Welcome to One Single Story, the daily Bible podcast from Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina. Host Pastor Stephen Mizell is joined by Pastor Jay Rivenbark and Cheryl Doty for a discussion on Mark chapters seven and eight, where Jesus crosses cultural and religious boundaries to minister to Jew and Gentile alike, challenging every form of tribalism along the way.

Scripture Focus: Mark 7-8 - Jesus enters Gentile territory, heals the Syrophoenician woman's daughter in response to persistent faith, restores a deaf man's hearing, and feeds four thousand people, proving that his grace knows no boundary.

In This Episode:

• The persistent faith of the Syrophoenician woman and why God honors enduring trust
• What Jesus's unorthodox healing methods reveal about humility in ministry
• A candid conversation about how churches can unknowingly become tribal
• Why salvation is a heart issue, not a territorial one

Key Quote: "Grace doesn't ask where you're from. It asks who you trust."

About One Single Story: A daily devotional podcast from Open Door Church walking listeners through the One Year Bible, offering brief, practical lessons from each day's reading every weekday.

visitopendoor.com | onesinglestory.com - Open Door Church, Edenton, North Carolina

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Welcome to One Single Story, Season 5. Pastor Stephen Mizell is joined by Pastor Jay Rivenbark and Pastor Sheryl Daughety for today's daily lesson from the One Year Bible. In this episode, the team digs into Mark chapter 7 and unpacks the tension between religious tradition and genuine, heart-centered faith.

Scripture Focus: Mark 7:1-23 - The Pharisees confront Jesus about His disciples eating with ritually unwashed hands, prompting a deeper conversation about empty religion and what true purity really means.

In This Episode:

• Why tradition becomes dangerous when it replaces relationship with God
• How church traditions, however well-intentioned, can quietly become requirements for worship
• Why Jesus declares purity is an inward issue, not an outward one
• How sin always begins in the heart before it surfaces in behavior

Key Quote: "Traditions are controllable, relationships are work - and we like control."

One Single Story is a daily devotional podcast from Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina, walking through the One Year Bible every weekday. New episodes every Monday through Friday.

visitopendoor.com | onesinglestory.com

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Pastor Stephen Mizell is joined by Pastor Jay Rivenbark and Pastor Sheryl Daughety for today's reading in Mark 6:30-56. When Jesus invites his exhausted disciples to rest, a crowd of thousands shows up uninvited -- and instead of turning them away, Jesus is moved with deep compassion. What follows reveals him as shepherd, creator, and provider all in one passage.

The team digs into the tension between rest and ministry, why compassion must always precede power, and what the feeding of the 5,000 teaches us about surrendering what little we have so God can multiply it.

Key Quote: "Power without compassion becomes cruelty. Compassion without power becomes frustration. Jesus holds both."

One Single Story is a weekday podcast from Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina, walking through the One Year Bible one passage at a time. Find us at onesinglestory.com or visitopendoor.com.

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Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Alyssa Bream as they dig into Mark 4:26 through 5:20, exploring how the kingdom of God advances quietly, powerfully, and compassionately.

Scripture Focus: Mark 4:26 - 5:20 - From the parables of the growing seed and mustard seed to the calming of the storm and the healing of a demon-possessed man, this passage reveals a kingdom that works even when we cannot see it.

In This Episode:

• Why small, faithful acts matter more than we realize - and how God grows what we cannot
• The disciples' deepening awe after the storm: even those closest to Jesus had to ask, "Who is this man?"
• Why Jesus told the healed man to go home and tell his story - and what that says about restoration and testimony
• The balance of human faithfulness and divine action: we plant and water, but God gives the increase

Key Quote: "When Jesus restores a life, he releases a witness."

Find us at visitopendoor.com and onesinglestory.com. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Welcome to One Single Story, Season 5! Host Pastor Stephen Mizell is joined by co-hosts Pastor Jay Rivenbark and Pastor Alyssa Bream for a conversation on Mark 3:31 through 4:25 -- covering how Jesus redefines family and what the Parable of the Sower reveals about the condition of our hearts.

Scripture Focus: Mark 3:31 - 4:25 - Jesus expands the definition of family through shared obedience, then challenges listeners to examine how they receive the Word of God.

In This Episode:

• How spiritual belonging is formed by obedience, not bloodlines or proximity
• The Parable of the Sower -- why the problem is never the seed, but the soil
• Why active, intentional listening is the first step in discipleship
• What endurance and long obedience have to do with bearing lasting fruit

Key Quote: "Growth in the kingdom depends less on exposure and more on reception. Open your heart and prepare it to receive the Word of God."

One Single Story is a weekday Bible podcast from Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina, following the One Year Bible reading plan. Find us at onesinglestory.com or visitopendoor.com. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

#OneYearBible #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #DailyDevotional #OpenDoorChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianLife #Scripture #Faith #GospelOfMark #ParableOfTheSower #Discipleship

Welcome to One Single Story! Host Pastor Stephen Mizell joins co-hosts Pastor Jay Rivenbark and Pastor Alyssa Bream for today's reading in Mark 3:7-30. The big idea: Jesus' authority demands a decision. There is no neutral ground -- you either submit or you resist.

The team unpacks why Jesus silenced the demons even when they spoke the truth, why crowds and spectacles can never substitute for genuine faith, and what it really means to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. They also explore how spiritual authority flows from alignment with God rather than institutional title -- and why repeated resistance to the Spirit builds a dangerous momentum that hardens the heart over time.

"The same power that frees the humble also hardens the proud."

New episodes every weekday. Find us at visitopendoor.com and onesinglestory.com.

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Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Alyssa Bream as they explore Mark chapters 2 and 3, where Jesus teaches that when rules matter more than people, religion has lost its way.

Scripture Focus: Mark 2:13-3:6 - Jesus confronts religious leaders over eating with sinners, fasting traditions, and healing on the Sabbath, revealing how they had turned God's gifts into burdensome rules.

In This Episode:

• Why Jesus prioritizes mercy over religious ritual
• How legalism turns obedience into performance
• Why being bothered by others' good deeds reveals misplaced motives
• Jesus' example of staying obedient to his mission despite criticism

Key Quote: "Mercy is not a loophole in obedience. It's the point of it."

About One Single Story: A daily Bible podcast walking through Scripture one chapter at a time with practical insights from Pastor Stephen Mizell and co-hosts from Open Door Church in Edenton, North Carolina.

Visit visitopendoor.com or onesinglestory.com

Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to join us each weekday.

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Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Alyssa Bream as they explore Mark 1:29-2:12, discovering how Jesus demonstrates His ultimate authority through healing and forgiveness, addressing our complete wholeness—body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

In This Episode:

• Why Jesus prioritizes forgiveness before physical healing
• How Jesus proves His divine authority by addressing spiritual needs first
• Understanding wholeness versus physical healing alone
• How compassion should be woven into daily life, not just occasional events
• Practical application: dealing with what's in front of you instead of being overwhelmed by distant problems

Key Quote: "Social justice without Jesus is no justice at all. Because if we fix a physical problem, like hunger, but they die and go to hell, we've missed the most important thing."

About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday podcast offering brief lessons from the One Year Bible reading plan, providing biblical encouragement and practical application for your daily walk with Christ.

Subscribe & Connect: Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to One Single Story for daily biblical encouragement. Visit visitopendoor.com and onesinglestory.com for more resources.

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