TEN FOOT POLE

We are still diving into Children’s Bible stories.  This week we are talking about Baby Moses and why he had to be put in a basket.  How do we process this death and danger? What faith is put in God in that basket? What can we learn from this story for our lives and for our kids. Tune in to Exodus 1 & 2 with Vicar Daniel Crofts for maybe not so much answers, but some really good questions.

Discussion Questions:

1....

We are diving into a new series for the next few weeks: Children’s Bible stories.  This week we are talking about the Shad, Rack, and Benny.  The trio are put against the fiery furnace as they stand up for their faith.  Does God require absolute faith in the face of death and danger? How do we talk to kids about this?

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you remember being taught about this story as a kid?

2. What was...

We are diving into a new series for the next few weeks: Children’s Bible stories.  This week we are talking about the story of Joseph.  It’s a long story that gets boiled down to two pages in our preschool Bible.  But what about all the family dynamics? Parents choosing favorites? Sibling rivalry? And that doesn’t even cover attempted rape, attempted murder, and slavery.  Dive in with us as Pas...

We are diving into a new series for the next few weeks: Children’s Bible stories.  We tell these nice rosy stories to our kids, but what about the hard stuff in all these stories? Like when God kills everyone.  Let’s dive in and find some good news as we shatter the rosy glasses. 

Today we dive into Noah’s Ark, which is roughly Genesis 6-9.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you remember about the Noah&r...

Hola from Mexico! Pastor A.J. is just south of Ensenada on the west coast in Baja California, Mexico. She is sitting down with Pastor Elizabeth Villegas while they are on Spring Break with their college students working with an organization in Mexico for mission work.  They are unpacking “the Great Commission” and how we do mission work in the world.  **Once again, sorry about my travel audio quality!

Discussio...

Hello from Wittenberg, Germany! Site of Castle Church where Martin Luther nailed the 95 Thesis to the church door.  Pastor A.J. is talking with Pastor Bridget, who is the director of the ELCA Wittenberg Center.  We will learn a bit about the German church, some history, and impacts on East Germany before and after WWII.  **apologies for my travel audio quality.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do we process the Lutheran in...

The reading from Romans talks about the idea of Original Sin and the abundance of grace given in Jesus Christ. Can God’s love and grace overpower all sin? If so, what does it mean for our life in Christ?  This is the New Testament lesson for Sunday, February 22, 2026.

Discussion Questions:

1. What have you been taught about the Doctrine of Original Sin?

2. Where do you think sin originated?

3. What role did we have in that v...

We dive into 2nd Peter in today’s episode.  It takes some weird turns about faith and is scripture true. What does it mean in our faith to believe or not believe in the factual-ness of the Biblical narrative? This is the New Testament lesson for Sunday, February 15, 2026.

Discussion Questions:

1. Does the meaning of this message matter if Peter wrote it or not?

2. What is your understanding of how we interpret the Bible?

3. ...

Salt, light, and the law.  “Sometimes the Gospel is comforting and sometimes its afflicting, it depends where you are in the story.”  In this episode we dive into the Gospel where Jesus talks about what it means to be a disciple. What does it mean to be the salt of the Earth or the light of the world?  This is the Gospel lesson for Sunday, February 8, 2026.

Discussion Questions:

1. Where do you see yourself...

The Beatitudes is one of Jesus’ most famous chats.  But what does it really mean? What does it mean for our lives as followers of Christ? Dive in with Pastor Lindsey and Pastor A.J., as we discuss justice and what these blessings mean for our lives. This is the Gospel lesson for Sunday, February 1, 2026.

Discussion Questions:

1.  Does the difference between “blessed are the poor” and “blessed are the...

This isn’t your grandmother’s Advent devotional. Advent After Dark’s final episode is a provocative, thoughtful, and surprisingly tender journey into the Bible’s most sensual book: Song of Songs. We unwrap a new layer of sacred desire, embodied spirituality, and poetic longing—inviting listeners to see scripture with fresh eyes and maybe blush a little along the way. It’s love poetry so lush it b...

I feel like you can't have a study about sex and the Bible without diving into David and Bathsheba.  Dive into this story with us as we unpack sex, abuse of power, and murder in 2 Samuel 11:2-27 in our third part of our Advent After Dark study!

Discussion Questions:

1. How was this story told to you as a kid?

2. How was Bathsheba’s role portrayed in how you have heard this taught before?

3. Women: what were you taught about ...

Deuteronomy 22:13–21 is one of the Bible’s most disturbing passages about virginity, honor, and punishment—where a woman’s sexual history becomes a public trial, and her body is treated as evidence. For Advent After Dark: Unwrapping Sacred Smut, this text offers a raw lens into purity culture, patriarchy, and the weaponization of sexuality.

Discussion Questions:

1. What were you taught about sex and virginity ...

 Genesis 19:30–38 is one of the Bible’s most unsettling sex stories—Lot’s daughters, believing the world has ended, get their father drunk and sleep with him to preserve their family line. It’s a tale of desperation, incest, and survival, and it’s ripe for exploration in our first episode of Advent After Dark: Unwrapping Sacred Smut.

Discussion Questions:

1. What have you been taught about thi...

Before we begin our Advent After Dark series, let’s talk about the basics. What is sacred? What is profane? What do we put in these categories and how do they affect how we understand the world around us through our Biblical lens?  Pastor Kyle and Pastor A.J. ask these hard questions as we prepare for our Advent series.  Is sex inherently profane? Or is it a sacred gift from God? Dive in for this off the cuff episod...

“Though nations rage from age to age, we remember who holds us fast.” My favorite hymn, Canticle of Turning, lends some wisdom to unpacking our Luke Gospel text for this week.  Join Pastor Chris and Pastor A.J. in diving deeper! This is Luke 21:5-19 for Sunday, November 16, 2025. 

Discussion Questions:

1.  What are the fundamental words of wisdom that you experience in Christ?

2. Where do we fail to see our ...

We dive into what the concept of the resurrection even is.  Jesus is challenged by the Sadducees about seven brothers all marrying a woman.  In the resurrection, whose wife is she? Jesus’ response is like, “you are totally missing the whole point!”  Join Pastor Melissa and Pastor A.J. in talking about Luke 20:27-38 for Sunday, November 9th, 2025. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your working the...

Jesus gives blessings and woes in this Sermon on the Plain.  Some of the things Jesus calls to can make us uncomfortable.  Where do we see ourselves in Jesus’ words? Are we the wealthy being casted down? Or the lowly being lifted up? Join Pastor Laura and Pastor A.J. in talking about Luke 6:20-31 for All Saints Sunday. November 2nd, 2025. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Who does Jesus see?

2. Where have you heard the ju...

Welcome back to Ten Foot Pole Podcast with Season 5!  We are diving back into the Gospel of Luke until our Advent special series starts!  Join Pastor Allison Johnson and Pastor A.J. in talking about prayer.  Jesus tells a parable about a couple of guys praying.  Is one better than the other? Who? Is anyone’s prayers “better”? Let’s talk it out.  Luke 18:9-14 for Sunday, October 26, 2...