Park Hill Church Podcast

It's Easter 2024. We are continuing in our series "Acts." Here in Acts 5, the connection to the Easter story is too good to miss. The apostles are in prison for preaching the resurrection. They've been publicly shamed by Jewish leaders. These apostles have every reason to be crippled by fear of the unknown. But they aren't afraid. It's as if they're expecting a heavenly being to pass through their locked doors and lead them into God's future hope. Why were they so secure, confident, and settled amidst their suffering? The reason goes back to a similar event they experienced on the first Easter morning.

Matt Pursley gives a teaching at our special Palm Sunday gathering for all ages.

From our series "Acts." For many Bible readers, Acts chapter 5 is famously considered one of the most troubling texts in all of scripture. In this narrative, a couple named Ananias and Sapphira die... seemingly, for lying. But things are more than they seem. And the result of this tragic moment in church history is that the "fear of God" grips the hearts of the whole church, which in turn leads to miraculous healings, salvation, and power flowing through the early church out into the world God so loves. So, what do we make of this story today as San Diegans in 2024? And what do we make of "the fear of the LORD"? The Holy Spirit wan't to bring about great fruit in our lives today. But it turns out, we can't have the fruit without the fear. 

From our series "Acts." In the unfolding events of Acts 3–4, we witness the first significant conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world. Peter and John are interrogated by the authorities for preaching the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. How they respond to their earthly authorities (and how their Church community responds to their response) reveals much about how followers of Jesus are to live in the world today. As citizens of God's kingdom first, what should our "allegiance" be to our worldly government and culture? And what should we do, practically, when those two kingdoms come into conflict? The Spirit-led Church in Acts 4 points the way forward.

As part of our year in Acts, we are looking at eight different practices from Jesus that shaped the life of the early church. In this teaching, Evan Wickham walks us through our second practice: fasting. The spiritual practice of fasting from food played a crucial role in the launching of Jesus' ministry as well as the most important moments of key decision-making in the early church. So, this raises the question, why is fasting such a forgotten practice for Christians in our time and place today? In our relatively affluent culture of extra, more, and mine, fasting might be the most relevant practice for followers of Jesus. We are called by the living God to live holy lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. And one of the primary ways we get to live into that holiness is through the practice of fasting-with-prayer in community. 

From our series "Acts." As the disciples proclaim Jesus' name with power and authority, the religious leaders recognize that although the disciples were uneducated, ordinary men, they had obviously been with Jesus. They were beginning to talk like him, act like him, and do the miraculous things he did. As Jesus' disciples today, we are called to impact our world the same was his first disciples did. We do this by being with Jesus. In other words: we must be filled with the Spirit.

From our series "Acts." Here in chapter 3, we read the account of the first miraculous healing in the early church. Peter and John see a man unable to walk from birth, and they proceed to heal the man by God's power in Jesus' name. This story raises so many questions for us—namely, does God still heal like this today? Did Jesus really command his followers to continue doing all his healing work that he did? The answer is just as shocking for us today as it was for the first witnesses of the miraculous healing of Acts 3.  

As part of our year in Acts, we are looking at eight different practices from Jesus that shaped the life of the early church. In this teaching, David Wade walks us through the first practice: reading scripture. The Bible tells the story of God's acts through history to save and rescue a people for himself. Not only is the Bible this kind of story, but it's also a living word, alive and powerful, that actually shapes God's rescued family more and more into the image of his son Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, how do we practice reading scripture in order to experience transformation? Listen along and find out.

This is a live recording of our final House of Learning event from 2023 (Nov 26). When Park Hill leadership asked our people what areas of the Christian faith they would most like to learn about, several responded: “Church history.” So, this final House of Learning is entitled "Christian History Before Power.” The goal of the night was to share a meal and humbly learn from the first 300 years of church history all about what it means to love and follow Jesus. How did the first Jesus followers answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" Join us and find out.

