Living the Spirit-Formed Life: Growing in the 10 Principles of Spirit-Filled Discipleship

This is a simple but powerful daily devotional that is deep yet understandable. The authors are trustworthy. It also comes with a study guide.

If you are a Christian who is trying to get to the next level, so to speak, this is a must read. Excellent book! The only negative of this book is that it doesn't have discussion questions at the end of each chapter, which I think would be essential to digest the concepts you will see in this book.

I love Jack Hayford. His writing and witness get right to the heart of the issue. In this book, Pastor Jack reminds us of the unlimited Power we have access to through the Holy Spirit, abiding in Christ (He is the Vine, we are the Branches), and in being obedient to our Father God. If you read, reflect, journal your own thoughts, and then get alone with God in prayer and meditation, the words of this book come alive powerfully and WILL reenergize your life.

Discipleship is a "hot" topic in the evangelical church. In this book, Charismatic/Pentecostal pastor Jack Hayford gives what he sees as ten disciplines that are indespensible to Christian growth. This followed by ten chapters on the discipline of prayer and the role of faith. As a writer, Hayford is very readable. It seems he is most strong when he is sharing his own struggles and points of growth. He is balanced and always interesting. He always stresses the role of the holy Spirit, and how that interacts with the rsponsibility of the disciple. This is very needed today and fill an important void in the literature over this topic. My only problem is that the books content is spotty. Some chapters are wonderful ("Committing to hear God's Voice," "Living in the Spirit of Forgiveness"). Others are somewhat shallow ("Feeding on the Word of God"). The chapters on prayer are stronger than the chapters on the ten disciplines. Still, never is it a wasted read. In reading this book you will only be encouraged to "grow by and in the Spirit."" A worthy book with some real strengths, but there are also some well known books that cover some of this material at a deeper level.

Having read many of Jack Hayford's books I must say that this one is more direct than some of his earlier works. In it, he takes a no-nonsense approach to explaining Christian disciplines. His purpose for writing the book is to give readers a biblically based approach to Christian living. Basically he tries to answer the question "Now that I am a Christian, what do I do?" Or "Being a Christian seems so difficult, how do I do it?". As expected, he gives a very detailed outline of how "Spirit filled" Christians approach and apply their faith in practical terms. He covers most topics of importance to one's walk with Jesus to include prayer (the second half of the book is all about prayer), worship, bible reading/studying, daily devotions, and many others. I really like the fact that he includes many scriptures to explain the Biblical foundation for it, and why each is important.Dr. Hayford does come from a pentecostal denomination, so readers should expect to learn a lot about the Holy Spirit's role in Christian living. For those who are not Christian's don't worry. He does not view Christianity as a purely emotional or experience oriented religion. Instead, he gives a very balanced explanation of how Christians should try to live out their life for God.I recommend this book for anyone looking to strenghten their faith in God. If you are a new believer, this book will help provide you a roadmap for life. If you are a more mature Christian, this book will help remind you of what God expects of us as Christians, and practical ways to deepen our faith in Him.