“Sarah Ivill has put together a wonderful study on prayer. Her unique biblical-theological approach to prayer not only reminds us how to pray but even more shows us the God of the Bible to whom we pray. This study will introduce readers to the redemptive story line of the Bible, the God who saves, and the practice of prayer. If you’re looking to deepen your prayer life, The God Who Hears will be a great tool.”
—Tom Groelsema, executive pastor, Christ Covenant Church, Matthews, North Carolina
“If we didn’t believe that God hears our prayers and that our prayers really do make a difference, why would we even bother to pray? But who is the God who hears our prayers? What moves Him? What kinds of things does He want us to talk to Him about? In this book, Sarah Ivill works her way through the story of the Bible, showing that a mark of God’s people has always been pouring out our hearts to God in prayer. Along the way, she encourages us to become people who increasingly find prayer to be a resource and refuge.”
— Nancy Guthrie, author of What Every Child Should Know about Prayer
Today many of us are drinking from broken cisterns that hold no water.
Rather than finding satisfaction in God, the Fountain of living waters, we
seek to satisfy ourselves with the broken cisterns of this world, and we
remain discontented. In Broken Cisterns, Sarah Ivill exposes these bro
-ken cisterns—addictions to things like social media, physical appearance,
shopping, sex, and others. She helps us understand why we are drawn to
these things and how dangerous it is to seek contentment in them. Using
Scripture, she also gently and practically leads us to the Fountain of living
waters, who will transform our hearts and eternally satisfy our thirst.
“Pleasure, success, reputation—they never deliver the satisfaction they
promise. That’s because God has designed us for something infinitely
better—abundant life in His Son. Ivill illuminates what tempts us to wal
-low in broken cisterns and then shows us biblically and practically how
to avoid those pitfalls and live life to the full in Christ our Savior. A terrific
read for individuals and book groups!”
-Lydia Brownback, author, Flourish Bible Study series
“We are all looking to have our hearts filled, but often we drink from the
sludgy water of broken cisterns instead of from clear, clean springs. Sarah
Ivill writes Broken Cisterns with insight into the Scriptures and women’s
hearts. You will see the mud of your heart on the pages of this book, but even
more you will see the Living Waters that can make you clean and quench
your thirst eternally. With questions to help you examine your life, Broken
Cisterns is ideal for reading and discussing with a friend.”
-Keri Folmar, author of The Good Portion: Scripture and the Delighting in
the Word Bible Study series.
Rather than finding satisfaction in God, the Fountain of living waters, we
seek to satisfy ourselves with the broken cisterns of this world, and we
remain discontented. In Broken Cisterns, Sarah Ivill exposes these bro
-ken cisterns—addictions to things like social media, physical appearance,
shopping, sex, and others. She helps us understand why we are drawn to
these things and how dangerous it is to seek contentment in them. Using
Scripture, she also gently and practically leads us to the Fountain of living
waters, who will transform our hearts and eternally satisfy our thirst.
“Pleasure, success, reputation—they never deliver the satisfaction they
promise. That’s because God has designed us for something infinitely
better—abundant life in His Son. Ivill illuminates what tempts us to wal
-low in broken cisterns and then shows us biblically and practically how
to avoid those pitfalls and live life to the full in Christ our Savior. A terrific
read for individuals and book groups!”
-Lydia Brownback, author, Flourish Bible Study series
“We are all looking to have our hearts filled, but often we drink from the
sludgy water of broken cisterns instead of from clear, clean springs. Sarah
Ivill writes Broken Cisterns with insight into the Scriptures and women’s
hearts. You will see the mud of your heart on the pages of this book, but even
more you will see the Living Waters that can make you clean and quench
your thirst eternally. With questions to help you examine your life, Broken
Cisterns is ideal for reading and discussing with a friend.”
-Keri Folmar, author of The Good Portion: Scripture and the Delighting in
the Word Bible Study series.
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Let’s admit it, we want to be beautiful and successful. But could these marks of being an empowered woman actually be idols requiring our slavish devotion? If you have struggled with this, you probably know the feeling that you will never be pretty or perfect enough. In Never Enough, Sarah Ivill discusses issues related to body image and performance as she shares about her past addiction to thinness and fitness. In the process, she confronts five common lies women of all ages fall prey to and points us back to our acceptance in Christ, where we find the true solution to our pursuit of beauty and success.
