Jesus Sums (us) Up, John 1:45
A true Israelite in which there is no guile! Jesus sums up Nathanael within a hundred feet of meeting him. Let's look at John's fig tree imagery, Jacob references, and strange choice of detail in this exchange. We also share some mushy stories of times we've been affirmed and challenged out of nowhere by the voice of Christ through someone else. Tune in.
Flying on a Million Dollar Rug | Luke 7
We begin with the shocking story of an accidental millionaire who made his gains by way of an old rug he found on the porch. Then we discuss the value of the perfume used to wash Jesus' feet, and how he turned that value toward the forgotten woman with her dripping hair. That and Rick lists his surprising collection of Civil War antiques while Josh discusses his near-worthless trove of baseball cards. Tune in. Do it.
Poisonous Sound Bites | Genesis 3:1-6
After a brief leave of absence, we are back and starting at the beginning. Old Scratch himself slithers up to our first parents and immediately starts twisting the language. From conflating God's words to using a different name for God himself, the snake puts a slippery wedge between humanity and reality. It worked, btw. That and Josh has a youth group flashback while Rick gets misunderstood.
Drop it and Follow, Matthew 8:1-11
They dropped everything and followed Him... We look at the calling of two of the disciples – sudden, strange, life-altering. Jesus seeks them out and they leave everything – livelihood, culture, relationships – and follow Him. In that culture, the rabbi never came for you – you chased him down and begged to be his disciple. For Jesus to tap these nobodies on the shoulder and ask them to join his ragtag school was a dream they thought they'd never reach.
Many Rooms in Father's House, John 14:1-4
In my Father's house are many rooms. We've probably all heard this phrase, and it brings to mind to streets of gold and perhaps great-grandma in a gossamer gown. In this passage, Jesus is giving some hint at that mysterious chunk of time between our death and the final resurrection. What happens in the "beyond the blue?" Not sure exactly, but at least we can look at the clues we have. This, and an interesting talk about Rick's worst hotel experience, which was perhaps some kind of crime scene. Tune in!