Into the Quiet: Experiencing the Gentleness and Humility of Jesus w/ John Mark Comer

This episode, Mike, Tim, and Suzie talk with pastor and author John Mark Comer about how his spiritual life has shifted from anxious striving toward the gentleness and peace of Christ. Comer explains how solitude and community, trusted relationships, and contemplative prayer can help people experience God’s love and grow without turning spiritual practices into self-improvement projects. Comer describes a change from pursuing God with anxious, high-achieving intensity toward a gentler, humbler, more peaceful way of being with God. Drawing on The Holy Longing and early Christian thought, he discusses mellowing and apatheia, or freedom from disordered passions, while reframing passion as willingness to suffer for Christ. Spiritual disciplines can open people to grace, but they are not techniques for controlling or engineering personal transformation. Comer frames grace as God’s empowering presence and discipleship as staying relationally connected to God, not earning spiritual progress. He describes the inner critic and the gradual work of learning to recognize its voice without letting it dominate, through quiet prayer and trusted community. A discipleship band uses five questions about celebration, trouble, God’s guidance, confession, and what a person wants to keep secret; vulnerability grows as trust develops. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 07:00 Interview: A reunion and a question about spiritual growth 11:20 From anxious striving toward the gentleness of Christ 15:15 Mellowing, apatheia, and a different meaning of passion 21:25 Why spiritual disciplines cannot be life-hacked 27:08 Grace as God’s empowering presence 30:37 Quiet prayer, community, and the inner critic 34:20 Confession, secrets, and trusted discipleship bands 41:33 What Into the Quiet is really about 46:27 Contemplation and experiencing union with God 49:24 Entering solitude and community safely 52:24 The secure base: growing trust step by step 58:10 Influences, friendship, and the book’s lasting invitation As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Our Merch Store! Etsy Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy