Pastoral Meditations on How Christians Grow
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A lot of ink has been spilled lately on the topic of sanctification. How exactly do we grow as Christians? What is the relationship between the Spirits work and our own efforts in sanctification? What fuels and motivates our growth?

I was interested, then, to read a new book called A Vine-Ripened Life: Spiritual Fruitfulness through Abiding in Christ by Stanley D. Gale. I was also interested because Ive preached on the theme of abiding in Christ from John 15, but have never been completely satisfied with my efforts.

A Vine-Ripened Life can best be called a collision between the theme of abiding in Christ from John 15 and the theme of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Gale clearly describes Gods work in our spiritual growth (the fruit of the Spirit) and our work: abiding, or staying intimately connected with Christ to draw on his power. He works through each of the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, and so on), exegeting and applying the text. He also throws in a bonus chapter on humility, which he compares to the chlorophyll. Chlorophyll gives a plant its distinctive color, and enables the absorption of light. Humility gives Christians their distinctive color, and helps them to thrive as we abide in the Vine.

This is one of the least flashy books Ive read. Gale simply thinks biblically about how Christians grow, and exegetes and applies Scripture. It reads like a series of written sermons: solid, biblical, and more faithful than fizzy.

If you are looking for a study that will help you understand how to grow as a believer in Christ, and what it looks like, I recommend this book. It is not a theological exploration of the complex issues around sanctification, but a series of pastoral meditations how God will change us as we continue to abide in Christ.
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Larry Crabb is tired of church.  He isn't tired of a particular style - he's tired of all of them.  Why?  Because they don't help him where he needs help the most - how to overcome the deep self-addiction and loneliness he feels, even as a "together" Christian of over 50 years. The meat of the book is his very clear, very encouraging discussion of what the church needs to do for its community.  In my words, he decides:
1.  A real church explains the full Bible as a story of God's love - which includes the character of God, the grace of the gospel, and our proper response through the Holy Spirit.
2.  A real church demands that its members lovingly confront their own and each others' selfishness, and encourage each other to mature.
3.  A real church demands that its community practice forgiveness, unity, grace and love with each other, through all our human weaknesses.
4.  A real church sends out its community to work for God's kingdom here, expanding God's rule in both evangelism and justice.

The parts of the book that most resonated with me:
**A dedicated Christian may not feel filled with God, but instead learns to hope and trust for the eternal fulfillment of the kingdom to come.  It's our temptation to fill that empty space now that is the addiction all Christians struggle with.
**Standard church activities of singing and listening to sermons do not provide the painful training needed for real spiritual growth.  Real spiritual formation requires me to honestly articulate where I am now and humbly accept instruction from friends about how to move to be whom I want to be.
**"Missional" ministry only moves beyond humanist good works when it comes from a community of believers who are seeking loving unity and spiritual growth within themselves first and concurrently.

This book is honest, clearly articulated, and has valuable insights about what a strong Christian community would look like (plus he cites Gerald Sittser's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Water-from-a-Deep-Well-Christian-Spirituality-from-Early-Martyrs-to-Modern-Missionaries/dp/0830834931/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries</a>, which I love).  I highly recommend this book to all Christians, but especially to pastors and small group leaders who ache for for a Christianity that moves beyond Sunday morning.
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A thoughtful, personal and theologically perceptive content that brings with it much encouragement to those on the faith journey
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Anna Courie's inaugural work, Christ Walk, is a thought provoking attempt at encouraging personal spiritual growth by linking personal health and Christian growth. What sets this work apart is its tone and an ability to be comprehensive, without seeming to overwhelm the reader.

She writes from the perspective a US military wife and mother and lay Episcopal leader. Her experiences as an Army wife, dealing with frequent spousal deployments, mothering small children and a meditative, contemplative high church approach to her Christian life is infectious. The tone she sets is like someone coming alongside you in your spiritual journey, in a supportive way. Her writing has flavors of folks like Frederich Buechner, within the context of modern middle class American life.

She uses physical fitness in a holistic way. She has a firm grip on the relation between spirit and body, and does not pretend they are divided at all. The reader should come away with a warm, and encouraging push to greater spiritual growth, entirely within the major paths of historical redemption, while tracking daily goals of physical exercise, that are entirely up to the reader. As a tool for personal devotion, or group study, this could make a fine work.
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Jacobsen is a pastor who has done a lot of thinking about what human-made elements make a place pleasant or unpleasant to live in. This is his second book on the subject, his first being Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith. Not having read the earlier book, I'm not competent to say how they differ. I can only say that this one is longer than Sidewalks in the Kingdom, and while it does talk about New Urbanism, that is not the primary subject. It seems broader in scope.

Jacobsen sets out in this book to introduce the built environment to the Christian community, and to make the case that Christians ought to care about creating built environments that lead to human thriving. The book comes in three parts: The first part is Orientation, in which Jacobsen asks readers to think about who they are, and how they are situated in space and time. His primary audience is North American, and he gives a lot of history on how and why North America has been built in the way it has. The second part is Participation, in which Jacobsen asks readers to think about the different agents who enact community life in a particular place: families, political groups, and churches. The final part is Engagement, in which Jacobsen challenges his readers to ask hard questions about how their Christian faith ought to interact with the built environment, creating places that are sustainable and loved.

This is a book both for those who already know and care about the built environment, and for those who have not thought about it much, but are curious. I fall into the latter camp, and over and over again I found that Jacobsen gave me language to name things that I already felt. I knew that certain built environments made me comfortable or uncomfortable, and now I know more why that is. It could be a challenging read at times, since a lot of the vocabulary was new, but it was worth the effort. Jacobsen's chapter on sustainability was challenging in a different way; some of what he writes about human thriving, environmental stewardship, and justice will challenge assumptions held by some of his fellow Christians. That, in my opinion, is a good thing.

For people in my generation, "The Space Between" is, first and foremost, a Dave Matthews Band song. But it is now also a welcome invitation for Christians to form convictions about how their faith should affect the built environment, and begin to act on those convictions. Not everyone will have the time or the ability to make large-scale changes in the places where they live--after all, the built environments we live in now have taken shape over generations, and sin is present with us even as we seek to build better places to live. But everyone can begin to make small changes that help to "seek the peace of the city" where God has placed them (Jer 29:7), as we ultimately look forward to the city "whose architect and builder is God" (Heb 11:10).

Note: Thanks to Baker Academic for a review copy of this book. I was not asked to give a positive review.
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This book is comprised of 15 chapters in 276 pages and includes a 13 week study guide following the chapters of the book.

Within the pages of this book Kay Arthur tackles the struggles many Christians face when they are overcome by tragedy, complications, and trials in life. Arthur seeks to encourage Christians to look for God's true purpose in unavoidable tragic circumstances in life and when life simply does not turn out as planned.

The chapters in her work discuss the feelings of anger and resentment that Christians are often inclined to feel toward God when bitter circumstances strike, and how to avoid falling into despair and a life apart from God. Her chapters discuss how to resist feeling like a failure before God, coping with stress, accepting God's training in the trials he ordains, and seeking God's plan and resting in his peace. She also offers chapters of encouragement that seek to bolster the spirit and determination of her readers by providing spiritual tools for endurance, understanding God's sovereignty, and overcoming dejection and despair. Arthur provides Biblical truths to help readers find their way through the flames of the trials they face and relates them to the refiners fire, God's refining process, that will result in a beautiful reflection of Himself.

Within in this work, Arthur blends Biblical reference with personal stories of trial and hardship to encourage those facing difficulty in their lives as well as those who are seeking spiritual growth and understanding the purpose and plans of God. She uses the struggles of her own life and of those she has mentored and ministered to to convey that with God's guidance and direction, even the most nightmarish trials can be faced and overcome by Christians.

This book reads almost like a letter to readers, rather than just another book on spiritual growth. Arthur repeatedly refers to her readers as "beloved" and uses language that makes the book seem more like a conversation between author and readers, including her prayers within the chapters. Unfortunately, readers are likely to either genuinely appreciate or particularly disdain this writing style. Oftentimes this style can cause her sincerity to seem artificial.

Arthur beautifully intertwines scripture into her stories and lessons leaving readers with a sense of purpose and understanding of how the Bible applies to their lives and situations. Additionally, Arthur's extensive knowledge of scripture allows her to elaborate on passages and share a deeper understanding of Biblical passages and principles.

Overall this is a good book. It is suitable for teenage and adult readers, regardless of their spiritual maturity, who seek to understand God's purpose or who are struggling with their own trials and problems.

