Spiritual Disciplines

Salvation is a free gift from God. All Christians agree on this—it's the core of the Gospel, and represents the nature of mankind's relationship to the Creator of all things. We cannot achieve our own salvation, and must rely on God's mercy.

That does not mean God requires nothing of us. Once He claims us we follow, and following means turning our back on sin to embrace righteousness, love, and faith. This is also a gift; even those indwelt by the Holy Spirit can find no strength to do good on our own, but are empowered to seek God's face by Jesus Christ, the Maker of all good things.

Among the things He empowers us to accomplish are the spiritual disciplines: habits that lead to pure thinking, pure living, and selflessness in our relationships with God and other people. These include prayer, Bible reading, tithe and offering, meditation and contemplation, fasting, and caring for the needy.

While there is a high level of personal decision and commitment needed to accomplish these things, none of them are possible completely removed from accountability and community. Christ's body is a Church, not a bunch of disconnected individuals. If we expect to be successful in our pursuit of the spiritual disciplines, we must submit to whichever local assembly we belong.

Paul said,

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:19-23).

The world will know the Church by its love. This isn't limited to how we treat each other and those outside the Body (though those are certainly included); it also refers to our love of Christ and His Law. If we love Him, we'll do what He asks, just as Paul indicates in the passage above. This kind of attitude and behaviour doesn't develop overnight, it requires a lifetime of struggle and work.

When we say "work" in this context, we aren't talking about the work of Christ that saves. We're talking about the work on our part to follow and serve Him, to show our gratitude and the reality of our salvation. The spiritual disciplines are integral to this work. Below, we offer a variety of books intended to help you turn every moment to good account, to forsake the desires of the flesh, and to live as Christ commands.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

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101 Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
from Kregel Publications
for 6th-12th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$16.99
101 Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
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by Kenneth Osbeck
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30 Days to Understanding the Bible
by Max Anders
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After God's Heart
by Myrna Alexander
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All Things For Good
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Arrow Pointing to Heaven
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Ascent of Mount Carmel
by St. John of the Cross
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Authentic Faith
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Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth
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Bartholomew's Passage
by Arnold Ytreeide
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Be Still My Soul
by Elisabeth Elliot
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International Inductive Study Series
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Bible Jesus Read
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Biblical View of Self-Esteem, Self-Love, Self-Image
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Business of Heaven
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Celtic Book of Days
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Christian in Complete Armour
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Christian in Complete Armour Volume 1
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Christian's Secret of a Happy Life
by Hannah Whitall Smith
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Come Back, Barbara
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by Starr Meade
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Communion With God
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by John Owen, abridged and made easy to read by R.J.K. Law
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Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer
by E. M. Bounds
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Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer
by E. M. Bounds
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Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent
by John Piper
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Deeper Places
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Desiring God
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Desiring God
by John Piper
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Diary of an Old Soul
by George MacDonald
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Diary of Private Prayer
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Discipline
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Edges of His Ways
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Enemy Within
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Free Grace and Dying Love
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Get Your Story Straight
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Growing In Christ
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Heart Aflame
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How I Know God Answers Prayer
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How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth
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How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth
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Humility
by Andrew Murray
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Hunger for God
by John Piper
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John Ploughman's Talk
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Christian Living for 10th-Adult
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Knowing God
by J. I. Packer
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$20.00
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer
by C. S. Lewis
Reissue from HarperCollins
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Live Like a Jesus Freak
by dc Talk
from Bethany House
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Living by the Book
by Howard Hendricks, William Hendricks
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Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days
by Kay Arthur
Expanded from Harvest House
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Lord, Teach Me to Study the Bible in 28 Days
by Kay Arthur
11.1.2008 from Harvest House
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Making Sense of Your Dollars
by Ian Hodge
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Mark of the Christian
by Francis A. Schaeffer
2nd edition from InterVarsity Press
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Method for Prayer
by Matthew Henry
from Christian Focus Publications
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$11.99
Ministries of Mercy
by Tim Keller
3rd edition from P&R Publishing
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Ministry of Intercession
by Andrew Murray
from Whitaker House
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Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
by Brandon J. O'Brien, E. Randolph Richards
from InterVarsity Press
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Mystery of Providence
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by John Flavel
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Operation World
by Jason Mandryk, Patrick & Robin Johnstone
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Our Lord Prays for His Own
by Marcus Rainsford
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Pilgrim's Progress - Study Guide
by Maureen L. Bradley
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Place of Quiet Rest
by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
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Pleasures of God
by John Piper
from Multnomah Books
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Practical Religion
by J. C. Ryle
from Banner of Truth Trust
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Practicing His Presence
by Brother Lawrence, Frank Laubach
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$10.95
Pray With Your Eyes Open
by Richard Pratt
from P&R Publishing
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$7.50
Prayer
by Timothy J. Keller
from Dutton Adult
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$18.00
Prayer
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by John Bunyan
from Banner of Truth Trust
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Prayer of Jehoshaphat
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Praying Life
by Paul Miller
from NavPress
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$10.50
Praying through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window
2nd edition from YWAM Publishing
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$9.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Pursuit of God
by A. W. Tozer
from Moody Press
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$4.99
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by Jerry Bridges
from NavPress
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Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Christian Heritage Series
by Jeremiah Burroughs, introduction by Nancy Wilson
from Canon Press
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$15.95
Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Puritan Paperbacks #7
by Jeremiah Burroughs
from Banner of Truth Trust
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Reaching the Ear of God
by Wayne Mack
from P&R Publishing
in Prayer (Location: XCL-PRAY)
Reflections for Ragamuffins
by Brennan Manning
from HarperCollins
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$6.50 (1 in stock)
Reflections on the Psalms
by C. S. Lewis
Reprint from HarperOne
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in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
Same Sex Controversy
by James R. White & Jeffrey Niell
from Bethany House
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in Sexual Sin (Location: XCL-SEX)
$19.00
Schaeffer on the Christian Life
Theologians on the Christian Life
by William Edgar
from Crossway Books
for 11th-Adult
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Scripture Memory Made Easy
by Mark Water
from Hendrickson Publishers
for 7th-Adult
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Search the Scriptures
by Alan M. Stibbs
2nd edition from InterVarsity Press
for 9th-Adult
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Secret Key to Heaven
by Thomas Brooks
from Banner of Truth Trust
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Spirit and the Church
Puritan Paperbacks #30
by John Owen
Abridged from Banner of Truth Trust
for 11th-Adult
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$9.00
Spirit of the Disciplines
by Dallas Willard
from HarperCollins
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$7.50 (2 in stock)
Spiritual-Mindedness
Puritan Paperbacks #41
by John Owen
from Banner of Truth Trust
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