John, your talk today on willpower reminded me of the brilliant insight of Thomas Cranmer, the 16th c. English Reformer and genius behind the Book of Common Prayer. His understanding of the human person has been summed up in this little formula: What the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies. The mind doesn’t direct the will. The mind is actually captive to what the will wants, and the will itself, in turn, is captive to what the heart wants. So, where to dive in? Attend to the desires of the heart...
Love your videos. Started watching about two months ago and they continue to help me grow and encourage me before I start my day. Thank you for serving in this way!
What in our day we call addiction, in Bible language was called idolatry. Wow - THAT'S my food for thought today! Thankyou team BN I am a Baptist minister in a little church on a little island in the UK...and I meditate on these reflections at the start of every day. Thankyou.
Realizing God is Patient. Why is that? Cause Ken is a slow learner, a slow repenter, a slow changer. Now after nearly 10 of Jesus people in my Life, my Godly Councilor, Dallas, John, others, I am transformed. This is a great truth shared about the Will. Be Patient with self as you practice. Be Loved, as you Love, our greatest command. I shared this with a friend this week. "Hi . I use to Love God, when I felt loved. I use to Love my wife when I felt loved. I use to love others when I felt loved. I use to be miserable.
Well I guess I feel better about the fact that it came in at #24 for me! Reminds me of Dallas saying that God's intent isn't for us to have some kind of supernatural willpower but to become the kind of persons he can empower to do what we want. When our "wanter" changes to want what is good then we don't have to struggle to control it any more. And that happens by doing what you said, John - submitting the will to God. To always be seeking God's kingdom and God's ways...keeping our mind focused on a glorious vision of Him and His desires for us.
My comments are getting redundant I’m afraid… John is an awesome teacher and encourager! These talks are always grounded in very practical realities and equally practical suggested practices that help me move forward. I am really so grateful to have stumbled across these videos !
Such good stuff! Thank you so much! One thing I added was before opening hands to surrender, I closed up my fists in a kind of grasp, representing all the things I’m hanging on to (outcomes I want to control), and named each one as best I could, then I released them in that surrendered (open palms) motion. This one is so rich and needed in my life, will be reviewing it frequently. Cannot thank you, all at Become New, enough for this wonderful ministry!
Woo! This was a good one. I actually found myself leaning in toward the screen. So interesting that we only have so much willpower and it gets used up by whatever! There are not categories …at least that is how I understood it. It makes a lot of sense.
Again, as usual, but more so for me personally…. This Was Great! Y’know how you ask God to explain something and just when you’re not thinking about it He delivers the answer in abundance?Today was my day. I had a prefrontal lobe concussion and coming out of it after years of physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual healing I still had one nagging question: Why does it feel like my WILL power didn’t come back. I used to be able to train for a marathon or cut out deserts etc etc easily but now it feels like my WP is just a stretched out rubber band, and none of my health professionals could answer this. Today you answered so much. It also fits with God leading me to “my yoke is easy, my burden is light” just yesterday and “don’t be so hard on yourself” in general. Ordering my life in surrender and good habits where my WP is not called upon for as many carnal and distracting demands is priceless, and just the road He seems to have me on. Thank you so much Mr Ortberg, Tim and crew. I’d like to read that ref book too. Change is coming today!!!
Wow! What an incredible message! Suddenly I understood myself in so many ways. In certain areas I thought I was a looser for I just did not have the will to do , and was so overtaxed in other areas. Now I realize my will was depleted, and that presents a different scenario. I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER! John, bless you and thank you.
Powerful message today John....really appreciate the application of “surrender” when confused, afraid, stressed, tempted...I CAN do that! And thanks for that! ❤️
Stress, confrontation, temptation avoidance that sounds like becoming a hermit or 12th century monk. Or perhaps as Paul declares in the first 15 verses of Romans 8, rejoice in the liberty that there is no condemnation in Christ. Consequently, we can rejoice that God rejoices in pouring out The Spirit to those who knock, seek, ask (Luke 11:11-13). The Spirit is the one who produces Love, faith, gentleness and most needed self-control, not I. As Jesus Himself did: the more stress, the more confrontation, the more temptations, by the enemy, the more time HE invested in oneness with The FATHER and the SPIRIT.
Connecting stress to a depleted will power was so insightful for me today. This was such a good discussion. Thy Will be done! Thanks John
John, your talk today on willpower reminded me of the brilliant insight of Thomas Cranmer, the 16th c. English Reformer and genius behind the Book of Common Prayer. His understanding of the human person has been summed up in this little formula: What the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies. The mind doesn’t direct the will. The mind is actually captive to what the will wants, and the will itself, in turn, is captive to what the heart wants. So, where to dive in? Attend to the desires of the heart...
Love your videos. Started watching about two months ago and they continue to help me grow and encourage me before I start my day. Thank you for serving in this way!
