James Bryan Smith

A Sojourner's Truth

History & Biography

“Of the three transcendentals—beauty, goodness, and truth—it is the last one, truth, that is most under siege today in our postmodern world. This important, inspiring, and well-written book allows the light of truth to shine through uplifting—and at times heart-wrenching—stories and insights that use the theme of exodus as a guiding image. This book will stay with me for a long time.”

Awaken Your Senses

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“Amazingly, we become dull to something as extraordinary as life, and bored by someone as awesome as God. This book woke me up without beating me up, and gave me tangible, practical ways to savor the sacrament of life, to have genuine gratitude for my body and its senses, and to sink into the glory of God until I felt nothing but joy. Read this and be blessed.”

Be Kind to Yourself

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“Be Kind to Yourself is one of those rare, triple threat books in Christian spiritual formation. One, it actually makes you want to do the work—and it is work—of formation. Two, it offers deep and wise and authentic counsel that is both ancient and current as it deals with life in our modern world of technology and social media. And three, it offers the right level of intensity—too difficult and we quit, too easy and we don't grow. We need this book right now. It will teach you not only how to be kind to yourself but also to love yourself rightly so you can naturally be a blessing to others.”

Becoming Curious

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Called to Be Saints

Christian Living

“This is a much-needed book today. It answers the pressing yet almost forgotten question of character by articulating how the sanctification gap came to be and how to bridge it. This book is a wise guide to abundant living, not through self-help techniques but by learning how to live an abundant life in Christ. Read this book, study this book, live this book, and you will find wisdom, goodness, love and joy.”

Claimed by God

Bible Studies & Devotionals

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Deep Peace

Christian Living

“As I was reading Deep Peace, I felt a quiet calmness come over me. This is no self-help book. Page after page points us to the Prince of Peace, to Jesus himself, himself, who alone can give us peace. Todd Hunter has written many wonderful books, but this is his best writing and thinking yet.”

Does God Really Like Me?

Christian Living

“Written with honesty and grace, Does God Really Like Me? makes the case that God indeed likes us, and longs to be with us. In a world dominated by feelings of deficiency, distress, and dislike, we badly need to hear the message of this book and to live into it: God loves me, and God likes me, and by God's grace, so can I.”

Feathers of Hope

Fiction

“As in her other wonderful novels, Sharon Garlough Brown draws us close to well-known and loved characters who communicate, once more, spiritual truths in their words and actions. This is a timely book for our times as we grapple with issues of diversity and race and justice, while at the same time being shepherded more deeply into the heart of God. Expect to broaden your understanding and feel a deeper longing when you read this wonderful book.”

Hearing God

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Learning Humility

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“Destined to be another classic from Richard J. Foster, Learning Humility is a gift from a gifted writer. In this book we get to walk with Richard not only on the trails of Colorado but also on the terrain of the soul. Richard is a true scribe of the kingdom who brings forth treasures old and new (Matthew 13:52). The breadth and depth of the wisdom bearers he quotes is immense, from Peter and Paul, to Evagrius and Julian, to Chief Joseph and Underhill, to Kelly and Law, and to Murray and contemporary writers. Framed by the thirteen months and moons of the Lakota and filled with liturgies and litanies, this book ignited in me a hunger for humility in my own life. This is one of Richard's signature gifts: he makes us long for difficult things by helping us see that virtues, like humility, are the pearl of great price, worth giving all we have to obtain it. This book is an engaging and insightful gem, and I am the better for having read it.”

Learning to Be

Counseling, Grief & Mental Health

“From the moment I began Juanita's very personal and beautifully written story, I could not put it down. She speaks deep truth on every page as she recounts what caused her 'crash,' and how she found her true identity as the beloved child of God she is. This book describes a life-giving journey—a journey to authentic freedom—that all of us need to hear.”

Life Together in Christ

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“Once again Ruth Haley Barton gives us wise and practical counsel in an area of great need in the body of Christ: spiritual formation in community with other Christ-followers. The greatest issue we face today is whether those who are Christians will become disciples—apprentices—of Jesus, learning how to be with Jesus, to do what he said, to become like him, not as isolated individuals but as the company of the committed. Gather your friends and read this book together. If you soak it in and live it out, you will become an incendiary fellowship, a transforming community and an agent of change in our world.”

Mythical Me

Christian Living

“Have you wrestled with the thought, I wish I could be more like . . . ? In this beautifully written, deeply personal, much-needed book, Richella Parham plumbs the depths of one of the most subtle, soul-deadening practices of our age: constantly comparing ourselves with others. In an age of compulsive comparison disorder, this book is a must-read. If you feel stuck in the steel trap of comparison and long not only for freedom but for a way to embrace the fearfully and wonderfully made person God has created you to be, this is the book for you.”

Practicing the Way of Jesus

Christian Living

“This book provides something we urgently need today: a practice-based approach to spiritual formation. It is an honest account of someone, and several someones, who actually tried to do the things Jesus taught us to do. This book is inspiring because it shows a willingness to take risks, and is honest at the same time. Focusing on practice can tend toward legalism, but Mark avoids any hint of legalism by stressing the inner character over the outer action and, as he puts it so beautifully, not merely engaging in pious practices, but 'learning to dance to God's song.' In an age when we talk more about spirituality than we practice it, this book will provide us a healthy balance. It is a much-needed approach to Christian formation for the current generation and beyond.”

Prayer in the Night

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“Tish has done it again! Good writers, Frederick Buechner once told me, 'pay attention to their lives.' By this standard, Tish Harrison Warren is a very good writer indeed. She tells stories from her own life—sometimes commonplace, sometimes heartbreaking—with great detail, and even greater insight. Using the brilliant, time-tested words found in Compline, a service of evening prayers used before sleep, as her outline, this well-written and deeply honest book will inspire you to begin using these prayers in your own life. It did for me. Reading this book was like having a meaningful conversation with a friend over a crackling fire and having a clear sense that you are the better for having engaged in it. Tish is far too young to be thiswise. I am grateful for her life, for her searching faith, and I am very grateful for this special book.”

Renovation of the Church

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“The honest story of two courageous pastors who dared to change the ethos of their church from a membership focus to a discipleship focus, from catering to consumers to creating Christ-followers. Their story will inspire you.”

Sanctuary of the Soul

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“This is Richard Foster at his best--describing the inner life with clarity and wisdom gained from his own experience. The content of this book, as experienced through his teaching, changed my life thirty years ago, opening me to a real, vibrant relationship with God through silence and listening. Over time this teaching has matured, and is destined to become a classic. If you want to experience an intimate relationship with God, simply read this book and put it into practice. Heaven awaits!”

Shades of Light

Fiction

“Christians have not done well with the subject of mental illness. There is a great deal of stigma around the therapy process, calling people's struggles 'a lack of faith' or 'sin in their life.' This marvelous book courageously unveils the reality of psychological struggle even among people of faith, pointing us to the Jesus who keeps company with us in everything that is hard—a companion in sorrow. Thank you, Sharon, for this work that I predict will be healing to many.”

Survival Guide for the Soul

Christian Living

“Like a great physician, Ken Shigematsu diagnoses our primary problem: striving to achieve in order to feel valued. He then offers soul solutions in the form of spiritual practices, such as Sabbath, service, and gratitude. He explains not merely the how of these practices, but also the why. This book will not only help your soul survive, it will allow it to thrive.”