Practicing the Way is another great book from John Mark Comer, and I really enjoyed the flow and rhythm of his description of how we can become apprentices to Jesus. Comer writes, "Apprenticeship to Jesus—that is, following Jesus—is a whole-life process of being with Jesus for the purpose of becoming like him and carrying on his work in the world. It’s a lifelong journey in which we gradually learn to say and do the kinds of things Jesus said and did as we apprentice under him in every facet of our lives." A lifelong journey. A gradual process. A whole-life process of being with Jesus. These words reflect the foundation of this book. Following after Jesus is more than just an intellectual conclusion you come up with after study of the bible, or an emotional decision with claims of being "born again" or a "christian'. Truly apprenticing or following Jesus is a way of life, with a depth and substance within it that defies human understanding. Comer gives so many wonderful examples and descriptions of ways to seek transformation in your walk with Jesus, and he takes great effort to gently and humbly guide the readers to the ONE who is the source of all goodness, power, and wisdom. I highly recommend this book to all, as the content will give light to the source of love, Jesus Christ.
Thank you to Waterbrook/Multnomah and NetGalley for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Practicing the Way is a great starter pack in both (i) the encouragement to begin practicing the spiritual disciplines and (ii) a How To guide for the disciplines. Comer, in love, calls us to action.

"I'm convinced we prefer insight to change . . . or we thing insight and 'getting to the root' is the change . . . and we settle at insight because it is exciting and easy, when change is slow and hard." I believe this quote is from the Rule of Life podcast. Comer leans into this in the book. Do not settle at insight. Do not settle for just a quiet time. There is so much depth, and life, and love yet to be found in apprenticeship to Jesus if we structure our life in ways that open ourselves up to Him. By doing what He did.

As always, John Mark Comer is a smooth author, giving the audience an easy-to-read invitation live in deeper relationship with Jesus.

I will be posting my review on 1/9/24

Emphasizing a Rule of Life inspired by early Christian disciples, this guide offers practical wisdom to adopt transformative practices, inviting readers to slow down, create space for God, and walk the Way of Jesus. A blend of cultural insight, theological depth, and practical advice shapes this journey toward becoming Christ-like."

I’ve read many books on spiritual formation (it’s my primary focus for the doctoral degree I’m working on), and this is by far the most practical and perceptive guide to building a Rule of Life. It’s laid out in a simple, streamlined explanation—be with Jesus, become like Him, do as He did—that is both convicting and encouraging. If you’ve been a Christian and struggled to understand what discipleship truly means (heck, even if you think you know what discipleship means), creating a Rule of Life will help you build soul care practices that offer structure and guidance on how to live like Jesus. You will be grateful you read this book. You will be changed if you begin this authentic path to Christlike formation. This book is for everybody.

Thank you @WaterbrookMultnomah @NetGalley @YatesandYates for the gifted ARCs 🥰 All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Perfect for you if you like:
Developing spiritual habits
Authentic discipleship to Jesus
Counter-cultural approach to ‘surrender’

Similar to:
Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
The Common Rule by Justin Whittle Earley
Emotionally Healthy Discipleship by Peter Scazzero

I had the chance to read this book before it was released. Thanks to Practicing the Way and WaterBrook and Multnomah for supplying it!

When I encountered the idea that "discipleship" in Christian lingo is about "Being with Jesus, Becoming like Jesus, and Doing what Jesus did;" something CLICKED. I have never heard it explained that way before, and suddenly I am thinking about my faith in a new way that changes how I experience God and how I work out my faith in the real world.

This book takes the concept and clearly outlines it in a way that is compelling. If you are ready to dive in and discover what it means to be an Apprentice to Jesus, don't wait. The information in this book (which is really just based on the person of Jesus!), has the power to shape the trajectory of your life!

Thank you John Mark for helping me care about spiritual formation for both myself and others in a fresh way!

This book is a clear invitation to follow in the way of Jesus as an apprentice. John Mark Comer clears away several misconceptions of how the modern western culture has been taught to follow Jesus and offers a pathway to rediscover Jesus as our Rabbi and devote ourselves to following him. He invites us to follow the Rabbinic tradition of being called, being with, learning from and going out to spread the knowledge of our Rabbi Jesus. Comer presents challenging insights into spiritual development in our modern age with our myriad distractions. He shows us practical ways to go from passive spiritual development by our culture to actively pursing spiritual development by the loving power of the Trinity. Comer challenges the western emphasis of salvation as from the punishment of our sins primarily. While this is true and wonderful, there is so much more to the salvation found in Jesus while we are living. Jesus invites us to be healed and transformed in this life, to become more like him, marked by our love for one another, not just whether or not we follow certain commands. This healing and transformation is done by us and to us – it is a cooperative process. Instead of life being a long slog of denying ourselves for a future reward, we have an opportunity to participate in the adventure of our healing and growth to be more like Jesus in this life AND enjoying a future reward.
Comer challenges us to develop a Rule of Life. Not rules to live by, but instead Rule as in a plan, a set of practices, that will keep us from being sucked into the entropy of life’s distractions. Very clear, very practical, he describes nine core practices that will help any apprentice to Jesus create rhythms to create a spiritually fruitful life. Comer closes the book by pointing the readers to free resources to develop their own set of spiritual practices to live a life of joy, peace and freedom in the Way of Jesus.

