The Good and Beautiful Community: Following the Spirit, Extending Grace, Demonstrating Love

by James Bryan Smith

Overview

In this Good and Beautiful Series book, James Bryan Smith helps us know how to live in relationship with others as apprentices of Jesus. "Apprentices of Jesus are not part-time do-gooders," he writes. "They live in continuous contact with the kingdom of God, and are constantly men and women in whom Christ dwells. They do not sometimes tell the truth, sometimes live sacrificially or sometimes forgive. There are myriad opportunities for us to impact the world in which we live."

Yet many times we've gotten it wrong, tending to emphasize personal faith over social justice or vice versa. In these pages Jim Smith shows us how to bring spiritual formation and community engagement together, and then once again offers spiritual practices that root new, true narratives about God and the world in our souls. His insight and humility as a fellow learner with us will lead us to live in authentic ways as a good and beautiful community of Christ-followers, shining the light of the Spirit into every relationship.

The Good and Beautiful Series includes four essential discipleship books from James Bryan Smith. Work through these proven Bible study resources individually or with a group to learn who God is, what it means to be a Christian, how to live in community, and how to address toxic self-narratives that hinder spiritual growth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780830835331
Publisher:	InterVarsity Press
Publication date:	08/04/2010
Series:	The Good and Beautiful Series
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	670,943
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

James Bryan Smith is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, as well as the director of the Christian Spiritual Formation Institute there. A writer and speaker in the area of Christian spiritual formation, Jim Smith is a founding board member of Renovaré. Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches. He is also the author of A Spiritual Formation Workbook, Devotional Classics (with Richard Foster), Embracing the Love of God, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven and Room of Marvels.

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

How to Get the Most Out of This Book 21

1 The Peculiar Community 23

Soul Training: Two-by-Four

2 The Hopeful Community 43

Soul Training: Sharing Your Faith

3 The Serving Community 65

Soul Training: Treasuring Our Treasures

4 The Christ-Centered Community 83

Soul Training: Loving Those We Disagree With

5 The Reconciling Community 105

Soul Training: Experiencing Reconciliation

6 The Encouraging Community 125

Soul Training: Finding an Accountability Friend

7 The Generous Community 147

Soul Training: Stewardship of Resources

8 The Worshiping Community 169

Soul Training: Worship

9 Writing a Soul-Training Plan 189

Appendix: Small Group Discussion Guide 203

Notes 231

Acknowledgments 235

What People are Saying About This

Todd Hunter

"Jim Smith is the most articulate, accurate and helpful writer of spiritual formation of my generation. I give this series my highest recommendation."
— Todd Hunter, author of Giving Church Another Chance

Dallas Willard

"The Apprentice Series is the best practice I have seen in Christian spiritual formation."
— Dallas Willard, author of The Divine Conspiracy

Richard J. Foster

"The Apprentice Series is a treasure. Dr. Smith has thought long and hard about the process of human transformation into the likeness of Jesus. I urge you to buy these books immediately! Read them and apply them. Then live them out in the context of a loving community. You will not regret doing so."
— Richard J. Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline and coauthor of Longing for God

Editorial Reviews

"Jim Smith is the most articulate, accurate and helpful writer of spiritual formation of my generation. I give this series my highest recommendation."

Todd Hunter

"The Good and Beautiful Community is very readable, relatable, and practical. Recommend it to pastors, adult Sunday school teachers, small-group leaders, fans of Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, and customers interested in spiritual formation and disciplines."

Daniel Johnson

"The Apprentice Series is a treasure. Dr. Smith has thought long and hard about the process of human transformation into the likeness of Jesus. I urge you to buy these books immediately! Read them and apply them. Then live them out in the context of a loving community. You will not regret doing so."

Richard J. Foster

"The Apprentice Series is the best practice I have seen in Christian spiritual formation."

Dallas Willard