Gary Thomas

A unique, comprehensive guide to sexual intimacy for Christian couples in every season of marriage. A great sex life is something you make, not something you find. If you feel confused or frustrated about your sex life--or simply wonder, Is there more to it than this?--Married Sex is exactly what you need to make your marriage stronger, in and out of the bedroom.Including the stories of real-life couples, research results from hundreds of comprehensive surveys, and professional perspective from a bestselling spiritual writer and a licensed counselor, Married Sex will:Help you understand why married sex is one of God's best ideasTeach you the inner workings of your body and your spouse's body in order to achieve optimal pleasureGuide you through the most common sexual problems couples have and what to do about themHelp you see how your past experiences and expectations influence your present sex lifeGive you practical suggestions and techniques to enhance your sexual experienceEncourage you to take ownership in the process of making love, seeing a great sex life as a beautiful opportunity to honor both God and your spousePsychology, theology, research, story, and let's-get-started ideas combine to make Married Sex a resource for you and your spouse like no other book you've read before. Discover practical, biblically informed answers to your questions about intimacy as you find more satisfaction in your marriage than ever.

Since the early Egyptians human beings have formalised the business of learning, setting up a designated environment of some form to pass knowledge and learning on to groups of students. In this second edition of his Very Short Introduction, Gary Thomas explores how and why education has evolved as it has, examining the ways in which it has responded over the centuries to various influences in politics, philosophy, and the social sciences. Focussing on education today, he considers especially the controversies over progressive versus formal teaching, and also examines education worldwide, assessing the accelerating trend on both sides of the Atlantic of the move to charter, academy, and 'free' schools. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated moves to online learning in schools and universities, and in this new edition Thomas looks again at curriculums and what shape they should take in a rapidly changing world. He asks why action on race, gender and social inequality has borne so little fruit thus far, questioning the oft-made claim of education to be a force for social mobility, and offering an analysis on how education may develop over the coming century. Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Discover new ways of connecting with God by understanding how he uniquely created you to worship him. The Sacred Pathways video study will help you learn:How you naturally express yourself in your relationship with GodHow to develop new ways of drawing near to himKey biblical figures who share your spiritual temperamentHow to understand others who connect with the Creator differentlyAs believers in Christ, many of us today fall into the trap of thinking we have to approach God in a certain way. But our Creator made us all unique, and he designed us to connect with him in our own ways. For some, this might look like quiet contemplation. Others express praise through caregiving or theological discussions. It's important to discover the particular pathway that will best help you to experience God's presence.Bestselling author and speaker Gary Thomas reveals nine distinct spiritual temperaments to give you insight into how you naturally worship and how your personal walk with God might look different from those around you.Unlike the Enneagram and other personality assessment tools, Sacred Pathways gives you tools to investigate how you naturally relate to God. You will discover the strengths and impulses in your devotional approach so that you can eliminate the barriers that keep you locked into scripted methods of worship and praise.There is one thing that each of us as Christians can do that nobody else can--give our personal love and affection to God.This Study Guide includes:Discussion questions, reflection questions, and a personal assessment test to discover your pathwayPersonal Bible study for between sessionsA guide with best practices for leading groupsSessions include:The Journey of the Soul – Introduction to the PathwaysPathways of Wonder – the Naturalist, Sensate, and TraditionalistPathways of Contemplation – the Intellectual, Ascetic, and ContemplativePathways of Action – the Caregiver, Activist, and EnthusiastTending the Garden of the Soul – How the Pathways Apply to Your LifeDesigned for use with the Sacred Pathways Video Study available on DVD or streaming video, sold separately.

Sacred Pathways reveals nine distinct spiritual temperaments--and their strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies--to help you improve your spiritual life and deepen your personal walk with God.It's time to strip away the frustration of a one-size-fits-all spirituality and discover a path of worship that frees you to be you. Experienced spiritual directors, pastors, and church leaders recognize that all of us engage with God differently, and it's about time we do too.In this updated and expanded edition of Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas details nine spiritual temperaments and--like the Enneagram and other tools do with personality--encourages you to investigate the ways you most naturally express yourself in your relationship with God. He encourages you to dig into the traits, strengths, and pitfalls in your devotional approach so you can eliminate the barriers that keep you locked into rigid methods of worship and praise.Plus, as you begin to identify and understand your own temperament, you'll soon learn about the temperaments that aren't necessarily "you" but that may help you understand the spiritual tendencies of friends, family, and others around you.Whatever temperament or blend of temperaments best describes you, rest assured it's not by accident. It's by the design of a Creator who knew what he was doing when he made you according to his own unique intentions. If your spiritual walk is not what you'd like it to be, you can change that, starting here. Sacred Pathways will show you the route you were made to travel, marked by growth and filled with the riches of a close walk with God.A Sacred Pathways video Bible study is also available for group or individual use, sold separately.

