Spark Cast

We do not give thanks because we are happy. We are happy, because we give thanks. Giving thanks, is good, and not just for the Thanksgiving holiday. It is good for our soul, all year round.

Pastors Kevin & Danielle give a brief report to the Spark community on climate change, COP26, and why it matters. We hope this is simply one part of our continued commitment to #GospelJustice through #CreationCare.

Service in The Way of Jesus is not a simple act. It is an entire posture of identity, living a life of simply being a servant to all.

Many consider communion deeply personal to one's spiritual life and identity. However, it is far from individual. This meal and sacrament calls the body together, imploring us to consider each other as the aim and goal of eating together.

What happens when we read sacred texts? In addition to it being a moment of meditation, it is the reading that draws us closer to the author.

Pastors Danielle & Kevin are going to #COP26, the United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. In this brief introduction, we share a glimpse of what COP26 is, why we're going, and how you can journey with us. https://www.spark.church/cop26

Pastor Kevin and Spark's Worship Leader, Junior, sit down for a conversation on worship, what it is, why it is important, and what it tells us about our practice of faith. We discuss a bit about Junior's background and upbringing, in addition to his evolution of thinking over time. Together, we are inspired to consider worship far more than the "singing" portion of our services.

We introduce a new series on the presence of God IN PRACTICE. The characteristics of our faith are all encompassing of the fullness of our human experience. Embracing the contemplative, prayerful, and meditative aspects of our relationship with God is just as necessary as theology.

The conclusion of our series on Spark's core values.

Spark's next core value, Rescue, is our call to bring salvation to all, just as God brought salvation to us.

Last week's discussion on reconciliation culminates in the restoration of God's reputation, how God is viewed and understood by everyone, most especially Christians.

Our next core value of reconciliation is not only a prime characteristic of Jesus followers, but is also a worldview, and even an archetype of the progress of the universe. Embodied in Jesus followers is a cosmic force that exemplifies what we say in our services each week, that God really is "one."

As we approach Spark's 9th Anniversary, we'd like to revisit the foundational teachings, principles, and values that form the identity of our church.

Before his death, Jesus lived the life of a human being, but was MORE. After his resurrection, that MORE became evident to those with whom he interacted. The final chapter of the book of Luke gives us a glimpse into what that MORE is, and provides insight into how we can be MORE as well.

Chapter 24 of the Gospel According to Luke narrates some details of the morning of the resurrection, the most significant, meaningful, and central event of the Christian faith. And yet, to claim that a dead man rose from the dead is dubiously incredible. Our heritage and history affirm both of these perspectives as a challenge to carefully consider.

Chapter 23 of The Gospel According to Luke chronicles the trials of Jesus before he's crucified. The narrative culminates in a guilty man who goes free, and an innocent man who is condemned to die. It is upon the bodies of these two men that we see the dire need for the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

It may be easy to dismiss Judas Iscariot as an anomaly, a bad actor, or perhaps just a fulfillment of God's ordained prophecy. Perhaps we should consider more carefully the underlying lessons.

Jesus' description of the destruction of the Temple in Luke 21 is frightening and disheartening. The very center of socio-religious identity is going to be destroyed and desolated. Bad things are going to happen, and many persecutions. But while the heavens are shaken, the Son of Man is coming, and redemption is drawing near, and the Kingdom of God is about to be established. How in the world does that all make sense?

In chapter 20, Luke describes a series of encounters at the Temple between Jesus and various groups and individuals. The thread connecting each interaction is the debate over authority: who has it, who doesn’t, how do you get it, and how do you live by it?

In the well-known "cleansing of the temple" story, Jesus makes reference to two passages in the prophetic tradition that speak quite forcefully about who we exclude, and what we include in our worship. The answer to both is predicated on one principle. This is not our house. This is God's house.