Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer

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 episode goes to Michele from Mooloolah Valley, Queensland; Philip from San Diego, California; Kyle from Portage, Michigan; Meagan from Austin, Texas; Katya from Portland, Oregon. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

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 from Nolensville, Tennessee; Tiffany from Louisville, Kentucky; and David from Chatsworth, California. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

"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; Tyler from Knoxville, Tennessee; Jared from Salem, Oregon; and Carson from Victoria, BC. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

“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 paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to Tarrah from Ames, Iowa; Paul from Cleveland, Ohio; Guy from Wenatchee, Washington; Benjamin from Herborn, Germany; and Matthew from Beaverton, Oregon. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

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 episode goes to Sarah from London, UK; William from Elkton, Maryland; Peter from Springfield, Missouri; Karissa from Nampa, Indiana; and Andrea from Portland, Oregon. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

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, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to Melissa from Falls Church, Virginia; Elisha from Rindge, New Hampshire; Pedro from Brasilia, DF; David from Round Rock, Texas; and Bethany from MacGregor, Manitoba. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

“A lot of us are emotionally allergic to preaching the Gospel of Jesus.”

In our post-modern culture, sharing the good news of Jesus can feel insensitive or unkind. John Mark shows us that everyone is believing a “gospel” of what they hope in, and through the Scriptures, unpacks how Jesus preached the Gospel and what it means to rethink and turn towards Jesus.

Resources for this practice:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/preaching-the-gospel

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to Zach from Cleveland, Tennessee; Alison from Dallas, Texas; Reggie from Arcadia, California; Jenn from Rome, Georgia; and Eric from Cincinnati, Ohio. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

"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. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to: Kali from Silver Lake, Kansas; Morgan from Nashville, Tennessee; Joshua from Whitefish, Montana; Dan from Stamford, Lincolnshire; and Jerod from Fairhope, Alabama. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

“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:

https://practicingthewayarchives.org/practices/simplicity

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to: Aidan from Grand Rapids, Michigan; Sydney, Cody, and Violet from Bellingham, Washington; Mark from Cary, North Carolina; Jim and Deanna from Portland, Oregon; and Ruben from Euless, Texas. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

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/simplicity

This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to: Anna from Indian Land, South Carolina; Christel from Coogee, New South Wales; Scott from Pearland, Texas; Lisa from Sherwood Park, Alberta; and Jordyn from Dallas, Texas. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.