No Place Like Home: Crafting and Cultivating a Space Centered on Jesus

What makes a house a home? What makes a home “Christian”? What are its markers? Is it the Bible verses on the walls? The mom in the kitchen? The dad in the garage? The kids playing outside? Is it their choice of education? Or policy on screen time? Or household budget, diet, or weekly schedule? Or is it more?

The world wants us to label ourselves and others, to define our Christian home by some arbitrary, man-made criteria instead of the posture of the hearts within its walls. But we don’t want a world-driven home. We want a Christ-centered home.

So what is a Christian home? Well that’s what we are discussing today.

ALSO:

—Being a woman in the 1500’s

—When to submit and when to step in

—Homes that look like heaven

—How does Jesus want me to treat this person?

—Three specific ways to nurture and protect your family

References:

—“I Like Me” documentary about John Candy

—“Last One Laughing” TV show

—Ephesians 5:22-31

—Matthew 19:10-12

—“Crowded Table” by The Highwomen

—“Home Alone”

—“I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist” podcast by @drfrankturek

—Kirk Cameron podcast @kirkcameronshow on “Dangerous Questions”

It All Starts Here

Hi, friends! We are in our second week of looking at relationships in the Bible as well as our everyday lives, mining for truths in order to make some sense of how this is all supposed to work.

Last week we found the starting line—the Garden of Eden. And when the starting gun went off, there was a trip and a fall, and the whole world toppled into sin.

But God gave us a new starting line. While we were sick with sin, enemies hostile to God, He made a way for us to be right with Him again. He gave us Jesus. And now we stand in a waterfall of grace.

That’s our new starting line. In every relationship we are standing in grace, drenched in grace, and breathing grace in and out. So today we are going to sit in that truth a bit and let it wash over us, and we are so glad you decided to join us!

ALSO:

—Why we rejoice in suffering

—All the little gardens where heaven and earth collide

—Jesus alone makes us good with God

—Honoring God’s boundaries

—Lauren and Monica reveal their points of pride

—Going to the Word because lies sneak in

References:

—Romans 5-6:2

—Ephesians 4:26-27; 5:22

—“Life Together” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

—“Beloved” by Francis Chan

—“Come Home” by Caroline Saunders

—Blurry Creatures podcast episode 389: Where Heaven Meets Earth with N. T. Wright

—“The Vision of Ephesians” by N. T. Wright

Not Your Average Separation Anxiety

Why do relationships take so much work? We are tempted to believe that relationship work is a result of sin, but what if God always intended for us to work on relationships just like He always intended for us to work in the Garden?

What if the real question isn’t “why do relationships take work,” but “Why is relationship work so hard and painful?” Why can’t I manage to treat people the way I want to be treated, and vice versa? Why is loving God with my whole heart and loving my neighbor as myself a complete impossibility on my own, no matter how much I want it?

Well, the quick answer is “sin,” but we are diving deeper into what that means in our discussion today. We are walking through Genesis 1-3 and marveling at the miracle of life. Then we will witness the moment when all confidence in God disintegrated with a single bite.

We were made for relationship—with God, with each other, and with the world around us. But for now, let’s stick with the relationship that literally started it all. Thanks for joining us.

ALSO:

• Reading Martin Luther
• Talking about being naked
• Going to bed angry
• Sanctification in community
• Hard people remind us we are hard people
• Blaming God and running away

References:

• Martin Luther’s commentary on Genesis Volume 1
• Genesis 1-3
• Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org
• Ted Dekker Circle Series
• Malcolm in the Middle

He’s Here!!!

Our everyday choices may seem simple and logical. “Of course I would say that.” “Of course I would go there.” “Of course I would help them.”

But the truth is, most of these choices are highly dependent on what we believe in our hearts: what we believe about God, what we believe about ourselves, and what we believe about how God feels about us.

So when we meet the Samaritan woman in John, chapter 4 and she is going to the well in the middle of the day and acting defensively toward Jesus, we know there is more going on below the surface.

And Jesus goes there. He jumps into the deep end, confronting the lies and pain that have led to choices that have separated her from others. He calls out the shame that has been her companion, and He offers Himself instead. He reveals that He is the Messiah that everyone has been waiting for—that she has been waiting for.

Jesus still does this. He dives in and meets us in our shame. He finds us in the places where we search for sustenance. He shifts our perspective and reveals the truth about how God feels about us. For God so loved YOU that He gave His one and only Son.

As we approach Christmas and the New Year and the aftermath of it all, let us drink deeply from the living water Jesus offers and remember that the True Light in our corner is here.

ALSO:

-Jesus is the point

-Don’t be married to the results

-Freedom in confession

-Steak for Christmas

-The purpose of stars

-Being a well for the living water

References:

John 4

Ephesians 4

Genesis 1:14-15

“Garden in Manhattan” by Josiah Queen

Downton Abbey

“Life Together” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Prattville’s Artesian Well: https://fromthealdergrove.com/2023/07/16/artesian-well-potd/

#lightinyourcorner #livingwater #Jesus #HolySpirit #freedom #Gospel

Everything We Need

Every self-help guru, every modern-day motivational speaker will tell you something similar, even if the packaging looks a little different. All of them will say this: “I have figured it out. Want a better job? Better position? Better relationships? Better finances? Let me share what I have learned and all you have to do is follow the way.”