Five lies we are prone to believe:
Endorsements: “Never Enough is a rich theological book that wasn’t penned from a theological ivory tower. It was written from Sarah Ivill’s heart as a life message grounded in biblical truth. Her transparency and practical insights invite women, young and not-so-young, to dismantle the world’s deceptive definition of beauty and achievement with the power of the gospel. The author leads us straight to Jesus to embrace His truth that sets us free. As women learn to replace error with truth, the chains of spiritual bondage are crushed and Christ alone defines our worth, beauty, and significance--setting us free indeed!” --Leslie Bennett, women’s ministry initiatives and leader connection blog manager, Revive Our Hearts “After discipling and counseling countless women who have struggled with eating disorders on the college campus over the past five years, I find that this is one of the most effective books at addressing the overwhelmingly common struggle of body image for women in today's culture. Not only does Sarah Ivill speak to the issue directly but she even does the hard work of digging down to the motives of our hearts as women. This is certainly an amazing resource for women of all ages today!” --Joni Clayton, director of development, Campus Outreach Charlotte “In Never Enough Sarah Ivill shows the reader that Christ is always more than enough. With beautiful vulnerability and rich theological insight, Ivill invites her readers into her own struggles with shame, comparison, and the search for her true worth. She explains how the truth that set her free is an offer to all as she points us over and over again to the hope of the gospel and the power of Christ. I highly recommend this study!” --Courtney Doctor, coordinator of women’s training and content, The Gospel Coalition; speaker, Bible teacher, and author of From Garden to Glory: A Bible Study on the Bible’s Story “God faithfully challenges and encourages me when I read Sarah Ivill’s writing. He challenges me through her scriptural depth and the beautiful way she applies God’s truth to the ‘real stuff’ of life, like body envy, ministry discontentment, or success comparison. And God encourages me through Sarah’s ability to unpack His trustworthy promises of love, sovereignty, and provision into the areas of life in which we each need consistent reorientation to ‘bounce our eyes’ back to Jesus Christ. Never Enough is a wonderful gem for all who struggle to believe that they are precious in God’s sight.” --Ellen Mary Dykas, women’s ministry coordinator, Harvest USA “What a beautiful narrative of grace and redemption! Sarah's story is unique to her, but her testimony of God’s unchanging faithfulness will minister to every woman who reads this book. Sarah shows us how to apply biblical truth to our struggles with these sinful addictions and magnifies the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work on the cross on our behalf.” --Gloria Furman, author of Labor with Hope: Gospel Meditations on Pregnancy, Birth, and Motherhood “Sarah opens her heart and shares her story, and she opens the Word and helps us think biblically about addictions. This is a valuable resource for those struggling with any addiction, those who love them, and those who disciple girls and women. It is really for every woman who wants to know the Truth that sets us free.” --Susan Hunt, former PCA coordinator for women’s ministry “Sarah’s vulnerability draws us into the journey of her painful trial. She invites us to join her in finding hope, healing, and comfort as she takes us from the sting of shame to Jesus singing over her in triumph. ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God’ (2 Cor. 1:3–4).” --Bernie and Pat Lawrence, senior associate pastor and wife, Christ Covenant Church “Never Enough contains wonderful biblical wisdom in a voice we would love for our daughters and granddaughters to hear. Sarah clearly and compassionately understands the body-image and approval struggles women go through (especially when they are younger) and points them to how they can find their significance, beauty, and perfection in Christ. We love how she weaves in the stories of women in the Bible and her own story as she addresses these issues so effectively. Our favorite summary is ‘Christ frees us from the slavery to girl power so that we can be servants filled with His power.’” --Jim and Caroline Newheiser, biblical counselors, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte "We live in a culture that values beauty and success. We are bombarded with images, advertisements, and messages telling us if we don't measure up, we are not valuable. So many young girls and women find themselves searching for value and worth in how they look or in what they achieve. Sarah Ivill's book shines a light on the lies we believe, pointing us to our true identity in Christ. Through stories of her own struggles, Sarah shows us where our hope and freedom are found: in who Christ is for us. Never Enough is gospel-centered, Christ exalting, and rich in hope." -- Christina Fox, writer, speaker, author of several books, including Idols of a Mother's Heart and Sufficient Hope: Gospel Meditations and Prayers for Moms. |
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Today, many of us have lost our appreciation of the beauty of covenant theology and covenant community, and this has had dire consequences for us, resulting in misunderstandings of theology and individualism and isolationism in the church. Author Sarah Ivill believes that a key solution to this problem is a robust understanding of covenant theology, which will deepen our knowledge of Scripture and enable us to truly serve our sisters by pointing them to Christ. In The Covenantal Life, the author clearly and concisely sets forth the beauty of covenant theology and covenant community and encourages us to learn sound doctrine so that we can think biblically about the circumstances in our lives—and then help our sisters in Christ to do so as well.
Endorsements: “In The Covenantal Life, Sarah Ivill again provides a gift to build up the body of Christ. She weaves together solid Bible study, biblical history, and sound doctrine. Her intent is to provide the reader with a clear picture of the big story of Scripture and the implications of that story for the lives of professing believers. Sarah provides more than just information to stimulate your thinking; she challenges readers to live out the doctrine of Scripture in a way that demonstrates the genuine community found in the body of Christ. This book would be valuable to any group or church that desires to build a community of love on a solid biblical foundation.” --Stephen Estock, Coordinator, PCA Discipleship Ministries “The Covenantal Life adorns the multifaceted splendor of covenant theology and covenant life. This resource is designed to help women think biblically and live covenantally. I heartily recommend this covenant primer because it makes these doctrines accessible and easily transferable.” --Karen Hodge, Women’s Ministry Coordinator for the PCA and author of Transformed: Life-Taker to Life-Giver “I’m staring at my office bookshelves and noticing that I do not have one book about covenant theology written by a woman. Leave it to Sarah Ivill to be the first to write one. Sarah’s The Covenantal Life is clear and compelling, and it reignited my love for the beauty of Christ seen in covenant theology. Not only does it give us a thorough understanding of covenant theology but even more, it gives us a practical look at how this truth works itself out at the street level of our lives. This is required reading for all women leading a Bible study or small group who long to see Christ in all of the Bible as they disciple others.” —Kari Stainback, Director of Women’s Ministries, Park Cities Presbyterian Church “Covenant theology and covenant community are inseparable. Our theology explains who God is, who we are, and why we do what we do; and our communal life demonstrates in live action what we believe. There is a beautiful unity that flows from theology to life, and that’s because God is the progenitor of both. As Christians, we show the world that we love because He first loved us. Sarah Ivill puts it all together for us in this accessible study. Thank you, Sarah. If you are a Bible teacher in your church, if you want to be grounded in the truth, if you want to train others to know and love and teach the Bible, then you will be grateful to Sarah for providing in this book the foundation for understanding the connecting threads of the theology of the Bible and biblical living that flows from it. In this volume she rightly joins theology and life to show the undeniable truth that how we think determines how we act.” —Donna Dobbs, Director of Christian Education, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi |
