Eternity is Now in Session
Something in us is waiting—for what, we don’t know. Something different? Something better?
For Christians, perhaps the deepest expression of what we’re waiting for is found in the phrase “eternal life.”
But what is eternal life?
Why do we want it?
And how do we know if we have it?
In Eternity Is Now in Session, bestselling author John Ortberg dispels the myth that eternal life is something way out in outer space that we can only hope to experience after we die—and that being saved is merely about meeting the minimal entrance requirements for getting into heaven. Instead, John unpacks the reality that the moment we trust Christ, we are initiated into “eternal living” with God as a here and now reality, one that will continue beyond our life on this earth.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
Jesus defined eternal life just once, in John 17:3: “. . . that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” The kind of “knowing God” that is eternal life is an interactive relationship, not just an affirmation of certain facts about God. Once we begin the transformative journey of truly knowing God, we can start to experience His presence, favor, and resurrection power right here on this earth—in the details, tasks, and challenges of daily, ordinary life.
And as we begin to know God this way, we’ll realize each moment of our lives is a vehicle to the eternity we’ve been longing for all along.
I’d Like You More if You Were More Like Me
I’d Like You More If You Were More like Me takes on one of life’s most important questions: How can I get closer to God and other people?
We were created for deep connections. When people have deep connections, says John Ortberg, they win in life. When they don’t have deep connections, they cannot win in life. I’d Like You More if You Were More like Me offers help in overcoming one of the biggest obstacles to making deep connections: the fact that we’re so different. Different from God and different from each other.
The good news is that connectedness is not based on similarity, but on shared experiences. When one person invites another to share an experience, they’re connected. It can be sharing a beautiful sunset or a meal, having a great conversation over cup of coffee, going for walk, or even teasing somebody. And when we share those same experiences with God, we get closer to him, too. God wants to connect with us―so much that he sent his son to live as a human being. God took on flesh and shared every human experience. So we don’t have to wonder what a close relationship with God looks like anymore.
An intimate relationship with God and other people doesn’t have to be a cliché, it can be a daily way of life.
All the Places to Go, How Will You Know?
Very rarely in the Bible does God command someone to “Stay.” He opens a door, and then he invites us to walk through it—into the unknown. And how we choose to respond will ultimately determine the life we will lead and the person we will become. In fact, to fail to embrace the open door is to miss the work God has made for us to do.
In All the Places to Go . . . How Will You Know?, bestselling author John Ortberg opens our eyes to the countless doors God places before us every day, teaches us how to recognize them, and gives us the encouragement to step out in faith and embrace all of the extraordinary opportunities that await.
So go ahead—walk through that door. You just might do something that lasts for eternity.
Your Magnificent Chooser
We all have choices to make every day, even the youngest children. The choices we make play a large part in forming who we grow to be as adults. For kids, those choices can include whether to be obedient or disobedient, to share or be selfish, to have a good attitude or not, and more. John Ortberg addresses the ability to choose in a whimsical way by inviting children to use their “magnificent chooser” that God gave them to make right choices daily. Parents will love reading this book to their kids, and kids will enjoy the content while learning lessons that will stay with them throughout their lives.
Soul Keeping
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.
Who is This Man?
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.
The Me I Want to Be
The Me I Want to Be will help you discover spiritual vitality like never before as you learn to "live in the flow of the spirit."
Why does spiritual growth seem so difficult?
God's vision for your life is not just that you are saved by grace, but that you also learn to live by grace, flourishing with the Spirit flowing through you. And this book will show how God's perfect vision for you starts with a powerful promise: All those who trust in God "will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
Pastor and bestselling author John Ortberg first helps gauge your spiritual health and measure the gap between where you are now and where God intends you to be. Then he provides detailed tasks and exercises to help you live in the flow of the Spirit, circumventing real-world barriers--pain and sorrow, temptations, self-doubt, sin--to flourish even in a dark and broken world.
