What does the spiritual life really look like?

If you're tired of the status quo if you suspect there's more to Christianity that what you've experienced John Ortberg invites you to join him on a road to transformation and spiritual vigor that anyone can take. The Life You've Always Wanted video-based Bible study guide you down the ancient path of the spiritual disciplines.

This Leader's Guide give you the clear, step-by-step instructions you need to maximize interaction, support, and insights within your group. Most of the preparation has been done for you just follow the easy-to-use lesson plan, complete with helpful tips. Because this book includes the full text of the Participant's Guide, it's the only guidebook you need to track page-for-page with your group.

Cultivate new intimacy and confidence in prayer. Discover the freedom of secrecy. Taste the benefits of slowing life's frenetic pace. Learn how to be guided by the Holy Spirit and more.

Sessions include:

• It's Morphing Time
• Slowing Down and Celebrating
• Praying and Confessing
• Meditating on Scripture and Seeking Guidance
• Practicing Servanthood, Finding Freedom
• Going the Distance with a Well-Ordered Heart

Today is the day you choose . . . which game you want to win, which prize you want to collect, which priorities you want to set. It's a thrill to win at checkers or Clue or Trivial Pursuit. You sweep aside the other players and you "own" the board. It's also a thrill to win a promotion at work ... the new house you wanted ... that sports car you've always eyed. But just like the game cards, the tokens, and the timer, those prizes are temporary. When the game is over, they all go back in the box. Games can cast a powerful spell, says bestselling author John Ortberg. But the wisest player remembers that the game is always going to end. So what can we take with us to the kingdom of God? Only the love we have for Christ, the love we have for each other, and our own souls. While it's not bad to be good at chess or Risk-or the game of life on Earth-we can't allow it to get in the way of what really matters. Using his humor and his genius for storytelling, Ortberg helps you focus on the real rules of the game and how to set your priorities. When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box Participant's Guide helps explain how, left to our own devices, we tend to seek out worldly things, mistakenly thinking they will bring us fulfillment. But everything on Earth belongs to God. Everything we "own" is just on loan. And what pleases God is often 180 degrees from what we may think is important. In the six sessions you will learn how to: Live passionately and boldly Learn how to be active players in the game that pleases God Find your true mission and offer your best Fill each square on the board with what matters most Seek the richness of being instead of the richness of having You can't beat the house, notes Ortberg. We're playing our game of life on a giant board called a calendar. Time will always run out, so it's a good thing to live a life that delights your Creator. When everything goes back in the box, you'll have made what is temporary a servant to what is eternal, and you'll leave this life knowing you've achieved the only victory that matters. Sessions include: When the Game Is Over It All Goes Back in the Box Keeping Score Where It Really Counts Resign as Master of the Board Calling or Comfort? Choose Your Move Wisely Playing the Game with Greatness and Grace The Kingdom Has One More Move Designed for use with When the Game Is Over It All Goes Back in the Box DVD 9780310808244 (sold separately).

Jesus' impact on our world is highly unlikely, widely inescapable, largely unknown, and decidedly double-edged.

It is unlikely in light of the severe limitations of his earthly life; it is inescapable because of the range of impact; it is unknown because history doesn't connect dots; and it is doubled-edged because his followers have wreaked so much havoc, often in his name. He is history's most familiar figure, yet he is the man no one knows. His impact on the world is immense and non-accidental.

From the Dark Ages to Post-Modernity he is the Man who won't go away. And yet . . .you can miss him in historical lists for many reasons, maybe the most obvious being the way he lived his life. He did not loudly and demonstrably defend his movement in the spirit of a rising political or military leader. He did not lay out a case that history would judge his brand of belief superior in all future books.

His life and teaching simply drew people to follow him. He made history by starting in a humble place, in a spirit of love and acceptance, and allowing each person space to respond. His vision of life continues to haunt and challenge humanity. His influence has swept over history bringing inspiration to what has happened in art, science, government, medicine, and education; he has taught humans about dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope.

