Spark Cast

This teaching's passage is the same passage studied by the 9 church members of The Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina before they were murdered. We stand in solidarity with them, their families, and their congregation, and continue to work diligently to exemplify the Good Earth, that is God's Earth.

Spark advisory board member, father, husband, and entrepreneur shares from his heart the lessons he has learned about what the stories in the Bible mean for him everyday. "Trusting in God is not the same thing as optimism."

Pastor Mark & Stacy share together the beautiful and wonderful power of "hesed," the lovingkindness of God.

Through the book of Hosea, we see that this prophet’s life is not just a lesson, but a picture of a God who is in pursuit of us as a loving parent. And with a quiet roar of love, God is calling us back home.

The Jethro Principle of Exodus 18 is often about delegation, and time management. However, upon closer inspection, juxtaposed to the governing systems of Egypt and Mesopotamia, we see something significant take place regarding the foundations of governance that will set the course for governments in Israel and other nations to come.

The attack of the Amalekites on the Israelites in the desert poses some challenges for the reader. Why would God allow this? Yet, there are other perspectives with which to see this story, and some powerful conclusions we can draw. Joining this week for the teach is our friend, Rabbi Ari Cartun, sharing insights and lessons along the way.

We all complain. Do we all complain about not having water and dying in the desert? Those seem like legitimate complaints. So, why is this episode looked down upon as a low point in Israelite history. Perhaps because their complaining is more about their loss of identity and relationship with YHWH.

So, what is it? Literally, that manna is "What is it?" In Exodus 16, we do not get a name for this flaky white substance. What we do get is the understanding that it is "bread" from heaven. What we will discover is that this word has rich meaning and significance for the narrative of the story, and what YHWH is communicating to us.

The song that is sung after the parting of the Sea of Reeds is perplexing. But there is a clue, and a connection found in the description of Miriam's song at the end. They both resonate with similar themes and together they exhort us to exemplify the same kind of faith, the faith that stands and sees what God is going to do.

The true miracle at sea is not the parting of the waters, but rather, the birth of a nation. The Exodus imagery, throughout its narrative, is telling a story of Israel is being born again. And this kind of new birth is, for all of us who have experienced the compromise of life, a welcome and celebrated new beginning.

The death of the first born son. In the words of a child, "unfair." What is going on in this last plague, the culmination of the ten? In this message, Pastor Mark shares his insights and personal stories that helps us navigate this challenging plague.

The plagues of Exodus are seen as miracles, judgment, and as a denouncement of the gods of Egypt, including Pharaoh. In addition, the plagues are telling the deeper story that began in Genesis. While Pharaoh's hardness of heart brought about an undoing of God's good creation, corrupt powers of this world do not have the last word. The goodness and justice of God does.

As we enter the section of Exodus that introduces the plagues, we are challenged with the idea that these are not actually "miracles" that necessarily prove God's power. No doubt miracles occur. But these plagues are described in the Bible, not as miracles, but as "signs & wonders," and "acts of judgment." And the reason is profound, for the first act of liberation is not freedom from oppression,...

The Resurrection of Jesus, the most significant event in Christianity, and the most important event in history is about more than the supernatural and miraculous. It is about diverse worlds coming together in one unified existence and reality, old and new, death and life, mind and heart, data and meaning. And as the resurrection brings all of these together, we see just a glimpse of what it means...

We all have expectations. What we think, hope, and presuppose will meet our predictions. But the expectations the people had of Jesus on this day, Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate Jesus's entry into Jerusalem, left Jesus in tears. In this message we discover why, and how Jesus defied those expectations.

All of us have had the "wind knocked out of us," through tragedy, disappointment, or failure. All of us have desired to stand before God and cry out, "Why?!" Not only do the Scriptures permit this, but it is encouraged. And as we cry out to God, we hear back from his reply, "I will free you, deliver you, redeem you, and take you."

In chapter 5, we get a glimpse into the actions and behaviors of Pharaoh. Through this study, we see not only that Pharaoh was a bad leader, but how he exemplifies a human tendency that lives within us all. Our encouragement? Hold up a mirror, and look deeply into how we can respond and be responsible to bring hope and redemption rather than perpetuating hurt and dysfunction.

The enigmatic passage of Exodus 4, with Zipporah and the flint stone immediately causes questions to emerge. Unfortunately, there's a lot we don't really know about this passage. What is helpful, then, is to lean in to what we do know. And, what we should know, is that this passage is brilliant commentary on our personal and private lives and the impact that has in the public sphere. "Here's my he...

In the midst of Moses's call, there is Moses's objections. How God responds shows us how irrelevant our objections are to the purposes and plans that God has for us. Setting aside those insecurities, which is often a focus on self, is one of the brilliant lessons of this passage.

"I will be who I will be." This is the declaration of God to Moses's inquiry, "Who shall I say sent me?" Much has been written and considered regarding the Divine Name. In this message, we try to consider what this phrase, "I will be who I will be," may mean and imply for a God that lives and moves throughout history, to this very day.

The iconic image of the "burning bush" in Exodus 3 invokes a host of imaginative hollywood graphics. Yet, the story is much more than divine theatrics. It is illustrating the character development of Moses and of God. The real miracle is not in the burning bush, but in Moses, who stops, and pauses for quite sometime to see this strange sight. What does he see? The presence of God in the middle of...

The Israelites, in their bondage, cry out. What is amazing about this passage in Exodus 2, is that for every outcry of suffering, God responds with hearing, remembering, seeing, and knowing. We all need a God like this, a God who runs to us, as a parent to a child, in their time of need, hurt, pain, and suffering.

Moses is a Hebrew, adopted into an Egyptian household. Yet, these do not formulate the most important aspect of his identity. The text, through the telling of Moses's intervention in three conflicts, illustrates that the primary identity of Moses is one who cannot stand injustice. It is this identity that positions Moses to be the "hero" of Israel. Yet, even though this identity is true, Moses doe...

Chapter 2 of Exodus introduces us to the dramatic unfolding of hints, clues, and allusions to coming events. Perhaps the most tragic is Pharaoh's actions, and that he receives exactly what he asks for, just not in the ways he expects. For the Exodus story, the opposite of that tragedy is not getting what we want, or receiving blessing, it is being saved from those desires in the first place.

Seldom do we pay attention to the seemingly insignificant details of the Biblical narrative. Yet, we should. There would not be a Moses story without a whole host of "minor characters," and there would not be the movements of justice today without each and every one of us playing our small part. Let us together celebrate the Bible's mentioning of Shiphrah and Puah, and be inspired to live in obedi...