More: How to Move from Activity for God to Intimacy with God

Hawkins, former executive pastor of Willow Creek Community Church and current pastor%E2%80%94alongside Max Lucado and Randy Frazee%E2%80%94at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Tex., explores ways of living an intimate life with God in this hands-on primer. With style and smarts, he transparently divulges his mental state during seasons when he felt "off" with God and explains how God used tragedy to help him understand how little control he had over life's happenings. Hawkins's biggest lesson occurred when he discovered a tumor on his left kidney and he understood that God had placed such a dire obstacle in his path in order to explain that Hawkins's intrinsic worth came from him being a child of God, not his own accomplishments. Readers will learn object lessons about the value of a strong inner core in comparison to material or financial success. Hawkins's welcoming style will encourage Christ followers to spend more time in reflection and inspire a reevaluation of what matters most in this temporal life. (Aug.)