In his newest book, Practicing the Way, John Mark Comer asks some tough questions, examining how far removed our modern, Western Christianity is from the words of Jesus. What if we've twisted and diluted the idea of discipleship until it looks nothing like what He created and intended?

JMC distinguishes between assenting philosophers and active apprentices, exploring what it really means to follow Jesus. "The problem," JMC writes, is that "we have created a cultural milieu where you can be a Christian but not an apprentice of Jesus." As if there's two tiers. One for safety and one for super saints. But that idea isn't found anywhere in Scripture.

What if it's less about getting out of hell and more about being in Jesus? What if it's about loving and treasuring and respecting Jesus and becoming more like Him as we follow His Words and His Way?

It's a radical kind of life that Jesus offers. The kind of life worth going on forever. And it's available to everyone. It's available for you, if you're ready to let go of lesser things and follow Him with everything you've got. This is a beautiful, practical, accessible invitation to make your home with Jesus.

Transformational - If you are a Christian and you are discouraged by the great chasm between the life you are living and the life Jesus models, or if you are not a Christian and you are disappointed by the hypocrisy of Christians and are interested in learning how Jesus actually calls His followers to live, this is a very helpful read. John Mark provides a clear picture of the life Jesus envisions along with a roadmap of how to structure our days to provide space for the Holy Spirit to change us and bring us into that way of living.

Brief Synopsis: What does it mean to truly follow Jesus? What does "the way" of Jesus look like? To be formed by Jesus means becoming his apprentice.

My thoughts: John Mark Comer has such a easy flow of his writing style that it feels more like a conversation than a book. There wasn't a ton that was earth-shattering for me, but it was a good reinforcement of things that I already knew. I love JMC's experience and insight he brings into simple concepts.

What did I like about this book?
• the simplistic explanation of gospel truth
• practical ways given to follow Jesus

What did I not like about this book?
• chapter numbers - there are no chapter numbers so it was hard for me to track in audiobook and the physical book

My rating: 4/5 stars

Content warnings: none

Another fantastic and practical book from John Mark Comer with relatable and practical ways to “practice the way.” It’s easy to get caught up in the world around us, and this book reminds us to keep our priorities toward God and what steps to do that.

New York Times best-selling author, John Mark Comer, has produced a new book for 2024, a guide for practicing the way of Jesus. Formally the pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, Comer wanted to develop a discipleship program that would transform lives beyond spiritual knowledge, changing the inner person through a slow and steady lifelong apprenticeship to Jesus.
As he has shared, his personal experience with Evangelical discipleship was effective up to a point and important for the foundation of developing a quiet time. But how could following Jesus also help with deep emotional needs or addiction, and other human issues? Through study, research, and practical application in the local church, and with the help of the many participants, Comer developed Practicing the Way. He has since left the pastorate and founded a free, online resource for churches to developing deep discipleship. You can find the information here: https://www.practicingtheway.org
Comer’s conversational style is undergirded with extensive knowledge and wisdom, making the appeal of the book twofold: an accessible book for anyone interested in becoming or continuing as an apprentice to Jesus, but also stimulating the imagination for those who are further along in the Christian walk. Instead of dividing the evangelistic call of the gospel with discipleship, Comer sees the call of God as both, in one.
His tone throughout is one of invitation into the inner life of God, who is love. It is a gospel call, a call to follow closely in the path of Jesus, a path that is counter cultural. Comer states, “Transformation is possible if we are willing to arrange our lives around the practices, rhythms, and truths that Jesus himself did, which will open our lives to God’s power to change.” Comer beautifully expounds on the call of God for all of us, the worthiness of the call, and the cost of the call.
By developing a “Rule of Life” implementing the practices of the lifestyle of Jesus, transformation will occur. The nine practices, briefly explained, are sabbath, solitude, prayer, fasting, scripture, community, generosity, service, and witness. Unique to Comer’s approach is the absence of a checklist mentality, and instead an invitation to walk “in the dust of your Rabbi.” In Practicing the Way, Comer invites us to “be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did.”

I really loved this book. John Mark Comer makes the case that we are called to be apprentices of Jesus and what that means. The book was encouraging and challenging. I have lots to think about now. My main takeaway is to figure out how I can regularly have a sabbath practice each week.

2.5🌟 (rounded up)

Overall, this is a good foundational book for new (or even existing) Christians. I enjoyed John Mark Comer's writing style and it was very easy to understand, although sometimes it felt a bit preachy. However, just due to the nature of the content, I had to take my time reading this book to fully absorb the content. I did feel that the book could've been shortened a bit as the important principles were only discussed in the last 30ish pages, although the context prior to it was necessary.

Thank you so much to John Mark Comer, NetGalley, and WaterBrook & Multnomah for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I cannot say much more than this book is akin to "The Celebration of Discipline" for the current times. For those of us who have felt adrift in the current Evangelical Industrial Complex, JMC lays out a pathway to a true relationship with Jesus. I received this ARC during the worst year of my life, and even when I could not get to church, small group, etc., in my grief, I was reminded how to BE with Jesus. I could simply sit on the floor and just "be" with God.

