Soul Keeping by John Ortberg
Week 6: Chapter 5 — SOul Training: The Practice of Sabbath
Read Chapter 5 of Soul Keeping by John Ortberg. Key passage: Exodus 20:8–11; Matthew 11:28–30.
Previewing Week 6 of Soul Keeping
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Sabbath is one of the most countercultural and soul-restoring practices available to us — and one of the most consistently neglected. Read this chapter as an invitation, not an obligation.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Ortberg presents Sabbath not as a religious rule but as a gift designed for the soul's flourishing. Before reading this chapter, what was your instinctive reaction to the word 'Sabbath' — obligation, irrelevance, longing, or something else? Did the chapter change that?
2.Ortberg draws a connection between hurry and soul damage, arguing that hurry is not just a time-management problem but a spiritual problem. Do you experience hurry as spiritually harmful? What does it actually do to you — body, mind, and soul — when you are chronically rushed?
3.Ortberg (drawing on Willard) makes the memorable statement that hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life — and that Jesus was never in a hurry. What would it mean for you to take that seriously as a daily practice, not just a nice thought?