What does it really mean for a church to be a family? Bethany Allen unpacks a powerful vision of community not as an optional add-on to the Christian life, but as the very environment where transformation takes place. Bethany explores why community is both beautiful and broken, and how Jesus invites us to move through disappointment, unmet expectations, and past pain into a healing family of faith.

Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 1v26–27; Genesis 3v6–13; Genesis 12v1–3; Luke 8v19–21; Galatians 3v26–29

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Alan from Suwanee, Georgia; Andrew from Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Matthew and Chyril from Pittsford, New York; Lora from Bristol, Tennessee; and Randy from Port Angeles, Washington. Thank you all very much!

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

Can we follow Jesus alone? John Mark explores the essential—but often overlooked—role of community in spiritual formation. Drawing from the life of Jesus and the early church, he shows how transformation doesn’t happen in isolation but in the messy, beautiful tension between the ideal of community and its imperfect reality.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 4v18-22; Matthew 9v9-13; Acts 2v42-47; Romans 12v15; 1 John 4v20

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Margreet from Drachten, Netherlands; Will from Lewisburg, Ohio; Bruce from Memphis, Tennessee; Abby from Sandpoint, Indiana; and Rebecca from Friendswood, 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 do spiritual disciplines have to do with real transformation? John Mark double clicks on the concept of the practices of Jesus—also called the spiritual disciplines—and explains why they’re not optional for those who want to become like Him. He shows us how transformation doesn’t come through trying harder but through training wisely.

Key Scripture Passages: 1 Corinthians 9v24-27; Acts 20v24; Galatians 5v7; 1 Timothy 6v12; 2 Timothy 4v6-8

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Sid from Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Josh from Oxford, Oxfordshire; Margaret from Woodland Hills, California; Ashley from Dallas, Texas; and Erin from Centralia, Washington. 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.