Practicing Faith

Practical ideas for Christian living

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Contemplative Practices for Everyday Life

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I define contemplative spirituality as slowing down to be with Jesus. It has made a radical difference in my life and in the lives of those to whom I have taught these principles. Contemplative spirituality does not require removing oneself from the hustle and bustle of daily commitments. Rather, it forms the basis from which […]

Taken from The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero Copyright © 2015 by Peter Scazzero. Used by permission of Zondervan. To order a copy, go to resources.

Going Beyond ‘Welcome’ at Church

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If we welcomed strangers into our homes like we welcome strangers into our churches, they’d never come back. Why? In our zeal to have another warm body in worship, we often forget the common-sense practices of hospitality that orient them to our space, let them know who we are, and communicate we want to see […]

Erin S. Lane is author of Lessons in Belonging from a Church-Going Commitment Phobe (IVPress). To order a copy go to resources.

How to Find Your Calling

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“What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” people asked Jesus (John 6:29). Their question reveals human perplexity in the face of “calling”—a word that suggests divinely-commissioned work. What is my calling? How will I know it when I find it? Finding our “calling” is a prayerful process, and there’s no formula […]

photo credit: Flickr/Redvers

Jen Pollock Michel is author of Teach Us to Want. To order a copy go to resources. To be eligible to win a free copy, subscribe.

Ten Traits of Truly Courageous Leaders

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It’s easy to use courageous words. But courage takes more than words–it requires action of leaders in the context of their beliefs. Too often  leaders don’t back up their words with any action, let alone courageous action. True courage is rooted in the stable foundation of God and faithfulness in following his principles. As C.S. […]

photo credit: John Benston

Dan Busby is president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and author of Trust. To order a copy, go to resources.

Four Ways to Find Time to Reflect in the Middle of Your Busy Family Life

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A young mother recently asked me , “Do you have any advice for how to find time to reflect?” I could guess where she was coming from—a home where reflection is a product of a bygone era, where setting the alarm for an early morning “quiet time” only means the children will wake up earlier, […]

photo credit: Caspar David Friedrich

 

Amy Julia Becker, mother of three young children, is the author of Small Talk: Learning from my Children about What Matters Most (Zondervan). To order a copy, go to resources.

Rules and Tools for Better Bible Study

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Have you ever heard a teacher or pastor say something like, “In the original language of the Bible, this word really meant…” And wondered how you could know those sort of things for yourself? You don’t have to go to seminary or be a pastor to dig deeper into the Bible. With a few simple […]

Adapted from 99 Bible Words You Should Know by Keri Wyatt Kent. To order the book, go to resources. Learn more  about the author at www.keriwyattkent.com

Overcoming the Comparison Game

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Most of us play some form of a comparison game with our lives. It’s a cultural given. “Why did she get the promotion?” “How did his kid pull off that scholarship?” “Why is she so pretty, skinny, smart?” Comparison fuels gossip, social banter, and reality TV ratings. Competition can be good. It makes for a […]

Tracey Bianchi is the Worship and Teaching Pastor at Christ Church of Oak Brook (Chicago). Her latest book, True You: Overcoming Self-Doubt and Using Your Voice can be ordered in resources.

 

Five Unexpected, Everyday Places to Pray

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One of my resolutions for this year was to pray more consistently every day. I want to build habits that remind me to pray, even when I get caught up in details and distractions. I began to make a list of my own and then asked friends for their creative ideas. Here’s a list of […]

Dale Hanson Bourke is the Editor and Publisher of PracticingFaith.com and author of 11 books, including Embracing Your Second Calling.  To order, go to resources.

What Dogs Show Us about God

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I have been discipled by my dog. I don’t mean directly. We didn’t go to Starbucks and paw through a Bible Study together. But God used a couple of rescued Labradors to show me living, breathing examples of His love and grace. Here are five things dogs show us about God. Unconditional love. Is there […]

photo credit: Dave Burchett

Dave Burchett is author of Stay–Lessons My Dog Taught Me about Life, Loss and Grace. To order a copy, go to Resources.

Ten Questions to Ask Yourself about Grace

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During Holy Week it seems especially important to focus on grace. At its core, grace is an unmerited and unconditional gift of God’s love that we can never earn or deserve. Grace enables us to respond to God, enfolds us into his family, and empowers us to change. It is both a theological concept and […]

Adapted from The Case for Grace by Lee Strobel Copyright 2015. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. To order a copy go to Resources.