Conversation | Into the Quiet Experience | When Your Mind Won’t Stop (Featuring John Ortberg)

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