Matt Mikalatos – författare

In the earliest days of the Christian church, the gospel spread out from Jerusalem in a burst of incredible stories. A man who could calm a stormy sea with a word, who healed the lame and the blind, who raised the ire of the religious leaders, and who even raised people from the dead. Compare this organic, even entertaining, method of spreading the Good News to how we are often encouraged to evangelize today, with clever arguments and our defenses already up in anticipation of rebuttal. Somewhere along the way, we've lost the plot to the greatest story ever told.Now Matt Mikalatos invites us back into God's story, both to find our place in it and to rediscover the wonder that the apostles saw in their listeners as they told the story of Jesus, the Messiah they knew personally and loved fiercely. As they lose themselves in modern retellings of the events of the book of Acts, readers will find that sharing the story is easier and more rewarding than they ever imagined.

What does a transformed life actually look like? In his follow-up to the critically acclaimed Imaginary Jesus, Matt Mikalatos tackles this question in an entertaining and thought-provoking way—with MONSTERS!!! While Christians claim to experience Christ’s resurrection power, we sometimes act like werewolves who can’t control our base desires. Or zombies, experiencing a resurrection that is 90 percent shambling death and 10 percent life. Or vampires, satiating ourselves at the expense of others. But through it all we long to stop being monsters and become truly human—the way Christ intended. We just can’t seem to figure out how.Night of the Living Dead Christian is the story of Luther, a werewolf on the run, whose inner beast has driven him dangerously close to losing everything that matters. Desperate to conquer his dark side, Luther joins forces with Matt to find someone who can help. Yet their time is running out. A powerful and mysterious man is on their trail, determined to kill the wolf at all costs . . .By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Night of the Living Dead Christian is a spiritual allegory that boldly explores the monstrous underpinnings of our nature and tackles head-on the question of how we can ever hope to become truly transformed.

Matt Mikalatos liked Jesus a lot. In fact, he couldn’t believe how much they had in common. They shared the same likes, dislikes, beliefs, and opinions. (Though Jesus did have better hair.) So imagine Matt’s astonishment when he finds out that the guy he knows as Jesus . . . isn’t. He’s an Imaginary Jesus: a comfortable, convenient imitation Matt has created in his own image. The real Jesus is still out there somewhere . . . and Matt is determined to find him.In this hilarious, fast-paced, sort-of-true story hailed as “Monty Python meets C. S. Lewis,” Matt embarks on an incredible chase to find the real Jesus and ask him the one question that his Imaginary Jesus has never been able to answer. It’s a wild spiritual adventure like nothing you’ve ever read before . . . and it might bring you face-to-face with an imposter in your own life. This new edition now contains a discussion guide, an interview with the author, and other bonus features! (Previously published as Imaginary Jesus.)

A compassionate memoir about a father’s relationship with his children, the healing power of a small act of kindness, and the proof that love is everlasting.Love you, Dad. Miss you so much. Steph. A brokenhearted daughter scribbled those words on a sky lantern before sending it off to her father in heaven who had passed away. Halfway across the country, Steph’s lantern landed in Matt Mikalatos’s yard. As a father of three daughters, Matt could not let that heart-wrenching note unanswered, so he posted an open letter to her on his blog, which went viral overnight. Little did he know how that small act of kindness would lead him to the real Steph and change his family’s life in remarkable ways. A poignant and lyrical account of the beauty and wonder found in domestic life, Sky Lantern shows how the miraculous events that followed Matt finding the sky lantern in his yard—and the widespread and lasting impact his letter had—prove that the bond between a parent and their child can last forever.

Learn to pray with Patrick of Ireland—and to find your story in his ownOne of Ireland’s most beloved figures, St. Patrick was a man who lived a life soaked in prayer. A risk-taker in the service of others—particularly women, slaves, and the poor—Patrick spent years enslaved, in which he found himself praying all the time—praying for freedom, for a warm place to sleep, or to return home. He never stopped. It was something he did with great intentionality, but also in the breath between one task and the next.Praying with Patrick takes us on a journey through Patrick''s life, allowing us to pray alongside him using his story and his actual prayers to deepen and enrich our own prayer lives. Each reading features a quote from Patrick, a scripture, a devotion, and a prayer such as:A Prayer for Times of TroubleA Prayer for When We Feel HelplessA Prayer for HopeA Prayer for FreedomA Prayer for When You Don’t Fit InA Prayer for the Presence of ChristA Prayer for God’s SalvationA Prayer in Times of GriefA perfect gift for anyone who is fascinated by Ireland, the heroes of the faith, or prayer, Praying with Patrick will draw you deeper into conversation with a God who cares deeply about you and your needs, concerns, and worries. Just as Patrick experienced God’s presence in the rugged wilds of Ireland, may you experience God’s presence in a powerful and vibrant way.

In the third and final installment in the Sunlit Lands series, the magic of the Sunlit Lands has been reset, but that doesn’t mean all is well. Unrest and discord are growing by the day, and Hanali is positioning himself as ruler of the Sunlit Lands. But, in order for Hanali to seize control, there must be a sacrifice, one that very few are willing to make. Jason, Shula, Baileya, and others must work together to save the lives of those Hanali would sacrifice for his own gain.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year-but how much do you know about the real story behind Saint Nicholas?We love Christmas. Not only because of the carefully wrapped presents and the twinkling lights, the loving family, the holiday parties, the singing. We love Christmas because we're hungry for miracles.For Christmas this year, discover the history as well as the origins of the myths and the legends of Saint Nicholas-a man who was hungry for miracles too. Nicholas made children feel seen, and he let them know they were loved. He paid attention to the people around him and asked how he could help. If they needed money, or a protector, or a prayer, Nicholas provided it for them as a servant of God. He showed them the miraculous love of the Father.In Praying with Saint Nicholas, you'll find twenty-five devotions with readings sharing a glimpse into Nicholas's life and prayers for insights that will bring us more deeply into the Advent season and help us be transformed to see the world through God's eyes, just as Nicholas worked to do. Prayers include:A Prayer for Light in Times of DarknessA Prayer for the Children of the WorldA Prayer to Be a BlessingA Prayer for God's PresenceA Prayer for Peace on Earth and Goodwill Toward All PeopleMay the Lord bring us more people like Nicholas. May God teach us to be those people.

In the Sunlit Lands, teenagers fight in a magic war against a terrible enemy. But once a year all such things are set aside for a Christmas celebration, with kids from around the world sharing their traditions, their stories, and their memories of home. Join Madeline Oliver, Jason Wu, and Shula Bishara as each one shares their own moving Christmas tale.A standalone story set in the world of The Sunlit Lands.

A cursed city.A hidden enemy.An ancient wrong.Bumbling goofball Jason Wu reunites with the incomparable warrior Baileya in an attempt to find a happy ending for a city of people who are frozen in time, unable to connect with the outside world.This standalone story takes place between The Heartwood Crown and The Story King, from The Sunlit Lands series.

A cursed heir with a privileged past . . .A runaway prankster wanted dead or alive . . .A daredevil warrior called Black Skull . . .Join a diverse cast of characters, led by Madeline, Jason, and Darius, as they are thrust into a thrilling adventure in the Sunlit Lands, an epic fantasy world brimming with magical cures and granted wishes. Soon they’ll discover that even in this safe haven, power has its price. Unravel the dark secrets and soul-searing revelations in this war-torn land wrestling with social justice, racial justice, and elitism. How far will they go for power?The Sunlit Lands books engage timely themes of racism, injustice, prejudice, power, and the importance of knowing our history. The writing is witty, which makes the challenging themes feel accessible and not too heavy. The characters are diverse in personality, ethnicity, and areas for personal growth and provide lots of different connection points for readers. It asks the questions: How far would you be willing to go for power? Who decides what justice is and how it is carried out?And don’t miss these short stories from the Sunlit Lands series: Our Last Christmas Together and Jason Wu and the Kidnapped Stories—each available separately (e-book only).

A compassionate memoir about a father’s relationship with his children, the healing power of a small act of kindness, and the proof that love is everlasting.Love you, Dad. Miss you so much. Steph. A brokenhearted daughter scribbled those words on a sky lantern before sending it off to her father in heaven who had passed away. Halfway across the country, Steph’s lantern landed in Matt Mikalatos’s yard. As a father of three daughters, Matt could not let that heart-wrenching note unanswered, so he posted an open letter to her on his blog, which went viral overnight. Little did he know how that small act of kindness would lead him to the real Steph and change his family’s life in remarkable ways. A poignant and lyrical account of the beauty and wonder found in domestic life, Sky Lantern shows how the miraculous events that followed Matt finding the sky lantern in his yard—and the widespread and lasting impact his letter had—prove that the bond between a parent and their child can last forever.