This is an updated version of Arthur's book of the same title published in 1998.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
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In Whos Got Time? Teri Peterson and Amy Fetterman show that they understand the realities of a generation finds itself delaying marriage and family, change careers and locations regularly (in pursuit of often elusive jobs), may be burdened by student loans and do not believe that they will fare as better as their parents.  What they seek to provide are a variety of spiritual practices that can sustain and empower young adults, knowing that this isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition.  Although they offer up this variety of practices, recognizing that not every one of them will prove helpful, as Christians who are embedded in the Reformed Tradition, they begin with the premise that God has been revealed in the person of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.  And as Reformed Christians, they begin their offerings with Scripture, offering ways of engaging text that can prove meaningful and transformative.

From Scripture (chapter one) they move through another eleven chapters.  They address embodied spiritual practices, especially relating to food (feeding and fasting both), wandering (running anyone?), music, rituals, community (they note that churches are one of the few places where people gather intergenerationally), sleep and Sabbath, borrowing from earlier developments such as centering prayer and prayer beads, social media, engaging the fullness of the world around oneself, finding the holy in the mundane parts of life, and finally becoming engaged in public life- taking it to the streets.  In each chapter, the authors bring their own stories and the stories of others of their generation into the conversation.  This isn't an abstract offering.  Its personal and lived.  They don't look back at simpler times, but seek to live now in this context.  They embrace the teachings of Brother Lawrence who found the key to the spiritual life in incorporating the spiritual into daily life. While its important to stop and pray, to read, to worship in community, there is more than one way of accomplishing this.  While they are committed to church as being a worthy space for spiritual life, they don't expect everyone to start there or even end up there.

As they share these different approaches to the spiritual life, they provide at the end of each chapter a box with a practice to try, along with a resource or two that can be of help in incorporating the practice into daily life.  Thus, for example, in the chapter entitled This is Real Life, which deals with social media, they suggest that the next time a person logs on that they take a moment to pray for the people in your newsfeed, and to let them know you're thinking of them (p. 102).  In other words, don't just click the like button on Facebook  but actually engage in conversation.

Although older generations like mine (Im a Baby Boomer) aren't the intended audience, even we can learn from the wisdom shared by these two pastors.  We too can benefit from connecting our spiritual lives to daily life.  We too face life on the run  only the nature of the run is different.  At the same time, its important to recognize with them the unique challenges facing younger adults.

The book closes with A Blessing, a brief epilogue that brings the book to a proper close.  In this closing chapter they note that a frustration they encountered was the lack of resources written by young adults.  They found much written about them, but not by them.  Here is a good start toward the creation of such resources.  They write in closing that they hope the reader will go forward reminded that you're not alone in your yearning to connect, your longing for something more.
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Authors Chad and Ondrea Kidd pose a unique perspective on church, community, and what true love and fellowship should exemplify in the times we face. They draw from years of experience in a variety of church denominations and the different structures within. Here is a synopsis of the theme throughout this book: "The goal of this book is to encourage Christians to rethink things we commonly do out of tradition, wrong thinking, or bad teaching. Our intention is that you would learn to filter life through a lens of love Lean upon the Holy Spirit as teacher. "

It uncovers the exterior and internal call between displays of legalism, tradition and performance making the reader take a step back and re-examine those hard places that have immobilized churches and individuals over the years. Through an examination of the Scriptures and allowing the Holy Spirit full reign, striking questions are asked.
 Do we view life and relationships with a 'what's in it for me'perspective, or are we motivated by love?
 Are we willing to listen and walk in the Spirit?
 Are we willing to do the crazy, out of the norm things that reveal Him to others?
 Are we willing to invite the Holy Spirit to have control?

It is how we respond to the Holy Spirit, they share, that determines whether our heart overflows with life or stagnates. Power to cast out demons, heal the sick and proclaim the message of Jesus will be vibrant as will the power to love, forgive, be humble, and live relationally with others. "The kingdom of love is advanced when we die to having things our own way, die to our plans/agenda, and listen to God. "Further is emphasized that allowing God to deal with our sin will help us see clearly and includes replacing fear, competition, and jealousy. It is the interrelatedness between staff and members, Chad and Ondrea Kidd highlight. "A church that recognizes the uniqueness of each member and seeks to place them within their area of identity and gifting will be a healthy church. Churches where only one man or group of men do all the work of the ministry create an unhealthy dependence upon themselves. "Additionally, the reader will gain a greater understanding of the blockages to hearing God's voice.

