John Eldredge - A Guidebook to Waking the Dead: Embracing the Life God Has for You

A GUIDEBOOK to WAKING the DEAD

A GUIDEBOOK TO
WAKING the DEAD

EMBRACING THE LIFE GOD HAS FOR YOU

JOHN ELDREDGE
AND
CRAIG MCCONNELL

Copyright 2003 by John Eldredge

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Published in association with Yates & Yates, LLP, Attorneys and Counselors, Orange, California.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted NASB are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations noted KJV are from the KING JAMES VERSION.

Scripture quotations noted NKJV are from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

Scripture quotations noted MOFFATT are from The Bible: James Moffatt Translation by James A. R. Moffatt. Copyright 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, by James A. R. Moffatt.

Scripture quotations noted The Message are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted NRSV are from the NEW REVISED VERSION of the Bible. Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of The Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

ISBN 0-7852-6309-8

Printed in the United States of America

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CONTENTS

There is more.

No matter what you have known, no matter how precious your life with God has been to date, or how disappointed youve been and elusive he may have seemed... there is more available with God. There is so much more.

Now. In this life.

But to discover that more, we must launch out into deep waters, leave what is familiar, search for new shores. We must learn to live in the rest of reality, which is to say, we must learn to see life spiritually, and we must take seriously the fierce battle for our hearts. We must get our hearts back.

Jesus, I want my whole heart back.

That was the prayer that in many ways began this journey for us. Or perhaps it simply brought all the pieces into focus, helped us see what Jesus had been wanting to do all this time. And that is our prayer for you: that through the help of this guidebook, Jesus would restore your heart and bring you into the life he promised to give.

Waking the Dead is revolutionary. One friend who read it said we ought to nail it to the door of the church, like Luther. It opens up for us all a new and much deeper Christianity than most of us have been living. Paul Harvey might call it the rest of the story. It will probably at some point challenge some cherished notions, or stretch your faith and understanding beyond what you might find comfortable. Thats okayGod always does that when he is taking his people into new territory. If youll remember, the Jews had a pretty hard time accepting Jesus. He seemed outside their preconceived notions of what God was like. But those who did let go of the Law in exchange for the living Son of God found the life they were seeking.

So we encourage you to press on, to open yourself up to some new ways of knowing God and his work in your life. You see, Craig and I have been to those new shores, walked with God there, and we are back to tell you how to find that life and freedom and restoration for yourself. There is more.

A few words of counsel on using this guidebook. First (pardon the obvious), you need to read the corresponding chapter in Waking the Dead before you jump into the guidebook. For this only makes sense in light of that. Second, take your time. Theres no rush. Dont force this into a tight format or program. Third, we encourage you to pray before you read, and do the work weve laid out here. A simple prayer, like Paul prayed, that God may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better... that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened (Eph. 1:17-18).

This will forever change your life. In a really good way.

Further up, as Lewis would say, and further in.

John Eldredge and Craig McConnell
Colorado
May 2003

TO CLARIFY

Okay... I divided Waking the Dead into four parts:

SEEING OUR WAY CLEARLY

THE RANSOMED HEART

THE FOUR STREAMS

THE WAY OF THE HEART

The reason I did so is because each part is so important, so new, and so vital to our lives, I wanted to make sure that you were clearly tracking with me.

So, were going to include the introductions to each part here in the guidebook as well. If you reread them, they will help you as you go along.

PART ONE
SEEING OUR WAY CLEARLY

The way through the world
Is more difficult to find than the way beyond it.

WALLACE STEVENS

Narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

JESUS OF NAZARETH (MATT. 7:14)

There are few things more crucial to us than our own lives.

And there are few things we are less clear about.

This journey we are taking is hardly down the yellow brick road. Then again, thats not a bad analogy at all. We may set out in the light, with hope and joy, but eventually, our path always seems to lead us into the woods, shrouded with a low-lying mist. Where is this abundant life that Christ supposedly promised? Where is God when we need him most? What is to become of us?

The cumulative effect of days upon years that we do not really understand is a subtle erosion. We come to doubt our place, we come to question Gods intentions toward us, and we lose track of the most important things in life.

Were not fully convinced that Gods offer to us is life. We have forgotten that the heart is central. And we had no idea that we were born into a world at war. (pp. 1-2)

CHAPTER ONE
ARM YOURSELVES

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come
that they may have life, and have it to the full.

JESUS OF NAZARETH (JOHN 10:10)

HEART MONITOR

Take an inventory before you begin. How are you doing? Where are you right now? What are you feeling... thinking... wanting? Whats your mood?

Whats been nagging at you today? Any discouragement... distraction? Are you even aware of whats been nipping at your heels?

And are you hopeful, expectant about God using this new material in your life?

What circumstances, pressures, or relational issues could distract you from embracing all God may have for you in this chapter? What would be good to lay down right now in prayer?

Finally, a simple prayer:

Jesus, Iask you now for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. By your Spirit, guide me through my work