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

“If you go against the grain of the universe, you get splinters.” – HH Farmer

Sabbath was built into the rhythm of creation and going against this rhythm has consequences. John Mark lays out a biblical theology of sabbath, showing that sabbath is instituted by God, blessed, holy, made for worship, a command and a gift, and a day to remember. 

Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 1v31-2:3; Exodus 16v9-30; Exodus 20v1-8

Resources for this practice: 

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practice/sabbath

Are you tired? We are plagued by a cancerous restlessness of our condition and our culture, made worse by our digital technology. Through sabbath, the way of Jesus instead offers rest and peace. In this episode, John Mark teaches on the need for sabbath in our lives and its potential to radically change our walk with God.

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

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/sabbath

The Subversive Sabbath, AJ Swoboda

"When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

We live in a culture that focuses on self-gratification, but Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him. In this episode, John Mark talks about how denying the self and our disordered desires leads to our deepest joy, peace, and happiness.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 16v21-27; Galatians 2v20; Galatians 5v24-25; Colossians 3v1-5

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fighting

What do you do when you hit a wall in your apprenticeship to Jesus? Beau Hughes, lead pastor of The Village Church, Denton, interviews John Mark and Matt Chandler, lead pastor of The Village Church, Flower Mound about their journeys of discipleship and formation. Together, John Mark and Matt encourage us to open our lives for God to bring transformation in the deepest part of our selves.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Ekaterina from La Mirada, California; Matthew from Hagerstown, Maryland; Katrina from West Linn, Oregon; Chris from Austin, Texas; and Ruth from Hamilton, Michigan. 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.

How do we resist being shaped by modern culture? The "world," as the New Testament writers called it, shapes how we think and live. John Mark discusses how we can discover how we being shaped by culture. By learning how to reconnect with God's definitions of good and evil in those ways, we find how to be "in the world but not of it." 

Key Scripture Passages: John 15v18-21; John 17v6-18; 1 John 2v15-17; Romans 1v20; 1 John 3v16; 

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fighting

Why Liberalism Failed, Patrick Deneen

Liberal Christianity, Theo Hobson

The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis

Disappearing Church, Mark Sayers

The Truth About Lies and the Lies About Truth, David Takle

You don't just reap what you sow: you become what you sow. Continuing his exploration of Galatians, John Mark teaches that our decisions to walk by the Spirit or by the flesh have a compounding effect that shapes our character and our destiny. He finishes by encouraging us to embrace the way of Jesus as practice walking by the spirit.

Key Scripture Passages: Galatians 6v1-9; James 1v4

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fighting

Satan and the Problem of Evil, Greg Boyd

Doesn't freedom mean that I can do what I want? Not according to Jesus. John Mark contrasts our modern culture's definition of freedom with how Jesus and the other biblical authors thought about freedom. He then breaks down Galatians 5 and shows us how the practices of Jesus help us to walk by the Spirit towards true fulfillment in God and not be mastered by the flesh. 

Key Scripture Passages: Ephesians 2v1-5; Galatians 5v1-26

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fighting

The Gift of Being Yourself, David Benner

Why Liberalism Failed, Patrick Deneen

How do we identify the lies that we are believing about God and ourselves? John Mark talks on the destruction that deception and believing lies can cause in our lives with a teaching on the Fall. Then he shows us how to identify and overcome those lies: by living with spirit and truth and refining our desires with the practices of Jesus. 

Key Scripture Passages: John 8v44-45; Genesis 3v1-15; Luke 4v1-13; Ephesians 6v13; James 4v7-8; 1 Peter 5v8-9

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fighting

The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck

Why Liberalism Failed, Patrick Deneen

What is the truth? The modern, secular world laughs off the idea of the devil as a relic from the pre-scientific age. But for Jesus, there is an invisible but intelligent evil at work in the world, but his primary strategy isn’t what most of us expect. It’s lies. Fighting the devil is first and foremost about the war to believe truth over lies.

Key Scripture Passages: John 8v31-47; John 18v36-38

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fighting

Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard

The Truth About Lies and Lies About The Truth, David Takle

The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis

The practice of communion has changed throughout church history. In part two of this teaching, John Mark continues to discuss the the many names for this practice and its use over the centuries. He leaves us with a challenge to press into community even when it's mundane and messy.

