Master cake artist and a man of profound faith, Jack Phillips found himself in the middle of one of the highest-profile religious freedom cases of the century. In July 2012, two men came to Jack Phillips's shop requesting a custom wedding cake celebrating their same-sex marriage. In a brief exchange, Jack politely declined the request, explaining that he could not design cakes for same-sex weddings but offered to design cakes for other occasions and to sell them anything else in his shop. Little did Jack know that his quiet stand for his Christian convictions about marriage would become a battle for the right of all Americans to live out their faith. Now, Jack Phillips shares his harrowing experience for the first time in this powerful new memoir. The Cost of My Faith is Jack’s firsthand account from the frontlines of the battle with a culture that is making every effort to remove God from the public square and a government denying Bible-believing Christians the right to freely exercise their religious beliefs. Despite a Supreme Court victory in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the fight to protect the right of Americans to freely exercise their beliefs is more critical than ever. The Cost of My Faith provides new insight into the case that shook the country and offers readers courage and inspiration to stand and live out their faith when facing their own battles.

Why Not Just Make the Cake? That’s a question countless people across the country started asking in 2012, when Jack Phillips told two men who walked into his Masterpiece Cakeshop that he couldn’t create a custom cake for their same-sex wedding. And the question only grew more urgent as Phillips had to defend himself first before the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and then numerous courts—losing at every step of the way until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor in June 2018. Why not just make the cake? Submitting would have been less frightening than facing relentless harassment and death threats. It would have been less costly than losing a major portion of his business when the state demanded that he design cakes for same-sex weddings or none at all. And it would have been easier than a decade of fighting for his rights—and his livelihood—in court, a fight he has been forced to continue even after his victory at the Supreme Court. But for Jack Phillips, there are deeper principles at stake—principles too precious to abandon for the sake of convenience and safety. These principles should be of concern to every American, including Jack’s adversaries. If the freedoms Jack has sought to protect are lost, they may never be regained. Why not just make the cake? In this inspiring book, Jack answers that question in his own words, hoping his story will inspire and strengthen the many who will encounter challenges, however fearsome, to living out their faith.

In a world of spiritual options, people constantly tell us what to believe. Yet, while we hear these pleas, we're already functioning with existing beliefs—even if they are beliefs by default. So how do we choose what to believe—especially in the area of faith? Do we need to choose? In Choosing Your Faith, Mark Mittelberg encourages us, as Socrates does, not to lead an unexamined life. He invites us to examine why we believe what we believe. This examination will resonate with Christians and seekers alike.

In this powerful and personal reflection, a New York Times bestseller, President Jimmy Carter contemplates how faith has sustained him in happiness and disappointment and considers how we may find it in our own lives. All his life, President Jimmy Carter has been a courageous exemplar of faith. Now he shares the lessons he learned. He writes, “The issue of faith arises in almost every area of human existence, so it is important to understand its multiple meanings. In this book, my primary goal is to explore the broader meaning of faith, its far-reaching effect on our lives, and its relationship to past, present, and future events in America and around the world. The religious aspects of faith are also covered, since this is how the word is most often used, and I have included a description of the ways my faith has guided and sustained me, as well as how it has challenged and driven me to seek a closer and better relationship with people and with God.” Quoting eminent Protestant theologians, in Faith President Carter describes his belief in religious freedom, moral politics, and the place of prayer in his daily life. He examines faith’s many meanings, he describes how to accept it, live it, how to doubt and find faith again. This is a serious and moving reflection from one of America’s most admired and respected citizens.

WHAT IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... BUT WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO LIVES LIKE THAT? DO YOU? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment -- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring. (From the 2010 edition)"

In a world where we tend to be over-cautious about, well, nearly everything, it's no surprise that our obsession with safety can carry over to how we live our faith in the world. But it's always been risky to follow God, and Kevin Harney believes we are missing a vital part of our faith when we play it safe. In this energizing book, he challenges readers to count the cost, take a chance, and live a reckless faith for the entire world to see. With a focus on "responsible recklessness," Harney shows readers how to develop a faith that others notice, always supported by prayer, wisdom, the direction of Scripture, and insightful counsel from other believers. He outlines how to be reckless in our love, generosity, service, relationships, prayers, and speech. Perfect for pastors, small groups, or anyone who is tired of feeling domesticated and docile, this book will lead readers into a fresh devotion and dynamism in their faith.

Receiving a sealed bottle with a years-old plea for help by two young victims imprisoned in a boathouse by the sea, Detective Carl Morck follows leads to a desperate woman trapped in a brutal marriage to a man who keeps her in isolation and hides deadly secrets.