When God pours out his love, our parched lives are revived and our thirsty souls satisfied. What is the secret of receiving more of God's love and of giving it freely to others? The book of I John calls us back to the basics of loving God and one another. Do you long to experience God's mercy and goodness in deeper ways and extend them to others? Would you like his love to fill you up to the point where it overflows naturally into the lives of others? This study of I John will help you and your small group experience the refreshing rain of God's love in ways you have always wanted. New Community Series -- a high-impact tool for experiencing the transforming power of God's Word. This cutting-edge series lets you explore life-changing topics from a biblical perspective in community with others in your small group. Challenging questions encourage you to reflect on Scripture and its impact on your life, both as an individual and as part of a community of Christ followers.

What would your life be like if Jesus lived it? Imagine the change you would experience in your thoughts, actions, and relationships. Think of the joy and freedom that could transform every area of your life. That s exactly what God has in mind for you You ll find out how in Growth. Through personal study and small group interaction, this study sets you on a path to live out the character of Jesus in this world as only you can. It happens not by trying hard, but by training. By cultivating spiritual disciplines--Scripture meditation, prayer, solitude, endurance, loving others--you ll discover the joy of being transformed by Christ and the freedom of living each day sustained by his power. Leader s guide included Growth group sessions are: Training to Live Like Jesus The Practice of Scripture Meditation The Practice of Solitude Simple Prayer Three Transforming Prayers The Roundabout Way And the Greatest of These Is Love"

For the past forty years, Jim Stump could be found sitting in a cafe on the Stanford University campus chatting with some of the most talented athletes in the world, walking with them, getting to know them, sharing his life with them, and loving them. He understands that the best way to have an eternal impact on the world is to develop deep and meaningful relationships with a handful of people. When Jesus walked the earth, he focused his energies not on filling stadiums but on twelve handpicked disciples whom he mentored and equipped to carry out ministries of their own.
With engaging personal stories of the famous athletes he has mentored, along with examples from the life of Jesus, Jim Stump shows how to develop rich mentoring relationships with the people in our lives. He answers the question so many of us have--"How can I help to bring my friends to faith?"--by providing simple steps toward developing those relationships, living life authentically, and sharing faith with those we care about.
Pastors, youth pastors, small group leaders, and individual believers will find "The Power of One-on-One "inspirational, encouraging, and practical.

Every leader functions on two stages--the front stage or public world, and the back stage or private world. One cannot lead successfully front stage when one is completely depleted back stage. In a time when pastors are leaving the ministry in record numbers due to cynicism, disillusionment, weariness, and personal scandals, there is an urgent need for soul care in the private lives of leaders.
"Replenish" helps leaders focus on the back stage, the interior life, in order to remain spiritually healthy. In a caring, encouraging tone, it will show pastors how to
prioritize matters of the soul
develop healthy spiritual practices
address problems that lead to burnout
create a healthy rhythm in their lives
improve their people skills and the spiritual climate of their team
develop better systems in their churches
discover how to lead an unhurried life
For the many ministry leaders who feel alone, in over their heads, or simply worn out, this book will offer welcome relief and a healthy way forward.

In this five-session small group Bible study, The Me I Want to Be, John Ortberg reveals how you can become the unique, fully alive person God intended you to be.

There is a me each of one of us wants to be someone who s more kind and generous, patient, and loving. But there is a gap between the me I am and the me I want to be. Oftentimes we find it easy to trust God to bridge the gap between and us and him, but we struggle to really live by grace and trust God to close the gap between the me I am and the me I want to be. Becoming God s best version of you is both God s desire and the greatest task of your life. And here s the good news he s already working on it. Your life is God s project, not yours.

The Me I Want to Be small group Bible study is a powerful look at becoming the unique, fully alive, flourishing person God intended. Pastor and author John Ortberg teaches through fives sessions how you can move toward becoming God s best version of you in four specific areas: your mind, your time, your relationships, and your experiences.

Spiritual growth can seem difficult or intimidating, but John Ortberg s humor and innovative thinking in The Me I Want to Be will leave you challenged, inspired, and hopeful about true spiritual growth happening in you and your small group.

This Participant Guide is designed for use with The Me I Want to Be DVD (sold separately) and includes discussion questions for individuals and groups. When used together they provide you with a practical tool than can transform your faith.

