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Roger McCort
Teachings, messages, vital life learning, irrelevances, and other musings about the Bible from The Salvation Army's Captain Roger McCort. Life has few guarantees, but here's one: You will find something new or interesting in every message or you can reach out to me and I will provide you with additional new and interesting facts, free of charge. Guaranteed.
Here's an interesting pair of parables! Jesus used them to explain why and how you're going to hate your family.
Wait... what?
You probably want to be sure to check this one out!
Jesus described the Kingdom of Heaven as a man who paid his workers a living wage...
Really.
But what on earth did he mean by that? And why is it so hard for us to understand it?
We cover all that (and more!) In this week's shared examination of one of the crazy stories Jesus told.
"It's the only way!"
Are you sure about that?
"It has to be done this way! It's JUSTICE!"
Do you really think so? Or is that your anger talking?
"It's the only language THOSE PEOPLE understand!"
Nonsense. It's the only language YOU want to speak. It's not the language that God taught you. It isn't what was decreed. It's not at all what you were told to do. It's just what you want. And, in the end, you'll convince yourself that all that blood on your hands was necessary and just and right, even though it isn't.
And you'll find that nothing you do or think or say can get it off.
This week, the timeless tale of a man who put his trust in wealth, status, power, and walls. And when his life was to be weighed on the scales of justice, he paid a great amount of wealth, granted an unsurpassed level of status, and ceded a portion of power equal to his own to tip the balance. To what effect? Join us today for this, the second of 2025's Horror Stories from the Bible, and find out.
Every year at about this time, we spend a few weeks examining horror stories from the Bible. This year we revisit one of my favorites: The Day of the Dead.
Is there something to be learned from the stories of unnatural or even terrifying things in scripture? The earliest sages certainly thought so! They carefully included these tales in their accounting of the interactions between God and humankind and used them regularly in their teaching. I think we need to do the same.
You never really realize how much of what you think you know is based on things that go without saying. Many of the things we believe are formed by the culture we live in. Attitudes and interpretations of events are often based entirely on assumptions we make which may or may not have any basis in reality.
There was this time when Jesus told a story about a Pharisee... and it didn't go where you probably think it did and it wasn't intended to make a point to who you probably think it was.
Jesus said some crazy things. Join us as we look at one of them.
Yeast is a) Delicious, b) Corrupting, c) Representative of Evil, or d) a Kind of mold spore?
In one parable Jesus told the crowds who followed him, yeast was an illustration of the Kingdom of God. But that flew in the face of traditional teaching about leaven being nothing more than putrefaction. How and why could he make such a crazy analogy?
Join us as we examine one of the many parables Jesus told, the reasons he told them, and why we should never thing of them as simple moralistic stories that everyone would agree on.
"Wait!" you cry. "We've already been through all Ten Commandments! What do you meant there's one more we need to talk about?"
Oh, my friends. There really has always only been one commandment we've been concerned with. The Ten all point to it. The 613 demonstrate it. and, according to Jesus, we are all bound to it. We MUST choose to follow it, or we're lost, because our very souls are bound to our decision to follow or abandon the covenant path laid out for us by Jesus.
Today: The Final Word of God, the New Covenant which it established, and what you are to do and who you are to be along the way.
Even if you skipped all the others, you'll want to hear this one...
Some say that the Tenth Commandment is there to remind us that the Law is impossible to follow. Others (and I'm of this persuasion) say it is God's way of pointing out that if we are truly grateful for what we have, the rest of the commands will be met as we express that gratitude.
To understand that, we're going to need to realize that the word "covet" doesn't refer to a sports car.
Join our examination of the Tenth Word of God! I really covet your attention to this subject - and that's just fine.
A HUGE problem with the way we tend to think about the Ten Commandments as separate rules for how to live our individual lives is that it isn't true. The deeper message behind each of God's utterances is always one of growing a community based on love and care rather than one set on rules and condemnation. That doesn't mean we don't have responsibility to uphold certain things as individuals, but it does mean that we need to stop thinking "What does this mean to me?" and get back to thinking "How do my choices effect the whole community?" And, if you think, "My little thing isn't hurting anyone," or "My thing is only hurting one or two people," or "My tiny, insignificant thing is just a spark that's going to wink out of existence and not matter to anyone," then you're ignoring the reality that even the smallest of sparks can become the largest of conflagrations.
Is the Ninth Commandment about lying? And does it matter? Join our discussion today and find out.
Stealing is a horrific crime of violence, whether its being done by a shoplifter taking a candy bar or a businessperson enriching themselves by taking advantage of their employees and customers. Such things make our souls cry out for JUSTICE to be done!