In this six-session video Bible study (DVD/streaming video not included), bestselling author Gary Thomas draws on Jesus' example to teach us how to handle difficult relationships—and to help us discern when we should walk away. As Christians, we may feel that imitating Christ's love means we must always meet the needs of unhealthy people in our lives and endure poisonous relationships. Many of us have dealt with toxic individuals who drain us of our joy and peace—who never seem to change no matter how long we wait or how hard we pray. It's a hard truth, but sometimes the best course is to distance ourselves from certain relationships and dedicate our energy elsewhere.Drawing from years of pastoral experience, Gary Thomas looks at biblical examples from the lives of Jesus, Paul, and Nehemiah to give you insightful, biblical wisdom that you can apply right away to the relationships around you. You'll discover how to:Learn the difference between difficult people and toxic people.Find refuge in God when you feel under attack.Discern when "enough is enough" and when to "wait it out."Keep a tender heart even in unhealthy relationships.Strengthen your defense and set healthy boundaries.Grow your inner strength and invest in reliable people.We can't let others steal our joy or our mission. It's time to follow Jesus' example to walk away from toxic people and walk toward healthy relationships. And as we do, it frees us to focus completely on the purpose that God has established for our lives.The When to Walk Away Study Guide includes teaching notes, discussion questions, Bible exploration, and personal study and reflection materials for in-between sessions.Designed for use with the When to Walk Away Video Study (9780310110361) available on DVD or streaming video, sold separately.

The bestselling author of Sacred Marriage offers hope to women who want to strengthen and transform their marriages into the profoundly deep relationships God intended. Women: you're not alone in your marriage. You never have been, and you never will be. While it may not always feel like it, God wants you to have a relationally healthy, emotionally engaged, and spiritually mature husband.In Loving Him Well--previously titled Sacred Influence--Gary Thomas builds on concepts from his bestselling book Sacred Marriage to reveal the inner workings of a man's heart and mind. He delves into Scriptures that help women gain biblical insight to influence their husbands. Exploring the research of neuroscientists, trained counselors, and abuse victim advocates, Gary also interviews dozens of wives to find what has worked and what hasn't as they've sought to build the best marriage possible.With new stories and fresh illustrations to help wives understand, love, and influence their husbands, Loving Him Well offers encouragement, biblically based support, and practical applications for the transformation of your marriage, drawing you and your husband closer together, the way God intended.Perfect for . . .Women in good marriages who want a great marriageWomen who feel invisible or marginalized in their marriageEngaged or newly married women who want to start investing in their marriage from the startYou'll discover the influence you can gain and the peace of mind you can build when you go first to God for your worth, validation, protection, and provision and then learn how to use that platform to help your husband draw closer to you and closer to God.Loving Him Well includes study questions at the end of each chapter and is also available in Spanish, Amándolo bien.

Grow in your marriage and in your spiritual life with weekly devotions that turn your heart towards God and your spouse.Do you consider your marriage to be holy? What if holier meant having a happier marriage? Your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with your spouse. It is a relationship God uses to help you know Him more, trust Him more fully, and love Him more deeply.In Devotions for a Sacred Marriage author Gary Thomas encourages you to build your marriage around God’s priorities and explores how God can reveal Himself to you through your marriage and help you grow closer to Him as well as to your spouse.This devotional provides:Scripture readings that connect your marriage to God's Word52 weekly devotions offering practical and biblical wisdom for nurturing your marriage as an expression of your love for GodQuestions and suggestions for reflection that challenge you to grow in your marriage and your spiritual lifeInsights that build upon principles from Gary's book Sacred Marriage to help you create a strong marriageMarriage advice that is applicable to you whether you are a newlywed or have been married for years You and your spouse will discover:Closure in ongoing marital issuesSimple tactics to handle disagreementsWays to improve your communicationActionable ways you both can identify your strengths and weaknesses If you are married, God has called you into a delightful yet difficult, a problematic yet pro-found relationship—but through it all, marriage is more than worth the pain. Devotions for a Sacred Marriage invites you embark on a journey to experience life as God created it and has called you to live it and challenges couples to embrace the profound and soul-stretching reality of Christian marriage.

