The Good and Beautiful Books in Order

Smith examines common beliefs about God against the portrait of God presented by Jesus. Gospel readings, reflection questions, and practical spiritual exercises help readers reconsider fear, performance, and punishment as foundations for their relationship with faith.

Drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, Smith examines how false ideas about happiness fuel anger, dishonesty, and judgment. Spiritual exercises encourage readers to develop habits that reflect Jesus’ character in ordinary relationships and daily decisions.

Smith connects personal spiritual formation with shared Christian life, challenging the separation of private faith from social responsibility. Practical exercises explore forgiveness, service, generosity, and reconciliation as habits that can transform communities and their relationships with the wider world.

Smith examines the stories people tell themselves about identity, worth, and belonging from a Christian perspective. Biblical reflection, spiritual practices, and discussion questions guide readers in reconsidering those narratives and understanding themselves through their relationship with Christ.