GracePointe Church | Nashville, TN

⛪️ To learn more about who we are and what we do, visit https://gracepointe.net/about-us 🗣 For weekly event and ways to get plugged in, visit https://gracepointe.net/calendar 🙌 To become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community, visit https://gracepointe.net/give Like us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/gracepointetn Follow us on Instagram at https://instagram.com/gracepointetn Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/gracepointetn

⛪️ To learn more about who we are and what we do, visit https://gracepointe.net/about-us 🗣 For weekly event and ways to get plugged in, visit https://gracepointe.net/calendar 🙌 To become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community, visit https://gracepointe.net/give Like us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/gracepointetn Follow us on Instagram at https://instagram.com/gracepointetn Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/gracepointetn

⛪️ To learn more about who we are and what we do, visit https://gracepointe.net/about-us 🗣 For weekly event and ways to get plugged in, visit https://gracepointe.net/calendar 🙌 To become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community, visit https://gracepointe.net/give Like us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/gracepointetn Follow us on Instagram at https://instagram.com/gracepointetn Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/gracepointetn

The version of Easter we find at the end of Mark’s Gospel is very different from the other Gospels. It’s short, includes no appearance of the risen Jesus, and end abruptly. Yet, this is also the first Easter narrative, the one that Matthew, Luke, and John use as a springboard to tell their stories. What does Mark think Easter means? How does this strange story offer hope or speak to us today?

⛪️ To learn more about who we are and what we do, visit https://gracepointe.net/about-us 🗣 For weekly event and ways to get plugged in, visit https://gracepointe.net/calendar 🙌 To become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community, visit https://gracepointe.net/give Like us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/gracepointetn Follow us on Instagram at https://instagram.com/gracepointetn Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/gracepointetn

This week we find ourselves in Mark chapter 10, where we meet a rich person who asks Jesus a big question. “What must I do to inherit eternal life,” he asked. Jesus’s answer might surprise us!

This week we are back into our series through the Gospel of Mark. In chapter 9 Jesus takes his closest disciples up a mountain and they have an experience that is both strange and transformative. What did the story of Jesus’s transfiguration mean for Mark? What does it mean for us, today?

What do we do when the portrayal of Jesus in Scripture shows us something we don’t like or agree with? Today, lead pastor Josh Scott shares one of his favorite stories in Mark, a time when Jesus refused to help someone and then changed his mind. Josh explains what this story has taught him about the importance of staying open to new perspectives, and he encourages us to follow Jesus’ lead in not holding so tightly to our theology that it ends up harming others. Episode Recap: Mark’s gospel reminds us there’s still good news at the end of the world (1:06) Jesus reminds people that justice is what matters most (3:03) The Roman Empire was not just a problem for Jewish people (8:13) What do we do with Jesus’ response to the woman asking for help? (16:57) In this moment, we see Jesus’ perspective change (24:05) When our theology bumps up against our experience of people, something has to give (30:54) Jesus didn’t come to lead a conquest, he came to liberate (32:49) Resources: Learn more about GracePointeCheck out our schedule of upcoming eventsBecome a sustaining member of the GracePointe communityInstagramTwitterFacebook

