The New Norm

Steve explores the promise God gives to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15

Paul’s letter to the Romans includes a compelling passage about the nature of love. This week, Steve identifies the five sacrifices of selfless love.

Luke 1 includes an intriguing phrase: "to turn the hearts of the parents to their children .” What does this mean in Luke 1 and what does it mean for us today? How might God be offering to restore broken relationships between parents and children?

Forgiveness takes work and time. In this episode, Steve explores the arc of Joseph’s forgiveness of others in his life and reminds us to give ourselves grace if the journey takes longer than we want it to.

Independence is hardwired into our personal and national stories. Yet, in prayer, God invites us to life and posture of dependence. In the episode, Steve identifies four prayers that remind us of our need for God.

The book of Genesis tells of Joseph’s challenging relationship with his ten older brothers. Decades after they sell him into slavery, he has the chance to forgive them. The process is both long and complicated. In this episode, Steve explores lessons we can learn from Joseph in our own forgiveness journeys.

There’s no shortage of protests these days. As people debate the ethics and legality of those protests, they’ll sometime reference Jesus’s protest at the temple in Jerusalem. In this episode, Steve explains the context and the intent of Jesus’s actions in the temple courts.

Romans 13 can be a tricky passage, both to understand and apply in context. In this episode, Steve will unpack one perspective on what Paul meant when he wrote it.

If you’ve been in church circles for a bit, you may have heard someone reference a “Proverbs 31 Woman.” But what about a Proverbs 31 Man? Who is he? What character traits define him? In this episode, Steve examines Proverbs 31 to look for answers.

What happens when we die? It’s an important and common question. In this episode, Steve addresses myths, identifies God’s promises, and addresses the value of living life with an eternal perspective.

Mercy. It’s not a word we often use, but it’s at the center of a famous prayer from Matthew 20. In this week’s episode, Steve unpacks some powerful principles for prayer that are modeled by two desperate men in this story.

Sometimes we get stuck in situations we don’t like and didn’t ask for. Maybe that discomfort is God’s gentle way of leading us to place we would not have otherwise gone. This episode examines the story of Joseph in Matthew 2 and Isaac in Genesis 26 as examples for how to respond to seasons of crisis.

I once heard someone refer to the concept of grace as scandalous. It’s crazy to think someone should get something they don’t deserve. And yet, grace is at the very core of the gospel and that’s what Steve addresses in this episode.

A new year brings new opportunities for reflection and perspective. This week Steve explores lesson we can learn from Hagar as she stood on the edge of a new chapter of her life.

The Magi are a mysterious group of characters in the Christmas story. In this episode, Steve talks about who they are, where they come from, and what we can learn from them.

What do you do when you're grieving when everyone else is excited about Christmas? This week Steve looks at passage in Matthew where God acknowledges the very real pain the families in Bethlehem are experiencing. It’s a reminder that, despite our deep heartache, God as not forgotten us.

In 1 Sam. 26, when David has a chance to attack King Saul, he refuses to “strike the Lord’s anointed.” In some traditions this verse has been interpreted to mean no one should ever challenge anyone in a position of spiritual authority. In this episode, Steve examines this passage to see what it might mean for us today.

Part of walking in mercy is choosing to forgive, sometime more than you thought you would. In this episode, Steve explores Jesus’s command in Matthew 6 to forgive so that we might be forgiven

Genesis 1 describes the Spirit of God "hovering over the surface of the waters” immediately before God declares “Let there be light!” What might it look like to imagine and perceive the Holy Spirit hovering in your life and relationships? What might the Spirit be preparing to do in and around you next?

Sometimes we’re in a set of circumstances we didn’t ask for. This was true of the people of Israel, who were suffering in exile in Babylon. Steve explores the promises God has for us in the midst of these moments from Ezekiel 39.

What does it look like to be totally dialed in on the task God has for you in this season of your life? Steve looks at a passage in Nehemiah 6 that shows us how we can rise above distractions and finish the work God has for us.

They say “Pride comes before a fall.” That’s certainly the case in the story of King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26. His arrogance results in an unsettling consequence and affects all those around him.

There’s nothing quite as scary as pastors who are willing to harm their people for their own personal gain. This week Steve will investigate Ezekiel 34, a passage where God rails against dangerous spiritual leaders.

Steve digs into Paul’s letter to Titus to find out what makes a great pastor.