This work will go against tradition. It uncovers stagnation. Ultimately, it helps ministry leaders and servants become all they were created to be. In the process,the church as a whole is able to move forward effectively. I recommend this for charismatic leaders and those willing to not only step out of the box but not put God there either. At the end of each chapter is questions for personal reflection or group discussion.
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I just finished the Truth  About the Lordship of Christ by John MacArthur, which I received complimentary from BookSneeze. This book is a part of John MacArthur's Truth About series where the author explores various theological issues relevant to the Christian experience. In the Lordship of Christ, MacArthur explores how God's sovereignty in the believer's life, should affect our submission, lifestyle and assurance of salvation. The Lordship of Christ in our life inspires us and sustains us through the process of becoming more like Christ, which requires us to make sacrifices and persevere during adversity, but results in a richer, more God honoring life. I would give the Lordship of Christ a 4.5/5, and it is certainly a book I would recommend to pastors and lay members alike in every church, to better understand how the Lordship of Christ affects their life. The Lordship of Christ comes in at under 150 pages and is intentionally a very pastoral book, not a historical or analytical work. The Lordship of Christ presupposes the major audience will be Christians who are interested in better understanding the Lordship of Christ.  Therefore, it is especially useful in Bible studies, devotionals and discipleship programs, though I would hesitate to use it in an academic setting.

The Lordship of Christ represents the notion of the pastor-theologian intentionally being a significant and influential figure in the life of a congregation. The pastor, that is, the shepherd of a local congregation, is responsible for the spiritual welfare of his attendants and should address the serious and important theological issues his congregations needs to understand, and not shy away from theology. Over the course of six chapters, MacArthur outlines what the sovereignty of God means in the life of Christian. Chapter one addresses God as the Lord of the Universe, and how his sovereignty is seen in His Creation. Chapter two focuses on the role of the Lord in the daily lives of Christians. This means that people must hear the Gospel and respond, to confess Christ as Lord, before they can truly accept his Lordship. In Chapter three MacArthur discusses the daily submission Christians to the will of God, how even after salvation, their is a constant struggle against sin and the desire to follow what the self wants. Chapter four builds upon this theme and discusses holy living, the moral lifestyle and choices that Christians are expected to make when the accept Christ's Lordship. Chapter five, the shortest of the chapters, discusses confession and restoration, how Christians must confess their sins and failings in order to be rid of them. Finally, Chapter six discusses the ultimate destination of Christians, Heaven. Here MacArthur uses biblical justification for how believers can have complete assurance that their salvation is real and not worry that they are not redeemed.
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A  great book for all Christians who desire to grow in their relationship with Christ.
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I don't remember where I obtained my copy of the book, While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks: Forty Daily Reflections on Biblical Leadership, but I'm so glad I did.

It is a lavishly designed and illustrated journey into the world of sheep and shepherd, with striking application to the task of leadership for pastors, elders, managers, executives, teachers, counselors--anyone who finds himself or herself in a leadership role. The author, Dr. Timothy S. Laniak, draws on the experience of many trips to the MidEast and his expertise as professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Cornwell Theological Seminary to craft a vivid, Biblical depiction of the shepherd leader.

The book is divided into forty readings with titles like, "The Shepherd Healer," "Gathering the Scattered," and "My Sleepless Shepherd," punctuated with full-color photographs. One of my favorite passages is found in the reading for Day 7, "Feed My Sheep":

It was twenty years ago that my wife Maureen and I spent a memorable winter in China meeting with members of the underground church. We carried in our backpacks Christian books and tapes that would be useful as a portable seminary. Chinese Bibles took up the most space. When we met our first contact, she informed us that we would need to speak in coded language: "Just refer to what you brought as 'bread.'" That night we served "bread" to a hungry pastor who had traveled for days from a remote province where his whole church had just been jailed. He was hoping for "bread" to take back to his discouraged flock. The unforgettable look of gratitude on his face reminds me that this world's only source of life and hope is God's word.

Will you join me for some honest self-assessment? What do we as leaders eat? To what sources do we return for our soul's primary sustenance? Is our "diet" rich in God's word? Are we as leaders good readers? Do we really study scripture and meditate on it daily, relishing its insights as spiritual delicacies? Do we supplement this feeling with devotional classics, theological treasures, and inspiring biographies? Or do we fill our hungry void with the empty calories provided on television and by endless "browsing" on the internet?

