LARK BLOGCAST
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago -The LARK BLOGCAST is a written exploration of God’s scandalous grace read aloud for those who don't have time or don't like to read. Listen in and be encouraged as you go. Read at larksite.com/blog. Join the conversation by emailing [email protected].
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Episodes
Belief vs. Becoming: Reimagining Faith
March 20, 2024 09:00 - 7 minutes - 9.75 MBIs faith about becoming something you're not or about believing in someone else? Jesus didn't score very high on the good Rabbi assessments, so although imitating him is already out of reach, it wouldn't have gotten us very far anyway. There must be something else going on when Jesus said, "follow me." Explore the scandalous news about Jesus with us and reimagine faith in a whole new light. Check us out or reach out at larksite.com
A Toast To Robert Capon
October 26, 2023 17:24 - 16 minutes - 22.2 MBThis episode is an ode to the late Robert Capon on his birthday. Simply put, we'll never be the same after reading Capon's work. He's so astonished at the person of Jesus - his scandalous grace and closeness to us - that his preaching and writing have only begun to shape the life and faith of the church. If you want to be encouraged, and to get 200 proof grace and an unsanitized Jesus, look no further. Raise a glass with us to this modern prophet!
The Throes Of Grace
September 15, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBThis blog is all about the absurdities of what we call religion and how everything changes on a dime when you take Jesus at his word. In short, grace is not a result of faith. When you discover sin can't actually separate you from God, a sort of freedom appears that you've never imagined. Dive into this episode to explore The Throes Of Grace!
No Wilder Lark Than Grace
June 08, 2023 07:00 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBThis episode consists of a poem - a new element for this blogcast. It is pure revelry in the reality of our union in Christ. But it is also encouragement for the weary and the wounded. Which is all of us, if we admit it. The poem is followed by some interaction between Russ Johnson and Jameson. Enjoy the change up and let us know how you respond to this piece. We'd love to hear from you - and don't forget to leave us a review so others can find our show. Cheers!
What Must I Do? Part 4 of 4
May 25, 2023 07:00 - 11 minutes - 16.3 MBIn this final part of the 4 part series called What Must I Do, we take a look at perhaps the most significant reason the answer to the question “What Must I do to inherit eternal life” isn’t what we often think. That reason is, in short, that the incarnation means that in Jesus, we are in the One who is in the Father. Explore more by reading along! www.larksite.com/blog
What Must I Do? Part 3 of 4
May 18, 2023 07:00 - 12 minutes - 17 MBThis is part 3 of a 4 part series dealing with the biblical question, What must I do to inherit eternal life?" This is arguably one of the biggest questions of all time. Jameson triple's down on his insistence that this question isn't answered in the Bible with a list of to dos or disciplines to practice, but with scandalous grace, which is opposed to effort and earning. Give it a listen and let us know how it hits you. Cheers!
What Must I Do Part 2 of 4
May 04, 2023 07:00 - 11 minutes - 15.9 MB"What Must I Do" is a series of blog articles observing how scripture answers the question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Apparent common knowledge assumes the obvious answer is improvement, but the answers biblical authors provide throws a heavy duty wrench into the spokes of that idea. What better way to work it out than observe how the conversation plays out on the pages of our bibles? Join in!
What Must I Do Part 1 of 4
April 27, 2023 06:00 - 11 minutes - 15.9 MB"What Must I Do" is a series of blog articles observing how scripture answers the question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Although many think eternal life is in some way contingent upon us, the answers our biblical authors provide puts a heavy duty wrench into that idea. What better way to work it out than observe how the conversation plays out on the pages of our bibles? Join in!
Why The Cross?
April 07, 2023 05:10 - 14 minutes - 20.2 MBJust about anything but the undiluted Gospel gets the press in religious communities. Without the Goodness that makes the Good News Good, you not only miss out on the Truth, but you miss out on the Life. A misunderstanding of the cross lies at the heart of the matter. Always has. Always will. With a hope to unveil why a non-religious understanding of this act changes everything, we dropped this new article.
Only The Lowly Know
June 23, 2022 21:41 - 10 minutes - 13.9 MBThere's always more than meets the eye in Scripture. Reimagine the story of Jesus turning water to wine with us. What if this wasn't a miracle to prove Jesus could do miracles? What it John included this story to proclaim something much more scandalous than just that Jesus can do miracles? What if the empty jars for purification that Jesus filled with wine are a sign of the impotence of religion? READ: www.larksite.com/blog/only-the-lowly-know CONNECT: www.larksite.com/get-connecte...
