Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth


Richard J. Foster - 1978
    Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be found.Dividing the Disciplines into three movements of the Spirit, Foster shows how each of these areas contribute to a balanced spiritual life. The inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service help prepare us to make the world a better place. The corporate Disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration bring us nearer to one another and to God.Foster provides a wealth of examples demonstrating how these Disciplines can become part of our daily activities—and how they can help us shed our superficial habits and "bring the abundance of God into our lives." He offers crucial new insights on simplicity, demonstrating how the biblical view of simplicity, properly understood and applied, brings joy and balance to our inward and outward lives and "sets us free to enjoy the provision of God as a gift that can be shared with others." The discussion of celebration, often the most neglected of the Disciplines, shows its critical importance, for it stands at the heart of the way to Christ. Celebration of Discipline will help Christians everywhere to embark on a journey of prayer and spiritual growth.

Why Revival Tarries: A Classic on Revival


Leonard Ravenhill - 1959
    The message is fearless and often radical as he expounds on the disparity between the New Testament church and the church today. Why Revival Tarries contains the heart of his message. A.W. Tozer called Ravenhill "a man sent from God" who "appeared at [a] critical moment in history," just as the Old Testament prophets did. Included are questions for group and individual study. Ravi Zacharias refers to this as "the book that shaped me...more dramatically than any other..."

Too Busy Not to Pray: Slowing Down to Be With God


Bill Hybels - 1988
    The 10th-anniversary edition of this popular book challenges you to take time to pray, to listen to God, to respond to what God is saying to you, and to overcome prayer barriers.

Guarding Your Heart


Arthur W. Pink - 2012
    If this be neglected, if the principal part of your time be not improved with respect unto this end, you will yet fall under the sentence of it unto eternity” (John Owen, 1670).

Friend-ish: Reclaiming Real Friendship in a Culture of Confusion


Kelly Needham - 2019
    Bible teacher Kelly Needham debunks our world's constricted, narrow view of friendship and casts a richer, more life-giving, biblical vision for friendship. In Friend-ish, Kelly Needham reminds us that we were called to more than halfhearted friendships and lukewarm connections. We need something more stable, secure, and sacred. We were designed for real friendship--but the difficult truth is that too many of us are settling for less. Kelly deconstructs what Scripture says about the gift of friendship and takes a closer look at the distorted view that most of us have instead. As she shares the lessons she's learned from experience, Kelly paints her own glorious vision of what Christian friendship could look like.With hard-fought wisdom, a clear view of Scripture, and a been-there perspective, Friend-ish teaches us how to:Recognize symptoms of idolatry and toxic dependencyBoldly ask for what we need from our community of friendsUnderstand and address the problems that arise in friendship--from neediness to discordRecognize when it's time to end an unhealthy friendshipReorient toward the purposeful, loving relationships we all crave that ultimately bring us closer to GodFind the friends you need and start to become that friend for othersJoin Kelly as she challenges you to view your chosen family in a new light, gain a vision of friendship according to Jesus, and finally enjoy friendships as God intended.

Chasing Contentment: Trusting God in a Discontented Age


Erik Raymond - 2017
    In our discontented age--characterized by impatience, overspending, grumbling, and unhappiness--it's hard to imagine what true contentment actually looks (and feels) like. But even the apostle Paul said that he learned to be content in any and every circumstance. Paul's remarkable contentment was something grown and developed over time.In Chasing Contentment, Erik Raymond helps us understand what biblical contentment is--the inward gracious spirit that joyfully rests in God's providence--and then how we learn it. Giving us practical guidance for growing in contentment in various areas of our lives, this book will encourage us to see contentment as a priority for all believers. By God's grace, it is possible to pursue the high calling of contentment and anchor our joy in God himself rather than our changing circumstances.

The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction


Justin Whitmel Earley - 2019
    We yearn for the freedom and peace of the gospel, but remain addicted to our technology, shackled by our screens, and exhausted by our routines. But because our habits are the water we swim in, they are almost invisible to us. What can we do about it?The answer to our contemporary chaos is to practice a rule of life that aligns our habits to our beliefs. The Common Rule offers four daily and four weekly habits, designed to help us create new routines and transform frazzled days into lives of love for God and neighbor. Justin Earley provides concrete, doable practices, such as a daily hour of phoneless presence or a weekly conversation with a friend.These habits are “common” not only because they are ordinary, but also because they can be practiced in community. They have been lived out by people across all walks of life—businesspeople, professionals, parents, students, retirees—who have discovered new hope and purpose. As you embark on these life-giving practices, you will find the freedom and rest for your soul that comes from aligning belief in Jesus with the practices of Jesus.

Made for Friendship: The Relationship That Halves Our Sorrows and Doubles Our Joys


Drew Hunter - 2018
    Filled with biblical insights and drawing on resources from church history, with practical wisdom and reflection questions in each chapter, this book explores the universal need for friendship, what true friendship really looks like, and how to cultivate relationships that go deeper than enjoying similar tastes or shared interests. As readers discover the biblical vision of true friendship, they will be encouraged to pursue it with enthusiasm and joy.

Spurgeon's Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression


Zack Eswine - 2014
    Depression is not new though, indeed the "Prince of Preachers" C.H. Spurgeon struggled with depression and talked openly about it. Here Zack Eswine draws from Spurgeon's experiences to encourage us. What Spurgeon found in his darkness can serve as a light in our own darkness. This is not a self-help guide, but rather "a handwritten note of one who wishes you well."

An Infinite Journey: Growing Toward Christlikeness


Andrew M. Davis - 2013
    But how are we to glorify God for the rest of our lives? The Bible reveals that God has laid before every Christian two infinite journeys which we are to travel every day: the internal journey of growth into Christlike maturity, and the external journey of worldwide evangelism and missions. This book is a roadmap for the internal journey, laying out how we are to grow in four major areas: knowledge, faith, character, and action. In this book, we'll learn how God grows us in knowledge, faith, character, and action. We'll also discover that spiritual knowledge constantly feeds our growing faith, faith will transform our character, our transformed character will result in an array of actions more and more glorifying to God, and our actions will feed our spiritual knowledge. This upward spiral will lead us to become more and more like Jesus Christ in holiness.

Through the Eyes of a Lion: Facing Impossible Pain, Finding Incredible Power


Levi Lusko - 2015
    But they never expected that, five days before Christmas, their five-year-old daughter would suddenly go to heaven after an asthma attack. How do you walk out of the ER without your daughter?Through the Eyes of a Lion will help you turn your journey into a “roar story” by guiding you to look past what you can see with the naked eye. Whether you’re currently facing adversity or want to prepare yourself for inevitable hardship, it’s time to look at the adventure of your life through Jesus’ eyes—the eyes of a Lion.

Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging


Brennan Manning - 1994
    So we put on a mask to hide our identity. Feelings of embarrassment and shame make us hide from the One who truly loves us. Author Brennan Manning encourages you to let go of this stressful, unreal impostor lifestyle and freely accept your identity as a child of God. Find the rest that you long for as you grow in character and accept His lordship. Includes discussion questions.

The Soul Winner


Charles Haddon Spurgeon - 1920
    H. Spurgeon, one of the most popular preachers of the late 19th century, was so renowned for converting nonbelievers to Christianity that he earned the sobriquet "the soul-winner." Here, in his classic work on the process and power of preaching, Spurgeon shares his anecdotes and advice on bringing hearts to God. He discusses: . what it means to win a soul . what it takes to make a soul-winning preacher . how to earn the respect of the skeptical . the kinds of sermons that are likely to win souls . overcoming obstacles to soul-winning\ . and much more. British preacher CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON (1834-1892) frequently delivered sermons to audiences of more than 10,000 people. He also wrote The Treasury of David and Around the Wicket Gate, among many other works.

Hope in the Dark: Believing God Is Good When Life Is Not


Craig Groeschel - 2018
    Even in the questions. Even in the hurt."I want to believe, I want to have hope, but . . ." Pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel hears these words often and has asked them himself. We want to know God, feel his presence, and trust that he hears our prayers, but in the midst of great pain, we may wonder if he really cares about us. Even when we have both hope and hurt, sometimes it's the hurt that shouts the loudest.In Hope in the Dark, Groeschel explores the story of the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus, saying, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" In the man's sincere plea, Jesus heard the tension in the man's battle-scarred heart. He healed not only the boy but the father too, driving out the hopelessness that had overtaken him. He can do the same for us today.As Groeschel shares his pain surrounding the health challenges of his daughter, he acknowledges the questions we may ask in our own deepest pain:"Where was God when I was being abused?""Why was my child born with a disability?""Why did the cancer come back?""Why are all my friends married and I'm alone?"He invites us to wrestle with such questions as we ask God to honor our faith and heal our unbelief. Because in the middle of your profound pain, you long for authentic words of understanding and hope. You long to know that even in overwhelming reality, you can still believe that God is good.Hope in the Dark is also available in Spanish, Esperanza en la Oscuridad.

The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification: Growing in Holiness by Living in Union with Christ


Walter Marshall - 1811
    It is a deep and rich biblical study of sanctification - how Christians grow in holiness and become more like Jesus. In a day when Christians are very prone to pursue self-help methods to grow in obedience to Christ, Walter Marshall lays out the biblical way of growth: obedience comes as Christians live by grace, in union with Christ, by faith. Growth comes, as Paul says in Galatians 2:20, through "Christ living in me." The message of this book is so important for Christians today, it is essential that it be rewritten in contemporary English."How can we command holiness without causing despair among saints who know that they are still sinners? Walter Marshall's answer to this 'mystery' not only saved lives in his time, but continues to bring renewed zeal for God to believers in the generations since. The relief and resolve of grace are the Gospel mystery that elude so many but find rejuvenating expression in the firm grasp of Marshall."- Dr. Bryan Chapell, President, Covenant Theological Seminary"In this extremely insightful book, Marshall reminds us that our union with Christ by faith is the wellspring of the transforming power of the gospel. Following in the steps of the Reformers, he explains the biblical view of true faith in sanctification - a faith in Christ manifested through a proper use of the means of grace (such as prayer, the word, sacraments, and the church). Marshall's discussion is balanced - he avoids the common extremes that lead to errors frequently found in works on this subject."- Dr. Steven L. Childers, Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida"As Marshall states at the beginning of the book, there is no argument that we should obey God's law. The question is - how do we actually do it? In great detail Marshall explains how faith and the gospel are actually the means to accomplish what is required for the Christian life. This is a book that takes its place alongside key books like 'The Marrow of Modern Divinity' in defining the nature of the Christian life. It is part of the Reformed church always reforming itself, and as such it deserves to be kept before the Christian public."- Rev. Steve Smallman, Pastor, New Life Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania