Ignite a deeper, more vibrant relationship with God that impacts not just your spiritual life but every aspect of your daily life. John Ortberg calls readers back to the dynamic heartbeat of Christianity--God's power to bring change and growth--and reveals how and why transformation takes place. The Life You've Always Wanted offers modern perspectives on the ancient path of the spiritual disciplines. But it is more than just a book about things to do to be a good Christian. It's a road map toward true transformation that starts not with the individual but with the person at the journey's end--Jesus Christ. As with a marathon runner, the secret to finishing a race lies not in trying harder, but in training consistently--training with the spiritual disciplines. The disciplines are neither taskmasters nor ends in themselves. Rather they are exercises that build strength and endurance for the road of growth. The fruit of the Spirit--joy, peace, kindness, etc.--are the signposts along the way. Paved with humor and sparkling anecdotes, The Life You've Always Wanted is an encouraging and challenging approach to a Christian life that's worth living--a life on the edge that fills an ordinary world with new meaning, hope, change, and joy.

Drury offers practical help for mastering the everyday issues in your spiritual life that add up to real life change. Let this book explain how to make things right with others, to forgive those who have hurt you, to conquer impure thoughts, to overcome pride and selfish ambition, to learn to be totally honest and transparent, and to live up to all you know to be right. Grow spiritually one day at a time.

Nathan Foster has lived with the spiritual disciplines all his life, but has had to find his own unique path. As he sought - sometimes rebelliously - to develop habits that would enable him to live more like Jesus, he encountered problems both personal and universal. Gradually he discovered creative new ways to practice disciplines such as fasting, meditation and simplicity, to live as Jesus lived. With a foreword from Nathan's father Richard, who provides a fresh introduction to each of the disciplines, The Making of an Ordinary Saint invites us to be formed into the likeness of Christ's character.

When we mistake spiritual disciplines for to-dos, time slots on our schedule, or Instagram-able moments, we miss the benefits of Christ's continual and constant work for us. In Ragged, Gretchen Ronnevik aims to reclaim spiritual disciplines as good gifts given by our good Father instead of heavy burdens of performance carried by the Christian. Only when we recognize our failures to maintain God's commands do we also realize the benefit of our dependence on his promises. Gretchen uses this distinction on law and gospel, presented throughout Scripture, to guide readers through spiritual disciplines including prayer, meditation, Scripture reading, and discipleship among others. Despite our best efforts, the good news is that spiritual disciplines have less to do with what we bring before God and more about who Christ is for us, not only as the author but also as the perfector of our faith.

Drawn from a rich heritage, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life will guide you through a carefully selected array of disciplines. By illustrating why the disciplines are important, showing how each one will help you grow in godliness, and offering practical suggestions for cultivating them, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life will provide you with a refreshing opportunity to become more like Christ and grow in character and maturity. Now updated and revised to equip a new generation of readers, this anniversary edition features in-depth discussions on each of the key disciplines.

Normal? Who's normal? Not you, that's for sure! No one you've ever met, either. None of us are normal according to God's definition, and the closer we get to each other, the plainer that becomes. Yet for all our quirks, sins, and jagged edges, we need each other. Community is more than just a word--it is one of our most fundamental requirements. So how do flawed, abnormal people such as ourselves master the forces that can drive us apart and come together in the life-changing relationships God designed us for? In Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them, teacher and bestselling author John Ortberg zooms in on the things that make community tick. You'll get a thought-provoking look at God's heart, at others, and at yourself. Even better, you'll gain wisdom and tools for drawing closer to others in powerful, impactful ways. With humor, insight, and a gift for storytelling, Ortberg shows how community pays tremendous dividends in happiness, health, support, and growth. It's where all of us weird, unwieldy people encounter God's love in tangible ways and discover the transforming power of being loved, accepted, and valued just the way we are.

The Christian life is built on three seemingly unremarkable practices: reading the Bible, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. However, according to David Mathis, such “habits of grace” are the God-designed channels through which his glorious grace flows—making them life-giving practices for all Christians. Whether it’s hearing God’s voice (the Word), having his ear (prayer), or participating in his body (fellowship), such spiritual rhythms of the Christian life have the power to awaken our souls to God’s glory and stir our hearts for lifelong service in his name. What’s more, these seemingly simple practices grant us access to a host of spiritual blessings that we can only begin to imagine this side of eternity—and the incredible joy that such blessings bring to God’s children today.