Jesus Is Our Union With God
June 10, 2022 16:07 - 6 minutes - 8.98 MBHow do you practice union with God? How can we be united to God? What role does religion play in our oneness with God in Christ? Is Christianity a way to achieve union with God? Are we or can we be united with God? How will we be reconciled? Abiding, worship, faith, and discipleship are all radically reoriented when you come to grips with the truth that Jesus is - and has always been - unconditionally our union with God. Explore how biblical union works right here and pass it on i...
The Father's Children
May 09, 2022 19:18 - 14 minutes - 19.7 MBLet's combine the Fatherhood of God and Jesus' idea of childlike faith. What might it mean that Jesus held up playful, vulnerable little people as exemplars of faith? What does the life of faith look like if we've thought all along that we're supposed to progressively get more mature, independent, responsible, and effective? What if being a child of God is something we accept instead of do? www.larksite.com/get-connected www.larksite.com/blog/the-fathers-children
Living Loved In Work
April 06, 2022 16:49 - 13 minutes - 18.1 MBIn a nation where workaholism is arguably the most prevalent religion, figuring out how to live and work in peace as one who has assurance of God's love is a real trick. But, letting go of some of the urgency and ultimacy of our work opens up the opportunity to see the people we're working with and for. Perspective is everything. Unfortunately, Americans are prone to turn their work into a self-justifying story and we hope to bring some freedom into the conversation. Check out the...
Enjoying The Faithfulness Of God
March 22, 2022 18:12 - 8 minutes - 11.5 MBIf you've ever wondered what it means to do Christian community or to follow Jesus with other people, you're not alone. Confusion and opinions abound, but what I've found in a decade of ministry in Chicago is you can learn a lot by observing what's missing. There's a big difference between treating community as a duty and a means to an end versus a gift and a celebration. Press into the difference in this episode! In an effort to explore the scandalous grace of God in every day li...
Why We Moved Into A Camper
March 09, 2022 12:00 - 8 minutes - 11.8 MBJameson is the newest member of the Lark team. As the Director of Community Development, he moved his family into a camper to do life on the road tending to the connection and encouragement of folks who are following or exploring Jesus with Lark. Check out his story about why he lives in a camper and why he works on the road with people who are rethinking various spiritualities. There are lot of themes and trends he was suspicious about before hitting the road that now are becomin...
Guilt Management Systems Failure
February 11, 2022 16:11 - 10 minutes - 14.1 MBWhat it is about guilt that keeps us from managing it well, or better yet, from letting Christ have the final word on managing it? The danger of what we do with our guilt may just be one of the most important conversations you haven't had in a while. The freedom we have in Christ has more to say about what we do with guilt than we dare imagine or believe. Tune into this episode to dive into the conversation about why and how we are killing ourselves by self-managing our guilt and ...
God With Us: Raggedy Rags
December 24, 2021 12:00 - 12 minutes - 16.5 MBIt takes some form of bravery to admit that everything you have to offer God is viewed by him as dirty rags in comparison to what Jesus has done. The Christmas story declares that none of your efforts mattered in the first place. Life flows out of Jesus and who he made us to be, not who we think we can make ourselves to be. The Incarnation of God undoes every intuition we have to set us free. The God who came to do what was unfair to reconcile us to him is the God who longed for us...
God With Us: Father's Embrace
December 18, 2021 15:21 - 10 minutes - 14.4 MBOne of the most difficult things to believe is that God's posture towards us is one of embrace. We typically believe anything but. We especially believe that 'God With Us' is possible only upon our ability to meet some criteria. But the incarnation, the arrival of God as a man in Jesus Christ, is the Father's embrace of all of us. It is the way we finally learn to see what God is really like. If Emmanuel, 'God With Us,' is the solution, what exactly is the problem? What is Advent a...
God With Us: Storyteller
December 11, 2021 11:00 - 11 minutes - 15.4 MBIt's easy to think the Christian story about Jesus is full of sermons, commands, theological teaching and Scripture. But, a simple reading of the Gospels reveals that so much of Jesus' recorded speech is cryptic stories we refer to as parables. God With Us, the Incarnate Son and Word of God, lived a remarkable, unexpected story, and told so many stories so we could see what God is really like. When we assume the New Testament provides us with information about Jesus instead of a st...
