Journey Church - Chattanooga

As Jesus's reputation continues to grow, many begin to believe and follow but those closest to him, those he grew up with just couldn't believe. Through that experience we find that what Jesus is really looking for is faith but not a blind faith, a faith built on evidence. "The Gospel of Mark: Faith and Suffering" is now available!

The Gospel of Mark Chapter 5 contains 2 interwoven stories of grief and loneliness and a picture of Jesus that touches the untouchable. This is what the Kingdom of God looks like...healing, saving, embracing those who have lost all hope. "The Gospel of Mark: Faith Heals...er...Saves" is now available!

After giving 3 parables about the Kingdom of God being received and growing throughout the whole world, Jesus gets in the boat and takes his disciples to the other side, the pagan federation of cities called the Decapolis. Along the way he demonstrates mastery over chaos as a storm threatens to sink their boat only to run into a man possessed by thousands of demons. What does this story mean? Is it political satire, a veiled threat against Rome, just a poor guy with mental illness? "The Gospel of Mark: Demons, Pigs and Jesus...WHAT?!" is now available!

Jesus spent a lot of time in his early ministry with people who were outcasts and suffering. After healing and preaching to so many, he would get away for some time to be with God and his disciples. In this particular story, he wanted to show his power over chaotic waters and point to a different kind of Jonah as he fell asleep in the bottom of a boat. "The Gospel of Mark: Through the Storm" is now available!

We are continuing our study through the Gospel of Mark with the 4th of Jesus's parables in chapter 4. It's yet another parable around the idea of a seed growing, but this time it's the smallest of seeds that a Jewish person would have grown in the ancient Near East, the Mustard Seed. In it we see that God can make the smallest thing grow to impact all the people of the world if we will partner with him. "Parables: Big Things in Small Packages" is now available!

The Kingdom of God is like a seed that is planted and grows. No one knows exactly how but God makes it happen. How can we partner with God to prepare the soil so that the Kingdom of God grows within us and those around us? "Parables: The Seed Grows" is now available!

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke tell Jesus's parable of the light that the good news should be placed on a lampstand and not be hidden. Both Matthew and John go on to recall Jesus saying to his disciples; "YOU are the light of the world" which can be a big pill to swallow depending on how you were brought up. Matthew takes it further saying that you are a "city on a hill". What is Jesus really getting at here? "Parables: YOU are the Light of the World" is now available!

The Parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Mark is really not about the sower. God sows seed indiscriminately but it is the condition of the soil that determines whether it will take root in our lives. How are we preparing our soil and the soil of other's lives? "Parables: Soil Prep" is now available!

Jesus spent so much time being with and helping those who were sick or oppressed by unclean spirits that he was accused of being possessed by a long extinct God named Beelzebub. Even his family was worried about him. He shows us what it looks like to care for others, fight spiritual forces and handle rejection. There's much to take away from Matthew's take on Mark 3.

You are chosen and called to partner with God to bless all the nations of the world as the new Israel. Will you accept the call? Only the few have before but no matter who you are or where you come from, Jesus is issuing an invitation to you.

Jesus did the unthinkable for the Pharisees and the Herodians when he healed a man on the Sabbath. His point was to show us that the Kingdom of God is radically inclusive to those who are hurting and are willing to follow and obey because they see how good God’s ways are.

The Sabbath is a moment in every week that reminds us that it is a blessing to be a live. That we are good, God is good and life is good. Jesus confronts the legalism of the Pharisees as they miss the point of this God appointed time to rejuvenate.

What if God is not looking to empower our own personal hopes and dreams for a “good” life but instead is trying to rescue and transform us into a better humanity.

We live in a culture that says more is more but is that the message God is tryign to tell through scripture? Whether we feel less than ourselves or that our lives will not be complete unless we have more (fill in the blank), much of Jesus's message was that less is actually more. What will we choose?

Have you ever wondered why God choose to enter into human history through a virgin birth? It caused a great deal of struggle for Mary and Joseph given the cultural expectations of the time, yet this is what God wanted. What might he be trying to teach us about who he was coming for? "Advent Conspiracy: No Room" is now available!

The story of the birth of Jesus is far more interesting when you dive into the context of religious and astrological development around the time of his birth. The heavens and the earth was shifting and new religions were growing as a result. God moved the heavens and the earth then and he is still doing it today. "Advent Conspiracy: Moving Heaven and Earth" is now available! *Audio quality improves around the 8 minute mark.

Jesus broke rabbinic protocol by inviting a tax collector to be one of his inner circle and even more so by eating a meal at his house with other tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees were really offended by it as well but Jesus invited everyone to his table. So, who should we invite to ours? "The Gospel of Mark: A Bigger Table" is now available!

Jesus wielded a tremendous amount of authority over the natural and supernatural world and He used it to bring restoration to the hurting. We should do the same. "The Gospel of Mark: Authority" is now available!

Immediately after Jesus called his first disciples, he embarked on a busy 24 hours teaching in the synagogue and healing multitudes of people. His first lesson to his new recruits? This is the what it looks like to walk the path. "The Gospel of Mark: This is what it looks like to Walk the Path" is now available!

When Jesus called his first 4 disciples, he didn't go to the center of culture, religion, influence or wealth. He want to small fishing villages. Why? Is there more to the story of the call of Peter, Andrew, James and John and what does that mean for us? And, If they dropped their nets to follow this unknown Rabbi, what nets should we drop if we truly want to follow him. There is a difference between a christian and a disciple. "The Gospel of Mark: Follow me (or not)" is now available!