Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live Empowered

Published by Bill Gaultiere on January 1st, 2016 (fully updated edition). 232 pages.

“I was a burned out pastor and counselor when I heard Jesus say, ‘Come to me… Recover your life.'”

With the help of Dallas Willard who personally mentored him, Bill Gaultiere became Jesus’ apprentice and learned how to live and minister to others in God’s peace and power. With real life stories, fresh Biblical insights, and practical steps he invites you to enjoy Your Best Life in Jesus’ Easy Yoke.

When Dallas saw the first version of this book he remarked, “This is ground-breaking! Pastors and others will come under this teaching and develop aspects of it in their own ministry.”

“Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke helped me to realign my life into the unhurried rhythms of grace. Bill does a fantastic job of helping people understand how to live relaxed, yet empowered lives in the Father’s world.”
Bobby Schuller
Pastor and President of the Hour of Power in Garden Grove, CA

“Eventually our well runs dry. Perhaps we dug into the arid ground of perfectionism, anxiety, overwork, or self-promotion. Here’s a map to show us where to dig deeply into the well-spring of God’s sustaining grace. I am so grateful for Bill Gaultiere, who lived Easy Yoke before he wrote it. He’s helped countless harried leaders — like me! — drink from the life-giving waters of Jesus.”
Larry Winger
CEO Provision Ministries in Irvine, CA

“Bill has taught me how to rest in Jesus’ grace-filled, easy yoke. I’ve been sharing these insights and practices with my therapy clients and with the pastors and leaders I help in Cloud and Townsend’s Ultimate Leadership intensives. We’re participating in the emotional healing that God brings!”
Eileen Callahan
Psychotherapist in Newport Beach, CA

“Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke came to me when I felt stressed out. Jesus was relaxed, why was I anxious? I couldn’t put it down! From the opening ‘Apprentice Prayer’ I was hooked! I needed to come to Christ and learn from Him — Bill pointed the way. The clear teaching with engaging Scripture meditations showed me that it was possible to actually walk in the peace and power of the Lord — not by trying harder, but by training in His easy yoke and light burden.”
Steve Harper
Executive Pastor of Grace Church in Cleveland, OH

“This book is so rich and practical. I identified with the personal stories from Bill and Kristi and clients they’ve helped. Being Jesus’ apprentice is helping me not to be stressed out in ministry and to overcome my anxiety and hurt from the past.”
Karin Mazzeo
Children’s Pastor in Riverside, CA

“I’m a business guy and I love this book! Learning to abide in the presence of Christ has made me more effective in my leadership on the job and in ministry.”
Lance Wood
Tax Partner of PwC in Irvine, CA

“We used Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke to introduce apprenticeship to Jesus at our church. The content is rich with a vision of new life in the kingdom of the heavens! It gives a spiritual formation pattern for overcoming false narratives and  daily stressors to step into the heavenly reality. The spiritual experiments and prayers have helped us integrate abiding in Christ into daily life.”
Leroy and Mildred Gerner
Care Pastors at King of Kings Church in Omaha, NE

“I love The Apprentice Prayer! It’s helped me release my anxiety over the day to God’s loving control and given me courage. I’ve shared it with many people.”
Ron Thompson
Lead Pastor of Twin Cities Church in Grass Valley, CA

“What a treasure Easy Yoke is! I’m experiencing steady healing from anxiety, fear, control and worry as I apply the lessons in this very practical book. I’m thankful and amazed at how I’m learning to relax in God’s care and protection.”
Kevin Koberg,
Business Leader in San Diego, CA

“I used to think the Christian life was hard work till Bill showed me that Jesus’ easy yoke for me is joyful and peaceful. Now I’m teaching this to all of our Bible study leaders and they’re sharing it in their groups.”
Sue Wood
Teacher for Community Bible Study in Seattle, WA

“After absorbing and applying it’s principles in my own life for a year, I took my pastoral staff and elders through Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke. It’s a practical, enriching, and transforming curriculum for Christlikeness. The new edition is even more engaging — I’m sharing it with my whole church!”
Steve Phillips
Lead Pastor of The Journey Church in Irvine, CA

“Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke has been a field manual for me to learn how to live in the Kingdom of God as a disciple of Jesus and as a pastor to others. Bill’s theological, spiritual, and psychological insights have helped me to win the battle with unhealthy emotional patterns. I’ve discovered how to delight in Christ even in stressful circumstances!”
Aaron Damiani
Rector of Immanuel Anglican Church in Chicago, IL

Bill Gaultiere, Ph.D. is a psychologist and spiritual director. By the age of 30 he had published three books with mainline Christian publishers and sold over 40,000 copies.

