Mark Matlock – författare

Can psychics really see our futures? Do angels really float among us on earth? What about demons? And could the supernatural things that happen on TV and in the movies really occur? Using Barna research and biblical truths, Mark Matlock separates the truths from the lies we are told and helps teens like you avoid the traps that can lead to deception.We all know demogorgons aren’t real, and that evil dolls can’t come to life … but are there elements of the paranormal that are really around us on earth? And if so, what does that mean? In Don’t Buy the Lie, Mark Matlock uses the knowledge he’s gained in his role as a special project analyst and presenter for the Barna Group to present clear principles and intriguing examples that show you how to respond to the supernatural with wisdom, and without being duped. He identifies “thinking traps” that lead to deception, such as letting your emotions take over and convincing yourself something could be real until it seemingly is. And with clarity, he provides biblical answers to frequently asked questions about such things as miracles, angels, demons, and psychic abilities.Don’t Buy the Lie:looks at both the spiritual and “secular” sides of the supernatural to show what is real and what is falsehelps develop discernment when it comes to things you might encountercompares the supernatural claims in our world today with what was happening in the early church to present a biblical perspectivecontains real research and feedback from teens on each topic

Money. Fame. Relationships. Knowledge. Having all these things—or even one—would make you happy, right? Well, maybe for a second. At least that’s what King Solomon learned—and he tried all those things on a HUGE scale and still wasn’t content. In fact, chasing those ideas and getting what he wanted actually made him more depressed. So what are we supposed to do if the wisest man in history couldn’t make those things work? Thankfully, Solomon left us a whole book of his trials and errors. Maybe you’ve looked at other people’s lives and thought, “If only I had that, my life would be perfect.” The problem is, those same people are asking the same question when they come across someone else. Even the wisest man in the world, Solomon, struggled with it. In Living a Life that Matters, author and “wisdom expert” Mark Matlock unpacks Solomon’s big “If only” questions on happiness in the book of Ecclesiastes to connect his timeless questions to yours, and explores what really makes a perfect life. Living a Life That Matters lets you gaze over Solomon’s shoulder as he indulges every pleasure, exercises every power, and emerges with a radical conclusion about how to live. You’ll also find ways that his search for meaning connects with yours today and how your story can connect with your friends’ as they seek meaning in the world.Living a Life that Matters:makes the book of Ecclesiastes relevant to teens’ lives—and also easy to understandcontains contemporary examples from pop culture and everyday lifeexplores what it means to live in the world today, as well as the real issue of depression and its effects

In the Wisdom On … series, you’ll find case studies, personal inventories, interactive activities, and helpful insights from the book of Proverbs, which will show you what wise living looks like. Wisdom On … Friends, Dating, and Relationships shows how wisdom plays a part in nearly every decision we make. In this book students will learn how to gain more wisdom and apply it to every aspect of their relationships—from being a good friend to dating relationships to handling conflict. They’ll find the stories and lessons in this book will help them become wise in their relationships. Wisdom On … Making Good Decisions examines how teens get to make a lot of decisions in their lives— even decisions that can have a big impact on their future. There’s no “magic” formula to getting it right. Making good decisions takes wisdom, and in this book students will learn how to gain more wisdom and put it to use in the choices they make.

From being a good friend to dating relationships to handling conflicts in your everyday life, Wisdom On … Friends, Dating, and Relationships combines the insights of Proverbs with real-life examples and experiences within short, quick chapters that make it easy to apply wisdom to every decision you make.Relationships are a huge part of your life—and when they go wrong for whatever reason, it can be heart wrenching. In this addition to the Wisdom On … series, author Mark Matlock mixes stories based on his own experiences with breakdowns of the book of Proverbs to help you keep your friendships and dating relationships healthy, as well as better interact with your family and the people you see every day. While there is no magic formula, the short chapters on making and keeping friends, the friendships to value, tips on what to look out for in friends and potential romantic partners—as well as interactive activities and personal inventories to help you apply each chapter directly to your life—give you tools to avoid unnecessary conflicts and become wise in managing each relationship you have.Wisdom On … Friends, Dating, and Relationships:is a great resource for youth groups and small group study, as well as individual useprovides advice and time-tested insights that teens can use their entire liveslooks at broader topics like loneliness, sex, what to do when friendships change, and how we can be perceived by othersis part of a wider Wisdom On … series that includes books on making good decisions, getting along with parents, growing in Christ, and managing time and money

