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Book Review: Kingdom Journeys

Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline

By Seth Barnes (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Seth Barnes begins Kingdom Journeys by relating one of his own—a journey both physical and spiritual—one he first took as a 20-something college graduate.

It resulted from restlessness, an inner desire to do something that mattered. It bubbled up inside.

He needed to be more, to be part of something greater. “I had trusted Jesus to save me from hell,” he recounts, “but I hadn’t begun to understand the life he offered before death.”

Not content to simply share his own story, Seth relates the accounts of many other kingdom sojourners, of Jessi, Claud, Eugene, Miguel, David, Marlena, Matt, Tiffany, Ruth, Keturah, and many more.

He weaves in practical biblical teaching and the wisdom of others to support the practice of pursuing a kingdom journey, which asserts Seth Barnes, is a spiritual discipline.

Although there is renewed interest in pursuing spiritual disciplines, one often overlooked is the discipline of a kingdom journey. The first such journey happened about 2,000 years ago.

Jesus sent his followers out in groups of two, with no provisions and no plan other than to heal the sick and proclaim his kingdom. We will do well to emulate their example and follow Jesus’ instructions. “God is not in the destination,” teaches Seth, “but in the journey.”

Over several decades, Seth has encouraged thousands, including his own children, to pursue their own kingdom journeys.

Embarking on an extended kingdom journey—not a short-term mission trip—is not just for young adults but is for people of all ages and at any stage in life.

Seth wraps up his thoughts on the importance of taking a kingdom journey, saying:

“To end well, we have to fight our natural tendency toward self-preservation and control. Jesus tells us that losing our life is the only way to discover it.”

[Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline, by Seth Barnes. Published by Ashland Press, 2012, ASIN: B009EW6MUW, Kindle.]

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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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