Podcasts · Religion & Spirituality

Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer

Practicing the Way

255 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

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Episodes page 3 of 6

  1. Conversation | What We Get Wrong About God: A Conversation With John Mark Comer and Ger Jones About God Has a Name (Part 01)

    · 51 min

    Do we project our own ideas onto God? In this first of two conversations with Ger Jones of Vintage Church LA, John Mark and Ger explore the significance of God having a name and how God's self-disclosure often…

  2. Teaching | Carry the Name | God Has a Name E06

    · 51 min

    Do you represent God well? John Mark explores God's final characteristic: jealous, like a passionate husband protecting his bride. As he tracks this theme throughout the Scriptures, he leaves us with a prophetic…

  3. Teaching | Forgiving Wickedness, Rebellion, and Sin | God Has a Name E05

    · 49 min

    Does God punish children for their parent's sin? John Mark explores the final section of Exodus 34v6-7, highlighting the beauty of God's justice, the gravity of sin, and God's overwhelming proclivity towards…

  4. Teaching | Slow to Anger | God Has a Name E04

    · 52 min

    "We think of God's love and God's anger as at odds with one another. That's because we don't understand God's love or God's anger." John Mark challenges our perceptions of God, both the God who is always angry and the…

  5. Teaching | Compassionate and Gracious | God Has a Name E03

    · 49 min

    "We all love that God is compassionate and gracious, but what about when God is compassionate and gracious to people you hate?" John Mark walks us through the passages demonstrating the scandalous compassion and…

  6. Teaching | Yahweh Elohim | God Has a Name E02

    · 53 min

    Why does God need a name in the first place? John Mark argues that it's because there are many "gods". He surveys scripture passages relating to gods and demonic beings, not only warning us that they are real and…

  7. Teaching | Yahweh | God Has a Name E01

    · 50 min

    Who is God? John Mark dives deep into God's name, Yahweh, and the significance that holds for what he's like: a consistent God who wants to be in relationship with us. Key Scripture Passage: Exodus 34v6-7, Exodus…

  8. Teaching | Church: The Kingdom Spreads to the World | The Story of God E02

    · 47 min

    What comes to mind when you hear the word church? John Mark challenges us to rethink our definition, exploring the deeper meaning of church as the "called out ones," a new humanity formed by Jesus to carry the kingdom…

  9. Teaching | Fall: The Kingdom Rebels Against the King | The Story of God E01

    · 47 min

    Why is the world so messed up? John Mark reflects on the reality of the world's dysfunction and how the story of the Fall in Genesis explains humanity's descent into chaos. He challenges us to reconsider our…

  10. Teaching | Rethinking and Growing in Generosity

    · 53 min

    The Generosity Practice is out now. Check it out at practicingtheway.org/generosity. "Generosity is more than giving; it's an act of trust." Ger Jones, lead pastor of Vintage Church, explores the deeper implications…

  11. Teaching | Stand With the Poor | Fasting E04

    · 52 min

    "What if fasting could break our hearts open to the suffering of the world and move us to action?" John Mark explores the connection between fasting and justice, urging us to consider how this ancient practice can…

  12. Teaching | Amplify Prayers | Fasting E3

    · 46 min

    Do you ever feel like your prayers aren't heard? In a world where we often feel disconnected from God's voice, fasting can be a powerful tool to hear and be heard by Heaven. John Mark explores the interplay between…

  13. Teaching | Holiness | Fasting E02

    · 56 min

    How can we overcome sin when our willpower isn't enough? John Mark talks about how fasting is one way to help us grow in self-control, and the ripple effect that can have throughout our whole lives. Key Scripture…

  14. Teaching | Offering | Fasting E01

    · 56 min

    Why should we fast? John Mark outlines the history of fasting in the Christian tradition, and argues that we don't fast to bio-hack our way to holiness, but rather to expose our weakness where God meets us. Key…

  15. Teaching | Stop, Rest, Delight, Worship | Sabbath E04 (From the Archive)

    · 55 min

    How do we sabbath well? John Mark highlights four common words associated with the word “shabbat”: stop, rest, delight, and worship, showing us how these four words give us clues on how to best open ourselves up to the…

  16. Teaching | Sabbath as Resistance | Sabbath E03 (From the Archive)

    · 53 min

    Do you think of Sabbath as a weapon? In a culture that is addicted to the twin drugs of accomplishment and accumulation, Sabbath is how we “fight” back against Egypt, Pharaoh, and his empire. Join us as John Mark…

