“People would rather debate doctrine or beliefs or tradition or interpretation rather than actually do what Jesus said.”- John Ortberg “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.”- James 1:22 (NRSV) John Ortberg concludes Chapter 8 of The Me I Want to Be as he discusses the importance of memorizing Scripture. Rather than making […]
“Often the biggest barrier to our becoming learners is what we think we already know.”- John Ortberg Today, John Ortberg continues Chapter 9 of The Me I Want to Be as he describes five ways to read the Bible. 1. Read the Bible with curiosity. Pastor Ortberg cites philosopher-educator John Dewey, who wrote: “Genuine ignorance […]
“You have great freedom — whatever — to allow the Spirit to revive your mind.”- John Ortberg John Ortberg continues Chapter 9 of The Me I Want to Be as he notes God desires you to have a mind that routinely thinks noble, true, pure, admirable thoughts (Philippians 4:8). And since the flow of the […]
“When we can’t see the way/ He will part the waves/ And we’ll never walk alone/ Down the Red Sea road.”- Ellie Holcomb “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.”- […]
“The reason to read the Bible is not to fulfill a spiritual duty or to gain more knowledge. It is to jump into the river.”- John Ortberg “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.”- Psalm 1:1-2 In […]
“But there is a fundamental battle in the spiritual life being waged by the Evil One over the nature of the thoughts the run through your mind. The ultimate freedom that you have, the freedom no one can take away . . . is the freedom to decide what your mind will dwell on.”- John […]
“Elijah thought his problem was Jezebel, but there will always be a Jezebel in our lives. The real challenge is between our ears.”- John Ortberg In Chapter 8 (“Think Great Thoughts”) of The Me I Want to Be, John Ortberg notes the effect of negative emotions. When negative feelings hit, “your mood dips, you lose […]
“God’s plan is that every time we experience an authentic desire — a God-implanted desire in us — we come to understand more deeply what a good God he is. We learn how God has wired us and what he wants us to do.”- John Ortberg “Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from […]
“Spiritual growth requires that our life with God move from the should category to the ‘want to’ category, and the most basic assessment we have for any experience or event is what psychologist Jonathan Haidt calls our ‘like-o-meter.’ “- John Eldredge In Chapter 7 (“Let Your Desires Lead You to God”) of The Me I […]
“When we truly grow, then obeying God no longer looks like something that requires an appreciation banquet. It looks like what should come naturally, like something that needs to be done.”- John Ortberg John Ortberg concludes Chapter 6 of The Me I Want to Be with four stages of spiritual growth. 1. Incompetent and unaware. […]
“But for deeper change, I need a greater power than simply ‘trying harder’ can provide.”- John Ortberg “Faith does not need to push the river because faith is able to trust that there is a river. The river is flowing. We are in it.”- Richard Rohr, contemplative Franciscan priest In Chapter 6 (“Try Softer”) of […]
“We are called to surrender day by day, moment by moment. In the moment it feels like death, but it is really the only way to live.”- John Ortberg “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer you bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your […]