Most people struggle with relationships from time to time. It’s not easy developing and maintaining healthy, life-giving relationships with others, let alone a love relationship with God. This biblically rich, 4-week study, designed for individual or group use, effectively explores the dynamics of a healthy love relationship with God and how that relationship spills over into our everyday lives.
From thoughtful author and teacher, Jan Johnson, this wonderful devotional guide to Psalm 23 can be used as the framework for a personal prayer retreat or in small groups. Built around seven meditations, the book explores the kind of life that’s available to anyone who will allow the Lord to be their Shepherd.
This simple, little book by author and artist Roger Hutchison uses art and color to help folks of any age who have suffered loss process their pain. Giving words to those who have no words in a time of grief is a great gift, helping them remember and celebrate the life of a loved one is greater still. Thoughtfully written and beautifully illustrated, the book is dedicated first to God, the creator of all color.
This entire book gives the reader encouragement and permission to enter into a regular time of retreat and rest. The author, Ruth Haley Barton, notes the sources of our exhaustion and then goes on to give examples of what retreat might look like, as every person is different, and the ways we rest and restore ourselves are different, too.
John Calvin said, “There is no deep knowing of God without a deep knowing of self and no deep knowing of self without a deep knowing of God.”
Many Christians report that the single most-important thing that they did that brought lasting spiritual transformation to their lives was adopting the rhythm of doing a daily examen. The examen is a simple exercise, taking as little as 10 minutes, but with a little honesty and commitment, can yield transformative results.
Adapted from talks given by Dallas Willard and John Ortberg at the Knowing Christ Today conference in California, Living in Christ’s Presence is rich with spiritual insight and wisdom. The DVD or audiobook version features a lightly edited live recording of the conference that is so engaging you’ll listen to it over and over again. John Ortberg’s talk on The Importance of Spiritual Disciplines and the ensuing conversation with Dallas Willard on the topic is certainly worth your attention. And Dallas Willard’s closing remarks on blessing others and God is a thoughtful way to bring the discussion on life in the kingdom of God to a close.