Note: I received an ARC from Waterbrook/Multnomah and NetGalley

If you’ve ever played the violin or been attuned to music you know if the violin string is off key even a little bit, it can turn a beautiful song into an unbearable experience. John Comer’s book Practicing the Way is the tuner that we all need in our walk with Jesus. In this analogy (inspired by the many beautiful analogies he gives throughout the book) many of us can be and sometimes are out-of-tune violins when it comes to our faith. Some of us are almost there, some of us are playing our own song in whatever tune we have. But as a bible believing Christian who tries (and fails many times) to follow Christ, this book is the perfect auto tuner.

The book helps you get onto your path in a very conscious and categorical way. What I really enjoyed was looking at the context and history of Jesus the Rabbi and what a privilege it really was for the disciples to be called by him (and what a privilege it is for us too).

Every chapter is an insight with tools on why and how to come closer to Jesus. John Mark Comer’s approach to this is conversational and he takes you through this mind and helps you navigate how to “Be with Jesus.Become like him.” and “Do as he did.” This is also the tag line for this book.

I loved the nine practices he goes through, Sabbath, Solitude, Prayer, Fasting, Scripture, Community, Generosity, Service and Witness. It gives you such an easy- to-remember check list to help you keep yourself accountable in your path.

I enjoyed the ease of which there is absolutely no churchy “pressure” but a passionate implore where he breaks down ‘how and why’ this practice can benefit our lives as Christians not just who passionately know Jesus, but Christians who are struggling to follow Jesus everyday and people who don’t know Jesus yet.

What stood out for me personally was how much he talks about taking to account the season you’re in, and do things in the way you can (“don’t fight against your season, work with it”). Because not everyone can be great missionaries leaving their homes and starting a new life like Amy Carmichael or William Carey. The book encouraged me to look at my life and see what my limitations are and how I can trim things off and add things to be a better follower of Jesus Christ.

Not everything he speaks about can be applied immediately but the gentle way he takes you through the path, makes you want to try with baby steps at least.

I know after reading Practicing the Way by John Comer I’m starting to tune my violin closer to the sound its meant to be, and the best thing (thanks to this book) my fine tuned beautiful melodious harmonious music will bring me close to Christ and give glory to Him. I really enjoyed the book.

Thank you so much for this advanced copy of the book; I'll revisit this one often.

Having claimed to be a Jesus follower for almost 20 years, you'd think the simple concept of following Jesus would have sunk into my human form by this point in my life. The truth of the matter is, I'm immensely distracted, I'm not making Him a priority and I often get hung up on whatever it is I am or am not doing.

This book takes what Jesus teaches (follow Me) and defines practices to make them happen in a tangible way. The biblical Spiritual Practices that JMC outlines should be our habits and rhythms of life. But life happens, and we all seem to fall into the trap of busy and distracted unless we set our focus on what really matters. Jesus.

In Practicing the Way, he says, "Following Jesus always requires you to leave something behind."

As a wife and a mom of young kids, I especially appreciated the reminder to start with small practices and accept the interruptions as an invitation to surrender control and become a person of self-giving love. Knowing your season of life is part of the journey, but the key is working with it.

But it's not just about following a practice. It's about following Jesus, apprenticing under his teaching. It's so easy to become wrapped up in what you ARE or AREN'T doing. I've been guilty of taking pride in my checklist far too many times and have seen so many church leaders stand on a pillar of bible knowledge without the heart and journey required to actually be loving.

"I know some people who never miss a week of church, read through the entire Bible every year, and never watch R-rated movies (all good things) but who are still self-righteous, controlling, fueled by anger, blind to their own shadow, and, at times, incredibly unloving. And I know others who are in a season of just trying to survive parenting little kids and barely getting ten minutes a day to pray. But tired as they may be, they are becoming more loving with each passing year. Love is the metric to pay attention to."

This definitely one of my top 5 favorite books on spiritual formation. Highly recommend.

A simple, straightforward read that cuts through the clutter and gets straight to the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. I love how John Mark approaches this topic directly but compassionately.

Talking heads of church culture have decried the growth of “nones” in American Christianity for years. In Practicing the Way, John Mark Comer exposes perhaps the biggest cause of this shift- “Churches are full of people who are Christians but not apprentices of Jesus.”

Practicing the Way is an essential book for anyone who seeks to be a disciple or make disciples of Jesus. It is a book I will read again and again and have copies of to give away.

This is a book that is much needed right now in Christianity and in the world. John Mark Comer does a wonderful job of inviting people into a slow walk with Jesus. Well-written, and incredibly easy to digest, but content that forces you to pause and ponder. Highly recommended to NOT read this book alone. Read with a friend, read in groups, read in community. Practicing the Way is a must-read for 2024!

