The Jesus Life: Eight Ways to Recover Authentic Christianity
Lost? Explore the way to life!
We've lost the way that leads to life. With competing priorities and rival demands, we're more confused than ever in how to live the life Jesus offers. Is it the church way, the American way, or the busy way? With so many ways facing us, we're more paralyzed than alive; more perplexed than sure; more bewildered than confident. The Jesus Life offers eight compelling ways to help us rediscover what it really means to follow Jesus in the 21st century.
Top Highlights
“Do we follow the Way or are we following a denomination, a person, a culture, or a program, or even a church?” (source)
“Churches offer what they think is the right doctrine instead of helping people discover the life Jesus came to give. We fight over dogma, insisting that believing the right thing will yield the right life. The truth is, the Pharisees in Jesus’ day did the same thing so many Christians are doing today. We are on information overload. We go to Bible studies, attend seminars, and listen to countless sermons, but this one reality remains: Information and the amassing of information, no matter how true it is, does not lead to life transformation.” (source)
“The ability to accept that our hidden, anonymous years are God ordained takes the pressure off. We can lay down the burden of always trying to make something happen, and we can focus on smelling the roses of today. The secret of the hidden years is allowing God to reveal our beauty, worth, and purpose in His time. And we have to remember that His time is usually not our time.” (source)
“Luke was clear in presenting a rhythm of Jesus’ life that looked like this: Engage then disengage; work in the crowds but always make time to rejuvenate with time alone. Luke revealed that Jesus was not always on, He was not always available. This important lesson is key to sustaining a resilient and satisfying life.” (source)
“Anonymity is not a bad circumstance. Obscurity is not something we should run from. Isolation is not a disease. These three realities are tools of truth that God uses to shape the souls of every one of His sons and daughters.” (source)
"Steve Smith cuts through the religious paraphernalia and daily clutter that obstructs our path to lives of purpose and power, and he clearly explains the simplicity of The Jesus Life in the kingdom of God. He has deep insights into how we have come to live the way we do, in church and out. With refreshing realism and wide-ranging knowledge, he helps us identify clear illusions that bog us down and introduces us to simple steps and arrangements that enable eternal living. The directions he gives are self-validating. We have only to 'just do it.' The Jesus Life would be ideal for real spiritual progress in small groups in church and in community. Serious individual engagement with it will bring assurance that the life praised in our songs and scriptures can be ours."
Dallas Willard, author of The Divine Conspiracy
Product Details
- Title : The Jesus Life: Eight Ways to Recover Authentic Christianity
- Author: Smith, Stephen W.
- Publisher: David C Cook
- Publication Date: 2012
- ISBN: 9780781408394
Stephen W. Smith is the co-founder and spiritual director of Potter's Inn, an international ministry devoted to spiritual formation and the care of the soul. He is the author of six books and numerous study guides, including The Lazarus Life, Living the Lazarus Life, Soul Custody, and Soul Shaping. Stephen and his wife, Gwen, reside in Colorado.