Tenth & Broad Church of Christ Podcast

What does Jesus see when he looks at his church? In A Fresh Revelation of Light, Ken explores the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3. Jesus knows their faithfulness and their struggles. He affirms the ways they shine, corrects the ways their light has dimmed, and offers promises to those who overcome. Like the moon reflecting the sun, the church has no light of its own: we reflect the light of Jesus. This message invites us to hear his voice, repent where the world has come between us and him, and shine again.

What does the church need most when the future feels uncertain? A fresh revelation of Jesus. As Ken begins A Fresh Revelation, he returns to Revelation 1 and the risen Lord who walks among his churches. Jesus knows what his people face, cares for them, and holds their future. This message invites us to place our hope in Jesus, make him the center of our life together, and choose allegiance to his enduring kingdom.

God wants all people to be saved, and He has entrusted every believer with both a ministry and a message of reconciliation. This calling is not reserved for pastors or leaders. It belongs to ordinary, imperfect people who are simply willing to show up. Ministry often comes before the message, because genuine love and care open hearts to the truth. We are not called to judge who seems ready to hear the gospel. Some people are simply waiting for someone to notice them and ask. God does not need polished or impressive people. He works through jars of clay, common and willing, filled with a treasure that is not their own.

What does faithful friendship look like when someone’s world has gone dark? In “A Breath of Fresh Air,” Ken explores 2 Timothy 1:15-18 and Onesiphorus, a little-known believer who searched for Paul in Rome, stood beside him without shame, and refreshed him often. His example shows that Christian care does not require fame, credentials, or a formal ministry. It requires awareness, humility, courage, and unselfish love. Sometimes the most important gift we bring is simply ourselves. This message calls every member of Christ’s body to notice pain, make the first move, and become a dependable breath of fresh air.

The church should be the most encouraging place on earth. In “An Encouraging Word,” Ken explores Hebrews 10:19–24 and the good news beneath that calling: Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice gives us confidence to draw near to God. Because he is faithful, we can hold on to hope and help one another grow. Ken calls us to choose “we” over “me,” walk together rather than alone, and use honest, loving words and deeds to build one another up. Join us as we practice the encouragement Christ has given us.

Why does Paul end Romans with so many names—and why does he tell believers to greet one another with a holy kiss? In “A Holy Kiss?” Ken continues the Practicing Membership series through Romans 16:1-16. Paul’s greetings reveal a church family where people are known by name, differences are not allowed to divide, and love is expressed in tangible ways. The message challenges us to become greater greeters: to notice every person, honor the unity we share in Christ, welcome those who feel like strangers, and communicate genuine worth before worship, during worship, and throughout the week. Join us as we learn why greeting one another is itself an act of worship.

What does it look like to forgive as Christ has forgiven us? In “Forgiving Your All,” Ken continues the Practicing Membership series with Ephesians 4:31–32. The message calls us to put away bitterness, choose kindness and compassion, and stop collecting the relational debts we believe others owe us. Through Jesus’ story of the unforgiving servant, we see the contrast between the mercy we have received and the mercy we sometimes withhold. Forgiveness may require returning to prayer again and again. At the communion table, we remember that our deepest identity is found not in our own wounds, but in the wounds of Jesus. Join us as we practice the grace that helps Christ’s body heal.

Jesus prayed for His followers in John 17, asking not that they be removed from the world, but that they be protected while living fully within it. This tension between being in the world but not of it is one every believer faces. Three responses to the world are illustrated through a sponge, a block of Styrofoam, and a rock. The sponge absorbs everything around it, the Styrofoam floats above it all out of fear, and the rock remains fully immersed without being changed by what surrounds it. Jesus calls His followers to live like the rock. Grounded in the truth that God is both a loving Father and a reigning King, believers can engage the world with confidence, purpose, and love. You are already loved, and you are already sent.

Some loads are simply too heavy to carry alone. Others are responsibilities God gives us to carry faithfully. How can the church know the difference? In “Practicing Membership: Burden Bearers,” Ken opens Galatians 6:1–5 and shows how Christian community combines gentle restoration, humble self-examination, shared strength, and personal responsibility. We bear one another’s boulders without taking away one another’s backpacks—and we follow Jesus, who carried the burden none of us could carry for ourselves.

Love is not just a feeling. It is the very nature of God, and He calls us to live it out together as His church. The church is not an organization to join but a living organism to participate in. Just as a physical body needs every part to function, the body of Christ needs every member to be active, connected, and submitted to one another. Membership is not something you place on a form. It is something you practice every single day. No member is self-sufficient, every member matters, and every member is called to submit for the good of the whole. When the body of Christ comes together in unity, there is nothing in the world that can stop it.