Becoming a True Spiritual Community

Becoming a True Spiritual Community
Author: Larry Crabb
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2007-07-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 141855443X

In today's frenetic society, people rarely develop intimate friendships. Instead, they spend their lives essentially disconnected from others, rushing through life content with brief visits and casual conversations. But what if one were to develop a community, a spiritual community, of people who walked with and supported each other through life's journey? A community of real friends who listened to each other's personal tragedies without merely trying to fix the problems, who encouraged and nurtured each other's strengths, and who accepted people for who they really are, instead of the image they try to portray. In Becoming a True Spiritual Community (formerly titled The Safest Place on Earth), Larry Crabb explores such a place, where God can heal disconnected people and allow them to reconnect with each other and, ultimately, with Him.

True Spirituality

True Spirituality
Author: Chip Ingram
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2013-08-13
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1476727635

A launching pad for your spiritual journey, this inspiring book provides clear, specific, and practical guidelines for becoming a Christian who lives like Christ. Christians today live in a world that is activity heavy and relationship light. The result is spiritual emptiness. We struggle to know what God wants from us and for us . . . and we’re unsure what a real relationship with God really looks like. But that was never God’s idea. HIS idea of faith is not about rules or religion— it’s about relationship. That’s where God tells us to start. In Romans 12, God gives us a clear picture of what Christians should look like at the root level. If you’re ready to move from “in” to “all in,” then you’re ready to become a Romans 12 Christian. The next steps of your journey toward true spirituality start here.

Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered

Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered
Author: James C. Wilhoit
Publisher: Baker Academic
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2022-03-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493435167

Most books on spiritual formation focus on the individual. But spiritual formation is at the heart of the church's whole purpose for existence. It must be a central task for the church to carry out Christ's mission in the world. This book offers an introduction to spiritual formation set squarely in the local church. The first edition has been well received and widely used as a textbook. The second edition has been updated throughout, incorporates findings from positive psychology, and reflects an Augustinian formation perspective. Foreword by Dallas Willard.

From Here to There

From Here to There
Author: Dennis Lee
Publisher: Xulon Press
Total Pages: 195
Release: 2015-07-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1498442994

When you look in the mirror, what do you see: a person who truly believes he/she is on the right path, or one struggling daily to find a sense of identity? More importantly, how do you see God as you seek the purpose for your life: as your back pocket Lord, or as your personal guide? For some, they may feel they are on the right path but have drifted away from discerning and understanding God’s will for them. This inspired pastor and author Dennis Lee to establish a meaningful resource for readers wanting to grow in their relationship with God, in his new Christian discipleship book; From Here to There: A Journey to Spiritual Transformation, part of his Spiritual Formation series. As an “A through Z roadmap on discipleship,” Dennis offers readers a biblically-sound guide to familiarize readers to biblical principles of what it’s like to be a follower of Jesus Christ, being found in His likeness. Each chapter clarifies this developing relationship with God, established when you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and furthered through changing how you approach living this life in Christ. Pastor Lee takes the reader along this narrow road described by Jesus, looking at a Christian’s true identity when pursuing God’s presence and becoming aligned with His will. To make sure his readers’ stay upon this path, Lee looks at Satan’s potholes that damages a person’s spiritual transformation, as well as God’s speed bumps to help believers slow down and not miss God’s promises for their lives. It’s a journey to the ultimate destination of Heaven with God, and this guide will help you make the necessary changes and take the required steps to stay upon God’s path.

Spiritual Rhythms in Community

Spiritual Rhythms in Community
Author: Keith Meyer
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2012-04-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830869670

Jesus had rhythm. His regular patterns of withdrawing from life to have intimate time with his Father and then embracing and entering into rich relationships with others allowed him to carry out his enormous mission with wisdom, grace and authentic love. In the midst of busy, full lives, with demands for our time and attention coming from every direction, we need rhythm--life-giving patterns in our days and weeks that deepen our connection with God and strengthen our relationships with others. Jesus' rhythm can be yours with this participatory guide to growth in God and mission in the context of community. "We learn from Jesus' example," Keith Meyer writes, "that spiritual disciplines are best done in some degree or expression of community where they are experienced and reflected on together. . . . We [also] learn from Jesus that the disciplines are to work as a baseline for a life rhythm of formation and community and result in a powerful mission that begins to sweep others into the ever growing number of those in the dance of the trinitarian life." In light of Jesus' model, then, Meyer helps you intentionally adopt a new pattern for our life, one that facilitates ongoing growth and transformation, through formational spiritual practices designed for groups to experience together meditations on the Psalms group discussion questions Together with a small group or a staff team, your family or your friends, find your rhythm in the life of the One who came that we might have life to the full.

Life with God

Life with God
Author: Richard J. Foster
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2010-05-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0061671746

Too often, our study of the Bible focuses on searching for specific information or some formula that will solve our pressing needs of the moment. But what if we approached the Bible differently, and instead of transforming the text to meet our needs, allowed it to transform us? That's exactly the idea behind Life with God, Richard J. Foster's much-anticipated book on the Bible. Foster, bestselling author of Celebration of Discipline and general editor of The RenovarÉ Spiritual Formation Bible, claims that God has superintended the writing of Scripture so that it serves as the most reliable guide for Christian spiritual formation. According to Foster, the Bible is all about human life "with God." As we read Scripture, we should consider how exactly God is with us in each story and allow ourselves to be spiritually transformed. By opening our whole selves—mind, body, spirit, thoughts, behavior, and will—to the page before us, we begin to grasp all the Bible has to teach about prayer, obedience, compassion, virtue, and grace and apply it to our everyday lives to achieve a deeper relationship with God. With a wealth of examples and simple yet crucial insights, Life with God is an indispensable guide to approaching the Bible through the lens of Christian spiritual formation, revealing that reading the Bible for interior transformation is a far different endeavor than reading the Bible for historical knowledge, literary appreciation, or religious instruction.

Pursuing God's Will Together

Pursuing God's Will Together
Author: Ruth Haley Barton
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2012-04-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830869786

Church boards and other Christian leadership teams have long relied on models adapted from the business world. Ruth Haley Barton, president of the Transforming Center, helps teams transition to a much more fitting model—the spiritual community that practices discernment together.

How to Be a Christian without Going to Church

How to Be a Christian without Going to Church
Author: Kelly Bean
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2014-06-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441246533

As many--young people especially--leave the traditional church in droves, they often still long for a genuine Christian community in which to practice their faith and share their spiritual journeys with others. They want to be faithful but struggle to find a place where they flourish. Whether they've already left the church behind or are merely considering it, readers will find here both heartfelt encouragement and practical steps for finding or creating a community of faith that honors God and offers rest, love, and communion with other believers. Author Kelly Bean broadens our definition of church to include many alternative forms of Christian community. With true stories of those who have given up on church and what they're doing now, this book is also helpful for pastors and churchgoers to help them understand why people leave the church--and what might be done to help them stay.

Becoming Who You Are

Becoming Who You Are
Author: James Martin
Publisher: Paulist Press
Total Pages: 104
Release: 2014-05-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1616430567

By meditating on personal examples from the author's life, as well as reflecting on the inspirational life and writings of Thomas Merton, stories from the Gospels, as well as the lives of other holy men and women (among them, Henri Nouwen, Therese of Lisieux and Pope John XXIII) the reader will see how becoming who you are, and becoming the person that God created, is a simple path to happiness, peace of mind and even sanctity.

True Inclusion

True Inclusion
Author: Brandan Robertson
Publisher: Chalice Press
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2018-09-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0827237200

So your church website says you're welcoming, a rainbow flag flies out front, worship uses gender-inclusive language, and you make sure you greet the stranger next to you on Sunday mornings. But is all of that really enough? And what if those welcoming gestures actually keep visitors from returning and exclude dozens of other groups or people in your community? In True Inclusion, public theologian and pastor Brandan Robertson shares how to move your church from mere welcome to radical embrace. Pointing to a clear biblical imperative for radical inclusivity in the sanctuary and in the public square, Robertson presents a paradigm-shifting vision of community, "where nothing is simple, nothing is easy, but everything is beautiful." Learn practical, step-by-step approaches to becoming deeply, robustly, and richly inclusive of all people regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status. Written for people and communities at every stage of the journey, True Inclusion will challenge and inspire you to embody a gospel of radical embrace for all.