How do you deal with foolish people? The Bible gives a surprisingly complicated answer. In Proverbs 26:4 we're told: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly...” And then, in the very next verse: “Answer a fool according to his folly...” So which is it? In this reflection on Psalm 14, John Ortberg explores why biblical wisdom can't be reduced to a simple set of rules. Sometimes wisdom requires speaking. Sometimes it requires silence. Sometimes you engage. Sometimes you walk away. Th...

What if the goal today isn't to make your life extraordinary? What if it's to learn how to see the extraordinary gift hidden inside the ordinary? In this reflection on Psalm 104, John Ortberg explores how modern life has changed the way we see the world around us. We know more than ever about how nature works, yet we may have lost something along the way: our ability to experience creation as filled with meaning, wonder, and the presence of God. Drawing on Charles Taylor and Dallas Willard, J...

Which version of you shows up when you pray? In this reflection on Psalm 55, John Ortberg explores a surprising truth about prayer: God doesn't want the cleaned-up, polished, "Disney version" of you. He wants the real you. The Psalms aren't theological essays or collections of perfectly polished emotions. They're raw prayers from real human beings bringing fear, anger, anguish, confusion, and desire honestly before God. John connects this idea to the original story of The Adventures of Pino...

What are you looking to for help today? In this reflection on Psalm 121, John Ortberg explores two simple actions that can make today a blessed day: God watches over us. We lift our eyes toward Him. But "I lift up my eyes to the hills" may mean something different than we often assume. In the ancient world, the hills weren't merely beautiful. They were places of idolatry, uncertainty, and danger. The psalmist looks directly toward them and asks: Where does my help really come from? John e...

Should you pray every line of every Psalm? In this reflection on Psalm 109, John Ortberg tackles one of the most difficult passages in the Bible—and offers one of the most freeing insights of the entire Psalms series. What do we do with prayers that sound angry, vengeful, or even shocking? Drawing on the work of René Girard, John explains that the Psalms are not polished theological essays. They are honest prayers in process. They teach us how to bring our real emotions into God's presence...

What does it really cost to follow Jesus? In this episode, John Ortberg explores one of Jesus' most misunderstood invitations: "Count the cost." Drawing from Dallas Willard's The Renovation of the Heart, he explains why discipleship is not an emotional decision but a thoughtful one. More importantly, he asks a question many of us rarely consider: What is the cost of not following Jesus? Discover why surrender isn't the loss of life, but the pathway to the greatest treasure you'll ever find. ...

What if doing whatever you want doesn't actually make you free? In this episode, John Ortberg explores one of Dallas Willard's most profound ideas from The Renovation of the Heart: true freedom isn't the ability to satisfy every desire. It's becoming the kind of person who desires what is good and has the strength to live it out. Discover why self-denial is not the enemy of freedom, how envy quietly steals our joy, and why the path Jesus offers leads to the deepest kind of human flourishing...

Is Christianity about becoming a better version of yourself? In this episode, John Ortberg explores one of Dallas Willard's most challenging and hope-filled ideas from The Renovation of the Heart: the ruined life isn't meant to be enhanced, but replaced. Discover why self-denial isn't about self-hatred, why Jesus calls us to lose our lives in order to find them, and how true transformation goes far beyond self-improvement. If you've ever wondered what Jesus really meant by "deny yourself," ...

What if the greatest obstacle to spiritual growth isn't what has happened to you, but what is happening within you? In this episode, John Ortberg continues exploring Dallas Willard's The Renovation of the Heart by examining one of Christianity's most misunderstood ideas: remorse. Discover why the Bible distinguishes between the wounds we've suffered and the wrong we've committed, and why genuine remorse isn't meant to produce shame, but lasting transformation. Healing begins when we stop hi...

John explains what makes a soul lost and how the truth about ourselves is the beginning of being found. In this episode (2022), John Ortberg continues exploring Dallas Willard's The Renovation of the Heart by examining one of the greatest barriers to spiritual growth: self-deception. Discover why the human heart naturally resists uncomfortable truths, what Jesus meant by "losing your soul," and how learning to love the truth becomes the starting point for genuine transformation. God doesn't ...