  17. Teaching | Sabbath as Rhythm | Sabbath E02 (From the Archive)

    · 50 min

    What makes the Sabbath different from the rest of the week? John Mark continues exploring a biblical theology of Sabbath, demonstrating how Sabbath is woven throughout creation as a rhythm for us to follow, and…

  18. Teaching | Rest For Your Soul | Sabbath E01 (From the Archive)

    · 1 h 08 min

    Are you tired? In our world filled with fast-paced digital technology, what do we do to combat the restlessness that corrodes at our soul? John Mark teaches on how the practice of Sabbath can help us embody the peace…

  19. Conversation | Hitting the Wall: With John Mark Comer, Matt Chandler, and Beau Hughes

    · 44 min

    What do you do when you hit a wall in your apprenticeship to Jesus? Beau Hughes, lead pastor of The Village Church, Denton, interviews John Mark and Matt Chandler, lead pastor of The Village Church, Flower Mound about…

  20. Teaching | Rule of Life: Part 2 | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E12

    · 47 min

    How do we become resilient disciples of Jesus? Gavin Bennett shares a vision for how a Rule of Life can shape us and our communities into people of love. He challenges us to resist the temptations to make a Rule of…

  21. Teaching | Rule of Life: Part 1 | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E11

    · 54 min

    Why a Rule of Life? Tyler Staton explains the why and the what behind a Rule of Life, outlining the biblical, historical, and practical roots of this practice. He argues that a Rule of Life is essential for us to…

  22. Teaching | Witness | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E10

    · 46 min

    What does it look like to witness in our culture? Tre' Giles walks us through three ways to witness to others: spoken love, supernatural love, and sacrificial love, and challenges us to live our lives in a way that…

  23. Teaching | Sabbath | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E09

    · 54 min

    "Sabbath rest empowers resurrection work." In a world filled with burnout, exhaustion, and shallow indulgence, Tyler Staton argues that Sabbath is a practice to reform our relationship with work and rest - helping us…

  24. Teaching | Generosity | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E08

    · 41 min

    Are our hands so full of money that we can't receive the generosity of God? Gavin Bennett argues that how we handle money is key to our apprenticeship to Jesus. He shows us that when our generosity is rooted in God's…

  25. Teaching | Service | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E07

    · 56 min

    What if serving others is more rewarding than we think? Bethany Allen argues that we often only consider the costs of service, but rarely consider the deeper rewards it brings: lasting joy and fulfillment. She not only…

  26. Teaching | Fasting | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E06

    · 52 min

    What does not eating have to do with following Jesus? Tyler Staton breaks down the "why" of fasting: how it can help us focus on what's most important, give us freedom from idols in our lives, and grow us in compassion…

  27. Teaching | Community | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E05

    · 54 min

    "You can't follow Jesus alone." John Mark shows us the essential nature of community in our walk with Jesus: how God adopts us into his family and the role our brothers and sisters play in our formation. He concludes…

  28. Teaching | Solitude | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E04

    · 55 min

    "When you're waiting, you're not doing nothing. You're doing the most important something there is. You're allowing your soul to grow up. If you can't wait, you can't become what God created you to be." - Unknown In a…

  29. Teaching | Scripture | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E03

    · 1 h 07 min

    Why are the Scriptures so confusing? Tim Mackie and Tyler Staton discuss how our intuition about what the Bible should do - that it's supposed to tell us about what's true, good, and God's voice - are correct. But…

  30. Teaching | Prayer | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E02

    · 43 min

    "Prayer is the soil where every other spiritual practice grows." Tyler teaches on the pervasiveness of prayer in every facet of our spiritual walk and its importance in our growth. He challenges us to pray like we…

  31. Teaching | Nine Practices for a Rule of Life | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E01

    · 53 min

    What is the "yoke" of Jesus? Tyler Staton breaks down Jesus's invitation, helping us to experience the joy and life of Jesus as we follow in his ways. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 11v28-30 This podcast and its…

  32. Teaching | Hope Like Nothing the World Has Ever Seen

    · 46 min

    Do you have hope? John Mark explores the life-changing message of Easter by showing us the hope found in the story of Jesus and his resurrection. Key Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 15v1-28 This podcast and its…

  33. Teaching | There Are No Accidental Saints | Austin Book Tour Teaching and Q+R

    · 1 h 08 min

    "Godliness is possible, but it is not natural." John Mark discusses some of the foundational ideas from his new book: Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become Like Jesus, Do as He Did. John Mark challenges us to…

