The Goodness of God

Jesus gives his core group of disciples some last marching orders, and then, we ascend into the sky. What he wanted them to do was simple: get out there and preach the good news. Christ had been preparing them for this moment the whole time, but he did one last thing that was incredibly important. He got out of the way. He shifted what it meant to be the Body of Christ. It was no longer the body of a man but a body of empowered believers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his journeys, Paul finds himself called right into the center of Athenian culture with one opportunity to make his case. Standing before Athens' ruling council, he artfully uses a combination of pieces of Greco-Roman culture to make a convincing and intelligent argument to a group of people who appreciate that exact kind of thing. Paul got to that point because the early church didn't have the option to sit in buildings of their own hoping that a skeptical world will wander in looking for something. He had to go out there and reach the people where they already were. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are some real highs and lows to the religious experience. Stephen experiences all of them at once. He has this moment of direct connection with God and gets killed by a mob for speaking out against the religious authorities. Pushing forward God's Kingdom has always been difficult and remains so. We don't have to seek out the suffering. It just comes with the territory sometimes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At some point, when asked, "what is church?" we end up with architecture. Even if we know on some level that the Church is people and not a building, we still probably picture those people in a building. Maybe, it's a grand steepled structure, a modern theater looking space, or something clapboard and down home. At the start, 2,000 years ago, there were no buildings that belonged to the church. They met in homes and the Temple. Instead, when it all went right at first, it was purely about devotion to God and devotion to each. That's what got it all started and can always be what we run on now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every once and while, we catch that moment of clarity. "Oh geez, I need to change." Reams of self help books and the bowels of the Internet will gladly give you some advice, but there's something much more ancient (and reliable) - God's Holy Spirit. At the tail end of his sermon in Acts 2, we see Peter striking a fine balance. He shows the crowd that they have a need to change. He hopes to lead them to that moment of clarity, but because of God's power and grace, we never to stay there. There's a better way forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For his first ever sermon, Peter became the first person to face a new a troubling questions: "How do I tell people about Jesus?" Peter had walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, and bore direct witness to the resurrection. The crowd of thousands that he now stared down had done none of that. When Jesus did all the talking, this was easy. Now, Peter is in charge and has the proverbial microphone, so he finds a point of commonality and points the crowd to the eternally scared thing that Jesus did. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The way that we tell the Easter story has at least a couple of problems. First, we read it as if every one is perfectly calm and in command of themselves, so we lose the impact that it most of had on the people at the time. Second, the meaning of Easter isn't contained in the accounts of the resurrection. For each Gospel, we get an account that Jesus rose, but it's the rest of the New Testament that explores that meaning. So, we often fail to appreciate Easter for what it is - a profound turning point in human history where God's power overcomes even the mightiest of foes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The entire setup for the Last Supper sheds important light on what really matters. Jesus only has a few hours before his arrest. He decides to spend it teaching his closest friend about the importance of loving and serving one another. Jesus even washes the feet of the man who had already betrayed him. This should put life and faith into perspective. With limited time, Jesus stressed to his friends the deep spiritual significance of loving each other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our tendency, as Jesus triumphally enters Jerusalem, is to keep our eyes on Jesus. Fair enough. He's the protagonist for the entire Gospel narrative. He's also the Son of God, the Divine Logos, etc. If anyone deserves our attention, it's Christ. However, if we look beyond who is in the center of the shot, we see something powerful - a massive group of disparate people coming together to spontaneous worship and begin to understand who this Jesus guy is. This is a potent image of the fulfilled Kingdom of God: Jesus at the center, victorious and people being brought together to be transformed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the long Exile, God's people faced a reasonable question: can things get better? How does it all go back together. To answer this, God led the prophet, Ezekiel, out to the desert to observe some dry bones coming back to life. God can breathe new life into God's people. That was true 2,500 years ago, and through God's sanctifying grace, is true in your life as well. God can breathe new life into you and transform you into something truly new. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The remarkable rhythm that keeps playing out between humanity and God is that God starts by loving us. Christ's death on the cross is the most extreme example of that. Humanity kept failing. Humanity put Jesus on that cross. He bore that out of love for us all - even though we were not worthy of that love. It is that love that unleashed God's grace into the world. Even before we are even the tiniest bit righteous, we get counted that way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John 3:16 is an incredibly recognizable piece of Scripture. We hold it up as a Gospel in miniature. We memorize. We emblazon it on t-shirts, lettermen jackets, mugs, and wall art. It's at the top of the list of hit Scriptures. So, what is this Pharisee doing in this scene? We know the Scripture so well that we can lose sight of its context. Jesus lays it on in a respectful but pointed debate with Nicodemus - a leading Pharisee. What about Jesus drew him into this conversation? How did it change him? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The snake, Eve, and Adam, each in their own way, find fascinating ways to mess up. The snake attempts to tempt another. Eve gives into ambition and gives Adam a chance eat as well. Adam neither tries to stop Eve nor heads God's instruction himself. We view this series of events as the origin of sin, and theologians, including John Wesley, have wrestled with how to guide folks through their own moments of temptation. For Wesley, he broke down three general rules: 1. Do no harm. 2. Do good. 3. Stay in touch with God. If only ANYONE, snake, Eve, or Adam had thought to do ANY of that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's one of those scene that we see every year. Jesus goes up the mountain with Peter, James, and John. Moses and Elijah show up. God speaks claiming Jesus as God's Son. Then, they all have go back down the mountain and back to work. Matthew says that Jesus is "transfigured" before them. Yes, he looked different, but it was reality that was revealed. Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of who Christ really is, and it is that power of God that is transforming our world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If asked some version of "What do you think God wants you to do?" we could all probably spit out something like "God's will" or "Follow Christ" or "Answer the Great Commission" or "Be a good person." The Prophet Isaiah puts a lot more meat onto the bones of what God really wants. God wants us to stop fighting with each other and instead liberate the oppressed, feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. He lays it out directly and in black and white. Religious ceremonies aren't the core. Caring about people often left behind sits there right alongside having a relationship with God. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we really change things? We might feel powerless or angry. We might feel paralyzed or the urge to rush out into the street. God calls us to seek justice, but in our hyperpolarized world, perspectives on justice vary wildly. It's a wrestling process - wrestling with God and your place in the world. It's a discerning process - thinking about where you are capable of making an impact. It's also back recognizing that people change more often in relationship than in an argument with a stranger. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his argument with the Corinthians, that we called 1 Corinthians, Paul does something surprising. He doesn't put the Corinthians in their place by pointing at this own greatness or accomplishments. Paul doesn't make it about him at all. He makes it about Christ, and in that way, empties himself and seeks to level the playing field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John the Baptist, Peter, and Andrew go directly against what's good for them. John has become the leader of a religious movement. People wonder if he's the Messiah. John repeatedly points to the reality that Jesus is the far greater. Peter and Andrew leave behind a comfortable life to follow Jesus into unknown discomfort. They set an example that undergird being part of God's work and God's call to justice. We have set aside our interests and go in the direction that God points us. We have to care not primarily for ourselves but for the things that God cares about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A children's movie about King David? It's a musical for some reason. It's made by Angel Studios. The entire concept created a lot of skepticism. Will it be terrible? Will it be wildly theologically conservative? Will it just be a nonstop preach-fest? It's none of those things. Instead, they made a weirdly decent children's movie that grasps a decent junk of what the Bible wants you to know about Biblical kings. We are as shocked as anyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of the Magi's arrival is as much about who isn't there as who is. Three gentile astronomer priest journey from afar, show up, get filled with joy, worship the infant Lord, and work to protect. Missing are the priest, scribes, and King Herod. They all know better than the Magi what's happening, but none of them show up to pay homage. Instead, Herod hatches a plot to kill Jesus. The contrasts are stark and remind us that Christ troubles the powerful but welcomes the previously excluded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas represents the tension between the vastness of God's grandeur and the lowliness of the Christ's birth. Jesus was born to a working family, in a shed, surrounded by farm workers. He's also the Lord of all creation, the divine word, who built the underlining foundation of all things. We welcome an infant born to a brave, faithful, and average young woman. This baby is God among us. This tension means to invite. You should see yourself in Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds and see that you belong in God's family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New Testament works at a way different scale than the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, we work at the scale of nations, kings, prophets, princesses, emperors, and generals. We mostly remember the high and mighty. The New Testament is largely about teen moms, fishermen, lepers, tent makers, a few rich homeowners, and a bunch of shop keepers. The story of Christ's birth focuses on a godly, brave, and loving carpenter who turns out to be the perfect earthly father for Jesus. Joseph's might doesn't come from his position or social standing. Instead, we remember him purely because of how faithful he turns out to be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mary is extremely brave. She risks at lot and at an young age, yet she greets all of this with joy. The Magnificat, Mary's beautiful song at the beginning of Luke, boldly declares exactly what her soon to be born child means and excitement and amazement at the whole thing. Mary gets it far earlier than anyone else in the New Testament, more so than the Disciples, or anyone else who met Jesus in his earthly life. May we all gain Mary's clarity and joy at the birth of a savior. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the Root of Jesse's tree (AKA the House of David) will come one who makes all things well. When Isaiah spoke these words, the king who arrived made things better, but they didn't stay better for long. Destruction and exile eventually came. These words of the prophet point to what a messiah, a savior is and does. They come from the House of David, and they set things right. Some Old Testament kings did that in limited ways and for a while. Christ does it for everyone and for always. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jesus is actually quite clear about trying to predict the end times. He essentially says, "Don't bother. Even I don't know." Instead, we should focus on being spiritually ready, living our lives with hope, and trust that at some unknown point, God will make all things well. That there is an end point is meant to motivate discipleship - not rampant speculation. We begin each Christian year with an image of the end to remind us of what God has done, is doing, and will do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine yourself at your worst moment. Picture in your mind's eye being pushed, painfully, to the brink of death. How would you react to the people responsible for putting you in that situation? How would you treat those around you? This is the context of Jesus offering forgiveness to persecutors and to the penitent thief as he hangs on a cross. Jesus is actively and painfully dying and spends his remaining breath offering forgiveness to the guilty. This is the brutal hope of God's grace. It's forgiveness that can contain the breadth of human brokenness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ending of Isaiah projects a beautiful image of the world made right. Jerusalem restored. People live to an advanced aged. The lion eats straw. The serpent is not longer a problem. For a people deeply traumatized from the experience of exile and now returned home, there are probably images that felt both comforting and true. There world, once rocked and destroyed, had massively improved. However, it was not yet the perfection described in Isaiah's vision. Indeed, that level of perfection still eludes us. So, we find trust in the promises already kept to find hope in the promises still out there to be fulfilled. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Purity Culture is a thing - quite a thing. It was all the rage in youth groups across the nation and fed in part by Joshua Harris's I Kissed Dating Goodbye. It put an extreme focus on saying literally everything until marriage and turned pre-martial sex (particularly for young women) into a kind of uber sin, a sin that there's no coming back from. Good news! None of that's in the Bible, and Joshua Harris has disavowed his own book that he wrote at the age of 21 (the age where everyone always has it all figured out). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Contemplating the meaning of life is one of humanity's eternal challenges. We want there to be meaning - to have our existence be more than simply a set of memories that evaporate with us. Our relationship with God hold the answers to these questions and fears. While our earthly life does end, God does not, and when we invest our lives into our relationship with God and with others, our existence and relationships go on forever. It's not just that our work and efforts out live us. It's that cease being a part of what God is doing - eternally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two men pray, but the one that doesn't match the traditional social script is the one that walks away justified. Part of God's deep beauty is the way that God, unlike the bulk of humanity, looks purely at a person's heart. It's not about being from a righteousness focused group or being the wrong kind of person. God sees through all of that into a person's reality and deeper motivation. So, as we approach God, we should do so with our genuine selves because we can't hide anything from God. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talking about prayer can stray to some difficult directions extremely quickly. When we have story about being persistent in prayer and about God's goodness, we need to balance all of that being truth with the fact that plenty of people end up feeling like they're prayer didn't get answered. That persistence isn't simply about banging down God's door. It's about staying in our relationship with God even when the answer that we get doesn't align with our desires. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jesus concludes a conversation with a particularly thankful leper that his "faith had made him well." Ten lepers all received physical healing just because they asked. This one who turns around and actually thanks Jesus gets something additional. It all points to a kind of wellness or wholeness that stretches far beyond the physical. Thankfulness and a deeper connection with God are all part of a much deeper and holistic version of being well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Timothy positions Paul at the end of his life - reflecting on what it meant and trying to pass something onto the next generation. Timothy represents that next generation. He grew up in the church and marks a major shift in church leadership to second generation Christians. He's the first youth group kid that made good. We see an early iteration of what has become the eternal work of the church - to prepare and inspire the next generation to continue the great relay race of faith. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shiny Happy People Season 2: A Teenaged Holy War is A LOT if you crew up in the Christian Rock/Evangelical/Contemporary Christian Music scene in the 1990s and early 2000s. Both Pastor Trey and Pastor Emily very much did. Journey with them as they explain their near misses and the ways that they might still be fighting a holy war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremiah is a sad prophet. He has a lot to be sad about. By serving as prophet in the direct run up to the Exile, he was never going to have a lot of good news to report. The people are crying out for relief, but a long history of their own failings landed them in this position in the first place. When we find our selves wondering where God is in the midst of a world looking on the brink of collapse, we might call to mind the normal way that God moves in the world - through people heeding God's call. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every tell all documentary about a new religious movement takes a turn at some point. They all start out with a merry band of weirdos and misfits - folks who never feel like they belong anywhere else but finally find belonging. It's great. Eventually, it all turns dark when someone declares themselves perfect and a living god to be followed and served unquestioningly. Paul never does that step. He stay humble and even in his farewell address to his second in command, Timothy, call himself the foremost among sinners. That's part of why we can revere Paul because Paul doesn't revere Paul. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes, Jesus goes for shock value. You have to be willing to hate all your loved ones, get rid of all your property, and take up your cross. It's a lot. It's probably, partly, hyperbole, but still, it's a blunt statement on the nature of discipleship. God comes first. We live our lives with God as one priority among many - job, family, the grind daily life, our finances. That's not how Jesus lived, and this scripture about the cost of discipleship challenges us to live differently as well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This scripture looks like social advice. Don't jump to the seat on honor until it's offered to you. Sure. However, there's more to it than that. It's not just about where you try to sit and, instead, is more about how important you think that you are. Don't think so highly of yourself that you automatically assume that honors should be coming your way, and don't see yourself as above others that you don't leave room for those that often get left behind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Any time we hear about Jesus healing or doing anything else on the Sabbath, we have to recognize that he is breaking the Law. He keeps getting a reaction for it because it is truly and rightfully shocking to his original audience. The Old Testament spends a lot of time explaining that you should be willing to die rather than be prevented from living a holy, Law abiding life. Jesus keeps breaking the Law. He's making a bigger point about what sits beneath the Law as written, about what the Law is meant to teach us. We love God by following the Law, and we love neighbor through acts of kinds. We also love God, the most, by loving neighbor. If the two are in conflict, choose love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sit through enough funerals, All Saints Day services, or Memorial Day events, and at some point, some one will remind you of the "Great Cloud of Witnesses." We often use this as a generic term for the saints that came before us. Their original context, in Hebrews, is far from generic. This cloud is specifically our