Personal Formation
Take deeper steps in your journey towards a more Jesus-Centred life.
Overview
The following resources are designed for anyone who wants to take “Deeper Steps” with Jesus. This list is a work in progress, so books may be added or deleted along the way. From time-to-time a selection of these resources will be available to purchase at the Connection Centre in the church lobby on Sundays. (To be clear: We aren’t endorsing every word of each book, but we do think these have helpful insights to help us grow into more Jesus-centred people.)
Devotional & Prayer
Here are some helpful resources that guide you in daily devotional practices.
The Reservoir (15 month devotional)
Meeting God in Scripture: A Hands-On Guide to Lectio Divina by Jan Johnson
Spiritual Disciplines Companion by Jan Johnson
Hearing God: Through the Year by Dallas Willard
Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard
The Divine Hours: Pocket Edition by Phyllis Tickle
The Divine Hours: Springtime
The Divine Course: Summertime
The Divine Hours: Autumn and Winter
Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals
Pray as You Go App (find on App Store)
Lectio 365 App (find on App Store)
Bible Study
The “For Everyone” series of devotional commentaries are great for studying books of the Bible. Each book of the Old and New Testaments is covered. Below, you will find a couple of examples from this series, but each volume is readily available.
Mark for Everyone by N.T. Wright
Revelation for Everyone by N.T. Wright
Genesis for Everyone by John Goldingay
Psalms for Everyone by John Goldingay
Bible Project Videos
Spiritual Formation
These are books designed to help you grow in your journey with Jesus.
Invitation to the Jesus Life by Jan Johnson
Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith
Echoing Hope by Kurt Willems
Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
Invitation to Retreat by Ruth Haley Barton
Life Together in Christ by Ruth Haley Barton
Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton
The Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas
Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
Everyday Supernatural: Living a Spirit-Led Life without Being Weird by Mike Pilavachi & Andy Croft
Jesus and the Kingdom
Who is Jesus and what does he invite us to be part of? These books are great conversation partners.
King Jesus Gospel by Scot McKnight
The Gospel Precisely by Matthew Bates
Simply Good News by N.T. Wright
Simply Jesus by N.T. Wright
What is God's Kingdom? by César García
What is God's Mission in the World? by Juan Francisco & Jamie Pitts
Why Did Jesus Die? by Michele Hershberger
Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg
Who Was Jesus and What does it Mean to Follow Him? by Nancy Elizabeth Bedford
The Christian Story and Hope
What does the biblical story say about our ultimate hope? Here are some books about the big story of the Scriptures and the hope of Jesus to restore all things in the end.
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
Reading Revelation Responsibly by Michael Gorman
God's Shalom Project by Bernhard Ott
The Bible
While we might not agree with every word each author has to say about Scripture, these books give us helpful guidelines for interpreting the Bible.
Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (available in NIV or NRSV)
What is the Bible and How Do We Understand It? by Dr. Dennis Edwards
How to Read the Bible for All its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
Scripture and the Authority of God by N.T. Wright
Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible by Scot McKnight
Interpreting Scripture by N.T. Wright
How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns
New Testament Documents: Are they Reliable? by F.F. Bruce
Cross Vision by Greg Boyd
Christian Peacemaking
“Blessed are the peacemakers…” These resources inspire and equip us to bring shalom to our relationships, city, and world.
Mending the Divides: Creative Love in a Conflicted World by Jer Swigart and Jon Huckins
Farewell to Mars by Brian Zahnd
Nonviolence: The Revolutionary Way of Jesus by Preston Sprinkle
Might from the Margins by prof. Dennis Edwards
Kids Books
These are great resources for teaching kids about Jesus.
Deep Blue Kids Bible (Common English Bible)
The Story of King Jesus by Ben Irwin
Children of God Storybook Bible by Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Your Magnificent Chooser by John Ortberg
Love Does: For Kids by Bob Goff