Church for Normies

In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote about a man named Ebenezer Scrooge, who was a "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint... secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." If you remember the story, he personified MEAN. But mean people are all about us. And sometimes - though it's hard to admit - WE are the mean one (o...

Uncomfortable is wearing shoes that are too large for your feet. Awkward is that they are clown shoes and you're at a wedding. While feeling the discomfort of taking up the cross of discipleship is not easy, it is not awkward, it is beautiful. No parent reproaches a toddler for using the sofa or coffee table to learn how to walk - they encourage them, cheer them, and praise them! Isn't our...

The great philosopher Woody Allan wrote: "There are two types of people in this world, good and bad. The good sleep better, but the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more." Is Allan on to something? Well, maybe the humor in irony, but no one wants to live in a world like that! But when it comes to God's purpose of humanity and the transformation of our species through Jesus Chr...

Ep 41: Uncomfortable Series 01: The Cross The Gospel is a Paradox. Come as you are, but you must repent. You are loved with an everlasting love, but come today - don't put it off. There is freedom, but we make ourselves servants. Jesus bore our cross so we don't have to, but he commands us to take our up. The last one, the cross, is probably more confounding than all the others. We see the...

"Christ has no hands but yours," said the sign. It was put on a statue of Jesus where bombing, the story goes, destroyed the church, and broke off the hands of Jesus. A famous artist offered to repair it, but the church siezed on an idea. It was fallen humanity that destroyed the building, but could never destroy the Body of Christ. Therefore, the statue would stand as a metaphor: His pe...

Ever heard of the phrase sotto voce ? It literally means "under the voice". In music, literature, and stage, it is meant to accentuate something by making it much quieter. An example is Mozart's Requiem: Lacrimosa . where the dynamic expansions are quite dramatic to fit the lyrics. For the disciple, we are meant to use our voice - and with the integrity of a life of humility and repe...

In 1978, United Airlines Flight 173 was completing its flight and landing in Portland, OR. When the landing gear was lowered the crew heard a very loud "thunk" and the plane began to noticeably yaw. The captain feared improper landing gear engagement and ordered termination of intended landing to circle back and come up with another plan. Unfortunately, the crew did not check fuel status...

The stats are staggering: 48.5 million (16.7%) Americans (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in the past year. 20.4 million American adults (7.9%) suffered from both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder, or co-occurring disorders in the past year. The total cost to Americans in lost wages and means of coping and adjusting is a staggering $740 billion (that's w...

Known for his strength and cunning, the Israelite Judge, Samson, was an unstoppable nemesis to the Philistines. But he was far more than a mindless brawler, he was quick with a riddle and able to cleverly outsmart his opponents with - say - 150 pairs of foxes with torches tied to their tails. (Who thinks of such things - and where did he find 300 foxes?!) About the only thing larger than life than...

Join Pastors Nate and Sean as they unpack the bold and blazing story of Elijah — the prophet who called down fire, stood up to kings, and still had some very human doubts. Each episode, we dive into Pastor Nate’s latest sermon, pull out some practical takeaways, and share what’s coming up at church. It's biblical wisdom, a few laughs, and your weekly dose of encouragement — all in one place.

In this episode of Church for Normies , Pastors Nate and Sean dive into the powerful and redemptive story of Ruth — a tale of loyalty, faith, and unexpected grace. Join us as we unpack how this ancient love story still speaks to our modern lives, offering hope, purpose, and a reminder that God is always working behind the scenes. Whether you're a Bible veteran or just curious, this episode is...

In this episode of Church for Normies , Sean and Nate dive into the incredible story of Esther—a hero whose courage and faith saved a nation. Together, we unpack what makes her story so powerful and explore how her boldness, wisdom, and trust in God can inspire us today. Whether you're new to church or just curious about real-life faith, this conversation will challenge and encourage you to st...

In this week’s sermon, Pastor Nate dives into the life of David—not just the giant-slayer, but the shepherd, warrior, worshipper, and flawed king with a heart after God. From battlefield bravery to backroom blunders, the Book of David shows us that God uses imperfect people to fulfill His perfect plans. There are plenty of "did that really happen?" moments as we uncover what makes David's story so...

Moses had Aaron and Miriam. Batman had Robin. The Lone Ranger had Tonto. And Nate? He has Adam and Sean! Well, the boss is out - and Alan couldn't make it, so it's up to Adam and Sean and run the podcast! Join us as we discover the very "norminess" of the next hero to discover: Moses, the Deliverer of Israel! Miraculously and strangely delivered from the maw of death in the waters of the Nile, Mos...

ep 30: Heroes: Joseph. William Barclay wrote: "Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory." All things being equal, it's a noble sentiment - still hard - but a noble one. But things are rarely equal. Consider: turning down the second donut is not the same thing as enduring the pressure of incurring disfavor from management because you refuse to...

Heros of The Bible Abraham

There goes my hero; watch him as he goes / There goes my hero, He's ordinary . Foo Fighters Heros? Who needs them? Well, apparently everyone . The Marvel Universe movies alone have made $31 billion in movies alone - that doesn't include revenue from comic books, novels, and merchandise. And let's admit it: as long as there is a villain, a bully, or evil empire, we'll always need a...

Ever heard of Ned Flanders? He's the overly religious caricature on the Simpson's cartoon. While everyone knows it's poking fun at Christians (particularly the irrationally moral ones), his overly positive comes off as a painful correlation: Christians can sometimes be unrealistic in their teflon emotions, coming off as fake - and worse - actually faking happinness because, well, &quot...

Nate and Adam Part 1 of 2

Yogi Berra was famous for being one of the best catchers for the New York Yankee's. But what he's most famous for are his humorously ironic aphorisms, like: "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore", or "It's like deja-vu all over again", and this one about the future: "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Ol' Yogi ... he a...

Love Riegns over our Present In the 1600's, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was established, as was Pennsylvania. But across the pond in Paris, there toiled a monk by the name of Brother Lawrence. A former soldier, he dedicated his life to the service of God and peaceful spiritual contemplation. It occured to him that he could spend the entire day with God - not as a concept, but really. So he di...

My ol' buddy (and former boss) Waylon loved to say: "A great future beats a bad past everytime!" And that's so true as a predictor of greater things to come! The important and wonderful thing about the Gospel of Jesus is that it doesn't pretend the past didn't happen. It both honors and deals with the consequences of painful and powerful past events, but it doesn't fr...

Have you ever had a podcast where the guest didn't speak a lick of English but still made a great impression? No? How about a podcast where you talked about Easter and different consequences of decisions because of it? Maybe? Then you're in for interesting ramble! Join Nate, Sean, and special guest Toby. ▶️ Nate's Message on YouTube:  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@roswellgrace8562/videos⁠...

Have you ever gotten lost? I mean really lost where you were worried that you'd ever get back to something familiar? That you'd run out of gas and perish in the wilderness? In 2022, that happened in Death Valley National Park. A 67 year old man ran out of gas and started hiking to what he thought was a way out. He perished 2 1/2 miles from the car. He left a note in the car stating: "...

Tim Keller wrote: "The resurrection was indeed a miraculous display of God’s power, but we should not see it as a suspension of the natural order of the world. Rather it was the beginning of the restoration of the natural order of the world, the world as God intended it to be. . . . The resurrection means not merely that Christians have a hope for the future but that they have a hope that com...