Drury offers practical help for mastering the everyday issues in your spiritual life that add up to real life change. Each down-to-earth chapter tackles a real life obstacle that Christians face, such as making things right with others, forgiving those who have hurt you, conquering impure thoughts, and winning the battle against pride.

The Spiritual Disciplines Pamphlet explains the classic spiritual disciplines that help us follow Jesus: Scripture reading, prayer, fasting, worship, solitude, and evangelism. The Spiritual Disciplines Pamphlet makes an excellent handout or Bible study on Christian maturity for a small group or Sunday school class. It addresses questions such as: What does it mean to be Jesus' disciples in the twenty-first century? Do spiritual disciplines look different in an electronic age? How can spiritual disciplines be a joy, not a legalistic burden? Includes an explaination and advice on these Spiritual Disciplines: • Bible Reading/Study • Prayer • Fasting • Worship • Service • Solitutude • Discernment • Evangelism Each Spiritual Discipline includes: • Examples from people in the Bible • Tips for getting started • How each discipline helps us to have a Christ-focused life Discussion Questions • Scripture Reading: Read two of the Bible passages from the list on page 5. In your opinion, what is the message of these passages? Read the section on “The Disciplines Today.” Some people love to read the Bible; others see it as a challenge. What ideas might work for those who struggle? • Prayer: Read one of the Psalms listed at the top of page 6 and pick one other Bible passage in that section. What is the writer of the Psalms expressing in his prayer? Is he being honest with God about his emotions and problems? In what way does this change your view of prayer? What attitude should we have? What kinds of prayers should we avoid? Pick one of the ideas in “The Disciplines Today” and share how you might apply it. • Fasting: Choose two of the passages at the top of page 8 to read. Why did these people choose to fast? Now look at the quote. How can we keep our focus on the right thing? Fasting is one of the most neglected of the Spiritual Disciplines, but it is excellent for teaching us self-control. Look at the tips. How might you practice the discipline of fasting? • Worship: People worship in many ways as we can see from the biblical examples at the top of page 9. Which of these suit your personality and circumstances the most? Look at the first point under “The Disciplines Today.” In practical ways, how can we develop the right attitudes? When we worship in a group, the experience is often different from our private times of worship. What are the benefits of each? • Service: Jesus could have forced and bullied everyone into obeying him. Yet he did not. He chose to be a servant. Pick one of the passages from the Biblical Basis section at the top of page 10, and explain how Jesus' leadership is different from the kind of leadership found in the world today. Read the tips on page 10. How will you serve others in a way that imitates Jesus? • Solitude: Many biblical leaders sought to be alone with God. Pick one of the examples on page 11 and note anything of interest to you. If you are the type of person who likes having a lot of noise in your life, how do you practice solitude? What are the benefits of going off by yourself and praying and resting? • Discernment: Look at the examples of biblical discernment at the top of page 12. Read both of the last two bullet points in the Biblical Basis section. What does discernment mean and how does it look today? Some people seem to have the spiritual gift of discernment, but all believers can be more discerning in general. Why is it important to discuss issues with other believers? • Evangelism: Read all of the points at the top of page 13. What did Jesus teach? Look at the tips. What do you see as the most important? It is often easiest and most natural to share your own story with close friends. Do you ever sense an opportunity to discuss spiritual matters? Perfect for discipleship or small groups.

This book examines how the spiritual longings of ordinary people have shaped the most progressive political and cultural movements of the twentieth century and given birth to a new postmodern perspective on existence that recoups the traditional religious verities on the far side of both literary modernism and neo-Marxism. Inchausti focuses on figures who have been instrumental in defending the sacred traditions of indigenous cultures and oppressed minorities. He demonstrates that Mahatma Gandhi, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Elie Wiesel, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, and Lech Walesa share an ethic that is, at once, plebeian in origin and yet sublime in aspiration.