Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer

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, still presence of the God of peace. In this conversation, John Mark and John Ortberg—a pastor and seasoned guide on spiritual formation—explore how the practices of solitude and Scripture support us in facing the ultimate challenge of life: managing our own minds. The conversation is followed by a time of question and response.

This episode is from the Into the Quiet Experience in San Francisco, California, in Fall 2026.

If you’d like to continue exploring what it means to build a life with God in solitude, we have two invitations for you. First, John Mark’s newest book Into The Quiet is now available for order at your book provider of choice. Second, you can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to Ruth from Dallas, Texas; James from Johnston, Iowa; Christian from Aurora, Oregon; Paul from Hiawassee, Georgia; Maddy from Lubbock, Texas. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/generous. 

Mentioned in this conversation:

• Mihaly Csikszentmihaly
• Dallas Willard
• Edmund Husserl
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Mark Noll

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 our identity and reveals our calling.

If you’d like to continue exploring what it means to build a life with God in solitude, we have two invitations for you. First, John Mark’s newest book, Into the Quiet, is now available for preorder at intothequietexperience.com/preorder. Second, you can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com/.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Ronnie from McKinney, Texas; Jim from Fort Collins, Colorado; Amanda from Millcreek, Utah; Nic from Dallas, Texas; and Tabitha from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/generous. 

Mentioned in this teaching:

• Mark 1:32-39
• Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presence by Ruth Haley Barton
• Order your copy of the Solitude Companion Guide at practicingtheway.org/solitude.

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 go into the quiet place to flee the noise of our lives, but to fight the enemies of our souls.

John Mark’s newest book Into The Quiet is now available for order at your book provider of choice. You can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Rosalia from Trabuco Canyon, California; Hannah from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, United Kingdom; Eric from Tomball, Texas; Nancy from Edgewood, Washington; and Christian from Fairhope, Alabama. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/generous. 

Mentioned in this teaching:

• Matthew 4:1-11
• Talking Back: A Monastic Handbook for Combating Demons by Evagrius Ponticus
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• "Christ in the Wilderness," painting by Moretto da Brescia
• Order your copy of the Solitude Companion Guide at practicingtheway.org/solitude.

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, and trust to God, and be shaped by His transforming love in return.

John Mark’s newest book Into The Quiet is now available for order at your book provider of choice. You can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Jodi from Hillsboro, Oregon; Mallory from Yakima, Washington; Jordan from Robinson, Texas; Lauren from Moreland Hills, Ohio; and Quentin from Wilson, North Carolina. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/generous. 

Mentioned in this teaching:

• Matthew 26:36-46
• Matthew 26:36 (cited specifically)
• The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen
• The Triumph of the Therapeutic by Philip Rieff
• Order your copy of the Solitude Companion Guide at practicingtheway.org/solitude.

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, peaceful presence of God. In this teaching, John Mark explains what true solitude with God is, what it isn’t, and what might be waiting for us if we follow Jesus into the quiet place.

John Mark’s newest book Into The Quiet is now available for order at your book provider of choice. You can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Amy from Boulder, Colorado; Elizabeth from San Carlos, California; Catherine from Durham, North Carolina; Maryssa from Lake Oswego, Oregon; and Adam from Edmonds, Washington. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/generous.

Mentioned in this teaching:

• Luke 5:15–16
• Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
• Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
• Invitation to Silence and Solitude by Ruth Haley Barton
• Order your copy of the Solitude Companion Guide at practicingtheway.org/solitude.

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 history — from the lives of saints and martyrs, to missionaries and laity: the virtue of resilience.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Neil from Lake in the Hills; Sheryll from Pensacola, Florida; Amy from Mount Carmel, Tennessee; Luke from Winscombe, Avon; and Jacob from Olathe, Kansas. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

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 time by small acts of faith.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Dee from Durham, North Carolina; Tim from Hagerstown, Maryland; Jennifer from Tell City, Indiana; Stephen from Surrey, British Columbia; and Julie from Austin, Texas. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

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 be and how it can be harmonized with the rich, historical traditions of the Church.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Shelby from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; John from Asheboro, North Carolina; Heidi from Colorado Springs, Colorado; Alicia from Boyds, Maryland; and Miriam from Anderson, California. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

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 our experience in the life of the church today.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Jenn from Spokane Valley, Washington; Helen from Kenosha, Wisconsin; Zach from Libertyville, Illinois; Kristi from Carthage, Tennessee; and Christina from Elk River, Minnesota. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

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 monastics — could create a deeply spiritual life with God in their everyday lives.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Brook from Antioch, Tennessee; Chris from Burlington, Ontario; Daniel from Vancouver, Washington; Anthony from Raleigh, North Carolina; and Chris from Stone Ridge, New York. Thank you all very much.

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.