Deep-Grace Diving with Tim Wright and Terey Summers

Tim and Jon take a deep dive into the latest Knives Out murder mystery (on Netflix) and its both challenging and deeply moving exploration of faith. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

Tim and Jon are joined by Tim Madigan, author of, I’m Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers . During the episode Journalist Tim M talks about the life-changing impact Mr Rogers had on his life and how the world longs for that kind of grace today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.c...

Terey shares her personal experiences navigating her favorite holiday while grieving the loss of her husband. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

Behind the sweeping beauty, imagery, romance, and magic of Luke’s telling the birth of Jesus stands a subversive, provocative, reckless challenge to the Roman Empire, a challenge of grace vs power; love vs. oppression. Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governo...

This week we take a deep dive into Luke’s retelling of the birth announcement to Mary, the mother of Jesus. More than re-telling a story, however, Luke positions the story to say something unique about Jesus, setting us up for the Jesus story ahead. Luke 1:26-38 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name...

Happy Holidays. Holiday Trees. Snow flake cups. Commercialization. Are these all signs pointing to a concerted effort to remove Christ from Christmas? Or, might Christmas actually be subversively drawing people to the story of Christmas itself? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

Paul’s invitation to 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) can be seen both as a promise and a potential shame producer, depending on how we understand it. We take a deep dive into the wonder-filled promise of God as we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! This is a public episode. I...

Jon brings us some more questions from his HS youth group. We spend most of our time looking at what it means for God to be in control of our lives. Really good question. But still a good podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

This episode turns to questions from a youth group Jon works with, including a question from Jon: Pastor Tim said that Jesus was wrong about something. Is that even possible? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

A few weeks ago Terey emailed Tim about a Bible verse that stood out to her. It was a promise made to the people of Israel thousands of years ago. She wondered if she could claim that promise as her own, leading to the question: How do we hear God speaking to us through the Bible? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vi...

Today we take a look at the controversial book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, and what God might be saying to us through the bizarre images and metaphors. (Check out www. Recklessgrace.substack.com/ for more on this topic!) Revelation 13:11-18 11 Then I saw another beast that rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the author...

Jesus promised he will come again. But is that a promise? Or a threat? We dive into what Jesus really says about his return. (Check out Tim’s Substack piece on the 2nd coming! ) Mark 13:28-30 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near,...

Tim and Jon take a look back at the insights into Scripture and God gleaned through our journey through Genesis. Book references: Better Ways to Read the Bible by Zach Lambert Separation of Church and Hate by Jon Fugelsang This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

The story of Joseph is one of the most iconic, gripping stories in all of Scripture. Not only that, it’s filled with insights in the character of God. Genesis 50:15-21 Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” 16 So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave th...

From the opening verses of the Bible through to the end, God places a high and equal value on men and women. In some segments of Christianity, an unBiblical hierarchy has been imposed where men are superior to women. Today’s story about God’s call of an Egyptian Slave woman, using the same language used to call Abraham, stands as a subversive story of a God who sees men and women as equals, both c...

Isaac is the promised son who will carry out God’s promise to Abraham that he will be the Father of a great nation. But then… inexplicably, God demands Abraham sacrifice Isaac in a sadistic test of faith? Who would want to follow that God? But… once again, this story offers a subversive look at the character of God—a good God who can be trusted. Genesis 22:1-14 After these things God tested Abraha...

God let’s Abraham in on a secret. Sodom and Gomorrah will be destroyed. But why? And what is the storyteller saying about God? And… what about the big elephant in the story? Check out this excellent resource: Reading Genesis , by Marilynne Robinson. Genesis 18:16ff (see also Genesis 19) Then the men set out from there, and they looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to set them on their w...

After being called to be the Father of the Hebrews, and told that through him all nations would be blessed, Abram and Sarai head to Egypt where, in a huge plot twist, Abram becomes the bad guy and the Pharaoh the good guy. What is God up to? (Check out this excellent book on Genesis: Reading Genesis , by Marilynne Robinson!) Genesis 12:10ff (See also Genesis 20) Now there was a famine in the land....

The first nine verses of Genesis 12 introduce us to Abram, who will be renamed Abraham. Those 9 verses have profound implications for the character of God, Israel, all nations, and for the current geo-political situation in the Middle East. Who knew 9 verses could contain so much? Genesis 12:1-9 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land...

At first glance, this seems to be a story about how languages and people groups came to be. But as is true with the other stories in Genesis 1-11, this story is about the character of God. Genesis 11:1-9 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come...

Building on last weeks’s podcast, Tim, Terey, and Jon go another round with the story of Noah and the Ark, trying to get their brains around what the storyteller is saying, how he’s saying it, and how he wants us to read it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

Is God a genocidal manic who wipes out all of humankind out of anger? All is not as it seems in this favorite Sunday School Story. Tim, Terey, and Jon use this first of this two part look at Noah and the Ark to help understand what the author of the story is up to—and what the nature of God is really like. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And...

Genesis chapter four uses the word, sin, for the first time, in the context of murder. In this episode we take a deep dive into the human condition and God’s response. *** Genesis 4:1-17 Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the...

We dive back into Genesis 3, often called the story of the Fall. But what we’ll find is that it’s really a story about grace. *** Genesis 3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3...

It’s known as the Story of the Fall, although the Bible doesn’t use that language. This is an intriguing look into the first part of Genesis Chapter 3 as Terey, Jon, and Tim try to make sense of an often misinterpreted story. Genesis 3:1-8 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in t...