From our series "Acts." Acts chapter 2 shows us what happened the day the Church was born, and the apostle Peter gives the first sermon in Church history. His message: The long-awaiting Day of the Lord has come! Now the power of heaven is unleashed on earth, creating new ways of being human, leading to the complete restructuring of human society around King Jesus. So rethink everything! This is what the first century Jews were waiting for. And it's what every human heart today is longing for as well (whether we know it or not). We long for the world to be set right, where there's no more sin and death, and injustice is no more. This is what Jesus came to do. The question is, will we respond by repenting and trusting in him as the rightful king of the universe? This might require us to rethink everything...

From our series "Acts." Acts chapter two is one of the most well known parts of the Bible, and for good reason. It's the moment the entire Old Testament was longing for: When God's personal presence comes to rest within the hearts of everyone, from every nation and culture, who pledges allegiance to Jesus as king. But when the Holy Spirit comes, what's the first thing he compels the first Christians to do? The answer is just as shocking to us today as it was to those who witnessed the first events of Pentecost. 

Introducing our series "Acts." Park Hill Church will be in the book of Acts for most of 2024. The core concept of the book: The people of God—the Church—are people empowered by God's Spirit on God's mission to expand God's kingdom in the world now. The Holy Spirit gives God's people the ability to accomplish God's mission. Join us as we watch (and follow) the first church following Jesus into the world.

In this teaching, we wrap up Justice Week at Park Hill Church. It's also the eve of MLK Day, a day our culture has set aside to commemorate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister and prominent leader who helped bring hope and healing to America in the name of Jesus. In that spirit of biblical justice in the way of Jesus, we are honored to have David M. Bailey preaching this Sunday at Park Hill Church. David Bailey is a public theologian, culture maker, and catalyst focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society, and the executive producer of the documentary 11 am: Hope for America's Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project. David is rooted at East End Covenant Fellowship, serving on the preaching team, and his greatest honor is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.

As we take in the grand story of scripture, two things become clear: (1) Jesus is the Voice of God that pierces the darkness of our sin and offers the forgiveness, belonging and healing that every human heart longs for. And all who rejoice in Jesus' authority and goodness get to be part of the New Creation that he is bringing forever. And (2) the flipside is just as clear: All who resist the authority of Jesus in their lives will experience destruction in the darkness of their own choosing forever. If we have ears to hear, we will discover God's Voice speaks a better word than we can possibly imagine. It all comes down this question: How will you respond to his Voice today?

From our series "Advent 2023." This is the third Sunday of Advent, traditionally calld "Rejoice Sunday!" But if we're honest, we have mixed feelings about joy at Christmastime. During the holidays, our culture is shouting at us to be happy and feel the Christmas spirit, which only highlights the very real grief and difficulties that we all experience. This is why the topic of joy can be tough, especially at Christmas time. We feel the tension of rejoicing and lamenting, which is why Mary is the perfect person to pay attention to on "Rejoice Sunday." The mother of God experienced that same tension in her own story. She leads the rest of us to that same Joy in her Son Jesus.

From our series "Advent 2023." AJ Swoboda visits Park Hill Church for the second Sunday of Advent. In this teaching, AJ leads us in reflecting on the life of Joseph the husband of Mary, mother of Christ. Joseph is a fascinating and often ignored figure in both our nativity scenes as well as our study of scirpture. But today, Joseph takes center stage, and as he does, he actually leads all of us to de-center ourselves to that Jesus gets all the attention. Let's pay attention to Joseph the lowly, and follow him out of our self-centeredness and into the presence of God.

“Are You Anxious? Come to Me.” – Jesus What is anxiety? Why do I feel anxious? How do I deal with it? This is a live recording of our House of Learning from Sunday night, October 29th, all about 'Mental Health and Faith', led by Pastor and Marriage and Family Therapist Greg Piken. In this episode, you will get a basic understanding of why you feel anxious and learn a variety of practices that will help you to find more peace in your body, in your relationships, and in your connection to God through Christ and the Holy Spirit. What if God actually designed the Way of Jesus to be inherently healing for our mental health? This event will explore an understanding of mental health, anxiety, and wellness through a Christian faith perspective, and give you and your loved ones practical tools and next steps to take. We pary it enriches your life as you follow Jesus.

