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Work occupies much of our lives, yet many Christians give little theological attention to it. Is work merely a necessity, a burden of the fall, or something to endure until “real ministry” begins?

In this episode, we explore a biblical theology of work and vocation, rooted in creation, marked by the fall, and reoriented through redemption in Christ. Beginning in Genesis and moving through the New Testament, we consider how Scripture presents work as a God-given calling to be carried out faithfully before His face. Along the way, we address common misconceptions about calling, fulfillment, and success, and recover a vision of ordinary faithfulness in everyday labor for the glory of God.

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As we begin 2026, it’s helpful to pause and ask not simply what we plan to do, but how we are walking before the Lord. In this episode, we turn to Colossians 1:9-10 to consider what it means to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and fully pleasing to Him.

From that biblical foundation, Jonathan shares the heart and direction of Pleasing God Ministries for the year ahead and how the Pleasing God Podcast, Pleasing God Weekly, and Pleasing God Press work together to serve Scripture-shaped lives marked by ordinary faithfulness and steady growth.

This episode is a pastoral orientation for the year ahead and an invitation to walk together in lives formed by God’s Word and lived for His glory.

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We explore why clarity about Jesus in the Gospel of Mark is the key to steady discipleship and how a sermon-shaped book, Behold the Christ, can help believers behold him rather than blur him. We share the pastoral burden, structure, and practical ways churches and groups can use it well.

• Why the question “Who do you say Jesus is?” matters most
• Why sequential exposition through Mark sharpens the vision of Christ
• how Mark 8’s two-stage healing mirrors discipleship growth
• what “behold” means in a distracted age
• the portrait of Jesus in Mark as servant, teacher, Son of Man, crucified King
• how the book is structured from sermons with reflection prompts
• use cases for church members, small groups, and pastors
• why clarity about Christ produces stability in life and ministry
• ordinary means of grace over novelty and trends
• practical steps to read Mark with the book open beside your Bible

You can search the books listed on Amazon. The title is Behold the Christ: Seeing Jesus Clearly in the Gospel of Mark. You can go to my website, pleasinggodministries.org, and find a link there to the book. I’ll list it in the show notes here. If you do read it, get your hands on it, and find it helpful, let me encourage you: share it with someone else. Consider leaving a review. It genuinely helps others to discover it as well.

Buy the book here.

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Stock Music provided by wolfgangwoehrle, from Pond5

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here: Jonathan’s Substack | Jonathan Sole | Substack