“The Way of Jesus is not just a theology (a set of ideas that we believe in our heads). It is that, but it’s more.
And it’s not just ethics (a list of dos and don’ts that we obey or disobey). It is that, but it’s still more.
It’s exactly what it sounds like—a way of life.”

Reading John Mark Comer’s books is always an active experience of thinking, reflecting, and chewing on them (though not at all in the same way my one-year-old chews on books…), and reading this book was no different. The timing of this book release in January is perfect because so much of what is said could greatly help with filtering goals for the new year through the lens of how what you’re doing with your life is helping you to walk in the Way of Jesus. I’m looking forward to pondering Comer’s words for a while!

Thank you to Waterbrook & Multnomah for this ARC. If you’ve read or followed John Mark Comer for any length of time, this book will once again leave you with a desire to deepen your walk with God. This will be a book I revisit often. JMC has taken these spiritual disciplines that I grew up viewing as rigid and legalistic, and explained them in a way that brings forward so much freedom and life into them. This book reframes the meaning of apprenticeship, crafting your own Rule of Life, and is a must read for spiritual formation.

What is forming you and your life?
“Formation will happen it to you per our earlier argument with zero conscious decision on your part but the formation into a person of love of Christ will not..that you must choose and keep choosing day after day. It will require intentionality. You will have to apprentice under Jesus and follow his process of training.”
Practicing the Way is a book that reminds us of the beauty of looking and loving like Jesus. It is counter cultural and challenging but the reward is always worth it. While reading this book I asked myself the question what other things in my life have I allowed to shape and mold me into the woman, friend, parent, and follower of Jesus I am? Do they reveal the love of Jesus to those around me or push them away? Through apprenticeship to Jesus I am aware and in awe of the constant love of our father and how he desires to be with us. Thank you to the author John Mark comer for reminding us that there is no one moment with Jesus but a constant apprenticeship and walk to live the way he did and share it with others.
Thank you to Waterbrook/Multnomah and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. It is one I will continuously come back to throughout my walk with Jesus and recommend to others.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This is the first book by John Mark Comer that I've ever read and wow... It's incredible how simple yet profound this read has been. This is exactly what I needed before starting the New Year - a really good book explaining in simple, straightforward and easy-to-follow way the foundation of Christian spirituality. The book is filled with relatable examples and pieces of advice on how to live a modern life Jesus-way, and I know I will repeat it again, but I'm in awe how simple yet profound it is. I would totally recommend it to everyone and anyone, no matter what stage of the spiritual formation you're at!

Happy New Year! This was a timely book to read for the first of the year for me! Practicing the Way – Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. by John Mark Comer is a book for those wanting to learn what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

While I may not 100% agree on some biblical/doctrinal things with the author, you can tell from his writing his love for Jesus and desire to grow to be more like Jesus. That is why I really enjoyed reading this book! Plus, I enjoy reading about habits and practices. He helps makes it applicable if this your first time trying to make habits or just need help as a veteran habit maker, because sometimes you get stuck and need some encouragement and want to make sure you are being intentional too.

This author also wrote Live No Lies and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, which have been read by many. Though I haven’t read those yet, they are on my to read book list. His new book, Practicing the Way, is a well put together book, with biblical information on what it means to be a follower of Jesus and how to make a rule of life. In other words, how to practice/make habits to be with Jesus, become like Him, and do as He did. This is what Jesus called us to do (Practice the Way), “Jesus invited people to apprentice under Him into a whole new way of living. To be transformed.”

The author goes into who Jesus is, what the word disciple means, why we are saved, how to make a way, making habits and rhythms, what the rewards are, the problem with sin, how to make a rule of life, and the cost. So this is helpful for the new and seasoned believer.

Why is this timely for me? Well, it is because the first of a new year, I like to look at my habits, the good and the bad, and make adjustments by eliminating those bad and replacing them with good habits. This book focused on doing this in a way that honors God. I have not heard of a rule of life, as it comes from spiritual formation but he explained, a rule of life is a set of practices to guard our habits and guide our lives, and then gave examples and questions to help process. He mentions that he doesn’t think of it as legalism, as none of this is going to make us any more holy or more saved, but to help shape us into who God has made us.

“Spiritual formation isn’t a Christian thing; it’s a human thing. We’re all being formed in our spirit every hour of every day. As apprentices of Jesus, the goal is to be formed by him as we are with him.” Good questions to ask what is forming you, what do you spend your time doing, and those are the things that are forming you!

This book is a great reminder that, yes, we need boundaries to help us. Without them, life is chaos. “Choose your own constraints, or they will be chosen for you.” The choice is yours; Rule or be ruled.”

