“Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path and the birds came and devoured it.”- Mark 4:3-4 Today John Ortberg (Soul Keeping) begins his discussion of three types of souls. 1. The Hardened Soul. Not only is that path the place where farmers walk, but it […]
“What matters most is not the accomplishments you achieve; what matters is the person you become.”- Dallas Willard John Ortberg begins Chapter 3 (“A Soul-Challenged World”) of Soul Keeping by stating that the cries of the soul are very real and what matters deeply about us. The fly in the ointment is that the material […]
“Though you have not seen him [Jesus] you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy; for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”- 1 Peter 1:8-9 John Ortberg concludes Chapter 2 […]
“The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold, and it has overturned the order of the soul.”- Leonard Cohen “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul.”- Mark 8:36 (ESV) In Chapter 2 of Soul Keeping, John Ortberg follows his discussion of a healthy soul with a […]
“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”- Romans 8:6 John Ortberg continues Chapter 2 of Soul Keeping by discussing Dallas Willard’s understanding of the “parts” of the inner life, all integrated by the soul. Dallas uses a series of concentric circles to illustrate his […]
“You’re a soul made by God, made for God, and made to need God, which means you were not made to be self-sufficient.”- Dallas Willard In Chapter 2 (“What is the Soul?”) of Soul Keeping, John Ortberg states that because our inner life is invisible, it is easy to neglect. Unlike our outer self, no […]
“I don’t deserve a soul, yet I still have one. I know because it hurts.”- Douglas Coupland, The Gum Thief John Ortberg concludes Chapter 1 of Soul Keeping by observing that we speak of the soul as a source of strength, yet we also speak of the soul as fragile. There is something about the […]
Part I of Soul Keeping focuses on what the soul is. In Chapter 1 (“The Soul Nobody Knows”), author John Ortberg asserts that soul is one of the most important words in the Bible. Yet, if the average man or woman on the street is asked to explain exactly what the word soul means, Pastor […]
John Ortberg dedicates Soul Keeping to the late Dallas Willard (1935-2013), noted Christian author and long-time professor of philosophy at USC. Soul Keeping is based on what Pastor Ortberg learned over the years as he sought Dallas’ wisdom in understanding the human soul. Dallas once gave the following advice when John expressed dissatisfaction with his […]
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”- Genesis 2:7 Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You is the most recent book from author and pastor John Ortberg. In the Foreword by Dr. […]