Ordinary Grace: Finding God in the Everyday

James makes clear that you and I both possess a tool that can start or put out fires.  Unfortunately, none of us uses it well all the time. 

King Solomon spoke 3000 years ago about how pride goes before the fall.  A childhood mishap made his words unforgettable. 

An 8-hour negotiation session years ago points us to competing goals we all face every day.  

Dreamers from the past and present often help us see God's intention, if only we pay attention. 

Faith has always been a mystery.  This week's episode reminds us that believing does not mean all doubts have been removed. 

A high school English class. A walk down the road. Both can be occasions for God to act. 

The 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 are a natural time to pause from other tasks and remember that day and its aftermath.  It is also a time to remember an abiding promise of God. 

On Labor Day weekend, this episode ponders the nature of work, both the reality for humans and God's hope for us all.  

Most of us have known the phenomenon of looking at something without really seeing it.  The Biblical text behind this episode reveals such a time is not a new human experience. 

While many choices in life happen only once, the most important ones occur repeatedly.  

A good sermon title can help, but a good deed is far more important for what it can evoke.  

The Psalmist celebrates our uniqueness in God's eyes.  We are to do the same. 

There are many important tasks for us as people of faith. This episode is about one that rises above all the others. 

One day long ago, Jesus refused to give a sign of his power on demand.  Thankfully, the evidence of such divine power and presence still happens.  

A conversation at a fast-food restaurant long ago makes clear the challenge of matching words with deeds.  A Biblical writer encourages us to keep at it even so. 

The abundant life Jesus brings is not trouble-free, even when one seeks to act faithfully.  

A chance encounter at a National Park offered an important word to this podcaster in pondering America's 250th.    

Most of us can point to moments when we make choices we do not understand.  This episode speaks to how such moments reveal our humanity and the best response.    

In such of life we are taught to keep looking forward.  In many times, that is the correct approach.  Yet a recent trip reminded this podcaster of what looking ahead all the time can cause us to miss.   

A candid conversation years ago with one raised in an era of segregation and another in the era of apartheid led to a deeplly meaningful bond.  It wouldn't have had that result without God's leading.  

A college classmate had a hard time believing I was a minister.  He wasn't the last person to struggle with seeing a change in the other.  

There are all kinds of things upon which we human build our lives--family or work, sports loyalties or political party.  Jesus reminds us that only one foundation endures.   

It's one of the most difficult conversations, but one of the most essential.  A shared Biblical ancestor reveals why. 

This episode recalls a moment with the podcaster was offended during a worship service. The moment, though, led him to reflect on what Jesus might have meant when he spoke about having a log in ones eye. 

On this Mother's Day, the podcaster shares the memory of the last road trip taken with his mother.  May it inspire you to give thanks anew for the special woman who have shaped your journey.