Podcasts · Religion & Spirituality

Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer

Practicing the Way

254 episodes

The way of Jesus leads us to a deeper, fuller life. This was true in the ancient world where Jesus first lived and taught, and it’s still true today. But what does it mean to actually practice the way of Jesus in today’s complex, secular world? In this podcast, join John Mark Comer and other guides as they explore this important question through practical teachings and conversations. At Practicing the Way, we are here to help you journey to a deeper life with God.

More about the show

Discover more of our resources and take your next step at practicingtheway.org

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. Conversation | Into the Quiet Experience | A Historic Conversation with Richard Foster

    · 37 min

    During a rare appearance after his retirement from public ministry, Richard Foster, one of the pioneers who reintroduced spiritual formation to the protestant stream of the church, joins John Mark to consider where…

  2. Conversation | Into the Quiet Experience | When Solitude Opens a Wound (Featuring Dan Allender)

    · 34 min

    What effect does trauma have on our capacity to hear God’s voice? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Dan Allender—a therapist with 40 years of experience specializing in trauma—reflect on how the inner “tumult”…

  3. Conversation | Into the Quiet Experience | When Your Mind Won’t Stop (Featuring John Ortberg)

    · 33 min

    What happens when you can’t be alone with your own mind? Welcome to a new series of conversations with John Mark and friends about following Jesus out of the overwhelming noise of modern life and into the silent,…

  4. Teaching | The Solitude Practice | Encounter With Our God E04

    · 53 min

    What transformation waits for you in the quiet place? In this final teaching in our series on the ancient practice of solitude, John Mark shares the ultimate purpose of solitude: an encounter with God that uncovers…

  5. Teaching | The Solitude Practice | Encounter With Our Enemy E03

    · 47 min

    Why does solitude sometimes feel less like rest and more like a battlefield? In this teaching on the ancient practice of solitude, John Mark reveals what Jesus and the desert fathers and mothers knew: we don't always…

  6. Teaching | The Solitude Practice | Encounter With Our Self E02

    · 51 min

    What are we afraid will surface when we leave the noise behind? In this teaching on the ancient practice of solitude, John Mark invites us to follow Jesus’ path into solitude, where we can give our feelings, desires,…

  7. Teaching | The Solitude Practice | The Quiet Place E01

    · 49 min

    What are we missing by never sitting in the quiet? Welcome to a new series of teachings on the ancient practice of solitude. Together we’ll explore how to step away from the noise of modern life and into the still,…

  8. Water From A Deep Well | Resilience E12

    · 28 min

    What kind of faith can actually last a lifetime? In this final conversation on Water From A Deep Well, John Mark and Dr. Sittser uncover one quality that stands out in their journey through 2,000 years of Christian…

  9. Water From A Deep Well | Risk E11

    · 41 min

    When was the last time you made a risk for God? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser explore the courageous, risk-taking faith of pioneer missionaries, and how our own spirituality can be deeply formed over…

  10. Water From A Deep Well | Conversion E10

    · 50 min

    What value lies beyond the church tradition you know best? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser arrive at the spirituality many of us are most familiar with today: evangelicalism, and discuss how it came to…

  11. Water From A Deep Well | Word E09

    · 49 min

    When did you first get your hands on a Bible? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser move into the Protestant Reformation to discuss how it profoundly shifted the role of the Bible, and how that connects to…

  12. Water From A Deep Well | Ordinariness E08

    · 36 min

    Could your normal, everyday life be holy ground? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser discuss how it came to be believed that even the most ordinary of people like you and me — not just saints, mystics or…

  13. Water From A Deep Well | Mystics E07

    · 40 min

    What if faith is meant to be experienced, not just understood? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser dive into the historical roots of Christian mysticism, a part of the Christian tradition that focuses on…

  14. Water From A Deep Well | Sacraments E06

    · 45 min

    What if God is found as much in the ordinary as in the extraordinary? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser take us into the days of the medieval church, highlighting the emphasis in that period on bridging…

  15. Water From A Deep Well | Icons & Saints E05

    · 41 min

    How different can the church be and still be one? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser discuss the development of Christianity in the East, highlighting its cultural diversity, historical divisions and what…

  16. Water From A Deep Well | Rhythm E04

    · 41 min

    How do you spend your time? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser continue exploring the desert movement as it became more organized in monastic communities, and specifically how these communities related to…

