Joe Rigney

The world is full of good things. The Christian life is a journey in holiness: from one degree of glory to the next. But for too long there has been an unstated belief that as Christians grow in holiness, the things of earth will, as the hymn says, grow strangely dim. But Dr. Joe Rigney sees it differently. As the poet once said, The world is charged with the grandeur of God. The smile of a wife. Baseball in October. The Sawtooth Mountain Range. Toddlers' laughing. Meatballs in spaghetti. A very good whiskey. What are Christians to make of these earthly pleasures? In this book, Rigney offers relief to Christians wrongly burdened by anxious guilt that they might enjoy their stuff too much. There is another way besides Idolatry and Ingratitude. This book will instill a rich gratitude to the Father of Lights, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Featuring a foreword by John Piper.

Drink your wine with a merry heart. The Spiritual disciplines are crucial for Christians to grow in their faith: prayer, fasting, worship, and service. But one spiritual discipline you will not hear from many pulpits is the practice of delighting in God's good gifts. Pumpkin crunch cake. A really big tree. Johnny Cash. Baseball in October. Summer rain. In this short book, Joe Rigney offers a biblical vision that bypasses both ingratitude and idolatry and instead enjoys God in everything and enjoys everything in God. As we fix our eyes upon the Father of lights, the Giver of every good and perfect gift, we will notice that the things of earth grow strangely bright. This edition featuring a new foreword by Douglas Wilson.

Exploring Courage in Light of the Gospel Throughout Scripture, important biblical figures have faced numerous adversities with remarkable courage. In the New Testament, the apostles endured persecution, imprisonment, and even death for spreading the good news of the gospel. Yet, amid their struggle, they continued to expand the kingdom of God—even rejoicing as they suffered for Christ. How can believers exhibit this same courage today? In Courage, author Joe Rigney explores the Christian virtue of fortitude and its connection to the gospel. From a theological perspective, Rigney argues that courage—used in the proper context—is a sign of God’s salvation and a believer’s faith in Christ. In this concise and practical book, readers will defeat feelings of anxiety, anger, and fear as they gain boldness from God to endure all of life’s circumstances. Explores Christian Fortitude: How the gospel shapes this important Christian virtue Practical Study: This concise guide encourages Christians to build up their boldness through Christ A Part of the Growing Gospel Integrity Series: Created in partnership with Union School of Theology Written by Joe Rigney: Author of The Things of Earth; Strangely Bright; and More Than a Battle: How to Experience Victory, Freedom, and Healing from Lust.

It has never been more difficult to flee sexual immorality and pursue holiness. We live in an age of unprecedented access to sexual temptation. Previous generations faced adultery, prostitution, and brothels. But not every person had a brothel in their pocket. Our society's obsession with sex, coupled with the technologies that make pornography so accessible, make it more challenging than it's ever been. The result is that our families, our churches, and our society are being devastated by a pornography epidemic. In More than a Battle, pastor and author Joe Rigney offers hope for Christian men who are seeking to live with integrity and faithfulness in the face of the sexual temptation around them. Drawing on the Scriptures, his personal experience, and his pastoral counseling, Rigney frames the struggle with lust beneath the banner of Galatians 5:16: "Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." The struggle with lust is a fierce battle, an enslaving addiction, and a deep brokenness. Rigney shows us that through the gospel it is the Holy Spirit that gives us victory, sets us free, and heals our wounds.

How do Christians enjoy the good things of the earth while still enjoying the Creator? Scripture supports the wholehearted enjoyment of both. Here is a book for Christians struggling to enjoy the things of earth for the glory of God.

C. S. Lewis excelled at plumbing the depths of the human heart, both the good and the bad, the beautiful and the corrupt. From science fiction and fantasy to essays, letters, and works of apologetics, Lewis has offered a wealth of insight into how to live the Christian life. In this book, Rigney explores the center of Lewis’s vision for the Christian life—the personal encounter between the human self and the living God. In prayer, in the church, in the imagination, in our natural loves, in our pleasures and our sorrows, God brings us into his presence so that we can become fully human: alive, free, and whole, transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.

Helping readers walk the line between idolatry and ingratitude, this book emphasizes our responsibility to glorify God by joyfully embracing his good gifts without letting them become worldly distractions that steal our affection.