Have you ever had to give up something of value to gain something else of greater value? In these parables Jesus illuminates the fact that following Jesus in discipleship is costly, but also well worth the cost. There is great joy that comes when the true value of Jesus’ Kingdom is discovered and embraced. Jim Elliott captures it well when he says, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Be sure not to miss an episode of Kingdom Roots with Scot McKnight by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes (https://goo.gl/G9gMfC ) or Sticher (https://goo.gl/uNZKlF)

The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) - KR 47 by Scot McKnight

The good news of Jesus’ resurrection breaks the bonds and power of death. Jesus intended this powerful reality to be deeply rooted in the Church. There is an incredible story Jesus invites everyone to take part in through the resurrection. Join in this week’s conversation to discover the implications the resurrection has for followers of Jesus and His community. The resurrection is the biggest “IF” in all of history because if it is true all of life changes with it.

Following the Church calendar is one of the most powerful ways to embrace and be shaped by the gospel in discipleship. God has blessed the Church with the Church calendar as an opportunity to physically remember and be transformed by embodying the greatest events of God’s people. Scot shares about his journey of paying more attention to the Church calendar and why he began to spend more time remembering the great events of God through embodying them in the Church calendar. Suggested Resources: Scot’s List of Links on his Jesus Creed Blog - http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/favorite-links/ The Revised Common Lectionary - http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu Book of Common Prayer - http://www.bcponline.org Ancient Future Time by Robert Webber – https://goo.gl/DwnIdW Growing Young by Kara Powell – https://goo.gl/SFL3i3 Sticky Faith by Kara Powell – https://goo.gl/NHfxUq Interested in learning more about Northern Seminary’s new focused vision and courageous mission? Visit us online at https://seminary.edu Be sure not to miss an episode of Kingdom Roots with Scot McKnight by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes (https://goo.gl/G9gMfC)or Sticher (https://goo.gl/uNZKlF).

The Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35) Imagine a world with more forgiveness. It has been said that withholding forgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die. Jesus uses this powerful parable not just as an illustration about forgiveness, but also as an invitation into a deeper relationship with God through forgiveness. The reciprocal nature of God’s grace is such that when it is given it creates the opportunity to deepen the relationship with a responding gift. At first look this parable seems like it might not be very gracious, but when it is put into it’s historical context it’s easy to see that this parable is actually a perfect example of how God’s grace invites us into a greater story.

What kind of party does God like to throw? Jesus’ parable of the lost son reveals the heart of God about those who are far from Him. It is clear that God celebrates the worst of sinners coming to Him and invites all to the celebration. Jesus captures our imagination once again in this parable he invites us to join the celebration of redemption like only He can throw.

Stories have power. No matter what you think about Jesus, no one can deny that he was a master storyteller. Jesus’ stories or parables were used to invite listeners to imagine a world saturated in Kingdom living. These stories inspire, disrupt, and sometimes even trick us into understanding the truth. In this episode Scot and Chaz have a conversation with Scott Reed about the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree. This parable shocks the listener into hearing some important truths when it comes to God’s judgment and justice. Suggested Resource: Stories with Intent by Klyne R. Snodgrass (http://goo.gl/5QBBwN) Interested in Northern’s Master’s of Arts in New Testament with Dr. McKnight? Learn more at http://seminary.edu/mant or email Chaz at crobbins@seminary.edu

Scot's Trip to Israel - KR 41 by Scot McKnight

Communicating a message in public is one of the difficult tasks in the world. Bill Shiell, President of Northern Seminary, shares insights throughout history about how communication happens. He explains the power that comes from what happens when the Bible is communicated in the Church. The skill of communicating the message well is important when it comes to how it is received by its audience. President Shiell teaches preaching at Northern and shares the most valuable elements that help the message to take root in the audience. Suggested Resources: Delivering from Memory by Bill Shiell (http://goo.gl/gXbm7l) Northern’s Annual Preaching Forum (http://www.seminary.edu/nkpforum17/) Interested in contacting Bill Shiell? Email him at President@seminary.edu

Behind every great scientist is a great story. Scot has a conversation with Dennis Venema about his scientific journey of unpacking the human genome and how that affected his faith journey. Also in this episode, Dennis takes the complexity of the human genome and makes it simple to understand by any audience. Dennis Venema is professor of biology at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia and a fellow of Biology with Biologos. Preorder Adam and the Genome here: http://goo.gl/Tfmme7 If you want to have a chance to win a copy of Adam and the Genome, share your favorite line from the episode on Twitter or Facebook with #kingdomroots.