As John Ortberg concludes Chapter 16 of Soul Keeping, he notes that Walter Brueggeman speaks of “psalms of disorientation.” The are psalms in which the soul is disoriented, God appears to be absent, and darkness is winning. The psalmist vents and boils over at God rather than demonstrating a polite piety- an honest faith. John […]
John Ortberg begins Chapter 16 (“Dark Night of the Soul”) of Soul Keeping by observing that if you ask people who don’t believe in God why they don’t believe, the number one reason they give is suffering. Conversely, if you ask people who believe in God what helped them achieve the most spiritual growth, the […]
“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”- Romans 1:21 “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”- Thornton Wilder As John Ortberg concludes Chapter […]
“And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . . as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through him.”- Colossians 3:15b-17 […]
“My heart is not proud, O LORD. My eyes are not haughty . . . I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”- Psalm 131:1-2 As John Ortberg concludes Chapter 14 of Soul Keeping, he discusses the concept of strategic […]
“Because your love is better than life . . . my soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”- Psalm 63:3-5 “You can admire without having to acquire.”- John Ortberg John Ortberg begins Chapter 14 (“The Soul Needs Satisfaction”) of Soul Keeping by citing author […]
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”- Numbers 6:24-26 (ESV) As John Ortberg concludes Chapter 13 of Soul Keeping, he observes that we are “acutely sensitive to our souls […]
“I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper (The Emancipation Proclamation). My whole soul is in it.”- Abraham Lincoln John Ortberg begins Chapter 13 (“The Soul Needs Blessing”) of Soul Keeping by noting that the soul makes itself known when it reaches out […]
John Ortberg concludes Chapter 12 of Soul Keeping by considering the second and third levels where the soul gets trapped. 2. Sinfulness. The next ring on the target, sinfulness, has to do with our orientation. Pastor Ortberg defines the difference between sinful acts and sinfulness: “Sin is a deeply entrenched pattern way below the surface- insidious- […]
“I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”- Psalm 119:44-45 Near the end of Chapter 12 of Soul Keeping, John Ortberg states that the only way to achieve freedom for your soul is through surrender. We must wholeheartedly embrace God’s […]
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I don no want to do- this I keep on […]
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.”- Psalm 19:7 In Chapter 12 (“The Soul Needs Freedom”) of Soul Keeping, John Ortberg observes that Israel always has had deep respect for the giving of the law in a way that is hard for Christians to understand. Before God gave Moses the Ten Commandments […]