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Facets of Faith
Join Pastor Katie, Keith, and David as they explore the gospel reading for the coming Sunday and how facets of our faith can be strengthened in the message of Scripture.
Pastor Katie, Keith, and David are all members of St. John Lutheran Church in Mars, a congregation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Episodes
67 episodes
The Wicked Tenants, Part Two!
We had so much great conversation about the parable of the wicked tenants and how this speaks to our own understanding of life as Christians and of God’s stubborn grace that we broke this podcast into two episodes!
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The Wicked Tenants, Part 1
We had so much great conversation about the parable of the wicked tenants and how this speaks to our own understanding of life as Christians and of God’s stubborn grace that we broke this podcast into two episodes!
By what authority...?
As we get closer and closer to the crucifixion in our gospel readings from Matthew, tensions are rising between Jesus and the chief priests. In these tensions, the question of "by what authority are you doing these things?" is posed to Jesus. H...
Sunday Sermon - September 20, 2026
Community is hard... especially when we feel like things aren't "fair." But being the body of Christ means being a community where we lead with love and leave envy behind. Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16Philippians 1:21-30
It's NOT Fair! The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
This coming Sunday's gospel reading includes the parable of the vineyard workers, a parable that often rubs us the wrong way as we are confronted with the generous provision of God. Join Pastor Katie and David as they explore the challenge of t...
Bible 101 - Letters (including Revelation!)
The bulk of the books in the New Testament are letters. Letters that were written to early communities of the church offering guidance and encouragement in response to their struggles of being followers of Christ in their daily lives. The book ...
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Bible 101 - Gospels and Acts
The New Testament begins with four gospel accounts - four accounts of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Why are there four? Why not just one? Join Pastor Katie, Keith, David as they explore the similarities and differences between the gospels and ...
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Bible 101 - Books of the Prophets
There are a number of books with the messages of the prophets in what is frequently called the Old Testament. Prophets offered messages for the people in their current world as well as messages of timeless truths of God's promises that we see r...
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Bible 101 - Books of Wisdom and Poetry
In the middle of the Bible is a collection of eclectic texts known as the books of Wisdom or Poetry. Each book has its own distinct flavor, but taken together, they offer a beautiful approach of expressing the joy and challenge of life and trus...
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Sunday Sermon - August 30, 2026
How long does it take to be sure that a fire is not consuming a bush? In Moses' call story with the burning bush, we hear the importance of a stance of curiosity in faith, in relationships, and in life. Primary Reading: <...
Bible 101 - Books of History
The Books of History in the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) covers a HUGE timeframe. In today's episode, Pastor Katie, Keith, and David try to summarize some of the highlights and ways to read these books of the Bible. As always -...
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Sunday Sermon - August 23, 2026
Who do yinz say Jesus is? Maybe the point isn't having an answer ready to go for this question from today's gospel. Maybe the point is engaging with and living with the question itself. After all, even Peter struggles with what his original ans...
Bible 101 - The Pentateuch
The Pentateuch is the name given to the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). Join Pastor Katie, David and Keith as they talk about the scope of these five books and how they help us begin our journey...
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Sunday Sermon - August 16, 2026
Joseph story is quite the story! His first major entrance is in Genesis 37, and his story goes on until the end of Genesis 50, the last chapter of the book of Genesis. There's a lot that can be said about him, but what does his story, specifica...
Bible 101 - What is the Bible?
We continue our conversation about the 101 basic question of what is the Bible. In this conversation, we dig into the content of the Bible and the overall structure of the Bible. If you want to learn more about how Lutherans view an...
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Sunday Sermon August 9, 2026
Jesus met the disciples in the middle of a storm. What does this story have to say for us in our own faith lives. Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33
Bible 101 - Where to even begin?
All of worship is based in scripture... but what is scripture? What is the Bible and why does it matter? How do you even begin to study such a monumental text? Join Pastor Katie, Keith, and David as they begin this new 101 series, Bible 101.&nb...
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Sunday Sermon - August 2, 2026
The Bible offers welcome to those who struggle with the divine, and in these stories, we hear God's welcome to those who struggle with faith, with God's call, and our place in all of it. In the story of Jacob wrestling with God, we hear this in...
Worship 101 Liturgy of the Eucharist
The second half of most Sunday morning services at St. John in Mars is called the "liturgy of the Eucharist," the work of the people surrounding the celebration and reception of the gift of Holy Communion. This part of the service is a mix of a...
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Worship 101 Stained Glass Windows - Surrounded by Story
This episode originally was not playing for people, so this is a rebroadcast. Stained glass windows surround the congregation in worship. In this episode, we explore the stories behind these windows and how they connect with t...
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