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Soul Keeping by John Ortberg

Week 1: Introduction — The Shallows

Read the Introduction of Soul Keeping by John Ortberg.

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Before we can tend to our souls, we have to notice that we have one — and that it may not be doing as well as we'd like to think. Take a few moments before reading to sit quietly and ask: What is the actual condition of my interior life right now?

Discussion Questions

7 questions

1.Ortberg opens the book by describing a life lived in the 'shallows' — skimming the surface of existence without ever going deep. What images or experiences from your own life does that phrase bring to mind?

2.Ortberg frames his mentor Dallas Willard as the person who first made him take the soul seriously. Who in your life has pointed you toward your own interior life? What did they say or do that mattered?

3.The introduction raises the question: When is the last time you thought about the state of your soul? Be honest — how often does the condition of your soul actually occupy your attention compared to the condition of your body, career, or finances?

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