Word of Life Church Podcast

Where do we find Jesus in Genesis in relation to Adam? We find Jesus as a new Adam who gives humanity a new original ancestor. We find Jesus in the Seed of the Woman who crushes the head of the serpent. We find Jesus in the One who comes in search of lost Adam.

If we read the Old Testament as only predating Christ instead of deeply anticipating and foreseeing Christ, we have failed to read it in a Christian manner. But when we see Christ as the Creator, as the New Adam, as Noah’s Ark, as Abraham’s sought-after city, as Isaac’s ram on Mount Moriah, as the ladder between heaven and earth that Jacob saw, as foretold in the life of Joseph, then are we readin...

John Brown went off to war to fight on a foreign shore His mama sure was proud of him! He stood so straight and tall in his uniform and all His mama’s face broke out into a grin “Oh son, you look so fine, I’m glad you’re a son of mine Make me proud to know you’re wearing a gun Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get We’ll put them on the wall when you come home” That old train pulled...

My name was Richard Nixon only now I'm a girl You wouldn't know it but I used to be the king of the world Compared to last time I look like I've hit the skids Living in the project with my two little kids It's not what I would of chose Now you have to call me Rose I was boss of bosses the last time around I lived by cunning and ambition unbound The suckers said they'd stand behind me right or wron...

We're all born to broken people on their most honest day of living And since that first breath we'll need grace that we've never given I've been haunted by standard red devils and white ghosts And it's not only when these eyes are closed These lies are ropes that I tie down in my stomach, But they hold this ship together tossed like leaves in this weather And my dreams are sails that I point towar...

Well, I came upon a child of God He was walking along the road And I asked him, tell me, where are you going This he told me Said, I'm going down to Yasgur's Farm Gonna join in a rock and roll band Got to get back to the land and set my soul free We are stardust, we are golden We are billion year old carbon And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden Well, then can I roam beside you? I have...

Saw a man's home, a box made of cardboard Frozen to the bone, can't take much more He says Lord I need help here, send me a strong hand To lift me from the street, help me to stand I've been forgotten, been forsaken Poisoned by a bottle I could not shake it I've been passed over, been rejected And I'm afraid I'll never feel The warmth of summer come again Man I am helpless, I'm freezing You were t...

When I was young it seemed that life was so wonderful A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily Joyfully, playfully watching me But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible Logical, oh responsible, practical And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable Clinical, intellectual, cynical There are times when all...

When things become unsettled, we typically look for some kind of change, something new, but what we need right now is not a new car, a new job, a new spouse, a new church, or a new country. What we need in the midst of all this craziness is a new hope. Faith, hope, and love all work together. Faith is a present reality oriented towards the past, what God has done. Hope is a present reality oriente...

When David returned to his home in Ziklag, he encountered disaster -- he had lost everything. His house had burned down, his possessions had all been stolen, his family had been kidnapped. What do you do on a day like that? How do you recover from such devastating loss?

The living God is the God who speaks. This God who knows you, loves you, and calls you by name, will speak to you. You can learn to discern the voice of God. And this is a wonderful thing, because one word from God can change your life.

We live in a moment when almost everyone feels weary and worn. Too much has come at us too fast. We are facing no less than four crises at once: A public health crisis; an economic crisis; a political crisis; a racial justice crisis. In addition to these we still have to deal with whatever personal crises may come our way. We are weary and worn. And to the weary and worn Jesus says, “Come to me. Y...

When I begin to feel pessimistic about the way things are in the world, I remember that the world will be saved, because God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. Because Jesus is the Savior of the world, the world will be saved. The Word of the Father sent from heaven will not return in vain—it will succeed! This is not an excuse for irresponsibility or...

To cultivate joy that is not dependent upon acquisition or events is deeply Christian.‬ It also subverts the powers who want to control everything, including our joy. The powers want to dictate when and why we can rejoice, and then sell it to us.‬ Rebel, and rejoice in the Lord!‬ This is the scandalous joy given to us by Jesus.

One of the most important stories in the history of Israel is the story of their exile in Babylon. Israel's experience with exile informs so much of the Bible that its importance cannot not be overemphasized. The story of exile is what sets up the good news of Jesus.

The life of discipleship (which is to say the Christian life) is a life of obedience to Jesus. When the church lets decisions replace discipleship, we drift into nominal Christianity.

This church and that church may come and go with the tides of time, but the Church, built upon the foundation of the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, will outlast the gates of Death and endure from generation to generation.

The foundation for Christian faith is the revelation of Jesus Christ; not the Church, not the Bible. The revelation of Jesus is where our faith begins and it cannot begin anywhere else. The Church and the Bible are essential, but they are not the foundation. And both the Church and the Bible teach us this.

“The Psalms are not for those whose life is one of uninterrupted equilibrium. Such people should stay safely in the book of Proverbs.” –Walter Brueggemann In the world of the king, in the safe confines of the palace, just reward and proper punishment are seen as a sure thing. But the Psalms see a much more complicated world. The Psalms give us a perspective from the bottom, from the outside, from...

When Jesus says he’s the way, he means he’s the way to Father’s House. And what is the Father’s House? It’s the House of Love. We constantly have to choose between the House of Fear and the House of Love.

On their 40th wedding anniversary Brian and Peri Zahnd talk about a life of following Jesus together.

Have you ever said goodbye to a hero? Have you ever had to lay away your dreams? Have you ever been so lonely that a stranger is your best friend? Then you'll know what I mean So this is our highway to heaven Our American dream The two fools on the road to emmaus Well they might as well be you and me Have you ever been angry at your country? Have you ever been angry at your God? Have you ever been...

When Jesus died his soul descended to hell, Hades, Sheol, the realm of the dead. But Jesus did not enter Hades as a captive, Jesus invaded Hades as a conqueror. Because Jesus is fully human, he could die and descend into Hades. But Jesus is fully God, it was impossible for Hades to hold Christ as a captive.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a one-off personal victory for Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus Christ has cosmic implications -- new heavens and new earth! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the event that guarantees the resurrection of the human race! This is what the Apostles and the early church taught and emphasized. But somewhere along the way this emphasis got lost in the West...

Coming from the Mount of Olives, Jesus not only entered Jerusalem from the opposite direction than the Roman governor, but in the opposite manner. Instead of riding a warhorse like Pilate and all the warhorse riders throughout history, Jesus rides a donkey, and not even a full grown donkey, but a donkey’s colt. Jesus’ triumphal entry was the anti-military parade. It was a mockery of Rome’s intimid...