“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 […]
“Surrender . . . a Copernican revolution of the soul in which I take myself out of the center of the universe and place God there.”- John Ortberg “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”- Matthew 16:24 (NIV) In Chapter 5 (“Surrender” The One Decision […]
“Knowing where the land mines lie is the first requirement of a safe journey.”- John Ortberg John Ortberg concludes Chapter 4 of The Me I Want to Be as he states every human being possesses a unique temperament. Hence, certain practices come more naturally to you than others. So, when you engage too much in […]
“Sustainable spiritual growth happens when I actually want to do what I ought to do (emphasis author’s).”- John Ortberg As John Ortberg continues Chapter 4 of The Me I Want to Be, he asks this proven conversation stopper. He queries, How are your spiritual disciplines going? Most people, John quips, mention a very short list […]
“The Bible does not say you are God’s appliance; it says you are his masterpiece. Appliances get mass-produced. Masterpieces . . . handcrafted.”- John Ortberg “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”- Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) In Chapter […]
“When I am in the flow of the Spirit, sin looks bad and God looks good. When I experience gratitude, contentment, and satisfaction deep in my soul, there is a good chance it is the Spirit flowing within.”- John Ortberg “Do not quench the Spirit.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (ESV) As John Ortberg concludes Chapter 3 […]