Key Scripture Passages: 1 Corinthians 11v20-34

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

Come to the Table by John Mark Hicks

What is communion, really? The practice of eating with God, or the Lord's Supper, shows up throughout the New Testament. In part one of this teaching, John Mark breaks down the many names for this practice and its use in the Scriptures and throughout church history to give us a better understanding of the essence of this practice.

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 22v7-30; Acts 2v42; Acts 20v7; 1 Corinthians 11v20-34;

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

The Meal Jesus Gave Us by NT Wright

Seven Practices for the Church on Mission by David Fitch

In a culture that focuses on the negatives, how do we stand apart and live with joy? In part two of this teaching, John Mark talks about how to practice joy in our day-to-day lives and how the practice of eating and drinking together is one of the best ways to go about living a happy life.

Key Scripture Passages: Philippians 4v4-9

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

Can Jesus show us how to be happy? In part one of this teaching, John Mark teaches about God's joyful nature and how that reality can give us wisdom to improve our everyday emotional health.

Key Scripture Passages: Hebrews 1v9; Psalm 45v7; John 2v1-11; John 15v11; John 16v24; John 17v13

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

What does hospitality in the church have to do with architecture? John Mark explores the story of this practice in Church history: throughout the New Testament, we see followers of Jesus gathering in homes around a table and a meal. But as the church changed, so did their meeting place, which impacted the practice of eating and drinking in fellowship. John Mark encourages us to recapture this practice of breaking bread together and gives us practical ways to get started.

Key Scripture Passages: John 13v1-17; Acts 2v42-47; Romans 16v3-5; Colossians 4v15; Philemon 1-2; Galatians 6v9

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

From Tablet to Table, Leonard Sweet

Community and Growth, Jean Vanier

How do we become resilient disciples of Jesus? Gavin Bennett shares a vision for how a Rule of Life can shape us and our communities into people of love. He challenges us to resist the temptations to make a Rule of Life about control, busyness, duty, or enthusiasm, and instead encourages us to lean into the invitations of the Spirit and Jesus's easy yoke.

Key Scripture Passage: John 15v1-5

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Spencer from New York, New York; Macy from Atlanta, Georgia; Jenni from Portland, Oregon; Todd from Fabius, New York; and Judy from Fort Worth, Texas. 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.

What if, when Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself, he meant your actual neighbor? John Mark teaches on Jesus's command to love our neighbors as ourselves and the parable of the Good Samaritan. Then he explains the history of hospitality and finishes by walking through exercises to help us begin our journey with this practice.

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 10v25-37

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

The Gospel Comes with a House Key, Rosaria Butterfield

How can we practically love others and reach the lost in a post-Christian culture? In this teaching, John Mark looks at Jesus's habit of eating and drinking with the societal outcasts of his culture through the Gospel of Luke. Then he explores the biblical commands to practice hospitality in the New Testament letters. Finally, John Mark gives practical and spiritual guidance for how we can apply this practice to love and build relationships with the lost.

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 19v1-10; Luke 7v33-50; Romans 12v13; 1 Peter 4v8-10; Hebrews 13v1-2

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

The Gospel Comes with a House Key, Rosaria Butterfield

"The question isn't, 'How do you get through life without being hurt?' Not gonna happen. The question is, 'When you are hurt, how do you deal with it?'"

When we forgive, we first need to release the person who hurt us. But our journey doesn’t end there. We also need to learn to forgive ourselves, the unfairness of life, and finally, learn to release the feelings of anger that we have toward God. This week, John Mark challenges us to address our hurt and provides guidance for us to walk in forgiveness.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 18v21-35; Luke 23v32-34; Ephesians 4v30-32

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/forgiving

Sacred Fire, Ronald Rolheiser

Do you ever feel stuck in prayer? As if there is a wall between you and heaven? In this teaching, John Mark shows us different ways that fasting can be used in combination with prayer. Using examples from the Scriptures, he shows us five different ways that people fast and pray: to repent, to grieve, to cry out to God in a crisis, to ask God to relent, and to know God's mind when making decisions. John Mark concludes by reminding us that this practice, like all the practices, is about building our relationship with God, and encourages us to keep pressing in even when it's hard.

