The way of Jesus leads us to a deeper, fuller life. This was true in the ancient world where Jesus first lived and taught, and it’s still true today. But what does it mean to actually practice the way of Jesus in today’s complex, secular world? In this podcast, join John Mark Comer and other guides as they explore this important question through practical teachings and conversations. At Practicing the Way, we are here to help you journey to a deeper life with God.
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In this well known, but often missed-out-on story of Jesus walking on the water, we notice the writer Matthew’s key insights from Jesus’ life and teaching about becoming a “non-anxious presence” in a world caught in a vicious cycle of anxiety. We have faith and release control. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 14v22-36 This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Natalie from Hays, Kansas; Matthew from West Pymb...
Jesus warns and encourages his disciples about what will come as they live into his Kingdom mission. What would it look like to live as a disciple, free of all fear, fully alive to his power? Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 11v1-15 Resources from this teaching: This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to Jenna from Rossmoor, California; Amelia from Homestead, Pennsylvania; Leandra from Tomball, Texas; Jordan fr...
What do we do the Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount? Jesus ends his manifesto of life in the kingdom of the heavens, not with a pep talk or feel-good story, but with a warning about what happens when we don’t put his teachings into practice. John Mark argues that, in the “information” age, where things go in one ear and out the other, we need to be diligent to do what Jesus taught. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 7v24-29 Resources from this teaching: This podcast and its episodes are pa...
With so many voices claiming to be the truth, how do we discern what is from God and what isn't? John Mark examine's Jesus's warning to beware false prophets in the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus's three "tests" for who to believe. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 7v15-23 This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to Bryce from Austin, Texas; Brett from Mattoon, Illinois; Blake from Birmingham, Alabama; Gregory fro...
We all know the Golden Rule, but do we actually live by it? John Mark teaches on how this summary of the teachings of the Bible was familiar during the time of Jesus, but how Jesus makes it even more radical and powerful. He concludes by challenging us to actually try living by this rule and doing to others what we would have them do to us. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 7v12 This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episod...
Are you tired of trying to earn other's approval? John Mark looks at the first of Jesus's teachings of practicing righteousness before others to be noticed by them in Matthew chapter six. He encourages us to break free from the bondage of seeking the approval (or disapproval) of others by doing good works in secret in order to be rewarded not by others, but by our Father in Heaven. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 6v1-4 This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of mon...
Is it practical to love our enemy? John Mark exegetes from Jesus's final teaching in Matthew chapter five on enemy love. He challenges us to take this teaching seriously by showing historical and personal examples of Jesus's way bearing fruit, and encourages us to lean into our questions about this teaching with honestly before God and our communities. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 5v43-48 This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks ...
Is following Jesus really incompatible with violence? John Mark looks into Jesus's teaching about returning evil not with more evil but with good. He wraps up by acknowledging how many of us are resistant to Jesus's ideas on nonviolence, but encourages us to continue to follow and learn from Jesus and not let our conclusions become a source of disunity in the Body of Christ. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 5v38-42 Resource from this teaching (affiliate link): Fight, Preston Sprinkle This podcast ...
When Jesus recounts the Laws from the Torah, he doesn’t simply address the behavior, he gets to the heart of sin. John Mark explores Jesus's commandments surrounding lust and divorce and highlights how God's heart is for us to honor one another as brothers and sisters in our we see and interact with one another. He concluded by challenging us to repent for the ways that we have dishonored one another and to step forward into Jesus's plan for human flourishing. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 5v27...
Is anger wrong? John Mark looks at Jesus's teaching on anger in the Sermon on the Mount, and argues that Jesus is teaching us to guard against nursing a grudge, harboring resentment, and partnering with contempt. Instead, Jesus offers a way forward: reaching out in love and a spirit of reconciliation. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 5v21-26 This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to Anh from Dublin, Califor...
"The Bible is how the authority of Jesus is mediated to His apprentices." John Mark examines Jesus's teachings on the Scriptures in Matthew chapter five. He argues that Jesus not only views the Bible as trustworthy, authoritative, and good, but also sees Himself as the climax of the biblical narrative. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 5v17-20 Resources from this teaching: This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode g...
Most people think of the Beatitudes as virtues, but what if that's not at all what Jesus was saying? John Mark looks at some of the ancient context around Jesus's opening of the Sermon on the Mount and argues that Jesus is not telling us virtues to aim for, but offering blessing to the downtrodden of the world in the midst of their pain. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 5v1-10 This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s epis...
What can Jesus's origin story tell us about Him? John Mark explores Matthew's story of Jesus's conception and His calling to "save their people from their sins." He invites us to recognize where we need saving, healing, and rescue in our own lives. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 1v18-2v23 This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to Lisa from Jackson, Tennessee; Jonathon from Vancouver, Washington; Aimee fro...
"This genealogy isn't just a genealogy. It's an invitation to join the story of Jesus." John Mark explores the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew and uncovers for us the hidden treasures of meaning found in this often-overlooked section. Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 1v1-17, Matthew 13v51-52 This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to Jordan from Lutz, Florida; Sylvia from Friday Harbor, Washington; Tyle...
“What if there is a rich gift waiting for us in this new cultural moment of rising hostility?” John Mark discusses what it meant in the early church to be a witness and how that applies to how we share the Gospel. He argues that the call of Jesus isn't just to preach the good news, but it's also to become 'good news people.' Key Scripture Passage: 1 Peter 2v11-12 Resources for this practice: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/preaching-the-gospel This podcast and its episodes are pai...
