Overview
Welcome to Drawing Near to God When God Seems Far Away!
In this course you will learn how to experience God's presence as you mature in the Christian life. You will not only become familiar with how God grows us, but will also engage your personal experiences as you learn from Dr. John Coe, the Director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Biola University. Additionally, you will receive training in prayer so that you can experience what Dr. Coe teaches regarding the mature Christian life.
This course consists of eight lessons. Each lesson consists of the following elements:
Introduction – Orients you to the lesson’s topic by providing a guiding question for you to ponder. Gives an overview of how the lesson will unfold.
Video Teaching – One or more videos of Dr. Coe presenting material concerning the lesson’s topic. A viewing guide will be provided to help you follow along.
Experiential Projects – One or more projects to help you experience what Dr. Coe taught. These projects will help you engage with the Spirit and your heart on a deeper level. Instructions for each project will be provided as they are assigned.
We hope you are blessed by your participation in this course and that you experience God in a deeper way as a result.
Dr. John H. Coe is a specialist in the philosophical and theological foundation of the integration of faith and learning. His research focuses on understanding the nature of spiritual and psychological health, the history of spirituality, the work of the Holy Spirit in personal change and the interface between psychology, spirituality, and philosophy. A particular interest is in exploring approaches to spiritual direction as a compliment to Christian psychotherapy. Dr. Coe is also the Director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Biola University.
The Institute for Spiritual Formation is a Christian, evangelical, academic community within Biola University and Talbot School of Theology. We offer master's programs in Spiritual Formation & Soul Care and are dedicated to deepening the life of prayer and openness of the heart to God.
Course FAQ
Each lesson is designed to take approximately 1-2 hours, depending on how deeply you engage the reflection and application questions. Since this is a self-paced course, the time it will take you to complete it will depend on the speed with which you want to progress through the course.
No. The course contains everything you need to successfully complete the course. There are resources recommended at the end of the course that you are free to purchase if you wish to pursue further study on the course topic.
Since this course is designed as a completely self-paced experience, you will not have any interaction with the professor during the course.
Welcome to Drawing Near to God When God Seems Far Away!
In this course you will learn how to experience God's presence as you mature in the Christian life. You will not only become familiar with how God grows us, but will also engage your personal experiences as you learn from Dr. John Coe, the Director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Biola University. Additionally, you will receive training in prayer so that you can experience what Dr. Coe teaches regarding the mature Christian life.
This course consists of eight lessons. Each lesson consists of the following elements:
Introduction – Orients you to the lesson’s topic by providing a guiding question for you to ponder. Gives an overview of how the lesson will unfold.
Video Teaching – One or more videos of Dr. Coe presenting material concerning the lesson’s topic. A viewing guide will be provided to help you follow along.
Experiential Projects – One or more projects to help you experience what Dr. Coe taught. These projects will help you engage with the Spirit and your heart on a deeper level. Instructions for each project will be provided as they are assigned.
We hope you are blessed by your participation in this course and that you experience God in a deeper way as a result.
Dr. John H. Coe is a specialist in the philosophical and theological foundation of the integration of faith and learning. His research focuses on understanding the nature of spiritual and psychological health, the history of spirituality, the work of the Holy Spirit in personal change and the interface between psychology, spirituality, and philosophy. A particular interest is in exploring approaches to spiritual direction as a compliment to Christian psychotherapy. Dr. Coe is also the Director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Biola University.
The Institute for Spiritual Formation is a Christian, evangelical, academic community within Biola University and Talbot School of Theology. We offer master's programs in Spiritual Formation & Soul Care and are dedicated to deepening the life of prayer and openness of the heart to God.
Syllabus
| Introduction Lesson 1 |
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| What is spiritual dryness? You haven’t done... Overview |
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| Sharing in the Suffering of Christ Video |
| Experiencing Time of Spiritual Dryness Video |
| Prayer Project 1 Reflection |
| Categorizing the Psalms Lesson 2 |
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| Coursepack Resource |
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| Does the Bible say anything about spiritual... Overview |
| Categorizing the Psalms Video |
| Prayer Project 2 Reflection |
| Excerpts of Dis-Orientation Psalms Lesson 3 |
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| Do you wonder if God is even thinking of you?... Overview |
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| Seasons of Anguish in the Psalms Video |
| Prayer Project 3 Reflection |
| Exposition of Psalm 88 Lesson 4 |
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| How honest can you really be with God? God can... Overview |
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| Exposition of Psalm 88 Video |
| Prayer Project 4 Reflection |
| How are you experiencing God in your current... Overview |
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| Church Reflections About Spiritual Dryness, Part 1 Video |
| Church Reflections About Spiritual Dryness, Part 2 Video |
| Reflections of Ancient Spiritual Writers Video |
| The Gift of Desolation Video |
| Prayer Project 5 Reflection |
| Mirroring the Hidden Heart Lesson 6 |
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| Do you wonder if God is near you? You might... Overview |
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| God's Power Perfected in Weakness Video |
| Finding the Transforming Love of God Video |
| Signs of a Dark Night Video |
| Temptations in Dark Nights Video |
| Prayer Project 6 Reflection |
| Cooperating with God Through Prayer Lesson 7 |
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| How can you experience the times of spiritual... Overview |
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| How to Experience Times of Desolation, Part 1 Video |
| How to Experience Times of Desolation, Part 2 Video |
| How to Experience Times of Desolation, Part 3 Video |
| Prayer Project 7 Reflection |
| Practicing the Presence of God Lesson 8 |
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| Where do you think God is taking you? Even... Overview |
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| How to Experience Times of Desolation, Part 4 Video |
| How to Experience Times of Desolation, Part 5 Video |
| Journey Into the Depths of the Soul Video |
| Prayer Project 8 Reflection |
| Recommended Resources Resource |
| Course Evaluation Resource |
Course FAQ
Each lesson is designed to take approximately 1-2 hours, depending on how deeply you engage the reflection and application questions. Since this is a self-paced course, the time it will take you to complete it will depend on the speed with which you want to progress through the course.
No. The course contains everything you need to successfully complete the course. There are resources recommended at the end of the course that you are free to purchase if you wish to pursue further study on the course topic.
Since this course is designed as a completely self-paced experience, you will not have any interaction with the professor during the course.