A growing number of people are tired of trying to make Christianity work for them, tired of trying to make themselves better by doing good things. There's good reason for that.

This little book explores a few words Jesus spoke to his close followers when he asked them a simple question: "Who do you say that I am?"

The honest answer he received and his response to that answer are often ignored, but they have the power to shape our relationship with God and with each other.

What is "the gathering" Jesus told them about? It's for everyone looking for a solid foundation, lasting change, and genuine community.

If you've been breathing lately, you've probably recognized that life has become more and more challenging. Distractions, old patterns, flat-out lies, and betrayal can make taking our next step feel almost impossible.

But the challenges we face are not there to stop us or discourage us. We can see them as opportunities, not as disappointments. And knowing how to walk that out gives us fresh hope and new courage.

The Growing presents three specific ways to help us move forward, walking with Jesus every step of the way. The real news is that our circumstances often look impossible to navigate. The good news is that God is with us, and that changes everything.

“Shame covers us in ways we were never meant to be covered, and it disguises itself in that covering. It can become so invisible that we can very quickly buy into the lie that the shame we are feeling is a result of what we have done instead of what someone else has done to us.

“I am not talking about a victim mentality here. We are responsible for our own responses, but we are not responsible for what others have done to us....

“Even if the abuse happened once, the shame that has attached itself to us—and which we may have worn like a blanket, a shroud—can have the opportunity to shape our responses to life and relationships for the rest of our lives if we refuse to deal with it. But there is healing available for everyone.“

—from the preface