John Ortberg - Fully Devoted: Living Each Day in Jesus Name

ZONDERVAN

Fully Devoted: Living Each Day in Jesus Name

Copyright 2000 by the Willow Creek Association

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ePub Edition June 2009 ISBN: 0-310-86212-4

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All Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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We are grateful for permission given by a number of gifted teachers to use excerpts from their books and messages for the opening readings in the sessions. These authors and speakers are acknowledged throughout this guide.

Interior design by Laura Klynstra Blost

T he Pursuing Spiritual Transformation series is all about being spiritual. But that may not mean what you think! Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? What does that mean? Does spiritual growth seem like an impossible amount of work? Do you have a clear picture of the kind of life youd live if you were to be more spiritual?

Each guide in the Pursuing Spiritual Transformation series is dedicated to one thinghelping you pursue authentic spiritual transformation. Here, in this introductory study, the goal is to help you define spiritual life and then live it as Jesus would live it.

You may find this study different from others you have done in the past. Each week in preparation for your group meeting, you will be completing a Bible study and experimenting with a variety of spiritual exercises. These elements are designed to enhance your private times with God and, in turn, to help you invite him into all aspects of your life, even the everyday routines. After all, spiritual life is just lifethe one you live moment by moment.

It is very important that you complete this work before going to each meeting because the discussion is based on what youve learned from the study and what youve observed as a result of the spiritual exercise. The Bible study and exercises are not meant to be done an hour before the meeting, quickly filling in the blanks. Instead, we suggest you thoughtfully and prayerfully complete them over the course of several days as part of your regular devotional time with God.

A good modern Bible translation, such as the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible, or the New Revised Standard Version, will give you the most help in your study. You might also consider keeping a Bible dictionary handy to look up unfamiliar words, names, or places. Write your responses in the spaces provided in the study guide or use your personal journal if you need more space. This will help you participate more fully in the discussion, and will also help you personalize what you are learning.

When your group meets, be willing to join in the discussion. The leader of the group will not be lecturing but will encourage people to discuss what they have learned from the study and exercise. Plan to share what God has taught you. Try to be sensitive to the other members of the group. Listen attentively when they speak, and be affirming whenever you can. This will encourage more hesitant members of the group to participate. Be careful not to dominate the discussion. By all means participate, but allow others to have equal time. If you are a group leader or a participant who wants further insights, you will find additional comments in the Leaders Guide at the back of the study.

We believe that your ongoing journey through this material will place you on an exciting path of spiritual adventure. Through your individual study time and group discussions, we trust you will enter into a fresh concept of spiritual life that will delight the heart of Godand your heart too!

Spiritual transformation

is essential, not optional, for Christ-followers.

is a process, not an event.

is Gods work, but requires my participation.

involves those practices, experiences, and relationships that help me live intimately with Christ and walk as if he were in my place.

is not a compartmentalized pursuit. God is not interested in my spiritual life; hes interested in my lifeall of it.

can happen in every moment. It is not restricted to certain times or practices.

is not individualistic, but takes place in community and finds expression in serving others.

is not impeded by a persons background, temperament, life situation, or season of life. It is available right now to all who desire it.

and the means of pursuing it, will vary from one individual to another. Fully devoted followers are handcrafted, not mass-produced.

is ultimately gauged by an increased capacity to love God and people. Superficial or external checklists cannot measure it.

Y ears ago, a television commercial for an antacid asked, How do you spell relief? Their hope was that youd spell it the same way they spelled their product name.

God asks us a similar question. He wonders, How do you spell spirituality? Naturally, he desires you to have the same perspective he does. Whatever words or phrases you come up with will define the path you walk and the goals you seek in your relationship with him. Answer that question well and you will be a fruitful follower of Christ. Answer it poorly and you will spend wasted years in pursuit of uselesseven harmfulactivities.

The goal of the Pursuing Spiritual Transformation series is simply this: to help you carefully define and then joyfully pursue spiritual life with God. This book is the first in that series. It introduces you to what we call The Five Gsa framework which embraces five key areas of the Christian life. It is our hope that this tool will work like a good doctorhelping diagnose your spiritual condition and then prescribing the practices, experiences, and relationships you need to make progress. In this book, youll learn what those Five Gs are. In subsequent studies you will explore one G per guide. You do not need to do the other books in any particular order, but we do recommend you do this book first to lay a foundation.

In doing this studyand the whole seriesyou may find that being spiritual is not what you thought. The good news is that the reality offered by God is so much better than the misconceptions. And its readily available for you today.

Reading by John Ortberg

L ets call him Hank. He had attended church since he was a boy, and now he was in his sixties. He was known by everyonebut no one really knew him. He had difficulty loving his wife. His children could not speak freely with him and felt no affection from him. He was not concerned for the poor, had little tolerance for those outside the church, and tended to judge harshly those who were inside.