Formation

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Recent Research

Stories have the power to create identity, build community, and change minds

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Stories have the power to create identity, build community, and change minds

Immersive narratives shape us, bind us to one another, and change what we do (Footnotes by John Ortberg).

Aug 26, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Power of Four

What changes when Scripture reading becomes a four-times-a-week habit (Footnotes by John Ortberg).

Aug 12, 2026·Jim Taylor

Contemplation, Creation, and the Stranger at the Door

Three Celtic instincts — stillness, awe, and welcome — are turning up in contemporary research on attention, generosity, and human flourishing (Footnotes by John Ortberg).

Aug 5, 2026·Jim Taylor

Can Spiritual Formation Actually Be Measured?

A new wave of research is mapping how practices, relationships, and shared life reliably shape Christlike character — and why formation is always communal (Footnotes by John Ortberg).

Jul 16, 2026·Jim Taylor

What Actually Happens to a Soul That Walks

A generation exhausted by screens, speed, and endless self-optimization is trading comfort for meaning — and finding the road still has power to reshape a soul (Footnote by John Ortberg).

Jul 7, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Recent Research Archive

Why High-Achieving Men Suffer in Silence

Success can hide astonishing levels of emotional isolation, and spiritual formation may be the last place we look. (Footnotes by John Ortberg.)

Jun 22, 2026·Jim Taylor

Your Brain on Imagination

Imagination isn't private mental theater. It's survival equipment, shared belonging, and the shape of the Kingdom rehearsed before it arrives. (Footnotes by John Ortberg)

May 27, 2026·Jim Taylor

Fear Rewired: From Brain Panic to Trained Courage

Fear hijacks the brain before you can think. Courage is trained action, not fearless personality. Stress, rightly held, sharpens rather than shatters.

May 14, 2026·Jim Taylor

When AI Starts Shaping Souls

AI is becoming a spiritual guide—are we noticing? Chatbots offer connection—but may erode real relationships. As AI companions rise, human love quietly reshapes itself.

Apr 28, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Formative Power of Song

How singing shapes the body, binds communities, and opens the soul

Apr 7, 2026·Jim Taylor

What Actually Makes Life Work

Research on change, health, and connection.

Apr 7, 2026·Jim Taylor

Loneliness & Connection

Solutions to the loneliness problem include reconnection to communities, making contributions, and physical contact with loved ones.

Apr 6, 2026·Jim Taylor

Rest as an Act of Faith

Science shows that rest conduces to productivity, creativity, and physical, mental and spiritual health.

Apr 6, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Science of Hope

Psychology backs the promise of new life by showing how hope leads to a meaningful life, contributes to well being, and grows through deliberate practice.

Apr 6, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Three Pillars of Lent

The three pillars of Lent—Prayer, Fasting, & Almsgiving—heal our relationships with God, self, and neighbor, respectively, and science shows they are also good for us.

Mar 31, 2026·Jim Taylor

More from Formation

Eat This Book

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Eat This Book

Scripture is food before it is information.

Aug 12, 2026
Reading Scripture to Shape Your Soul

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Reading Scripture to Shape Your Soul

Three ministries that facilitate reading the Bible for formation—not just information (Footnotes by John Ortberg).

Aug 12, 2026
Everything You Need to Know About the Next Generation ft. Kara Powell | 009

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Everything You Need to Know About the Next Generation ft. Kara Powell | 009

Kara Powell's team surveyed 3,000 Gen Alpha teenagers and asked what they most want from an adult they trust. The answer: someone who will listen without judging.

Aug 5, 2026
Listening for the Heartbeat of God

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Listening for the Heartbeat of God

Three guides into a spirituality of deep attention (Footnote by John Ortberg).

Aug 5, 2026
Three Celtic Christian Ministries

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Three Celtic Christian Ministries

Celtic spirituality is lived out in ordinary life with a commitment to justice and soul friendship (Footnote by John Ortberg).

Aug 5, 2026
The Impact of AI on Relationships, the Church, and Spiritual Development ft. Carey Nieuwhof | 008

Podcast

The Impact of AI on Relationships, the Church, and Spiritual Development ft. Carey Nieuwhof | 008

Carey Nieuwhof has spent two years inside the question of what AI does to the church. His answer is disarmingly simple: as the world becomes more synthetic, the church has to become more human.

Jul 22, 2026