The Devoted Mind: Seeking God's Face in a World of Distraction by Kris Lundgaard
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$15.29
Do you feel overwhelmed? Discontented? Weary? These are symptoms of a distracted mind―a mind fixed on passing earthly things. Guided by the rich wisdom of Puritan theologian John Owen, Kris Lundgaard presents a countermeasure: the devoted mind. By seeking those things above, where Christ is, we can have hope in all circumstances, know contentment in any situation, and enjoy deep communion with God that makes life worth living. Deep, meditative, and compelling, The Devoted Mind invites us to draw nearer to Christ as he draws near to us. Its twelve brief but profound chapters each conclude with exercises to guide the mind-work and heart-work you need to grow. Let us devote our minds to contemplating God and find our worship renewed.
Review
In The Devoted Mind, my friend Kris Lundgaard has once again offered a great treasure to the Church. His distillation of John Owen’s thought is a gift for all those longing to understand the wisdom that remarkable Puritan gave us but who often find his prose impenetrable and intimidating. In twelve brief meditations, The Devoted Mind directs us to the Reformed piety we so need just now, challenging our misdirected loves and redirecting our souls to the beauty of Christ. The Devoted Mind helped me recall God’s faithfulness to me during seasons of anguish and pain, and its pages, I heard echoes of Augustine’s “my weight is my love”, confessing our soul’s need for a new center of gravity. Kris concludes that “spiritual mindedness trains our hearts to love God above all, and all things in their right relation to God.” In the end, sanctification turns not so much on duty as delight, on the beauty of Christ and the sweetness of the Gospel. Kris’s book brings home our need to be spiritually minded and the steps ahead in our journey to cultivate that virtue. I commend it to all. -- David Cassidy, Senior Pastor, Spanish River Church, Boca Raton, Florida
Secularism is spreading, and spiritual-mindedness needs to be cultivated. Distractions seem overwhelming, yet devotion to God remains elemental to being a disciple of Jesus. Kris Lundgaard helps us recover the witness of John Owen regarding the grace and duty of spiritual-mindedness so that we might, once again, glean the promise and responsibility of fearing God alone in what seems such a fraught and busy age. -- Michael Allen, Professor of Systematic Theology, Academic Dean, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando
I love this rich, deep, nourishing book. Kris Lundgaard has again taken some of the wealth of John Owen’s writings and rewritten it for contemporary readers. Here is a book to be savored slowly. This is one of my most joyful devotional reads of recent years. If you want to grow in delight in Jesus and the knowledge of God, I warmly recommend it. -- Christopher Ash, Writer-in-Residence, Tyndale House, Cambridge
Kris Lundgaard has done us a great service by giving fresh life to Owen’s treatise on spiritual mindedness. In an age where it is so easy to be distracted and for evangelicals to simply settle for an basic knowledge of the bible “the devoted mind” invites us to get serious about God and to know much blessing in doing so. I found it a real tonic in my own walk with the Lord and many others will be helped likewise. The study questions and exercises are excellent and will help consolidate lessons learned and relearned. -- Greg Strain, Senior Pastor, Spicer Street Church, St. Albans, England
Secularism is spreading, and spiritual-mindedness needs to be cultivated. Distractions seem overwhelming, yet devotion to God remains elemental to being a disciple of Jesus. Kris Lundgaard helps us recover the witness of John Owen regarding the grace and duty of spiritual-mindedness so that we might, once again, glean the promise and responsibility of fearing God alone in what seems such a fraught and busy age. -- Michael Allen, Professor of Systematic Theology, Academic Dean, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando
I love this rich, deep, nourishing book. Kris Lundgaard has again taken some of the wealth of John Owen’s writings and rewritten it for contemporary readers. Here is a book to be savored slowly. This is one of my most joyful devotional reads of recent years. If you want to grow in delight in Jesus and the knowledge of God, I warmly recommend it. -- Christopher Ash, Writer-in-Residence, Tyndale House, Cambridge
Kris Lundgaard has done us a great service by giving fresh life to Owen’s treatise on spiritual mindedness. In an age where it is so easy to be distracted and for evangelicals to simply settle for an basic knowledge of the bible “the devoted mind” invites us to get serious about God and to know much blessing in doing so. I found it a real tonic in my own walk with the Lord and many others will be helped likewise. The study questions and exercises are excellent and will help consolidate lessons learned and relearned. -- Greg Strain, Senior Pastor, Spicer Street Church, St. Albans, England
About the Author
Kris Lundgaard and his wife, Paula, served fourteen years with Mission to the World in Slovakia. As well as authoring several books, he has been a technical writer, computer programmer, pastor, program manager, and test-engineering manager. He and Paula have four married children and many grandchildren.