Key Scripture Passages: Acts 13v1; 1 Samuel 7v3-6; 1 Kings 21v27-28; Leviticus 23v26-32; 1 Samuel 31v11-13; Nehemiah 1v2-4; 2 Chronicles 20v1-12; Jonah 3v1-10; Joel 2v12-14

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fasting

God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

Why should you fast? In modern society, fasting as a spiritual practice is almost unheard of, even among Christians. So why does Jesus assume that his followers will fast? (Matthew 6:16-18; 9:15-16). In this teaching, John Mark discusses the what and the why behind fasting. First, he shows that fasting helps us break free from "slavery" to food, feeds our flesh and starves the spirit, and allows us to "pray" with our bodies. Then he outlines what fasting is and what it isn't and what that means for us as we press into this practice from the way of Jesus.

Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 2v4-7; Genesis 3v1-6; Matthew 4v1-4; John 4v7-30; Matthew 6v16-18; Galatians 5v13-25

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fasting

Our God-given dreams are how God leads us and guides us into our identity and calling, to be who God made us, and to do what God made us to do. But dreams can be difficult to live with because there is always a gap between the dream and its fulfillment. In this teaching, John Mark lays out a theology of biblical dreams by exploring the story of Joseph. Through it, John Mark shows that God's fulfillment of our dreams is different, harder, longer, but also better than we can imagine. By remaining faithful to how God is calling us to live in the here and now, we can live with boldness and conviction in the identity and calling that God has for us.

Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 37v2 - Genesis 45v8; Philippians 4v11-13

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and-calling

We are all being formed into someone. For us, as apprentices of Jesus, how do we become more like Him? In this teaching, John Mark tells us that our apprenticeship to Jesus needs to be stronger than the stories we believe, our habits, our relationships, and our environment. Then he lays out how teaching, practice, community, and the Holy Spirit can help us counter these influences. John Mark closes by equipping us with tools and practices to help us be intentional in our spiritual formation with the goal of becoming more like Jesus. 

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 6v39-40; Romans 12v2; Matthew 5-7

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and-calling

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

The Cost of Discipleship by Diedrich Bonhoeffer

We are all being shaped. The question is, what is shaping you? This week, John Mark challenges us with this question as he unpacks how our beliefs, habits, relationships, and experiences all shape the person that we are. Rather than passively let these influences shape us, we are called, as apprentices of Jesus, to be intentional with our beliefs, habits, relationships, and experiences as we seek to curate our lives to grow in our love for Jesus.

Key Scripture Passages: Ephesians 4v1-24; Galatians 4v19; Proverbs 4v23

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and-calling

In the journey to discover your identity and calling, a transformation from who you are now to who you are becoming in Christ needs to take place. During that "inward journey," you have to come face-to-face with your sin. In this teaching, John Mark gives insight into how to navigate this journey. First, he walks us through the "layers of sin" and shows us how to address our sins at their roots. Then, he equips us with some tools to help us face our sin, including a short teaching on the Enneagram. And finally, John Mark reminds us that we can't do it on our own: we need the salvation that only Jesus can offer. 

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 4v18-22; Matthew 9v9-13

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and-calling

The Road Back to You, Suzanne Collins

Invitation to a Journey, Robert Mulholland

The Road to Character, David Brooks

enneagraminstitute.com

Who am I? Somewhere in our hearts, we all are seeking the answer to this question, trying to find security and worth. In this teaching, John Mark teaches us about who the Bible says we are. Jesus found his identity from Heaven, but we often find our identities from earthly things: in what we do, what we have, what we want, or even what others think about us. But the Bible says that not only is our identity rooted in Jesus and what He did on the Cross, but it is also rooted in our future with Him, rather than our past or present reality. John Mark closes by exhorting us to "live in a manner worthy of calling with which we have been called," and to embrace the fullness of God's identity and calling on our lives.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 3v13-17; Ephesians 1v1-15; Ephesians 4v1-3

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and-calling

Why a Rule of Life? Tyler Staton explains the why and the what behind a Rule of Life, outlining the biblical, historical, and practical roots of this practice. He argues that a Rule of Life is essential for us to preserve the new wine of God's grace in this cultural moment with new wineskins.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 9v14-17, Psalm 56v12-13, Acts 2v42-47.

