Pastor Talk

When God asks Abraham to sacrifice his own son, it started a chain reaction that leads to the climactic, and dark moment when Abraham nearly follows through. Yet, God stays Abraham's hand, and we discover that God had already made provision for a different sacrifice. Did Abraham already know that God would provide another sacrifice? Was Abraham's faith ever in danger of wavering? And what answers...

Today we begin what be the core turning point of the entire book of Genesis, if not the entire Old Testament. God, who has promised to make Abraham the father of many nations, now commands Abraham to sacrifice his son, the very physical representation of that promise being kept. Today, the pastors present the myriad of questions that this story creates, and lay a foundation for exploring the deep...

Today, Hagar and Ishmael come back into the story and we are quickly reminded of how messy and challenging the Biblical story truly is. Abraham and Sarah, threatened by Ishmael, and desperately wanting to realize God's plan for their lives, send a mother and her son to live by themselves in the wilderness. In the midst of their great trouble, God is faithful. Yet, that faithfulness still challenge...

God keeps his promise to Abraham and Sarah and gives them Isaac whose name means "laughter." Today we celebrate those seasons when God's faithfulness is so clear and the moments when thanksgiving flows so freely through our lives. God has kept his promise, the covenant continues, thanks be to God! Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey to...

How long has Christmas been celebrated like what we think of as Christmas? In today's episode, we learn that, surprisingly, it hasn't been very long. Join Pastors Clint and Michael as they explore the nuanced history, culture, and impact that our changing Christmas celebrations have had on Christians' celebrations of the birth of Christ for thousands of years. Starting with the fundamental awarene...

Today we return to Abraham and Sarah who find themselves in a familiar situation when King Abimelech mistakenly takes Sarah to be his own wife. Though this story shares many similarities with the story of Pharaoh just 8 chapters before ( watch or listen to that episode here), today Pastors Clint and Michael explore what makes this story unique. We discover how the story has been carefully told to...

Lot and his daughters are saved from the destruction of Sodom only to find themselves hiding with many different fears. Today Pastors Clint and Michael finish this part of Lot's saga and explore the strange, difficult genesis story of the Moabites and Ammonites. While these stories can be challenging, if we are willing to read closely and put them in conversation with the other stories that have c...

Today, Pastors Clint and Michael finish the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot and his family are rescued from the cities' immanent destruction but are beset by a strange hesitation to leave. Join the Pastors as they explore this strange ending to a very strange story and explore what it has to teach us about the tension between God's judgement and faithfulness. Be sure to share this with anyone who...

A dark story only gets darker when Lot tries to protect his two guests from a violent mob by offering his own daughters in return. What can modern readers learn from the many layers of this story's portrayal of broken human relationships, sin, and vulgarity? Join the Pastors for a difficult conversation of faith seeking understanding. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be intere...

The Pastor Talk weekly podcast will be taking a couple weeks off for the Thanksgiving break but we will be back on December 2nd for a 4 week Advent series we are calling “Too Much Christmas?” This series will be a light-hearted look at Christmas through the lenses of Scripture, culture, tradition, and nostalgia. We hope you will join us as Pastor Michael (a self-described Christmas fanatic) and Pa...

Following the announcement of God's promise to both Abraham and Sarah, the story turns to Sodom. Surprisingly, Abraham finds himself in a kind of negotiation with God over the fate of the city. The critical question is, what number of righteous people would it take to live in the city for God to spare it from destruction due to its rampant sinfulness? Join the Pastors for a fascinating discussion...

Abraham fell on his face and laughed at God's promise but in today's story Sarah gets her turn to hear God's promise and she laughs too. Isaac means "laughter" and his life becomes a living testimony to God's faithfulness even when that promise seemed "too wonderful." Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey together through Genesis togethe...

God promises 100 year old Abraham and 90 year old Sarah that they will have a child and Abraham falls on his face laughing. Join the Pastors as they explore what we can learn about human doubt in the face of God's best promises and how this story both provides an unassuming glimpse into the human struggle to trust God as well as God's gracious perseverance. Be sure to share this with anyone who yo...

After Abram and Sarai take matters in their own hands, God restates his promise that he will make Abram the father of many nations. In fact, to symbolize that promise to the couple, he changes their names, and then gives them the covenantal symbol of circumcision. Join the Pastors as the explore the significance of this sign and how it becomes the foundation of a much more specific promise when se...

In this series conclusion, Pastors Clint and Michael explore the many questions left behind by the missional conversation, especially how these conversations become practical in the life and practice within a church. Be sure to stay tuned to the end for when the Pastors make predictions as to what challenges and strategies that future generations of the Church might engage in their efforts to be f...

While Abram and Sarai take God's plan into their own hands, God has not forgotten Hagar. In fact, he promises that her son, despite all of the troubles that lie ahead, will also be blessed. What follows is a story of how God's amazing power is able to transform messy human choices into new possibilities for his own sovereign will. Join Pastors Clint and Michael for the second part of this challeng...

Abram and Sarai wait ten years for God's promise for an heir to come to fruition until they decide it is time to take matters into their own hands. What follows is one of the most difficult texts in scripture and a sobering look at the lasting ramifications of what happens when we try to force God's plan in our lives. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going alo...

God makes an eternal promise to Abram that will reshape all of human history. Even so, that promise doesn't save Abram or his descendants from the great struggles of life. Join Pastors Clint and Michael as they explore God's covenant with Abram, what it meant, how the Apostle Paul understood that covenant, and what it means for us today. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be int...

In three distinct stories Abram proves to be faithful to his family when he rescues his nephew Lot from captivity and he also proves to be generous when he gives an offering to the priest Melchizedek. Join the pastors as they parse these very interesting stories that raise almost as many questions as they answer. Stay tuned to the end to hear how the New Testament writers reinterpreted these ancie...

Today Pastors Clint and Michael welcome Dr. Darrell Guder to the Pastor Talk podcast. Dr. Guder has written several influential works in missional theology and served for much of his career as a professor of missional theology. In fact, it was that capacity that both Clint and Michael had the opportunity to study with him during their time in Seminary. Today's conversation invites us to consider b...

Abram, in fear of the Pharaoh, hatches a plan to lie that his wife is actually his sister. Join Pastors Clint and Michael as they explore what this story means, what we can learn from its strange ending, and what it teaches us about studying scripture. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey together through Genesis together. Pastor Talk Q...

Abram trusts God and his faith drives to him to build an altar. But why? And why doesn't the text concern itself with telling us more? Join Pastors Clint and Michael as they explore why we must read WITH the ancient writers to understand the many layers of meaning that we find in the scriptures. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey toge...

Today marks a significant turn in the book of Genesis as God calls Abram to go to a new land and promises to bless all nations through him. We sometimes forget that God's calling of this one man was for the express purpose of blessing ALL people. Join Pastors Clint and Michael as they explore how these six short verses lead us into an entirely new movement in the Genesis story. Be sure to share th...

The Tower of Babel isn't about a jealous God stomping around on human fun, it is about human pride and defiance in the face of a loving God. Don't miss today's study about one of the most mythic and lasting stories of the Old Testament, ultimately retold in the book of Acts during the Pentecost. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey toge...

Today Pastors Clint and Michael are overjoyed to welcome Amgad Beblawi to the Pastor Talk podcast. Amgad is the Mission Executive for three PC(USA) Presbyteries in northwest Iowa and he is actively involved in helping over 100 churches foster and grow in their missional identities. Today's conversation explores how Amgad's understanding of the the missional church has been shaped by his internatio...