Jesus’ vision of the kingdom was less about converting people and more about coming together to make sure everyone has what they need. Today, lead pastor Josh Scott examines three stories in Mark 6 that demonstrate the power of collaboration and cooperation. He reminds us that hospitality is a core tenet of the kingdom of God and shares some actions we can take this week to help create the world we want to live in. Episode Recap: When it feels like the world is falling apart, we need good news (0:10) Jesus gave people an alternative vision of what the world could be (4:40) Mark 6 invites us into collaboration and cooperation (7:03) Jesus’ own hometown wasn’t open to the work he was doing (9:14) The kingdom requires hospitality (17:19) Jesus’ movement has always been about caring for and feeding each other (26:14) The world won’t change unless we make change happen (30:58) 2 opportunities for learning and action (33:22) Resources: Learn more about GracePointe Check out our schedule of upcoming events Become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community Follow GracePointe on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Following Jesus is and always was a political act. So what did Jesus have to say about empire, and how can those teachings shape how we live? Today, lead pastor Josh Scott discusses two stories from Mark 5 that show us something important about who Jesus chose to embrace and how we can resist empire. Josh also opens up the floor for a conversation with our online and in-person community so we can all learn from each other. Episode Recap: Jesus came to remind people a different kind of world was possible (3:40) What jumps out to you when you read Mark 5? (6:41) When someone was unclean, people were taught to keep their distance (13:00) Mark is making an overt political statement with this story (26:09) The way to resist empire is by caring for each other (33:44) Jesus embraced the woman who was unclean (37:30) Taking Jesus seriously requires us to change how we live (42:48) It’s easy to judge how people responded to Jesus, but are we any better? (49:08) Resources: Learn more about GracePointe Check out our schedule of upcoming events Become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community Follow GracePointe on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Why did Jesus choose to compare the kingdom of God to one of the smallest seeds? Today, lead pastor Josh Scott discusses the parable of the mustard seed and what it means for the way we view God’s kingdom. He reminds us that Jesus never wanted to create another empire, but to establish a new way of being in the world. He also talks about the concept of parables and takes time to hear from our community about what this story means to them. Episode Recap: If you want to see the kingdom of God, you need to allow for transformation (0:10) In Mark 4, we see Jesus teach through parables (3:29) Parables are metaphorical, subversive, and political stories (9:45) Jesus chose to compare the kingdom to one of the smallest seeds (14:28) Jesus doesn’t ask us to have certainty, but to have trust (24:05) The kingdom of God movement is about creating a different kind of world (25:18) We cannot divorce Jesus from his Jewish identity (30:23) The kingdom of God is not another empire, it’s something new (36:03) Planting mustard seeds is about building something that promotes flourishing (41:47) Resources: Learn more about GracePointe Check out our schedule of upcoming events Become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community Follow GracePointe on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

None of the people who were closest to Jesus really understood who he was or what he was trying to do. And yet, we have the opportunity to join in on the work of bringing about the kingdom of God in our world. Today, lead pastor Josh Scott examines the times in Mark when people failed to understand what Jesus was doing. He also reminds us that part of following Jesus is about allowing ourselves to constantly be renewed and transformed, staying open to the possibility that we might be wrong and accepting the fact that we’re never done learning. Episode Recap: Jesus’ tells us in Mark that the kingdom of God is here and now (0:10) We’re never done learning or deconstructing (4:46) Jesus’ own family didn’t understand who he was (8:58) The disciples tried to follow Jesus, but they often missed the point (15:09) The empire understood just how big of a threat Jesus was (17:02) To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to miss what Jesus was all about (22:30) Jesus knows the pain we feel when we’re misunderstood (26:42) Resources: Learn more about GracePointe Check out our schedule of upcoming events Become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community Follow GracePointe on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

What might it look like for us to embrace Sabbath as a time for being, instead of doing? Today, Josh RadarLee, co-pastor at FOREFRONT Church, joins us to talk about Jesus’ perspective on Sabbath. He reminds us that Sabbath was put in place to help us flourish, not to hurt us. He also acknowledges some of the reasons why Sabbath can be difficult, and he shares some possible ways we can reimagine this concept today. Episode Recap: Today we get to hear from Josh RadarLee of FOREFRONT Church (0:10) Not everyone was happy about Jesus’ message of radical love (4:57) The concept of Sabbath is to help us flourish, not to hurt us (8:58) What might it look like if we took time for being, instead of just doing? (12:35) Spend your Sabbath doing the thing that brings you joy (20:10) Sabbath is an experiment and a challenge, but it’s also a gift (23:23) Resources: Learn more about GracePointe Check out our schedule of upcoming events Become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community Follow GracePointe on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook FOREFRONT Church

