We’ve all been there. Rock bottom. The end of our rope. The last straw. During hard times, it often seems like the only option is to throw in the towel. In Hope for Hard Times, author Magrey deVega examines the lives of the great biblical prophets Elijah and Elisha and reveals a consistent message in their stories: Don’t give up, and don’t lose hope. Trust that God will help you find a way. When you look closely at the accounts of Elijah and Elisha from 1 Kings 17 to 2 Kings 8, you will find amazing stories of God’s provision. God provides for Elijah, as he faces down opposition in a mountaintop showdown and when he feels alone and ready to give up while hiding in a cave listening for God’s still, small voice. God provides for Elisha, when he brings healing to Naaman and when he is surrounded by enemies and praying for spiritual eyes to be opened to hope. There is hope for you in hard times. Your story of hurt, heartache, and hopelessness has been heard, and God has a message for you. Read these stories, pray through them, and listen as you receive encouragement and guidance for whatever you are facing today. Open your eyes, and open your hands. For just like ravens at the Brook Cherith, God is with you, giving you everything you need. Components for this 4-session study will include a book, leader guide, and four streaming videos available online featuring Magrey outlining each topic in an accessible and engaging way. Sessions Include: When the Odds Seem Against You (1 Kings 17 and 18) When You Feel Down and Out (1 Kings 18-21) When Life Takes a Turn (2 Kings 2) When All Seems Lost (2 Kings 4-8)

Of the many recipients of federal support during the Great Depression, the citizens of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, stand out as model reminders of the vital importance of New Deal programs. Hoping to transform their desperate situation, the 250 families of this western Pennsylvania town worked with the federal government to envision a new kind of community that would raise standards of living through a cooperative lifestyle and enhanced civic engagement. Their efforts won them a nearly mythic status among those familiar with Norvelt’s history. Hope in Hard Times explores the many transitions faced by those who undertook this experiment. With the aid of the New Deal, these residents, who hailed from the hardworking and underserved class that Jacob Riis had called the “other half” a generation earlier, created a middle-class community that would become an exemplar of the success of such programs. Despite this, many current residents of Norvelt—the children and grandchildren of the first inhabitants—oppose government intervention and support political candidates who advocate scrutinizing and even eliminating public programs. Authors Timothy Kelly, Margaret Power, and Michael Cary examine this still-unfolding narrative of transformation in one Pennsylvania town, and the struggles and successes of its original residents, against the backdrop of one of the most ambitious federal endeavors in U.S. history.

America’s most inspirational voices, in their own words: “If you’re looking for a reason to act and dream again, you’ll find it in the pages of this book” (Chicago Tribune). Published when Studs Terkel was ninety-one years old, this astonishing oral history tackles one of the famed journalist’s most elusive subjects: Hope. Where does it come from? What are its essential qualities? How do we sustain it in the darkest of times? An alternative, more personal chronicle of the “American century,” Hope Dies Last is a testament to the indefatigable spirit that Studs has always embodied, and an inheritance for those who, by taking a stand, are making concrete the dreams of today. A former death row inmate who served nearly twenty years for a crime he did not commit discusses his never-ending fight for justice. Tom Hayden, author of The Port Huron Statement, contemplates the legacy of 1960s student activism. Liberal economist John Kenneth Galbraith reflects on the enduring problem of corporate malfeasance. From a doctor who teaches his young students compassion to the retired brigadier general who flew the Enola Gay over Hiroshima, these interviews tell us much about the power of the American dream and the force of individuals who advocate for a better world. With grace and warmth, Terkel’s subjects express their secret hopes and dreams. Taken together, this collection of interviews tells an inspiring story of optimism and persistence, told in voices that resonate with the eloquence of conviction. “The value of Hope Dies Last lies not in what it teaches readers about its narrow subject, but in the fascinating stories it reveals, and the insight it allows into the vast range of human experience.” —The A.V. Club “Very Terkelesque—by now the man requires an adjective of his own.” —Margaret Atwood, The New York Times Review of Books “An American treasure.” —Cornel West

Fear Worry Stress These emotions can overwhelm and consume us. They fill our minds with unanswerable questions. What will I lose…my health? my family? my job? my home? Will our lives ever be normal again? What is “normal”? We live in a sin-sick world. Catastrophes surround us, but we can surrender our fears to Jesus. He is the answer to overwhelming fears that consume our energy, rob our joy, and ruin our health. Fear is an emotion. Faith is an attitude, and focus is a choice. Fear must give way to faith as we adjust our focus. If our eyes are focused on the problem, fear will overcome us. If our eyes are fixed upon Jesus, the emotion of fear may still be present, but it will not cripple us. Fear will no longer dominate our lives. Discover with Pastor Mark Finley as he shows us that we have One who is larger than our fears, bigger than our worries, and greater than our anxieties by our side, and He has practical, down-to-earth, real solutions to our problems. We have the assurance of the One who said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

In hard times, it is easy to feel as if there is no hope. But Christ's work on the cross gives reason for hope even in the darkest of times.

Life is hard. And there are all sorts of pitfalls along the way. Nowhere do we find a more overwhelming chronicle of hard times than in the Bible itself. The Old Testament is a long record of the disappointments and disasters that came upon the people of Israel. Within every Scripture story of God's discipline, we find God's unceasing redemption. Within every story of man's stubbornness or selfishness that leads to strife, we find God's loving grace that leads us back to safety. God doesn't just take pity on us; he empowers us. But only when we cease to rely on our own strength can we discover that God's strength is always there for us. Theologian and TV host Scott Hahn shows us how we can use the Bible to deal with hard times, to get over hard times, and yes, even to rejoice in hard times.

Start Your Day in the Very Best Way Discover more joy, peace, and purpose every morning as you listen to the voice of the One who delights in you! In Coffee for Your Heart, bestselling author Holley Gerth shares 40 encouraging and powerful reminders of how God sees you as His beloved daughter. You are... wonderfully made chosen irreplaceable strong never alone ...and so much more! This noisy world can make it hard to hear the assurances of God. Let His voice be the loudest one in your life as He stirs up your hope and confidence each new day. "Take a deep breath, grab a cup of something cozy, and let God's love fill your heart with whatever you need most today." —Holley Previously published as God's Heart for You.