Camino Church Lessons

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-12)

In this week’s episode, Pastor Steve invites back Pastor Rusty Price, CEO and Founder of Camino. The pair discusses the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, their friendship and what it’s like to serve as Pastors and work for a nonprofit.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenant follows the story of a landowner who rents his land to tenants. Once it was time to pay rent, the landowner sent his servants to collect rent and reap the harvest. But when they arrived, they were beaten, driven away and some even killed. The landowner then sent his only son, and he was killed as well.

This parable was taught to Jewish religious leaders who disputed Jesus and his ministry. Jesus taught that the leaders (tenants) were denying the truth (servants) and therefore, turning their hearts against God (the landowner) and his beloved son (the son).

The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the story of a father that has two sons. The younger son asks his father for his inheritance early, then leaves his family and squanders the fortune on an extravagant lifestyle in another country. He returns home empty-handed, expecting his father to be upset with him for his recklessness. However, upon the son’s arrival, the father welcomes him back with open arms and rejoices.

This narrative is interpreted as a teaching about reconciliation and reflects the mercy of God. No matter how bad a person or situation may have been, God will always welcome His children back with open arms, rejoicing.

This Parable is the final parable in the Loss and Redemption Parables collection, following the Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15: 1-7) and the Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10)

Pastor Steve begins the episode by explaining how important interpretation of the parables is. It is important to read with an open mind. If we want to understand Jesus’ intent of the parable, we have to put ourselves in the shoes of first century palestinians.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep is the story of a shepherd losing one of his 100 sheep. The shepherd leaves behind the 99 and searches far and wide for his lost sheep. Upon finding the lost sheep, he rejoices. This parable is a metaphor for how God will always seek the lost one, or the sinner, who is led astray.

The Parable of the Lost Coin is the story of a woman losing one of her ten coins. Often in this time, coins were given as gifts to women, so coins not only have monetary value, but hold sentimental value too. This story is a reflection of how God sees every person as valuable. If someone walks away from Him, he is saddened and long awaits for them rejoin him. Once they do, He is overjoyed and thankful that they are home.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

Today, Pastor Steve invites Camino’s own Cassandra O’Neal. She serves as Camino Church’s Minister of Ministries and is known for her role as worship leader at Camino Church. During the week, she works as an instructional designer at Camino University, where she develops online training for staff, the church’s congregation and beyond. On top of that, Cassandra is an international recording artist, actress and author. Wow, Pastor Steve really should have rolled out the red carpet for this one.

The pair discusses the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds by examining what it means to sow good seeds and bad, as well as waiting to reap the crop of the harvest. They compare the parable to today’s culture and uncover some hard truths.

You don’t want to miss this!

Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13: 1-23)

The Parable of the Sower may seem like an account of poor farming practices, however, the significance of this parable is much deeper. As Pastor Steve outlines in this episode, the sower spreading seeds is a metaphor for God spreading his message. Although some seeds may fall onto the path or into the thorn bushes, this parable reveals that it is not only the responsibility of the seed to grow. It is equally important for the soil to nurture the seed. The same is true for Christians. God may speak to us, but nonetheless, our faith and dedication to Him must be nurtured. We have to actively allow the word of God to sink in deeply and surround ourselves with a community of other believers to grow with.

This parable is a part of the Kingdom of Heaven Parables. This collection speaks specifically on what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, how to find it, and how the Kingdom grows. Other parables to note in this category are “The Wheat and the Weeds” (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43), which we’ll cover in the next episode, “The Hidden Treasure” (Matt. 13:44), “The Pearl” (Matt. 13:45-46), “The Growing Seed” (Mark 4:26-29), “The Leaven” (Matt. 13:33, Luke 13:30-21).

In the first episode of the Parables of Jesus series, Pastor Steve will outline the season and then begin to explain what a parable is. He’ll explore why parables are used in the bible, how to read them and how they’re used as extended metaphors. We’ll also take a look at the characteristics of parables and how to interpret them.

Settle in and grab a pen and paper; this episode is full of background information to launch us into this exciting new series on the Parables of Jesus. Stay tuned for an episode every week with familiar guests and new ones too!

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Welcome back to Camino Church Lessons! In this teaser episode, Pastor Steve introduces our next series: Lessons on the Parables of Jesus. The first episode will premiere on Monday, June 28. During this season, Pastor Steve will have special guests from within and beyond Camino Church. You don't want to miss it! 

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We'll see you on Monday! 

Today, Pastor Steve invites special guest Rev. Dr. Hector B. Custodio aka "Pastor Benny" from Camino Church. As they reflect on the grace, mercy, and peace of God, Pastor Benny shares his story as one of the ten founding members of the New York Latin Kings street gang. After being wrongly convicted for murder in the second degree, he spent 20 years in prison, or what he likes to call it, "a human warehouse." Pastor Benny not only found God during his time in prison, but he began working towards a better life. He started by earning his GED while incarcerated and upon his release attended Andover Newton Theological School, now apart of Yale Divinity School, where he graduated with his PhD in Ministry. You don't want to miss this episode! 

Today, Pastor Steve will teach from the Epistle of Jude. The letter is written by Jude and addressed to Christians who are called, loved by the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ. Jude offers judgement on false teachers, just as John did in his epistles. Jude explains several examples of evildoers and warns of their fates. These people have relied on themselves, defiled flesh, rejected authority, and blasphemed the glorious ones. Jude reminds Christains to keep themselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Today, Pastor Steve teaches from 3 John. Bad religion is not just about bad doctrine, it’s also about bad leadership. This letter is unique because it is written to an individual, Gaius, yet the advice can be taken by any church leader. John calls leaders to evaluate their own doctrine, ethics, and hospitality in order to best serve their congregations. Pastor Steve reminds us that the message of the Gospel never changes, yet the church’s communication methods should in order to meet people where they are. More so, leaders should follow truthful authority and welcome others.