faithful heroes of the Old Testament who went through a shocking amount of human suffering for the sake of God. The paragraphs leading setting up the celebration of the witnesses and our challenge to be like them are almost comically graphic in their descriptions of what these folks went to. The Great Cloud of Witnesses were folks who held God as their primary allegiance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we picture a "religion" in our mind, we probably see ceremonies, special outfits, and specific traditions. We might call to find a Catholic Mass, a Jewish Passover seder, or a Muslim family breaking a fast together during Ramadan. In theory, we practice these rituals to connect us to God and each other - to help us down a journey of transformation. The religion is a set of practices to aid in a meaningful divine human relationship. Isaiah opens with a warning. Don't stop at the ritual piece. They don't mean anything if you don't continue to part of caring more for people because of your relationship with God. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before starting this episode, open up Google maps and punch in "storage units near me." In classic Internet parlance, the results may surprise you. They're massive and just about everywhere. We keep finding more stuff to put in them. Who doesn't like cool stuff? However, Jesus reminds us of a couple of things. One, we can't take it with us, and two, maybe we should focus on the things that we can take with us - our relationship with God and others. Additionally, could there be another use for all that money in God's kingdom somewhere? Who can say? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

God's innate goodness is one of Christianity's core tenets. We agree. We named this show the Goodness of God. However, God is not a vending machine or a bad version of Santa Claus. It's not just insert a prayer and get out your desired result. Things we pray for don't come to pass. Things that we pray against happen. So, we have to zoom out and dig deeper into the goodness of God. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Human life pulls us in a lot of directions. Our culture values the right grindset. Social media companies hope that you never rest and just keep clicking away. We can hear the story of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus and see it as wildly unrealistic. Get back to work, Mary! While we can't let go of every responsibility, we can be more intentional in seeking God in the midst of it all and limiting what pulls us away. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We want exceptions to who we have to love because the alternative challenges us in a deep and dark place. Humans are shockingly good at dehumanizing other humans to create lists and categories of people that we don't have to care about, who we can harm, who we can exclude. Jesus obliterates all of that with one parable - the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The hated enemy gets cast as the hero, who in turn, cares for his enemy. We don't get easy outs. The call is to love even the most unlovable - even the person ruining the thing that you love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

God just is. God is everywhere. God is in your life. God has power. God is constantly moving. As humans, we develop tools and techniques that help us comprehend, access, and see what God is doing. We have religious words for them like "ritual," "worship," or "sacrament," These things can help us find God, but they are not themselves God or powerful. In the story from 2 Kings, the great general Naaman feels disappointed that he didn't get an elaborate ceremony, but it wasn't needed. God just healed him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freedom is a fascinating thing. Paul gives us that Christians are free in Christ, but what is it that we are free to do? It certainly doesn't seem to be freedom as often culturally defined. Instead, it's the freedom finally live free of things that drag us down and away from the life that God always intended for us. Christians are free to live and love a more whole and constructive human life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In what feels like a spot on description of life with major depression, Elijah flees into the wilderness and essentially collapses. God sends angels to care for him. Then, in what one of the Bible's best known scenes, Elijah experiences the direct presence of God not in some grand gesture but in stillness and silence. We long for the grand gestures, but so much of how God moves and so much of what we need happen in the midst of the quiet, simple, and mundane. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Proverbs lyrically declares God wise and personifies that wisdom, but this should lead us to ask the next order question: what is wise? As humans, we often conflate complexity and wisdom, when if fact, the wisest answers are often deceptively simple and elegant.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of God's people is a never ending relay race, where one generation passes the baton to the next in an unbroken chain. The Holy Spirit continually moving in people is what facilitates that. In the story of Pentecost, we celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit, but it just kept going from there. We can struggle to believe it sometimes, but the Holy Spirit will always keep things moving along. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.