From our series "Advent 2023." Terry Fouche visits Park Hill Church. He imparts a vision for listening to a God who is a good and desires to speak to his children. Advent is a time for waiting. It's difficult to wait, especially when we experience pain and suffering. But God is good and desires to speak to his family, always.

This is the final episode of our 7-part “Godbreathed” interview series. Author and pastor John Mark Comer visits the Park Hill podcast to discuss his journey with Jesus, his relationship with God and scripture, and what it means to be spiritually formed in the way of Jesus. Evan Wickham interviews John Mark on how to engage with our polarized culture without losing our souls, how to faithfully read the hard parts of the Bible, and the pros and cons of the modern spiritual formation movement in the church today. We pray this conversation enriches you as you seek to love God and others well.

Erika Mellado, on of the elders of Park Hill Church, preaches on Christ the King Sunday. When Jesus calls his disciples and begins to teach them, he teaches them all about what it means to live under his kingdom. This is where many of us start to struggle today. Many of us are OK with the idea of Jesus being the Creator and our teacher, but we're less comfortable with him being our King and authority over our lives. But the authority and goodness of King Jesus is the best thing we could possibly imagine for the universe.We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

This is Part 6 of our "Godbreathed" Interview series, with Dr. Lynn Cohick. Does the Bible teach that women and men are to lead God's church as co-equal image bearers of Christ and spiritual fathers and mothers within Christ's Body? Dr. Lynn Cohick answers with a huge yes. Dr. Cohick is part of the NLT Bible Translation Committee, with special focus on the Gospel and Acts. She has written The Letter to the Ephesians (New International Commentary on the New Testament) and co-authored Christian Women in the Patristic World. Cohick also cohosts The Alabaster Jar podcast, a weekly conversation that takes on current issues impacting women at the intersection of faith, theology, and ministry.

How we tell time determines who we are. This is why Christians, those who know they are the loved daughters and sons of the living God, have been telling time by way of the Christian calendar for centuries. Calendar creates culture. Humbly living in and out of the Christian calendar is a powerful way to “number our days” as a Spirit-led community in San Diego—and remind ourselves who we are. We believe the story of Jesus is the one true story that redeems the world. We believe this so profoundly that it's how we tell time.We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

Dr. Sandy Richter (PhD Harvard) is the real life Indiana Jones. She's an Ancient Near Eastern linguist and archaeologist. She can read original Old Testament Hebrew better than most of us read English, which is probably why she's one of the few women on the NIV Bible Translation Committee. In Part 5 of our Godbreathed interview series, Evan Wickham asks Dr. Richter how she stumbled from lost to believer to leading voice in biblical scholarship. Also, does the Bible demean women and promote slavery (fun fact: she disagrees with Nijay Gupta's answer to this Q from a few episodes ago in this series)? What parts of the Bible still keep Sandy up at night? And most importantly, how does Jesus encounter Sandy through the scriptures?

Aleah Pursley preaches on waiting well for God, from Matthew 25v1–13.We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

Does the Bible demean women? Why do Christians seem to obey only some biblical commands "as written" (i.e. Love God, love neighbor) while obeying other commands only partially (i.e. don't eat shellfish, don't shave your beards, how to marry your captured slaves)? In this conversation, Evan Wickham interviews Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith, professor at Western Seminary, and author of How (Not) to Read the Bible, among other works. In this conversation, Dan Kimball responds beautifully to some common questions about the Bible and following Jesus. We pray this conversation increases your trust in the goodness of God's written word.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

This is the final teaching of our series "Godbreathed." The whole point of the Beatitudes—and the whole point of the scriptures—is to empower the whole family of God to see what's really going on behind this thing called life and reality: Things are more than they seem! The kingdom of God really is breaking into our world of pain, division and grief. Jesus really is the good king who is back from the dead and won't stop until every sad thing comes untrue. This is good news for the poor, powerless, grieving, and those society deems unimportant.We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

To enrich our Sunday teaching series Godbreathed, the Park Hill Church Podcast is hosting conversations with scholars, theologians, and pastors all about the good, bad, ugly and beautiful parts of the Bible, and how to encounter Jesus through it all. This conversation is with Dr. AJ Swoboda. AJ is a pastor, theologian, and cohost of the Slow Theology Podcast alongside Nijay Gupta. AJ currently teaches Bible and Theology at Bushnell University. In this conversation, Evan Wickham asks AJ some questions about the Bible. As Always, Swoboda's responses never fail to surprise and delight (which might involve a tirade against what he calls "Bible shaming" plus a provocative take on “kosmos” in John 3:16 being about God's love for extra terrestrials as well as humans). We think this conversation will help you on your journey following Jesus.

