Faith Lift

In this episode of  Faith and the Piano Man , we dive into Billy Joel’s  The River of Dreams  and explore what it means to search for the sacred in the middle of life’s questions, detours, and doubts. Guided by Psalm 42 and the story of the woman at the well in John 4, we discover that even when we wander, God is already walking with us—ready to offer living water and lasting hope. Whether you fee...

In this week’s message, we turn to  Vienna —Billy Joel’s gentle reminder to slow down—and let it speak to the deep truth of Scripture. Through Ecclesiastes 3 and Matthew 11:28–30, we’re reminded that life unfolds in seasons, and that God invites us to find rest in the midst of it all. You don’t have to live at full speed to be fully loved. Vienna—and God’s grace—waits for you.

In this week’s message from  Faith and the Piano Man , we turn to Billy Joel’s  We Didn’t Start the Fire  and the Scriptures to wrestle with a burning question: How do we live with faith in a chaotic world? Drawing from John 16:33 and Romans 8:18–25, we are reminded that while we didn’t start the fire of brokenness around us, we are not powerless within it. In Christ, we find peace, purpose, and t...

In this heartfelt message from Week 2 of  Faith and the Piano Man , we reflect on Billy Joel’s  Just the Way You Are  and the transforming truth of God’s unconditional love. Through the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32) and Paul’s powerful words in Romans 5:6–8, we’re reminded that God’s love isn’t something we earn—it’s a gift we receive. Even when we feel unworthy, even before we change,...

In this opening message of our new series  Faith and the Piano Man , we reflect on Billy Joel’s iconic song  Piano Man  and explore how each of us carries a story worth hearing. Through Psalm 139 and the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, we discover that Jesus meets us in the everyday moments—and listens to the song of our lives, even when we feel unseen. No matter where you’ve been or what tune your...

Paul skipped the usual trip to the synagogue when he traveled to Philippi. Instead, he went to a place by the river to meet people who didn’t feel welcome in the traditional place of worship. Paul let the Spirit guide him to a new place and new people.

Some people are hard to say “No” to, especially if you have a relationship with them. Maybe it’s the boss, or a family member with a strong personality. Perhaps the apostle Peter, after some initial resistance to the changes God was proposing, decided that he was not in a position to say “No” to the Almighty.

“Apocalypse” comes from the Greek word for “uncovering” or “revealing.” It is not meant to scare us into submission, but to use our most difficult experiences to teach us about hope — and maybe even fix a few of our worst personality traits.

In the middle of this dramatic, traumatic story of change, a little man appears, perhaps you have never noticed him if you have heard this story of Paul's conversion before. His name was Ananias. Ananias, who, on the basis of nothing but God's voice and this vision risked his life, went to the street called Straight, addressed this once bitter enemy by the term, "Brother."

The post-resurrection scene of the Gospel of John is different from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew concludes its gospel with a glorious scene in which Jesus ascends into heaven with the declaration of the great commission to his eleven disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). John retells the post-resurrection scene in a more somber tone.

In a world filled with physical, spiritual, and other forms of hunger, we crave sustenance to not only fill our stomachs but shelter us from the troubles and anxieties of life. Living out our faith sustains us. Living out God’s justice fills our hearts, our minds, our souls, and even our bodies. Here, we recognize that believing in Christ means we feed others and are ourselves fed by faith. We do...

The story of Zacchaeus is unique to Luke’s gospel. Set in Jericho, Jesus’ final stop before reaching Jerusalem, this narrative revisits several key themes Luke has explored throughout the previous eighteen chapters: journey, wealth, encounter, salvation, and sharing.

The Lukan Jesus loves teaching with parables. Several parables are unique to the Gospel of Luke; the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are the most well-known. Many parables in Luke enrich Jesus’ messages as they metaphorically illustrate the intersections of theology and ethics. In today’s passage, we encounter two parables, both centered around meals

Matthew 6:11 (“give us today [epioúsios] our daily bread”), at first glance, seems to be straightforward in its petition. However, looking closely at the English translation of this verse, there is a superscription at the end inviting us to look into the footnote section. The footnote encourages us to think about exchanging the word “daily” with “tomorrow.

We are tempted to forget who we are and whose we are; Lent is a season of remembering our true selves through reflection, reconciliation, and reconnection on the journey toward the cross and the empty tomb.

We shouldn’t get hung up on whether we’re hearing from God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. We can listen to the triune God through Scripture, prayer and paying attention to our conscience. And we have a partner to help us open our ears.

Adhering to the golden rule often results in some future payback, but there’s no guarantee. The real treasure in the golden rule isn’t getting credit for changing the world. It is keeping faith with Jesus, who calls us to follow him.

In Luke's version of Jesus calling Simon, he asks Simon to push out into the deep and let down their nets. After a long not of not catching anything, Simon says, "At your word Lord we will." Jesus is asking us to push out into the deep out f our comfort zones and lower and nets and trust him.

It is possible that Jeremiah was suffering from scopophobia: the fear of being stared at. So, Jeremiah resists God’s assignment by claiming youthful inexperience. Perhaps it was his way of saying he was afraid people would stare at him, make fun of him or belittle him. Would we respond any differently?

Time capsules are ways we sometimes choose to send messages to the future. In today's text, the Hebrews experience a "time-capsule" moment when the Scriptures are read to them. They hear the word of the Lord as though they're hearing it for the first time.

With that question, what is in our wallet defines us in many ways. But with our baptismal certificate, we are baptized children of God, and followers of Jesus Christ. Maybe we ought to copy, shrink and laminate our baptism certificates and place them in the fronton our wallet. That way every time we are reminded who we are.

Too often, we’ve been told that a successful life is a linear one. But in reality, our lives unfold with many unexpected twists and turns. The Magi follow a star, embarking on a long journey in a foreign land in order to honor the newborn Christ. Instead of returning to Herod as commanded, they trust their dreams and go home by another way. Their road isn’t straight, but God “makes a way in the wi...

Christmas Eve- Christ’s birth makes the vastness of God personal. The God who made the seas and the stars is also the God who made your beautiful hair and your striking eyes. The God of creation takes on flesh, which means you are fully known. When the angels visit the shepherds in the fields, their message is global but also personal: “To you . . . a savior is born.” This birth is good news for e...

Advent 4- Hope is vulnerable and can feel like a tremendous risk, especially if you’ve experienced loss or trauma. But Mary shows us a resilient hope that takes risks—she risks her body to bear a son who will become the hope of her people. Similarly, Joseph makes a risky choice to stay with Mary; dismissing her quietly would have kept him safe. But instead, he chooses hope. He chooses to trust the...

Advent 3: As John the Baptist is teaching about bearing good fruit, the crowds, tax collectors, and soldiers ask him, “What, then, should we do?” His answer to each group is slightly different, but ultimately the same: “Do the good that is yours to do.” We can each bear good fruit through acts of justice and righteousness. We can all be what Isaiah calls “repairers of the breach” by satisfying the...