The Jesus Priorities: 8 Essential Habits

"Imagine my surprise at learning that I needed to get to know my God a lot better."

Despite lifelong Christian devotion, Maricle came to this startling realization after experiencing a crisis of faith.

"I needed answers that are so fundamental to Christian living," he writes. "Why is this life, at times, so hard? Why isn't my faith helping me? Why am I finding no comfort in prayer? These questions--and the struggles behind them--challenged all my notions of faith, my perception of God and the purpose of this life."

After many desperate and pleading Gethsemane prayer moments, Maricle turned to the Gospels again to see what Jesus said and did since these scriptural passages are the best windows to truth for Christians. His findings point toward a way of transforming your life in the midst of living it.

Here are the Jesus priorities evidenced by the words he most frequently spoke and the acts Jesus most often demonstrated. Allow your life to be an instrument of God's grace in the world as you learn the Jesus priorities and make them your own.

Succinct summaries, scripture, questions to consider, and prayers make this book ideal for personal study, groups or a churchwide challenge.

Can Jesus change your life--your everyday, going-to-work (or school or the grocery), taking-care-of-the-kids life? The resounding answer found in this warm spiritual survival guide is, "Yes!"

Christopher Maricle served in Catholic education for 20 years as a teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent. After 10 years with the California School Boards Association, he was appointed executive director of the California Head Start Association in summer 2016.