Show Notes
You were made for great joy...but what do you do when you don't feel particularly joyful? In this reflection on Psalm 47, John Ortberg explores a surprisingly practical answer: Do something joyful. Sing. Clap. Dance. Go outside. Listen to birds. Look into the face of someone you love. Maybe even skip. The Psalms weren't merely written to be read. They were meant to be sung. Drawing from William Law and the James-Lange theory of emotion, John explores the fascinating relationship bet...
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Am I becoming successful, or becoming good? John Ortberg explores how pride and the desire to be important can interfere with the person God wants us to become. Drawing on David Brooks’s The Road to Character and the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, John examines the “Big Me”: the tendency to put our accomplishments, reputation, and agenda at the center. He invites us to turn the mirror toward ourselves and notice when making an impression matters more than caring for people. Today’s pr...
How does humility make us wiser? John Ortberg explores the subtle ways pride affects our faith, relationships, and ability to see ourselves clearly. Drawing on Proverbs 11:2, Cornelius Plantinga, and C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, John distinguishes healthy satisfaction from excessive self-congratulation. He considers how insecurity can fuel self-promotion and how pride can sneak into even our attempts to become humble. John closes with a familiar song, “Jesus Loves Me,” and an invitat...
Is having a bad thought a sin? John Ortberg explores the difference between an unwanted thought, temptation, and the intention to do wrong. Drawing on Cornelius Plantinga’s Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be and insights from Dallas Willard, John begins with shalom: the biblical vision of life flourishing as God intended. He explains why sin matters, how pride damages that flourishing, and why the thoughts that occur to us are different from the choices we make about them. Through Romans 8:6, Co...
Is pride running your life in ways you don’t recognize? John Ortberg explores pride as an alignment problem: the gap between what we know is good and the desires that pull us in another direction. In this opening teaching focused on pride, John shares a story about his first car, a personal moment of defensiveness, and an unexpected lesson from a four-year-old singing a Rolling Stones song. Through 1 Peter 2:11 and the image of the Lord as our shepherd, he examines how approval, comfort, mon...
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