Love Beyond Reason
How Do You Explain a Love That Has No Explanation? What will happen if you let it touch your heart? God loves you not because you are flawless, not because you are a perfect person, but just because you are. In Love Beyond Reason, John Ortberg reveals the God you’ve longed to encounter: a Father head-over-heels in love with you, his child, and intensely committed to your highest joy. Ortberg takes you to the very core of God’s being to discover a burning, passionate love that gives, and gives, and gives. He explores the life-changing ways this love has expressed itself through Jesus. And he shows how you, like Jesus, can love your mate, your family, your friends, and the world around you with the same practical, transforming love. Dispelling your fears and misconceptions of God, Love Beyond Reason brings you face-to-face with the Love that frees and empowers you to love.
Know Doubt
In this refreshingly candid look at what it takes to live a life of faith, John Ortberg takes an honest look at the misgivings and uncertainties that often shake our beliefs as we navigate through the highs and lows of life.
Reflecting on his own bouts with doubt and uncertainty, Ortberg shares with readers his discovery that, rather than being a contradiction in terms, doubt and faith may be very much a part of each other. He challenges readers to consider how doubt can motivate us to study and learn, how questioning expands our understanding, and how uncertainty can lead to trust. These challenges point us toward the relief of being totally honest.
The right kind of doubt can be a gift—an action-generating truth that actually allows us to deepen our faith and intimacy with God. Written to challenge, comfort, and inspire readers, Know Doubt reveals uncertainty as a cause for celebration.
Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them
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.
The Life You’ve Always Wanted
Ignite a deeper, more vibrant relationship with God that impacts not just your spiritual life but every aspect of your daily life.
John Ortberg calls readers back to the dynamic heartbeat of Christianity--God's power to bring change and growth--and reveals how and why transformation takes place.
The Life You've Always Wanted offers modern perspectives on the ancient path of the spiritual disciplines. But it is more than just a book about things to do to be a good Christian. It's a road map toward true transformation that starts not with the individual but with the person at the journey's end--Jesus Christ.
As with a marathon runner, the secret to finishing a race lies not in trying harder, but in training consistently--training with the spiritual disciplines. The disciplines are neither taskmasters nor ends in themselves. Rather they are exercises that build strength and endurance for the road of growth. The fruit of the Spirit--joy, peace, kindness, etc.--are the signposts along the way.
Paved with humor and sparkling anecdotes, The Life You've Always Wanted is an encouraging and challenging approach to a Christian life that's worth living--a life on the edge that fills an ordinary world with new meaning, hope, change, and joy.
God is Closer than You Think
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.
When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box
In this thought-provoking look at what's really important in life, John Ortberg uses games as a metaphor to help us recognize and play for life's real prize: being rich toward God.
Told with humor and wisdom by this bestselling author, pastor, and game-strategist, When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box reminds us that everything on earth belongs to God, and everything we "win" is just on loan. Being Master of the Board is not the point; playing by God's rules is. Ortberg makes sure we understand the object of the game, but he also walks us through the set-up, the rules, the strategies, and choosing the right trophies.
This book is for those who want to sort out what's fleeting and what's permanent in God's kingdom. It's the perfect playbook for individuals or groups interested in considering life's true priorities and arranging their lives with eternal prizes in mind.
If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat
You're one step away from the adventure of your life. John Ortberg invites you to consider the incredible potential that awaits you outside your comfort zone.
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"?
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.
