Loving Your Neighbor: A Mark 12 Ministries Podcast

Mark 12 Ministries
  • 5.0 (2)
  • CHRISTIANITY

Loving Your Neighbor is a podcast by Mark 12 Ministries exploring how we can serve the vulnerable through the teachings of Jesus. Hosts Maggie Bennett and Perry Cooke dive into candid conversations on poverty, addiction recovery, and outreach. With real stories and expert insights, we challenge traditional views and reimagine what it means to love our neighbor, amplify marginalized voices, and build relationships that empower—not enable.

Episodes

  1. 11/27/2025

    Holiday Charity: Big Impact, Local Roots

    In Episode 2, Maggie and Perry dive into the world of holiday giving — the good, the complicated, and the meaningful. Together, they unpack what makes a charity trustworthy, how to ensure your money is truly helping people, and why sometimes the most impactful giving happens locally, not through the biggest national organizations. Drawing from years of hands-on outreach, they share practical tips and real stories that help listeners understand where their generosity can create the most immediate change. Perry highlights the “small wins” — simple, tangible actions anyone can take to love their neighbor well during the holiday season. If you’ve ever wondered, “Where should I give? Who can I help? What actually works?” — this episode will guide you toward giving with purpose, clarity, and compassion.

    32 min

  2. 11/27/2025

    Mark 12 Ministries: The Vision Behind Grace Village

    “Where We’ve Been + What Grace Village Really Is” Season 2 begins with a long-awaited update from Perry. After months of community questions, shifting schedules, and the Grace Village Project gaining attention in the news, Perry sits down to explain where he’s been — and why he was sleeping outside the night before recording this episode. In this conversation, Perry breaks down the heart behind Grace Village:  • why it matters,  • who it serves,  • and what makes it different from traditional shelter systems. Grace Village is designed to support individuals in Mark 12’s existing programs (Pathway Home and Operation Restore) by giving them stability, dignity, and a place to rebuild with both grace and accountability. Perry shares what daily life looks like without a facility — participants rotating through host churches, waking up at 5 AM, carrying all their belongings, working full-time jobs, and then setting up somewhere new each night. If you’ve been wondering “What is Grace Village?” or how Mark 12 is actively loving their neighbors in crisis, this episode is the behind-the-scenes look you’ve been waiting for.

    22 min

  3. 10/05/2025

    When Tragedy Makes Us Reflect: The Charlie Kirk Conversation

    In light of Charlie Kirk’s recent passing, this conversation isn’t about debate or politics — it’s about faith, legacy, obedience, and how tragedy causes us to pause and examine our own walk with God. Charlie wasn’t a martyr or a saint. He was a business owner, a believer, and a man who lived out what he professed. His life — and his death — have stirred something in many Christians, especially those who were raised hearing that one day we might have to die for what we believe. This episode invites listeners to reflect, pray, process, and consider: What kind of legacy will you leave? And what does obedience look like in the life you’ve been given — as a parent, leader, worker, business owner, missionary, or friend?

    23 min

  4. 08/24/2025

    Love Outside the Camp: A Scriptural Exploration

    In this episode, Maggie and Pastor Perry dive into what it means to “go outside the camp” and love as Christ loved. They explore the tension of living in the “already, not yet” of faith, the significance of Christ’s sacrifice, and how these truths shape our call to love and serve others. Through scripture and practical examples, they encourage listeners to see all people as made in God’s image and to seek out ways to reflect Christ’s love—especially toward those often overlooked or marginalized. This conversation is an invitation to deeper compassion and a faith that moves beyond words into action. Key Takeaways: We are all created in God’s image and welcomed into His family through Christ.Our peace and security come from Christ, not worldly constructs.We are called to love others, not control their salvation.Living in the “already not yet” is part of our faith journey.Loving others can be as simple as a kind word, a prayer, or a selfless gesture.

    27 min
  5. Starting the Conversation: Practical Love in Taboo Topics

    08/10/2025

    Starting the Conversation: Practical Love in Taboo Topics

    In this extended episode, Perry and Maggie dive deep into some of the most difficult and taboo cultural topics in society today. From immigrants and migrant workers to women who have had or assisted with abortions and the LGBTQ+ community, these issues have often been challenging to address within the church. Perry and Maggie begin the conversation, discussing what it truly means to show practical love and where to start.  This longer episode offers a real, unfiltered dialogue on how we can love without judgment, embracing the messy, uncomfortable parts of life with grace and compassion.

    44 min

  6. 07/20/2025

    Grace-Fueled Love: Obeying God When It’s Hard to Love

    In this vulnerable episode of Loving Your Neighbor, Maggie and Perry open up about real moments in ministry where loving others didn’t come easy. They share honest stories of discomfort, resistance, and the internal tension that comes when you’re called to love someone you wouldn’t naturally choose. But they also explore the truth that brings freedom: we’re not responsible for producing that kind of love on our own. God doesn’t expect perfection—He asks for obedience. And through His grace, He empowers us to love in ways that reflect His heart, not just our capacity. This episode is a reminder that Christian love is radical, countercultural, and often uncomfortable—but it’s not something we do alone. If you’ve ever struggled to love someone because of their past, their choices, or just your own pride, this conversation will meet you there—with honesty and hope.

    33 min

  7. 07/06/2025

    Loving the One You Don’t Choose: Defining Love in God’s Eyes

    In this episode of Loving Your Neighbor: A Mark 12 Ministries Podcast, Maggie and Perry dig deep into what it really means to love—not by our standards, but by God’s. We explore the different Greek words for love and how Scripture defines it far beyond feelings or preferences. This episode challenges us to ask: Who is the “one another” we’re actually called to love? It’s not just the person next door. Not just your family. It’s the person you wouldn’t choose to love—the one who thinks, looks, or lives differently than you. Through honest self-reflection and biblical insight, this conversation calls us to recognize our weaknesses and lean into God's strength—so His love, not ours, can flow through us.

    29 min

  8. 06/22/2025

    The Ministry of Jesus in Action

    In this powerful episode of the Mark 12 Ministries Podcast, we discuss HOW to really love the marginalized—not with pity or performance, but with purpose and presence. We walk through: An introduction to who the marginalized are and why it mattersChrist’s ministry as a model for compassionHow to listen to and engage with those often overlookedPractical steps for everyday advocacy and community supportUsing technology to build bridgesEncouraging faithful political and civic engagementAnd how prayer and collective action shape real changeJesus said, “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.” This episode is a call to humility, action, and hope. 🎧 Tune in now and be inspired to love with deeper intention.

    27 min

  9. 06/08/2025

    Who Are the Marginalized? Part III

    In the final episode of our 3-part series, host Maggie Bennett and Mark 12 Ministries founder Perry Cooke explore the less obvious sides of marginalization. This conversation expands beyond poverty to include immigrants, Romani communities, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and people from both inner-city neighborhoods and rural towns across Kentucky. Together, they unpack: Why being marginalized isn’t always about financial needThe impact of cultural and generational misunderstandingsStories that challenge assumptions and stereotypesHow the Church can respond with empathy, humility, and presenceThis episode reminds us that true compassion begins with listening, learning, and loving without conditions.

    28 min

  10. 05/11/2025

    Who Are the Marginalized? Part II

    🎙️ Episode 3: Who Are the Marginalized? (Part II)Welcome back to Loving Our Neighbor, a podcast by Mark 12 Ministries where we reimagine serving the vulnerable through the teachings of Jesus Christ. In part two of this heartfelt and reflective series, host Maggie Bennett continues the conversation with M12 founder Perry Cooke, focusing on what it means to minister one person at a time—and to love the whole person, not just their immediate needs. In this episode, they explore: The importance of seeing individuals as whole people—mind, body, and spiritReal stories from Perry’s experiences in the fieldA powerful moment when the line between those serving and those being served became beautifully blurredWhat survival mode looks like and how many people are just learning how to live beyond itHow we can walk with others out of survival and into stability, healing, and hopeThis episode reminds us that true ministry starts with compassion, dignity, and the willingness to enter into someone’s story. 🎧 Tune in now as we continue this transformative 3-part series on loving our neighbor with intention and Christ-like empathy.

    29 min

  11. 04/27/2025

    Who Are the Marginalized? Part I

    🎙️ Episode 2: Who Are the Marginalized? Welcome back to Loving Your Neighbor, a podcast by Mark 12 Ministries where we reimagine serving the vulnerable through the teachings of Jesus Christ. In today's episode, host Maggie Bennett and M12 founder Perry Cooke open a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation: Who exactly are the marginalized? Together, they explore: The true definition of marginalizationExamples of marginalized groups in our communitiesCommon characteristics and root causesWhat Scripture says about God's heart for the overlookedWhere we can realistically start when the need feels overwhelmingThrough real-life stories, biblical truths, and honest reflection, Maggie and Perry invite you to rethink common stereotypes and embrace a more compassionate, empowering way to love our neighbors. 🎧 Tune in now for the first part of this transformative 3-part series.

    28 min

  12. 04/14/2025

    Mark 12 Ministries

    Perry shares his personal journey into ministry and the heart behind Mark 12 Ministries. We explore the origins of the organization, who it serves, and what’s ahead for its mission to love and empower the vulnerable.  Mark 12 is committed to amplifying the voices of the marginalized and helping build communities that empower rather than enable.  Whether you're new to Mark 12 or curious about what it truly means to love your neighbor, this episode lays the foundation.

    25 min
  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Loving Your Neighbor is a podcast by Mark 12 Ministries exploring how we can serve the vulnerable through the teachings of Jesus. Hosts Maggie Bennett and Perry Cooke dive into candid conversations on poverty, addiction recovery, and outreach. With real stories and expert insights, we challenge traditional views and reimagine what it means to love our neighbor, amplify marginalized voices, and build relationships that empower—not enable.

Information