John Mark Comer Teachings – Details, episodes & analysis

What comes to mind when you hear the word church? John Mark challenges us to rethink our definition, exploring the deeper meaning of church as the "called out ones," a new humanity formed by Jesus to carry the kingdom of God to every corner of the world. He calls us to see church as a family that embodies the kingdom of God through everyday relationships, practices, and a shared mission to spread God's kingdom.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 10v1-7, Matthew 16v13-18, Acts 1v6-9, Acts 2v1-4,41-47

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Isabella from Bridgeville, Pennsylvania; Austin from Marshall, Minnesota; Sierra from Palermo, Maine; Andrew from Colbert, Washington; and LifeHouse Church in Mississauga, Ontario. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

Why is the world so messed up? John Mark reflects on the reality of the world's dysfunction and how the story of the Fall in Genesis explains humanity's descent into chaos. He challenges us to reconsider our understanding of sin, its origins, and its impact on our lives, ultimately pointing to Jesus as our only hope for overcoming sin and its consequences.

Key Scripture Passage: Genesis 3v1-21

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Maggie from San Antonio, Texas; Doug from Signal Mountain, Tennessee; Heidi from Cincinnati, Ohio; Sarah from Voorheesville, New York; and Johnny from La Barge, Wyoming. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

Are you tired? In our world filled with fast-paced digital technology, what do we do to combat the restlessness that corrodes at our soul? John Mark teaches on how the practice of Sabbath can help us embody the peace of Jesus in our lives and and radically change our walk with God.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 11v28-30; Hebrews 4v1-11

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Tom from Kremmling, Colorado; Daniel from Orange, New South Wales; John from Albuquerque, New Mexico; Crystal from Perth, Washington; and Rebekah from Nesbit, Mississippi. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

“The farther we get down the path of the spiritual journey, the more our apprenticeship to Jesus feels less and less active, and more and more passive.”

John Mark continues with our discussion on the stages of apprenticeship, this time talking about active and passive spirituality and its role in our formation. He shows us how to use practice (active) and surrender (passive) to be more formed into the likeness of Jesus in every season of our lives.

Key Scripture Passages: John 21v18; Matthew 6v25-34

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/naming

Sacred Fire, Ronald Rolheiser

As we continue to explore stage theory paradigms, John Mark turns to the paradigm of the two halves of life by drawing on Jesus’s post-resurrection conversation with Peter. John Mark breaks down the common challenges and struggles of each half of life and offers some helpful ideas on how to move through these stages well.

Key Scripture Passages: John 21v18-25

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/naming

Sacred Fire, Ronald Rolheiser

The Second Mountain, David Brooks

How do we get unstuck? This week, John Mark introduces the newest spiritual journey paradigm: the Critical Journey, and discusses how we can get unstuck at the various stages and challenge us to push through the “wall” in the various places in our lives.

Key Scripture Passage(s): John 21v15-19

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/naming

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, Henri Nouwen

What is the meaning of life? According to Jesus, the meaning of life is love: becoming a person who loves God and loves others. Breaking down the story of the Road to Emmaus and our modern cultural moment, John Mark challenges us to embrace the good news of the resurrection and live as beacons of love and hope in our world.

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 24v13-35

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/naming

Do you feel stuck in your apprenticeship to Jesus? Drawing from the wisdom of followers of Jesus throughout church history, John Mark discusses how identifying landmarks on the journey of our apprenticeship to Jesus can help us get unstuck. This week, he talks about one ancient journey paradigm called The Three Ways to show how the purpose of our spiritual formation is becoming people of love and presence.

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 9v57-62; 1 Corinthians 13v11; Hebrews 5v12-14

Recommended Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/naming

Invitation to a Journey, Robert Mulholland

Sacred Fire, Ronald Rolheiser

Did Jesus practice sabbath? John Mark talks about Jesus’s teachings and relationship to the sabbath by highlighting four common words associated with the word “shabbat”: stop, rest, delight, and worship. John Mark shows how these four words give us clues on how to find happiness, joy, and peace in this practice.

Key Scripture Passages: Mark 2v23-28; Mark 3v1-6

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/sabbath

Sacred Rhythms, Ruth Haley Barton

“Sabbath is an act of resistance, a prophetic act over against the accomplishment and accumulation of our society.”

In a culture that is addicted to the twin drugs of accomplishment and accumulation, sabbath is how we “fight” back against Egypt, Pharaoh, and his empire. John Mark continues his biblical theology on sabbath with an exploration of work and rest in the story of the Exodus.

Key Scripture Passages: Exodus 20v8; Deuteronomy 5v12-15; Nehemiah 13v15-22

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/sabbath