It’s not a new message. There are a lot of Christian leaders out there who say the same thing and there is nothing inherently bad about it.

The trouble comes when we start to strip Jesus down into simply another key point that will make our life here better. We might not be expecting him to show up at our cookout and miraculously feed us and 5,000 of our closest friends, but we can be easily tempted to love Jesus for what He gives instead of who He is.

Thankfully, He refuses to accept that. So instead of “this is the way,” He says “I am the way.” Instead of “Eat this, not that,” He says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Today we are going to dive into some hard but life-giving words from Jesus, who loves us so much that He refuses to be anything less than our Savior. He really is all we need, every day.

ALSO:

-Who’s on your zombie apocalypse team?

-Little Worship Factories

-God can make it make sense

-When your community reminds you that you’re not enough, but Jesus is

-Your genealogy can’t do it for you

-Simon Peter coming in clutch with his confession

References:

-John 6:22-71

-Blurry Creatures

-John Mark Comer Podcast: “Stay Together to Grow/Community Ep. 4”

-“Life Together” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

In the Pasture with Jesus

Hi, everyone! As we approach Thanksgiving Day, we first of all want to say THANK YOU for being so awesome. We are incredibly thankful that we get to spend time recording together, but even more than that, we are thankful that you spend your time listening to and encouraging us. We truly thank God for you all.

This episode we are looking at Jesus’s words in John 10 when He calls Himself “the gate” and then “The Good Shepherd”. Like most things Jesus said, this can look very simple on the outside, but there are more layers to it.

Maybe you are super familiar with Jesus as the Good Shepherd and have heard it preached on a hundred times. Or maybe you are less familiar with it and haven’t given it much thought.

Either way, it does us good to spend time contemplating our position as sheep cared for by the ultimate good shepherd. So rest with us a while as we talk about life in the pasture with Jesus.

ALSO:

—Maybe someone told me that?

—Faithful regurgitation of ideas

—Jesus lived with (and smelled like) His sheep

—Shepherds v. Hired Hands

—Where is this pasture?

—Everyone isn’t for everyone

—We live in a pasture, but also Egypt

References:

—Podcast: John Mark Comer Teachings: Sabbath as Resistance | Garden City E6, Oct 30, 2025

—John 10

—Ezekiel 34

—Unknown Number: The High School Catfish Documentary

More Vine, Less Whine

Today we are fortifying ourselves to face a world saturated with discontent, impatience and fear.

So how do we fight against the current that threatens to drag us down into anxiety and despair and apathy? Where do we find the nourishment that will give us life and help us bear fruit?

Jesus’s disciples faced the same basic threats and here is the answer He gave them: Abide in me.

Jesus chose them, and He chose us, to abide in His love and bear the fruit of His love in our lives.

Today we will talk about that—about our TRUE vine, Jesus, and about what it looks like to be pruned as we abide in His love and bear fruit.

John 15 is a really great place to spend some time and we are so happy you are spending your time with us today! If you want to spend even more time with us at Light In Your Corner, you can find us on Instagram at LightInYourCorner or you can email us at Lightinyourcorner@gmail.com and we can even add you to our gratitude circle on @GratitudePlus!

ALSO:

• Rebellion against the streak
• Cells, DNA, Light and Mass
• The pruning never ends
• Look for the fruit and name it
• Whether it’s 1200 or 2, fruit is fruit

References:

• Gratitude Plus app
• Ezekiel 15 & 17
• Daniel 4
• John 15

#gratitude #thankful #bearingfruit #trinity #truevine #Jesus #HolySpirit #GodtheFather #VineandBranches

The Son of Man, and Micro-dosing and Beasts, Oh My!

Hey Friends! We are back and today we are talking about just some of the many times Jesus called himself the Son of Man. It was a name that brought comfort to those seeking God’s kingdom, and it unsettled those who meant to establish their own kingdoms.

So which camp do we fall into?

In a world where we struggle to find meaning in hardship and relief in our struggles, it can be tempting to try one of the many paths presented to us. But true healing comes when you know that this isn’t all there is—that Jesus came Himself as one of us, a Son of Man, and that one day He is coming back to bring His kingdom that will never end.

In the meantime, we are talking about what it means to live in anticipation of that kingdom and how to worship in gratitude for all He has done for us.

If you would like to join our Light In Your Corner gratitude circle, download the Gratitude Plus app and text us or message us over Instagram at @lightinyourcorner. Or email us at light in your corner at gmail.com. We would love to have you join us!

ALSO:

• Why do bad things happen?
• Cautions about some uncertain methods of healing
• The link between gratitude and worship
• The parable of the weeds
• Healing and forgiveness
• The intentional vulnerability of Jesus

References:

• Daniel 7
• Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
• Matthew 9:1-8
• Matthew 8:18-20
• The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

@thebibleproject

@blurrycreatures

@gratitudeplusapp