Episodes
Sunday Nov 12, 2023
Our Need For Sabbath Rest
Sunday Nov 12, 2023
Sunday Nov 12, 2023
With the holidays quickly approaching, we remember that the most wonderful time of the year is accompanied with some of the busiest times of the year. With the quick succession of events, the busyness of our day-to-day, and the overwhelming number of obligations that can pile up on our plates, the necessity of sabbath rest comes into frame. It can feel difficult to carve out time to rest amidst this season, but when we choose to spend time with Him, whether out in nature or at our desk, we can find rest that is truly restorative, life-giving, and reminiscent of who we are in the Father. Keeping the sabbath gives us the opportunity to connect with God, find the rest that sustains His people, and trust the God of peace with our lives.
Sunday Nov 05, 2023
God & Money (Part 2)
Sunday Nov 05, 2023
Sunday Nov 05, 2023
In shifting our attitudes around money and generosity from a question of how much to give to a question of how much to keep, we can set financial goals that encourage a healthy, God-glorifying relationship with money. There is nothing wrong with accumulating resources and using them for what we need or even want, but hoarding excess wealth without a clear purpose is a dangerous habit. Ultimately, God calls us to express generosity to one another as He does to us - without restraint, limits, or merely doing the bare minimum. When we make sacrifices for the sake of loving and ministering to others, we worship God and the radical generosity He displayed in giving us His son, Jesus Christ.
Monday Oct 30, 2023
From Practicing Anxiety to Learning to Breathe
Monday Oct 30, 2023
Monday Oct 30, 2023
We often react anxiously to stressful circumstances when they arise, but our responses to them are not involuntary—they’re learned processes. Catastrophizing, or reverting to imagining the worst outcome in given events, is one of those learned processes we respond with which reflects a deeper rift in our understanding of who God is. In Mark 4, we see a contrast between the disciples catastrophizing in the face of a storm and Jesus remaining relaxed in the midst of it because he had full confidence in the provision and sovereignty of the Father. Throughout his ministry when under persecution and pressure, Jesus stayed aligned with God’s presence and demonstrated to us that transcending peace is not merely a fleeting feeling or state of mind, but a reflection and practice of our relationship with the Father.
Monday Oct 23, 2023
Just to be clear, Who is my neighbor?
Monday Oct 23, 2023
Monday Oct 23, 2023
Many of us struggle with mercy not because we have bad intentions, but because it's a hassle to go out of our way to help others. Just like the priest or the Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, we pass by, thinking someone else more qualified will help. However, Jesus calls for all of us, not just a select few, to display the radical generosity that He had for us when He died on the cross. More than just a call to action, this is a call to reflection, as we should ask ourselves whether we are truly embodying Christ's vision of love and generosity. And should we ever doubt our ability, remember that no one starts out perfect, but by starting we will gradually and inevitably build the skills necessary to truly embody Christ's vision.
Sunday Oct 15, 2023
Seeking God’s Presence in a Troubling World
Sunday Oct 15, 2023
Sunday Oct 15, 2023
As we get older, our fears multiply to a point of omnipresence, and our worries can feel suffocating because of how much of our attention they take. To deal with our anxieties, we often resort to various unhealthy coping mechanisms, which may not rid us of our problems. However, the good news of the gospel emphasizes that we have a God who, like the calming presence of a caring parent, wants to protect us and sustain us through our concerns. Through the story of Elijah and his call to God, we learn the importance of seeking out God’s presence, unplugging from a distracting world, and intentionally withdrawing from troubles to connect with God’s quiet voice that sustains us.
Sunday Oct 08, 2023
Systematics
Sunday Oct 08, 2023
Sunday Oct 08, 2023
In the course of the Christian life or in one’s investigation of faith, the thoughts and considerations for how we should live a life in Christ brings about the question of, “how?” Through the many voices, iterations, and interpretations of how we should live our lives, it’s worth noting that the systems set in place through adherence to the truth in the scriptures and of the faith experience introduces a filter for gleaning value from a multitude of angles and perspectives. From introduction into the Christian community to how we exist in and through it, systematic theology offers a lens by which we can formulate an orderly, rational and coherent account of the doctrines of Christian faith in our own lives.
Monday Oct 02, 2023
What Spiritual Confidence Looks Like
Monday Oct 02, 2023
Monday Oct 02, 2023
If spiritual poverty results from a poor vision of God, then spiritual wealth results from having spiritual confidence. The prodigal son returns to his father because he has confidence that his father loves him and will not turn away from him. Likewise, God invites us to approach Him with shameless audacity in knowing we are deeply loved by Him, as well as shameless intimacy in wanting to be close with Him. He doesn't promise that we will get a fish if we ask for a fish, or an egg if we ask for an egg. Instead, the Father promises that when we approach Him as the beloved, seeking a relationship with Him, we will receive the greatest gift of all: God Himself.
Monday Sep 25, 2023
What Spiritual Poverty Looks Like
Monday Sep 25, 2023
Monday Sep 25, 2023
How often do we say we believe in God, but do not trust Him enough to provide for us? If we face difficulties, whether minor or major, and believe that God will not help us, thinking we have only ourselves to rely on, we are suffering from a poor vision of who God is. This poor vision is not only a shame, but it is also dangerous, as it leads to spiritual poverty, lack of faith, mistrust, and bitterness. As Jesus reminds us in Luke 11, if even we as sinners will give to our beloved children, then how much more will the Lord, who loves us so much that He shed His own blood for us, give to us. If we correct our poor vision of God, we will see that He cares more about our flourishing than we ever will. He will provide; all we have to do is ask.
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Submitting to God’s Plan A
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
We are often aware of God’s promises for us, but sometimes there are temptations that influence us to make plans of our own instead of waiting for His promises. In the moment, it can feel as if we’re struggling too much for God’s plan for us to be worth it, so we start to lean towards our own plans. The truth is, even if we can’t see the entirety of God’s plans, sometimes God will put us through a trying time to discipline and grow us in order to grow us into deeper people. Given that he wrote our lives and created the universe, we can entrust to him the plans for our own lives.
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Dependence
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Who does the kingdom of heaven belong to? Jesus encountering the rich young ruler in the gospel of Matthew leads us to consider his question of whether good deeds would help him gain eternal life. However, the reasoning that heaven is for good people who keep commandments is challenged by Christ who, previously, in the presence of children, stated that the kingdom belongs to them - those who depend on salvation by the goodness of the Father. The measure of our good works holds no weight compared to a salvation dependent on the goodness of God, because by faith we recognize our saving grace, and through God, all things are possible.