What does it mean to follow Jesus in a culture obsessed with self-fulfillment? John Mark explores Jesus’ words in Luke 9, where He calls His disciples to “take up your cross and follow me.” Contrasting the way of self-denial at the heart of apprenticeship to Jesus with the modern pursuit of personal satisfaction, John Mark encourages us to embrace the cruciform life that leads to our deepest satisfaction in God.

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

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks today goes to Loida from Santander, Spain; Ashley from Greensboro, North Carolina; Kara from Cincinnati, Ohio; Kalani from Fargo, North Dakota; and Katherine from Monument, Colorado. 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.

What role does the Holy Spirit play in our transformation? John Mark unpacks how true transformation always requires partnership with God’s Spirit, encouraging us to rely on his presence and power to form us into the image of Jesus.

Key Scripture Passages: 2 Corinthians 3v17–18; Exodus 34v29–35; John 15v5; Galatians 5v22–25

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Caleb from Portland, Oregon; Carrie from Saint Louis, Missouri; Nick from Houston, Texas; Carolyn from San Luis Obispo, California; and Abbi from Yukon, Oklahoma. 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.

When we live in community, conflict is inevitable. But how do we handle conflict well? Alex Rettman—former Bridgetown pastor and now Lead Pastor of Saints' Hill Church in Newberg, OR—explores how conflict—when done in love—can be one of the primary ways we move from disillusionment to acceptance in our relationships, encouraging us use conflict to point one another back to Jesus.

Key Scripture Passages: Philippians 2v1–4; Matthew 18v15–17; Romans 8v1

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Daphne from Utrecht, Netherlands; Whitney from Northport, Alabama; Cade from Plano, Texas; Amy from Quincy, Illinois; and Cooper from Hartselle, Alabama. 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.