Millions of married couples have pledged to "love and to cherish, until death do us part." Most of us understand and get the love part... but what does it mean to cherish your spouse? Why do we say it once at the wedding and then rarely ever mention it again? In this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), bestselling author Gary Thomas draws on personal stories and teachings from the Bible to show how cherishing can have a powerful effect on marriage. Learning to truly cherish each other turns marriage from an obligation into a delight. It lifts marriage above a commitment to a precious priority. Cherish is the melody that makes a marriage sing.If you find yourself going through the motions in your marriage, Thomas will walk you and your spouse through real ways to reverse the pattern: Erase contempt and honor your spouse Stop comparing and focus on the unique traits in your spouse Let go of hurts and forgive your spouse Go beyond serving and showcase your spouse Don't stop trying. The more you cherish your spouse, the more you will cherish your spouse. Many couples survive by gritting their teeth and holding on. Or they find themselves just "going through the motions" in their relationship. But cherishing your spouse can reverse this pattern. Cherishing can breathe light, hope, and new life into a marriage--even one marred by neglect and disrespect.The Cherish Study Guide includes video discussion questions, Bible exploration, and personal study and reflection materials for in-between sessions. Sessions include: To Love and to Cherish Your Honor Taking Your Marriage to the Next Level Cherishing Your Unique Spouse This Is How Your Spouse Stumbles Keep on Cherishing Designed for use with the Cherish Video Study (9780310080749), sold separately.

Gary Thomas, pastor and bestselling author of Sacred Marriage, believes that one simple word can bring hope, light, and life into any marriage: Cherish.Most marriages survive by gritting teeth and holding on. But what if surviving marriage wasn't the goal? What if we aimed to thrive instead? In Cherish, Thomas teaches us that although there are a countless number of marriages consisting of two people just going through the motions, there are real ways this pattern can be reversed: when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another in their everyday actions and words. The way we treat something acknowledges whether we cherish it or hold it with indifference or contempt. To truly cherish something is to go out of our way to show it off, protect it, and honor it. We want others to see and recognize and affirm the value that we see. Thomas reminds us that in a world desperate for marriage redemption, the act of cherishing is needed now more than ever. Cherishing your spouse will elevate your marriage relationally, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. You will set different goals for your relationship, and you'll see your marriage with fresh eyes. Through personal stories, real-world examples, and timeless biblical truths, Thomas shares the tools you need to turn your marriage around, including:Using your mind to change your heartSacrificing for your spousePraying with intentionalityPrioritizing your life partnerThrough the biblical act of cherishing, we can empower our spouses to become who they are called by God to be, and in the process to become more of who we are called to be, creating a marriage that feels more precious, more connected, and more satisfying. If you're ready to revolutionize your relationship, it's time to learn how to truly Cherish it.

Are you worn out from life's ought-to's and should-do's?It's so easy to give away our time to things un-appointed by God. We commit to something because it's a good cause or there's a great need. Or maybe because no one else will help out. The result? The days blur together and we find ourselves overworked and underjoyed, desperate for a faith awakening.In this practical and liberating book, Susie shares biblical ways to:· Learn how--and when--to say no without guilt or shame· Find a pace and perspective that matches God's best for you· Discern man-made obligations from God-given invitationsWill you say yes to the One who will rejuvenate your soul?Includes Reflection Questions for Personal or Group Use. A DVD Study Companion Is Also Available Separately."If your days feel more life-draining than life-giving, let Susie Larson show you how to reclaim the joyful, fruitful life God wants for you."--Mark Batterson, bestselling author and lead pastor of National Community Church"Susie really opened my eyes to look for God's best when deciding where I spend my time. He doesn't give up on us because we made mistakes. He has a design and purpose to fulfill, and the enemy would love nothing more than to take us out with exhaustion and wasted time."--Caroline Barnett, co-pastor of The Dream Center and author of Willing to Walk on Water"Saying yes to God is the most important decision you can make, but it shouldn't stop there. After beginning a relationship with Christ, we must constantly say yes to His influence, wisdom, and power in our lives. Your Sacred Yes will empower and equip you to say yes to a life of freedom, fulfillment, and significance. Say yes!"--Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv and author of From This Day Forward"Challenging us to carefully consider our sacred responsibilities, Susie Larson uses her trademark transparent stories to compel us to rest more and to make the difficult decisions that will prioritize our relationship with God. If you find yourself in the rat race of life, Your Sacred Yes will give you the courage to slow down and say yes to the right things."--Pastor Nate and Jodi Ruch, Emmanuel Christian Center"This is such a timely book for all of us. I am grateful that Susie said yes to writing these sacred truths. This book will strengthen and empower all of us to follow the voice of God with more boldness and clarity."--Brady Boyd, pastor of New Life Church and author of Addicted to Busy

In this six-session video-based small group bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), Gary Thomas uses a unique lens to look at parenting, moving beyond raising great children to becoming more holy as a person.What if one of God’s primary intentions for you as a parent isn’t about successfully raising perfect children, but about you becoming more holy? In Sacred Parenting Gary Thomas illustrates how God can transform lessons in raising children into opportunities to grow in the image of Christ.It will help you and your group, rediscover parenting from a different perspective: as a method of spiritual formation expressly designed by God to shape your soul in ways you could not imagine! This study will help you dig deeper into learning how God can transform dirty diapers, toddler tantrums, and a teenager’s silence into occasions for becoming more like Christ.Sessions include:The Soul-Transforming Journey of ParentingGod-Centered ParentingThe Hardest Hurt of AllEmbracing Our InsignificanceWalking on the Wild Side of ParentingThe Gold Behind the GuiltDesigned for use with the Sacred Parenting Video Study (sold separately).

True Christian faith is a profoundly transformational experience in which every part of our being is marked by God’s change and energized by his presence. This transformation takes us far beyond mere sin avoidance to a robust “full-bodied” holiness in which we make ourselves “holy available” to God every minute of the day. From Starbucks, to the office, to the soccer fields, to the boardroom, believers have the opportunity to carry the presence of Christ wherever they go. God offers the reader more than mere forgiveness; he wants to radically change and fill them with his presence, so they can experience an entirely different kind of life based not just on what they do or don’t do but on who they are.Yet while many Christians today profess belief, their Christianity has no pulse. Holy Available is a manifesto of fully alive faith. Gary Thomas issues a compelling call for readers to see with Christ’s eyes, feel with Christ’s heart, and serve with Christ’s hands. We make ourselves available to become “God oases,” places of spiritual refuge where God can bring the hurting and lost to enjoy his presence and ministry.

Clear, coherent and readable, the 5th edition of this internationally bestselling guide provides a roadmap for anyone undertaking a research project. Covering each stage of the process, from formulating a research question to collecting and analysing data, and finally writing up findings, this book equips students with the essential tools for success. This edition features: • Step-by-step guidance to help students navigate their research with confidence. • Case studies weaved throughout giving real-life examples of the issues and/or methods being discussed. • Practical activities and checklists to reinforce learning and ensure you stay on track. • Detailed advice for students on using new AI tools in literature review and analysis. • Updated content on the latest research methods. • New advice on ethical considerations in the use of social media and AI. Designed for students in the applied social sciences, this book aligns with assessment criteria and provides the essential support you need to complete a research project successfully.

Clear, coherent and readable, the 5th edition of this internationally bestselling guide provides a roadmap for anyone undertaking a research project. Covering each stage of the process, from formulating a research question to collecting and analysing data, and finally writing up findings, this book equips students with the essential tools for success. This edition features: • Step-by-step guidance to help students navigate their research with confidence. • Case studies weaved throughout giving real-life examples of the issues and/or methods being discussed. • Practical activities and checklists to reinforce learning and ensure you stay on track. • Detailed advice for students on using new AI tools in literature review and analysis. • Updated content on the latest research methods. • New advice on ethical considerations in the use of social media and AI. Designed for students in the applied social sciences, this book aligns with assessment criteria and provides the essential support you need to complete a research project successfully.

Do you feel restless and frustrated with the Christian life? This transformative book will help you dismantle twelve common lies Christians believe that cripple intimacy with God, enabling you to experience the rich, satisfying relationship your soul seeks.Pastor and bestselling author Gary Thomas knows from personal and pastoral experience the dissatisfaction many of us feel in our daily experience as Christians, despite our desire to grow closer to God. The key to the truly abundant new life God promises, Thomas reveals in this beautifully transparent book, starts with unlearning falsehoods we don't even know we believe.In The Life You Were Reborn to Live, Thomas helps us recognize the deceptions that keep us from the joyful, exciting life the Bible promises, and he enables us to:Give up the need for control and finally experience true restRealize the reward of committed relationships, even when they are hardSee the reality and beauty of the supernatural worldRelease the need for comfort and applauseLet go of striving for a sin-free life before heavenUnderstand how to cultivate wisdom to see what truly matters Renewing our minds will renew our lives. Discover the flourishing, joyful life you were reborn to live by dismantling strongholds of falsehood and embracing the truth that sets us free.

Do you feel restless and frustrated with the Christian life? This transformative book will help you dismantle twelve common lies Christians believe that cripple intimacy with God, enabling you to experience the rich, satisfying relationship your soul seeks.Pastor and bestselling author Gary Thomas knows from personal and pastoral experience the dissatisfaction many of us feel in our daily experience as Christians, despite our desire to grow closer to God. The key to the truly abundant new life God promises, Thomas reveals in this beautifully transparent book, starts with unlearning falsehoods we don't even know we believe.In The Life You Were Reborn to Live, Thomas helps us recognize the deceptions that keep us from the joyful, exciting life the Bible promises, and he enables us to:Give up the need for control and finally experience true restRealize the reward of committed relationships, even when they are hardSee the reality and beauty of the supernatural worldRelease the need for comfort and applauseLet go of striving for a sin-free life before heavenUnderstand how to cultivate wisdom to see what truly matters Renewing our minds will renew our lives. Discover the flourishing, joyful life you were reborn to live by dismantling strongholds of falsehood and embracing the truth that sets us free.