The Axiom Church Podcast

A Good Friday liturgy of the cross.

Week 5 – Mercy in the Shadows

Apprentice: The Thief
Text: Luke 23:39–43

Not every apprentice has years of formation.
Some begin at the edge.

Even here, love can awaken.
Even here, mercy speaks.

Apprenticeship sometimes begins at the end.

Practice:
Pray for someone who feels far from faith.

Apprentice: Mary of Bethany
Text: John 12:1–8

She wastes perfume.
She ignores calculation.
She loves without restraint.

Apprenticeship grows bold.
Love becomes embodied.
It becomes generous.

Practice:
Give something costly this week without announcing it.

Apprentice: Peter at the Fire
Text: Luke 22:54–62

Peter loves Jesus.
Peter swore loyalty.
Peter denies Him three times.

Love is practiced.
The pilgrimage gives room to get it wrong.
Failure is not the end of apprenticeship.

Under pressure, we discover what shapes us.
But Jesus’ gaze meets Peter not with rejection, but with invitation.

Practice:
Reflect on a moment you failed someone you love. Bring it to Jesus without defending yourself.

Week 2 – The Weight We Cannot Carry

Apprentice: The Rich Young Ruler
Text: Mark 10:17–31

He runs to Jesus. He kneels. He wants eternal life.
But he cannot release what anchors him.

Apprenticeship exposes attachments.
You can follow closely and still cling tightly.
Love matures through surrender.

Practice:
Name what feels hardest to release. Pray honestly about it all week.

Week 1 – Conceived in the Dark 

Apprentice: Nicodemus
Text: John 3:1–8

Nicodemus comes at night. Curious. Confused. Reputable but searching.

Apprenticeship begins in questions, not certainty.
New birth cannot be mastered.
Following Jesus means entering mystery.

Practice:
Ten minutes of silence each night. Let questions surface.

For Jesus, the center of everything was His relationship with the Father.

Jesus brings His Kingdom.

Youth Pastor Wyatt teaches on Matthew 3:13-17. Before Jesus acts publicly, he is named beloved. Belonging becomes the foundation from which faithfulness grows.

Jesus reveals a different vision of power — one that restores rather than dominates, and leads through proximity rather than control.