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Calling to Christ
Although there is nothing sweeter than the Gospel, there is more sweetness to be enjoyed after one's conversion to Christ. Many Christians fail to experience transformation in the discovery of God's call on their lives in the areas of work, family, and service. Even the idea of calling has been relegated to full-time vocational service, leaving out the other 90% of God's people. What if we could overcome the major obstacles to joyful fulfillment in our callings to Christ? What about the importance of being called to an ordinary place that counts for eternity?
What if we begin to live out of the heart God gave us rather than the demands and expectations of others we had not considered are ruling us in negative ways? Dr. Bob Smart walks his readers through the practical steps to owning God's calling of us in all areas of life, which promises to lead to freedom and meaningful living in this second season of spiritual formation. This is the second book of four seasons of spiritual formation.
What if we begin to live out of the heart God gave us rather than the demands and expectations of others we had not considered are ruling us in negative ways? Dr. Bob Smart walks his readers through the practical steps to owning God's calling of us in all areas of life, which promises to lead to freedom and meaningful living in this second season of spiritual formation. This is the second book of four seasons of spiritual formation.
116 pages, Paperback
Published March 22, 2017
About the author
Robert Davis Smart
7 books5 followersRobert Davis Smart is senior minister of Christ Church in Bloomington, Illinois. He teaches part-time at different seminaries, preaches at conferences, and stays active in world missions. He and his wife, Karen, enjoy their five children and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 26, 2023
A short, concise and straightforward read. Robert Smart examines the theological base for calling, eight hinderances of experiencing joy in your calling, help for personalizing your calling and how to effectively communicate your calling to others.
I think this is a good book for all Christians but a must read for those who question their calling or are getting ready to graduate college.
I think this is a good book for all Christians but a must read for those who question their calling or are getting ready to graduate college.
April 28, 2017
Calling to Christ is the second of four seasons of gospel transformation in the author’s Four Spiritual Seasons of Spiritual Formation series. There is one book for each of the seasons. The author has been my pastor for more than 22 years, and has been teaching this material for several years. He writes that a clear sense of our identity in Christ ought to precede our calling formation to Christ, and assumes we have a reasonable grip on our identity in Christ. Thus, the reader may want to initially read the first book in the series, Embracing Your Identity in Christ: Renouncing Lies and Foolish Strategies. This second season also prepares us for the last two seasons of spiritual formation - intentionality and legacy.
The book is designed for group study with discussion questions provided at the end of each chapter designed to help each person discover and write out a sense of their her calling to Christ. The goal is that by the end of the book each person can use the template provided in the last chapter to write out what they sense is God’s call on their life.
How do you get started with determining your calling? The author writes that if you are a new creature in Christ and have a solid sense of your identity, the first essential question is settled - who am I in Christ? Then, you would want to ask in prayer - where’s my place?
The author writes that calling formation is for a season, not a mere job decision that lasts a week or so. It usually takes from age eighteen to thirty-five, but is always renewing with changes in our particular callings within our general calling to Christ. He writes that a vocation is not merely one’s choice of career or a decision to get married, but is a matter of hearing a higher call or voice from God when we make such decisions. A job, a marriage, singleness, or a ministry may all be identified as particular callings of ours within our common overall general calling. He tells us that our general calling comes from God to every Christian, but our particular callings vary from one Christian to another.
The author states that since God has so much to say in the Bible about working, serving, and employment, it is surprising that Christians have made this major chunk of our lives seem so unimportant and “secular” in the sight and presence of God throughout the week. He states that God is for you in your workplace because He put you there. Your work matters to God, so you can pray for help in moments of unfair opposition.
He writes that although we may encounter resistance from the outside in our callings, much of the opposition to our joy is related to internal hindrances in our own hearts. He tells us that Christians ought to avoid living like practical atheists in their callings because it is incompatible with what they believe to be true.
I’ve been reading a lot about the subject of rest recently. The author tells us that until we learn to deeply rest and separate ourselves from our work, we won’t work effectively.
This book teaches the reader to get a clearer sense of their calling. After that he wants you to put what you’ve learned into practice, which includes sharing with others your sense of calling to Christ.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend you reading each of the books in the Four Spiritual Seasons of Spiritual Formation series.
The book is designed for group study with discussion questions provided at the end of each chapter designed to help each person discover and write out a sense of their her calling to Christ. The goal is that by the end of the book each person can use the template provided in the last chapter to write out what they sense is God’s call on their life.
How do you get started with determining your calling? The author writes that if you are a new creature in Christ and have a solid sense of your identity, the first essential question is settled - who am I in Christ? Then, you would want to ask in prayer - where’s my place?
The author writes that calling formation is for a season, not a mere job decision that lasts a week or so. It usually takes from age eighteen to thirty-five, but is always renewing with changes in our particular callings within our general calling to Christ. He writes that a vocation is not merely one’s choice of career or a decision to get married, but is a matter of hearing a higher call or voice from God when we make such decisions. A job, a marriage, singleness, or a ministry may all be identified as particular callings of ours within our common overall general calling. He tells us that our general calling comes from God to every Christian, but our particular callings vary from one Christian to another.
The author states that since God has so much to say in the Bible about working, serving, and employment, it is surprising that Christians have made this major chunk of our lives seem so unimportant and “secular” in the sight and presence of God throughout the week. He states that God is for you in your workplace because He put you there. Your work matters to God, so you can pray for help in moments of unfair opposition.
He writes that although we may encounter resistance from the outside in our callings, much of the opposition to our joy is related to internal hindrances in our own hearts. He tells us that Christians ought to avoid living like practical atheists in their callings because it is incompatible with what they believe to be true.
I’ve been reading a lot about the subject of rest recently. The author tells us that until we learn to deeply rest and separate ourselves from our work, we won’t work effectively.
This book teaches the reader to get a clearer sense of their calling. After that he wants you to put what you’ve learned into practice, which includes sharing with others your sense of calling to Christ.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend you reading each of the books in the Four Spiritual Seasons of Spiritual Formation series.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews