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Episodes
3 days ago
3 days ago
Our lives and even our history exhibit patterns of rupture and repair. Disruptions to life are inevitable, but that doesn't make them any less painful to endure, nor the realization of our own frailty any easier to bear. However, in Scripture we see that Jesus is a Savior who deeply understands humanity's weakness, suffering, and despair - his own ministry began with trial and temptation in the wilderness, and culminated in being crucified. Counter-culturally, it's the depths of our humanity and struggle that God calls us towards. These places of rupture are reminders that God created us for a higher purpose, to experience redemption in our deepest wounds and grow in tenderness, such that we could become beacons of His love to the world.
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Scripture: Matt 4:1-11
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Monday Mar 24, 2025
Monday Mar 24, 2025
We are at a pivotal moment where injustice and despair threaten to break our spirit, making us question the fight for justice. The enemy's scheme is to demoralize us, tempting us to resignation and making the darkness feel overwhelming. Yet, God allows these trials not to abandon us but to reveal the gap between our despair and our calling. Even when the sun is blocked out, His hand is there—guiding, strengthening, and preparing us to be the light in the darkness.
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Luke 22:14-23, 31-34
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.[a] 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Sunday Mar 16, 2025
Sunday Mar 16, 2025
God's glory often exceeds what we see. We can become so focused on our own struggles that we become blind to what God is doing in our lives. The disciples faced this as well, when they expected a conquering king, but instead encountered a humble carpenter. Jesus went through a transfiguration to reveal to the disciples that He was indeed the Son of God. Had He appeared as a king, He would not have fulfilled His most important mission, being sacrificed on the cross for our sins. Similarly, God's work in our lives may not be obvious or flashy, but He is always at work. By listening and trusting in His words, we can align ourselves with His much greater, and more beautiful, purpose.
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Luke 9:28-36
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure,[a] which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Sunday Mar 09, 2025
Sunday Mar 09, 2025
When doors close in our lives, we often see only darkness, but wisdom teaches us that endings are often beginnings in disguise. The story of Peter, who crumbled under pressure and denied Jesus, reveals how God redirects our paths—not to punish, but to sanctify and transform us. Just as Peter’s failures ultimately glorified God, our disappointments may be saving us from something we mistakenly relied on. True salvation is both a process of sanctification and an inner battle, as God dismantles our false selves to reveal who we are meant to be.
Scripture:
John 21:1-19
Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish
21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus Reinstates Peter
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Sunday Mar 02, 2025
Sunday Mar 02, 2025
Our lives are caught in the midst of a spiritual battle, whether we realize it or not. Some messages of the arrows are easy to brush off, but others sink so deep within us that they reshape the way we see ourselves and the world. Disappointment can shrink our lives into something small, manageable and numb, but the gospel offers us more. Jesus doesn’t simply heal our wounds; He enters the raw, liminal spaces we lock away, touching not only our pain but also the lies and vows that bind us. The good news is that His love is greater, breaking through our defenses to restore us to the fully alive, fully loved people we were always meant to be.
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Mark 1: 40-45
Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy
40 A man with leprosy[a] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41 Jesus was indignant.[b] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Monday Feb 24, 2025
Monday Feb 24, 2025
It's human nature to want to give an eye for an eye, operate in pettiness, and pay our insecurities and pain forward. Jesus, however, calls us to respond to a slap in the face by offering up the other cheek - to be so assured in our identity as children of God that in the face of insults, hurt, and brokenness, we respond with mercy instead of ego. This commandment, to show mercy to others as we have been shown mercy from God, is so challenging because it confronts the parts in each of us that stubbornly hold onto self-righteousness and judgment. Still, when we do surrender our pride and resentment to initiate reconciliation with those who have hurt us, we acknowledge God's grace in our own lives and become living testaments to His goodness and love.
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Scripture: Luke 6:27-38
Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Monday Feb 17, 2025
Monday Feb 17, 2025
As we go through life and take on more and more responsibility, the stakes will only increase. That's why it's critical for us to develop a deep relationship with God, such that our identity is rooted in His love for us. Jesus, for example, spent the first 30 years of His life developing such a relationship in order to power through His increasingly difficult three years of ministry. When our identity is truly with God, we'll be able to stay calm and collected, no matter the situation or how high the stakes, because we know that nothing can harm our identity or God's love for us. Indeed, if we bask in God's endless love, we'll be able to handle any challenge in life.
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Matthew 3:4-17
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with[a] water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Monday Feb 10, 2025
Monday Feb 10, 2025
Suffering can be a tool for spiritual growth, but not all suffering is part of God's plan—some are self-inflicted pitfalls driven by expectations, perfectionism, and misplaced desires. Peter's reaction to Jesus' prophecy of suffering reveals how deeply we can idolize our own visions of success, instead of loving God's will. Perfectionism and ambition can trap us in an endless pursuit of fulfillment, blinding us to the true peace found in God's love. Through grace, God shatters these idols, calling us to let go of rigid expectations and embrace Him fully.
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Scripture: Matthew 16: 13-23
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[a] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[b] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[c] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[d] loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Jesus’ ministry begins in the small seaport town of Nazareth in Galilee, where his claim to fulfill the gospel was met by a division of expectations and responses. The cultural context of Nazareth reveals a dissonance in the expectations surrounding the promised messianic mission. The Jewish people historically believed they had an exclusive claim to salvation, defined by adherence to cultural practices and values—a notion that prevailed until Jesus’ message entered the public sphere. The Messiah arrived, fulfilling the promises of scripture while defying expectations, extending love to those unlike ourselves, and making the saving grace of the gospel accessible to all.
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Luke 4:14-30 NRSVUE
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
14 Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ ” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months and there was a severe famine over all the land, 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many with a skin disease in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Monday Jan 27, 2025
Monday Jan 27, 2025
John Eldredge begins this series "Get Your Life Back!" by reminding us of the importance of benevolent detachment. God did not intend for us to live such exhausting, burdened lives. He calls for us instead to cast our cares upon Him, because it is God who is meant to carry the weight of this world. For practicing benevolent detachment, Eldredge encourages us to incorporate the 1-minute pause into our day-to-day. The 1-minute pause means not getting carried away by thoughts, not even praying, but just letting everything go and allowing our souls to breathe. As Matthew 11 says, in Jesus we will find rest for our souls, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light.