How do we preach the Gospel in our cultural moment? John Mark examines Jesus’s practice of hospitality and how this practice can help us share the good news about Jesus with the lost and the least. Key Scripture Passages: Luke 19v1-10; Luke 7v33-50 Resources for this practice: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/preaching-the-gospel A Meal with Jesus, Tim Chester This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episo...
What does it even mean to be saved? John Mark looks at four common articulations of the Gospel, and unpacks what’s good about each of them, and how they might fall short of the Gospel Jesus preached. He concludes with some thoughts on how we can examine our own views of the Gospel with our communities. Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 19v16-30 Resources for this practices: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/preaching-the-gospel This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, ...
This episode explores why many modern Christians are hesitant to preach the gospel, delving into postmodern moral relativism and the historical baggage of evangelicalism and colonialism. It redefines the gospel through the lens of Jesus' own message: the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The discussion emphasizes that the gospel is a transformative announcement of God's active reign, not merely a ticket to heaven, calling for a deep personal reorientation and discipleship that leads to true healing and societal transformation.
"The more we have, the more we want." John Mark examines how our never-ending desire can lead to lives of discontentment and dissatisfaction, but how the practices of desiring less and generosity can help us practice simplicity and lay hold of Jesus’s promise of life to the full. Key Scripture Passage: 1 Timothy 6v2-19 Resources for this practice: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/simplicity This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. S...
“The mouth is the main thoroughfare of evil in human life.” – Dallas Willard Simplicity of speech is a disciplined attempt to bring our speech into alignment with Jesus' heart. John Mark dives into what the New Testament’s author say about the power of the tongue and our words. Through it, he encourages us to simplify what we say in order to ultimately bring more blessing into the world. Key Scripture Passages: Luke 6v43-45; Mark 12v13-17; Mark 15v1-5; James 3v1-12 Resources for this practice: h...
Simplicity is about choosing a deep life over a simple one, a life of focus rather than a life of distraction. John Mark talks about how we need to simplify around something, and how our heart and values are essential for this practice. He reminds us that, as followers of Jesus, we are called to make Him the center of our lives, in the various ways that plays out for each of us. Key Scripture Passages: Luke 12v22-31 Resources for this practice: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/simp...
Most of us don’t really believe that less money, stuff, or activities is actually the way to a better life. But Jesus’s teachings tell us that life doesn’t consist of our possessions. John Mark introduces the practice of simplicity, also called minimalism, by reviewing Jesus’s teachings on money and discussing how simplicity can lead to a better, happier life. Key Scripture Passages: Luke 12v13-21, Matthew 19v23-24, 1 Timothy 6v6-10, Hebrews 13v5 Resources for this practice: https://practicingth...
Why should I so what the Bible says? Authority is a negative word in our individualistic culture, making the idea of Scriptural authority feel scary for some of us. John Mark challenges us to approach the Bible as Jesus did: with trust and obedience. Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 3v1-7; Matthew 4v1-11 Resources: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/scripture Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Craig Keener & John Walton This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our ...
Why do authoritarian governments often ban the Bible? John Mark talks about the how the library of Scripture is an alternative story: one that points to Jesus as the center of reality. He challenges us to let this story shape our lives and engage with these writings, even through its confusing, difficult, or challenging aspects. Key Scripture Passage: Luke 4v14-22 Resources for this practice: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/scripture This podcast and its episodes are paid for by T...
How did Jesus view the Scriptures? In contrast to how many people view the Bible today, either as an ordinary human text or as “golden tablets” from Heaven, John Mark explores how Jesus thought, taught, and talked about the Scriptures. Through that, John Mark shows us that our approach to the Bible matters and encourages us to adopt a posture of surrender as we read. Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 5v17-20; Mark 12v18-27; John 5v39-46; 2 Timothy 3v14-17 Resources for this practice: https://pract...
If the Bible tells us to "rejoice always", how do we do it? John Mark walks through how to experience more joy. Since we can’t “will” ourselves to joy, he offers us practices based in the Scriptures that allow us to cultivate happiness and celebration in our everyday lives. Key Scripture Passage: Philippians 4v4-9 Resources for this practice https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/unhurry Path of Life, Rick Howe ( https://amzn.to/3ERlngB )...
How do we experience more joy in our everyday lives? John Mark talks about how the common human desire to be happy isn’t the problem, but that we’re searching for joy in the wrong places. He encourages us to examine what beliefs might be blocking us from experiencing the joy that Jesus offered to all who follow Him. Key Scripture Passages: Luke 1v39-45; Luke 2v8-11; Luke 4v14-21; Luke 10v17-21; Resources for this practice: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/unhurry...
Do you have margin in your life? In the digital age, it’s easy to operate outside our emotional and spiritual limit and undermine our formation into people of love. John Mark reminds us of the importance of margin in our lives and how the practice of simplicity can help us live within our limits. Key Scripture Passages: Genesis 1v26-2v8, Genesis 3v1-7 Resources for this practice: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/unhurry...
What if the greatest threat to faith today is not hedonism, but distraction? John Mark discusses the importance of making time for silence and solitude in our rule of life, and the benefits of quiet in our spiritual walk: helping us accept reality, experiencing God’s love, yielding to God’s will, hearing God’s voice, and ultimately becoming people of love. Key Scripture Passage: Luke 5v15, Matthew 6v5-6 Resources for this practice: https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/unhurry...
“If your rule of life does not find a way to ruthlessly eliminate digital distraction, it will likely fail.” Is distraction undermining our spiritual life? John Mark makes a case for a rule of life that accounts for our society of digital distraction by highlighting how our technology can be unhealthy for us. He also offers some guidance on shaping your rule of life to avert digital distraction and help orient your life towards becoming a person of love. Key Scripture Passage: Psalm 16 Resources...