永恒，此刻开启
我们内心深处有某种东西在等待——等待什么，我们不得而知。是不一样的吗？是更好的吗？
对基督徒来说，“永生”这个词或许最能表达我们所期盼的。
但永生是什么？
我们为什么渴望它？
我们又如何知道自己是否拥有它？
在《永恒，此刻开启》一书中，畅销书作家约翰·奥特伯格打破了“永生是遥远的外太空之物，我们只能指望死后才能体验”的迷思，也打破了“得救仅仅是满足进入天堂的最低门槛”这一迷思。相反，约翰揭示了一个现实：当我们信靠基督的那一刻，我们就开启了与神同在的“永生”，这是一种当下即刻的现实，它将在我们在世上的生命结束后继续延续。
约翰福音 17:3，认识你独一的真神，并且认识耶稣基督，这就是永生。
耶稣在约翰福音 17:3 中只定义过一次永生：“认识你独一的真神，并且认识你所差来的耶稣基督。” 永生的“认识神”是一种互动的关系，而不仅仅是对关于神的某些事实的肯定。一旦我们开启真正认识神的转变之旅，我们就能在这世上——在日常生活的细节、任务和挑战中——体验到祂的同在、恩典和复活的大能。
当我们开始以这种方式认识神时，我们就会意识到，生命中的每一刻都是通往我们一直渴望的永恒的途径。
如果你更像我，我会更喜欢你
《如果你更像我，我会更喜欢你》探讨了人生中最重要的问题之一：我如何才能更接近上帝和他人？
我们生来就是为了建立深厚的联系。当人们拥有深厚的联系时，他们就能在生活中获得成功。如果没有深厚的联系，他们就无法在生活中取得成功。《如果你更像我，我会更喜欢你》帮助我们克服建立深厚联系的最大障碍之一：我们是如此不同。我们与上帝不同，彼此也不同。
好消息是，联系并非基于相似性，而是基于共同的经历。当一个人邀请另一个人分享经历时，他们就建立了联系。这可以是分享美丽的日落或一顿美餐，可以是边喝咖啡边畅谈，可以是一起散步，甚至可以是开玩笑。当我们与上帝分享同样的经历时，我们与祂的关系也会更加亲近。 上帝渴望与我们建立联系——甚至差遣他的儿子来到世上，成为人。上帝的儿子耶稣道成肉身，分享了人类的一切经历。因此，我们无需再苦苦思索与上帝的亲密关系是什么样的。
与上帝和他人的亲密关系不必是陈词滥调，它可以成为一种日常生活。
所有值得去的地方，你怎么知道？
在圣经中，上帝很少命令某人“留下”。他打开一扇门，然后邀请我们走进去——进入未知的世界。而我们如何回应，最终将决定我们将过上什么样的生活，以及我们将成为什么样的人。事实上，不拥抱这扇敞开的门，就是错过了上帝为我们安排的工作。
在所有值得去的地方…… 畅销书作家约翰·奥特伯格在《你怎么知道？》一书中，向我们敞开心扉，看到上帝每天在我们面前摆放的无数扇门，教导我们如何辨别它们，并鼓励我们凭着信心迈出一步，拥抱所有等待着我们的非凡机遇。
所以，迈出第一步——走进那扇门吧。你或许会做出一件永恒之事。
你的伟大选择者
我们每天都要做出选择，即使是最小的孩子也是如此。我们的选择在塑造我们成年后的性格方面发挥着重要作用。对孩子来说，这些选择包括顺从还是不顺从，分享还是自私，拥有良好心态还是消极等等。约翰·奥特伯格以一种奇特的方式探讨了选择的能力，他邀请孩子们运用上帝赋予他们的“伟大选择者”，每天做出正确的选择。父母会喜欢给孩子读这本书，孩子们也会在享受内容的同时，学习到终生受益的教训。
灵魂守护
你上次思考灵魂状态是什么时候？畅销书作家约翰·奥特伯格将指导你通过实用步骤修复灵魂，最终体验完整、平衡、充满希望的人生。
在这个物质主义和消费主义盛行的时代，许多人试图用金钱来换取幸福，许多灵魂却饱受饥饿和不健康的折磨，无法满足于地位和财富的虚假承诺。我们忽视了自身永恒的这一部分，转而关注世俗的世俗事务——这并非毫无意义。