  17. Water From A Deep Well | Struggle E03

    · 39 min

    How far will we go to discover God more deeply? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Gerald Sittser take us into the desert movement of church history and explore how the desert fathers and mothers embraced hardship…

  18. Water From A Deep Well | Belonging E02

    · 36 min

    What difference can being different make? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Gerald Sittser uncover how the early church functioned as a genuine, lived community against the backdrop of the dense and challenging…

  19. Water From A Deep Well | Witness E01

    · 44 min

    What happens when our faith comes under pressure? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Gerald Sittser discuss the marginalization and persecution of the early disciples of Jesus, and how their faithfulness—rather…

  20. Water From A Deep Well | Introduction

    · 35 min

    How has Christian spirituality evolved throughout history? Welcome to a brand-new series of conversations between John Mark and Dr. Gerald Sittser called “Water from a Deep Well.” This series explores the rich history…

  21. Welcome to Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer

    · 2:09 · Trailer

    The way of Jesus leads us to a deeper, fuller life. This was true in the ancient world where Jesus first lived and taught, and it’s still true today. But what does it mean to actually practice the way of Jesus in…

  22. Conversation | The How-To of Reconciliation | Forgiving As We Have Been Forgiven E04

    · 50 min

    How do we move forward after forgiveness? John Mark and Bethany Allen walk through the four essential steps of reconciliation—confession, repentance, restitution, and restoration—and show us why forgiveness isn't…

  23. Teaching | The How-To of Forgiveness | Forgiving As We Have Been Forgiven E03

    · 40 min

    What do you do when you can't forgive? Gerald Griffin, pastor and coach at Practicing the Way, walks us through a practical, step-by-step process for moving beyond the decision to forgive into deep emotional healing.…

  24. Teaching | Transform or Transmit | Forgiving As We Have Been Forgiven E02 (From the Archive)

    · 42 min

    How do we truly forgive from the heart? John Mark unpacks Jesus' radical call to forgive without limit and shows us how to absorb evil into ourselves with God's help, becoming agents of healing instead of remaining…

  25. Teaching | Forgiving & Being Forgiven | Forgiving As We Have Been Forgiven E01

    · 43 min

    Why do we need to forgive? Bethany Allen, Associate Pastor at Bridgetown Church, opens a new series on forgiveness by clearing away common misconceptions and returning to the teachings of Jesus. She walks through what…

  26. Teaching | Into the Quiet

    · 55 min

    Is noise undermining our spiritual life? John Mark highlights how the increasing "noise" of modern life is detrimental to our souls, exploring the importance of quiet and solitude for our spiritual growth and maturity.…

  27. Teaching | Easter: The Turning Point

    · 51 min

    What happened at the Resurrection? John Mark reviews the panoramic impact of the Resurrection on world history, arguing that many of the good things we enjoy result from Jesus's life, ministry, and ongoing Kingdom…

  28. Teaching | The Kingdom | The Prophet E02

    · 54 min

    What does the kingdom of God actually look like? John Mark walks through Isaiah's prophetic vision of the Messiah and the coming Kingdom of God, then explores its fulfillment in Jesus's ministry and parables. He leaves…

  29. Teaching | The Prophet | The Prophet E01

    · 1 h 00 min

    What is prophecy? John Mark dives into the prophetic books of the library of Scripture and explores what the role of the prophet is in the Old Testament. He shows us how these books are designed to wake us up from our…

  30. Teaching | Fixed-Hour Prayer | Prayer E08 (From the Archive)

    · 57 min

    What does it mean to "pray continually"? John Mark explores Paul's command to pray without ceasing and introduces the ancient practice of fixed-hour prayer: pausing multiple times throughout the day to reorient your…

  31. Teaching | Prayer Training | Prayer E07

    · 54 min

    How do we actually pray for others? This week, Alex Rettman offers a practical training on prayer ministry. He covers the theology behind effective prayer and then walks through a simple three-step method: interview,…

  32. Teaching | Imaginative Prayer | Prayer E06

    · 49 min

    What is "imaginative prayer"? Josh Porter explores the practice of imaginative prayer and shows us how our God-given imagination can become a powerful tool for intimacy with God, showing us how we can use the gift of…

  33. Teaching | Singing Prayer | Prayer E05

    · 35 min

    Can your singing actually be prayer to God? In this teaching, Alex Rettman explores three powerful truths about worship: it changes us as we behold God's glory, it moves God's heart when we offer costly praise, and it…

  34. Teaching | Unanswered Prayer | Prayer E04 (From the Archive)

    · 51 min

    Why do so many of our prayers seem to go unanswered? John Mark tackles one of the most difficult tensions in the Christian life: how to square Jesus's bold promise of "ask anything in my name and I will do it" with the…

  35. Teaching | Intercessory Prayer | Prayer E03 (From the Archive)

    · 49 min

    Why should we pray? John Mark covers Jesus' teaching and parable on prayer in Luke 11 to show us that prayer is a way to collaborate with God to create good in the world, challenging us to believe Jesus and continually…

  36. Teaching | Contemplative Prayer | Prayer E02

    · 40 min

    What does it mean to pray without ceasing? Father Rick Ganz explores contemplative prayer drawing from John 15 and the image of the vine and branches. He introduces the ancient Jesuit practice of the Examen and offers…

  37. Teaching | Teach Us to Pray | Prayer E01 (From the Archive)

    · 44 min

    How should we pray? John Mark digs into the Lord's Prayer, and what it shows us about Jesus's posture toward prayer, challenging us to engage in prayer from a place of delight rather than rote discipline. Key…

  38. Teaching | Three Shifts of Discipleship | Spiritual Cartography E03

    · 18 min

    What does it look like to keep growing in our faith? John Mark unpacks the three essential shifts in our journey of discipleship—moving from fear to trust, despair to hope, and self-focus to love. He explains how the…

  39. Teaching | Two Halves of Life | Spiritual Cartography E02

    · 28 min

    What does it look like to stay faithful to Jesus through every season of life? John Mark unpacks the concept of the "first and second halves of life"—a simple but profound framework for understanding the different…

  40. Teaching | Four Layers of Sin | Spiritual Cartography E01

    · 21 min

    This is an episode from the Practicing the Way podcast. To dig deeper into the ideas from today's teaching, you can find more by searching for "Practicing the Way" wherever you get your podcasts. -- How do we change…

  41. Teaching | Gentle and Humble

    · 1 h 13 min

    What is God like? John Mark dives into Matthew 11v25-30, exploring what it means that Jesus is "gentle and humble of heart" and showing why grasping this truth is essential for finding true rest for our souls in a…

  42. Teaching | Love | Advent E04

    · 43 min

    How do we love well? Bethany Allen explores the final theme of Advent: love. She shows us that receiving love requires surrender, vulnerability, and trust, and challenges us to intentionally receive God's love as an…

  43. Teaching | Joy | Advent E03

    · 31 min

    What does the arrival of Jesus have to do with joy? Ken Shigematsu explores how Christ's coming brings what Tolkien called "the sudden, joyous turn"—a miraculous shift in our story that gives us cause for deep and…

  44. Teaching | Ocean of Peace | Advent E02

    · 55 min

    How do we experience more peace? In this Advent teaching, John Mark shares about his journey with anxiety and explores the theme of peace throughout the Scriptures. He challenges us to see that inner peace isn't just…

  45. Teaching | Waiting Hope-fully with Simeon | Advent E01

    · 42 min

    What does it mean to wait with hope? Gemma Ryan explores the story of Simeon—a man who waited decades for the Messiah—and invites us into three transformative questions: What are you waiting for? Who are you becoming…

  46. Teaching | Stay Together to Grow | Community E04

    · 1 h 01 min

    What do we do when community gets difficult? John Mark explores the inevitable challenges that arise in deep community and introduces a six-stage cycle that all healthy relationships go through. He shares why…

  47. Teaching | Confess Your Sins | Community E03

    · 1 h 04 min

    Why is authentic community so hard to find? John Mark explores the modern challenges that keep us isolated—busyness, transience, digital distraction—but then goes deeper to reveal the ancient enemy underneath it all:…

  48. Teaching | Share Joys and Sorrows | Community E02

    · 58 min

    How do we go deep in community? John Mark explores the practice of sharing our joys and sorrows in community—following Jesus' example of both celebrating around the table and bearing his deepest pain with trusted…

  49. Teaching | Be Family Around a Table | Community E01

    · 56 min

    What does it mean to live as the family of God? John Mark explores how we're created for relationship and why spiritual formation can't happen in isolation. He unpacks the biblical vision of church as a "fictive…

  50. Teaching | Sabbath as Resistance | Garden City E06

    · 45 min

    Can we rest our way to freedom? John Mark explores how Sabbath is far more than a wellness practice—it's an act of defiance against the relentless pace of modern life. He shows how God built a rhythm of work and rest…

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