Most Popular Books by Tim Baker

You know, we’re an interesting breed. We pour our whole life into ministry—giving physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, even financially. And, we do all of this to encourage students to live like Christ beyond youth group. Even when we struggle, fail, or find ourselves at the end of a long month feeling drained and discouraged we’re still called to show our students the love of Jesus. The Youth Worker Book of Hope offers you encouragement and hope in those moments of darkness by using experiences and advice from people who have been through the valley and learned from it. Youth workers from around the country have contributed personal stories of their own desire to quit, confrontations with parents, struggles with running the ministry, getting fired, and many more. You’ll read about how other youth workers messed up and how they found hope at the end of a seemingly hopeless road. In tough times it’s easy to get lost. The Youth Worker Book of Hope meets you while you’re still struggling and draws you in to the hope of God.

Teens talk to their friends about sports, fashion, and relationships. But how do they talk to their friends about their most important relationship-with Jesus Christ? Witnessing 101 is a fast-paced and informative guide that can help youth do just that. Beginning with the true gospel message, this book takes teens from the basics of evangelism to the specifics of witnessing to friends at school, in their communities, and even on the Internet. This book offers teens practical advice on what to say-and what not to say-when sharing Christ. It is a must-have resource for Christian youth and youth leaders. Topics include: what isn''t the Gospel how to be a friend first how to write your testimony bad witnessing strategies keeping your passion alive, and more!

For many teenagers who become Christians, the issues they face make them feel like they just don''t fit into the Christian mold. But questions and failures are part of the process of following God. This book asks teens tough, honest questions without offering easy answers. It allows for them to explore who they are and who God is so they can live an authentic faith.

Inspiring stories from an eclectic cast of surfers ''tim Baker may well be the most brilliant and incisive surf writer working today, or on any givenday for the last twenty years.'' worldprosurfers.com Leading surf journalist tim Baker has profiled the surfing world''s most inspiring characters, encountered over two decades of surf writing, to highlight the life lessons and boundless inspiration to be gained from a lifestyle built around waveriding. From salty old surf legends to modern pro-surf stars, to surfers from all walks of life - writers, musicians, aid workers, ethicists - the common theme in all these surfers'' lives is how their personal journeys have been shaped and informed by their experiences in the ocean. ''I think one of the most powerful outcomes of surfing is how it creates community and shared experiences across all sections of society. Surfing is a lingua franca of nature. Even dolphins and other sea creatures surf.'' Vezen Wu, scientist ''Just the feeling of the water on you, diving and paddling, duck-diving your first wave, seeing a set come, turning around and stroking into it, that initial rush as you drop down the face, the jolts of acceleration as you go through the manoeuvres - there''s nothing like it. the only thing that actually comes close to riding waves is sex.'' Mark Richards, four-time world surfing champion 5% of author royalties from this book will be distributed to the following charities: Surf Aid International; Disabled Surfers Association; Life Rolls On; Surfers Healing; Surfrider Foundation

What you need to know about the dangers of Wicca & Witchcraft.

TWO LIVES. ONE SECRET. A LOVE THAT REFUSED TO SINK. When Hollywood producer Ben Howell dies by suicide, he leaves behind a single, unassuming key—and a lifetime of unanswered questions. His estranged son, Will, expects to tie up loose ends. What he finds instead is a hidden journal that unlocks more than just a door. It unleashes the voice of a seventeen-year-old boy named Benji, trapped forever on the decks of the Titanic as it plunged toward disaster. Through his father’s words—aching with longing and regret—Will is drawn into Benji’s haunting story: a boy who, amidst luxury and legend, found a love he was never meant to have. A forbidden love, so fierce, it would alter the course of two lives forever. As the Titanic sails toward its fate, Benji’s desperate passion unfolds. And as Will reads deeper into his father’s confessions, he uncovers a devastating truth about that frozen April night—learning that some survivors never truly escaped the disaster, their secrets drowning them long after the ship sank. Now, standing at the edge of his father’s truth, Will must decide: Was Ben’s death the end of the story… or the beginning of setting a soul free? From the depths of history comes a sweeping, heartbreaking novel of forbidden love, family secrets, and the unbearable cost of a life unlived. He Jumped First is a poignant blend of historical fiction, forbidden romance, and LGBTQ+ love, sweeping readers from the gilded decks of the Titanic to the silver shadows of old Hollywood. Perfect for fans of the epic romance of Titanic, the heartbreaking secrets of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and the profound love of The Song of Achilles. Some Secrets Don''t Drown. They Wait to be Found.

