John Mark Comer Teachings

Do you ever feel like your life is too busy, your schedule is too jammed, and your soul is overly hurried? You aren't alone: our culture is constantly pressing us to move at unsustainable speeds. So how do we "unhurry" our souls? Is there a practice from the way of Jesus, a time-tested way of living, that would set us up to thrive right in the middle of all the chaos of modern society? In this teaching, John Mark introduces the practice of Silence and Solitude as the answer to a world filled with distractions. Through the Scriptures, John Mark shows how even Jesus incorporated this into his routine and why this practice is often considered the most essential of them all. He concludes with practical ways to implement silence and solitude while taking into consideration your stage of life and discipleship. Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 3v13-4v4; Mark 1v35-39; Mark 6v30-46; Luke 5v15-16Resources for this practice:practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/silence-solitudeInvitation to Silence and Solitude by Ruth Haley BartonThe Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas WillardCelebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

"If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you have to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus."In Matthew 11v28-30, Jesus offers a new yoke to his disciples. In this message, John Mark breaks down what it means to pick up the yoke of Jesus and adopt His lifestyle: taking up the easy yoke of Jesus means that we need to slow down. In light of this, John Mark explains how hurry is opposed to the way that Jesus walked and to our spiritual growth, then challenges us to be creative and disciplined in how we "unhurry" our lives. Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 11v28-30; Luke 10v41-42 Resources for this practice:https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

In Luke 9:23, Jesus tells His disciples "if anyone wishes to come follow Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." In this episode, John Mark unpacks this Scripture, telling us that the cost of discipleship is to die to ourselves every day. Self-denial is not only challenging; it also runs against the prevailing cultural winds of self-fulfillment. But by overcoming our personal obstacles to discipleship and dying to ourselves, we can step into the abundant life that Jesus promises for His followers.Key Scripture Passages: Luke 9v18-24; Galatians 5v16-24; Luke 9v57-62; Luke 14v25-33; Luke 18v18-23; Matthew 13v44Resources for this practice:https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

Without the Holy Spirit, we will never be transformed to the degree we ache for and realize our full potential because willpower isn’t enough. This week, John Mark shows us the role the Holy Spirit plays in our transformation and the importance of partnering with Him in our apprenticeship to Jesus. Through this teaching, we learn about the person of the Holy Spirit and how walking by the Spirit brings the fruit that we long to see in our lives. Key Scripture Passages: 2 Corinthians 3; Exodus 34v29-35; John 15v5; Galatians 5v22-25; Romans 6v13Resources for this practice:https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

Community is non-optional for disciples of Jesus. But in our modern world, it is easy to mistake our connectivity with community. In this teaching, John Mark communicates the importance of community and how we, as disciples of Jesus, are called to live life with others. But community is more than a command: it is the context where we are transformed, exposing what’s actually inside of us and encouraging us in our walk with God. John Mark finishes by giving practical guidance on how to practice community and a testimony of how God can use community to reveal His calling on our lives. Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 4v18-22; Matthew 9v9-13; Matthew 10v1-5; Matthew 20v20-28; Acts 2v42-47; Acts 4v32-35; Acts 5v1-6Resources for this practice:https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

We know practicing the way of Jesus is important, but what exactly do we practice? In this teaching, John Mark drills down on the what and the how behind the practices of Jesus, drawing on the wisdom of the spiritual disciplines. The practices of Jesus, John Mark tells us, are ways to help us live out the lifestyle of Jesus. By “training hard” we can make it easier to be forgiving, kind, patient, loving, joyful, and more. But the disciplines go beyond that as they help shape our “loves” and orient our hearts toward God. John Mark finishes by showing that the disciplines should be practiced in community, shaped by who we are, and relevant to our stage of life. Key Scripture Passages: 1 Corinthians 9v24-27; Acts 20v24; Galatians 5v7; 1 Timothy 6v12; 2 Timothy 4v6-8Resources for this practice:https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

How do we transform our lives to be like Jesus? In this mini-series, How We Change, John Mark lays out how transformation into the image of Jesus takes place: through teaching, practice, community, and the Holy Spirit. This first teaching focuses on teaching and practice. John Mark shows that teaching is meant to counter the stories we believe about our lives. Practice, on the other hand, is to counter our habits. And together, they recalibrate the loves of our hearts towards God. Key Scripture Passages: Mark 1v14-15; Matthew 7v24-27; Romans 12v1-3; 2 Corinthians 2v16; 2 Corinthians 10v5; Colossians 3v3; Philippians 3v5 Resources for this practice:https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

The end goal of our apprenticeship to Jesus is to do what He did. In this teaching, John Mark gives the historical background of discipleship and shows through the scriptures that Jesus’s intention was for His disciples to become like Him all along. By sharing some of his best practices, such as identifying your stage of discipleship, finding community, and starting with the basics, John Mark challenges us to live in the moment and become the embodiment of Jesus to the world. Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 4v18-25; Matthew 8v18-22; Matthew 9v9-13; Matthew 9v35-10v8; Matthew 28v16-20; 1 Peter 2v11-12; Luke 19v10; Luke 7v34-35; Romans 12Resources for this practice:https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

“Who are you becoming?” Are we conforming to the world, or being transformed to become like Jesus? In this next installment of the Practicing the Way vision series, John Mark discusses the call of Jesus for His students to become like their master, as well as how teaching, practice, community, and the Holy Spirit combine to help us practice and live the way of Jesus. Key Scripture Passages: Luke 6v39-40; 2 Corinthians 3v18, Romans 12v1-2; Matthew 5-7; Galatians 5v13-26; Resources for this practice:https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

How do we abide? It seems straightforward, but we often struggle to put it into practice. This week, John Mark tackles this problem as we continue in the Practicing the Way vision series. In this episode, John Mark teaches about the importance of spending time with Jesus. Using key scriptures and church history examples to give a tangible vision of how to “practice the presence of God,” John Mark shows that through abiding, we have access to the peace and joy that Jesus promised as we adopt the spiritual disciplines that Jesus exemplified. Key Scripture Passages: John 1v35-49; John 14v16-15v8; Galatians 5v13-26Resources for this practice:https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way