{"id":7571,"date":"2015-01-19T11:10:29","date_gmt":"2015-01-19T16:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blackaby.net\/members\/?p=7571"},"modified":"2015-01-19T11:10:29","modified_gmt":"2015-01-19T16:10:29","slug":"7571","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/2015\/01\/19\/7571\/","title":{"rendered":"The Deeper Life by Daniel Henderson"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>[rating:5]<\/p>\n

(<\/em>Ada, Michigan: <\/i><\/b>Baker Publishing Group, 2014)<\/p>\n

272 pgs
<\/em><\/p>\n

Daniel Henderson has been a favorite writer for me over the past several years, most significantly because of his passionate pursuit of God\u2019s heart through prayer and his desire to affect spiritual leaders and local churches by sharing the truths God has deposited in his life.<\/p>\n

In his book, \u201cThe Deeper Life\u201d, Daniel takes readers on a journey of personal discovery, focused on living out the answers to life\u2019s key questions, set in our hearts by the God who created us and calls us to experience life to the fullest.<\/p>\n

Beginning with the spiritual truth from Ecclesiastes 3:11 that \u201cHe (God) has put eternity in their hearts\u201d, Henderson poses eight questions at the heart of the book that assist us in getting at the common (universal) spiritual longings that God has placed within each person. He states, \u201cWe all yearn for a compelling mission in life. If only we could figure out what it is supposed to be! We feel the need to be guided by a clear set of values and long to leave a lasting legacy, but lose our way in the fog of daily distractions. Disoriented, we don\u2019t know which direction to go.\u201d As one Stanford University professor concludes, \u201cWe have become suckers for irrelevancy\u201d. As Henderson notes, the decisions we make about where we find meaning and mission in our lives will have powerful impact, not only on our personal spiritual journey, but \u201cthe health of our relationships, the well-being of our families, and the destiny of our earthly journey\u201d.<\/p>\n

In \u201cThe Deeper Life\u201d, Henderson uses three ideals to serve as the foundation from which will then flow the key questions that assist us in discovering answers to the core spiritual longings God has placed in each of us:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWorship: The FUEL for a Deeper Life\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWorship begins with a biblical and ultimately practical understanding of the<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 character of God. It results in a life of wholehearted surrender and sacrifice.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 I define worship as \u2018the response of all I am to the revelation of all that God is.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIntegrity: The FIBER of a Deeper Life\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Drawing from David\u2019s words in Psalm 15:2, Henderson shares \u201cThis is the<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 picture of the blameless life. We see a person who always seeks to do the right<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 thing. He is empowered for righteousness because he tells himself the truth in<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the depths of his being\u2026To do this, we need the wisdom and power of the Holy<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNonconformity: The FRUIT of a Deeper Life\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Romans 12:1-2 serves as the basis for this foundational aspect of the deeper life.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNonconformity flows from authentic worship as the fruit of regular transforming<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 renewal\u2026you don\u2019t have to fit into the world\u2019s fleeting and irrelevant systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

From this foundation, Daniel proceeds to set in front of the reader key longings that God has placed\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0in our hearts and questions designed to \u201caddress the deepest needs and questions of the soul\u201d. What follows is a brief synopsis (taken from pages 22-23 of \u201cThe Deeper Life\u201d) of the longings and the questions the author uses to assist us in moving toward personally embracing the specific expressions of those longings and integrating them into our daily living.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. The Longing <\/b>\u2013 To know and experience God in the fullness of His person and presence<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *The Question<\/b>: Who is God?
<\/i><\/p>\n

2. The Longing <\/b>\u2013 To live from an authentic core of biblical self-understanding and security<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *The Question<\/b>: Who am I?<\/i><\/p>\n

3. The Longing<\/b> \u2013 To give one\u2019s life to a worthy cause<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *The Question: <\/b>Why am I here?
<\/i><\/p>\n

4. The Longing<\/b> \u2013 To be respected as a person of sound principles and solid character<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *The Question: <\/b>What really matters?
<\/i><\/p>\n

5. The Longing<\/b> \u2013 To focus on and fulfill rewarding and meaningful commitments<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *The Question: <\/b>What shall I do?
<\/i><\/p>\n

6. The Longing<\/b> \u2013 To enjoy strategic and effective accomplishment of worthwhile objectives<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/i>*The Question: <\/b>How shall I do it?
<\/i><\/p>\n

7. The Longing<\/b> \u2013 To be a faithful steward of eternally significant opportunities<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/i>*The Question: <\/b>When shall I do it?
<\/i><\/p>\n

8. The Longing <\/b>\u2013 To be remembered as a person of extraordinary contribution<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/i>*The Question: <\/b>How will I finish?
<\/i><\/p>\n

To assist the reader in personalizing these longings and answers to their individual lives, Henderson provides \u201cPurpose Discovery Exercises\u201d at the end of the book along with multiple appendices that include, among others, his personal value statements, those of his family, along with supplemental material to challenge the reader in reflecting on God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

While I have considered what I would affirm as \u201ccrucial life questions\u201d or \u201ccore values to live by\u201d, this book sets that personal pursuit in an orderly, sensible, comprehensive context that would enable anyone to get at the issues that resonate in each of our souls. Built around simply stated questions, the reader is ushered into a look deep within, encouraged to address what really matters and challenged to embrace the eternal and release the temporal \u2013 freed to be all God made you to be! A good and helpful read; a necessary read for anyone pursuing a deeper life!<\/p>\n

by Rick Fisher<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[rating:5] (Ada, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group, 2014) 272 pgs Daniel Henderson has been a favorite writer for me over the past several years, most significantly because of his passionate pursuit of God\u2019s heart through prayer and his desire to affect spiritual leaders and local churches by sharing the truths God has deposited in his life. … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “The Deeper Life by Daniel Henderson”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-reviews"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7571\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackabyleadership.org\/bmiapp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}