Sessions include:

1. Discovering the Spirit
2. Renewing My Mind
3. Redeeming My Time
4. Deeping My Relationships
5. Transforming My Experience

Winner of the 2002 Christianity Today Book Award!

Deep within you lies the same faith and longing that sent Peter walking across the wind-swept Sea of Galilee toward Jesus. In what ways is the Lord telling you, as he did Peter, "Come"? John Ortberg invites you to consider the incredible potential that awaits you outside your comfort zone. Out on the risky waters of faith, Jesus is waiting to meet you in ways that will change you forever, deepening your character and your trust in God. The experience is terrifying. It's thrilling beyond belief. It's everything you'd expect of someone worthy to be called Lord.

The choice is yours to know him as only a water-walker can, aligning yourself with God's purpose for your life in the process. There's just one requirement: If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat.

What Are You Waiting For?

Intimacy with God can happen right now if you want it. A closeness you can feel, a goodness you can taste, a reality you can experience for yourself. That s what the Bible promises, so why settle for less? God is closer than you think, and connecting with him isn t just for monks and ascetics. It s for business people, high school students, busy moms, single men, single women and most important, it s for YOU.

God Is Closer Than You Think shows how you can enjoy a vibrant, moment-by-moment relationship with your heavenly Father. Bestselling author John Ortberg reveals the face of God waiting to be discovered in the complex mosaic of your life. He shows you God s hand stretching toward you. And, with his gift for storytelling, Ortberg illustrates the ways you can reach toward God and complete the connection to your joy and his."

No mistake was made in heaven when God gave you the gift of leadership or teaching. Every gift you have-your instincts to lead and your passion to make a difference-came from the hand of a loving Father who crafted you. In this practical and inspiring book, Willow Creek Executive vice president and teaching pastor Nancy Beach speaks to women with God-given gifts of leading and teaching. Sharing from her thirty-year journey in a local church, Nancy offers guidance on such issues as: Developing character Earning respect Finding your voice for leadership and teaching Managing work and personal life Forming an intentional support network She also challenges church leaders to wrestle with the issue of women in leadership, and to be advocates for women as they seek to reach their full ministry potential. Nancy desires that women will fully engage in the dangerous and thrilling adventure of using their leadership gifts to advance the kingdom of God. The path won't be easy... but God will never leave you alone.

Maybe you ve gone to church and just not felt like you were connecting to the service like everyone else. Perhaps you have been trying to get closer to God but simply hit block after block and feel more frustrated than faith-filled each time you sit down to pray or worship. Or maybe you feel like you are doing okay spiritually, but feel you re missing something you can t quite define. And on top of everything else, you re simply trying to figure out who you really are inside and what you re supposed to be doing with your life.

The good news is you re not alone, and you don t have to feel discouraged. Though in the pages of The Me I Want to Be Teen Edition, bestselling author John Ortberg focuses on what makes you who you are, looking at how you spend your time, your unique experiences, your relationships, and your overall world to help you see where you are now, as well as providing exercises and quizzes that help uncover God s plan for you and the positive directions you can now go. Find out what it can look like when you discover what the best version of you looks like, as well as the life God has always desired you to have."

Gifted--that s you Uniquely equipped to help build up the body of Christ. As a follower of Jesus, serving others is an integral part of your identity and an important key to your personal growth. But how do you cultivate a servant s heart and your spiritual gifts in ways that build up your church, your family, your friends, and your world--without wiping you out in the process? Gifts guides you to the answers. Through personal study and small group interaction, this study will help you develop a passion to be used by God. You ll find out about your unique place in the body of Christ and how to surmount the obstacles that keep you from thriving. You ll discover the joy of serving with others--doing together what you cannot do alone. And you ll learn how to abide in Christ, experiencing a freshness and vitality that grow as you give Leader s guide included Gifts group sessions are: Use Me Use My Gifts Walking into Weakness Comparison: The Killjoy of Servanthood The Ministry of the Mundane Servanthood s Bell-Shaped Curve Abide in Him"

Normal? Who s normal?

