The Way Forward: A Road Map of Spiritual Growth for Men in the 21st Century Paperback – 10 Jan. 2020

This book gives very practical and clear advice for guys who are in a spiritual rut.Applying the concepts of this book to your life will bring real and lasting changes. With that, implementing the concepts of this book will require some work and dedication (but it's all worth it).The only thing this book could use is a summary, or cliff notes section. Guys like me like to see things on a simple level.Overall, it's a great tool.

Joe Bernard really understands the minds of men, how the think and what they need to be moved to action.In this book, Joe outlines the core issues with stunted spiritual growth, roots the solution in God’s word and provides simple practical steps to begin a journey of real, fruitful spiritual growth.Concluding with simple steps and a ready list, this is a fantastic place to start the journey to spiritual growth in the 21st century.

Good Christian reading.. Thoroughly recommend this book.

Here’s another book on discipleship – a book specifically directed at men for their spiritual maturity. But this one packs a punch, right from start to finish. Joe Barnard, the Executive Director of Cross Training Ministries, writes like one of the puritans. He is brief, clear and straightforward. He writes for men who feel stuck in their spiritual growth but who also have a sincere desire to grow in the Lord. He presents the obstacles that impede our growth, followed by ways to address and overcome these obstacles. And I think he succeeds admirably. I was encouraged and challenged.ObstaclesJoe starts off by looking at surface level issues that obstruct our spiritual growth. He writes that men are exhausted, frustrated, alone, nearsighted and often distracted. But the deeper issue is that our love is misdirected or disordered. And the evidence of time (what we most spend our time on), anxiety (what we most fixate on) and sacrifice (what we are most willing to give up) prove the fact. Key convictions are often absent from our thinking. For example, many men are not often convinced that growth requires effort or that we’ll be held accountable one day. We often treat the world as a playground instead of a battleground, and so ignore earnest spiritual training. These are what obstruct our spiritual growth. I think he is spot on.SolutionsJoe suggests five ways to overcome these obstacles. According to him, men need: 1) captivation, 2) clarity, 3) camaraderie, 4) competence, and 5) self-control. Joe writes that we won’t make any spiritual progress unless we are captivated by the glory of Christ.Captivation, he writes, has a unique ability to unseat the idols of the heart, to empower us and to overcome our nearsightedness, giving us something to live for.Regarding clarity, he says that a man with clarity is a man who has an accurate sense of the landscape of discipleship. Men need clarity regarding the final destination of life, the path to maturity, the threats they will encounter and the resources they have been given.Men also need camaraderie or spiritual friends. The benefits of spiritual friendship include affirmation, inspiration and accountability.Further, men need competence or skill in the following areas: handling God’s Word, attunement to God through prayer, participating in Christian fellowship, individual stewardship and evangelism.And finally, men also need self-control, which Joe defines as “the freedom and strength to follow a path of godliness, which is made possible through the working of the Holy Spirit.”This is the meat of the book and I was deeply convicted by each of these chapters.PlanJoe then concludes by giving seven practical suggestions to help men advance toward the road to maturity. These practical suggestions, among other things, include catching a better vision of glory, developing a true perspective of the Christian life, developing competence in the fundamentals, banding together with like-minded men, developing self-control by intentional cultivation of the imagination, intellect, affections, memory and will. He also gives practical suggestions on books to read and hymns to ponder on. Overall, I think his advice is not just sensible but also doable.ConclusionThere is a lot to commend in this small book. I love some of the strong warnings he gives to all men (though some statements may be overstated to make his case). The book most challenged me to sharpen my desire for deep spiritual friendships, something which most men struggle with. I also understood the need to develop my skills, especially in handling the Word of God. Most importantly, I loved the author’s focus on being captivated by the glory of Christ. This, he says, is step one to spiritual transformation. And I fully agree. I would be glad to hand over a few copies to challenge and encourage men in my church. 4/5 stars.*I received this complimentary book from Christian focus publications, but was not required to write a positive review*

