Genesis 19:30–38 is one of the Bible’s most unsettling sex stories—Lot’s daughters, believing the world has ended, get their father drunk and sleep with him to preserve their family line. It’s a tale of desperation, incest, and survival, and it’s ripe for exploration in our first episode of Advent After Dark: Unwrapping Sacred Smut.

Discussion Questions:

1. What have you been taught about this story before?

2. What does consent mean to you? Is it the same for men and women? What is the consent issue(s) in this story?

3. Why do you think this story is included in the Biblical narrative?

4. Are there un-redeemable sins?

5. What does this tell us about God?

Before we begin our Advent After Dark series, let’s talk about the basics. What is sacred? What is profane? What do we put in these categories and how do they affect how we understand the world around us through our Biblical lens?  Pastor Kyle and Pastor A.J. ask these hard questions as we prepare for our Advent series.  Is sex inherently profane? Or is it a sacred gift from God? Dive in for this off the cuff episode!

Discussion Questions:

1. What is sacred to you?

2. Do you believe that there are more sacred parts of scripture than others?

3. Do you think the concept of what is “sacred” and “profane” is subjective?

4. How does the biblical mindset that we apply around sex apply to other aspects of life?

5. Can something be sacred and profane?

6. Does Jesus’ death and resurrection change what is sacred and profane?

7. What do we treat as profane that God has called sacred?

8. What does this tell us about God?

“Though nations rage from age to age, we remember who holds us fast.” My favorite hymn, Canticle of Turning, lends some wisdom to unpacking our Luke Gospel text for this week.  Join Pastor Chris and Pastor A.J. in diving deeper! This is Luke 21:5-19 for Sunday, November 16, 2025. 

Discussion Questions:

1.  What are the fundamental words of wisdom that you experience in Christ?

2. Where do we fail to see our fellow humans as beloved children of God?

3. What does it mean to you to be “persecuted for the sake of Jesus?”

4. Is there a way to possibly explain God’s love in a way that everyone would understand?

5. What does this tell us about God?

We dive into what the concept of the resurrection even is.  Jesus is challenged by the Sadducees about seven brothers all marrying a woman.  In the resurrection, whose wife is she? Jesus’ response is like, “you are totally missing the whole point!”  Join Pastor Melissa and Pastor A.J. in talking about Luke 20:27-38 for Sunday, November 9th, 2025. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your working theology of the resurrection?

2. What matters in the end?

3. What does it mean to you to put your trust in God?

4. What do you think the meaning that Jesus is getting at as far as “family” goes?

5. What does this tell you about God?

Jesus gives blessings and woes in this Sermon on the Plain.  Some of the things Jesus calls to can make us uncomfortable.  Where do we see ourselves in Jesus’ words? Are we the wealthy being casted down? Or the lowly being lifted up? Join Pastor Laura and Pastor A.J. in talking about Luke 6:20-31 for All Saints Sunday. November 2nd, 2025. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Who does Jesus see?

2. Where have you heard the justification that “they will persecute you” in our world?

3. What part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain makes you uncomfortable?

4. What does “turn the other cheek” mean to you?

5. What does this tell us about God?

Welcome back to Ten Foot Pole Podcast with Season 5!  We are diving back into the Gospel of Luke until our Advent special series starts!  Join Pastor Allison Johnson and Pastor A.J. in talking about prayer.  Jesus tells a parable about a couple of guys praying.  Is one better than the other? Who? Is anyone’s prayers “better”? Let’s talk it out.  Luke 18:9-14 for Sunday, October 26, 2025, not Reformation. 

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you view the two praying in the temple?

2. What is the fault of the Pharisee? What is the fault of the tax collector?

3. When do you feel like the tax collector and when do you feel like the Pharisee?

4. Who do you think goes home justified?

5. What does this tell us about God and prayer?

Season 4 finale! The pastors talk about a sort of “part 2” to last week’s episode.  What are we to set our eyes on? Do we pay attention to Jesus in our midst? Dive in with us on Luke 12:32-40 for Sunday, August 10, 2025.

Discussion Questions:

1. What theology have you been taught around “where your treasure is there your heart will be also?”

2. How do you feel about the imagery of Jesus being “the robber?”

3. How do you respond to the “ministry of interruptions?”

4. What does it mean for you to live in both realms and be faithful to the gospel and set boundaries?

5. What does this tell us about God?

Oh, here we go… the most unpopular topic out there: money.  Jesus has some strong opinions about wealth, but there may be more to it than we’ve ever heard in the prosperity gospel or a good stewardship Sunday sermon. Join Pastor A.J. and Pastor Sarah Locke in talking about Luke 12:13-21 for Sunday, August 3, 2025.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think Jesus tells this parable in response to the man’s question?

2. What is your working theology of Jesus’ teachings on wealth?

3. What do you think Jesus is saying about saving and preparing for the future?

4. What is your working theology about wealth disparity and economic balance?

5. What does this tell us about God?

Today we dive into prayer.  What does it mean and how does God respond? We look at the language for prayer that Jesus shares with his disciples in Luke.  There are lots of different ways to pray and we find meaning in prayer in all sorts of different ways.  What does your prayer journey look like?  We look at Luke 11:1-13 for Sunday, July 27, 2025.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you formulate your prayers?

2. How do you pray when the world feels heavy around you?

3. What for you is the purpose of prayer?

4. When was a time where you felt God didn’t answer your prayers?

5. What does this tell us about God?

We’ve all heard the Parable of the Good Samaritan, right? Pastor Becca and Pastor Jon help us get some deeper insight into what each person’s role is in this story.  Maybe the Levite and the Priest weren’t so awful? Let’s dive deeper into this classic parable that Jesus shares to talk about loving our neighbors.  This episode is on Luke 10:25-37 for Sunday, July 13, 2025.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think the significance of the person who stopped being from Samaria is?

2. Who do you see yourself as in this parable?

3. Would you accept help from an enemy?

4. What do you think of the innkeeper’s role?

5. What does this tell us about God?