Resources for Disciples

Teaching Series :

• Practicing the Way: Tools, teachings, and resources to integrate spiritual formation into your church or group.
  • Download companion guides for Sabbath, Prayer, Fasting, Solitude, Scripture, Community, Simplicity, Generosity and Hospitality
• For the Sake of Others: Bridgetown Audio Podcast 2024 teaching series
• GINOSKO: Practice the Perfect: A Wednesday night teaching series on following Jesus, Pleasant Valley Church of Christ
• Preaching What We Practice: Sunday morning sermon series, Pleasant Valley Church of Christ

Resources by Topic:

DESIRE FOR GOD

• Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton, Chapter 1, Longing for More
• The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows by James Bryan Smith 
• The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality by Ronald Rolheiser
• Fighting Shadows by Jefferson Bethke and Jon Tyson

COMMUNITY

• The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield
• Practicing the Way: Community: Includes sermon series, small group and personal practices, book recommendations
• Be the Bridge Podcast with Latasha Morrison, Episode 261: Black History Month: A Holistic and Historical Look into Community Building, Church Planting and Coffee with Author and Entrepreneur John Onwuchekwa

PRAYER

• Practicing the Way: Prayer: A four-week lesson series including the topics, Talking to God, Talking with God, Listening to God and Being with God. The site includes podcasts and a downloadable prayer companion.
• Power of Prayer: For the Sake of Others, September 29, 2024, Pete Greig, Bridgetown Church
• The Divine Hours Liturgy by Phyllis Tickle 
• The Common Prayer app: a prayer, song and Scripture for each day.
• My Daily Office app: daily prayers and Bible readings.
• Hallow app: daily prayer of Examen
• Pray as You Go App: daily prayers and meditations 
• Reimagining the Examen App: prayer prompts and reflections for evening prayer
• Pause App: a simple way to connect with God during the day

READ & MEDITATE on SCRIPTURE

• Savoring God’s Word, Jan Johnson
• Discovering Lectio Divina: Bring Scripture into Ordinary Life, James Wilhoit and Evan Howard
• Shape the Word: The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation, M. Robert Mulholland, Jr.
• Lectio 365: Smartphone app for morning & night prayer and scripture
• Versify: Smartphone app for scripture memorization
• Text Messages, sermon series by Jonathan Storment, Pleasant Valley Church of Christ, April-June 2024
• Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible by Michael F. Bird 
• The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary by Esau McCaulley (Editor)
• The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, N.T. Wright and Michael Bird
• The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary A Translation with Commentary, Robert Alter

SILENCE & SOLITUDE

• John Mark Comer Teachings Podcast, January 2022 Silence and Solitude Episode 1 and Episode 2
• Sacred Rhythms, Ruth Haley Barton, Chapter 2
• Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership Podcast with Ruth Haley Barton, A Leader’s Journey into Silence and Solitude, Episode 2
• When the Soul Listens, Jan Johnson
• Hearing God, Dallas Willard
• Family Guide to Solitude: Bridgeton Church, Portlan Oregon

FASTING

• Practicing the Way: Fasting (teachings, resources, etc. – particularly Episodes 1 and 2 of the podcast)
• Revival Starts Here: A Short Conversation on Prayer, Fasting, and Revival for Beginners Like Me, Dave Clayton
• The Place of Fasting in the Christian Life, (online article) Thomas A Tarrants,

SABBATH

• John Mark Comer Rule of Life Podcast: Episodes 1-4: Sabbath (Stop (ep1), Rest (ep2), Delight (ep3), Worship(ep4))
• Sacred Rhythms, Ruth Haley Barton, Chapter 8
• PRACTICING THE WAY SABBATH GUIDE (pdf)
• PRACTICING THE WAY SABBATH MEDITATIONS (pdf)
• Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World, A.J. Swoboda
• Tech-Wise Family, Andy Crouch
• Our Unforming: De-Westernizing Spiritual Formation, Chapter 6: Work/Rest, Cindy S. Lee
• Family Guide to Sabbath: Bridgetown Church, Portland, Oregon

CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS

• “Changing Direction” with Trevor Hudson, (22-min video)
• Seeking God, Trevor Hudson, Chapter 2
• Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership Podcast with Ruth Haley Barton, Season 15: Lent Week 4 | The Power of Confession
• Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster, Chapter 10: Confession
• Exploring My Strange Bible Podcast, Forgiveness – Gospel of Matthew Part 26
• 4-part Sermon Series on Forgiveness from Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon
• Robcast Podcast with Rob Bell, Episodes 38-42
• The Cure: What if God Isn’t Who You Think He is and Neither are You, John Lynch, Bruce McNicol, Bill Thrall
• Bridgetown Audio Podcast: For the Sake of Others: How Many Times Should I Forgive?, Nov 18, 2024

GENEROSITY

• A Generous Gospel: The New Testament Themes Part 4, Exploring My Strange Bible Podcast with Tim Mackie
• Testing God, sermon series by Jonathan Storment of the Pleasant Valley Church of Christ in Little Rock, Arkansas
• Bridgetown Audio Podcast: For the Sake of Others: For the Sake of the Poor, Oct 14, 2024
• Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership Podcast with Ruth Haley Barton, Season 9, Episode 4 | Spiritual Transformation and Money
• Becoming a People of Generosity, sermon by John Mark Comer of the Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon
• Generosity Practice, practicingtheway.org

SERVING

• The Christine Cain Podcast, Empower & Equip: Making a Difference Isn’t Complicated (S1, Ep 225),
• Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good, Steven Garber
• Seeking God, Trevor Hudson, Chapter 6
• Service (ft. Bethany Allen) | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E7, John Mark Comer Podcast

MULTIPLICATION & RULE of LIFE

• What is a Rule of Life?
• Nine-lesson sermon series from Practicing the Way: Unhurried with a Rule of Life
• Rule of Life Workbook (pdf)
• Rule of Life Builder
• Sample Rules of Life
• 15 Second Testimony
• For the Sake of Others: Bridgetown Audio Podcast 2024 teaching series
• Discipleship Self-Assessment
• Spiritual Health Reflection