In our last episode of this first half of Mark, we discuss the power of communities that create belonging before requiring belief, the sometimes progressive nature of healing and faith, the power of physical touch in ministry and Ryan's theory about how offense may be a part of God's process of healing us.

This week's conversation with Ryan is centered around Mark 8:1-21. We learn a lesson from The Lolipop Evangelist, reflect on practice pointers about redirecting unhealthy hungers and take a trip to the NERD Zone to learn about Yeast.

In this episode discover the parallels between the Syropheonician woman and Jacob, two examples of faith that wrestle with God, examine Jesus's intensely personal and intimate healing of a deaf and mute man.

We welcome Nic Gilmour back for a conversation this week filled with wit and wisdom. Under investigation this week is Mark 7:1-23 and his recent sermon entitled Sacred Cows.

In this week's episode of Just Follow Jesus we delve into the famous miracle where Jesus feeds the 5,000 and then walks on water. Comparing and contrasting the roles of Herod and Jesus as banquet hosts sets up a reflection on the ways that Jesus' presence and leadership has profound implications for the ways we engage politics and discipleship.

This week on Just Follow Jesus our conversation centers on Mark 6:1-18 and explores themes around identity, the nature and effects of offense, the power of wonder, and the holistic nature of Christian ministry.

In this week's conversation with Ryan we further address the central theme of this week's text, Mark 5:21-43: healing and the way that faith, doubt and cynicism may impact our view of what God is capable of doing in our lives and community. We also wonder about why it may be that public speaking is the number one phobia in the United States.

May this week's conversation inspire, stretch, and encourage you towards greater curiosity, a deeper commitment to prayer and the cultivation of a faith that is eager to join in God's relentless work of healing each human heart, as well as the world.

This week’s conversation is not a boring one! For, not only do we have the delight of hearing from Nic Gilmour again, but the topic is demons, spiritual warfare, the New Age movement the value, necessity and utility of various Atonement Theories, specifically why the Christus Victor model has important implications for how we understand and engage with spiritual forces of darkness however they may manifest. We hope that this conversation is an encouragement to you and if you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]

Friends, it’s episode 6 here on JFJPOD! Are you feeling it yet? I know I am. I look forward each week to these conversations with Ryan and the teaching team. We have fun, we nerd out, we learn. What’s not to love?

This week, our conversation builds on Ryan’s recent sermon on Mark 4:34-41 where he invited and challenged each of us to follow Jesus into the storm. Together, we ask some important and some silly questions. Questions like: how are the twin realities of Jesus’ humanity and divinity on display and what are the cosmic implications of that? Is Jesus possibly narcoleptic? Was it a demon storm? What is the hardest Spiritual discipline for Ryan right now? All that and more in this week’s conversation. Thanks for joining us and remember, if you have questions or a story to share of how Jesus is transforming your life and faith we’d love to hear from you!

Welcome back to another episode of JFJ Pod. In this, our 5th episode Ryan and I are joined by Mark Friestad to discuss his recent sermon on Jesus’ parables in Mark 4:1-33.

Mark has served the children and families of our church as a pastor in staff for 17 years. Bachelors in mass communications from Moorhead State University in Minnesota, bachelors in social science education from Valley City State University in North Dakota, masters of divinity from Bethel Seminary San Diego with a special focus on children and family.

He is married to Allison and they are the proud and beleaguered parents to a set of twins: Greyson and Blakely.

Our conversation this week takes us to some fascinating territory, reflecting on belief as a form of dying, the centrality of curiosity to the life of faith, courage and humility embodied, the unique power of the parable and paradox, unpacking the memorial view of communion and a particularly nerdy agricultural interpretation of the parable of the soils.