Hello and welcome to the John Mark Homer Teachings podcast. My name is Yinka Dawson and I'm your host.

Each week we feature teachings by John Mark or other voices in the formation space. It's wonderful to have you with us.

As we continue our Advent series with our week on peace, we're sharing a recent teaching from John Mark by his visit in Bridgetown Church.

In the teaching, John Mark shares some of his story with anxiety

and while he's learning about the importance of embodying the peace of Christ,

challenging us to grow in peace through prayer and surrender.

Here's John Mark.

Good evening, everybody. You sound as tired as I feel. That's a bad combination. No, it is great to see you. What a joy and delight to be

with you and back with you as a community. We moved to California,

some of you that are newer, and we just miss you terribly. And very rarely does a week go by

where there isn't just a wave of ongoing grief and loss. But let's not talk about that.

It's kind of depressing.

It's really happy to be back with you.

And such a joy to just see you thriving in fidelity to Jesus

under such phenomenal leadership.

And bless you all.

So, Colossians chapter 3, if your Bible is not open already,

it should be open in your lap.

Let me just give you a moment to come to peace before we begin.

Thank you. I'm six weeks old, and I'm driving with my parents from our home in the Bay Area up to Lake Tahoe to go camping.

And my parents are chatting away in the front seat.

I'm in a rear-facing car seat in the back,

...