Spiritual Formation Line

from NavPress

When the Soul Listens by Jan Johnson
Finding Rest and Direction in Contemplative Prayer

Jan Johnson encourages readers to get away from the formulas and ten-step plans to discover true contemplative prayer. Readers will discover that listening to God and learning to interact with Him through prayer is the real answer to a deeper relationship with Him. Jan leads readers to transform their outward behavior in order to cultivate their inner life. For those who are disillusioned, searching for something that makes sense, or experiencing spiritual dryness, When the Soul Listens offers a clear path to a fulfilling connection with God. Jan uses simple directions and real life examples.

Follow Me by Jan David Hettinga 
Experience the Loving Leadership of Jesus

Jan Hettinga addresses the roadblocks that keep us from following Christ-our mistrust of authority, our fear of giving up control, and our unwillingness to face our resistance to God's kingdom. If you're tired of working to control your life and long to surrender to Jesus, Follow Me will challenge you to examine your life and submit to Christ as He leads you into the safety of His kingdom. 

"This book touches on one of the most crucial needs of our day and offers a careful discipling of both new believers and older church members who have never been taught to really follow Christ. I thoroughly endorse this book!"—Henry T. Blackaby, author of Experiencing God

 

In His Image by Michael Wilkins 
Reflecting Christ in Christ in Everyday Life

The ultimate goal of discipleship is to be like Jesus Himself and that this goal is not only possible to achieve, but it's a life that all Christians are called to.

Michael Wilkins gives readers a gentle but resounding wake-up call-being Christian is more than just fulfilling a list of good deeds or attending church.—Christian Retailing Magazine

Wilkins' commentary on how our hearts become hard-and what we can do to counter this ongoing threat to our spiritual well-being-is worth the price of the book.—Virtue Magazine

Soul Keeping by Howard Baker 
Ancient Paths of Spiritual Direction

"Many of us have felt mired in busyness, the pain of our past, apathy toward God, phoniness in prayer, our own self-absorption, or in a general feeling of lostness in our spiritual life," writes Howard Baker. But, he says, these "desert times" occur for a reason. They give us a thirst for the living water that only God can provide and allow us to experience the futility of losing our soul to this world, so that we will get serious about keeping it to life eternal. 

Soul Keeping is a metaphor for living a fulfilling, passionate life in Christ. In it you'll rediscover life in the kingdom of God as practiced by saints and martyrs, prophets and psalmists. The paths they walked are for the weary and worn-out, the bruised and battered, the disillusioned and despairing, the hurting and the hopeless. 

The River Within by Jeff Imbach
Loving God, Living Passionately

Have you ever wondered why your experience doesn't measure up to the radical life of joy and adventure described time and again in the Bible? Are you so busy "doing" that life has become a soul-wearying blur of activity? Do you ever feel like something deep and profoundly liberating is missing and wonder, "Is this all there is to life?"

"Imbach addresses the dangers of passion honestly. All too often the evangelical response to passion is on the side of avoidance and denial. The author suggests that the result is that many are unable to embrace God and the passionate life He has for them."—ChristianWeek

"If the problem is aversion to passion, because maybe a strict religious background taught you to suppress your deepest dreams and desires, check out Jeff Imbach's new book The River Within. Imbach shows how the Trinity is the ultimate expression of passion with a capital 'P'-and in the process peels away uncertainty surrounding this emotionally-charged word."—Aspire Magazine

Love Your God With All Your Mind by J. P. Moreland
The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul

"This exploration into the mind of evangelical Christianity is one of the most courageous books of our time. In language that is thoroughly erudite but compassionate, theological but practical, and scriptural but entirely relevant to today, the author presents the deeper significance of Paul's plea to the Christians at Phillipi: 'Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.'"—D. James Kennedy, Pastor, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church 

"This is more than just another Christian book. It is the wake-up call that the church needs today. God gave us minds for a reason. It is crucial that we become like Christ in the way we think. If we heed J.P.'s words, we can counter the culture in which we live, work, think, and minister." —Josh McDowell, Josh McDowell Ministries