I have many, many highlights from this book that I will be going back through the book to write those out. I am using what I learned from reading this book to help me make a rule of life/habits for the new year and to focus on The Way.

This book releases soon, so I encourage you to check it out!

Practicing the Way – Review


Let me start by saying that this is not the first book by John Mark Comer, but it is perhaps the best! Since discovering him with The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry in 2019, I have been a huge fan. If I had to name a single quality of all his writing, it is his gift for making faith in Christ so very relatable to our modern world. The book of Daniel, in verse 7:25, speaks of the devil as a demon that will “wear us all down”… and indeed John Mark illustrates countless examples of how the frenetic pace of our lives, the constant onslaught of the 24/7 global news, not to mention how we have become slaves to social media and the effect being judged by people we only know as an image on a screen – all are indeed fracturing the peace of our souls, and our ability to cope on virtually very level.

Practicing The Way charts a new course for us to recover and repair our daily weariness in actionable ways. John Mark describes with great clarity the importance of each of the nine practices, but plots our course gently and in a manner that does not judge the pace of adoption. This was perhaps the most important point for me personally – I have established a daily rhythm of times of quiet and solitude and prayer, but had reached a point where I felt I needed more. John Mark makes the specific point that PTW is a continuous process of growth and renewal – and the practices build on one another – but not on an artificial schedule, but according to your rate of growth and development in The Way.

John Mark is one of the most “comfortable” writers I have encountered, and I look forward to using PTW as my handbook for spiritual growth in the next phase of my life, as I close in on entering retirement.

“Hurry is, arguably, the number one challenge you will face should you decide to take following Jesus seriously. Like an enemy, it won’t just stand in your way; it will actively fight against you.”

“Practicing the Way” is an essential resource for anyone seeking to follow Jesus in our world today. Both thoughtful and practical, John Mark gives us much to consider with conviction and much to put into action with sincerity.

John Mark Comer has the ability to write deeply about spiritual topics and make them practical at the same time. Practicing the Way has a lot to recommend it. I moved through it rather quickly so that I could write my review, but I feel the need to go back, and really sit with the material and write my own Rule of life as he recommends. The author writes up a thorough treat us providing both the motivation and the practical instruction for how to carry it out. The book comes out in early January and I would say it’s something to pick up and use to plan out your new year..

#practicingtheway #netgalley

Practicing the Way is a book that should be on the desk (not shelf, because they should be reading it!) of every single Christian pastor! Seminaries should make this mandatory reading for anyone going into ministry. Practicing the Way is not just for people in ministry, though! John Mark Comer has captured what it means to truly follow Jesus in a way that is relatable and understandable for almost any reader. He does not mince his words or allow wiggle room for what it means to follow Jesus and become His apprentice. But he also successfully provides a compelling justification for why anyone would want to choose this narrow way.

If you are curious about spiritual formation and what it means to follow Jesus and practice the Way, this is the book for you! Practicing the Way is great for anyone who is just starting on their journey of spiritual formation but also provides depth for those who have been on the journey for a while. The index alone is worth its weight in gold!!!

Really practical guide and lots of great examples to bring things to life. Good companion to the existing materials on the practicing the way website and goes into more depth on the background and rationale for the practices chosen.

A very accessible and practical book on how to apprentice under Jesus. Comer draws you in and explains the need and desire to be with Jesus. Than describes practices on how you can do that day to day without making it a work-based or step-by-step method. It's joy filled and love driven. Highly recommend and will be coming back to this book throughout the year!

This book will not only help you navigate how to be an apprentice of Jesus but will help you fall in love with what it means to actually means to be one. It's practical, full of wisdom and biblical insights of what it would look like to live against the grain- to walk in the dust of Jesus. It is a must read for anyone who is looking to grow their relationship with Jesus- to live and to do as he did.

I have read most of John Mark Comer’s books. I enjoyed this one and think it continues to convict and teach me. I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to Waterbrook and NetGalley for the prerelease copy.

I’ve been following Practicing the Way and John Mark for a year, reading all of his books, participating in the practices, and following the journey. This book feels like I’ve read most of it before, in that it’s similar to the courses and his previous books. Yet, it feels fresh and brand new.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

John Mark Comer's new book "Practicing the Way" is a great primer for anyone who would like to start a life by participating in Spiritual Practices. Many of the books about Spiritual Practices are heavy on theory and light on action. John Mark Comer takes the opportunity to give as he says to do what you can, not what you can't.

By focusing on three goals to be an Apprentice to Jesus, we are called to "Be with Jesus," "Become like Jesus," and "Do as he did." This can be done when we set p a Rule of Life in our class. While Comer doesn't come out and say this is what you do, he gives practical tips for Apprentices to Jesus to try on.
I'm looking forward to using this book in my congregation as I continue to grow as an apprentice and invite others along the way to allow a Jesus-shaped life to guide them.

Thank you to Waterbrook/Multnomah and NetGalley for this advanced copy.