Wisdom On…Getting Along with Parents can help you understand both sides a little better and improve your relationship. This book is about giving you insight and understanding into the dynamics of your relationship with your parents, and helping you learn to use wisdom when you interact with them. You’ll walk away from this book with a whole new perspective on the relationship you have with your parents, and how to have an even better one.

God created us to be creative, expressive people. That’s what so many people love about music, movies, and television—the chance to experience something creative or original. These things tell a story, and we love to feel like we’re part of the story. But not everything out there is good to listen to or watch… It takes wisdom to know what to fill your mind with. This book won’t tell you what you should not listen to or watch. Instead, this book is filled with principles to help you gain the wisdom needed to help you make wise choices about what you choose to be entertained by. In Wisdom On…Music, Movies & Television, you’ll:• Explore the reasons you watch, read, and listen• Discover the importance of creativity in God’s plan for us• Understand more about Christianity and the media• Develop a worldview to help you make wise decisionsAfter you read this book, you’ll have a better understanding of why you watch and listen to the things you do, and you’ll be able to discern what is best for your own heart and soul.

Inside Wisdom On…Growing in Christ, you’ll find biblical principles and practical tips to help you grow in your relationship with Christ. You’ll even be challenged to think about what it means to be a godly person, even if you decide to be something other than a missionary or a pastor when you grow up. You’ll discover how wisdom can not only help keep your faith alive, but help it grow.

"Christian families today often find themselves stuck between two stories—their own family’s story and God’s story. It’s like they’re living two lives: their Christian life and their “real world” life. The trick is figuring out how to get your family’s story to line up with God’s story in the world around us, helping you raise children who have the character, values, and mission that allows them to go out into the real world and live out a real faith. Real World Parents is a parenting book that helps you to be proactive, rather than reactive, when it comes to raising Christian kids in a world that is filled with contradictions to a life of faith. Rather than trying to raise kids who are “good Christians,” you’ll find the tools to help you live out a faith that allows your children to see what it means to live as a Christian. As a result, your kids will learn about real faith by living it out with you. Culture expert and veteran youth pastor, Mark Matlock, will help you explore issues such as: • Helping your child make decisions • The importance of failure • Knowing God’s story for your family • Changing the story your family is in • The pursuit of wisdom, and much more God has placed us here to interact with and represent him to the world by engaging with the culture—not retreating from it. Rather than trying to isolate your children from the world or draw lines that keep them from truly engaging in the world God calls us to help and heal, you can learn how to lead your family towards an integrated life where your story and God’s story come together to make a difference in the world around you."

Culture expert and veteran youth pastor Mark Matlock will teach you to line your family’s story up with God’s story in the world around you, helping you raise wise children who have the character, values, and mission that allows them to go out into the real world and live out a real faith. Raising Wise Children explores such issues as: • Helping your child make decisions • The importance of failure • Knowing God’s story for your family • Changing the story your family is in • The pursuit of wisdom, and much more God has placed us here to interact with and represent him to the world by engaging with the culture—not retreating from it. Rather than trying to isolate your children from the world or draw lines that keep them from truly engaging with what God has called us to help and heal, you can learn how to lead your family towards an integrated life where your story and God’s story come together to make a difference in the world around you.

You know you should be more than just housemates with your kids, but as their lives become as busy as yours, that feeling of belonging together can fade.How do you maintain close bonds with your kids? What can you do if you sense that your kids are pulling away in an unhealthy manner? And what can you, as a family, actually do together that will be more meaningful than staring at screens in the same room?With practical advice on how to deepen and expand your most important human connections, Ideas for Parents will lead you in ways to develop and nourish the spiritual appetite of your family.From rebuilding the heart connection with your child to giving the gift of your attention to learning the importance of saying “I’m sorry,” here is wise counsel, quick tips, and a Christian perspective on how to deal with a host of parenting concerns.

Like most of the rest of us, Christian students tend to set the bar too low for themselves, especially when it comes to actively following Jesus.This six-week Bible study curriculum (DVD sold separately) will challenge students to accept the mission to live like Jesus now, not later, by telling the stories of adolescents from the Bible and in modern life who did -- and are doing -- significant and amazing things in the world and for the God who saves. In a society where cultural adolescence is lingering into the 30s, its no wonder Christian students often fail to confront the call to act meaningfully on their faith in Christ.It’s easy to package that commitment with big ideas like picking a college, a spouse, and a career -- and then to never quite get around to it. God, however, posts no minimum age on discipleship, and his book contains several examples of younger people both willing and able -- in his power -- to do extraordinarily difficult and necessary things with their lives for him. Why Not Now? will mine stories from the young lives of Miriam, Joseph, David, Solomon, Daniel, and Mary to find why and how they said yes to God before they would have been old enough to rent a car in our modern society. All six of these people believed God could use their lives to do something that mattered. What is holding us back?To bolster the argument and generate interest in the books, Why Not Now? will also seek contributions from living examples of people who are doing or have done things we just don’t expect students to do these days. Abby Sunderland, for instance, generated worldwide controversy for attempting to sail around the world solo simply because she was 16 at the time. How dare she? How cold her parents allow that? Another 16-year-old, cheerleader Kealey Oliver, recently made news for courageously tackling a shoplifter at the local mall rather that letting him escape. She saw it as her responsibility to stand for justice. And 17-year-old Steven Ortiz made headlines by demonstrating the practical wisdom of bartering his way from an old cell phone to a convertible Porsche. Why Not Now? will use stories like theirs -- and those from Scripture -- to equip youth leaders to challenge students to use their unique gifts, skills, and opportunities right now to do bigger things with their lives for God’s glory.The curriculum will include teaching outlines, commentary, group activities, discussion questions, and engaging assignments that will help students to catch the vision for imagining how much they might be capable of. Right now. The daily devotional (sold separately) will offer a similar challenge directly from the pages of the Bible using brief and provocative commentary, directed prayers, questions for reflection, and brief exercises designed to help students quickly put into practice what they’re learning from Scripture.Designed for use with the Why Not Now? Video Study (sold separately).

It may surprise you to know that the majority of non-Christians are not hostile to the faith or looking for a fight. In fact, most are open and even curious about spiritual matters. Yet evangelism training and apologetic resources are often geared toward knowing what to say to hardcore atheists and evolutionists, who make up less than 10 percent of the unchurched population.If you're ready to have respectful and fruitful spiritual conversations with your spiritually curious friends, neighbors, and family members, Mark Matlock offers this research-based approach. He shows you how to· create a church culture that is open to spiritual exploration and discovery· help foster meaningful connections to Jesus and his Church· start spiritual conversations and break through common communication barriers· bridge the gap between traditional Christianity and the modern spiritual climate· and much more

Screens disciple.The lighted rectangles in our pockets--smartphones and their bigger siblings, tablets and computers--have redefined so much about our lives, including spirituality and the pursuit of God. The ubiquity and power of the interconnected, digital age is affecting how we shape our souls. In other words, screens disciple. In a world where always-connected smart devices and search algorithms educate and entertain, digital Babylon is the new context for discipleship. That means we are all exiles now.This practical and thought-provoking book reveals findings from a groundbreaking three-year research study. Barna president David Kinnaman teams up with former executive director of Youth Specialties Mark Matlock to help you ● make sense of chaotic cultural changes and respond with compassion to the next generation of believers● recognize the biblical concept of exile as an essential framework for following Christ today● discover five research-based practices that cultivate faithfulness in digital Babylon● prepare young Christians to be on mission with Jesus in the world● empower Jesus followers of all ages to thrive in our current exileJust as Scripture says, we can remain confident that God has a bigger picture in mind for those in exile. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'"