From our series "Godbreathed." The Bible is not just a book that we read; it's also designed to read us. How do we come to the Bible in this way? We don't read the Bible simply for information, or even for motivation to be better people (although those are good things!). Ultimately, the goal of Bible reading is union and loving communion with the Trinity. The practice of slow, daily, meditative scripture reading, both individually and in community dialogue, has always been central to how followers of Jesus are transformed into Jesus' image. We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

To enrich our Sunday teaching series Godbreathed, the Park Hill Church Podcast is hosting conversations with scholars, theologians, and pastors all about the good, bad, ugly and beautiful parts of the Bible, and how to encounter Jesus through it all. This conversation is with biblical scholar and Slow Theology podcast cohost, Dr. Nijay Gupta. Nijay serves on the New Living Bible Translation Committee. But don't let his credentials fool you: Nijay is a pastor at heart. In this conversation, Evan Wickham asks Nijay Gupta some common questions about the Bible: Is the Bible anti-women? Is the Bible pro-slavery? What parts of the Bible still keep Nijay up at night, and what does he do about that? Perhaps most importantly, how does Nijay encounter Jesus through the scriptures? We discuss these questions and more in this fascinating interview. We pray it equips you to follow Jesus more closely into the wild world of the Bible.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

To enrich our Sunday morning sermon series "Godbreathed," Park Hill Church is hosting conversations with scholars, theologians, and pastors all about the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful parts of the Bible. In this conversation, Evan Wickham sits down with Dr. Preston Sprinkle, author, biblical scholar, and president of the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender. What difficult parts of the Bible still keep Preston up at night? What does he do about that? How should Jesus followers approach our hyper-polarized political moment in time? As a professional Bible guy, how does Preston experience the loving presence of God through the scriptures? We discuss these questions and more in this interview.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

To enrich our series "Godbreathed," this is a live Q&A panel from the Roseburg Bible Conference at Redeemers Church with Scot McKnight, Lakita Wright, AJ Swoboda, and Evan Wickham. They respond to all kinds of questions about the Bible. Park Hill gives a big thank you to Redeemers Church in Roseburg for granting permission for us to post this Q&A panel discussion to the Park Hill podcast feed. We pray this enriches your journey of trusting Jesus and the Scriptures.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

Below are several links to resources mentioned in this podcast episode:THE STORY OF MARRIAGE BOOKLET — Park Hill Church's statement of commitment to the historic Christian teachings on marriage, singleness, and sexuality)SAN DIEGO REVOICE CHAPTER — Revoice Chapters are local community hubs for sexual minorities who follow Jesus. We meet once a month to foster connection, provide safety, and emphasize dignity. We partner with local sexual minorities to facilitate groups, and with local ministers to provide pastoral care as needed. PEOPLE TO BE LOVED — Preston Sprinkle's important book continues to provide the global church much-needed guidance around this every-important conversation. The LGBTQ+ conversation is not primarily about issues to be discussed, but people to be loved. UNWANTED — This incredible book by Jay Stringer has helped countless people who are longing for hope in the midst of unwanted sexual behavior. This book is for all people, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, who want to better understand the reasons undergirding our longings and desires. The truth is more beautiful that we can imagine.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.

Register for our next House of Learning HERE.We are praying through the whole New Testament in 2023, together as a community. To join us, get a free digital copy of our BREAD 2023 journal HERE.For a hardcover BREAD journal, visit Park Hill Church on a Sunday morning to buy one at our Connect Desk.