This book is simple and effective at communicate three clear messages: be with Jesus, become like Him and do what He did. It’s uncomfortable (hard truths always are) and real but I would highly recommend to anyone who is looking to take their faith seriously. The concepts John Mark Comer presents paint a God who loves us dearly and wants relationship with us. This book will stay with me for a long time.

John Mark Comer nailed it again. I learned things I never knew but always wondered, I was uplifted and encouraged, and my desire to fully follow Jesus was deepened. One of the things I love most about JMC's writing and teaching is he is so smart and that is fully evident, but he writes and teaches in a way that makes you feel smarter too. Sometimes when people are intellectuals, you leave them feeling dumb or lacking and that is not the case with JMC. It's also easy to read and understand not too heady or intellectual. He also speaks from his own experience but in a "I'm still learning this too" way. He is just real and relatable. He also gives very practical tips of to how to implement the ideas he presents.

Like Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, this will be a book I read every year for the foreseeable future.

Be with Jesus. Become Like Jesus. Do as He did.
Yes and Amen.

Thank you NetGalley and WaterBrook Multnomah for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What does it mean to be a Christian? Ask 10 different people this question, and you may get 10 different answers that might range from political affiliation to church attendance. For this reason, John Mark Comer begins his latest book, Practicing the Way, with defining the terms.
Because "Christian" can mean different things to different people, he lays out a definition of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. You'll have to read the book for yourself for the details, but the short answer is found in the subtitle: Be with Jesus, Become like him, and Do as he did.
Basically, being a disciple or a follower of Jesus impacts not just what we do on Sundays, but our entire way of life. Therefore, as followers of Jesus, we must evaluate what we are being formed by, and who we are becoming. Does it look like Jesus? Comer argues that we are all being formed by something and into someone. The questions are, formed by what, and into who?
What I love about John Mark Comer's style is that he can pull from so many different sources (he's a big Dallas Willard fan) but somehow bring them all together to share a familiar concept in a new and thought-provoking way. If you've read any of John Mark Comer's previous work, this will feel familiar, but not repetitive. If you're new to his writing, this is a great place to start.
The only thing I would have preferred to be different in this book is how it ended. He makes the case throughout that spiritual formation is not formulaic, but the note he ended on felt that way. That being said, I think there is a lot of good here and would recommend it as a launching point for intentional thinking about who we are becoming over time.
Thank you to Netgalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Mannnnn. Ugh. I adore John Mark Comer and his teachings. I’ve read almost all of his books, and I’d review them about the same. They are overall good. They’re interesting, thought provoking, and are packed full of real life application. They’re easy and light and helpful. But they’re starting to all feel the same. His writing style is very repetitive, and he uses so many quotes. There are so many quotes that I often get lost in them and forget what he’s actually talking about. So I don’t know; I probably wouldn’t recommend this one. JMC is at his best in Loveology and Garden City — go read those instead.

What to expect in this book:

-Practical steps
-Footnotes
-Theological practices
-Scripture references
-Exercises and graphics
-Convicting disciplines

Thoughts

John Mark Comer is one of the best pastors and theologians of our time. His sound wisdom and clear love of God is detailed in all of his books. He combines wisdom and insight from those in the spiritual space also with psychology and social sciences to demonstrate the power and call toward being an apprentice of Jesus, following him, and practicing life as he would. As a life-long Christian, the statistics in this were informative and staggering to me. This book is not about talking the talk, but walking the walk--the clumsy and challenging path of living as Christ calls us to live.

I appreciated the defined sections of the book and the resources at the back for beginning this journey in Practicing the Way. Of all of JMC's books, this is definitely the most practical and intended to be lived out rather than just absorbed or informed by. In reading, it is easy to retain information or to recall, it is not so easy to go out and "do." This books calls us toward action in being followers of Christ in solitude, in our families, and ultimately in our communities and to the world.

There is so much that is counter-cultural about this pathway, however, it is so convicting to read and remember Jesus' calling to GO and to take up our cross and FOLLOW him. If you are looking for a book to reignite your faith, or even a book to inform you more of Jesus' calling for those who love him, be sure to pick up this--and all of JM's other books. This one published on 1/16. Thank you to #NetGalley and WaterBrook for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. He gave a lot of good advice and practical steps! I definitely underlined and went back to reread several sections. I don’t necessarily agree with him 100% theologically, but for the most part, the rule of life steps were spot on.

Magnus Opus feels grand and almost implies John-Mark Comer doesn’t have plenty more to give, but I still use the phrase because it is clear this book is a culmination of years of hard work and practice. Throughout the book he gives clear logical arguments and practical real world next steps. This is easily readable by most anyone, and yet dense enough to warrant multiple reads. The crux of the entire book is this: following Jesus isn’t simply believing something, it is living out practically and daily in ways that are consistent with what you believe. 10/10 would recommend to anyone who is asking questions about what it means to be a biblical follower of Jesus and 10/10 would recommend to anyone who is interested in taking following Jesus seriously.

I read an early digital copy of this and can’t wait to get my highlighter out to read the physical copy!