Word of Life Church Podcast

The story of the Wise Men from the East led by a star to worship the Christ child is one of the most enchanting stories in the gospel. And for two thousand years this story has fascinated artists of all kinds—painters and poets, composers and writers.

Incarnation is salvation. The moment the Word became flesh and joined the human race, salvation for humanity was guaranteed. Everything connected with this would have to play out in due course—a human life, death upon a cross, resurrection on the third day—but salvation for the human race was guaranteed the moment Mary said, “Be it unto me according to your word.” With the birth of Jesus, humanity...

In 735 BC Isaiah gave a prophecy to king Ahaz about a young woman giving birth to a boy called Immanuel—a prophecy that seemed to be fulfilled with the birth of Hezekiah and the destruction of Aram and Samaria. But there was to be a much deeper fulfillment of this prophecy—as deep as Sheol, as high as heaven—because the testimony of JESUS is the spirit of prophecy.

It’s very hard to take Messiah as he is, when you have your own expectations of what Messiah is supposed to do. But Advent is about waiting. So while we're waiting on the world to be saved, let’s take Christ as he is and not to make him do something or be something that isn't Christlike.

The royal monarchy of Judah was established by David, the youngest son of Jesse. But after two and a half centuries the Davidic monarchy was mostly a regime of corrupt kings. That's when Isaiah foresees a shoot, a branch, a new root from the line of Jesse who will be the sevenfold Spirit-anointed king who establishes righteousness and justice.

The Hebrew prophets were poets of profound imagination. Poetry was their medium for pronouncing judgment and for offering visions of hope. The Hebrew prophets were not pragmatists or political activiststhey were Spirit-inspired poets possessed with prophetic imagination. They could imagine a world that did not yet exist, but one they believed would come. And the among the greatest of the Hebrew po...

In Jeremiah's day Jews had to learn how to live as exiles in Babylon. The New Testament refers to the baptized as citizens of heaven who also have to learn how to live as exiles in Babylon.

When asked about the resurrection, Jesus spoke of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as being alive to God. If we think carefully about this, it has enormous theological implications on how we understand when resurrection occurs.

John the Elder tells us that the world under the sway of the evil one is driven by pride, greed, and lust. (Think of how much advertising appeals to pride, greed, or lust.) This world (prophetically called Babylon) cannot be harnessed for good—even though religious ambition for political power imagines it can. The task of the church is not to reappropriate the engines of pride, greed, and lust, bu...

"The nuns taught us that there are two ways through life—the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you will follow. Grace doesn't try to please itself, accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked; accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to Lord it over them, to have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy w...

Job was a blameless man caught in a contest between the divine and diabolical that he knew nothing about. He lost his wealth, his health, and all ten of his children. His friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar come to comfort him but end up accusing him. Job defends his integrity in a series of poetic debates that lasts for 27 chapters. Then Elihu enters the story...

Job is a poetic book probably written in the fourth or fifth century BC, possibly written in Persia. The authors (there appears to be more than one) were almost certainly Israelites—but the story itself occurs outside of Israel and doesn't appear to have Jewish characters. The book is a poetic exploration of the problem of suffering and our response to it.

The prophets and psalmists of lament show us how to find faith and hold on to hope in the time of tears.

“I believe” is a powerful statement. When we express our faith in Jesus we are not saying one thing, but four things. The shape of faith is made up of four sides: belief (what we do with our minds), confidence (what we do with our hearts, trust (what we do with our bodies), and allegiance (what we do with our will). Growing as people of faith requires growing in all four areas. 

Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God primarily in parables. These parables are not folksy illustrations to help us better understand the point—quite the opposite in fact. The parables of Jesus are often deliberately disorienting. Jesus wants to throw us off balance so that we might stumble into a previously unknown world—the world of God’s grace where many of our most common assumptions are subverted...

The gospel story of the cross says this: Because of God’s love the Son of God came into the world, and despite his actions of love, healing, and mercy, the Son of God was ultimately rejected, condemned, and crucified by a sinful world built upon violent power. And yet, in that moment, when the world did its very worst, the Crucified One was not condemning the world, but saving the world.

Sweet Sounds Of Heaven by The Rolling Stones (feat. Lady Gaga) I hear the sweet, sweet sounds of heaven Fallin' down, fallin' down to this earth I hear the sweet, sweetest sounds of heaven Driftin' down, driftin' down to this earth Bless the Father, bless the Son Hear the sound of the drums As it echoes through the valley And it bursts Let no woman or child Go hungry tonight Please protect us from...

Beautiful Things Benson Boone For a while there, it was rough But lately, I've been doin' better Than the last four cold Decembers I recall And I see my family every month I found a girl my parents love She'll come and stay the night And I think I might have it all And I thank God every day For the girl He sent my way But I know the things He gives me He can take away And I hold you every night An...

Imago Interlude by nobigdyl. Christian music or music that Christians use To get they fix just another hit of the clicks and views Officially I don't play by your silly rules We independent cuz that's how I felt the Spirit move Looked for Yeshua I didn't see him on the tube I couldn't find him on the web or in triple letter news I saw him on the corner begging for some drugs and food I couldn't st...

Shelter from the Storm Bob Dylan ’Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood When blackness was a virtue, the road was full of mud I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form “Come in,” she said, “I’ll give you shelter from the storm” And if I pass this way again, you can rest assured I'll always do my best for her, on that I give my word In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who...

I woke up this morning with the blues all around my head I woke up this morning with the blues all around my head I felt like someone in my family was dead I jumped up like a rabbit and fell down to my knees I jumped up like a rabbit and fell down to my knees I called all around me, Have mercy on me, please Then over by the window, a voice came low and hollow Over by the window a voice came low an...

Good Old Days The Revivalists Changes come, I watch them grow In your eyes, an ancient glow I caught a glimpse, a dangerous smile Oh, my God, she's a wild child I've been dreaming, I've been pushing through I'm not the star of the story I've been hurting, I've been missing you I'm that special kind of lonely These are the good old days, they're ahead and behind These are the good old days, I have...

Crazy Train Ozzy Osbourne Crazy, but that’s how it goes Millions of people living as foes Maybe, it’s not too late To learn how to love, and forget how to hate Mental wounds not healing Life’s a bitter shame I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train Heirs of a cold war, that’s what we’ve become Inheriting troubles, I’m mentally numb Crazy, I just cannot bear...

The present tends to seem more distressing to us than the past, for the simple reason that we are not obliged to live in the past. Nevertheless the distress of our present age is real and therein lies the temptation to despair. We see senseless wars and war crimes; we see Machiavellian politics and political corruption; we see growing inequality and flagrant injustice; in the words of the psalmist...

Jesus is the teacher who in the parable of the Good Samaritan calls us to show mercy.  Jesus is the Good Samaritan who comes to us and saves us after we're are left for dead.  Jesus is the one beaten by robbers who we are to be a neighbor to by showing mercy.  Jesus is the innocent one crucified with the robbers, so that he can save them too.