The word discipline stirs up many feelings—anxiety or anticipation, dread or excitement. Yet spiritual disciplines (or practices) can give structure to our Christian life and help us grow spiritually. The practice of setting aside a regular time to spend with God—reading scripture, praying, meditating on God's message for us—is one of the most helpful disciplines Christians can undertake. Let The Upper Room Disciplines help strengthen your daily walk with Christ. This award-winning daily devotional guide features 53 writers from various Christian traditions and locales. Writers for 2016 include Elaine Stanovsky, D. J. del Rosario, Mary Donovan Turner, Thomas R. Hawkins, Linda Douty, Juan Huertas, Chanequa Walker-Barnes, and Heather Murray Elkins. The Upper Room Disciplines offers us the annual gift of deciding to be disciplined—to schedule and practice daily attention to God. We can choose whether to accept this invitation. When we do, Disciplines grants us the opportunity to meet the living presence of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the one who creates, redeems, and sustains us through all the seasons of our lives.

Everything was going fine … until it wasn't. For Reverend Junius B. Dotson it took an actual breakdown during a funeral for him to realize he needed a reset. As he recalls his own journey through grief, depression, burnout, and emotional breakdown, Dotson is passionate about calling for a Soul Reset for pastors, church leaders, and all disciples of Jesus Christ. This is a 6-week churchwide study for everyone who moves at breakneck speed through their daily lives, often relying only on their own strength to bring God's kingdom on earth. Jesus shows us a different way, an easier, unforced rhythm of what kingdom work looks like. It's a balance of work, rest, play, worship, exercise, and eating well—spiritual practices that keep our souls hydrated and healthy as we do the work of the church in the world. Soul Reset: Breakdown, Breakthrough, and the Journey to Wholeness includes a book; a DVD; downloadable video segments; age-level discussion guides for children, youth, and adults; sermon starters; and more. Soul Reset is a call for the church and all of Jesus' disciples to reset and reorder their lives around spiritual practices, to learn to walk through our difficult seasons with our souls connected to the source of Living Water so that we don't burn out or break down. And if we do burn out or break down, we learn to lift one another up and point one another back to Jesus. Introduction Chapter 1: Watch How I Do It – Jesus Chapter 2: Knocking on God's Door – David Chapter 3: It's Not All on Me – Mary and Martha Chapter 4: Eat Something – Elijah Chapter 5: Life in Crisis – Job Chapter 6: Living in the Light – Judas and Peter

Many Christians identify daily time spent with God as their most valuable spiritual habit. The short yet thoughtful meditations in The Upper Room Disciplines can help you feel God’s presence and strengthen your faith. Fifty-three writers share insights on scripture and guide you to spend time reflecting on God’s messages for you. Each simple one-page devotion includes a selected Bible reading a meditation on the scripture passage a prayer or suggestion for reflectiony Nourish your spirit, find daily inspiration, and discover the joy of friendship with God with these devotions.

Find hope for the journey of aging with this attractive reusable calendar. Designed for older adults, the calendar features: brief daily devotions and Bible verses easy-to-read enlarged-print text a gift presentation page space to add celebrations--birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, etc. an easel-like stand and spiral binding for easy display The encouraging devotions will help older adults keep a positive frame of mind and trust that God is always with them. Show your loved ones how much you care by giving them daily reminders that they still have purpose, no matter their age.

Color your way to a closer relationship with God. Praying with Mandalas blends the relaxing practice of coloring with ancient spiritual practices. The mandalas in this book (10 each of 4 designs) help you grow closer to God through lectio divina, intercessory prayer, centering prayer, and the Examen. Contemplative coloring is a simple, enjoyable, and tangible way to let go of your distractions and focus on God. Sharon Seyfarth Garner invites you to "be with God on purpose"to intentionally create space where you might hear God's holy whispers. Embrace the opportunity to nurture a deeper relationship with God through the colorful, contemplative practice of praying with mandalas.

Disciples Making Disciples: Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups and Class Leaders by Steven W. Manskar is for pastors, Covenant Discipleship group members, and class leaders. It provides information needed to organize the ministry, form groups, write a covenant, lead a meeting, support groups so they help the congregation live out its mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world. The book also describes the office of class leaders and how to introduce this powerful disciple-making office to the congregation.

How important is it to have a daily spiritual routine? The habit of reading and reflecting on God's Word daily can bring a much-needed respite from the grind of everyday life. "We sometimes experience seasons in our lives when our faith seems dormant," Junius Dotson wrote in the 2018 edition of The Upper Room Disciplines. "It's especially important to practice the daily discipline of scripture devotion in our seasons of winter," he remarked. "When we engage in daily spiritual formation, we deepen our roots . . . and grow our capacity to handle any season of life." Daily devotional reading is essential to our spiritual growth, and it helps keep our faith alive. Disciplines invites readers to spend unrushed time with God, reading a lectionary-based scripture passage, reflecting on the author's insights, and thinking about how to apply the truths from the readings to their daily life. This devotional book features 53 authors from diverse backgrounds, including some of the leading Christian thinkers of our time. Among the writers for 2021 are J. Dana Trent, James A. Harnish, Enuma Okoro, George Donigian, Beth A. Richardson, Kenneth H. Carter Jr., D. L. Mayfield, Stephane Brooks, Rachel Hackenberg, Rosalind Hughes, Memory Chikosi, Liz Magill, Charity Kiregyera, Joe Pennel, and Beth Taulman Miller.