Soul Keeping by John Ortberg
Week 5: Chapter 4 — What the Soul Needs
Read Chapter 4 of Soul Keeping by John Ortberg. Key passage: John 15:1–11.
Previewing Week 5 of Soul Keeping
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Just as the body has specific needs — food, water, rest, connection — so does the soul. This chapter asks you to take those needs seriously. Read with attention to what you have been withholding from your own soul.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Ortberg argues that the soul has specific needs that, when neglected, lead to predictable forms of decay. What are the primary needs he identifies in this chapter, and which of them surprised you most?
2.Ortberg uses the metaphor of a branch and a vine (drawing on John 15) to describe the soul's fundamental need for connection to God. What does it actually look like, in practical terms, for a soul to remain 'connected' to God in daily life — not just in formal religious moments?
3.Dallas Willard, as quoted or paraphrased by Ortberg, suggests that 'the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak' (Matthew 26:41) is not just a statement about moral failure — it is a description of a soul that has not been trained and nourished. How does that reframing change your understanding of your own repeated failures?