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Spark Cast
Spark Cast episodes
- Fruit Of The Spirit | Joy [Omair Akhtar] (with Hannah Dawley Ly testimony)We often think of Christian joy as feeling happy no matter what – Jesus has done so much for you, what do you have to feel bad about? That outlook jives neither with our experiences nor the experiences of the Biblical authors who wrote about joy. Joy, as a fruit of the spirit, is less about producing happy feelings and more about producing audacious judgments about the way the world is and ought to be.36 min
- Fruit Of The Spirit | Love & The Root [Kevin Neuner] (with Craig Barker testimony)The ubiquity of the word “love” makes understanding difficult. Is love a “feeling,” a “commitment,” a “chemical neurotransmitter?” In trying to discern a definition of love, perhaps we ought to ask what this Galatians passage suggests about the "fruit" of love.42 min
- Fruit Of The Sprit | Introduction To Galatians [Kevin Neuner]The letter to the Galatians—in which the "fruit of the spirit" is found—addresses a serious threat to the good news of Jesus. That threat will have serious consequences, not least of which it will promote a wholly "different gospel," one that is at odds with the love and grace of God.47 min
- Beginnings [Danielle Parish]
Beginnings feel fresh and new. There's joy. But let us also embrace sadness as necessary for new creation.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Are we addicted to "joy" and "happiness?" Why or why not?
2. Does Christianity promote one over the other? What emotional experiences does Christianity prioritize?
3. What would life look like if we embraced the full scope of human emotions?47 min - Advent | Spark's Online Service [Mark Arevalo, Danielle Parish, Kevin Neuner]This is the audio from our online liturgical service. Merry Christmas everyone, and a happy new year! We'll see you in 2023!36 min
- Advent | "EL" Is With Us [Kevin Neuner]This advent Sunday we are invited to pause to consider the “el” in the word “immanuEL.” As arrival is drawing near, we consider the long and deep history of what is understood as the presence of “God,” in Hebrew, “EL.”21 min
- Advent | The Kingdom of God Is On The Move [Danielle Parish]
While we expect kings to be born in luxury, this king is born in a cave, and his announcement is to shepherds.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Compare and contrast the luxury of then to the luxury of now. Have things changed? What's different? What's the same?
2. When you think of "good news" what do you think of? What category, or area of life is that thought? What category is the good news of Jesus in?
3. If the kingdom is on the move, to where or whom is it moving? Where's it moving from? Where is it taking us?38 min - Advent | The Keeper of the Songs [Danielle Parish]
This is not a gospel of gain or wealth. This is a gospel of trust. Mary’s song is one of remembrance of God’s promises of mercy and faithfulness to Israel, to Abraham and his descendants. And Jesus is how God is going to continue this covenantal song.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What are the traditional ways "songs" have been understood in Christian practice? How does that compare with these biblical songs?
2. Discuss the different aspects of "trust" in this story. (To "believe" but also to be "entrusted with"…)
3. What are the songs that are needed today?29 min - Advent | Shaky & Hopeful [Danielle Parish]
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent ... "Advent" means coming or arrival, and this is the time of year when we remember and anticipate Christ's coming into the world.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What expectations do you have for this advent season?
2. What does the "arrival" of Jesus mean?
3. Advent implies "not yet" but "is coming." What observations, feelings, or questions do you have in-between those two things?34 min - John | What Was He Thinking? [Tom Arrington]
The radical nature of God's love is a story of diversity and inclusion where everyone is welcomed and loved. It's a story of forgiveness with second chances and two hundredth chances where you don't ever lose your place and you are never finished. It's a story that reveals Jesus as Israel's long expected Messiah and that he indeed is the Son of God.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What does "messiah" mean, both then, and now?
2. Why is "inclusion" so radical? What are the opposite forces of "inclusion"?
3. Israel had "expectations" which means there was a period of waiting. Consider what waiting means as a Christian, in spiritual practice. Have we grown impatient?34 min
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The podcast of Spark.Church in Palo Alto, CA
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