The Practice Podcast

This is the start of a recurring series, in which we will be walking in the story of Scripture. As we slowly and reflectively walk through the story, we hope to experience scripture in a fresh way. We want to develop eyes to see the intricate work of God in creation and encounter our wonderful God as we walk with the story. This week, we start at the beginning in Genesis one. Dr. John Walton will...

We don't often think of study as a spiritual practice, but it can be. Seeing study as a spiritual practice helps us to move beyond acquiring or accumulating knowledge so that what we learn leads us to wonder and worship. This week, our good friend, Carolyn Arends, encouraged us to see study and contemplation as 'fraternal twins.' Each is incredibly important, but they are much better together.  Fo...

We don't often think of study as a spiritual practice, but it can be. Seeing study as a spiritual practice helps us to move beyond acquiring or accumulating knowledge so that what we learn leads us to wonder and worship. This week, Eric Case encouraged us to recognize truth is not an axiom, but a person. How will we respond to truth, when Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." For so...

This week, we took time to explore the vision of The Practice Church. Many of us have been formed by our church expereinces to believe a vision should focus on big impact and influence, but what if God is inviting us to something simpler and much more important? For some additional resources, please visit our website . If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider...

The season of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation. We prepare our lives to receive God: in the reality of the incarnation, in this present moment, and in the age to come. In our Advent series, we will explore how God comes into the lives of various people in the story, and we will prepare ourselves to encounter God in similar ways in our lives today. This week, we examined the shepher...

The season of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation. We prepare our lives to receive God: in the reality of the incarnation, in this present moment, and in the age to come. In our Advent series, we will explore how God comes into the lives of various people in the story, and we will prepare ourselves to encounter God in similar ways in our lives today. I am really excited about how this...

The season of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation. We prepare our lives to receive God: in the reality of the incarnation, in this present moment, and in the age to come. In our Advent series, we will explore how God comes into the lives of various people in the story, and we will prepare ourselves to encounter God in similar ways in our lives today. I am really excited about how this...

The season of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation. We prepare our lives to receive God: in the reality of the incarnation, in this present moment, and in the age to come. In our Advent series, we will explore how God comes into the lives of various people in the story, and we will prepare ourselves to encounter God in similar ways in our lives today. I am really excited about how this...

This guided practice was a part of our gathering  on 11.20.22. In this gathering, we seek to cultuvate a conversational intimacy with God through silence and listening prayer. A tax-deductible gift can be given to The Practice Church at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/   

Cultivating a conversational intimacy with Jesus is essential in our desire to be formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world. And yet, many in the church today are convinced that either God doesn't speak to them, or they cannot hear God. Our prayer for this series is for each of us to have a greater sense of how we most often hear God so we might grow into a deeper life with God. W...

Cultivating a conversational intimacy with Jesus is essential in our desire to be formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world. And yet, many in the church today are convinced that either God doesn't speak to them, or they cannot hear God. Our prayer for this series is for each of us to have a greater sense of how we most often hear God so we might grow into a deeper life with God. W...

This guided practice was a part of our gathering  on 11.6.22. In this gathering, we seek to cultuvate a conversational intimacy with God through silence and listening prayer. A tax-deductible gift can be given to The Practice Church at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/   

Cultivating a conversational intimacy with Jesus is essential in our desire to be formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world. And yet, many in the church today are convinced that either God doesn't speak to them, or they cannot hear God. Our prayer for this series is for each of us to have a greater sense of how we most often hear God so we might grow into a deeper life with God. W...

In a culture dominated by busyness, the Christian practice of Sabbath cultivates an important and counter-cultural rhythm orienting our whole lives around the presence and kingdom of God. A Sabbath rhythm is woven into the fabric of creation and creates space for connecting with God, ourselves, and one another. When we intentionally rest from work, productivity, and striving, we open ourselves to...

In a culture dominated by busyness, the Christian practice of Sabbath cultivates an important and counter-cultural rhythm orienting our whole lives around the presence and kingdom of God. A Sabbath rhythm is woven into the fabric of creation and creates space for connecting with God, ourselves, and one another. When we intentionally rest from work, productivity, and striving, we open ourselves to...

In a culture dominated by busyness, the Christian practice of Sabbath cultivates an important and counter-cultural rhythm orienting our whole lives around the presence and kingdom of God. A Sabbath rhythm is woven into the fabric of creation and creates space for connecting with God, ourselves, and one another. When we intentionally rest from work, productivity, and striving, we open ourselves to...

In our culture, we are being shaped by our political engagement. We are tempted to find our identity in our political affiliation. We view those on the other side with contempt. We form opinions based on memes and talking heads rather than prayer and discernment. We give in to the way of power and control rather than the Christlike way of surrender and self-emptying love. But what if there is anot...

In our culture, we are being shaped by our political engagement. We are tempted to find our identity in our political affiliation. We view those on the other side with contempt. We form opinions based on memes and talking heads rather than prayer and discernment. We give in to the way of power and control rather than the Christlike way of surrender and self-emptying love. But what if there is anot...

This guided practice was a part of our gathering  on 9.4.22. In our culture, we are being shaped by our political engagement. We are tempted to find our identity in our political affiliation. We view those on the other side with contempt. We form opinions based on memes and talking heads rather than prayer and discernment. We give in to the way of power and control rather than the Christlike way o...

In our culture, we are being shaped by our political engagement. We are tempted to find our identity in our political affiliation. We view those on the other side with contempt. We form opinions based on memes and talking heads rather than prayer and discernment. We give in to the way of power and control rather than the Christlike way of surrender and self-emptying love. But what if there is anot...

Being loved by God is the foundation of our identity and the starting point of everything we do. That is why this summer we are soaking, resting, playing, and even breathing in God's incredible, personal love for us.  This week, we turned our attention outward. Our formation is always for the sake of the world. We live into our belovedness so that we might share God's love with the world around us...

This guided practice was a part of our gathering  on 8.14.22. In this gathering, we stepped into a practice from Curt Thompson's book, Anatomy of the Soul. This practice of being known helps us hold the gaze of God and live into our belovedness. A tax-deductible gift can be given to The Practice Church at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/   

Being loved by God is the foundation of our identity and the starting point of everything we do. That is why this summer we are soaking, resting, playing, and even breathing in God's incredible, personal love for us.  This week, we stepped into a practice from Curt Thompson's book, Anatomy of the Soul. This practice of being known helps us hold the gaze of God and live into our belovedness. If The...

This guided practice was a part of our gathering  on 7.17.22. In this gathering, we stepped into a time of extended practice of imaginative prayer. Beginning in Genesis 16, we placed ourselves in the presence of the One Hagar named "the God who sees me." How might we grow into a deeper attachment to God if we experience God as the One who sees us? A tax-deductible gift can be given to The Practice...

Being loved by God is the foundation of our identity and the starting point of everything we do. That is why this summer we are soaking, resting, playing, and even breathing in God's incredible, personal love for us.  This week, we stepped into a time of extended practice of imaginative prayer. Beginning in Genesis 16, we placed ourselves in the presence of the One Hagar named "the God who sees me...