Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
Week 4: Chapter 3 — With Jesus
Read Chapter 3 of Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer.
Previewing Week 4 of Practicing the Way
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
The foundation of everything Comer will say about practice is laid here: before any discipline or technique, what Jesus most fundamentally offers is his *presence* — and everything else grows from learning to live in it.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Comer argues that the most fundamental need of the human soul is not information, not forgiveness (as crucial as that is), but *presence* — the felt nearness of God. Does that framing surprise you? What does it suggest about what we should be looking for in prayer, worship, or Scripture reading?
2.He draws on the relationship between Jesus and his first disciples — they literally *walked with him*, ate with him, and watched him. Comer asks: what is the contemporary equivalent of that kind of proximity? How do we cultivate nearness to someone we cannot physically see?
3.Comer talks about the danger of relating to Jesus primarily through *tasks* — reading, praying, serving — rather than through *relationship*. Have you ever experienced spiritual disciplines becoming more about checking boxes than about actually being with God? What did that feel like, and what did it produce in you?