Results tagged “Podcast”

The best-known and most-loved story of the Bible is not just for kids.
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1 Samuel 17:45-47 But David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied... This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand... that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's. »more

God finds possibilities for grace in the most unexpected places and through the most unlikely persons. We miss out when we judge superficially - by appearance alone. How then can we learn to see as God sees?
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1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." »more

All the ordinary places and events of our lives hold the potential to become houses of God, gateways of heaven. Every moment holds the possibility of revealing the hidden God in our midst. The reason knowing God does not consist of an endless stream of ecstatic and extraordinary experiences is because God wants us to learn to see him in the ordinary!
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Genesis 28:10-22 Jacob came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said... "Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place--and I did not know it!" And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." (Genesis 28:10-22) »more

Just as all roads lead to Rome, so all biblical revelation leads to the knowledge of God as Holy Trinity - one God eternally existing as three distinct persons in eternal loving communion. Christians do not believe in an abstract solitary deity - a disinterested supreme being who may or may not be interested in us. We believe in a God whose very being is love - a God who dwells in eternal personal communion of giving, receiving, and sharing love. In Jesus' final earthly prayer for his disciples, he prayed that we would know this love personally, embody it in community, and express it to the world.
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John 17:20-23 "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. »more

From prison, Paul continues to preach and practice the gospel with great joy. He continues to rejoice, because no matter how great his trial, God's power in Christ is greater. Paul's philosophy is simple: Living is Christ, dying is gain. His win/win philosophy makes him an unstoppable force in serving others in the name of Christ.
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Philippians 1:21-24 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. 23 I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. »more

Many people in our culture demonstrate religious fervor in regard to politics - devoting huge amounts of time and energy to forcing others to subscribe to their dogma. But politics is no substitute for piety. Israel was tempted to reject its unique status of possessing God as king in order to be "like the nations." Tired of being peculiar, they desired to conform to their surrounding culture and its views of power. The church must not capitulate to this same peer pressure. There is a great cost to putting one's faith in politics, for the King "takes and takes and takes" leading to enslavement. On the contrary, Jesus, God's ideal king, "gives and gives and gives" leading to liberation and love.
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1 Samuel 8:9-17 Samuel said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons... take your daughters... take the best of your fields... take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards... take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work... take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. »more

In this year's confirmation ceremony, I challenged the confirmands to confirm their faith by choosing to climb Peter's ladder of virtues which leads to God instead of the world's so-called "ladder of success" that views others as objects to be crushed - rather than helped - along the way. By climbing the ladder of divine ascent that allows us to be "partakers of the divine nature" we "confirm our faith."
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2 Peter 1:5-8 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. 8 For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. »more

For the Christian, Easter is never over. It is not simply one day out of the year, or one season out of the Christian year, but it is celebrated weekly on Sunday - the Day of the Risen Lord. Christians are Easter people who seek to understand life in light of the new reality of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. We say we "believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting." But what does it mean to live the resurrection? How does belief in our future resurrection to glory intersect with our present bodily sufferings? Paul gives three ways to "live the resurrection," that is, to live beyond the tomb, viewing all life in light of Jesus' resurrection and its significance for us and the world. These ways are summarized in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
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2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18 because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. »more

After the excitement of Easter fades, Peter and some disciples return to their former occupation by heading out to the lake to fish. Unable to catch anything, a mysterious stranger appears and gives them directions that bring in a great haul of fish. Peter recognizes that the mysterious stranger is Jesus. The disciples and Jesus then share a simple meal on the shore. Later, Jesus invites Peter for a walk along the shore to take care of some unfinished business. Knowing that Peter had betrayed him three times, Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?" Each time Jesus repeats his question, Peter is reminded of his failure to stand by Jesus in his time of need. Through his questions, Jesus not only confronts Peter with his sin but also provides an opportunity for Peter to recommit his love to him. Peter's guarded "Yes" is followed by Jesus' call to "Tend, shepherd, and feed Jesus' people." Peter is called to follow in the way of Jesus by becoming a faithful, loving shepherd. In spite of Peter's sin, Jesus' call to "Follow me" remains true as ever.
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John 21:15-21 15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me." »more

What unites the church together as one? What draws us together above all else? Surely, it is not our age, gender, social class, personalities, hobbies, tastes or styles. It is not our politics or philosophical and moral theories. We are a diverse group with various interests. What unites us is the gospel of Christ. In order to preserve, practice, and pass on this eternal message, the church devised early creeds and confessions (short summaries of faith). In Paul's letter to the Corinthian church we encounter two of the earliest creeds. In this message, we wrestle with the meaning of these creeds that Paul says are "of first importance."
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1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain. 3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them--though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe. »more

"The fundamental conviction of our faith is not so much that God is, as that God speaks" (Eugene Peterson). And "God speaks in personal address. God does not speak grand general truths, huge billboard declarations of truth and morals; the Lord's speaking is to persons, named persons: Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul. And Samuel" (Eugene Peterson). God's "Samuel! Samuel!" is an invitation to a deeper relationship. Let our answer, like Samuel's, be "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." In this session, we focus on what is necessary to prepare one's self to listen to God.
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1 Samuel 3:1-10 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. 6 The Lord called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." »more

No matter how prepared we think we are, we are never quite prepared for the shock of resurrection. We must not domesticate the event. It is wild and untamed, unforeseen and unexpected. It casts its shadow (or better, light) on all that precedes it. Easter should always come as a surprise. Yet it is the only event that makes sense of all that Jesus taught.
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Luke 24:1-11 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. »more

"Personal knowledge is impossible without risk; it cannot begin without an act of trust, and trust can be betrayed." Within a week the "Hosannas!" turn into "Crucify him!" Jesus is betrayed, abandoned, rejected, tried and condemned. Jesus was betrayed by a friend - a beloved and trusted disciple. Betrayal is painful because it comes from someone we love and trust. "We find ourselves betrayed precisely because we never thought we would be."
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Matthew 26:4-56 47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him." 49 At once he came up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you are here to do." Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. 51 Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?" 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. »more

Tragically, "we [often] have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another" (Jonathan Swift). It is easy to justify hatred with a cloak of righteousness. The "greater righteousness" of Jesus will not allow such travesties to occur.
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Matthew 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. »more

The law set strict limits on the right to revenge. Jesus gets to the heart of the law by challenging his followers to renounce their right to retaliation. Instead of returning evil with evil, evil is met with good - with a subversive assertiveness that opposes without mirroring, resists without emulating, and neutralizes without destroying.
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Matthew 5:38-42 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. »more

We cannot be real - with God, our self, or others - when we lie. Through lies, we hide the truth from others, and we hide ourselves from the truth. We lie because we fear the consequences of the truth. The price of truth is high. Will others love and accept me if they know the truth? It's easier to hide the truth and live a lie. Unfortunately, we never really live. It's one thing to be real; another to be alive. Thomas Merton writes, "Our ability to be sincere with ourselves, with God, and with other men is really proportionate to our capacity for sincere love. And the sincerity of our love depends in large measure upon our capacity to believe ourselves loved. Most of the moral and mental and religious complexities of our time go back to our desperate fear that we are not and can never be really loved by anyone."
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Matthew 5:33-37 "Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one." »more

Jesus offers a radical solution to the problem of lust - a disordered desire that is a parasite upon love. The solution calls for radical, severe, and resolved discipline. It demands that we guide all our desires by the supreme desire of love for God. "This is not 'repression', as people sometimes suggest. It is more like the pruning of a rose, cutting off some healthy buds so that the plant may grow stronger and produce better flowers. Choosing not to be swept along by inappropriate sexual passion may well feel on occasion like cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye, and our world has frequently tried to tell us that doing this is very bad for us. But, for neither the first nor the last time, we must choose to obey our Lord rather than the world." (N. T. Wright).
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Matthew 5:27-32 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell »more

God's blessed ones are called to be salt and light to the world by living out the "greater righteousness" of the kingdom. The "greater righteousness" of the kingdom is not a righteousness of degrees, but of depth. It is not mere external observance, but a matter of the heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gets to the heart of the ancient law's original intent. The law is given, not just to regulate external actions, but to create a heart for God and others. Jesus begins by proclaiming that "Thou shalt not murder" is not just about preventing murder, but preserving life. One can refrain from pulling the trigger or plunging the knife and yet still possess a murderous heart. Jesus thus attacks the source of murder: unchecked anger that leads to insults, contempt, and degradation of others opening the possibility of brutality.
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Matthew 5:21-26 "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. »more

The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' kingdom manifesto. It is a prime example of Jesus' "preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:23). As news spread of his ministry, great multitudes from all parts of the land of Israel converged in Galilee.[1] Like Moses before him, Jesus ascended a mountain, sat down, and began to teach. Jesus' audience was about to have every expectation challenged. Their ideas concerning kingdom, power, and glory were about to be turned upside-down. With his disciples in the foreground and the listening crowd in the background, Jesus began his kingdom manifesto with a surprising series of blessings, commonly called "the beatitudes."
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Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. »more

"All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." The first question that comes to mind is this: Is this a true offer? Whose kingdoms are these to give? Can the devil legitimately offer the kingdoms of the world to Jesus? The tempter invites Jesus to secure the cooperation of the nations through the tried and true way of political force; to use questionable means - the ways of the world - for good ends. And the force of the temptation - its main allure to Jesus - was that this kind of power works!
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Matthew 4:8-11 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. »more