The Restoration Project Podcast

In this week's pod, Josh and Laura discuss the flood narrative in Genesis 6–9. Here are some highlights: (1) this section of Genesis is not meant to be read as a historical reporting of real events, (2) other cultures have their own flood stories, some of which predate Genesis, (3) the similarities (and differences) between Genesis and other ancient Near Eastern flood stories are striking, and (4)...

Josh and Laura talk a bunch of nonsense and (also) discuss a classic kids' Sunday school story from the book of Mark.

This week, Collin, Tessa, and Josh talk about Jonah! We'll cut to the chase in the description ... it isn't a historical story. But what does it mean? 21 January 2024

Josh and Tessa talk a bunch of nonsense and (also) discuss a classic kids' Sunday school story from the book of Samuel. 14 January 2024 Tessa's pop culture references: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhyHsu2iwps

Our lectionary passage for this week is Genesis 1:1–5, a well-known, not-at-all-controversial, and theologically dense text. Chris and Laura join Josh in Tessa's kitchen to talk about it. 7 January 2024

Advent sets aside time and space for hopeful anticipation during 4 weeks leading up to Christmas; our lives, however, are characterized during this time by busy schedules, buying gifts, holiday baking, going to events, spending sometimes challenging time with family. Advent asks us to look above it all and see what is coming; hope in the flesh; God with us. In this 4 week series, we will explore b...

Advent sets aside time and space for hopeful anticipation during 4 weeks leading up to Christmas; our lives, however, are characterized during this time by busy schedules, buying gifts, holiday baking, going to events, spending sometimes challenging time with family. Advent asks us to look above it all and see what is coming; hope in the flesh; God with us. In this 4 week series, we will explore b...

Advent sets aside time and space for hopeful anticipation during 4 weeks leading up to Christmas; our lives, however, are characterized during this time by busy schedules, buying gifts, holiday baking, going to events, spending sometimes challenging time with family. Advent asks us to look above it all and see what is coming; hope in the flesh; God with us. In this 4 week series, we will explore b...

Advent sets aside time and space for hopeful anticipation during 4 weeks leading up to Christmas; our lives, however, are characterized during this time by busy schedules, buying gifts, holiday baking, going to events, spending sometimes challenging time with family. Advent asks us to look above it all and see what is coming; hope in the flesh; God with us. In this 4 week series, we will explore b...

TRP. Joshua 02. Rahab and the Spies by restoresby

Josh and Tessa (but mostly Josh) talk about all things (well, some things) Joshua 1, and let me tell you ... it gets nerdtastic. Hosts: Josh James and Tessa Stultz Text: Joshua 1 Date: 23 January 2023 restoresby.org

Our very own Suzi Peterson tells the story of her eldest daughter coming out, and how christians responded. Please note, there is an "audience participation" element during this sermon and the audio gets a little *funky*. The cicadas were out in full force that Sunday. Many apologies.

4 April 2022. the restoration project www.restoresby.org Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (graphic designer/muralist/Enneagram 4/creative who likes Phoebe Bridgers)

25 March 2022. the restoration project www.restoresby.org Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (graphic designer/muralist/Enneagram 4/creative who likes Phoebe Bridgers)

18 March 2022. the restoration project www.restoresby.org Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (graphic designer/muralist/Enneagram 4/creative who likes Phoebe Bridgers)

Josh and Tessa are sticking with the laments in this week's podcast, as they chat about Psalm 13. Called the "paradigm" of lament psalms, Psalm 13 provides a good entryway into the world of petitioning God ... although, it's also a bit weird. The poem jumps from what seems to be a terrible situation (vv. 1–4) to some sort of resolution (vv. 5–6). It's a little frustrating. So we talk about it (and...

In this episode, Josh and Tessa talk about all sorts of things ... some of them are even related to Psalm 3. the restoration project. 27 February 2022 www.restoresby.org

So this series is a bit random. I (Josh) had to do some writing on Psalms. More specifically, I had to write 5 sermons on 5 psalms. I used this series to help "motivate" me to finish them. There is no real rhyme or reason as to why I selected these five psalms. They aren't connected in any meaningful way, but they are each really fun. In this first episode, Tessa and I chat about some of the backg...

TRP Podcast. Advent Week 3, On Puppets, Calling, and Vipers by restoresby

Ok, if you've ever been to a church service, you know that sometimes the sermons don't really land. It's try for us too. Last week's sermon, for a example, was a little under-baked. Good thing we have a podcast that allows Josh to try and explain "what he had meant to say." The reason why this one was tough is because ... it involves a complete rethink of a few very familiar concepts. Hosts: Josh...

It's Advent, people. And you know what that means ... The lectionary assigns some pretty weird, very non-Christmasy Bible stories, like this week's text from Luke 21. This text has *everything: signs in the sun, moon, and stars; people fainting from fear and foreboding; the powers of heavens shaking; the Son of Man coming on the clouds/peeking through the bookshelf (a la "Interstellar"). Get some...

This week, we were graced with the presence of one, Anderson Collin (not to be confused with "Tyler") Denton, TRP's new worship leader/sometimes preacher. Since you don't know him, we try to get you caught up to speed on what this North Carolinian is all about, and we talk about Jesus and other related things. Hosts: Josh James (pastor), Tessa Stultz (content machine) the restoration project. 21 N...

We have a special guest on the pod this week ... our very own, Associate Pastor, Suzi Peterson, who happened to handle the preaching duties at TRP on Sunday. As you'll hear, she went rogue, because sometimes the passages from the lectionary ain't cutting it. In the life of any church (and any minister), forcing yourself to preach something that won't connect can be tough ... so Suzi, wisely, scrap...

Our text on the pod this week is sort of a two-parter. First, Jesus rails against the religious leaders for their self-aggrandizement and for preying on the vulnerable. (This opens up all sorts of discussion about cool clothes, sneakers, and the ever popular, "long prayers.") And then, in the next section, Jesus observes a vulnerable person—a widow—participating in the very thing he's been railing...

Things are getting *spooky* on the pod this week as Josh and Tessa chat about a really weird passage in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 27:51-54). The real question is—what's spookier, zombies in the New Testament or something in the Bible not being historical?! Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (content machine) the restoration project. 31 October 2021 www.restoresby.org