The Kingdom and the Cross

We believe a lot of false narratives about the nature of God, things like "God helps those who help themselves"; "God blesses the righteous"; "God might not be out for your good, and you might be missing something." But pastor and professor James Bryan Smith, author of the Apprentice Series, points us to the truth of who God is, revealed by Jesus: A God who loves to help the helpless. A God who doesn't play favorites, whether righteous or unrighteous. A God who is, in his essence, self-sacrificing—even to death—to save a people he loves. In six short chapters, The Kingdom and the Cross zooms in on Christ's work on the cross and what it all means about who God is and how we're to live as his people. A soul training exercise is included for each chapter to help the new true narrative take root in our hearts. And a discussion guide at the end makes this complement to The Apprentice Series perfect for groups to work through together, especially during the season of Lent. Understanding Christ's work on the cross is crucial for any apprentice of Jesus. Here is a resource to help you see—and believe—more fully, that you might live more faithfully in his kingdom.



James Bryan Smith (MDiv, Yale University Divinity School, DMin, Fuller Seminary) is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, and a writer and speaker in the area of Christian spiritual formation. He also serves as the director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation at Friends University. A founding member of Richard J. Foster's spiritual renewal ministry, Renovaré, Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches. Smith is also the editor of A Spiritual Formation Workbook, Devotional Classics (with Richard Foster), Embracing the Love of God, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven and Room of Marvels.

How to Get the Most Out of This Book


1 A Good King


Soul Training: Meditating on the Trinity Icon


2 Our Core Narratives


Soul Training: Needed


3 Jesus' Narratives


Soul Training: Meditating on the Passion of Christ


4 The Grace of the Incarnation


Soul Training: Meditating on the Cheek-to-Cheek Icon


5 The Nature of Sacrifice


Soul Training: Meditating on the Pieta


6 Kingdom Economy


Soul Training: Meditation on the Christ Pantocrator Icon


Appendix 1: Small Group Discussion Guide


Appendix 2: About the Apprentice Series (Introduction text from GB Life, ending after the ?How This Book Came to Be? section)