What in our day we call addiction, in Bible language was called idolatry. Wow - THAT'S my food for thought today!
Thankyou team BN
I am a Baptist minister in a little church on a little island in the UK...and I meditate on these reflections at the start of every day. Thankyou.
Realizing God is Patient. Why is that? Cause Ken is a slow learner, a slow repenter, a slow changer. Now after nearly 10 of Jesus people in my Life, my Godly Councilor, Dallas, John, others, I am transformed. This is a great truth shared about the Will. Be Patient with self as you practice. Be Loved, as you Love, our greatest command. I shared this with a friend this week. "Hi .
I use to Love God, when I felt loved.
I use to Love my wife when I felt loved.
I use to love others when I felt loved.
I use to be miserable.
Well I guess I feel better about the fact that it came in at #24 for me! Reminds me of Dallas saying that God's intent isn't for us to have some kind of supernatural willpower but to become the kind of persons he can empower to do what we want. When our "wanter" changes to want what is good then we don't have to struggle to control it any more. And that happens by doing what you said, John - submitting the will to God. To always be seeking God's kingdom and God's ways...keeping our mind focused on a glorious vision of Him and His desires for us.
My comments are getting redundant I’m afraid… John is an awesome teacher and encourager! These talks are always grounded in very practical realities and equally practical suggested practices that help me move forward.
I am really so grateful to have stumbled across these videos !
Pówerful practicality!!! Thx!!! Love it!! Spreading it.
I'm so thankful for John and these life-giving messages. What an encouragement! What a gift!
My favourite phrase from The Me I Want To Be - victory lies in surrender! But I hadn't thought of it in this way before, thank you!
Such good stuff! Thank you so much! One thing I added was before opening hands to surrender, I closed up my fists in a kind of grasp, representing all the things I’m hanging on to (outcomes I want to control), and named each one as best I could, then I released them in that surrendered (open palms) motion. This one is so rich and needed in my life, will be reviewing it frequently. Cannot thank you, all at Become New, enough for this wonderful ministry!
This battle is constantly recurring. Thanks for the reminder about self control.
Amen! Simple yet most powerful. Thank you!
Woo! This was a good one. I actually found myself leaning in toward the screen. So interesting that we only have so much willpower and it gets used up by whatever! There are not categories …at least that is how I understood it. It makes a lot of sense.
Again, as usual, but more so for me personally…. This Was Great!
Y’know how you ask God to explain something and just when you’re not thinking about it He delivers the answer in abundance?Today was my day.
I had a prefrontal lobe concussion and coming out of it after years of physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual healing I still had one nagging question: Why does it feel like my WILL power didn’t come back. I used to be able to train for a marathon or cut out deserts etc etc easily but now it feels like my WP is just a stretched out rubber band, and none of my health professionals could answer this.
Today you answered so much. It also fits with God leading me to “my yoke is easy, my burden is light” just yesterday and “don’t be so hard on yourself” in general. Ordering my life in surrender and good habits where my WP is not called upon for as many carnal and distracting demands is priceless, and just the road He seems to have me on.
Thank you so much Mr Ortberg, Tim and crew. I’d like to read that ref book too.
Change is coming today!!!
Thank you, I really needed this, Bless you, Pastor John, Nancy, Tim and everyone,
Wow! What an incredible message! Suddenly I understood myself in so many ways. In certain areas I thought I was a looser for I just did not have the will to do , and was so overtaxed in other areas. Now I realize my will was depleted, and that presents a different scenario. I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER! John, bless you and thank you.
Powerful message today John....really appreciate the application of “surrender” when confused, afraid, stressed, tempted...I CAN do that! And thanks for that! ❤️
Romans 7:18-19
Dear God,
I surrender! Help me with my willpower and self control! Thanking you in advance! Amen
Self-control is often difficult. ❤
I opened my hands….. said “I surrender today, Your will, not mine” and the tears pored out. This touched me so deeply. Thank you Pastor John .❤🙏🏼
Awesome..I'm sharing this with others...wonderful, thank you! Blessings!
Oh Jesus, I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything. -Surrender Novena.
Thank you!
gold
That was truly a transforming message. Particularly, the written example of how our will is trained. Thank you, Pastor🙏🏻🕊💙
🤲
Stress, confrontation, temptation avoidance that sounds like becoming a hermit or 12th century monk. Or perhaps as Paul declares in the first 15 verses of Romans 8, rejoice in the liberty that there is no condemnation in Christ. Consequently, we can rejoice that God rejoices in pouring out The Spirit to those who knock, seek, ask (Luke 11:11-13). The Spirit is the one who produces Love, faith, gentleness and most needed self-control, not I. As Jesus Himself did: the more stress, the more confrontation, the more temptations, by the enemy, the more time HE invested in oneness with The FATHER and the SPIRIT.
I would like for the words following the lesson to linger longer on the screen. I barely get through reading them.
Yes, me too