Rest and War: Rhythms of a Well-Fought Life

by Ben Stuart

Overview

Struggle well. Fight for progress. Know the one who has fought for you.

You don’t have to live in this world long before discovering that the pursuit of intimacy with God occurs within the context of adversity. It is a fight. Yet it is a fight in which our King has won the decisive victory! You have been set free…into a raging battle!

But there’s good news: your struggles do not mean you’re doomed, rather they’re actually a sure sign that you are alive. Now you must learn to struggle well, for Jesus did not free you from the fight, he freed you for the fight.

Rest & War is a field guide for the spiritual life; a book of ancient methods of transformation transposed into a modern key. Borne out of pastor Ben Stuart’s personal life-experiences and decades in ministry, Rest & War offers biblical and practical guidance for:

• Battling what’s holding you back while building what will propel you forward
• Trading patterns of thinking that diminish intimacy with God for ones that encourage it
• Fighting sin and cultivating an environment that allows you to flourish
• Designing your everyday schedule based on your God-given purposes to bring more meaning into your routines

God has called you into the good fight of life; step into it boldly, strategically. Flee evil and pursue intimacy with your Creator. Uproot what is broken and cultivate what is life-giving. Make war on what is destructive, and rest in the God who loves you.

Are you ready to walk elegantly through the battlefield of life?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785248316
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	01/25/2022
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	142,056
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Ben Stuart is the Pastor of Passion City Church, Washington D.C. He previously served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries, a weekly Bible study attended by thousands of college students on the campus of Texas A&M, for eleven years.

Ben earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime. They currently reside in the Washington, D.C. area with their three kids, Hannah, Sparrow, and Owen.

Ben is the author of Rest & War: Rhythms of a Well Fought Life, Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age, and the Bible study, This Changes Everything.

Table of Contents

Part 1 A Struggle, A Savior, and a Strategy

1 The Survival Guide 3

2 The Conquering King 17

3 Life in the Battlefield 33

Part 2 War

4 Understand the Enemy's Playbook 45

5 Eliminate Exposure 55

6 Paddle Downstream 73

7 Look Upstream 85

Part 3 Rest

8 The Proper Pursuit 103

9 From Anxiety to Intimacy 115

10 Productive Schedule 135

11 Protective Saints 153

12 Positive Release 171

13 The Story of the Spirit 189

14 In Step with the Spirit 203

15 Take Heart When Troubles Come 219

Acknowledgments 231

Notes 235

About the Author 243

Editorial Reviews

Rest and War is a game changing, difference making, paradigm shifting book. A guide and encouragement to live out the fullness of faith and to deflect the deception of empty lies. Ben masterfully weaves wit and wisdom to set a clear path for our journey. Read this book with your heart and put it to action in your steps... as you fulfill God's purpose for your life through Rest and War. —Gregg Matte Pastor of Houston's First Baptist Church

Rest and War is a needed voice in the chaotic world we face today! I am so thankful Ben has put pen to paper to help us navigate spiritual life and set disciplines to help us flourish. Life is hard, but God is good. Thank you, Ben, for this resource! —Crowder 3x GRAMMY nominee

Rest and War...the very ingredients needed to not just face the chaos of life, but to come out stronger on the other side. Ben communicates clearly the ways to struggle well in a world that does not know rest. This resource will help you navigate this beautiful tension in your spiritual life and set in place disciplines that will help you flourish. —Levi Lusko Lead Pastor of Fresh Life Church and bestselling author

Rest and War: Rhythms of a Well-Fought Life, is a breath of fresh air for our generation. His practical and encouraging words help us all learn how to better cultivate true intimacy with Jesus as we navigate the complexities of our daily lives. —Sadie Robertson Huff, Author, Speaker, and Founder of Live Original

I truly believe that Ben Stuart is one of the most effective communicators of God's Word in this generation. Whether the word is preached, written, or even a simple conversation, you walk away saying, 'I get it!' In Rest and War, Ben gives us a simple, sound, and strategic game-plan on finding our rest in the Lord while engaging in life's unrelenting battles. Thank you, brother. God's...Perfect...Timing! —Mikado Hinson Texas Aand &M Football, Director of Player Development

One of the most common answers I hear when I ask someone 'How are you?' is, 'I'm tired.' It reveals how the pace of our world is often at war with the steadfast way of living that Jesus invites us to. Rest and War is a book that intentionally examines and practically equips you to live out the rhythms of Jesus in our modern-day world. —Kyle Idleman Bestselling author of not a fan and One at a Time

Profound yet practical. Ben has made a habit of examining the Scripture to mine the truth from the text and this book is proof of that pursuit. In Rest and War, he's stepped into a cultural crisis and has held up a beacon of light and hope through the person and way of Jesus. From the earliest chapters in Genesis, we see our God creating structure in a way that brings about life and flourishing, and that is what Ben is bringing to the table with this book: strategic structure that doesn't just change your schedule but changes your heart as well. —Louie Giglio, Pastor of Passion City Church, Founder of Passion Conferences, Author of Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table

There is a war for our faith and Rest and War will give you the tools and courage to fight. —Jennie Allen, New York Times Bestselling Author of Get Out of Your Head, Founder + Visionary of IF:Gathering

We've all felt battle-weary and discouraged at different times throughout our lives as Christians. Ben Stuart knows what this feels like and teaches readers to know the right time to rest and the right time to war with Jesus by our side. In Rest and War, you'll find the companion you've been waiting for as you look to honor God with the way you spend your days and mental energy. Life may not always be easy, but this book will help you learn to live your one life well! —Lysa TerKeurst, #1 New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

From the Publisher