Spark Cast

Parables are told so our ears and hearts are exposed to the teachings. The teachings are given so we understand deeper realities. And understanding deeper realities opens us to the possibility of life, and, in the words of Jesus, "life abundant!" But all of that depends upon the soil in which the teachings are planted.

Jesus' parables paint pictures of what the world is, what it should be and how we are to live in it. When the world tries to divide us, the way of Jesus is clear, we are to love ALL of our neighbors. Jesus' teaching on the Good Samaritan is one of the most brilliant of Jesus' parables and goes well beyond just helping someone along the road.

We launch our new series, discovering anew Jesus' parables and how they speak to us today.

We've been asking the question, "Who do the Gospel writers say Jesus is?" From Son of Adam, to Son of David, to a prophet like Moses and Elijah, to Friend & Savior, we've explored these themes in depth. We conclude our series and look closely at the Gospel's declaration that Jesus is LORD.

Watch Dr. Tisby's talk here: https://youtu.be/5wxU540vSvA Watch Dr. Tisby's Q&R Conversational Interview here: https://youtu.be/1PHhY89HMIM The Spirit of Justice uncovers the enduring power of faith and resistance in the fight for racial equality. Brave individuals throughout American history stood against racial injustice, and major movements were inspired and upheld by a deep and profound faith....

Watch Dr. Tisby's talk here: https://youtu.be/5wxU540vSvA Watch Dr. Tisby's Q&R Conversational Interview here: https://youtu.be/1PHhY89HMIM The Spirit of Justice uncovers the enduring power of faith and resistance in the fight for racial equality. Brave individuals throughout American history stood against racial injustice, and major movements were inspired and upheld by a deep and profound faith....

When John the Baptist announces the launch of his cousin Jesus’ ministry, he introduces Jesus as, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” How does that work? In what way does Jesus being ‘God’s lamb’ translate into forgiveness of our sins? From the beginning, the Church has embraced the joys and pains that come from grappling with that question, the navigation of our “theories of a...

Often we consider what Jesus taught without considering who he was teaching and why he taught that way. This Sunday Pastor Mark will help us delve into the brilliance of HOW Jesus taught, which may speak to how we are to interact with those around us.

Prophetic speaking is frequently a telling of hard truths.

Rulers, thrones, and authorities. These are the governance structures that have guided humanity for thousands of years. To be "king," to this day means to be "in charge" to "reign" and to exude power. As with other titles, the gospel writers indicate that Jesus is coronated as king. However, yet again Jesus upends the definition of that term and provokes a radical view, power exemplified in servic...

Abraham is called a friend of God. Jesus calls us friends. He even calls his enemies friends. So, what does being a "friend" of God mean, that Jesus is our "friend?"

In the earliest years of our lives, we learn that part of being human means possessing deep longings. One of the deepest longings anyone can ever know is this longing for healing. The story of Jesus healing a bleeding woman is a story of healing and a restoring of her dignity as a daughter of Israel.

Throughout the Gospels, the prophet Elijah is a constant in the background. Who was this prophet? Why did he hold such a prominent place in the memory and culture in first-century Israel? And why did people compare Jesus to him?

The depth of meaning behind the term "logos" used to describe Jesus is vast. Philosophers used this term to describe a host of ideas from "order" to "divine force." The Hebrews had a similar concept in their literature to describe "wisdom" and the creative activity of their God. In Jesus, these two ideas come together and uplifts both our senses and our soul.

The gospel writers draw direct parallels between Jesus and Moses. These allusions lead us to consider the character, life, and legacy of Moses as part of what we are to think of and believe about Jesus. So, when we think of Moses, what do we think of? What is the storyline do we tell? Ancient sources give us clues as to the meaning and lessons the first-century believers understood in this compari...

At the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River the heavens open up and we hear declared, "This is my Son, whom I love, with whom I am well pleased."

Each Gospel writer takes great strides to share who Jesus is. Luke traces Jesus' roots back to Adam, the son of God.

First, sparkers participate in a powerful demonstration of how the Spirit spoke to and through the first disciples, and disciples from all over the world ever since. Second, about fifty days after the first disciples witnessed the empty tomb, they gathered together for the Jewish Feast of Weeks. The Spirit of God empowered the disciples to share the good news with those who had traveled from many...

The New Testament tells of a world constantly in the shadow of Rome. The life and teachings of Jesus and the early church were a rigid dichotomy to a world defined by allegiance to the emperor, the empire, the power and supremacy of Rome. There are those today attempting to hijack Christianity as a prop in their pursuit of nationalism, supremacy and power. But the teachings of Jesus have already m...

Reading ancient texts to inform our present spirituality is a somewhat strange activity, at least according to modern sensibilities. As with many of our practices, there are excellent reasons to do this, but there are also many bad examples of misuse. How do we flourish in this tradition in powerful and transformative ways without misuse, misapplication, exploitation, or even abuse at the hands of...

Paul concludes his letter with a bold appeal to his Jewish and Gentile readers that belonging to Jesus means belonging to each other, which means sacrificing ourselves for the good of the other, with our money, time, and effort.

The Roman Empire believed it was living in a time of peace, something they called Pax Romana. But Paul and the followers of Jesus knew differently. They knew the Roman sword was not idle. And yet, Paul encouraged the Jews and the Gentiles to be a people of love and demonstrate to Rome a peace that passes all understanding.

In Romans 12, the Apostle Paul instructs the community of believers on how to offer up themselves as living sacrifices, and these instructions are not for the faint of heart. Loving our enemies is a very difficult command, to say the least.

Paul's beautiful exhortation in Romans 12 is to offer ourselves up as living sacrifices, set apart for God's perfect will.