BUY
Wisdom comes when we immerse our minds in wise thoughts , particularly from the Scriptures . Wisdom comes when we ask for it in prayer . Wisdom comes when we make mistakes . Wisdom comes from our friends .
Adapted from Steps : A Guide to Transforming Your Life When Willpower Isn ’ t Enough by John Ortberg . Copyright 2025 . Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers , a Division of Tyndale House Ministries . All rights reserved .
We follow the wisdom of the Serenity Prayer — not because that will make our lives more pleasant , not because we can ’ t control our circumstances anyway , not because stoic acceptance is a good tool for emotional management , not because we ’ re just trying to muddle through until we get to the end . Rather , we follow its wisdom because the God of the Cross is also the God of the Resurrection . Because the dream we have to die to will be ultimately and eternally replaced by an infinitely better dream . And because the people we love are infinitely better off in God ’ s hands than they would be in our own .
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NOW
John Ortberg is a bestselling author and speaker who has been in ministry for over 40 years , teaching around a central theme of spiritual formation . His deep desire is for people to know God in an interactive , life-transforming way . John ’ s books include Eternity Is Now in Session ; Soul Keeping ; The Life You ’ ve Always Wanted ; Faith and Doubt ; and If You Want to Walk on Water , You ’ ve Got to Get Out of the Boat . Presently , John leads the ministry Become New , focused on helping people grow spiritually one day at a time . Born and raised in Rockford , Illinois , John graduated from Wheaton College . He holds a master of divinity and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Fuller Seminary , and he did postgraduate work at the University of Aberdeen , Scotland . He and his wife , Nancy , live in California . 31