You are here for a reason. God is calling you to reshape the planet—to help change it for the better. But if you’re like most people, you’ll spend years searching out why God made you the way he did and never really uncover God’s beauty in you and ultimately never realize why God created you. Some people believe that when it comes to God’s Will in your life, there’s only one answer. Well, inside the pages of this book, you’ll discover that God has definitely created you for a purpose, but that purpose isn’t an occupation set in stone for the rest of your life.Take the time to find out what it means for you to leave a footprint. The marks you leave on this world could make all the difference. Inside you’ll explore:• Who am I really? What gifts and skills do I have? You’ll look deep inside your emotions, your personality, and abilities to understand how God has uniquely gifted you to make a difference on Planet Earth.• What do I dream about? You’ll look at what your heart longs to do, and you’ll learn that what you dream about is probably something God has placed in you. God has given you passions...will you use them for his glory?• Why am I here? You’ll discover your life purpose and look into the things you think God may be calling you to do. And, you’ll be challenged to use who you are in the world right now.So take off your shoes and step out in faith. You’ll find out what it means for you to leave your footprint in your world today, and what it could mean for your future.

Some young people today are indifferent about the Christian faith because they don''t identify with anyone in Scripture or in their church. Others are excited about the faith and hungry for role models to show them how to pursue their ideals. Extreme Faith, a book created for the Extreme for Jesus line, addresses both needs. Extreme Faith is a collection of fresh, youth-oriented character studies that show readers what a difference young people made in Bible times. This book devotes a chapter to each character profile, telling stories of amazing Bible characters such as Isaac, Esther, and Josiah in detail and showing how today''s youth can follow their examples and make a difference in their world. Includes snapshot profiles of modern young people whose lives are extreme for Jesus.

When your players are traveling through the wilderness from Point A to Point B, here’s the key to making that journey as intriguing and exciting as possible! As every GM knows, you can spend hours preparing an adventure, but rarely is any map filled in so completely that you can easily define what lies waiting in the wilds between where they are today and where they’d like to be tomorrow. That’s where The Game Master’s Book of Legendary Locations comes in. Legendary Locations provides Game Masters with more than 150 fascinating sites, obstacles, legends and landscapes spread across eight environmental zones, designed to make every journey an unforgettable one. From poisonous swamps and bottomless wells to dragon skull temples and abandoned mines, each location includes a brief history, exotic lore, potential dangers to fight and treasures to be won, along with illustrations throughout. Larger entries include special Game Master notes and random encounter tables to ensure each incredible locale is as compelling as possible. Each environmental zone also includes a completely fleshed out lair, including monster stat blocks, a map and full page illustration. In addition, Legendary Locations also includes dozens of roll tables for determining random encounters, eerie occurrences, natural hazards and more to ensure players are always experiencing something unique and unexpected. It’s a wellspring of inspiration and a fathomless resource for keeping players on their toes and ensuring that the journey is just as exciting as the destination.

Let your students experience the raw faith and rich praise in Israel’s national songbook--the Psalms.The 12 sessions in Creative Bible Lessons in Psalms (the latest in Youth Specialties’ Creative Bible Lessons series) unwrap this Old Testament book so your students understand the passion, anguish, and joy expressed by David and the other Hebrew songwriters--and then learn to love the same God that the ancient Jews loved.The meetings (which are perfect for high schoolers and middle schoolers alike) are arranged around kinds of Psalms, including—Torah Psalms Seeing God at work in your personal historyComplaint Psalms When you’re attacked, is God always your bulletproof vest?Royal Psalms Jesus in the PsalmsTrust Psalms The God who really knows you, inside and outPenitential Psalms Shedding old skin--forgiveness and renewalThanksgiving Psalms Gratitude is next to godlinessOracle Psalms How to hear GodTaunt Psalms Battle lines are drawnAnd each session is loaded with options galore: clips from easy-to-get videos, games for mixing and games with a purpose, in-depth and ready-to-use questions for small-group discussions, original role plays, low-prep scripts, talks for you to give--activities to choose from that give your students not only a memorable time in youth group, but a taste of both the quiet trust and the boisterous celebration that the Psalms overflow with.Perfect for Sunday school teachers, youth workers, volunteers, CE directors, DREs, associate pastors--whoever wants to minister to real teenagers in a real world.

How do you get your team members to exercise appropriate independent judgment? How do you get employees to be more accountable for their actions? Leaders need team members to be empowered and proactive post COVID-19. What are the roadblocks? How are they overcome? Most books on employee empowerment bypass two critical relationships: the employment compact and the jobholder and their job. These two relationships hold the key to unlocking employee empowerment. This breakthrough book is for leaders who want to maximize performance through empowerment. It offers a new approach and practical strategies to energize employees to exercise their initiative when needed and be accountable for their actions. A proactive employee is engaged in their job and can confidently make decisions without overly relying on their manager.

Organizations are about conversations. For any organization to achieve its goals, people need to interact and those interactions require dialogue and conversation. Yet, thanks to technology, we seem to be having fewer genuine conversations. This book seeks to change this, through "how to skills" and wider cultural change advice.

For the past 100 years, we’ve progressively dehumanized our places of work. We’ve learned to systemize, homogenize, and mechanize – all in the quest for greater efficiency and cost-saving. We’ve forgotten that the human being is the centre of work. This book highlights the ten essential performance and development conversations leaders must have to restore human spirit at work. First, it explains the importance of cultivating an authentic workplace by resisting the dumbing down of work and respecting employee dignity. Second, it presents five developmental conversations, from coaching to relationship-building. Third, it outlines five performance conversations, from climate review to innovation. An organization – any organization – is a group of people working together towards a common goal, but we tend to lose sight of this simple idea. Too often, human resources are lumped in with technological resources, administrative resources and financial resources. Managers become obsessed with processes, procedures and systems. Tim Baker provides leaders with a roadmap to bring the human being back to work.

Great leaders all share a common secret: they prioritize personal development. Successful Self-Leadership: An Inside-Out Approach in Seven Steps is not your typical leadership guide. Its seven diagnostic tools for each practice make it unique, providing practical and immediately applicable resources. This book incorporates the latest research to help you unlock your potential and prepare for the journey of self-leadership, ensuring you are well-equipped to apply the knowledge in your daily life. Dr. Tim Baker shares his unique Self-Leadership Development Framework, which consists of seven personal leadership practices, including The Inner and Outer Game, which separates the good from the great leaders. At its core, the book focuses on the concept of self-awareness, first taught by Socrates and foundational to genuine leadership. It introduces seven unique practices essential for today’s leaders, equipping you with the tools to tap into your inner potential. The book emphasizes that deep self-awareness, the journey of genuinely understanding oneself, is not a one-time destination but a continuous, engaging process that leaders should commit to. This understanding is crucial to personal and leadership success, and the book will guide you in staying engaged and committed to this process. Successful Self-Leadership: An Inside-Out Approach in Seven Steps promises greater self-awareness more confidence superior focus and dynamic interpersonal skills. Begin your path to greatness today—because the best investment you can make is in yourself. Your journey starts now!

"How do I deal with annoying people?" "What do I do to help friends who are hurting?" "How can I share my faith without looking like a freak?" Sound like questions you''ve asked? Tim Baker, an experienced youth pastor, has honest answers for you. In twelve sections, Live it Loud tackles themes like "Why should I follow God?", "Why is sin such a big deal?", and "Why should I live my faith?" Each reading gives you Scripture to read, a real-life story to relate to, and questions to help you live your faith. If you''re looking for something that will spice up your time with God, this book is for you. Live it Loud will help you connect God''s Word to your life and practice your faith every day. Book jacket.

Students want devotional material that has depth and relevancy, but they seldom find it. Now in Live It Strong and Live It Loud, high school teens will find both relevant themes and practical application as they study God''s Word daily. Each book provides twelve weeks of devotions with a theme for each week and covers a balance of Old Testament and New Testament Scripture. Live It Loud, book one, includes brief devotionals on knowing God, staying focused, being a good friend, sharing your faith, and more. Book two, Live It Strong, covers topics such as understanding God when he seems invisible, having hope, and leaning on Christian friends. Each entry contains Scripture references, energetic text that challenges teens to apply the scriptural truths, and questions for self-evaluation. Two more books will be added to the series to make for a year''s worth of study.

An inspirational tale of overcoming the odds to become world champ Mick Fanning might only be 28 but he already knows how a lot of things feel that most of us never will. How does it feel to lose a brother? Win a world title? Rip your hamstring muscle clean off the bone? Weave through a zippering Superbank barrel for 20 or 30 seconds or paddle over the ledge at places like Pipeline and Teahupo? Have scoliosis so bad you can''t get off the floor? Address the NSW state of origin team before a match, bowl to Matty Hayden and have Dave Warner belt you for consecutive sixes? Walk into the bar of a Brasilian hotel dressed only in a bikini to make your mates laugh, only to find your mates have left, and there is only a puzzled bartender staring blankly at you? You''ll notice that not all these experiences fall neatly on one side of the ledger of good or bad. Mick''s journey so far has definitely been a mixed bag, but it is the extremes of that journey that make him so interesting, and his readiness to learn from each experience and use it as fuel to drive him on that might provide lessons for the rest of us. Mick''s only young but he already exudes a quiet wisdom beyond his years, and now he''s ready to share it with anyone wanting to further their surfing, whether competitively or for sheer pleasure. Mick tells his life story candidly - in turns funny, sensitive, thoughtful, self-depricating - while providing intimate insights into the personal lessons gained along the way - with practical tips on surfing technique, fitness, nutrition, board design, travel, competitive strategies and mental clarity. Mick has overcome personal tragedy and career-threatening injury on his way to claiming the 2007 world surfing title. Universally acknowledged as the most focussed and driven competitive surfer of his era, Mick''s approach to surfing, sports psychology, life and relationships, makes fascinating reading. The essential principles of perseverance, hard work, and overcoming obstacles in pursuit of your dreams, will inspire anyone keen to get the best out of themselves. Ultimately, though, it''s Mick''s humanity, his readiness to give back, which might provide the greatest surprise and inspiration.

"Living the Dream" is a semi-humorous crime story about a loser named Kurt who thinks that his ticket to Easy Street lies in a half-baked kidnapping plot. After the road trip from hell he arrives in Florida to find that Vicky, his intended victim, is out of town. Vicky''s husband, Jimmy, is thinking of divorcing her and probably won''t pay the ransom anyway. And Leslie, Jimmy''s mistress, wants a piece of Kurt''s action. Just to make matters worse, Kurt has a bookie, a biker and an ex-Navy SEAL all wanting a piece of his hide. Kurt had no idea that kidnapping was such hard work. His plan might work if it doesn''t get him killed first. Tim Baker was born and raised in Warwick, Rhode Island. After graduating from The Wentworth Institute of Technology in 1980 he embarked on a career in Architecture and Engineering. Along the way he has also worked in the natural gas industry, construction and ice cream sales In his spare time he enjoys a wide variety of activities including sports of all kinds, music, photography, model building and, of course, writing. An avid dog lover, Tim was a volunteer puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, raising and socializing potential guide dogs. He has also studied and taught martial arts. Living the Dream is his first published novel, his next novel Water Hazard will be published in the fall of 2009. Currently, Tim is enjoying life in Palm Coast, Florida. To contact Tim or find out about upcoming works please visit his website at www.blindoggbooks.com

In his own words, Occy tells the complete, remarkable story of his spectacular rise, terrifying fall and miraculous rebirth. ''Occy was always a missile going hyperspeed, about to blow up at any moment. - it''s true of so many highly intelligent or gifted people . . . All of his passion was put into his surfing.'' Kelly Slater, eight-time world champion Child star at sixteen, ranked third in the world at seventeen, winner of the Pipeline Masters at nineteen - Mark Occhilupo looked set to sweep all before him with a radical, spontaneous, irresistible brand of surfing. Yet a spiralling descent into drug abuse and depression snuffed his flame out prematurely when he quit the pro tour at just twenty-two. Faltered comebacks, spectacular bursts of free-surfing and manic breakdowns followed, as the surfing world watched a freakish talent self-combust. After years spent immobile and overweight on the couch, in his so-called ''Elvis period'', Occy eventually emerged from his cocoon, reborn and ready to tackle a whole new generation of surf stars. His celebrated comeback to win the world title in 1999, sixteen years after his career began, is a sporting fairytale without equal. ''By going down so hard, by fully falling apart, he was able to give himself longevity. It''s like the Buddhist teachings about birth and death - something has to die for new birth to happen, and that happens inside us too. Occy was the ultimate example of that.'' Tom Carroll.