Customer Reviews

The Life You've Always Wanted

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The book focuses on three primary questions: what does true spiritual life really look like? what hinders me from living such a life? The author gives some valuable suggestions. If you want more answers to these questions and you are not imprisoned by religious dogma try the book An Encounter With A Prophet.

. . .The Bible and Mere Christianity were #1 and #2, by the way:) Once you get past the Baby-Boom-marketing-gimmick title, there's good stuff here. There is a time and place for retreat and contemplation--which he discusses in Chapter 5--but John Ortberg doesn't live in a monastery, and he realizes the average person reading this book isn't, either. His message is that we can live a deeper, more spiritual life right where we are, even with mortgages and kids and dogs and laundry. (He even says that, approached in the right way, our everyday responsibilities are spiritual training ground. That may not be revolutionary to some of you--but it is for me:) This work is immensely readable and laugh-out-loud funny in places--but I've had it two months and am still not finished studying it. It's deep:) What he says about studying Scripture--that our goal is not to get through the Scriptures, rather to get them through US--is also true of his book. My Christian walk is never going to be the same again. I'm giving this to every believer--new and mature--on my Christmas list this year.

John Ortberg opens this book by stating that he has drawn heavily from Dallas Willard writings. Having read two of Willard's books I must agree that there is nothing in Ortberg's book that could not be gleaned from Willard; however, that is not the end of the story. Ortberg is a better communicator for non-academics; he is a gifted teacher. His anecdotes and illustrations are well done and on a couple of occasions I actually laughed out loud (look for his story about the pick-up truck). He makes himself vulnerable throughout this book and you cannot help but let your guard down as you read.

This is one of those "easy-read" books that can have a very heavy impact on real life if one allows. It is not so much a book about spiritual disciplines as a guide book to a life of joy and transformation. My wife and I both have appreciated this book (which is quite something I might add). I will be reading it again.

John Ortberg, who serves as teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, is a gifted teacher. His goal in writing this book was to offer new christians (or those exploring christianity) an accessible guide to christian practices that foster spiritual growth: prayer, reading scripture, and so on. Ortberg's story-telling, humor, and breezy writing style are appealing. He succeeds in motivating the reader to practice spiritual disciplines, but is less successful at telling the reader how to pray, how to read the bible, etc. For a more in-depth guide to the practice of spiritual disciplines, the reader would be better served by Richard Foster's "Celebration of Discipline" or Donald Whitney's "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life", for example. Moreover, he spends little time explaining the interplay of spiritual disciplines and grace. If we are saved by grace through faith, are spiritual disciplines merely "works"? For such a discussion, Dallas Willard's "Spirit of the Disciplines" is invaluable. However, Ortberg is a great place for many christians, particularly new christians to begin to explore spiritual disciplines.

John Ortberg is truly a gifted communicator. In his typical heartfelt, honest, and gentle style, John lets the world know that the spiritual disciplines are not those hard to attain goals that are only for spiritual giants. Rather, the disciplines of the Christian faith can and should be viewed as transformational tools for any person who desires to grow in dedication to God and to see the results of that dedication enhance all of their relationships. Reader beware, if you read this book, you will be changed. This is the goal of the Christian faith and it is not only possible, it is also required if we are to seek a life that is rooted firmly in Christ. A very touching and powerful book. John's strength comes from the depth of his own soul, which is transparent and very tuned in to Christ. His influence is very strong because he does not "try to hard" but rather he simply shares his heart which is a marvelous gift to all of us.

John Ortberg reads widely and that's evident in his book. He especially enjoyed the books by Dallas Willard and Richard Foster on spiritufl discplines. He calls this book "Dallas for Dummies". But it is far from stating the obvious or dumbing down the essential truths of spiritual disicplines.

Before reading this book, I read Ortberg's latest book "If you Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat" - I really enjoy the author's conversational style. He tells stories about other people and about his own life, which really serve to drive home the point he's trying to convey.

John makes himself vulnerable and transparent in discussing his own sin and failings, which makes him more credible!

The three chapters that impaced me the most are #3 about the truth of spiritual disciplines, #4 about "the practice of celebration". The last chapter is entitled "The Experience of Suffering". I will definitely be re-reading these chapters.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in growing in their faith.

You might be interested in checking out my reviews of other Christian books.

First of all, I want to say that some of the material in here is among the most applicable and heart-rendering that I have read in a long, long time. It seems to me that this book is almost two different books. The books reminds me of some movies that I have watched where the first half was so magnetic that I could not stop watching. Then the second half of the movie loses my attention because it goes on a tangent or is just plain uninteresting.

Ortberg's discussion of boundaries resonated within me. He states that Christians use boundaries to dictate who is in their group and who is not. Drinking is a boundary. If you drink, you are outside my group. If you don't drink, you are inside the group. The same applies for smoking, dancing, caffeine, you name it. Ortberg implies that this is how many Christians live their lives. He says that our lives should be marked by a transformation of the heart, not by boundaries. Wow.

Another chapter highlighted the need to be quiet, to take things slow. This, he says, is necessary to hear God speak to us. That really does make sense. Being one who likes to speed (and people in Nashville drive SLOW), I found this chapter to be refreshing.

A lot of the book deals specically with spiritual disciplines in bullet fashion (before reading the Bible, do this, this, and this). That's where it started to get uninteresting. Not that this is not important. Far be it from that. But he starts the book with such fervor on the life we are all looking for as Christians and then moves to a bullet list of what to do. For me, I just found that change too much. But still a good buy.

I have been impressed with hearing John Ortberg speak, but this books is a clear view into his heart. I am amazed by his love for Christ and his willingness to talk about where he stumbles at times. There are a lot of great illustrations and funny stories! I am a big fan of this book!

Each chapter not only challenged me to deepen my relationship with God, but gave me practical ways to do so. It is written in a friendly style, but does not compromise the truth. It freed me from empty rituals that we're robbing me of joy and exhorted me to focus on things that bring me closer to God.

The Life You Always Wanted has to be my second favorite book ever written, (the Bible being my first favorite). This book is easy to understand and very easy to get into. The book is charming, motivating, and something that I would recommend to EVERYONE. This book has changed my life and the way I look at things. It is something that I will reread over and over again.