What happens when following Jesus challenges the way you’ve always thought religion was supposed to work? In Mark 2:13–3:6, Jesus calls a tax collector, eats with sinners, refuses to follow traditional expectations about fasting, and repeatedly clashes with the religious leaders over the Sabbath. In this episode of the Stapleton Books Podcast, we explore a series of controversies that reveal the growing divide between Jesus and the religious establishment—and what Jesus means when He says that new wine requires new wineskins. These stories challenge us to ask whether our faith is truly centered on Jesus, or whether we have let our traditions, expectations, and rules become more important than the One they were meant to lead us to. Following Jesus doesn’t mean squeezing Him into our old way of life. It means allowing Him to make everything new.

What do you need most from Jesus? In Mark 2:1–12, four men tear through a roof to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus, expecting a miracle. But before Jesus heals the man’s body, He does something even greater—He forgives his sins. In this episode of the Stapleton Books Podcast, we explore the faith that refuses to let obstacles stand in the way, the growing conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders, and Jesus’ stunning claim to have authority on earth to forgive sins. We often come to Jesus focused on the problems we can see, but this story reminds us that Jesus sees our deepest need—and He has the authority to do something about it.

Mark 1:40–45 What happens when someone considered untouchable comes face-to-face with Jesus? In Mark 1:40–45, a man with leprosy approaches Jesus with a desperate request: “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus does the unthinkable—He reaches out and touches him. In this episode of the Stapleton Books Podcast, we explore what this encounter reveals about the authority and compassion of Jesus and what it means for us today. We all know what it is to carry things that make us want to hide—shame, failure, rejection, or the fear that we are too far gone. This story reminds us that none of those things put us beyond the reach of Christ. The question is not whether we are clean enough to come to Jesus, but whether we are willing to come to the One who can make us clean.