<![CDATA[Finding Jesus Again]]>After 22 years of preaching about Jesus, I wanna make sure I know Him.

For more than two decades, I stood behind a pulpit telling people who Jesus was, what He said, and what it meant to follow Him. I knew the sermons. I knew the theology. I knew the answers. Then I stepped away from the pulpit—and started asking questions I hadn’t allowed myself to ask before. Do I really know Jesus? Or do I know the version of Him I inherited?

Finding Jesus Again is my journey back to the beginning. I’m opening the Gospel of John, starting with chapter one, verse one, and walking through it. No pretending. No questions off limits. No requirements. No script. We’ll look at what Jesus actually said, the people He welcomed, the questions He asked, and the claims He made—and we’ll wrestle honestly with what we’ve been taught along the way. This isn’t about finding a new religion or a new denomination. It’s about finding Jesus.

Whether you still love the church, have been hurt by it, are questioning everything you once believed, or simply want to know Jesus more deeply, you’re invited to come along.

Bring your Bible. Bring your questions. Bring your doubts.

Let’s go back to John and meet Jesus again.

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Tue, 13 Oct 2026 02:35:45 GMTSun, 13 Sep 2026 03:40:26 GMT60John Mark Smithson<p>After 22 years of preaching about Jesus, I wanna make sure I know Him.</p><p></p><p>For more than two decades, I stood behind a pulpit telling people who Jesus was, what He said, and what it meant to follow Him. I knew the sermons. I knew the theology. I knew the answers. Then I stepped away from the pulpit—and started asking questions I hadn’t allowed myself to ask before. Do I really know Jesus? Or do I know the version of Him I inherited?</p><p></p><p>Finding Jesus Again is my journey back to the beginning. I’m opening the Gospel of John, starting with chapter one, verse one, and walking through it. No pretending. No questions off limits. No requirements. No script. We’ll look at what Jesus actually said, the people He welcomed, the questions He asked, and the claims He made—and we’ll wrestle honestly with what we’ve been taught along the way. This isn’t about finding a new religion or a new denomination. It’s about finding Jesus.</p><p></p><p>Whether you still love the church, have been hurt by it, are questioning everything you once believed, or simply want to know Jesus more deeply, you’re invited to come along.</p><p>Bring your Bible. Bring your questions. Bring your doubts.</p><p>Let’s go back to John and meet Jesus again.</p>episodicJohn Mark Smithsonjohnmarksmithson@gmail.comno<![CDATA[Trailer #3; Maybe we should Jesus Again]]>Trailer 3.

]]>17bbcd11-9168-4a90-8bf1-6f8be1107a8cTue, 29 Sep 2026 14:50:30 GMT<p>Trailer 3.</p>no00:01:31Trailer #3; Maybe we should Jesus Againtrailer<![CDATA[Trailer #2]]>Join us on October 5th for my new podcast "Finding Jesus Again." This is a daily, unscripted walk, verse by verse through the book of John.

]]>66412231-9d8d-4e37-9753-cbcfefcbd74aSun, 20 Sep 2026 15:47:14 GMT<p>Join us on October 5th for my new podcast "Finding Jesus Again." This is a daily, unscripted walk, verse by verse through the book of John.</p>no00:00:55Trailer #2full<![CDATA[Episode 6; Give me a Drink]]>Lesson 6 — Give Me a Drink: Jesus intentionally travels through Samaria and meets a woman at a well—someone others might have avoided. Through their conversation about living water and worshiping in spirit and truth, Jesus shows us that true worship isn’t about a particular place, tradition, or ritual—it’s about the heart. Jesus sees people, loves people, and calls all of us to Him.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY

]]>01bc8183-876b-4d12-845c-2cf95d566ae8Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT<p><b>Lesson 6 — Give Me a Drink:</b> Jesus intentionally travels through Samaria and meets a woman at a well—someone others might have avoided. Through their conversation about <b>living water</b> and worshiping in <b>spirit and truth</b>, Jesus shows us that true worship isn’t about a particular place, tradition, or ritual—it’s about the heart. <b>Jesus sees people, loves people, and calls all of us to Him.</b></p><p></p><p></p><p><b>Music licensed through Soundstripe.</b></p><p><b>Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY</b></p>no00:09:0816Episode 6; Give me a Drinkfull<![CDATA[Episode 5; I must Decrease]]>In Episode 5, we cover chapter 3:22-35. John the Baptist reminds us that following Jesus isn’t about building our own name—it’s about pointing people to Him. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” In this episode, we explore giving God the glory, believing the testimony of Jesus, and what John means when he says that eternal life—or God’s wrath—hangs in the balance.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY

]]>ed4d6748-e1f6-44a6-be2c-202f4e494957Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT<p>In Episode 5, we cover chapter 3:22-35. John the Baptist reminds us that following Jesus isn’t about building our own name—it’s about pointing people to Him. <b>“He must increase, but I must decrease.”</b> In this episode, we explore giving God the glory, believing the testimony of Jesus, and what John means when he says that eternal life—or God’s wrath—hangs in the balance.</p><p></p><p><b>Music licensed through Soundstripe.</b></p><p><b>Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY</b></p>no00:08:2615Episode 5; I must Decreasefull<![CDATA[Episode 4; Be Born Again]]>Lesson 4 — You Must Be Born Again: In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that following Him is more than religion—it requires a spiritual rebirth. We explore what it means to be born again, the promise that whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life, and why Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it. We’ll also ask: What does it really mean to step out of darkness and let the light of Jesus expose the truth in our hearts?

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY

]]>fc57b509-c63f-4841-b7ba-a213412b60d6Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT<p><b>Lesson 4 — You Must Be Born Again:</b> In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that following Him is more than religion—it requires a spiritual rebirth. We explore what it means to be born again, the promise that <b>whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life</b>, and why Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it. We’ll also ask: <b>What does it really mean to step out of darkness and let the light of Jesus expose the truth in our hearts?</b></p><p></p><p><b>Music licensed through Soundstripe.</b></p><p><b>Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY</b></p>no00:11:0414Episode 4; Be Born Againfull<![CDATA[Episode 3; Fill the Pots]]>sson 3 — Fill the Water Pots: Jesus’ first miracle was about more than turning water into wine—it pointed toward something new. The ceremonial water pots represented the old way of cleansing, but Jesus came bringing grace upon grace and a new covenant. We’ll also look at Jesus cleansing the Temple and the difference between simply being excited about Jesus and experiencing a genuine transformation of faith.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY

]]>e2b10866-ea20-4d85-bcda-d356ce6ca737Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT<p><b>sson 3 — Fill the Water Pots:</b> Jesus’ first miracle was about more than turning water into wine—it pointed toward something new. The ceremonial water pots represented the old way of cleansing, but Jesus came bringing <b>grace upon grace and a new covenant</b>. We’ll also look at Jesus cleansing the Temple and the difference between simply being excited about Jesus and experiencing a genuine transformation of faith.</p><p></p><p><b>Music licensed through Soundstripe.</b></p><p><b>Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY</b></p><p></p>no00:10:1413Episode 3; Fill the Potsfull<![CDATA[Episode 2; Ordinary People]]>Episode 2 covers John 1:19-51. Jesus didn’t begin by calling the powerful, polished, or perfect. He called ordinary people to follow Him. In this episode, we look at the first disciples in John’s Gospel and discover what their stories teach us about how Jesus still calls and uses ordinary people today.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY

]]>fd035eed-335a-4b57-be68-3153bc8c0ab9Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT<p>Episode 2 covers John 1:19-51. Jesus didn’t begin by calling the powerful, polished, or perfect. He called ordinary people to follow Him. In this episode, we look at the first disciples in John’s Gospel and discover what their stories teach us about how Jesus still calls and uses ordinary people today.</p><p></p><p><b>Music licensed through Soundstripe.</b></p><p><b>Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY</b></p>no00:10:2512Episode 2; Ordinary Peoplefull<![CDATA[Episode 1; Believe and Receive]]>Episode 1 of Finding Jesus again covers 1:1-18. In this episode of Finding Jesus Again, we go back to the beginning of John’s Gospel and take a fresh look at who Jesus really is. Beyond religion, tradition, and what we’ve always been told, what does John actually reveal about Jesus—and what does that mean for us today?

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY

]]>b4f784e2-543a-4297-85d2-3438ab30df6aMon, 05 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT<p>Episode 1 of Finding Jesus again covers 1:1-18. In this episode of Finding Jesus Again, we go back to the beginning of John’s Gospel and take a fresh look at who Jesus really is. Beyond religion, tradition, and what we’ve always been told, what does John actually reveal about Jesus—and what does that mean for us today?</p><p></p><p><b>Music licensed through Soundstripe.</b></p><p><b>Code: 6U1EXJQUAD7PWOJY</b></p>no00:09:0011Episode 1; Believe and Receivefull<![CDATA[Introduction Teaser]]>On October 5th, join me on a journey to Find Jesus Again!

]]>42a3c9a2-c515-40d7-bb30-c0fec5e11716Sun, 13 Sep 2026 03:49:25 GMT<p>On October 5th, join me on a journey to Find Jesus Again!</p>yes00:02:45Introduction Teasertrailer