"In this six-session video curriculum, award-winning author John Ortberg serves as guide and interpretive leader for experiencing the presence of God in everyday life. With his engaging and humorous style, Ortberg transforms our view of God's presence from one that may seem hidden or distant to one that is closer than you think. The curriculum kit is designed for churches to use as a spiritual growth campaign""--Publisher's website

God Is Closer Than You Think Curriculum Kit Six Sessions on Experiencing the Presence of God The story of the Bible is the story of God's desire to be with people. God is extending himself, stretching out to reach us, to fill our lives with his presence. Every moment of your life is like a page in a Where's Waldo? book. God is there, the Scriptu...

Why does God feel so far away? Why is my worship so empty? Has God left me? David Bowden knows these questions firsthand, having wrestled for years with God’s apparent absence and studying what the Bible says about it. In this new book, Bowden tackles the subject head-on, finding the key to understanding it in the Bible’s depiction of a God who is infinitely far from us, free to move where he wants, but who chooses to come near in the person of Jesus. A resource of encouragement for those who struggle with feeling God’s absence and a wake-up call to those who take God’s presence for granted, When God Isn’t There will forever change your understanding of why God sometimes seems to vanish and how he can be found again. Praise for the work of David Bowden “Awesome and inspiring.”—Blake Mycoskie, Founder and Chief Shoe Giver at TOMS Shoes “David brings a fresh, engaging and highly impactful approach to Scripture. His passion for the Word is both contagious and inspirational.” —Roy Peterson, President of American Bible Society

God is closer than you think shows how you can enjoy a vibrant, moment-by-moment relationship with your heavenly Father. Not some abstract theological concept, but the real deal-intimate connection with a deeply personal God.

When is the last time you thought about the state of your soul? Bestselling author John Ortberg guides you through practical steps to restoring your soul so you can finally experience a life of wholeness, balance, and hope. In an age of materialism and consumerism where many people try to buy their way to happiness, many souls are starved and unhealthy, unsatisfied by false promises of status and wealth. We've neglected this eternal part of ourselves, focusing instead on the temporal concerns of the world--and not without consequence. Including reflections from his decades-long relationship with his friend and mentor Dallas Willard, Ortberg presents another classic that will help you discover your soul--the most important connection to God there is--and find your way out of the spiritual shallow-lands to true divine depth. Join Ortberg as he guides you through the three distinct aspects of Soul Keeping: Discovering what the soul is Learning what the soul needs Experiencing the joy of a restored soul With his characteristic insight and an accessible, story-filled approach, Ortberg will help you connect more deeply every day with the God who gave you life to bring more meaning, hope, and abundance to that life. Praise for Soul Keeping: "This book will not only help you to realize that you have a soul, an interior life, and reveal its importance, but will also give you some tools and handles to grab as you develop that life. It will help you to get grounded again, or even for the first time, with the One who first breathed that life into you, and Who desires every day to breathe more and more life into every corner of your being." --Dr. Henry Cloud, New York Times bestselling author of Boundaries and Changes That Heal

The Bible paints a clear picture of a God who wants to be close to His people. When we make even the smallest attempt to know Him better, He embraces us with grace and abundance. In this book, author Karen Jensen Salisbury gently guides you toward an intimate walk with God. With heartfelt insights and practical tools, Karen leads you step-by-step toward a sweet, satisfying, and ever-growing relationship with Father God.

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.