The Unbroken Ground

Ep. 25: Who is the Boss?

Hello Fellow Travelers! How do you create unity? What type of authority best serves ministry and Christians? Is uniformity good enough? This week I am wondering how a church or organization can create unity. Typically, organizations use a culture of authority and tie it to a source of power. But churches, especially Baptist churches like my childhood was spent in, often have equal authority among members. Is there a clear idea of how Jesus created unity? 

Ep 24: What Would You do?

Hello fellow travelers! In light of the subtweeting/posting about truth and sin this month on the "Gram," this week's episode considers sins we don't like discussing. There is some rumination on truth and love and finding a good balance, but mostly my mind wanders into what would happen if Jesus showed up today. And he approached an average American Christian. And then Jesus asked that person to give up everything, sell everything, and follow Him. What if that person was you? What would you do and say?

Ep. 23: Let’s Go Fishing

Hello Fellow Travelers! What difference does Jesus make in how you live? Peter was a fisherman who Jesus called to be a fisher of men. But after Peter abandoned Jesus, Peter seemed to have second thoughts about whether he could still fulfill that calling. What insight can we learn about modern Christianity and how we are called to follow Jesus? 

Ep. 22: What are the Odds?

Hello fellow Travelers! What is it that God is calling you to do or create? How does God work with and through our resources? This week's podcast considers the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. God invites His children to be part of miracles and to change the world. What is He speaking to your heart? Check out the blog - at the link below about the same topic.
Jesus and the 5 Loaves and 2 Fish: An Invitation to Participate | Paul Tanner (patheos.com)
 
Matthew 14
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Ep. 21: Saved the Best For Last

Did Jesus have an agenda? Did he hang out with certain types of people because he was trying to prove how tolerant and cool he was? Or is that question the wrong place to start when thinking about Jesus? Jesus comes to fill the law full and, at the same time, simplifies it for us. I discuss Jesus turning water into wine as a reminder that something greater than the law walked the Earth. Jesus, in the flesh, provided our example. How are you doing at following Him?
John 2
2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
 
Unbroken Ground - Exploration of Christ, Community, and Creativity (patheos.com)

Ep.20: Who Do You Think You Are?

Hello Fellow travelers! This week I discuss this quote from Tim Keller: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope." How do we live out the complexity of Jesus, who perfectly displayed the grace and truth of God? What role does kindness play in calling people to repentance? What role is God calling you to participate in? I talk about the story of Zacchaeus, and no, I don't sing the song. But you might hear a bird going crazy outside the window. This was not recorded at a jungle location - just in case you were wondering. For more thoughts on the complexity of Jesus, check out my latest blog as well - Jesus’ Harshest Criticism Were Reserved for the Religious | Paul Tanner (patheos.com)

Jim Time Flex: April Bonus

Hello Fellow Travelers! Would you rather never be able to say thank you or please? What does thankfulness have to do with our relationship to God? Are there cultures where asking for help is more valued than saying thank you? This is a bonus discussion from Jim Flex Time. I hope you enjoy and if you have any comments, please send them to theunbrokenground@gmail.com .

Jim Flex Time: April 2023

Hello Fellow Traveler! Jim joins me for another recap, this time for April. Listen as we discuss our most meaningful takeaways from the parable of the sower. Also, listen to Would you rather questions which become a very poor recollection of movies and television shows from our childhood. You win a prize if you can pick out the incorrectly named TV show. We talked so much that a whole bonus episode will be released later this week.