As we continue to talk about Philippians it’s important to remember that chapter 4 doesn’t stop at “thinking on these things.” Paul takes it a step further, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into pra...

Today, John talks about how Paul understood that we cannot live a life of peace and joy without first tending to the garden of our thoughts. If our thinking is careless, our living will be reactive and restless. But when our minds are filled wi...

Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6-7 invite us to bring our worries to God — not to control outcomes, but to open our hearts. John shares how Jerry Hawthorne, Dallas Willard, and Joni Eareckson Tada each taught that prayer is a conversation with a...

Feeling overwhelmed by anxiety and the need to control everything? In this powerful episode, John Ortberg sits down with clinical psychologist and spiritual leader Dr. Rick Blackmon to unpack Philippians 4:6—“Do not be anxious about anything.” ...

This is your day to shine. Paul writes to the Philippians, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” It’s a quality so central to the heart of Jesus that he chose it as the word to describe himself: “I am gentle and humble in heart.” Paul would ...

The basic message of the Bible from the beginning is the offer of a life with God. This was true in the garden with Adam and Eve, it was true with Abraham, it was true with Moses, with Ruth, with Joseph, with Jacob, and on and on. And it doesn’...

In today’s video, we’re joined by Pastor Steve Clifford to talk about this concept and how it’s played out in his own life. Steve talks about how “whatever happens” has been an anchoring concept for him as he’s walked through loss and transitio...

In today’s devo, John talks about Jerry Hawthorne, a beloved teacher and mentor, and how he described Paul’s teaching on joy as more than a mood; it is a worldview. True joy is not about forcing a smile or pretending everything is fine. It is a...

The way of reconciliation is one Jesus exemplified in his life and love. In today’s devo, John talks about a story of feuding families in Ireland who literally “chanced their arm” through a cathedral door as a picture of the courage it takes to...

In today’s devo John talks about how this shift in perception is at the core of the Good Samaritan story. Two religious leaders saw a problem when they looked at a man beaten by robbers, but the Samaritan saw a person in need. He thought differ...

The way of Jesus is the way of service. Chasing status is a hollow pursuit that Jesus turned on it’s head. Though equal with God, Jesus took on the form of a servant (Philippians 2). He invites us to follow this same course of service, shining ...

Today, John asks two simple but life-shaping questions: What am I learning? and What am I teaching? We often think of learning as classes, books, and information, but the most important learning is about how to live: how to love, how to know Ch...

Today is our day to shine, and where better to shine than the world of politics? John is joined in today’s video by Michael Wear. He’s the CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life and author of The Spirit of Our Politics. In this conv...

What does the Bible actually say about the Antichrist, Armageddon, and the end times? In this episode, John Ortberg clears away the clutter of speculation—like presidential “666” theories, modern rapture charts, or end-times guessing games—and ...

John addresses a surge of rapture predictions (Sept 23rd) and reminds us the word “rapture” never appears in the Bible. He traces failed predictions from Millerites in 1844 to Harold Camping in 2011, showing how speculation damages faith. Revel...

Paul says to shine, we need joy… so joy is what we study today. Paul wrote to the Philippians from the grimmest of circumstances - in jail, facing death, brutally beaten, and yet his letter was filled with calls to rejoice. How could that be? P...

Paul tells the Philippians: “Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” John takes this personally and asks: “What do I actually know to be true?” He names five convictions — life is good, I ought to pursue the good, despair is wron...

Rest in this truth today: We don’t actually need to know any more than we know right now to have a good day. That’s the concept John covers in today’s video, along with some wisdom about how to read your Bible in such a way that will change you...

Today, we’re talking about the rule of forgetfulness. Paul had a few words to say on the matter. In Philippians 3, he says he presses on, “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” That’s spiritual forgetting. Paul wasn’t a...

In Philippians the word “Knowing” takes on a new meaning. Paul uses the word to distinguish the collection of facts from intimate understanding. What Paul calls “knowing Christ” isn’t merely theology to be recited; it’s participation: sharing i...

Today’s reflection comes out of a rich conversation with friends (John, Jim, Alyssa, and Kevin) where they interact honestly with Paul’s words in Philippians 3. Paul once carried a “resume” filled with achievements, education, and status. But a...

We all carry an invisible resume, trying to prove our worth through titles, accomplishments, or image. Paul names his old resume — circumcision, tribe of Benjamin, Pharisee, zeal — then calls it all loss compared to Christ. John shares his own ...

Shining for Jesus is like burning, it gives off light but not without pain. Paul tells the Philippians that Epaphroditus (his brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier) nearly lost his life serving the cause of Christ. This was not a story of calm...

Life is deep, complex, and beautiful. In many ways life has a way of giving us more depth, complexity and beauty if we let it. But it’s important to remember that becoming deep is not about pretending to be better or wiser than we are. Paul wro...

Safe places and safe people are a good thing… but there’s something even better. John brings today’s teaching from Ireland, and fittingly so, our learnings are inspired by Saint Patrick. As a teenager, Patrick was kidnapped, enslaved, and suffe...