Is Christmas Day the end or is it a beginning? While itmight mark the end of a season for many, here at the Just Disciples podcast we believe it’s a beginning – the beginning of a season of following the challenge John the Baptist put to us to “Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!” There aremany crooked roads to straighten out, many valleys of inequality to fill in, and many mountains of injustice to level out. Are you ready to begin the work? Join us!

As Advent comes to a close, many of us find ourselvessearching for hope—a sense that better days are ahead. Yet, when life’s challenges seem to push that future further away, hope can feel out of reach. In this episode of Just Disciples, we explore how God’s promise to Israel, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT), speaks to us today.

Does God have a plan for us in these uncertain times? Ishope still part of that plan? Join us as we unpack these questions, drawing inspiration from scripture and real-life experiences. Tune in for encouragement and practical insights on finding hope, no matter where you are on your journey.

Here in this third week of Advent we ponder the liturgical theme of joy. But, is it possible to experience joy when so many in our nation and around the globe are suffering from injustice? If not, why? If so, where can joy be found in spite of the situation we find ourselves in? These are the questions we will seek to answer in this episode of Just Disciples.

In our last episode we talked about transformational love and love is the path Jesus – the Prince of Peace – invites us to follow. If we are true disciples of Jesus we are called to be peacemakers just as he was and it’s peace that is the topic of this second episode in our Advent series. In these chaotic times it might be easy for us to become apathetic about the perpetual injustice that plagues our world, but, Jesus calls us to be agents of a better way, the way of peace where we see everyone as beloved children of God. But peace isn’t passive. Jesus modeled a peace that confronted injustice and inequity in individuals and empire alike. Do we accept the invitation to be peacemakers in a time such as this?

This is the first episode in our Advent series and it deals with the topic of transformational love. Love is one of the four liturgical themes of Advent, but, it is typically reserved for the final week of the season. However, we have chosen to begin this series with it because it is the cornerstone on which a just society is built. After all, isn't justice really about applying the principle of loving our neighbors as ourselves in real and tangible ways?

This episode of Just Disciples - Living At The Intersection of Justice and Faith will introduce the theme of this podcast and the first series which will begin on November 30, 2025