Hometown Boy For the session to be discussed on January 24, 2016 Luke 4:14-21 In this episode we take a look at Jesus' return to his hometown, where he reads scripture and preaches in the synagogue. What must it have been like for him and those who saw him grow up to...

Signs of Abundance For the session to be discussed on January 17, 2016 John 2:1-11 We have a lot of fun discussing this familiar passage from John, where Jesus performs his first miracle — turning the water into wine at a wedding feast. What can we learn about the...

Obedience or Identity? For the session to be discussed on January 10, 2016 Luke 3:15-22 Our focus this week is the baptism of Jesus and the meaning of our baptisms. Why was Jesus baptized? What do our baptisms have to do with identity? Several stories are shared as we...

Creatively Redemptive For the session to be discussed on January 3, 2016 Psalm 147:12-20 Do we think of God as creative? As an artist? What does it mean to see God as creatively at work healing and redeeming our world? On this Podcast: Nikki Hardeman David Cassady...

Presence of Christ For the session to be discussed on December 27, 2015 1 Samuel 2:18-26 In this episode, we look at the contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons, wondering what led them to be so different. How might Eli's experience with his own sons have shaped how he...

A Simple Time For the session to be discussed on December 20, 2015 Micah 5:2-5a In this episode, we look at a text from Micah written some 700+ years before the birth of Jesus, yet where a birth in Bethlehem is prophesied. The description of the darkness, corruption...

Rejoice? For the session to be discussed on December 13, 2015 Zephaniah 3:14-20 In this episode, we take a look at the meaning of the Advent candles, and why this text appears for the Sunday of Advent focused on joy. Do we hear joy in God's voice? If God was to sing...

One Heck of a Baby Announcement For the session to be discussed on December 6, 2015 Luke 1:68-79 In this episode, we take at the birth announcement of John the Baptist, and along the way take a look at fear and hope, darkness and light. Why do the angels often begin...

The "Not Yet" Time For the session to be discussed on November 29, 2015 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 The first Sunday of Advent finds us talking about hope and waiting. Where do we find ourselves waiting? Where are we tired of waiting? What does it mean to wait with hope?...

David's Last Words For the session to be discussed on November 22, 2015 2 Samuel 23:1-7 In this episode we take a look at a passage that offers the last words of King David. We discuss the glowing account it offers, and consider how even modern leaders tend to provide...

Hannah's Anchor For the session to be discussed on November 15, 2015 1 Samuel 1:1-28 In this episode we encounter the story of Hannah as she is tormented in many ways because she does not have a child. We discuss the treatment of childless women in ancient Israel, as...

For the session to be discussed on November 8, 2015 Ruth 3:1-4:21 Rabbi Seth Oppenheimer again joins us as a featured guest to help us discuss the last two chapters of the book of Ruth. We talk about the ways these women were strong and showed real initiative in...

For the session to be discussed on November 1, 2015 Ruth 1:1-2:23 Rabbi Seth Oppenheimer joins us as a featured guest to help us discuss the first two chapters of the book of Ruth. We talk about the expectations of Ruth and Naomi's time, and how they affected the...

For the session to be discussed on October 25, 2015 Mark 10:46-52 The experience of Jesus and the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, leads to a discussion of the ways we can be "blind" to the very things we need most. Are we able to speak up, as Bartimaeus does, and cry for...

For the session to be discussed on October 18, 2015 Mark 10:32-45 This week we discuss the how well we "get it" (or not) that Christian discipleship is one that leads to service rather than to power. What does it mean to say the last will be first? The team discusses...

For the session to be discussed on October 11, 2015 Mark 10:17-31 Jesus tells a young man who asks about eternal life, "...go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." The team takes a hard look at this passage that —...

For the session to be discussed on October 4, 2015 Mark 10:1-16 What is this passage really about? Divorce? marriage? power? The team discusses the kinds of abuses that could occur in the culture of the 1st Century, where women and children had very little ability to...

For the session to be discussed on September 27, 2015 James 5:13-20 Does prayer really work? How should we pray? The team discusses the ways we often approach prayer, and how prayer within a congregation can affect the health of the relationships between members. Rev....