Not you, that s for sure No one you ve ever met, either. None of us are normal according to God s definition, and the closer we get to each other, the plainer that becomes. Yet for all our quirks, sins, and jagged edges, we need each other. Community is more than just a word it is one of our most fundamental requirements. So how do flawed, abnormal people such as ourselves master the forces that can drive us apart and come together in the life-changing relationships God designed us for?

In Everybody s Normal Till You Get to Know Them, teacher and bestselling author John Ortberg zooms in on the things that make community tick. You ll get a thought-provoking look at God s heart, at others, and at yourself. Even better, you ll gain wisdom and tools for drawing closer to others in powerful, impactful ways. With humor, insight, and a gift for storytelling, Ortberg shows how community pays tremendous dividends in happiness, health, support, and growth. It s where all of us weird, unwieldy people encounter God s love in tangible ways and discover the transforming power of being loved, accepted, and valued just the way we are."

Learn to Pray with the Master If you could ask the first disciples, "What was the Savior's secret to living in alignment with the Father's will and with power to face life's challenges," they would have answered with one word, "Prayer!" As we learn to talk with the Father, we grow strong in faith and obedience. The Lord's Prayer is much more than a collection of words to be recited from memory. It is a Jesus-given springboard to launch us into the refreshing waters of God's wisdom and strength. When we learn to pray with Jesus, we become like him. Will you dare to echo the plea of the first disciples, "Teach us to pray"?

Stand Strong in Life s Furnaces How do you respond when the bottom drops out? What happens to your character quotient when things don t go the way you planned? How do you react when the temperature is rising, you are under attack, and God seems far away? Daniel discovered that the furnace experiences of life refine and define us. Spiritual integrity rarely grows when everything goes our way. Instead, God uses things like a furnace, a lion s den, a mad king, and exile in a foreign country to forge character in a soul. If you long to meet God in the challenging times and come through the fire stronger and more faithful, Daniel is ready to show the way."

This comprehensive textbook on pastoral ministry for pastors, church leaders, and students articulates a biblical model for shepherding God's people. Written by a leading psychologist and seminary professor who has served as a pastor for more than two decades, the book covers twelve major areas of pastoral ministry, highlights the essential work of the Holy Spirit, and focuses on the personal and family life of the pastor. It includes cross-cultural perspectives of special interest in our diverse world and a foreword by John Ortberg.

The day after Jesus' death, whatever small mark he made on the world seemed destined to disappear. Instead, his impact on human history has been unparalleled, leading believers and nonbelievers alike to ask, Who Is This Man? In Who Is This Man, bestselling author John Ortberg explores the paradox of Jesus, history's most familiar figure while simultaneously the man no one knows. Who Is This Man traces Jesus' incredible life and legacy from his days on Earth to the present moment, showing us: How his vision of life continues to haunt and challenge humanity The ways his influence has inspired movements in art, science, government, medicine, and education How his lessons about dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope continue to influence humanity Join John Ortberg as he shares how Jesus' influence has swept over history and how his vision of life continues to impact us today. Praise for Who Is This Man?: "Sometimes in the clutter and noise of 'religion,' we lose sight of who Jesus is. Once again, John Ortberg helps us do what he does best: he helps us see God as he really is and connect with him amid all the noise. This book is a gift." --Dr. Henry Cloud, psychologist, coauthor of the bestselling Boundaries books "We live in a period where the divide between the secular and the sacred has never been greater. Who Is This Man? bridges this gap by sharing in his inimitable and entertaining style the undeniable and profound impact of Jesus Christ on our world. His impact, over two thousand years later, is more profound on the day-to-day lives of people--believers or not--than the impact of any other person at any point in history. John shows how Christ came to teach us how to live and in the process changed the world forever and for good." --Ron Johnson, CEO, J. C. Penney

Six-session small group studies to build true community within the church and among the worldParables: Jesus, the wisest man who ever lived, had much to say about God, the human heart, the future, life, anger, love, and everything that mattered. Digging into the treasure trove of the wisdom and truth hidden in his parables will stretch minds, feed souls, pierce hearts, and shape his followers into true disciples.