God With Us: Count The Waves
December 04, 2021 12:00 - 9 minutes - 13.5 MBWhat really are the implications of God With Us, Immanuel, the God who has come to be with his creation? What is the Incarnation and does it actually have any impact on me, my life, how I live, and what I hope for? In short, the incarnation is the supreme mystery of the faith for those who follow Jesus. Be encouraged by this brief excursus on the theme of Advent and Christmas - Christ has come! Our familiarity and obsession with the secular season of Christmas leaves many with an a...
Improper Thanksgiving
November 24, 2021 17:13 - 8 minutes - 11.2 MBWith all the swirling thanksgiving emails, tweets, reels, Hallmark cards, and sermons, you'd think if we don't give thanks rightly, we will be putting ourselves in the crosshairs of God's judgment. But what if giving thanks isn't about giving thanks, but about reveling in and enjoying the gift we've received? We love holding things over our heads. But, that's something we can be freed from. Check out my thoughts on how we get thanksgiving wrong and end up nullifying the very thing...
"I've Never Seen A Pastor Cry"
November 18, 2021 17:29 - 8 minutes - 11.4 MBLark stories help illustrate why we are so adamant about spreading the message of the cross. Check out this one to hear about how one friend never saw a pastor cry until he told me about his story and experience in Churches. There's something so beautiful and powerful about sharing and listening to the long version of someone's story, even more so when you tell them about the love of God. It is worth noting that this isn't the only person who's never had the experience of crying wi...
Jesus, Galileo & Giving Thanks
November 12, 2021 06:20 - 9 minutes - 12.6 MBThe story of how the Church dealt with Galileo is an important point of conversation for today's Church. Have we learned at all from how that story played out? Have we given up on getting it right or have we just changed the furniture around? What exactly does it mean to be the Church, and who get's to decide who's doing it right? Dive into this and more on this episode of the Lark Blogcast. The fact that we - the Church - still have practices and policies in place to help us excl...
Give God Nothing
November 03, 2021 23:51 - 8 minutes - 11.6 MBThe question of how do we live now that we believe God has redeemed us is a troubling one. Many of us live and die in anxiety about whether or not we did it right. But what if the life of faith is expressly opposed to the life of getting God to love us? What if the call is to trust God, not to live as if we owe him? What if we were to give up the conquest of sin to be an heir with Christ? Explore how we can so easily slip back into the way of beating sin instead of resting in the ...
Words Change Matter
October 21, 2021 16:52 - 10 minutes - 14.6 MBWords of encouragement are far more scarce than we usually recognize. Learning about how the human being's brain responds to both the absence and the presence of encouragement opens up another level of understanding about the power of speaking the Gospel about Jesus and words of encouragement and affirmation to someone's face. We need it. But, first we must recognize our inclination to avoid it. There's a wild connection between neuroscience, emotions and the speaking and hearing o...
Believing The Gospel
October 13, 2021 15:17 - 8 minutes - 12.1 MBWhat it means to actually believe the gospel is actually one of the greatest confusions within the church. But, according to Jesus, it's a lot more like trust than trying. The interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well shows us so much about what Jesus thinks people need. Instead of religion repairs, Jesus moves in for a few days and says he himself is all they need. If believing the gospel looks more like helping Jesus do what he already did, it's not faith we'...
How To Grow In Christlikeness
September 30, 2021 18:10 - 8 minutes - 11 MBWhat exactly does it mean to be like Christ? To grow in Christlikeness? Who causes it and how does it happen? What exactly is it we turn into if we are transformed? Jesus didn't set up an impossible life we have to live. He invited us into his life so we could share in his righteousness, holiness, and his trust in the Father - the one thing we resemble the least about Christ. It's God's work! It's helpful to take a closer look at what we mean when we say Christlikeness these days. ...
Transformation is a Dirty Word
September 23, 2021 19:01 - 7 minutes - 10.8 MBTransformation can be a tricky subject for the Church. It often shows up not as the blessed aftermath of getting wrecked by grace, but as the strategy instead. If you've ever felt like you're supposed to prove that you've received grace by demonstrating transformation, this short piece is for you. Consider how striving for transformation actually derails the one thing Christians are called to: proclamation. When proclamation of good news is eclipsed by demands for transformation, ...
