Arbor Church

But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. – Luke 15:20 Addiction is a powerful force that can leave us feeling stuck and alone. Ryan shares how the story of the Prodigal Son can help us find our way back to God’s love and grace.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?" – Matthew 6:25 When anxiety rises, where we fix our focus determines whether we will fall apart – or find peace. Ryan opens our summer series Unstuck.

On this Father’s Day, a message from Mark 10:46-52, on another healing of a blind man – and this man is one we can look up to as a shining example of how to follow Jesus.

They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking!" – Mark 10:37-38 Today, Ryan speaks about the hard truth that the Disciples confronted in Mark 10: how we so often prefer the security of the throne over the sacrifice of the cross.

*“Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” From Mark 10:17-31, the story of a man who seemed like he had absolutely everything he needed to enter the Kingdom of God – humility, obedience, religious piety, and sure proof of God’s blessing in his abundant wealth. This week, Ryan helps us understand what this question meant for first-century Jews … and what questions we can ask about our relationship to money today.

Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" – Mark 10:2 The Pharisees tried to trick Jesus into taking sides on the topic of divorce. It was a contentious matter in Jesus’ time, and, in the two thousand years since, it hasn’t gotten any easier. Today, Scott tackles this tough subject with love and humility.

From Mark 9:38-50, the story of the disciples’ confrontation with others who were casting out demons in Jesus’ name, and Jesus’ warning for those who would lead others to sin. A brief portion of Brian’s message is missing from the beginning of the podcast due to technical difficulties. The Management apologizes for the error.

This week in the book of Mark (9:30-37), the disciples hear Jesus plainly foretell his own death, and they respond to this shocking news by … arguing about which of them is the greatest. They were, in a word, disoriented. What can we learn from periods of disorientation in our lives?

Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!" – Mark 9:24 Today, from Mark 9:14-29, a valley follows the mountaintop experience of the Transfiguration. Can we bring our doubts to Jesus? … And what happens when following Jesus feels like it’s making things worse?

A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides,but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper… – 1 Kings 19:11-12 This week, Ryan concludes our 3-part miniseries on Solitude with the rest of the story of Elijah’s flight from Ahab and his time in solitude with God.