The good news Jesus proclaimed is that the kingdom of God is here and now! Today, lead pastor Josh Scott examines Jesus’ first sermon in the book of Mark. He talks about what the kingdom of God is (and what it isn’t) and reminds us that Jesus’ vision was all about embracing human flourishing. He also reflects on the way that Martin Luther King Jr. believed in Jesus’ vision of the kingdom and worked to bring it about in his own life. Episode Recap: Resources: Learn more about GracePointeCheck out our schedule of upcoming eventsBecome a sustaining member of the GracePointe communityInstagramTwitterFacebook

The good news Jesus proclaimed is that the kingdom of God is here and now! Today, lead pastor Josh Scott examines Jesus’ first sermon in the book of Mark. He talks about what the kingdom of God is (and what it isn’t) and reminds us that Jesus’ vision was all about embracing human flourishing. He also reflects on the way that Martin Luther King Jr. believed in Jesus’ vision of the kingdom and worked to bring it about in his own life. Episode Recap: Resources: Learn more about GracePointeCheck out our schedule of upcoming eventsBecome a sustaining member of the GracePointe communityInstagramTwitterFacebook

How do we hold on to hope when it seems like the world is ending? Today, lead pastor Josh Scott kicks off a new series on the gospel of Mark by looking at the historical and political context Mark was writing in. He explains how Mark’s world must have felt like it was ending and draws encouragement from the fact that Mark still began his story with good news. He also examines the concept of a gospel and what it can teach us about how people in Mark’s time thought about Jesus. Episode Recap: Resources: Learn more about GracePointeCheck out our schedule of upcoming eventsBecome a sustaining member of the GracePointe communityInstagramTwitterFacebook

The good news of Christmas is not that we are bad and in need of saving, but rather that each one of us has divinity within us. Today, lead pastor Josh Scott talks about the things Jesus’ coming revealed to us about who God is and about who we are. He reminds us that being human is a good thing, and that there’s a reason why God chose us to carry out God’s plans in the world. Episode Recap: Resources: Learn more about GracePointeCheck out our schedule of upcoming eventsBecome a sustaining member of the GracePointe communityInstagramTwitterFacebook

The Christmas story serves as a powerful reminder that fear and joy can often coexist. Today, lead pastor Josh Scott examines Matthew’s story of the Magi who visited Jesus. He talks about the different ways that both fear and joy show up in the story and encourages us to find joy in the hope of what could be, even when we’re acknowledging the pain and injustice around us. Episode Recap: Resources: Learn more about GracePointeCheck out our schedule of upcoming eventsBecome a sustaining member of the GracePointe communityInstagramTwitterFacebook

The idea that Jesus had a miraculous conception entered the early Christian Tradition with Matthew’s Gospel. Why did he tell the story that way? Today, lead pastor Josh Scott continues our Advent series by examining the historical and cultural context around Matthew’s version of Jesus’ birth story. He also reminds us that the Christmas story is ultimately a story of peace and encourages us to spend this season acting courageously to bring about the kind of world we long for. Episode Recap: Advent is a season of longing and anticipation (0:10) Matthew was the first to give us a birth story for Jesus (2:38) Matthew uses midrash to interpret Jesus’ story (8:48) Matthew invites us to reimagine the way we engage with stories (15:41) Why was it important that Jesus was born of a virgin? (21:58) Many of us want a conquering king, but Jesus came for peace (25:46) Peacemaking is an act of courage and strength (28:47) Sometimes peacemaking is about reminding each other that we are beloved (33:16) Resources: Learn more about GracePointe Check out our schedule of upcoming events Become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community Follow GracePointe on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

The idea that Jesus had a miraculous conception entered the early Christian Tradition with Matthew’s Gospel. Why did he tell the story that way? Today, lead pastor Josh Scott continues our Advent series by examining the historical and cultural context around Matthew’s version of Jesus’ birth story. He also reminds us that the Christmas story is ultimately a story of peace and encourages us to spend this season acting courageously to bring about the kind of world we long for. Episode Recap: Resources: ⁠Learn more about GracePointe⁠⁠Check out our schedule of upcoming events⁠⁠Become a sustaining member of the GracePointe community⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Facebook⁠