Search results for ""author joe barnard""

Spiritual fitness for Christians whose growth has stagnated Many of us feel like our spiritual growth has stalled. Our routines have hardened into ruts. Around us, we see other Christians with the same struggles and we start to think that treading water is the basic rhythm of the Christian life. Often the problem of stagnating faith is down to one simple fact – we all have a bias towards ease. Our spiritual routines involve passively reading our Bibles, not lingering long enough to comprehend or retain what was read, and a few distracted minutes spent in prayer. This book of spiritual workouts is meant to push complacent souls back out into the space of exertion and discovery. It will engage and sharpen the faculties of the mind – memory, imagination, intellect, conscience and will. Each workout, thematically grouped, features a hymn, richly steeped in scripture. There is a Bible passage to read, a list of the scripture references made in the hymn, and three reflection questions to meditate on. The 100 exercises are grouped into these themes: The Holiness of God The Mystery of the Gospel Incarnation and Life Death Resurrection and Ascension Final Judgement and New Creation Spiritual Fellowship The Father The Son The Holy Spirit The Church Spiritual Transformation Inward Motivation Mature Character Spiritual Disciplines Bible Reading Prayer Repentance and Mortification Practicing the Presence of God Whole–Life Discipleship Spiritual Trials Suffering and Affliction Temptation and Spiritual Warfare Facing Death

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Christian men today are unprepared for the reality and scope of spiritual warfare they face. Some go about their lives naively ignoring the power that spiritual forces like sin and Satan have in their lives. Joe Barnard has written a book to help men not only wake up to the existence of sin in their lives, but, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to tackle it head on. This may seem like a daunting task. Although few would admit it publicly, privately many share the deep anxiety that the resources of the gospel are inadequate to deal with – not the guilt of sin – but the power of sin. Sin may look like an insurmountable problem when measured by the stature of a fallen man, but to God, sin is no more than a weed planted in sand. This book is for men who are willing to fight and it will arm them for the task at hand. Chapter headings Orientation The Rules of War The Fight Against Deception How to Kill Entrenched Passions Four Sins That Are Killing Modern Men

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A lot of Christian men – and small groups of men – feel stuck. They have a sincere desire to grow but feel confused about what to do next. The Way Forward is a road–map for men who want to cut through the noise and distraction of the 21st century and take definite steps toward spiritual maturity. This book follows the simple format of problem, solution, and plan. Men who read it will walk away with both a clear diagnosis for why they feel stuck and a practical action plan for moving forward.

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