she returned to life.
This is the incredible true story of Heidi’s difficult family life, her sudden death, her unexpectedly loving encounter with Jesus, and her return to life on earth as a person completely and irrevocably changed. This is also the story of Heidi loving her father and mother despite their disbelief of and disagreement with her faith. And this is the gripping, beautiful story of her parents’ eventual reconciliation both with Heidi and with God, through the redeeming grace and all-encompassing love of Jesus Christ.
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Cabrini (DVD)
$24.99Add to cartFrom Alejandro Monteverde, award-winning director of Sound of Freedom, comes the powerful epic of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who arrives in New York City in 1889 and is greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children. Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to convince the hostile mayor to secure housing and healthcare for society’s most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini builds an empire of hope unlike anything the world had ever seen. Rated PG-13. Approx. 2 hours 22 minutes.
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Blurred Cross : A Writer’s Difficult Journey With God
$21.99Add to cartIn early 2022, esteemed New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham nearly lost his ability to read–an alarming prospect for a man who considers reading, writing, and scholarly work to be his vocation from God. Despite it being one of the most difficult times of his life, it was also a period in which Bauckham felt closest to God.
In this beautifully written book, Bauckham combines memoir, theological and biblical reflection, and poetry to offer profound insight into God’s providence amid life’s difficulties. He discusses relevant aspects of his earlier life, delves into the time when his eyesight began to deteriorate, and reflects on issues that arose during that period. The book also includes generous amounts of Bauckham’s own poetry.
Throughout his experience, Bauckham maintained a close relationship with God and drew nearer to him. His journey with God during this time led him to contemplate God’s purpose for his life and how he can live in a way that reflects his overwhelming sense of gratitude. He shares his story as a way of encouraging others in their own unique walk with God.
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Lulu Fleming : The Doctor Who Shared Jesus
$14.99Add to cartBorn into slavery in rural Florida, Louisa (Lulu) Fleming might have been the last person anyone expected to grow up and become a doctor. From birth, Lulu was told she wasn’t worthy of dignity or respect because of the color of her skin. This biographical picture book tells the story of Lulu Fleming whose grandfather was brought to America from the Congo and enslaved. When Lulu was released from slavery, she discovered Jesus taught that all people are worthy of respect and dignity. Narrated by a kind and curious cat, readers learn that Lulu became one of the first Black women to attend university in the United States, then decided she wanted to be a missionary to the country where her grandfather had been taken from: the Congo. She served as both a doctor and a teacher in the Congo, speaking against a regime and a culture that devalued people because of the color of their skin. Readers will be inspired by Lulu’s bravery and drive to break barriers so she could love and share Jesus with others. Lulu Fleming: The Doctor Who Shared Jesus is the fourth book in the Here I Am! biography series for kids ages four to eight, which highlights fascinating and faithful Christians in history. Also available: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Teacher Who Became a Spy, C. S. Lewis: The Writer Who Found Joy, and Lottie Moon: The Girl Who Reached the World.
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Under Threat Of Death
$18.99Add to cartRaised as a Christian minority in a Muslim nation, Shagufta Kausar learned early on to never argue about faith or to stand up for her beliefs. Doing so could easily lead to riots and deadly violence, so she was told to always be silent, like a lamb.
In 2013, local police raided Shagufta’s home, accusing her of sending a blasphemous text to a local imam. As a mother of four, Shagufta was arrested, her handicapped husband, Shafqat, was hung upside down and beaten, and her children were put in state custody. The truth was, Shagufta didn’t even have a phone and was illiterate – she couldn’t write or speak the language in the text. She was impossibly innocent.
Convicted at a trial she was not allowed to attend and sentenced to death by hanging, Shagufta was told that she could save herself and her family if she would only abandon her faith and accept Islam. Under threat of death, she refused.
Her stunning true story of a courageous mother of four standing against the tyranny of her country’s blasphemy laws illuminates the reality of what many Christians around the world face every day. Shagufta is a voice for Christian minorities that suffer daily persecution under unjust laws.
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God Who Became Bread
$16.99Add to cartThe gospel of God is the Bread of the Presence, and it reaches down into the
deepest, darkest, ugliest recesses of the human spirit, the places polite chit-chat
won’t allow, the places watery juice doesn’t open up, the places where crawfish
and other creeping things of the swamps live.These are the places in which we run to the altar and find the bread, still warm.
Places in which we begin to get full. Where our only food becomes God Himself.
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In this memoir described as “poetic, raw, and achingly beautiful,” Emily T. Wierenga takes readers on a vulnerable literary journey.A former anorexic who nearly starved to death, Emily longed for more-the more she’d glimpsed during her childhood in the Congo, surrounded by vibrant faith. All she had now was dry religion. She craved a Communion that was more than an empty ritual.
It would be Emily’s return to Africa that would bring her healing. Unexpectedly, it would be the poorest of the poor who would lead her there. Emily exchanged her deep struggles with food for a growing discovery that the God of inapproachable light “dons an apron and prepares us a banquet.”
All who are broken-come to the table. Break bread with Emily, and feast on the God Who Became Bread. You will never go hungry again.
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Bread And Bibles
$17.99Add to cartWhen I was at work in the City Relief Society, before the fire, I used to go to a poor sinner with the Bible in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other. -D. L. Moody
Dwight Lyman Moody was a preacher, pastor, and visionary whose impact is still felt around the world. He was a servant to poor and immigrant communities, an evangelist who traveled the globe, and a champion of Christian education–Moody founded Moody Publishers and he started three schools, including Moody Bible Institute, which has trained more missionaries than any other single institution in the United States. Dr. Gregg Quiggle explores the life and legacy of a man who helped shape American evangelicalism. Taking a focused and in-depth look at the social vision and missionary work–triumphs and failures–of D. L. Moody, Quiggle tells the story of a man whose impact continues to this day.