721 Live Talk Radio

In Acts 15, we see Paul and Barnabas in sharp dispute with the Jerusalem Pharisee Christians, who insist that all new Gentile Christians must be circumcised. Paul blows up at this, and thus, the showdown we call The Jerusalem Council. Is baptism the new circumcision?

Do you love Jesus? Are you loyal to Jesus? And if so, how does this influence your day-to-day living?  When I am tempted to do what I should not do or not do what I should, I ask myself, “What would my gratitude, and my love and my loyalty to Jesus mean in this situation?”  The answer is always and immediately obvious.

“I think I will be okay when I stand before St Peter.” Have you ever uttered the above, perhaps with a nervous chuckle?  Can we do better than “I think … I hope?” Can we have confidence in a wonderful reception from the Lord our Day before him?  The answer is absolutely “Yes.”  But how, and if so, why?

As we seek to understand Our Part & God’s Part, can we “Be Still” and “Get Moving” at the same time? Yes! But how and what would that look like. To find out tune in!

Yes, we are saved by faith alone, but not a faith that is alone. (Augustine) What is our part and what is God’s part in any given situation? Do we act on our own, or can we always be led by the Holy Spirit? Can we actually tap into the Holy Spirit’s power in our work and play?  Tune in to find out.

What is the balance between God’s part in our lives, and our part? Do we sit in a closet and pray and expect God to work out all the details in our day-to-day lives, or are we responsible for those details? What is the balance, and how to know Tune in to find out!

Nehemiah tells us that against a known threat, they prayed for God to help them. But did they just pray and expect God to take care of all the details? No, they prayed, and they posted a guard. They asked God to do his part, but they also were proactive in doing their part.

Jesus tells us we will be pruned. But why would our loving Heavenly Father prune us? Why would he allow difficult things to come into our lives? Is it because he loves us … perfectly?

Do you live in a “Got to” world or a “Get to” world? Are you compelled by the love Jesus as shown you are controlled by your Self? Imagine how it would transform your spiritual life, as well as your day-to-day life, if you changed your perspective to “I get to” instead of “I got to.”

Jesus tells us we will be pruned. But why would our loving Heavenly Father prune us? Why would he allow difficult things to come into our lives? Is it because he loves us … perfectly?

Jesus tells us that if we love him we will obey his commands. The Apostle Paul says he is compelled by the love of Christ. Are you? Do you seek to obey God’s commands because you love him, or perhaps because you do not want to get in trouble with him?

On his last night with his disciples, Jesus tells them – and us? – they will do what he has been doing and do even great things. Really? What did that look like then, and what would that look like for us today? Tune in to find out!

Jesus has one last night with his disciples. What is on his mind at this incredibly important time? What does he want to communicate to his beloved friends this one last time?  Tune in to find out

On Friday, Jesus tells the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” But on Sunday morning, he tells Mary Magdelene, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father?” It seems clear that he did not spend the weekend in heaven with God the Father. So where was he? Tune in to find out!

Did you know that we know a lot about the seating arrangements around the table at the Last Supper – and the teaching lessons Jesus was employed by the arrangement of who sat where?  Tune in to find out!

Can you be still? Can you be still while moving through a busy schedule of responsibilities? Can you be still in a storm? This week we watch as Jesus “is still” as he moves from Jericho - with a full schedule - to Jerusalem for Palm Sunday and the impending storm of his crucifixion.  

I wanted to live like the monks, so I locked my cell phone in my car and was not tempted to look at it once. I did not miss TV, Instagram, or my sports feed, but during those days at the Abbey in silence and solitude, the lack of any stimulus left me both bored and distracted. I was distracted because there were no distractions!!  

I spent the past week at Mepkin Abbey. It is truly a paradise. I was overwhelmed by the natural beauty. Huge ancient, moss-covered oak trees everywhere.  I did not sign up for this Monday afternoon to Friday morning retreat because I needed to retreat from the world – and certainly not to retreat from my life. No, I signed up for this more as a test: to experience an extended time of silence and s...

Jesus tells us not to worry, and we ignore him. We just don’t believe he is in touch with our reality. We see all the problems in life as Goliaths, and so we quiver with fear. Jesus would tell us to see him, and his ever-presence, and therefore there is no reason to fear. Can we trust him? Tune in to find out!

Jesus told us not to worry, but instead to trust that our Heavenly Father would take care of us. Most of us will not take Jesus at his word in this, and instead we seek first our needs and wants. But what if we took Jesus at his word and refused to worry? Is that even possible? Tune in to find out!

In Matthew 6 Jesus gives us three binary choices: 1.    Treasures on earth or in Heaven 2.    Generous eyes or stingy/suspicious eyes 3.    God or mammon as our Master But we argue, “No, it is not that simple. I can manage a balance between the two!”Can you? And how are all three of these related? Tune in to find out!

Jesus unequivocally states, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Is he right?  Of course he is. So how to identify our hidden treasures ?  In the same statement, he also says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth … 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven ….” Are your treasures earthbound or heavenbound? Tune in to find out!

What do you want to see when you “see you” in five years? This is the question we are asking as we start 2024. Today we let Galatians 5:22’s “Fruit of the Spirit” guide us as to how and in what areas we want to grow … starting not five years from now, but today, tomorrow morning, this week.  Tune in to learn more

I was renovating houses when I turned forty-five. I asked myself, “Do I want to be doing this when I am sixty-five?” The answer was a definitive, “Not no, but absolutely no!” But let me drill down a little more on that question, with an eternal perspective in mind: “Do I want to see myself in five years as the same “spiritual Sam” I am now?”

Did you know there is another Christmas story in the Gospels – apart from the familiar ones found in Matthew and Luke?  It begins with, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” But what does “the Word” mean, and how does this relate to the Christmas story? Tune in to find out!