Do Doubts & Questions Disqualify?
September 16, 2021 17:07 - 7 minutes - 11 MBThe doubts and questions we all come by honestly are all too often dismissed or demonized by other people. Unfortunately, belonging is also often intimately connected with whether or not you agree with everyone else's answers to your questions. Looking deeper, we see that insecurity, or the frenetic search for security, is closer to the root of division and strife wherever you go. What if doubts and questions aren't keeping you out of God's favor, but are actually the pathway to p...
Freedom Is In Dependence, Not Independence
September 10, 2021 14:32 - 7 minutes - 10.5 MBMore than any other moment in history, today independence is hailed as the ultimate goal of humanity. Independence is seen as the epitome of freedom. But in light of what Jesus said and did, we learn freedom is actually in dependence. We can't not be dependent. To live as if we can ever actually be independent is to choose frustration, bondage, and separation (independence) from life itself. While being dependent on anyone or anything outside yourself is seen as weakness by many ...
Encouragement For The Exhausted
September 02, 2021 16:10 - 8 minutes - 11.4 MBDiscouragement, depression, despair, and even despondence plague people everywhere in a myriad of ways. Although the difficulties of life never seem to end, the Good News of Jesus has something to say. If you're feeling the darkness, listen in here for some encouragement. The perspective on life that we are able to live with when we are reminded constantly of just how good and great God's love is doesn't necessarily make the bad go away, but it does help us to trust that there is m...
The God No One Sees Coming
August 26, 2021 16:42 - 8 minutes - 11.5 MBWho God turns out to be surprises us and catches us off guard every time we think about it. His coming to dwell with and in his creation turns our idea of hospitality on its head. We just about never expect to find him in and with us, and this is why we seem intent on searching for our home elsewhere and otherwise. If you or anyone you know is asking the question, "who is God"? or "what is God really like?" then check out this short blog to explore that with us. There's so much go...
What The Grace Of God Is All About
August 19, 2021 16:50 - 8 minutes - 11.3 MBStories and explanations of grace are as vast as there are books on the topic. Contrary to many versions of this story, grace isn't about second chances or simply the forgiveness of sins. It's about something so absurd that we tend to balk at it. Grace really is amazing. Check out this episode to take a fresh look at what is so ridiculous about grace that makes Christians and Churches afraid to say it. Grace startles us and you can take explore it with Jameson as he unpacks some a...
Faith Is Like Sitting Down
August 19, 2021 16:19 - 7 minutes - 10.5 MBRedefining faith in terms of sitting down helps us see that faith is not understanding. A life of faith is learning to trust, not to strive. Russ unpacks this idea in this piece and helps us reimagine faith in light of ordinary life instead of fear and confusion. Unfortunately, many of us have been taught or handed a "faith" that is actually more like a religion - something that you do in order to be included. The reality is that faith is a gift based upon the inclusion we already...
Why You Can't "Live Out The Gospel"
August 19, 2021 15:23 - 7 minutes - 10.1 MBThe idea that we can and should "live out the gospel" is one I think may actually be causing a great deal of confusion and anxiety. Consider the thought that there's a better way. Listen in and see what you think. Sometimes the most obvious and most loved sayings end up being the sneakiest ones. They are right under our noses undermining the very thing we hope they mean to accomplish. You can't "Live Out The Gospel" because the Gospel is a person who has done something that cannot...
What Is The Gospel?
August 19, 2021 14:50 - 7 minutes - 10.6 MBIt is easy to assume we know what we think we already know about the Gospel. But when pressed, we may be surprised to find that our assumptions aren't actually rooted in what Jesus actually said and did. We need safe places to wrestle with questions like this, like this blog. Your questions and confusions deserve conversations, not answers. Dive into this quick explanation of the Gospel according to Jesus and see where it leads you. Read this blog online at www.larksite.com/blog...
Go & Do Likewise?
August 18, 2021 19:26 - 8 minutes - 11 MBIt is far too easy to miss the entire point of the story about the Good Samaritan that Jesus tells in response to a Lawyer's testing questions. When you let the author, Luke, tell his story, the Good Samaritan actually ends up meaning the opposite of what most of us have been taught! In this episode, you'll hear Jameson unpack how we get the Good Samaritan story wrong and what it might look like to reimagine the parable within the flow of Luke's Gospel story book. This one might be...