I would like to be an avid reader; however, I have a stack of unopened books on my stand that reminds me of the difference between good intention and forward progress. One reason for this may be that I have been frustrated by books that take 200 pages to say what could have been said in 20.The Way Forward by Joe Barnard is not one of these books. Barnard starts by giving an insightful diagnosis of the obstacles trapping 21st century men from catching an all consuming passion for God. He then shows you how the solution to the problem is getting a clear view of God that overwhelms every area of life and brings real change as you grow in competence and self control with other men. Like a skilled guide, Barnard ends the book with practical next steps forward to help encourage and motivate you to work hard while resting is the grace of Christ's accomplished work.Every page is worth reading. I found it biblical, practical, concise, and full of footnotes and helpful references. The stories and illustrations are necessary and powerful. This book will be helpful to the new and mature believer, and will be captivating to the novice and avid reader alike. I am excited to go through it with my accountability group!

If you've read and enjoyed "Thoughts for Young Men" by JC Ryle, you will like this book. Joe Barnard uses a very similar approach to Ryle's classic aimed at young men--- the particular pitfalls we face as men and how to address and overcome them. Mr. Barnard uses a very logical, clear approach to exhort men to live out the high calling of a Christ follower. His insights on the particular difficulties we face as American's in the 21st century are spot on. His illustrations and personal antidotes are helpful. His writing style is succinct and clear.As a pastor, I know I've got to have passion for the right things in life. Like anyone, I get distracted and my passion for the purity of following Christ wanes. This book helped me refocus. I need books like this to inspire me to stay faithful to my Savior. There are a number of book recommendations offered by the author to help Christians stay invigorated for knowing and following Jesus. I will pick up a couple of his recommended books as well.

Joe Barnard does a great job of precisely and concisely defining the hurdles and helps that men in the 21st Century need to know when pursuing spiritual growth.According to Joe Barnard many men in the church aren't slackers when it comes to growing in spiritual maturity, many are actually quite serious about it. However, they seem to stop short before they even begin due to misunderstandings and pitfalls about spiritual growth. Desire must become action and this is where The Way Forward comes in; it is that bridge to help men cross from passion to production.In this book you will find many delightful anecdotes to help you along the way as well as many decisive and necessary punches that were not pulled. In other words, the author did not shy away from what needs to be said, he regularly states the kind of things that us guys need to hear. I am grateful to the author for writing this book.I hope this book not only finds its way into the personal libraries of many men but also that the thoughts and challenges of this book finds their way into the daily practices of every man serious about pursuing God in the 21st Century. I recommend this book to men as individuals and to churches and groups as a discipleship resource. If you don't have it, get it!

I love the no nonsense approach to discipleship this book takes.  No matter what denomination you are, this book is an excellent signpost to identifying where you are as a disciple, what it looks like to go deeper and how to get there.  It's not for those who are comfortable with where they are spiritually, it's for those who are tired of the same rote faith that often lapses into complacency.  It's for those who recognize that God has more for us that we could ever imagine if we would only ask and then allow him to guide us.  This book is for those mustangs out there who are ready to be a warhorse - to embrace the discipline needed to not be distracted by the world and what it throws at us.  The discipline to let God show us how to remain calm as he guides us into the heat of battle.  If you are ready to stop being a bench warmer and get in the game, grab 2 copies of this book and select someone to join you so that together you can take an honest look at your spiritual life and go deeper.

My dear friend Kelly dropped the name of this book during a Men Step Up Meeting. As an avid reader, I couldn’t resist ordering it straight away.Joe has a way with words that made me feel at home all the while challenged about my walk with Jesus. His use of imagery and analogies kept his precepts, concepts, and philosophies readable and more importantly not intimidating.I loved the book and highly recommend it.One other item of note, it’s a quick read but it’s worth taking your time to write in the margin and dog eat the pages. It will be a reference book for me going forward.Joe - thanks for the time and effort you put into writing the book. You’re a champion of God.