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Joe from Huntsville, Alabama; Joshua from Columbus, Ohio; Caleb from Crystal, Minnesota; Jessica from Challenge, California; and Tanner from Moncton, New Brunswick. 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.

Discovering our identity and calling is one of the key tasks of apprenticeship to Jesus because what we believe about our identity and calling has ramifications for who we become and what we do with our lives. And while the journey of discovery can be scary and difficult, the Scriptures and millennia of Christian tradition show us that it is essential. In this teaching, John Mark lays out the biblical basis for the practice of discovering our identity and calling. Then he explains what this journey is like by breaking down its stages. Finally, he offers resources to help in our journey and encourages us to embrace the process with community and the Holy Spirit.

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and-calling

We are all called to spend our lives abiding (John 15:4). Paul called it "praying without ceasing;" Brother Lawrence called it “practicing the presence of God." Jesus claimed that there is a strong connection between abiding and joy. In this teaching, John Mark gives us key insights to practicing this joy-filled lifestyle. First, John Mark challenges us to slow down, open our lives to the flow of the spirit, and practice the presence of God. Then he shows how the practice of fixed-hour prayer can be an effective tool to unlock this lifestyle. By pressing into the discipline of fixed-hour prayer, we can open our hearts to the joy and peace that Jesus promises. 

Key Scripture Passages: 1 Thessalonians 5v16-18; Daniel 6v1-28

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/prayer

What do you do when your prayers are not answered? In Jesus' teaching to His disciples in John 14-17, He tells them three times that whatever they ask for in His name will be done. So how do we make sense of Jesus’ promise to answer prayer with the reality that we all have unanswered prayers? In this teaching, John Mark goes through the various types and reasons for unanswered prayer in the Bible and explains how "laments" in the Psalms can serve as an example for how to bring our unanswered prayers to God. 

Key Scripture Passages: John 14v12-13; John 15v7, 16-17; John 16v23-24; Daniel 10; Matthew 21v21-22; Luke 18v1-8; Psalm 66v18; Isaiah 58v6-12; Psalm 13

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/prayer

Last week, John Mark walked us through Jesus teaching us how to pray. This week, we learn why we pray. In this teaching, John Mark covers Jesus' teaching and parable on prayer in Luke 11 to show that Jesus sees prayer differently. He believes that prayer is a way to collaborate with God to create good in the world. John Mark also challenges our preconceptions of prayer by talking through Jesus' command to ask with shameless audacity and don't stop asking. The episode concludes with some practical tips to make prayer a consistent element of your discipleship to Jesus. 

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 11v1-13; Genesis 1v26-28; Genesis 2v15-17; Genesis 3v6-7; Exodus 32v1-10

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/prayer

How should we pray? For most of us, prayer is a weak point in our apprenticeship to Jesus, and it's hard to do in the digital age. But Jesus made prayer a consistent part of His lifestyle, and it didn't seem to be a chore for Him. In this message, John Mark breaks down the practice of prayer. After defining prayer and explaining why it is so hard for many of us, John Mark explains what the Lord's Prayer teaches us about the attitude Jesus's had toward prayer and how we can press into prayer not just to meet our needs and wants, but primarily to enjoy the Father's presence. 

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 5v15-16; Luke 6v12; Luke 9v18, 28-34; Luke 11v1-4

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/prayer

Our families of origin and past experiences impact every human, both for bad and for good. In this teaching, John Mark explores the nature of blessing throughout the Bible and God's plan to bring blessing to the whole world, while showing how blessings are passed from one generation to the next. Because of the influence that we can have and our authority to bless, John Mark invites us to partner with God's plan by blessing our children, our friends, and our circumstances as a way to pass on good to the next generation. 

Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 12v1-3; Genesis 25v7; Genesis 26v23-25; Genesis 27v1-40; Genesis 28v10-15; Genesis 48v1-20; Genesis 2v24; Mark 10v13-16

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/dealing-with-your-past

Our family of origin and past experiences shape our present. And past hurt and trauma don't go away on their own. They need to be dealt with, or these hurts and traumas will emerge in unhealthy ways as we try to cope with our pain. So how do we deal with our past so that we can move forward in our apprenticeship to Jesus? In this teaching, John Mark shows us why it is important to deal with our past in our discipleship to Jesus. After discussing common objections to dealing with your past, he takes us through the Bible and shows how sins get passed from one generation to the next. He finishes this teaching by giving practical tips on how to engage these topics in community and begin your journey to healing and freedom.

Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 12v1-20; Genesis 20v1-18; Genesis 26v1-11; Genesis 27v18-20; Genesis 37v2-4; Genesis 37v31-35; Exodus 34v6-7; Mark 5v24-34

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/dealing-with-your-past

Why is it so difficult for us to be alone with God? Many believers struggle to practice silence and solitude, and others outright avoid it. This practice often evokes discomfort because it forces us to address the hard emotions we'd often like to ignore, whether it's loneliness, anxiety, or fear. This week, John Mark discusses these issues. Through the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19, we find that this is a common experience, and we also find a roadmap for how to deal with our emotions with God in a healthy way. 

Key scripture passages: 1 Kings 19v1-21

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/silence-solitude

Do you ever feel like your life is too busy, your schedule is too jammed, and your soul is overly hurried? You aren't alone: our culture is constantly pressing us to move at unsustainable speeds. So how do we "unhurry" our souls? Is there a practice from the way of Jesus, a time-tested way of living, that would set us up to thrive right in the middle of all the chaos of modern society? In this teaching, John Mark introduces the practice of Silence and Solitude as the answer to a world filled with distractions. Through the Scriptures, John Mark shows how even Jesus incorporated this into his routine and why this practice is often considered the most essential of them all. He concludes with practical ways to implement silence and solitude while taking into consideration your stage of life and discipleship. 

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 3v13-4v4; Mark 1v35-39; Mark 6v30-46; Luke 5v15-16

Resources for this practice:

practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/silence-solitude

Invitation to Silence and Solitude by Ruth Haley Barton

The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

"If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you have to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus."

In Matthew 11v28-30, Jesus offers a new yoke to his disciples. In this message, John Mark breaks down what it means to pick up the yoke of Jesus and adopt His lifestyle: taking up the easy yoke of Jesus means that we need to slow down. In light of this, John Mark explains how hurry is opposed to the way that Jesus walked and to our spiritual growth, then challenges us to be creative and disciplined in how we "unhurry" our lives. 

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 11v28-30; Luke 10v41-42 

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

What does it look like to witness in our culture? Tre' Giles walks us through three ways to witness to others: spoken love, supernatural love, and sacrificial love, and challenges us to live our lives in a way that demonstrates the good news of Jesus to others.

Key Scripture Passages: Acts 1v8; Colossians 1v12-14; Matthew 3v16-17; Matthew 9v9-13; Luke 23v38-43

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In Luke 9:23, Jesus tells His disciples "if anyone wishes to come follow Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." In this episode, John Mark unpacks this Scripture, telling us that the cost of discipleship is to die to ourselves every day. Self-denial is not only challenging; it also runs against the prevailing cultural winds of self-fulfillment. But by overcoming our personal obstacles to discipleship and dying to ourselves, we can step into the abundant life that Jesus promises for His followers.

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 9v18-24; Galatians 5v16-24; Luke 9v57-62; Luke 14v25-33; Luke 18v18-23; Matthew 13v44

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

Without the Holy Spirit, we will never be transformed to the degree we ache for and realize our full potential because willpower isn’t enough. This week, John Mark shows us the role the Holy Spirit plays in our transformation and the importance of partnering with Him in our apprenticeship to Jesus. Through this teaching, we learn about the person of the Holy Spirit and how walking by the Spirit brings the fruit that we long to see in our lives.

Key Scripture Passages: 2 Corinthians 3; Exodus 34v29-35; John 15v5; Galatians 5v22-25; Romans 6v13

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way

Community is non-optional for disciples of Jesus. But in our modern world, it is easy to mistake our connectivity with community. In this teaching, John Mark communicates the importance of community and how we, as disciples of Jesus, are called to live life with others. But community is more than a command: it is the context where we are transformed, exposing what’s actually inside of us and encouraging us in our walk with God. John Mark finishes by giving practical guidance on how to practice community and a testimony of how God can use community to reveal His calling on our lives.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 4v18-22; Matthew 9v9-13; Matthew 10v1-5; Matthew 20v20-28; Acts 2v42-47; Acts 4v32-35; Acts 5v1-6

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/practicing-the-way