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[Page 2] Resources by John Ortberg An Ordinary Day with Jesus (curriculum series, with Ruth Haley Barton) Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them (book, audio, curriculum) God Is Closer Than You Think (book, audio, curriculum) If You Want to Walk On Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat (book, audio, curriculum) The Life You’ve Always Wanted (book, audio, curriculum) Living the God Life Love Beyond Reason Old Testament Challenge (curriculum series, with Kevin and Sherry Harney) [Page 3] [EXPANDED EDITION] THE LIFE YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED spiritual disciplines for ordinary people JOHN ORTBERG [Page 4] Copyright The Life You’ve Always Wanted Epub Reader Format Copyright © 1997, 2002 by John Ortberg Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 ISBN-13: 978-0-310-56589-5 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Scripture quotations identified as NIV 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. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other— except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design: Jamie DeBruyn Cover photo: Bill Brooks / Masterfile [Page 5] To Windsor House, in fulfillment of a long-time promise: Chuck, Kevin, Jerry, Don, Tommy, Guy, and Rich. And to Nancy. [Page 6] CONTENTS Resources by John Ortberg Copyright Preface 1. “We Shall Morph Indeed”: The Hope of Transformation 2. Surprised by Change: The Goal of Spiritual Life 3. Training Vs. Trying: The Truth About Spiritual Disciplines 4. A “Dee Dah Day”: The Practice of Celebration 5. An Unhurried Life: The Practice of “Slowing” 6. Interrupting Heaven: The Practice of Prayer 7. “Appropriate Smallness”: The Practice of Servanthood 8. Life Beyond Regret: The Practice of Confession [Page 7] 9. The Guided Life: Receiving Guidance from the Holy Spirit 10. A Life of Freedom: The Practice of Secrecy 11. An Undivided Life: The Practice of Reflection on Scripture 12. Life with a Well-ordered Heart: Developing Your Own “Rule of Life” 13. A Life of Endurance: The Experience of Suffering Sources Appendix: Study Guide About the Author About the Publisher [Page 8] PREFACE How do I grow? What does a spiritually mature person even look like? Why does it seem so hard, and go so slowly? Will I ever really be any different? To paraphrase Lew Smedes: If you have ever been frustrated with what you know of spiritual life, ever wondered if real change is possible, ever felt confused or stuck—you’re my kind of person. I wrote this book for you. The Christian gospel insists that