Living in Christ's Presence: Final Words on Heaven and the Kingdom of God

by Dallas Willard

Publisher:

IVP Formatio

, 2013

• Logos Bookstores' 2014 Best Book in Spirituality
• 2014 Readers' Choice Award Winner
• 2014 Leadership Journal Best Books for Church Leaders (The Leader's Inner Life)
• A Special Award of Merit, from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore

In these pages Dallas Willard explores what it means to live well now in light of God's kingdom. He reflects on the power of the Trinity in our lives, the meaning of knowledge, the importance of spiritual disciplines and much more. Dallas Willard offers poignant thoughts about what it will be like to transition into the very presence of Christ in heaven.This book is adapted from the talks given at the February 2013 Dallas Willard Center "Knowing Christ Today" conference in Santa Barbara, California. Each chapter is followed with an illuminating dialogue between Dallas Willard and John Ortberg.The book closes with the theme of offering a blessing to one another. These reflections form an apt conclusion to Dallas Willard's public ministry. It is a gift of grace.A conversation guide written by Gary W. Moon is included. Also available is the companion Living in Christ's Presence DVD.

Contents

Preface - Gary Moon

1 How to Live Well: Eternal Life Begins Now - Dallas Willard
Conversation: Dallas Willard and John Ortberg

2 Who Are the Experts on Life Transformation? - John Ortberg
Questions and Answers with John Ortberg

3 How to Step into the Kingdom and Live There - Dallas Willard
Conversation: Dallas Willard and John Ortberg

4 Experiential Knowledge of the Trinity - John Ortberg
Conversation: Dallas Willard and John Ortberg

5 Understanding the Person: Including the Invisible Parts - Dallas Willard
Conversation: Dallas Willard and John Ortberg

6 The Importance of Christian Disciplines - John Ortberg
Conversation: Dallas Willard and John Ortberg

7 Blessing - Dallas Willard

Acknowledgments

Appendix: Discussion Guide

Praise for Living in Christ's Presence

"My soul grew reading this book. Or perhaps more precisely, my soul grew as this book read me."

"Living in Christ's Presence is a superb discussion of the many issues surrounding the reality of life in the kingdom of God here and now. I recommend it highly."

"I actually think the best moments with Dallas are in Q and A sessions where you can get that wisdom in kind of bite-sized chunks that all of us are able to access and absorb. So they opportunity to do that, to just sit in a chair with him and say 'Hey, Dallas,' and ask him those questions and see what happened in the moment, and he?ll get this little sly glint in his eye, and then he?ll just drop these statements on you that literally could not come from anybody else, partly because of his mind and partly because of his heart."I've known Dallas for about 25 years, and he has impacted me like nobody else has. His writings, his book Spirit of the Disciplines—outside of the Bible has had the biggest impact on my life. And so the chance to do this conference together was really powerful. Then when he got sick and it was clear that barring a miracle he was not going to be on earth for a real long time, it took on a whole added dimension of substance. We actually thought about, just given his health, should we not do the conference? And Dallas said, 'Nope, I want to do it. There are things that need to be said, and this is the chance to say it.'"

"When I finished the book, I experienced a joy as deep and wide as the love of God in Christ. How many books can you say that about? Thanks, Dallas Willard, for a life well lived."

"Touching on many topics . . . Willard and Ortberg's collaboration here is devotional gift. It is also a compass for finding one's way through the shadows to a life lived in the kingdom with God. An essential for your library, liberally furnishing inspiration for pastors, teachers, and songwriters."

"Willard shares in his last book insights about the process of transforming a person into Christlikeness, the gift of stepping into the kingdom, the challenge to become a person of blessing, and more. Ortberg discusses the primacy of learning from Jesus how to live in the kingdom, the connection between the Trinity and community, the distinction between training and trying in regard to spiritual disciplines, and more. Their talks complement and build on each other."

Product Details

• Title : Living in Christ's Presence: Final Words on Heaven and the Kingdom of God
• Author: Willard, Dallas
• Publisher: IVP Books
• Publication Date: 2013
• ISBN: 9780830896257

About Dallas Willard

Dallas Willard (1935-2013) was a professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles for over forty years. A highly influential author and teacher, Willard was as celebrated for his enduring writings on spiritual formation as he was for his scholarship. His books include The Divine Conspiracy (Christianity Today's Book of the Year in 1998), The Spirit of the Disciplines, Hearing God, Renovation of the Heart and others. His books have received numerous Christianity Today Annual Book Awards and other recognitions. Willard served on the boards of the C. S. Lewis Foundation and Biola University, and was a member of numerous evaluation committees for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. He received bachelor's degrees from both Tennessee Temple College and Baylor University and a graduate degree at Baylor University, as well as a PhD from the University of Wisconsin in Philosophy and the History of Science.