What does it mean to do everything "in Jesus name"? Is that an ideal attainable only by a few "super Christians"--or is it a way of life we can all experience? Leader s guide included Fully Devoted group sessions are: What Is True Spirituality? Grace Growth Groups Gifts Giving "We Know Him Well . . . "

Sticky Faith delivers positive and practical ideas to nurture within your kids a living, loving faith that lasts a lifetime. Research indicates that almost half of high school seniors drift from their faith after graduation. Struck by this staggering statistic, and recognizing its ramifications, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the "College Transition Project" in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. This easy-to-read guide presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children's spiritual growth so that it will stick with them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. Written by Fuller Youth Institute Executive Director Dr. Kara E. Powell and youth expert Chap Clark--authors known for the integrity of their research and the intensity of their passion for young people--Sticky Faith is geared to spark a movement that empowers adults to develop robust and long-term faith in kids of all ages. Further engage your family and church with the Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith curriculum, and Sticky Faith youth worker edition. Sticky Faith is also available in Spanish, Como criar jovenes de fe solida.

In the past, church leaders have turned to small groups or other kinds of discipleship programs to encourage spiritual growth in their churches. Yet despite good intentions, the deeper spiritual life and transformation they had hoped for remained elusive. STIR calls church leaders to reclaim an essential, biblical truth---that the process of spiritual growth is more than a one-size-fits-all program, it happens best through intentional relationships with others in the body of Christ. Three distinct, sequential stages of spiritual development typically occur as people mature in their spiritual walk with Christ, and they need different kinds of relationships to support their growth through those different seasons. STIR describes those stages---learning together, journeying together, and following together---and shows how progress into and through these stages is best made in the context of relationships that change in nature over time. Readers will learn how to intentionally establish and strengthen the unique kinds of relationships that are catalytic for growth at each stage of their journey. Church leaders will come away with a new paradigm for encouraging spiritual formation in their local church by providing appropriate encouragement and support to people at all stages of growth.

In Soul Keeping, John Ortberg helps Christians rediscover their soul the best connection to God there is and find out why it s hurting and why neglecting it has set so many believers so far back spiritually.

In this six-session, video-based small group Bible study, Ortberg shows that caring for your soul is necessary for your Christian life. John shows participants what your soul is, why it is important, how to assess your soul s health, and how to care for it so that we can have a meaningful and beautiful life with God and others.

When you nurture your soul your life in this world will come to make sense again; you can find your way back to God from hopelessness, depression, relationship struggles, and a lack of fulfillment. Your soul s resting place is in God, and John Ortberg wants to take participants to that home. This study guide includes discussion questions, video notes, and in-between studies and is designed for use with the Soul Keeping DVD (sold separately).

Sessions include:

• Filling the Hole in Your Soul
• Why God Made You With a Soul
• What's Soul Got To Do With It
• Finding Your Soul's True Home
• Empty Souls and Full Garages
• Why We Have a Soul, Brothers and Sisters

In the six-session small group Bible study, God is Closer Than You Think, John Ortberg helps you to discover and enjoy a vibrant, moment-by-moment relationship with God the Father.

Today you can see God in action. Today you can hear God speaking to you. Today you can connect with God heart-to-heart. Today

Intimacy with God can happen right now a closeness you can feel, a reality you can experience for yourself. God is closer than you think, and connecting with him isn t the exclusive domain of monks and ascetics. It s for business people, high school students, busy moms, single men, single women and most important, it s for YOU

In God is Closer than You Think, Ortberg reveals the face of God waiting to be discovered in the complex mosaic of your life. This insightful and impactful small group study will help you:

• Find God where you least expect him
• Listen to God s voice
• Identify which pathway of relationship you re uniquely designed to travel
• Align yourself with the flow of the Holy Spirit
• Draw closer to God even when he seems absent

This Participant Guide is designed for use together with the God Is Closer Than You Think DVD (sold separately) and includes discussion questions for individuals and groups. When used together they provide you with a practical tool than can transform your faith.

Sessions include:

1. God s Great Desire for People
2. Where is God in My World?
3. Partnering with God Today
4. Listening to the Voice of God
5. God Wants a Relationship with You
6. Heaven Breaking Through