How the ruthless elimination of hurry isn’t just about slowing down—it’s about rediscovering the way of Jesus in every aspect of your life, from spiritual formation to parenting. In this episode of the Exile Series, Mike Erre is joined by pastor, author, and longtime friend John Mark Comer to explore the profound connection between the pace of our lives and our capacity to love well. They dive deep into John Mark's journey from megachurch burnout to spiritual renewal and offer practical wisdom on how to embody love, joy, and peace through intentional living. Along the way, they talk about the limitations of hustle culture, the impact of spiritual formation on community and parenting, and the challenge of truly becoming “like Christ” amid cultural and religious noise.

Key Takeaways:
• The Cost of Hurry – How John Mark’s burnout in ministry revealed the soul-killing nature of hustle culture and led him to rebuild his life around rhythms of rest, reflection, and formation.
• Spiritual Formation as the Path to Change – Why transformation isn’t about willpower or waiting for a spiritual “zap” moment, but about consistent engagement with Jesus through practices, community, and the intentional shaping of the soul.
• Parenting Without Shame – How a relational theory of change can inform parenting, helping children process their emotions and choices with trust instead of fear, control, or punishment.
• The Gospel as Apprenticeship to Jesus – Deconstructing Reformation-era definitions of grace and works to rediscover the biblical vision of discipleship grounded in abiding in Christ rather than merely believing about Him.
• Enneagram and Soul Work – A critical conversation on the misuse of the Enneagram as a personality label versus its intended use as a tool for spiritual transformation.
• The Church's Role in True Formation – The limits of preaching alone to shape souls, and the need for the church to guide people not just in what Jesus taught, but how to embody it in daily life.

Guest Highlight:
John Mark Comer – Pastor, author of multiple books including The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, and host of the podcast This Cultural Moment. Known for his work on spiritual formation in a secular age, John Mark opens up about his personal journey from church growth idolization to a life grounded in presence, soul-care, and love.

Resources Mentioned:
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer – Amazon
• This Cultural Moment podcast – thisculturalmoment.com
• Fight Hustle, End Hurry podcast (with Jefferson Bethke) – fighthehurry.com
• Dallas Willard – Renovation of the Heart
• EMDR Therapy – EMDRIA.org
• Tim Mackie – The Bible Project’s work on biblical wisdom
• Steven Porter & John Coe – Theology of spiritual formation at Biola University
• Pete Scazzero – Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
• Enneagram Institute’s Levels of Development – enneagraminstitute.com

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Music by Timothy John Stafford — Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy



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