Instructions
This book is a practical guide for using the means of grace, without turning them into mechanical routines. There is an accompanying study guide.
We recommend studying the book with a pastor or mentor, and in groups if possible.
We recommend that the mentor evaluate the study simply according to the percentage of the study guide that has been properly filled out.
See the links for free downloads of both the book and the study guide.
Michael Horton, of Westminster Theological Seminary, California, says about this book:
"When I was growing up, spiritual disciplines were often surrounded by an air of legalism. But today the pendulum has swung in the other direction: it seems that family and private devotions have fallen off the radar. The very word habits can be a turnoff, especially in a culture of distraction and autonomy. Yet character is largely a bundle of habits. Christ promises to bless us through his means of grace: his Word preached and written, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. Like a baby’s first cry, prayer is the beginning of that life of response to grace given, and we never grow out of it. Besides prayer, there are other habits that grace motivates and shapes. I’m grateful for Habits of Grace bringing the disciplines back into the conversation and, hopefully, back into our practice as well."
The author
David Mathis is executive editor for desiringGod.org, pastor at Cities Church in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, and adjunct professor for Bethlehem College & Seminary.