奥特伯格回顾了他与挚友兼导师达拉斯·威拉德数十年交往的点滴，呈现了另一部经典之作，它将帮助你探索灵魂——与上帝之间最重要的连接——并帮助你走出精神的浅薄，走向真正的神圣深度。
这人是谁？
耶稣死后的第二天，他给世界留下的任何微小印记似乎都注定要消失。然而，他对人类历史的影响却是无与伦比的，无论信徒还是非信徒，都在追问：这人是谁？
在《这人是谁》一书中，畅销书作家约翰·奥特伯格探讨了耶稣的悖论：他是历史上最为人熟知的人物，同时又鲜为人知。 《这个人是谁》追溯了耶稣从尘世到如今的非凡人生和精神遗产，向我们展现：
他的人生观如何持续萦绕并挑战人类
他的影响力如何激发了艺术、科学、政府、医学和教育领域的变革
他关于尊严、同情、宽恕和希望的教诲如何持续影响人类
与约翰·奥特伯格一起，聆听他分享耶稣的影响力如何席卷历史，以及他的人生观如何持续影响着我们。
《我想成为的自我》
《我想成为的自我》将帮助你在学习“活在圣灵的洪流中”的过程中，发现前所未有的灵性活力。
为什么灵性成长看起来如此困难？
上帝对你人生的愿景不仅是让你因恩典得救，更要让你学会靠恩典生活，在圣灵的感动中茁壮成长。 本书将展现上帝对你的完美愿景如何始于一个强有力的承诺：所有信靠上帝的人“要像一棵树栽在水旁，在溪水旁扎根，不惧怕炎热来到，叶子总是青翠，在干旱之年也不挂虑，并且结果子不停止”（耶利米书 17:7-8）。
牧师兼畅销书作家约翰·奥特伯格首先会帮助你评估你的灵性健康状况，并衡量你现在的状态与上帝希望你达到的状态之间的差距。然后，他会提供详细的任务和练习，帮助你活在圣灵的带领下，绕过现实世界的障碍——痛苦、悲伤、诱惑、自我怀疑、罪——即使在黑暗破碎的世界中也能蓬勃发展。
超越理性的爱
你如何解释一份无法解释的爱？如果你让它触动你的心，会发生什么？上帝爱你，不是因为你完美无瑕，不是因为你是一个完美的人，而只是因为你本来就完美。 在《超越理性的爱》中，约翰·奥特伯格揭示了你渴望遇见的上帝：一位深爱着你——他的孩子——的父亲，他全心全意地致力于为你带来最大的喜乐。奥特伯格带你深入上帝本质的核心，发现一种炽热而热烈的爱，这种爱不断地给予。他探索了这种爱如何通过耶稣表达出来，改变你的人生。他也向你展示了如何像耶稣一样，用同样切实可行、能改变人生的爱去爱你的伴侣、家人、朋友以及你周围的世界。《超越理性的爱》驱散你对上帝的恐惧和误解，带你直面那份释放你、赋予你力量去爱的爱。
了解疑惑
约翰·奥特伯格以令人耳目一新的坦诚视角，探讨了如何过上充满信仰的生活，并坦诚地审视了在我们经历人生的起起伏伏时，那些常常动摇我们信仰的疑虑和不确定性。
奥特伯格反思自己与怀疑和不确定性的斗争，与读者分享他的发现：怀疑与信仰并非自相矛盾，反而可能彼此相辅相成。他挑战读者思考，怀疑如何激励我们学习，质疑如何拓展我们的理解，以及不确定性如何促成信任。这些挑战引领我们走向完全坦诚的解脱。
正确的怀疑可以是一种恩赐——一种激发行动的真理，它实际上能够加深我们的信仰以及与上帝的亲密关系。《了解怀疑》旨在挑战、安慰和激励读者，揭示了不确定性是如何值得庆祝的。
在你了解他们之前，每个人都是正常的
你肯定不是！你遇到的任何人也一样。根据上帝的定义，我们都不正常，我们彼此越亲近，就越显得平凡。然而，尽管我们都有怪癖、罪孽和棱角，我们彼此需要。 社群不仅仅是一个词——它是我们最基本的需求之一。那么，像我们这样有缺陷、不正常的人，该如何克服那些可能让我们分裂的力量，并在上帝为我们设计的、能够改变人生的关系中走到一起呢？
