What's Next?: The Journey to Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and Make a Difference

by Chris Hodges

Overview

Have you ever felt like something important is missing from your life? Do you feel stuck in a spiritual rut? A deeper and more intimate relationship with God is closer than you think.

At various points along our life's journey, we've all found ourselves asking, "Which way do I go? Where will this road take me? Is that really where I want to go?"

Pastor and bestselling author Chris Hodges teaches us that at these crossroads, it's essential to pause and remember our priorities. In What's Next, Hodges reveals the four practical steps anyone can use to gain lasting spiritual maturity, helping us:

• know God better than ever
• find freedom in our day-to-day lives
• discover our God-given purposes
• make an impact on everyone we meet

What's Next teaches us that it's time to look beyond what seems logical, convenient, or advantageous. Instead, we need to look to God as our ultimate GPS, our soul's true compass, if we want to live a purposeful, joyful, and significant life for eternity.

Accessible and clear, concise but profound, What's Next? is the guide you need to find your way and discover the joy that comes walking the road of deeper faith—no matter where you are in your journey.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780718091569
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	04/16/2019
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	446,768
Product dimensions:	5.55(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Chris Hodges is the founding and senior pastor of Church of the Highlands. Under his leadership, Church of the Highlands has launched campuses all across the state of Alabama and has grown to more than 60,000 people attending weekly. He also cofounded the Association of Related Churches, launched a coaching network called GROW, and serves as chancellor of Highlands College, a two-year ministry training college. Chris and his wife, Tammy, have five children and eight grandchildren and live in Birmingham, Alabama.

Table of Contents

Foreword John C. Maxwell xi

Introduction: Before You Begin xv

Section 1 Know God 1

Chapter 1 Baptism: The Wedding Band of Christianity 13

Chapter 2 Prayer: Conversations with God 21

Chapter 3 The Bible: Letting God's Word Speak to You 41

Section 2 Find Freedom 58

Chapter 4 Relationships: Show Me Your Friends 69

Chapter 5 Transparency: Honesty Is the Best Policy 85

Chapter 6 The Holy Spirit: A Breath of Fresh Air 101

Section 3 Discover Purpose 117

Chapter 7 Spiritual Gifts: You Were Made for This 125

Chapter 8 The Body of Christ: You Can't Be You Without Me 139

Chapter 9 Growth: The Most Exciting Part of Christianity 149

Section 4 Make a Difference 167

Chapter 10 Servant Heart: The Greatest of All Time 175

Chapter 11 Eternal Reward: Treasures in Heaven 191

Chapter 12 Impact: Change Your World 207

Acknowledgments 225

Notes 227

About the Author 229

Editorial Reviews

02/18/2019

Hodges (The Daniel Dilemma), founder and senior pastor of Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Ala., offers Christians a road map to maturity and a meaningful relationship with God. Hodges believes in a “forgiving God” who does not direct one’s life, but instead invests every person with the ability to make rational choices. To that end he lays out four necessary but complicated steps to attaining a “purposeful, joyful, and significant” life: “knowing God, finding freedom, discovering purpose, and making a difference.” Hodges discusses the importance of coming to God through baptism, and offers instructions for prayer and reading plans for the Bible. Then, in order to help readers attain new freedom from doubt, he considers the insidious power of lying to oneself (comparing fears and self-delusions to Stockholm syndrome) and provides guidelines for cultivating healthy relationships (“risk being real... and know when to walk away”). Finally, he explores how to think about one’s purpose, including writing prompts to spur further contemplation, and ideas for action. Unfortunately, his ideas for action lack inspiration and specificity, with advice such as “give your talent” and “join a ministry team.” Hodges’s simple guide will aid any Christian reader wishing to reevaluate their purpose in life. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly