"God wants me to try harder.""God blesses me when I'm good and punishes me when I'm bad.""God is angry with me."We all have ideas that we tell ourselves about God and how he works in our lives. Some are true--but many are false. James Bryan Smith believes those thoughts determine not only who we are, but how we live. In fact, Smith declares, the most important thing about a person is what they think about God. The path to spiritual transformation begins here.Turning to the Gospels, Smith invites you to put your ideas to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God.

Excellent book. I need to read it again to get it all. ( )

Dallas Willard's blurb on the front cover caught my attention: "The best practice I have seen in Christian spiritual formation." A quick scan of the introduction showed me that Smith was heir to many of the same influences that I am: Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Henri Nouwen, Brennan Manning, and Rich Mullins. Now that I've read the book, I agree with Willard. This is simply the best book on spiritual formation I've read in ages.

The Good and Beautiful God is the first in a trilogy dubbed "The Apprentice Series." This first book deals with the false narratives about God that rule our lives. Smith knows that there is no magic formula or secret practice that will make us godly: The Spirit of Jesus does that in us. By replacing false narratives with the stories of Jesus (this book), engaging in spiritual disciplines (The Good and Beautiful Life), and participating in Christian community (The Good and Beautiful Community), we provide room for the Holy Spirit to do his work.

Many of the false narratives rang true for me. Smith challenges the idea that God judges us by bringing catastrophe into our lives when we sin. He dismantles the idea that we have to earn God's favour. He rethinks the age-old view that we're "just sinners, saved by grace." Then he replaces those false narratives with Jesus-truth.

The most influential part of the book for me was his attitude toward rest. Smith reminds us, in the midst of our fast-past lives, that "Hurry is not part of a well-lived life" (183). He advocates the spiritual practice of creating margin. Just like white space surrounds the text on a page, breathing room should surround the events in our life.

While this is not a how-to book, Smith does get practical. At the end of each chapter he offers a few extra pages with a spiritual exercise—everything from sleep to solitude to lectio divina.

If you want a deeper relationship with God and you're tired of consuming the fluff that floods the Christian best seller lists, give James Bryan Smith a read. ( )

A nicely written book dealing with spiritual formation, including a study guide in the back to help a group use the book for that purpose. The book is quite Christocentric. Worth a re-read, certainly.

Although I recognize the book ie worth spending more time with, I also recognize it took me two years to read it! ( )

""God wants me to try harder." "God blesses me when I'm good and punishes me when I'm bad." "God is angry with me." We all have ideas that we tell ourselves about God and how he works in our lives. Some are true--but many are false. James Bryan Smith believes those thoughts determine not only who we are, but how we live. In fact, Smith declares, the most important thing about a person is what they think about God. The path to spiritual transformation begins here.Turning to the Gospels, Smith invites you to put your ideas to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God. Once you've discovered the truth in Scripture, Smith leads you through a process of spiritual formation that includes specific activities aimed at making these new narratives real in your body and soul as well as your mind. At the end of each chapter you'll find an opportunity for soul training, engaging in spiritual practices that reinforce the biblical messages on your mind and heart. Because the best way to make a complete and lasting change is to go through the material in community, small group discussion questions also accompany each chapter. This deep, loving and transformative book will help you discover the narratives that Jesus lived by--to know the Lord he knew and the kingdom he proclaimed--and to practice spiritual exercises that will help you grow in the knowledge of our good and beautiful God."--provided by publisher.