But then God led him to go on a 20 year hiatus from publishing in order to better love Christ, his family, and everyone in his circle of influence. During this time he was personally mentored by Dallas Willard and experienced a great spiritual renewal. 12 years later he wrote: “Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live Empowered.”

Bill and his wife Kristi have their doctorates in psychology and are the founders of Soul Shepherding, Inc., a nonprofit ministry that cultivates intimacy with Jesus for pastors and other servant leaders. Their website receives one million page views per year.

• Inspiring stories of people overcoming their stress and growing spiritually.
• Short surveys to identify needs for help with stress, anxiety, self-esteem, hurrying, and more.
• Fresh insights from the Bible, especially on the life of Jesus for you.
• Diagrams illustrating the way to life change and peace.
• Scripture meditations, Breath Prayers, and other spiritual disciplines.
• Soul talk questions to share with a friend or small group.
• Two suggested outlines for Easy Yoke sermon series or small groups.

• As a disciple of the Father Jesus learned the easy yoke life and teaches it to us.” (p. 30)
• “Jesus’ yoke is easy, but getting into it and staying in it are not easy.” (p. 34)
• “High stress damages your body and soul — unless you react with confidence in God.” (p. 45)
• “Don’t wait until you die to go to heaven — start living in the heavens with Christ today!” (p. 53)
• “If you’re self-critical then you’re an open target to be shamed. Shield yourself in Christ!” (p. 93)
• “Love is unhurried.” (p. 111)
• “Stay in Jesus’ easy yoke and you’ll get more real work done!” (p. 137)
• “Which realm are you living in: the rule of God or the person you’re trying to please?” (p. 155)
• “Being yoked within the boundaries of God’s kingdom frees us from anxiety and agitation.” (p. 169)
• “You’re not a human doing — you’re a human being loved by God.” (p. 175)
• “Be passionately indifferent to all things except knowing Christ with others!” (p. 180)
• “Lord of the dance, deliver us from the dogged religious plod.” (p. 201)

What inspired you to write Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke?

I was having lunch with Dallas Willard and he asked me, “If you had only one word to describe Jesus what would it be?”

“Love… Holy… Lord…” Then Dallas told me that his word for Jesus was “Relaxed.”

Relaxed! That’s what I needed! I wasn’t very relaxed in my life and ministry! So I began to study, meditate, and practice being in Jesus’ easy yoke — his rhythms of grace — and I was amazed to see how I grew in God’s peace and power. I’ve been living and sharing this message for over ten years.

Who is this book written for?

Anyone who is seeking to grow in their relationship with Christ in the midst of their real life challenges and hurts. I especially want to encourage pastors and leaders in their spiritual life and to give them a tool for their preaching, small groups, and developing leaders who are authentic apprentices of Christ.

What is your favorite part of the book?

I love the book’s many up close and personal looks at Jesus and his relationship with the Father. Watching him live in the easy yoke of Abba is so inspiring! This is what he shares with us! For instance, in the new edition I wrote a whole section on Jesus called “Just a Tekton.” It’s about Jesus’ hidden years in Nazareth as a carpenter or stonecutter. We all have ordinary work to do and feel hidden or insignificant at times and Jesus shows us how to deal with this.

Why would someone buy this book?

There are two overwhelming blessings you’ll experience: (1) You’ll be drawn into greater intimacy with Christ Jesus and (2) You’ll discover how apprenticeship to Christ can help you with stress, anxiety, hurry, people-pleasing, fear, and over-working.

How is this updated version published in 2016 different from the first one?

The whole book is updated and improved, including a new chapter on apprenticeship to Jesus and another on “Fear not.” The 2010 version (called You Can Live In Jesus’ Easy Yoke) wasn’t written as a book for the public — it was a curriculum for two groups of pastors that I was caring for and so that these men and women could then lead “Easy Yoke Groups” with others. Later we decided to offer it for sale because the content was so good.

What is your prayer for this book?

I pray that readers will be affected by the Easy Yoke Gospel of Christ like I was. It launched me into a great spiritual renewal in 2003! I learned how to live my whole life with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. I pray that people will be so revitalized by this message and the practical Scripture mediations and prayers that they’ll invite others to join them on an Easy Yoke journey as a group, triad, or soul friendship.