Pod Be With You

Paul, ever the pastor, tries to counsel a community struggling to live faithfully amidst difference. Sound familiar? He challenges them to both hold fast to their convictions and to honor those of others - all in the name of loving relationship. 

The calls that change us come from within and without. And often enough, they come, not in miracle or majesty, but in everyday, small, insistent signs. Are you listening? 

We are always led by something; to be a disciple is to choose what - or who - that is. And that may mean saying no to some things that keep us from our greatest "Yes." 

Love is the summary, fulfilment, and source of the law, Paul says (sounding a lot like Jesus as he does). And if we want a way forward, here it is, over thousands of years: love your neighbor as yourself. Can we lead and love this way?

Where do we find time for silence, for settledness, for God - even in the craziness of Cowboy Camp?

All around us are stories of miraculous transformation. Something almost imperceptible is at work in our midst, and is bringing something unexpected, delightful, and bursting with life!

Just because you cannot see something does not mean that God isn't at work. There was life itself in this determined little tree. 

You may know this as a wedding scripture - which isn't wrong. But this charge to live with un-hypocritical love is actually much more radical and challenging than we often give it credit for. These are words we need right now. 

What holds us together? Where do we need to be repaired? And where do we go when that's what we need?

"God I thank you that I am not like other people." Once you hear it, you'll hear it everywhere. But how's that working for us? 

More often than not, our most profound evangelism doesn't come through words, but through actions. Hearts and minds are changed when others see the love of God alive in us. 

Simple, but not easy. This week, here's a metaphor anyone can understand, but not everyone is living out: we are members of the same body. We are in this together, and we need one another. Can you believe that? 

Fear and faith are not necessarily mutually exclusive; we can be very afraid of something and still step out in faith. In fact, maybe fear is what makes faith, faith. 

This planet we share - our true community - will be saved by compassion. 

Wow, there's a lot here. Maybe a bit more than usual, but if you stick with it, we think you'll find it worth it. At issue here are tradition, hypocrisy, gender relations, prophetic protest, prejudice, and more - all culminating in another life-saving healing.

Another miracle, as resonant and rich as the one that came before. Here, Jesus takes time for self care, Peter takes a leap of faith, and the disciples all see another layer of this man they are following. 

In this continuing season of covid, it is likely we are all tired. The Prophet Isaiah reminds us that God will give us the strength we need to get through the storm.

Life can stir up a lot of emotions and thoughts in us. It is okay for us to take some time, space, and silence to settle and ground.

We've got a history of dividing ourselves up into separate clubhouses - and yet the greatest challenges remind us that we are all on the same team. Can we do our part? 

Adapted from a sermon preached in 2016, this devotional reminds us that God's promise has always been borne forward by unpromising people - good news for when we're feeling unpromising ourselves. 

Based on an old Christmas Eve sermon, this devotional reminds us once again that God is with us. The Christmas story may not be the sweet, easy story we've made it, but it does promise us again that there is a message for us - an angel for us. Not even in times like these, but especially. So go shine!

This classic miracle story is also a serious challenge and a fascinating study in power, inequality, grief, and compassion. Paige and Aaron explore the wider context of this story and its modern meaning and relevance. 

Thanks for listening to our first-ever episode! We can't wait to see where this journey takes us. More coming soon!