The Good And Beautiful God

Author : James Bryan Smith
Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 0830878343
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.45/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Good and Beautiful God written by James Bryan Smith and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2009-12-14 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over 250,000 Sold Worldwide! "God wants me to try harder." "God blesses me when I'm good and punishes me when I'm bad." "God is angry with me." We all have ideas that we tell ourselves about God and how he works in our lives. Some are true—but many are false. James Bryan Smith believes those thoughts determine not only who we are, but how we live. In fact, Smith declares, the most important thing about a person is what they think about God. The path to spiritual transformation begins here. Turning to the Gospels, Smith invites you to put your ideas to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God. Once you've discovered the truth in Scripture, Smith leads you through a process of spiritual formation that includes specific activities aimed at making these new narratives real in your body and soul as well as your mind. At the end of each chapter you'll find an opportunity for soul training, engaging in spiritual practices that reinforce the biblical messages on your mind and heart. Because the best way to make a complete and lasting change is to go through the material in community, small group discussion questions also accompany each chapter. This deep, loving and transformative book will help you discover the narratives that Jesus lived by—to know the Lord he knew and the kingdom he proclaimed—and to practice spiritual exercises that will help you grow in the knowledge of our good and beautiful God. The Good and Beautiful Series includes four essential discipleship books from James Bryan Smith. Work through these proven Bible study resources individually or with a group to learn who God is, what it means to be a Christian, how to live in community, and how to address toxic self-narratives that hinder spiritual growth.

Author : James Bryan Smith
Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 0830878769
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.65/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Good and Beautiful Life written by James Bryan Smith and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2009-12-14 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I have never met a person whose goal was to ruin his or her life. We all want to be happy, and we want it all of the time." So begins James Bryan Smith in The Good and Beautiful Life. The problem is, he tells us, we have bought into false notions of happiness and success. These self-centered decisions lead us further into the vices that cause ruin: anger, lust, lying, worry, and judging. Eventually we find ourselves living a beautifully packaged life of self-destruction. Following the Sermon on the Mount, this follow-up to The Good and Beautiful God guides us to look behind these character flaws and to replace our false beliefs with Jesus' narratives about life in the kingdom of God. The Good and Beautiful Series includes four essential discipleship books from James Bryan Smith. Work through these proven Bible study resources individually or with a group to learn who God is, what it means to be a Christian, how to live in community, and how to address toxic self-narratives that hinder spiritual growth.

Author : James Bryan Smith
Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 9780830835409
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.07/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Good and Beautiful Series written by James Bryan Smith and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-01-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: James Bryan Smith believes the gospel is about change in our lives today, not just our eternal destiny. In The Good and Beautiful Series he aims to help Christians develop a robust discipleship by helping them understand who God is, what it means to be a Christian and what it means to live in community as a part of God's kingdom. Throughout the series, which includes The Good and Beautiful God, The Good and Beautful Life and The Good and Beautiful Community, Smith encourages you to read, journal, pray, discuss and participate in weekly spiritual exercises to help you engage with the text. As you work through the books individually (or more ideally in a group setting) you'll discover your heart being shaped by the truth of Christ—and your life being changed. Get to know the God Jesus knew and the Kingdom he proclaimed. The transformation you seek will come as a direct result of spending focused time with him and his people. A Renovaré Resource.

Author : James Bryan Smith
Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 0830861254
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.55/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Good and Beautiful Community written by James Bryan Smith and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-07-21 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this Good and Beautiful Series book, James Bryan Smith helps us know how to live in relationship with others as apprentices of Jesus. "Apprentices of Jesus are not part-time do-gooders," he writes. "They live in continuous contact with the kingdom of God, and are constantly men and women in whom Christ dwells. They do not sometimes tell the truth, sometimes live sacrificially or sometimes forgive. There are myriad opportunities for us to impact the world in which we live." Yet many times we've gotten it wrong, tending to emphasize personal faith over social justice or vice versa. In these pages Jim Smith shows us how to bring spiritual formation and community engagement together, and then once again offers spiritual practices that root new, true narratives about God and the world in our souls. His insight and humility as a fellow learner with us will lead us to live in authentic ways as a good and beautiful community of Christ-followers, shining the light of the Spirit into every relationship. The Good and Beautiful Series includes four essential discipleship books from James Bryan Smith. Work through these proven Bible study resources individually or with a group to learn who God is, what it means to be a Christian, how to live in community, and how to address toxic self-narratives that hinder spiritual growth.

Author : James Bryan Smith
Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 0830889280
Total Pages : 206 pages
Book Rating : 4.80/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Magnificent Story written by James Bryan Smith and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2017-08-08 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We are story-making people. We love reading stories—and we love hearing the personal stories of others. We need stories, or narratives, to make sense of our world. And those stories shape our lives. What is the story you have been told about the gospel? About God? About the Christian life? About Jesus? About the cross? About yourself? About heaven? Your answers to these questions will form a story that will determine how your life will go. The answers reveal your ability to trust, to love, to hope—and even your capacity for joy. Any story worth giving the power to shape our lives must pass a simple test: Is it beautiful, good, and true? If it is, then it is a magnificent story—and that is where transformation takes place. From James Bryan Smith, author of the bestselling book The Good and Beautiful God, comes this spiritual formation resource meant to help both individuals and groups understand the magnificent story of Christ in their lives. The field-tested material within includes spiritual practices at the end of each chapter and a group discussion guide. Uncover the true story of beauty, goodness, and truth that will satisfy the ultimate longings of your heart.

Author : James Bryan Smith
Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 0830895450
Total Pages : 218 pages
Book Rating : 4.58/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hidden in Christ written by James Bryan Smith and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-05-01 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Deeper Sort of Devotional Words are powerful. They contain ideas and shape the way we see God, ourselves and all of reality. We're transformed, in particular, by God's Word, and by "the Word," the Logos—Jesus himself—as described by John in the first chapter of his Gospel. Memorizing and studying a passage in depth can offer a deeper sense of the meaning of each word. In this unique introduction to the hidden life in Christ, James Bryan Smith walks readers through a thirty-day immersion in Colossians 3:1-17. Each of the thirty short chapters of this book bring out the main truth of just one word or phrase of this rich passage. You'll also find a very simple daily practice to take up, reflection questions and a guide for five weeks of group discussion. The chapters are short in length, making this book an ideal daily devotional. Since there are thirty chapters, it could be used for a one-month introduction to the hidden life in Christ. Though brief in terms of length, each chapter tries to unearth some very deep truths. For those who have read and practiced the exercises in the Apprentice series, this book will be a helpful refresher as you continue your sacred journey. Each chapter also contains an exercise or practice ("Living into the Truth"), as well as an affirmation that summarizes the main point of the chapter and a written prayer designed to move you deeper into the truths of the Word. In addition, each chapter concludes with a few reflection questions that can be used either by individuals or in a group discussion. The only way to tell a story is to use words. May the words of Colossians 3 become a companion to you as God continues to write your story.

Author : John Bevere
Publisher : Messenger International
ISBN 13 : 1933185961
Total Pages : 280 pages
Book Rating : 4.65/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Good Or God? written by John Bevere and published by Messenger International. This book was released on 2015-08-11 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These days the terms good and God seem synonymous. We believe what’s generally accepted as good must be in line with God’s will. Generosity, humility, justice—good. Selfishness, arrogance, cruelty—evil. The distinction seems pretty straightforward. But is that all there is to it? If good is so obvious, why does the Bible say that we need discernment to recognize it? Good or God? isn’t another self-help message. This book will do more than ask you to change your behavior. It will empower you to engage with God on a level that will change every aspect of your life.

Author : Wm. Paul Young
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1501101412
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.10/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Lies We Believe About God written by Wm. Paul Young and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of the bestselling novel The Shack and the New York Times bestsellers Cross Roads and Eve comes a compelling, conversational exploration of twenty-eight assumptions about God—assumptions that just might be keeping us from experiencing His unconditional, all-encompassing love. In his wildly popular novels, Wm. Paul Young portrayed the Triune God in ways that challenged our thinking—sometimes upending long-held beliefs, but always centered in the eternal, all-encompassing nature of God’s love. Now, in Wm. Paul Young’s first nonfiction book, he invites us to revisit our assumptions about God—this time using the Bible, theological discussion, and personal anecdotes. Paul encourages us to think through beliefs we’ve presumed to be true and consider whether some might actually be false. Expounding on the compassion fans felt from the “Papa” portrayed in The Shack—now a major film starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer—Paul encourages you to think anew about important issues including sin, religion, hell, politics, identity, creation, human rights, and helping us discover God’s deep and abiding love.

Author : Elizabeth George
Publisher : Harvest House Publishers
ISBN 13 : 0736970495
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.95/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Beautiful in God's Eyes written by Elizabeth George and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2017-10-01 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beauty is more than skin deep— it starts in the heart and works outward Exploring the timeless wisdom of Proverbs 31, Bible teacher Elizabeth George reveals how you can become a woman of true beauty—a woman who desires to honor God in all that she says and does. Beautiful in God's Eyes helps you make each day immensely meaningful as you delight in God and discover how to... experience instant progress toward personal goals manage daily life more effectively tap into unlimited energy apply biblical principles to enhance relationships move from the ordinary to the extraordinary You can experience a richer, more exciting spiritual walk as you embrace God's design for true beauty in your life.

Author : James Bryan Smith
Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 083086833X
Total Pages : 60 pages
Book Rating : 4.39/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Kingdom and the Cross written by James Bryan Smith and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-11-08 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We believe a lot of false narratives about the nature of God, things like "God helps those who help themselves"; "God blesses the righteous"; "God might not be out for your good, and you might be missing something." But pastor and professor James Bryan Smith, author of the Apprentice Series, points us to the truth of who God is, revealed by Jesus: A God who loves to help the helpless. A God who doesn't play favorites, whether righteous or unrighteous. A God who is, in his essence, self-sacrificing—even to death—to save a people he loves. In six short chapters, The Kingdom and the Cross zooms in on Christ's work on the cross and what it all means about who God is and how we're to live as his people. A soul training exercise is included for each chapter to help the new true narrative take root in our hearts. And a discussion guide at the end makes this complement to The Apprentice Series perfect for groups to work through together, especially during the season of Lent. Understanding Christ's work on the cross is crucial for any apprentice of Jesus. Here is a resource to help you see—and believe—more fully, that you might live more faithfully in his kingdom.