Deep-Grace Diving with Tim Wright and Terey Summers

No… it’s not a horror story. It’s a sacred story about the value God places on humankind. Genesis 2:4b-25 In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no vegetation of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground, 6 but a stream would rise from the...

In this week’s Bible study of Genesis we wrap up our look at the first Creation story in chapter 1 by focusing on what it means to be created in the Image of God. Look around, and if this is what it looks like, the Bible really missed it! But, as we saw last week, the first Creation story says something radical about God and, in this part of the story, about us. If you have questions, you can leav...

We start a new Bible study this week, looking at the first book of the Bible: Genesis. Today’s episode looks at most of the first Creation story in Genesis 1: how it was written and what it’s trying to tell us. Don’t forget to check out my weekly “blog post” on this Substack as I release a chapter a week from my (unpublished) book: The Sunday School Detective Club: The Case of the Creation Stories...

Tim and Jon are joined by Daryl Potter , author of the book, Even the Monsters . The book chronicles the birth and raising of Daryl’s daughter, born with severe physical challenges, while at the same time dealing with his wife’s mysterious illness. Through a multi-year study of the Biblical book of Job, Daryl found God’s love is bigger, even than the monsters. This is a public episode. If you woul...

In our final episode (not of the podcast) on Mark’s Gospel we turn to chapter 16, the final, concluding story of the Resurrection of Jesus—normally a story of triumph, awe, wonder, and celebration. But not for Mark. At least not on the surface! Mark 16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very e...

In our penultimate episode in our Gospel of Mark study, we turn to the main focus of Mark’s Gospel—the crucifixion of Jesus and the million dollar question: Why Did Jesus Have to Die? In seven understated verses, Mark shines a light on the reckless love that God has for you. Mark 15 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried ou...

Before Jesus heads to the cross he shares the Passover meal with his disciples—a meal of remembrance, re-experiencing the liberation of the Israelites from enslavement in Egypt thousands of years earlier. But then he dramatically changes the story. Mark 14 12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make...

After three years of following Jesus, hearing him teach, watching him perform miracles, when Jesus needs them the most, they abandon him. Mark 14 10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 When they heard it, they were greatly pleased and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him… 12 On the...

With Jesus just days away from the cross, a woman crashes a dinner party to anoint him with expensive perfume. She is then attacked by the party guests for not giving the money to the poor. But Jesus defends her. But is he dissing the poor in the process? If you haven’t done so, subscribe to recklessgrace.substack.com/ and receive not only this podcast but my weekly post. Free! Mark 14:1-9 It was...

Tim and Jon look at a somewhat confusing passage about a woman who gives away her last penny, and Jesus seems to commend her for it. If you haven’t done so, subscribe to recklessgrace.substack.com/ and receive not only this podcast but my weekly post. Free! Thanks for reading Tim Wright! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Mark 12:38-44 38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of...

The religious leaders set a trap for Jesus, one they hope will pit him either against the Jews or the Romans. But Jesus has a third option—one that can change everything. Mark 12:13-17 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere and show deference to no one, for you do not regard peopl...

After poking the Roman Empire with his parade into Jerusalem, Jesus now sets his sites on the religious power brokers and the source of power: the Temple. Mark 12:12-19 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it wa...

Holy Week begins in the Gospel of Mark as Jesus intentionally rides into Jerusalem in fulfillment of a prophecy from the Old Testament. The political overtones of his parade will set into motion the events of Holy Week. Mark 11:1-11 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead o...

Tim and Jon recently returned from Rwanda and share some of their impressions and stories. Thanks for reading Tim Wright! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

Mark wraps up this section of his Gospel—a section centered around Jesus’ stunning revelation that he will be a Messiah who suffers and dies—with a story about a blind man regaining his site. Not only does the story once again demonstrate the mission of Jesus to restore what has been lost, but it invites us to now see, as we move into Holy Week, who this Jesus really is. Mark 10:46-52 (NRSV) 46 Th...

Jesus encounters a rich man who has a heart for living the God-life. But Jesus invites him into a God-life that doesn’t quite fit his expectations. Mark 10:17-31 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the com...

As Jesus continues his journey to the cross he allow himself to be interrupted by some very special people-children-and points to them as the model of faith. Mark 10:13-16 People were bringing children to him in order that he might touch them, and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for...

We’re hearing GREAT a lot these days. But Jesus turns the concept on its head. Mark 9:30-37 30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32 But they did not understand w...

As Jesus moves closer to the cross, he has an amazing encounter with two heroes from his Jewish faith—Moses and Elijah. Embedded in this story are several insights for his followers 2000 years later. Mark 9:2-8 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling bri...

Jesus follows up his rebuke of Peter from last week by painting a picture of what it looks like to follow him. It has something to do with dying and crosses. Not the greatest incentives to join the Jesus movement. But Jesus, as is always the case with Jesus, has something life-changing in mind. Mark 8:34-38 34 He (Jesus) called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any wish to come af...

Last week Peter was the star of the show. The A student. He got the million dollar question correct. But in this week’s passage, he flunks the test… badly. Tim, Terey, and Jon look at how Jesus responds to him. Mark 8:31-33 31 Then he (Jesus) began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed and afte...

Jesus put the question to his disciples: Who do you say that I am? The question continues to challenge believers in 2025. Mark 8 27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But...

Similar to the story of the healing of the deaf man, Jesus heals a man who cannot see. Mark 8 22 They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?” 24 And the man looked up and said, “I...

The method Jesus uses to heal a hearing-impaired man is a bit of a head-scratcher. Mark 7 31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went by way of Sidon toward the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his f...

Tim, Terey, and Jon tackle a seemingly cranky Jesus story. Mark 7:24-30 24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a gentile, of Syrop...