Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer

Latest Episodes:

Teaching | Church Around a Table | Eating and Drinking E03 May 27, 2022

Show notes

What does hospitality in the church have to do with architecture? John Mark explores the story of this practice in Church history: throughout the New Testament, we see followers of Jesus gathering in homes around a table and a meal. But as the church changed, so did their meeting place, which impacted the practice of eating and drinking in fellowship. John Mark encourages us to recapture this practice of breaking bread together and gives us practical ways to get started.

Key Scripture Passages: John 13v1-17; Acts 2v42-47; Romans 16v3-5; Colossians 4v15; Philemon 1-2; Galatians 6v9

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

From Tablet to Table, Leonard Sweet

Community and Growth, Jean Vanier

Teaching | Neighboring | Eating and Drinking E02 May 20, 2022

Show notes

What if, when Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself, he meant your actual neighbor? John Mark teaches on Jesus's command to love our neighbors as ourselves and the parable of the Good Samaritan. Then he explains the history of hospitality and finishes by walking through exercises to help us begin our journey with this practice.

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 10v25-37

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

The Gospel Comes with a House Key, Rosaria Butterfield

Teaching | Radically Ordinary Hospitality | Eating and Drinking E01 May 13, 2022

Show notes

How can we practically love others and reach the lost in a post-Christian culture? In this teaching, John Mark looks at Jesus's habit of eating and drinking with the societal outcasts of his culture through the Gospel of Luke. Then he explores the biblical commands to practice hospitality in the New Testament letters. Finally, John Mark gives practical and spiritual guidance for how we can apply this practice to love and build relationships with the lost.

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 19v1-10; Luke 7v33-50; Romans 12v13; 1 Peter 4v8-10; Hebrews 13v1-2

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/eating-drinking

The Gospel Comes with a House Key, Rosaria Butterfield

Teaching | Transform or Transmit | Forgiving As We Have Been Forgiven E01 May 06, 2022

Show notes

"The question isn't, 'How do you get through life without being hurt?' Not gonna happen. The question is, 'When you are hurt, how do you deal with it?'"

When we forgive, we first need to release the person who hurt us. But our journey doesn’t end there. We also need to learn to forgive ourselves, the unfairness of life, and finally, learn to release the feelings of anger that we have toward God. This week, John Mark challenges us to address our hurt and provides guidance for us to walk in forgiveness.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 18v21-35; Luke 23v32-34; Ephesians 4v30-32

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/forgiving

Sacred Fire, Ronald Rolheiser

Teaching | To Pray | Fasting E02 Apr 29, 2022

Show notes

Do you ever feel stuck in prayer? As if there is a wall between you and heaven? In this teaching, John Mark shows us different ways that fasting can be used in combination with prayer. Using examples from the Scriptures, he shows us five different ways that people fast and pray: to repent, to grieve, to cry out to God in a crisis, to ask God to relent, and to know God's mind when making decisions. John Mark concludes by reminding us that this practice, like all the practices, is about building our relationship with God, and encourages us to keep pressing in even when it's hard.

Key Scripture Passages: Acts 13v1; 1 Samuel 7v3-6; 1 Kings 21v27-28; Leviticus 23v26-32; 1 Samuel 31v11-13; Nehemiah 1v2-4; 2 Chronicles 20v1-12; Jonah 3v1-10; Joel 2v12-14

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fasting

God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

Teaching | To Starve the Flesh and Feed the Spirit | Fasting E01 Apr 22, 2022

Show notes

Why should you fast? In modern society, fasting as a spiritual practice is almost unheard of, even among Christians. So why does Jesus assume that his followers will fast? (Matthew 6:16-18; 9:15-16). In this teaching, John Mark discusses the what and the why behind fasting. First, he shows that fasting helps us break free from "slavery" to food, feeds our flesh and starves the spirit, and allows us to "pray" with our bodies. Then he outlines what fasting is and what it isn't and what that means for us as we press into this practice from the way of Jesus.

Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 2v4-7; Genesis 3v1-6; Matthew 4v1-4; John 4v7-30; Matthew 6v16-18; Galatians 5v13-25

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/fasting

Teaching | Dreams: Different, Harder, Longer, Better | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E06 Apr 15, 2022

Show notes

Our God-given dreams are how God leads us and guides us into our identity and calling, to be who God made us, and to do what God made us to do. But dreams can be difficult to live with because there is always a gap between the dream and its fulfillment. In this teaching, John Mark lays out a theology of biblical dreams by exploring the story of Joseph. Through it, John Mark shows that God's fulfillment of our dreams is different, harder, longer, but also better than we can imagine. By remaining faithful to how God is calling us to live in the here and now, we can live with boldness and conviction in the identity and calling that God has for us.

Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 37v2 - Genesis 45v8; Philippians 4v11-13

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and -calling

How We Change: Intentional Spiritual Formation | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E5 Apr 08, 2022

Show notes

We are all being formed into someone. For us, as apprentices of Jesus, how do we become more like Him? In this teaching, John Mark tells us that our apprenticeship to Jesus needs to be stronger than the stories we believe, our habits, our relationships, and our environment. Then he lays out how teaching, practice, community, and the Holy Spirit can help us counter these influences. John Mark closes by equipping us with tools and practices to help us be intentional in our spiritual formation with the goal of becoming more like Jesus.

Key Scripture Passages: Luke 6v39-40; Romans 12v2; Matthew 5-7

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and-calling

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

The Cost of Discipleship by Diedrich Bonhoeffer

Teaching | How We Change: Unintentional Spiritual Formation | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E04 Apr 01, 2022

Show notes

We are all being shaped. The question is, what is shaping you? This week, John Mark challenges us with this question as he unpacks how our beliefs, habits, relationships, and experiences all shape the person that we are. Rather than passively let these influences shape us, we are called, as apprentices of Jesus, to be intentional with our beliefs, habits, relationships, and experiences as we seek to curate our lives to grow in our love for Jesus.

Key Scripture Passages: Ephesians 4v1-24; Galatians 4v19; Proverbs 4v23

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and-calling

Teaching | Calling: The Inward Journey | Discovering Your Identity and Calling E03 Mar 25, 2022

Show notes

In the journey to discover your identity and calling, a transformation from who you are now to who you are becoming in Christ needs to take place. During that "inward journey," you have to come face-to-face with your sin. In this teaching, John Mark gives insight into how to navigate this journey. First, he walks us through the "layers of sin" and shows us how to address our sins at their roots. Then, he equips us with some tools to help us face our sin, including a short teaching on the Enneagram. And finally, John Mark reminds us that we can't do it on our own: we need the salvation that only Jesus can offer.

Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 4v18-22; Matthew 9v9-13

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/identity-and-calling

The Road Back to You, Suzanne Collins

Invitation to a Journey, Robert Mulholland

The Road to Character, David Brooks

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