在《每个人都很正常，直到你了解他们》一书中，教师兼畅销书作家约翰·奥特伯格深入探讨了社群运作的要素。你将从书中反思上帝的心意、他人的心意以及你自己的心意。更棒的是，你将获得智慧和工具，以强大而有影响力的方式与他人建立更紧密的联系。奥特伯格以幽默、洞察力和讲故事的天赋，展现了社群如何在幸福、健康、支持和成长方面带来巨大的回报。在这里，我们所有古怪、笨拙的人都能以切实的方式感受到上帝的爱，并发现被爱、被接纳和被重视的转变力量，而这正是我们本来的样子。
你一直想要的生活
点燃与上帝更深层、更充满活力的关系，这不仅会影响你的灵性生活，也影响你日常生活的方方面面。
约翰·奥特伯格呼吁读者回归基督教充满活力的心跳——上帝带来改变和成长的大能——并揭示转变发生的方式和原因。
《你一直想要的生活》以现代视角审视古老的属灵操练之路。但它不仅仅是一本讲述如何成为优秀基督徒的书。它是通往真正转变的路线图，它并非始于个人，而是始于旅程终点的耶稣基督。
如同马拉松运动员一样，完成比赛的秘诀不在于更加努力，而在于持续训练——以属灵操练进行训练。属灵操练本身并非任务主管，亦非最终目的。相反，它们是为成长之路构建力量和耐力的练习。圣灵的果子——喜乐、平安、恩慈等等——是沿途的路标。
《你一直想要的生活》充满幽默和精彩的轶事，以一种鼓舞人心且富有挑战性的方式，引领我们走向值得拥有的基督徒生活——一种充满挑战的生活，它为平凡的世界注入了新的意义、希望、改变和喜乐。
上帝比你想象的更近
你还在等什么？
只要你渴望，与上帝建立亲密关系现在就能实现。这是一种你能感受到的亲密，一种你能品尝到的美善，一种你能亲身体验的现实。这就是圣经的应许，何必退而求其次呢？上帝比你想象的更近，与祂建立联系并非僧侣和苦行僧的专利。它属于商界人士、高中生、忙碌的妈妈、单身男士、单身女士……最重要的是，它属于你。
《上帝比你想象的更近》一书向你展示了如何与天父享受充满活力、时时刻刻的关系。畅销书作家约翰·奥特伯格揭示了上帝在你错综复杂的人生中等待你去发现的面容。他向你展示了上帝正向你伸出的手。奥特伯格以其讲故事的天赋，阐述了你如何与上帝建立联系，并完成与你和祂的喜乐的连接。
游戏结束后，一切都回到盒子里
约翰·奥特伯格以游戏为比喻，探讨了人生中真正重要的东西，引人深思，帮助我们认识并争取人生的真正奖赏：在神面前富足。
畅销书作家、牧师兼游戏策略师以幽默和智慧的笔触，将《游戏结束后，一切都回到盒子里》一书提醒我们，世上的一切都属于神，而我们“赢得”的一切都只是借来的。成为棋盘之主并非重点，遵守神的规则才是关键。奥特伯格不仅确保我们理解游戏的目标，还引导我们了解游戏的设置、规则、策略以及如何选择合适的奖品。
本书献给那些想要在神的国度里分辨什么是短暂的，什么是永恒的人。对于有兴趣思考人生真正优先事项，并着眼于永恒奖赏来安排人生的个人或团体来说，这是一本完美的策略手册。
欲行水面，必先出船
你距离人生的冒险只有一步之遥。约翰·奥特伯格邀请你思考，在舒适区之外，等待你的是何等的无限可能。
你内心深处，蕴藏着与彼得当年穿越风雨肆虐的加利利海，奔向耶稣时同样的信心和渴望。主如何像对彼得那样，告诉你“来”呢？
在充满危险的信心之水之上，耶稣正以各种方式等待着你，这些方式将永远改变你，加深你的品格，加深你对上帝的信靠。这段经历令人恐惧，也令人激动不已，令人难以置信。这一切都符合你对一位配得上被称为主之人的期望。
选择权在你手中，是要像一位在水面上行走的人一样认识他，并在这一过程中，使自己与上帝对你人生的旨意保持一致。只有一个要求：欲行水面，必先出船。
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