Though frequent (and unnecessary) typographical errors frustrated me at times, I have no doubt that the beauty and benefit of this book will amply reward anyone who reads it.
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The late A.W. Tozer is well known for many of his insightful and challenging books about Christian living and faith. Some of his most popular books are the Pursuit of God; The Knowledge of the Holy; Man the Dwelling Place of God; The Root of the Righteous; and many more. In fact, so powerful are his writings that books have been written based on compilation of the best of his insights. Not as many people know that the former Chicago pastor is also a deep reader. According to the publisher, Tozer has intentionally put together poems, hymns, prayers, and spiritual writings from across the spectrum of Christian writers and evangelicals through the ages. Meant more for the worshiper rather than a student, this book arranges the works in theological themes.

- Adoration of the Godhead (God and Trinity)
- Devotional Meditations on the Cross of Christ (Atonement)
- Penitential Reflections on Our Sins (Compunction)
- Rejoicing in Forgiveness and Justification (Repentance)
- Yearning for Purity of Heart (Sanctification)
- Aspirations After God (Spirituality)
- Delighting in God's Presence (God's Omnipresence)
- The Raptures of Divine Love
- The Rest of Faith
- Spiritual Warfare
- Victory Through Praise
- The Prayer of Quiet
- The Bliss of Communion
- Joyous Anticipation of Christ's Return
- Immortality and the World to Come

Such spiritual treasures are described as "mystical verse" to remind us that it is a book for us to use to worship God and not another book to be analyzed and studied. It is not mystical in a sense that they are written by mystics. Instead, it is about entering into the realm of worship that is beyond mere intellectual exercises. Tozer explains the reasons for the way he arranges the themes. First, he avoids all sentimental verses that tend to tug at the heart-strings more than the soul. Second, he is bold to exclude certain 'classics' if they do not contribute to his themes. Third, all the works are to be theologically sound. Put together for private devotion, the book can be used for singing, for praying, for meditating, and for personal spiritual journaling. I find several works to be freshly unfamiliar, causing me to slow down and to ponder at the sense of newness. There and then I am reminded of how easy it is to gravitate to set themes and personal inclinations when we read familiar material. For example, if we see a familiar hymn or a famous poem, we are easily tempted to draw on our past knowledge and not learn anything new. Slow reading is preferred. Pauses are helpful. Pacing our reading with our inner responses is good soul exercise. Praying is expected.

Here is a suggestion for devotional reading. Following Guigo's Ladder of Monks, there are four different levels of reading, with each level a deeper engagement with the texts. The first level is plain reading, which is essentially for beginners. The second level is meditation which is a deeper level for the advanced reader, the more proficient. The third level is prayer, where one interacts personally with the text and how the texts lead one toward worshiping God. The fourth level is contemplation, which is the highest level that the heavenly creatures are in. This book is geared toward those reading levels two and above.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade
This book is provided to me courtesy of Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
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John Piper writes a collection of devotions in A Godward Heart meant to stir the readermaybe once, twice, or as many times as his sundry topics strike a chord. Even though there is no central theme unifying the book, many readers will find the variety refreshing. This book is much like scanning a radio dial and landing on the right song or interview that was just what you needed, even though you were not looking for it.

To understand Pipers message, it is important to read A Word to the Reader at the beginning. He describes the intent of his book in the following section:

Perhaps some evening your soul is hungry. Not for anything in particular, just a soul-hunger. A longing. Something is needed beyond what television is going to give. Something about God, or about the meaning of your life, or about eternity. Youre tired and you know you probably cant stay awake to read twenty pages. So you pick up a book that you know focuses on eternal things, a Godward book. And three minutes later you have seen something, and you will never be the same again.

This book could be best described as an evening devotional book as he alludes to above. Each of the topics is thoughtful and relevant, yet each one is not easily coupled with a corresponding passage of Scripture. Piper quotes Scripture in most of the meditations, yet each meditation is not necessarily about a specific passage. As a result, this book may be best read when winding down in the evening, rather than as a morning springboard for Bible reading.

Readers who are unfamiliar with John Piper may benefit from a simple web search about his background. He represents his theologically background well and writes from a distinct point of view. Any minor theological differences should not keep readers from benefiting from the nuggets of wisdom Piper gives his readers; he has plenty to share with those willing to listen.

I encourage readers to feel free to pick and choose the meditations they want to read. Do not feel the need to read the book in any particular order. Peruse the topics and choose any one that sounds interesting, and feel to skip any meditations that do not seem pertinent at the time. However, be prepared to be surprised that some of the topics are more instructive than they appear at first glance. The most surprising topic in the book is Why and How I Tweet and it caused me to take a slightly different look at Twitter!

