When Willpower Isn’t Enough
Episode 26: The surprising connection between spiritual formation and recovery
This week on Circle of Chairs, I’m joined by pastor and bestselling author John Ortberg for a thoughtful conversation about recovery, faith, and the kind of change that goes deeper than willpower.
John has spent decades writing and teaching about spiritual formation, and in this episode we explore how that journey overlaps in powerful ways with the wisdom of the 12 Steps.
Drawing from his book Steps: Transforming Your Life When Willpower Isn’t Enough, John reflects on how recovery communities have modeled something the wider church often struggles to practice: real vulnerability.
Together we explore questions like:
• Why weakness can create deeper connection than strength
• What churches can learn from recovery meetings
• Why surrender is often the true beginning of healing
• And how telling the truth about our lives opens the door to transformation
If you’ve ever felt stuck, exhausted from trying harder, or unsure where faith fits into the recovery journey, this conversation offers a hopeful perspective.
Click here to learn more about John’s work!
If this conversation resonates, my upcoming book When You Love Someone in Recovery is available for pre order now. It’s written for anyone navigating addiction alongside someone they love and looking for clarity, compassion, and hope along the way.
You can pre order it here and get all the bonus gifts!
I think spirituality is often left out of the conversation on a deeper level when we talk about Recovery. We'll leave it to "My Higher Power" but won't develop a strong sense of how that power, or God as I chose to call Him, has a living connection to our sense of purpose.
Excellent interview! Thanks for sharing!