LIVING BY FAITH

This section is devoted to those books which inspire us to walk more closely with God
and to follow Him in our daily lives. It covers devotional books and those on discipleship and spiritual warfare. Books exclusively devoted to prayer are more likely to be found on another page:
Getting to Know God Better

The Fight: A Practical Handbook for Christian Living  by John White. This is a guide through the basic areas of Christian living believers wrestle with throughout their lives: faith, prayer, temptation, evangelism, guidance, Bible study, fellowship, and work. The author shows new Christians how to begin their new lives and offers older Christians refreshing insights into the struggles and joys of freedom in Christ. This is a good basic book on discipleship. Trade paper, InterVarsity Press, 230 pages. CAt. #IVP-7770. $10.79-D

Following Jesus in the "Real World": Discipleship for the Post-College Years by Richard Lamb. InterVarsity Press, soft cover, 223 pages. For those of us who were active in campus Christian organizations, dorm Bible Studies and prayer meetings, graduating and leaving the campus can be a spiritual let-down. Somehow it's hard to find a church that seems to compare with the campus organizations we belonged to. And the responsibilities of the "real world" of employment, marriage, parenting, and financial pressures can take up a lot of those hours we had for evangelism and fellowship while we were in college. This book helps both new graduates and those who are looking back with nostalgia at their college days to make the transition to a non-academic world. Here are some of the chapter headings:

        The King and the Kingdom
        Productivity and Prayer
        Meaningless Work and Fruitful Labor
        Community After College
        Strategies for Church Involvement
        A Mobilized Lifestyle for the Kingdom
        Embracing a Lifestyle of Ministry
        Finding God's Will for Your Life
        The Joy of Obedience

Each chapter has some questions to reflect on and some suggestions for further reading at the end. IVP-16089. $11.69-D

Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best   by Eugene Peterson. Trade paper, InterVarsity Press. This series of profound reflections on the life of Jeremiah has meant more to me than any book I've read in a long time. Each chapter begins with a verse or two from Jeremiah followed by a contemporary quote in bold print that raises an issue or idea to think about. And then the author shares his insights into the life of Jeremiah. Here is an excerpt to give you an idea of the author's theme and style.  First he sets the stage by talking about how many people today live trivial lives and then do something really evil to establish their significance. The mass media report what they've done and said, and then writers "vie with one another in analyzing their motives," etc. Peterson points out that no culture has been as eager as ours to reward nonsense and wickedness. The he goes on:

   If, on the other hand, we look around  for what it means to be a mature, whole, blessed person, we don't find much. ...No journalist interviews them. No talk show features them. They are not admired....They do not set trends...At year's end no one compiles a list of the ten best-lived lives.

    All the same, we continue to have an unquenchable thirst for wholeness, a hunger for righteousness. When we get thoroughly disgusted with the shams and cretins that are served up to us daily as celebrities, some of us turn to Scriptures to satisfy our need for someone to look up to. What does it mean to be a real man? A real woman? What shape does mature, authentic humanity take in everyday life?

Peterson's response is to show us the live of Jeremiah, a man who lived the life of faith to the hilt, and yet had the same human frailties all flesh is prone to. Whether your life seems humdrum and boring, or frantic, if it's not fulfilling, this book is for you. From Jeremiah learn to risk, to trust, and to pursue wholeness and excellence -- "to run with the horses in the jungle of life in our times." Peterson is one of the few authors who has dealt with the important issues of where we get our significance in life and the excitement of walking by faith.. This is a book worth reading again and again. 213 pages, including notes. Cat. #IVP-9056. $12.59-D