Suitable for those who want their heart to become - through the healing and redemptive touch of heavenly grace and mercy - a place where God delights to dwell, this title considers different aspects of our lives in the light of Christian teachings.

Prizes

A book on spiritual formation written from a UK perspective

About the Author

A retired doctor with experience in counselling, Pamela Evans is involved in writing, teaching and spiritual direction. Her other books are Driven Beyond the Call of God (1999) and Building the Body (2002), both published by BRF.

Reviews

A previous book by Pamela Evans which I read some years ago, "Driven beyond the call of God," positively exploded my thinking patterns, so I opened her latest book with some trepidation. I soon discovered it was also "spiritual dynamite." I loved it from cover to cover! Because Pamela Evans is an experienced counsellor she is able to pass on to us many wonderful new insights into how we can become strong, fruitful and mature followers of Christ. This is definitely not a book for anyone who is content to be a mediocre Christian. Her chapter on how our parent's attitudes, beliefs and ways of relating to us - and others is masterly. We can so easily grow up with faulty ideas about God built on the way our parents behaved towards us or felt about us. She not only helps us to look back and correct faulty thinking which stemmed from past experiences but she explores issues of trust, adversity, worship, and learning the difference between obedience and compliance. In her chapter on Trust she shows us how our carefully constructed self-protective strategies can actually block out the grace of God (P. 58). I love the way she doesn't 'preach' at us, but makes us think out for ourselves everything which she is teaching by the use of skilful, mind-stretching questions. She also illustrates abstract concepts with ordinary things such as TV aerials, bread-making and a Clematis climbing a trellis! Because each chapter ends with Bible reflections and imaginative, thought-provoking questions this book would also be an excellent resource for small group discussions. Reviewed by Jennifer Rees Larcombe My copy of this is folded, marked, annotated, and has had tears wiped away from it... this is the highest compliment! This title far exceeds five-star quality in its robust, gracious and challenging pathway toward Christian growth. Simply put:- I've been raving about this book to everyone! There is a deconstruct around practical atheism, a pathway through adversity, worship and prayer, with the greatest yet gentlest of challenges posed in the chapter concerning 'trusting obedience.' If you like Dallas Willard or Eugene Peterson and care for your life and soul to be more formed in the pattern of Jesus, then as Pamela Evans prescribes your heart will be warmed wonderfully through this new title. Resistance, stubbornness and heart-coldness will be powerfully affected through this most refreshing of books for people of faith and searching. Discipleship, depth and Christian beauty radiate from these pages. It's the kind if book that is a curiosity arousing, truth crunching and grace saturated work. Simply top class stuff. Reviewed by Rev'd Dr Johnny Douglas, Christ Church Spitalfields, London From The Good Bookstall - November 2011 Subtitled Reflections on spiritual formation and fruitfulness, this book is aimed at helping us to be shaped by the scriptures, rather than the insidious influences of the world. It is 'for brothers and sisters in Christ who are seeking a more fruitful discipleship, rather than a better informed discipleship', because, whether we like it or not, the next generation of Christians are learning how to walk with Christ by observing our examples. To this end Pamela Evans covers the basic foundations of faith emphasising the importance of trust in adversity, worship and prayer, obedience and lasting fruit. Each chapter is followed by expositions of one or more of the Fruits of the Spirit and a trio of Bible reflections to meditate upon. It is, as the author points out, a tool, and of no use unless it is used, which can happen individually or in small groups. Encouraging and practical, Shaping the Heart contains some valuable insights and could be a useful way of keeping scripture at the forefront of the mind. Reviewed by Diane Morrison