Finding a nugget of wisdom at just the right time can change hearts and minds. Piper has experienced this and hopes to share the same with his readers. He summarizes this well in the following, Books on one topic are valuable. They let the author explore all the angles of an insight. But where do the insights themselves come from? Usually they come from paragraphs. Even sentences. For reasons not entirely explainable, God can make a single paragraph life changing.

Thank you to the people at WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for a copy of this book for review.
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This is a valuable resource for understanding the rural church of today in the USA. Hunter writes from his long experience as a pastor in rural churches and research in church growth. This book contains both his theory and practical experience for the small church in the country side. He deals with a wide variety of churches, such as cornfield churches, solo churches, small-town churches, playground churches, shrinking churches, migrant churches, and even "nonchurch churches." After defining rural, he then goes on to describe the personality of the rural church and how to heal its wounded personality. He then focuses on the health and vitality in the rural church, its pastor, worship, finances, and designs for the rural church.
V. John
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This book gives some interfaith ideas alongside Christian thought on the journey of our spirits and practical suggestions for understanding and implementing personal growth.
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The tendency towards polarization in our society is rampant. We see it perhaps most clearly and prominently in political debates, but it happens all over the place, not the least of which being debates within and about the church. While polarizing voices do tend to get a lot of attention, it's debatable whether they're really all that helpful in any positive, constructive sense.

For that reason, I'm thankful for thoughtful people who know where they stand, but who aren't intentionally or flippantly divisive about it. Tim Morey, author of Embodying Our Faith: Becoming a Living, Sharing, Practicing Church, is one of those thoughtful voices.

Morey is a pastor and church planter in California, and this book is a reworking of his dissertation from Fuller Seminary. What I so appreciate about the book is that while Morey asks a lot of penetrating questions ("Is a church really a church if it exists only for itself?") he goes about the task humbly, without any apparent axe to grind. He seems genuinely concerned with helping the church - his own and the North American church more broadly - to become, as the subtitle says, a living, sharing, practicing church. His is a high ecclesiology without ever slipping into the realm of wishful thinking.

Morey writes as one who at one point walked away from the church before coming back to make pastoring and church planting his life's work. This gives his perspective and insight some added legitimacy, in my opinion. He understands and empathizes with those in our "post-Christian" culture who have left the church or simply see no reason for it, but he is also deeply committed to help bring them back. Or, perhaps more accurately, he is committed to helping the church go to them. He takes up Lesslie Newbigin's plea for the necessity of being a missionary church to our own Western culture and urges us to develop an "embodied apologetic" rather than a merely rational one.

Importantly, while urging us to embrace the "whole" gospel through an embodied apologetic including both compassion and evangelism as the fabric of our life, he warns that we run the risk of losing sight of the simple core of Christ's teaching: discipleship. Highly rational, propositional evangelistic approaches - arguably the norm in evangelical churches - have tended to de-emphasize the importance of what's supposed to happen between conversion and death. Many of us are guilty of a sort of bait-and-switch evangelism in which we offer a fire insurance policy for free and only later share the fine print about what is expected of us as Christians, disciples of Jesus. Alternately, others of us have tended to focus on compassion but never get around to what it is that's uniquely Christian about our activity.

Morey comes to basically the same conclusion I have been coming to of late: discipleship entails a life in which compassion for others (regardless of need) and a call to conversion (most often a process rather than an event) are but two parts of a seamless whole.

Though he might have turned more heads and sold more books by taking sides in the hot-button theological debates of today, Morey has chosen the better way. He engages these pressing issues in a smart yet humble way and, through his example, urges us to move beyond reactionary rhetoric and towards the building up of a more Christ-like community of faith that truly embodies the good news for our neighbors.

[...]
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In Mark chapter 4, Jesus likened spiritual growth to a sower (farmer), going out to his field to plant seeds. Jesus used natural illustrations that the people of those times could easily identify with to represent a goal of growing in God (a goal that is still an open invitation to any who desire to accept). The author takes us through the chapter and explains these verses for us today. Following Jesus' example, she goes into detail describing who the enemies are at each stage of natural growth and how they are a warning of obstacles that are present at each stage of growth, spiritually, too.

We all need to grow; we shouldn't stay in an infantile or child-like state. While in certain respects, being a little child has its benefits of innocence and a willingness to forgive and adapt, in other aspects, we need to be on the lookout for when that childlike innocence becomes childlike immaturity which manifests itself as temper tantrums, lack of restraint and such.

God is Infinite and we cannot possibly exhaust higher realms of spiritual growth. There is always room for improvement -- no matter who we are and what our level of spiritual growth may be.