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Dallas Willard

Dallas Willard

Dallas Willard

Articles & Essays by Dallas Willard

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Book Excerpt

Following Christ in Our Work

Published December, 2007 • Featured June 25, 2019
As disciples of Jesus, all our efforts become a form of Kingdom work ​“for and under God.”
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Journal/Magazine Article

Blind Science Vs. Blind Faith

Published October, 1994 • Featured April 30, 2019
In the name of both science and religion, often poorly reasoned mic-drop statements are used to end arguments. Dallas Willard proposes a better way, one where ​“prepared and thoughtful people devote themselves to the humble examination of facts and evidence rather than to defending their positions.”
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Essay

The New Testament Picture of Discipleship

Published December, 2009 • Featured April 23, 2019
In Jesus’ day, a disciple would be with his rabbi constantly — ​“hearing, observing and imitating” him until the student would begin to take on the qualities of the master. Dallas Willard shows how Jesus’ disciples embraced this model and we can consider the implications for our lives today.
Pain Beauty Abstract
Book Excerpt from The Allure of Gentleness

The Christian Response to the Problem of Pain and Evil

Published December, 2014 • Featured March 26, 2019
Dallas Willard digs deeply into evil’s coexistence with the uncompromising goodness of God. It is a very Lenten thing to remember that ​“God is always where the suffering is” and that there is ​“something beyond the pain.”
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Book Excerpt from The Spirit of the Disciplines

Thou Shalt Celebrate

Published December, 1987 • Featured February 26, 2019
Dallas Willard unpacks the discipline of Celebration- enjoying ​“ourselves, our life, and our world” with God.
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Book Excerpt from Hearing God

Barriers to Hearing God

Published December, 1998 • Featured January 8, 2019
“Our failure to hear God has its deepest roots in a failure to understand, accept, and grow into a conversational relationship with God.” Dallas Willard helps us understand three common issues that prevent us from hearing God clearly.
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Book Excerpt from Hearing God

A Conversational Life with God

Published December, 1998 • Featured January 6, 2019
Hearing God? A daring idea, some would say — presumptuous, perhaps even dangerous. But what if we are made for it? What if the human system simply will not function properly without it?
Good Shepherd
Book Excerpt from The Great Omission

Cultivating a Life of Worship and Joy

Published April, 2002 • Featured December 25, 2018
The more the Word comes to dwell within our hearts, the more we come to love God. The more we love God, the better we are able to worship him. The more we worship him in Spirit and truth, the healthier our souls become. Dallas Willard shares about this happy cycle.
Neighbor
Article

How to Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

Featured November 1, 2018
Based on workshop notes, these thoughts from Dallas Willard explain how our closest relationships are the primary classroom for learning to love well. As we learn, we can ​“bring more people into the range of our effective neighbor-love,” including our enemies.
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Book Excerpt from The Spirit of the Disciplines

Of Mice and Men and Solitude

Featured September 19, 2018
Who would have guessed that solitude can strengthen humans and save mice? Come and explore the blessings of prolonged, intentional time away with God in retreat with this excerpt from Dallas Willard’s The Spirit of the Disciplines.
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Article

"The Golden Triangle" of Spiritual Transformation

Published August, 1990 • Featured September 11, 2018
Is it possible to be like Jesus? Can we actually have the character of the heavenly Father? Dallas Willard says yes and shows us three essential components of radical change.
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Article

The Human Body and Spiritual Growth

Featured August 23, 2018
Probably the least understood aspect of progress in Christlikeness is the role of the body in the spiritual life. Dallas Willard illuminates the connection.
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Essay

How Can Churches and Ministries Recover Their Founding Vision?

Featured August 14, 2018
Dallas Willard offers wise counsel to help us avoid letting service to Christ usurp love of Christ.
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Article

Why Bother With Discipleship?

Published September, 1995 • Featured July 9, 2018
In this excerpt from The Great Omission, Dallas Willard explains that salvation is more than forgiveness. It involves drawing near to Jesus as his student and friend (discipleship) so that our inward thoughts and motivations can be shaped in his likeness (spiritual formation).
Graduate Balancing
Transcript

How to Balance the Intellectual Life with the Spiritual Life

Published April, 1989 • Featured June 7, 2018
Sometimes the intellectual life and spiritual life are needlessly pitted against one another. In this classic commencement speech, Dallas Willard commends us to love God with all our mind.
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Book Excerpt from The Great Omission

Sabbath Is a Way of Life

Published June, 2006 • Featured May 10, 2018
In this excerpt from The Great Omission, Dallas Willard unpacks the meaning of Sabbath and explores how Sabbath practices open us to God’s gracious provision and governance.
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Article

Moment By Moment Submitting to the Will of God

Published November, 1988 • Featured February 11, 2018
Frank Laubach tried submitting every moment to God. As Dallas Willard tells here, this inner life of utter submission empowered Laubach to bring the love of Christ and the gift of literacy to the Moros people.
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Journal/Magazine Article

Apologetics in the Manner of Jesus

Featured January 17, 2018
“The call to ​‘give an account’ is not a call to beat unwilling people into intellectual submission,” Dallas Willard explains, ​“but to be the servant of those in need: often, indeed, the servant of those who are in the grip of their own intellectual self-righteousness and pride.”
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Journal/Magazine Article

We Will Never Cease Growing

Published November, 2001 • Featured December 3, 2017
In an article from Cutting Edge magazine in 2001 entitled ​“Rethinking Evangelism,”​Dallas Willard gives fresh insights and thoughtful takes on many terms and phrases from the evangelical lexicon. Today, we’d like to share his explanation of ​“Preparation for the Life to Come” with you.
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Journal/Magazine Article

There is More to Life than Guilt

Featured November 26, 2017
In this excerpt from the article ​“Rethinking Evangelism,”​Dallas Willard gives fresh insights and thoughtful takes on many terms and phrases from the evangelical lexicon. Today, we’d like to share his explanation of ​“The Gospel” with you.