  34. Teaching | Eat It | It Is Written E04

    · 1 h 03 min

    How do we read the Bible? John Mark talks about the importance of obedience in our reading the Bible, challenging us to not only study the Bible, but meditate and digest it through slow, prayerful reading of the…

  35. Teaching | Shaped | It Is Written E03

    · 47 min

    Why read the Bible? John Mark argues that we don't just read the Scriptures to gain information or be entertained, but to be shaped: to become more like the God whose story and character are revealed to us as we read.…

  36. Teaching | The Book of Strange New Things | It Is Written E02

    · 54 min

    What exactly is the Bible? If we misunderstand what the Bible is, we’ll turn in into something it’s not. John Mark makes the case that the Bible is a library of writings that are both divine and human, that together…

  37. Teaching | The Problem With the Bible | It Is Written E01

    · 1 h 08 min

    We have a problem with the Bible. More and more followers of Jesus in the west don’t read it, don’t now how to read it, don’t even like it, and frankly, take issue with it. So why do we follow the Bible? In this…

  38. Teaching | Dreams: Different, Harder, Longer, Better | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E06 (From the Archive)

    · 49 min

    Are you waiting on a dream from God? John Mark teaches about God's promises through the story of Joseph. He shows us that God's fulfillment of our deepest dreams and desires are often even better than we can imagine,…

  39. Teaching | How We Change: Intentional Spiritual Formation | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E05 (From the Archive)

    · 50 min

    Have you ever tried to change but couldn't make it last? As John Mark taught last week, we're constantly being shaped by our beliefs, habits, relationships, and environment. This week, he tells us how to fight back and…

  40. Teaching | How We Change: Unintentional Spiritual Formation | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E04 (From the Archive)

    · 46 min

    "The question isn't, are you being formed? It's, what are you being formed into?" John Mark talks about the various influences that shape our lives and who we become. He challenges us to be intentional with our…

  41. Teaching | Calling: The Inward Journey | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E03 (From the Archive)

    · 50 min

    "The main thing God gets out of your life is the person you become" - Dallas Willard Our calling isn't just about what we do with our lives: it's also about who we become. John Mark talks about the inward journey: who…

  42. Teaching | Identity | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E02 (From the Archive)

    · 1 h 06 min

    Who are you, really? John Mark walks us through what the Scriptures tell us about our identity in Christ, helping us step into that reality through faith -- even when our lives don't seem to live up to it. Key…

  43. Teaching | The Journey | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E01 (From the Archive)

    · 49 min

    Our identity and calling has ramifications for who we become and what we do with our lives. John Mark lays out a biblical framework for this journey of discovery, encouraging us to embrace this process with community…

  44. Teaching | Hope | Advent E02

    · 42 min

    When was the last time you were disappointed? In our world, it's easy to put our hope in things that fail us. In contrast to the disillusionment of the world, John Mark talks about the Advent hope of Jesus's birth and…

  45. Teaching | Joy | Advent E01

    · 45 min

    Are you happy? Many of us aren't. Yet Martin Luther once said "a Christian should be happy." And Rick Howe argued that "the pursuit of joy is a moral obligation." In a world filled with sorrow and grief, John Mark…

  46. Teaching | Being With God | Prayer E4

    · 49 min

    How do we pray when we run out of words? John Mark talks about the practice of contemplative prayer and it's importance in our spiritual formation. He concludes with three primary obstacles to this form of prayer,…

  47. Teaching | Listening to God | Prayer E03

    · 48 min

    "Learning to hear God's voice is the single most important task of a disciple of Jesus." John Mark talks about listening to God, exploring both they why and the how behind it. He challenges us to posture ourselves in…

  48. Teaching | Talking With God | Prayer E02

    · 46 min

    There comes a moment in our prayer lives when we want to pray our own words to God. John Mark shows us how the ancient practices of gratitude, lament, petition, and intercession help us find words to place our lives…

  49. Teaching | Talking to God | Prayer E01

    · 48 min

    How do we pray in a world full of smartphones? John Mark dives into Luke 11 and how Jesus taught his disciples to pray, showing how this prayer orients us to the character of God and how other pre-written prayers can…

  50. Teaching | Church is Formation

    · 51 min

    Do you ever feel stuck? John Mark speaks to the difference between our role and God's role in our formation journey, inviting us to embrace God's leading by letting go of attachments. He argues that surrender to God's…

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