What if the answer to your prayer wasn’t a door opening, but you becoming the person who no longer needs that door?
Go Further with God is a devotional-style memoir that invites you to recognize God’s hand in every turn of your story.
Bestselling author S. Renee Smith joins her father, William J. Smith, Sr., to share the remarkable journey of a teenage runaway who became a master builder and community leader. Through seasons of loss, stillness, and unexpected direction, William discovered that life’s hardest moments can be God’s invitation to deeper trust and purpose.
In these twenty-one lessons, you will learn how to:
- Find clarity after confusion
- Heal from what hurt you
- Rebuild what was lost
- Discover how divine redirection can lead to something greater
Each lesson includes:
- A grounding Scripture
- A powerful true story
- A Pause + Reflect devotional
- Reflection prompts to guide your next step of faith
What's Inside
Why This Book - S. Renee Smith, Author
Why I Shared My Story, and What I Hope You'll See in Yours - William J. Smith, Sr., Storyteller
How to Use This Book
1. God's Presence in Our Pain - God heals, provides, and turns disruption into direction.
Lesson 1: God Heals-Faith Asked, Grace Answered
Lesson 2: God Provides-Provision Without a Plan
Lesson 3: God Redirects-When Disruption Becomes Direction
2. Finding Alignment with God - From chaos to calling, surrender brings true purpose.
Lesson 4: Seeking a Reason-Feeling My Way Forward
Lesson 5: Lost in the Middle-The Battle Between Chaos and Calling
Lesson 6: Purpose Transforms Reason-When Survival Becomes Surrender
3. Provision for Purpose - Closed doors and detours become God's setup for breakthrough.
Lesson 7: Going Back to Go Further-Work, Worth, and the Whisper of God
Lesson 8: No Is Good-The Setup in the Shutdown
Lesson 9: Faith with Backbone-God and Grit
4. Growing into the Promise - Faith matures as we trust God's timing and face fear.
Lesson 10: Answered in the Night-Clarity in the Morning
Lesson 11: Faithful Heart, Fearful Mind-Wrestling to Win
Lesson 12: Faith on Credit-Can God Trust You?
5. The Breaking That Builds - Loss and injustice restore identity and vision.
Lesson 13: When the Gate Locks-Loss That Leads to Life
Lesson 14: Leaning In-Faith in the Face of Injustice
Lesson 15: Reclaiming the Blueprint-Healing the Wounds, Rebuilding the Vision
6. When Heaven Releases - Relationships and timing reveal God's plan in action.
Lesson 16: Not a Plot, God's Plan-Knowing Your Next Step
Lesson 17: Before You Know-When Relationships Become Revelation
Lesson 18: Same Heart, Different Paths-When Service Becomes Sacred
7. What Love Built - Love and legacy outlast fear; a life of faith becomes the lesson.
Lesson 19: When You're the Provision-When Presence Becomes Participation
Lesson 20: Revelation, Not Regret-Let Love Be Louder Than Your Fear
Interlude: Anchored by Faith, Covered by Grace
Lesson 21: A Legacy Passed Down-Let Your Life Be the Lesson
What readers are saying:
“The reflections are clear and practical. They shift your perspective and strengthen you for the journey ahead.”
—Martha, TN
“It captures the real tension: the struggle between faith and fear, doubt and confidence. This discomfort is not a sign of failure, but of growth.” —Kevin, SC
It's the kind of book that, while you are reading it, it is reading you. - Robert, DE
“It made me think, cry, laugh, and pray.” —Hope, MD
S. Renee Smith is a nationally recognized leadership strategist, personal brand architect, and executive coach who helps high-performing professionals live in what's next.She has built companies from the ground up to national recognition and has held leadership roles at Amazon and Walmart. Her contributions have been honored with S. Renee Smith Day by the City of Buffalo, a commendation from the Delaware House of Representatives as a personal-growth expert, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.Her work has also been endorsed by thought leaders including Les Brown, Jack Canfield, and Lisa Nichols.She holds a certificate from the Wharton Executive Development Program and certifications through Gallup and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). A media resource, S. Renee's insights have been featured in Woman's World Magazine, Entrepreneur, Shape, Marketing Daily and Workwise. She has made countless radio and television appearances.S. Renee is the author of five books, a coauthor of the For Dummies series-the world's bestselling reference brand-and the author of a communication book published by Sourcebooks.As founder of the Leaders Career Accelerator, she integrates spirituality as the driving force behind authentic success. In Go Further with God, she brings emotional clarity, strategic wisdom, and spiritual depth to her father's remarkable legacy.S. Renee speaks internationally, inspiring audiences to lead with purpose, grow in faith, and live in what's next.
William J. Smith Sr., founder and former CEO of Smith Masonry, Inc., led the company for more than forty years. A teenage runaway turned entrepreneur, he built his business from the ground up, leaving a lasting mark on residential neighborhoods, commercial properties, and sacred spaces throughout Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. A lifelong member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, William was also a devoted volunteer and faithful supporter of congregations in his community. A community hall he helped construct now bears his name, and an endowed scholarship at Delaware State University honors the legacy he shares with his wife, the Rev. Shirley M. Smith. His story is a testament to God's quiet call, the strength forged through hardship, and the enduring power of perseverance guided by faith. https: //www.facebook.com/groups/gofurtherwithgod