But do you understand what justice is? Because, in God's view, it doesn't involve punishment or prison sentences. What?! Am I sure? Yes, I am, because Biblical justice is spelled out and it is based on redemption and reconciliation. It provides an opportunity for the offender to be brought into the community rather than removing them from it.
And this is about SO MUCH MORE than taking things....
This week: Another two word commandment: LO NA'AP - Do not commit adultery.
But what does that really mean? And what's the big deal anyway?
Perhaps a better question: Why is this command where it is - in the middle of instructions about maintaining a community of people?
I avoided getting graphic, but this still may not be suitable for those under the age of twelve, so use some discretion when you listen with younger folks nearby.
Here's a fun commandment: You shall not kill.
"Wait!" some of you just said. "It says not to MURDER. It's fine for me to kill people if I use a government to do it. Or if it happens in war. Or if by killing someone I can save someone else from death or mental scars or a bad afternoon at the supermarket. Right?"
Is that right? Or is there some logic being missed or some ideal being ignored here? And is there a list of exceptions to the rules God laid out for his people to follow?
We'll talk through some of this today. I hope you'll join us.
Remember the Sabbath day and use it to keep your yard tended... No, wait, that's not it...
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it by making sure no one else is doing anything resembling work... Hmm... No, that's work, isn't it?
Remember the Sabbath day, but it's not really a big deal if we skip it for a religious retreat or some other task that says it's honoring God... Well, that SOUNDS like it's got some religious function, but is it what the LORD meant when he said that we are to CEASE on that day and that all work should be confined to six days and kept entirely out of the seventh day?
Is any of this even possible in a world that values people based on what they produce? What are we missing when we talk about Sabbath?
What does it mean to honor your parents? What if they suck? What then? Is this a command which means less or has less value in the modern world than it did when families hung together more cohesively than they do now?
Do we have a proper understanding of this commandment, or has it been twisted and used as a demand for obedience to the whims of people rather than as a directive about how we should choose to trust in the LORD?
You don't want to miss this one, because following this command leads to a full life and better community, when you understand it.
Every person you ever meet will remember you by using a label. Could be Doctor or Firefighter or Tim's Dad or Cute Girl Who Works at the Gas Station or Woke Guy or Bigoted Lady. It may or may not be a flattering label, but it will be one they apply to you based on who or what your actions and words make you out to be. These are the names we bear, and the things we do will either honor or dishonor those names.
What label do you WANT to be known by? Why do you do to represent that label? If every thought and action are laid out, who or what do you represent? Because that's the only thing that matters.
Today: What does it mean to obey the Third Commandment?
While they are beautifully made and often colored a radiant gold-yellow, it is not appropriate to use a rubber chicken to represent the LORD your God. The LORD can't be contained or described by a rubber chicken.
Is it absurd to think that you would do that? Perhaps. But when you look at the whole of your life, how often do other things, people, or pastimes take the place of God? Perhaps not by eliminating what is holy from your life, but by edging it out until you're left holding onto the equivalent of a rubber chicken instead of the LORD who can set you free?
Today we talk about the Second of the Ten Commandments. And baseball. Really.
So many people believe that the Ten Commandments are an important part of life, but so few of them can tell you what they are. There are a lot of reasons for that, including the fact that there aren't ten commandments and the fact that different faith groups read the same scriptures and separate them in different ways, leading to disputes about which one is more important or whether some parts are one command or many. And when we strive to make a certain set in a certain order be the one that we want to go with, we are faced with the reality that the Bible lists them twice and the two don't match. Different order, different wording - does that change what they mean?
We're going to spend the next weeks breaking down and understanding these commands which have molded a significant part of our world for thousands of years. We'll start with the first commandment - as soon as we figure out what it is...
"I'm grateful - don't do it again!"
Paul wraps his letter to the Philippians up with this awkward-sounding (to us) "Thank you - No thank you" thing which is intended to help share the joy of the gospel with them and with others. How? And why do we care?
Join our walk through the last verses of the book of Philippians and find out!
Conflict abounds! I suspect most of us are involved in multiple conflicts, varying from minor annoyances and open disagreements to national and international disputes. And we each add to or subtract from those conflicts, don't we? What if there was a way to resolve every one of those disputes completely? What would that be worth to you?
Well, good news! Not only IS there a way to end every conflict, but the steps we each need to take to do so are carefully laid out for us. They are SIMPLE, they are SHORT. Ordinary folks like you and I can do them! In fact, we need to.
You know who really sucks? THOSE people. THOSE people over there. The ones not like us. How dare they refuse to conform to all of OUR expectations? Why won't they just do the things we wad to do? How can they ever be like us if they don't live out the same experiences and habits that we have chosen to make central to our way of life? Well, if they want OUR approval, they're going to have to straighten up and do things OUR way!
EXCEPT... Paul says this isn't true. He did all that and it's crap. There's something better; something which makes all of the things we have valued seem like they are not the gleaming gemstones we thought, but instead they are sticky balls of... Oh, I'm out of space. Guess you'd better listen in on today's teaching about why we should REJOICE!
Can violence be redemptive? Scripture (and history) says no.
And yet, we keep trying.
Today we revisit the story of Cain and his brother Abel to see if we can understand the root of violence and how God responds to those who perpetrate it. How are we told to respond?
Paul had said that we need to have the same attitude and make the same choices and take the same actions as Jesus. Which he knew a lot of folks would think might be too hard! So he gave us two examples of ordinary folks who lived that out so that we could know it wasn't just some kind of unreachable goal, but was actually something that is EXPECTED from each one of us.
Who were they and what was their witness to the world? And, more importantly, what is YOUR witness? Are you a testimony to Christ or do your choices suggest you are following a different commanding officer?
Look, I'm sure that your national pride, like that you might have for a favorite sports team, can be a fun component of your approach to life. However, Followers of the Way of Jesus need to make sure that Jesus is Lord!
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul lays out the requirements for being and keeping our citizenship in God's Kingdom. Those may start and end with rejoicing (they do!) but citizenship has both rights and responsibilities attached. If we refuse to live those out, then we aren't citizens of Christ and maybe we never were. But don't despair! Paul explained in some detail the attitude we need to have to be successful! So listen to today's message, then go live it out.
Does it seem that there is more reason for sorrow than for joy?
There's not.
Am I ignoring the pain and suffering which is so prevalent in life?
I'm not. It sucks. We should rely on our JOY as we combat those things.
How can there be anything to rejoice about when there is war, injustice, people being falsely accused and condemned, people taking advantage of others for their own benefit, people working to bring misery on others, people living in fear?
Because JOY is GREATER than that.
The reasons for joy are GREATER than the reasons for giving up. And the JOY that will sustain you comes from a source which is greater than any misery the world can muster. And you can count on it at all times and in every way.
Know what we need a little more of in our lives? JOY! What if I told you that I have a gift for you which can fill you with joy to the point that you NEED to share it because there's too much for you to hold onto yourself? Paul wrote a letter to some friends once, trying to express the same thing to them and letting them know that these things apply to ALL of us! We can all become bearers of amazing and unending love and joy, and bring the gift of wholeness to others around us. In fact, it may be more than a possibility; it may be a command...
Welcome to the Book of Philippians! REJOICE!
DEAD OR ALIVE
Jesus was dead. There is no question about that. So what happened to make someone who had spent their life wishing that was true come to believe that Jesus is alive?
It's Resurrection Sunday! Maybe there's more to it than jellybeans and colored eggs.
LIES ABOUT PALM SUNDAY
Palm Sunday is the most mistold tale since the Christmas story, making it the perfect cap to top off our series about the lies our Sunday School teachers taught us. Although I probably would lay the blame for this one more on pastors and teachers who turn an event that wasn't into a spectacle.
It's not hard to see how so many people misunderstand what happened that day! All you need to do is STOP READING before the gospel writers finish telling their stories... I guess if you don't like the ending, stop before you get to it, right?
Today, we read the WHOLE story and change the way we understand Palm Sunday to something quieter, deeper, and more dramatic than the lie most people have embraced.
TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN... WHERE, EXACTLY?
We are working through some of the lies that we are taught in Sunday School! As in all walks of life, we need to be careful to separate the fantasy and superstition from our religious walk, or our understanding of God and how we were created live will be distorted.
This week we examine what scripture teaches us about what happens after we die. It may not be what you think! Be sure to examine the scripture and history for yourself.
Good news! You have the keys to Hell. The owner has given you the right to come and go as you please. And the right to share Hell with others by sending them in or setting them free. Will you take up residence, or insist that others must, or will you open the gates?
Jesus gave you those keys. He also explained why and how you can use them, if you choose.
Have you ever wondered if God might get so mad that he flings poo at someone like an angry chimpanzee? If so, this is the week for you to check in here!
We're taking a break from our LIES series to talk about one of my favorite subjects: The Bible itself! We'll play a game (yes, there are prizes!) and examine how we get the book that we read and also run down the pros and cons of some popular translations.
What could reading the Bible regularly mean for your faith? And what could it break? If you believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by the inspiration of God and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice, you might want to be particularly mindful about what and how often you read them. Just saying.
If there is a Disney Princess story in the Bible...
The story of Esther is NOT it.
In Sunday school, we tell it as if it is, but this (like the story of Samson) isn't a story meant to be told to children. It's a very adult story, filled with very adult themes. From sex trafficking to murder to politics and scheming to the death of tens of thousands, this is a story written to bring attention to God's love in a very subtle and unusual way...
We can only hit the highlights today, so listen to today's teaching as a guide, then go read the whole thing for yourself. Questions, comments, and discussion are always welcome!
We're taking a short break from our Sunday School Lies series, but will resume it next week! This week, we need to talk about something else...
Aren't we all basically good people? That's the central question of our Bible exploration today. The answer? Well... We'll consult with psalmists new and old and prophets and apostles and this guy named Jesus who you may have heard of. To reach a conclusion, we'll need to use our internal organs to make a very external decision and then live it out. What does that mean? Join us, and find out!
The children's story of Zacchaeus the tax collector teaches kids that short people are inferior, rich people are evil, and that if you have enough money to spread around, both of those can be overlooked.
This isn't even close to what the story is really about.
In fact, it seems possible that Zacchaeus is neither short nor a thief.
So what IS going on, and what are we supposed to make of it?
Grab your Bibles and be ready to follow along in Luke 19 for this week's study!
As a child, I was taught again and again that the glory of God was somehow shined up by the genocidal destruction of Jericho when Israel entered the Promised Land. As an adult, I've heard and been taught and had it explained that this is true and that it is a good thing. That there can be Holy War where we kill our enemies and their children and their animals and God loves it.
Here's the problem:
That's not true.
It's not what this story is about.
It's not what we are supposed to get from it.
And it isn't AT ALL the intent, purpose, or hope of God.
In fact, the story isn't even really about Jericho. This is Rahab's story. And it matters to you and I today, if we have ears to hear it.
Why did Jesus heal people? Was it because they came to him, repentant and ready to work for him, so he fixed them? Was it because he couldn't be around people who weren't perfect? Was it a way of buying their loyalty? Or was something else going on?
Today we look at the story of a man who was paralyzed being brought to Jesus. But making that man's body work the same way as everyone else's wasn't at all what Jesus thought was important. Please join us for this week's look at the lies we are taught in Sunday School...
He's been called the Superman of the Bible, but that's not at all who or what Samson was. The example of this strong man is found in how weak he really was...
Today we share the REAL story of Samson, one that should never be in a children's Bible. Join us?
There comes a moment in every boy's life when his father takes him up on a mountain to kill him... No, wait. That's not right, is it? And yet, somehow, we have got the idea in our head that God asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac is a great story about a man willing to do whatever his god asks of him.
That's NOT what this story is about. If it sounds messed up from beginning to end, that's because it is. Which leads (or should) to some pretty big questions about what was happening, what should we make of it, and is there anything in here which we can use to make our lives and our world better? Or is sacrificing our children necessary to sway the actions of the LORD?
There was this group of people called disciples who followed Jesus.
How many were there and who were they and what did they do and was it the right thing or not?
You probably think the answers to those questions are simple, because that's what our Sunday School stories suggest. The truth, it turns out, is much more complex, more rich, and far more compelling of a story...
I don't think Sunday School Teachers set out to lie to their charges - it usually happens because they are passing on wrong things they have been taught. They just don't take the time to research something that they think they already know. Or they teach from their modern point of view, missing or ignoring what the author(s) intended.
Which is how the story of Jonah stopped being a tale of God's amazing grace and became about a man and a whale...
Which is very much is NOT.
It's not unusual for people to simplify things for children. But when we do that with scripture, we can lose the original intent or even change the reason the story was included. This is BAD. Why? Because when you tell the story wrong, you always lose something. Sometimes you lose everything.
For example, the story of David and Goliath is NOT about a small boy beating a giant. It's also NOT about the underdog taking on impossible odds. Is that the story you know? Then you'd better join us for today's dive into the true story.
Christmas is over. What was the point of it all anyway? Why do we always seem to leave the holiday season with the feeling that something was or is missing? And is that something that can be fixed, or is it just the way things are?
Today we look at God's goal for his creation and the true meaning of the Christmas story. It's perhaps not what you thought and it's so much more than we usually celebrate about it.
Dear Magi,
Thank you for bringing gifts to help with the raising of our child. They sure came in handy! It wasn't more than an hour after you left that we needed to pack up and move to another country, and we never would have been able to do that so easily without the extra funds you provided. Thank you! We enjoyed having you as our guests.
I'm not so sure that the other parents in the area have quite the same fond memories of your visit...
We'll be sure to stop in if Joe and I ever head over your way! We're married now, so we can travel without bringing all the chaperones, but I suppose you know what it's like traveling with a crowd.
With gratitude,
Mary (and Joseph and Jesus)
You know all those pictures of the blonde women with harps and halos and swan's wings flying over a bunch of shepherds and some sheep while spotlights from heaven light them all up while the birth of Jesus is announced?
Where does any of that come from? Because it isn't from the stories in scripture. What does the Bible say happened? Oh, it's something so much better...
Join us for the third week of Advent and the true story of why it mattered to shepherds that this particular baby was born where and how he was.
We've grown a whole tragic mythology around the Christmas story that makes me CRAZY. This is supposed to be a CELEBRATION, people! Why do we insist on ignoring all the joy and adding false horrors into a tale that has enough difficulty of its own?
This Christmas, try sticking to the scriptural story of Christmas and see if the true story isn't a thousand times BETTER than the one you see on TV.
There is HOPE in the real story of Christmas that you'll never find under a tree. There are examples of people who have been clinging to the world's shame and condemnation accepting - if somewhat dubiously at first - that God can and does love and care for them for who and what they are. And that if that is true, which it IS, then the opinions being heaped on them by their family, their culture, and their world, do not matter one donkey dropping in the deepest desert.
This is the Advent story we all need to know.
A lot of stories people tell over and over take on a mythic quality. The story of the first American Thanksgiving is one of those. Happy Pilgrims and happy Indians planning out a feast of turkey and pumpkin pie is a fairy tale, not a history.
Many of the stories from scripture are the same. What we are taught isn't what you read. Sometimes the things you read are colored by your expectations and sometimes bits are skipped to make the story say what the narrator wants it to say. The REAL stories are often better, deeper, and maybe more uncomfortable...
One example is the story of King David getting involved with a woman who was the wife of one of his warriors...
"Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!" has been a humorous non-swear swear for a long time. But who was Jehoshaphat and why was he so jumpy?
This week I'm going to tell you a story from the Old Testament which highlights the difficulty of remaining at peace during times of way and how fight or flight are not the only options. There is a third way, a choice we can each make, one that involves following the Way of the LORD.
Which way did Jehoshaphat jump and which path will you choose?
We live in a world full of violence and pain. Our culture celebrates retribution and preemptive strikes - the destruction or at least submission of our enemies as payback for what they have (or might have) inflicted on us.
The Bible certainly contains many stories of the same kinds of struggles, of harm being done to the people of God and of their responses. Obviously, this provides a righteous path for us to respond to those who would harm us or our families or friends with the same kind of brutality and death they visited on us, right?
Our final Horror Story of the Bible for this season is one of the deep craving we have to visit the pain we feel onto those we hold responsible for it and anyone associated with them. What does God call on his people to do in the face of violence being done to them?
It may be that Old Testament vengeance isn't what you think it is.
This week, the Return of Horror Stories from the Bible continues with a tale of ghosts or demons responding to a call from King Saul. Why would Israel's first king turn his back on the commands of God to chase after messages from the dead? And what will he do when the message he gets is not at all what he hoped?
Grab your popcorn and sit near a friend while we dig deep into this dark story from a dark time.
It's that time of year: Horror Stories of the Bible return to help lead us up to the celebration of all the saints who came before us. Today we delve into the twisted story of a man who was able to snatch bitter defeat from the jaws of victory. While his story may burn itself into your memory, don't light a candle for him. His choices left a legacy in ashes and are to be viewed as a warning that we should sacrifice our pride, not our pride and joy.
The fact that there are multiple stories in the Bible which could fit this description should remind us all to be careful to think before we speak or act. There is always a right choice that can be made.
Sure, the Beatitudes make a nice little framework for a life of faith in Jesus. Maybe I'll work on them sometimes, you know, like a church-related hobby. But we wouldn't want to go all in on them, would we? What would people think? We'd seem to be some kind of Jesus freaks if we did that. People might be mean to us. Some might even be angry! Jesus didn't really mean for his followers to take this stuff personally, did he?
Oh, let me tell you, he made this all VERY personal when he told us to put the salt of our lives into our manure!
Wait, what?
Join us today for salt, light, and the ninth blessing.
Is there any way to look at being made to suffer at the hands of others that could be considered any kind of a blessing? And yet, Jesus offers us this wild saying that says we are blessed when we are persecuted for righteousness! What the heck is he going on about there? Has he spent too much time in the sun?
Today, we dive into this Beatitude to uncover what it means and - just as importantly! - what it DOESN'T mean. And what, exactly, it means for those of us who are trying to follow the Way of Jesus that leads us into the Kingdom of God.
"In the real world, that stuff [that Jesus said] doesn't work."
This was said to me by a pastor friend as we discussed the importance of following the Way of Jesus as he laid it out. Our disagreement was about how we are to respond to those who are or may be trying to harm us.
That friend is no longer a pastor, which I think is probably for the best, because if a representative of Jesus doesn't believe the teaching and example of Jesus matters in "the real world" then they aren't representing Jesus, are they? I believe that the things of Jesus ARE the real world and his instructions often lead us to take positions which don't match our culture.
Like when he said that if we want to be identified as God's people, we need to make peace in all things...
Purity and holiness sound like terribly boring religious concepts requiring us to lead dull lives enclosed in harsh boundaries, deprivation, and perfection. When we screw up, we're out, right? ZAP goes the lightning, then straight into the depths of depravity and destruction!
Yeah, that would be every bit as horrible as it sounds. Fortunately, that's not at all what the Bible means when it talks about being pure in heart! Remember that Jesus was pure in heart but his opponents got all over him for spending so much time at parties and having too much fun. So what DOES it mean and how do we get to live out the going to parties purity instead of the drudgery version? Join us for today's discussion and hear for yourself!
Sometimes people suck, and when they do they should be held up for ridicule and contempt and mockery... Oh, wait. That's what we DO, but is that what Jesus asks of his followers? Is it the example God provides us with? Or are we supposed to find it in ourselves, somehow, to show mercy?
I suspect you already know the answer. Maybe looking at the examples Jesus gave for showing mercy will give us some hope that we might be able to learn how to do it. Or maybe we'll decide that we just don't care for that instruction and we'll stick with being unforgiving jerks who refuse mercy because we don't think some people are worthy of it.
How do you think a citizen of the Kingdom of God would act?
Now that we've spent a few weeks talking about being blessed, let's talk about what the word BLESSED means and how it may not be exactly what we've been thinking it is.
Then let's talk about the deeper meaning of righteousness and how it's something for every one of us to embrace, not just a thing for holiness superstars. Something to consider: Being righteous doesn't come from following rules! It's based on something else entirely. Something we all want!
Just because things rhyme, that doesn't mean they are the same. If you use a cat for a bat, you'll never get a hit, and if you wear it as a hat, you'll probably regret it. And yet we tend to mix up meekness by thinking it is a weakness when the reality is that it takes a lot more strength to live out meekness than it does to dominate, bully, or push your way over the top of anyone else.
Well then, what IS meekness? And how could we live it out, if we chose to give it a try? And what does any of this have to do with an argument about Moses having married (according to his sister) above his station? For that, I guess you'll need to join us for this week's dip into the Beatitudes of Jesus.
Today we start with a lesson in the obvious: Life hurts. There are wounds which we need to tend to or they will fester and drive us to self-destructive means of altering or covering the pain because we just want it to stop hurting. Or the pain takes over so much that we don't realize we can feel anything else. How can there be any blessing in pain or loss or disappointment?
But maybe there is...
This week, we explore how that might work, and why we are never so alone as we think.
What does it mean to be poor and why would Jesus claim that this is some kind of blessed state? Why do we allow anxiety to drive us to cling to things we could release? What makes THIS the thing Jesus wanted to tell his followers to learn ahead of everything else?
This week we cover the first of the Beatitudes, Jesus's instructions for life as a citizen of God's Kingdom.
"Guard your heart," declares scripture, "for everything you do flows from it."
But what does that mean and what should we be letting in or keeping out of our hearts? It's not like Jesus left us a checklist... did he?
Welcome to the new season of The Shield Online! We're starting with a life-changing dive into what Dallas Willard called, "a curriculum for Christlikeness," the Beatitudes!
What happened with Paul and the others? Did they get to Rome? What happened? What do we know? Did Luke wrap up all the loose ends in his story? And what does any of this mean for us in the modern world? All these questions and more are answered (and not answered) in today's message. Join us! Then maybe you'll want to go back and find the parts you may have missed.
Grace and peace to you!
There's a little story towards the end of the book of Acts that most people slip past quickly, noticing only the unusual story about a snakebite. But this is the beginning of Luke's conclusion to the full message of the book he has written! Why is he wasting space on a little travel vignette? Or did he have a more important purpose in mind when he described the Followers of the Way living together with three different pagan groups? Find out by joining us for today's look into the Book of Acts.
They were sure this was going to work, but everything fell apart in an instant and they were plunged into chaos.
How often has something similar happened to each one of us? There is a secret to understanding how to remain calm during even the most threatening storm. Do any of the people in today's passage learn it? Join us and see for yourself...
Good day. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to seek out pockets of evil scattered across the world and deal with them. You and your Mission:Possible team will be given light that will dispel the darkness and power to choose to act in ways that will bring healing and wholeness to a world that desperately needs it.
Accepting this mission makes you Agents of the Kingdom acting inside territory the enemy would like to believe they possess. If you or any member of your team is caught, we will continue to affirm your citizenship and place in our family at all times.
This message will not self-destruct. It is an eternal call to action.
Did you know that chapters and verses weren't part of the Bible's original texts? We've added that stuff in. In some ways, that's a blessing; in others it's a curse. We may be able to find things easier, but because of that we don't KNOW things the way we should.
What kind of things? Well, how about what Jesus meant when he talked about climbing in and out an open gateway into heaven? Don't remember that one? Let's find and work through this together...
There is a passage in Acts 25 where Paul doesn't say a word - he doesn't even appear until the last sentence - but his witness has been so consistent that it drives people to want to speak with him, to hear him, and to learn more about Jesus.
How does that work? Well, it started when he trusted in Jesus and became an aggressive dove...
In a world dominated by Empire, can a poor man from a distant province get justice from the highest authority in the world? Yes, he can!
That's not exactly what's happening here, though, is it?
Or is it?
We are celebrating the International Day for Children and Youth by taking a few minutes to examine the story of how one group of young people decided to respond to a difficult situation.
When the big things are out of your control, will making the small changes you can to stay close to your God make any kind of difference?
People tend to confuse "justice" with just getting what they want. What do most people want? To hurt people who hurt them. Is embracing the idea of retribution going to help us attain justice?
Today we look at Paul on trial, the reality TV vibe of scripture, secret motivations, and what justice and injustice looked like in one situation so that we can understand how best to seek justice in our own lives.
The people knew Jesus was a miracle worker, casting out evil spirits, healing the sick, even giving sight to people who were born blind! So when someone they love died the obvious question was, "Why did you let them die?"
Death stinks. There are no words of comfort or solace that change that fact. Even Jesus wept because of the pain and loss brought on by the death of a friend, and he is the one person who actually had an understanding of the bigger picture.
What do we choose to do when we know that? What CAN we do?
Paul is losing his life of freedom and privilege. And he's threatened with losing his life altogether! But somehow he is going to respond to all that as if it is meaningless. It's like he's got some secret which allows him to be content in even the most chaotic and dangerous of situations...
Want to know what that is?
Easter eggs are hidden in movies, on purpose or by accident, to give thoughtful viewers something to find and think about, or something to notice and wonder about. Scripture is rife with the same kind of gems waiting to be uncovered!
Today, as we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, we're going to look at a couple of these and see if they can bring us at least as much joy as a few colored eggs and jelly beans do.
A long time ago, when I was in a customer service job, there was one annoying and mistaken client who, after long minutes of berating me for a problem of his own making, said, "If you don't do what I tell you, I'm not going to be your customer any more!" and I thoughtlessly said - out loud - "Promise?"
He may have been a jerk, but that didn't give me license to respond in kind.
It's been over 30 years and the memory of that mistake still helps keep me from going down that road again. I developed tools to be better and allowed God to work on growing my self-control in this area (and others). But what about someone like the Apostle Paul? What happens when he makes a mistake - or a series of them? Is there any way for him to go on? Can God still use someone who has put themself in a deep hole of trouble?
What group or groups do you belong to? How does that set you apart or make you special?
Now ask yourself why you think that makes you better than people who are not part of those groups. No, don't get defensive - we all do it. We should at least try to be honest with ourselves. We all like to think that WE are better than THEM because we are set apart. The problem here goes two ways: First, it isn't true, and second, the OTHER groups think the same things about YOUR group.
Instead of excluding the OTHER, we need to treat everyone as part of US. Why? Because that's what Jesus commanded us to do.
Accusations of wrongdoing, a brutal assault on the one being accused, and his arrest without cause or charges having been considered...
This is the story we are diving into today. And it's one that should speak into the lives of each one of us! There should be an awareness of one, very important, very key idea that goes with us in everything we do: Are we listening to what God is saying?
And what if we're wrong?
The great thinkers in each group were utterly baffled as to how anyone could see things in a different way. But the two groups reached opposite conclusions about many things! There was a distinct turning towards nationalism taking place which was causing one group to exclude the other, or at least to encourage them to practice their way of life somewhere else...
Politics in America in 2024? Nope, Christians in Jerusalem, about 57 AD. And key leaders in each movement are about to meet face to face...
What they choose to do is incredible.
If you thought it was the last time you were going to see beloved friends, what would you say to them? And why? What would you want to remind them of or warn them about?
Paul, sailing past his former home, stops to say goodbye to one of his dearest church families. And he leaves them with warm words to guard them against a chilling reality... There are already wolves among them.
Have you ever been certain of a thing but someone you know is absolutely convinced that you are wrong?
Have you ever wondered how people can be so foolish as to believe, follow, or be so moved by a particular belief that you know is seriously out of line with what God wants?
What if someone you've respected and trusted for a long time says or does something that is completely contrary to what you KNOW to be true?
How can we know? If there are two conflicting beliefs about an action, can we know which one is right? Does it matter?
What if it isn't about being right?
Lots of questions will be answered by today's message, but some won't be. There's a lesson in that for all of us...
There's a lot of humor and happiness in the story of Jonah that we tell to kids. But we can't get there unless we leave out a lot of anger, hatred, bitterness, and stubborn pride. This is a story about God's inconceivable grace for all of the people he has created - yes, even THOSE people. Why do we think it's about a whale?
This week, the story of Jonah told twice - the happy kid story and the gratingly uncomfortable story from scripture. They're both funny, but is either of them meaningful to us in the modern world?
There was one Christmas message I preached when I first started as a full-time pastor to adults that ran about an hour. There was so much good material, I wanted to share it all! But as I spoke I could see people's eyes glazing over. A large family left partway through, late for the work shift that started early that afternoon. I could see the wish in the eyes of some others that they could do the same. I try to keep a better check on how long I speak now.
Paul, in Acts 20, began a little after sundown, preached so long that someone actually DIED from it, then kept going until after sunrise.
Is there a message in there we could benefit from hearing? I think so, and I promise it won't take very long for me to get to it...
No, this isn't a message about the destruction of Alderaan. It's also not a message about the Apostle Paul, though many think that it is. Paul is firmly in the back seat (or maybe the trunk) throughout this story. It's a little bit about a riot, but not much. It's kind of about the frequent failure of good intentions and how we need to act more mindfully when others are going to be affected by our actions. But mostly, it's about Jesus, and how we all can and should try out doing what HE says instead of what our feelings are leading us to do. At least until we find out if it works or not.
Really.
Acts 19:21-41 examined and what it could mean in the modern world considered.
Have you ever thought that if you offered the right prayer in the right way that God would do what you asked? There's a word for that. Magic. Magic was a way to control the gods or the elements or other people (or sometimes all three) to get the result the spell-caster wanted. It's what most people are trying to do when they pray.
Today's story is about a group of exorcists who found that you can't co-opt the power of God. I don't know if what happened to them inspired them to look into how to truly follow Jesus, but it did help thousands of other in their time and it can help us today as well.
Join us as we go on an adventure that begins in the book of Acts...
When he went back to Ephesus, Paul spent three months preaching in the synagogue. One commentary notes, "Three months in a synagogue without a riot is something of a record for Paul." Which is kind of funny, but it may simply be evidence of the Holy Spirit working in his life, helping him to grow in love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.
Today, as we return to the book of Acts, we should all be asking the question Paul asked a group of men he met with when he got back to Ephesus: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Well, did you? How would you know? Could others tell? Could you go three months without a riot if you were talking about your faith every day?
If you didn't receive the Holy Spirit, what WERE you baptized into? Because it wasn't Jesus.
When you get a gift, do you ever have that urge to give something of equal or greater value back? Either out of gratitude or from some twisted desire to avoid some perceived "gift deficit" where you think you owe someone for having given you something? Most of us feel that, at least sometimes.
So what do you give to God for the gift of life and the ability to become who you choose to be? When the gift is your very life, what is the appropriate reciprocal gift? And what does that have to do with the Unexpected True Story of Christmas?
Find out in today's examination of some of the things that happened not long after Jesus was born. Important things that can (and perhaps should) change the way we approach life from this point forward.
I want to give you a gift. Well, it's not from me. it's from God. You know, the LORD? YHVH? Our Creator? Yeah, he has this really important and, dare I say, intimate gift he wants us all to have. But you're going to need something.
You need to take a breath.
Today, the gift of breathing light into your life and the things that can change...
Happy Christmas.
We three kings from orient are...
Not from the orient.
We three kings...
No, not kings either.
We three...
Well, maybe, but probably not.
Properly considered, the story of the Magi isn't even part of the birth narrative of Jesus, but because we have incorporated it into our Christmas mythology for centuries, we should look at what it could have meant then and what it might mean for us today.
And what was up with that star?
It's the wee hours of the night and you are wakened by a commotion outside. What's going on? Then, a knock at your door - more of a pounding, really. You open to find a man, caked with dirt, smelling of sweat and animals, someone you would cross the street to avoid if you came upon them in town. He asks you if there's a baby in your home that he could come an look at. Obviously, he's insane! You are about to tell him so when you realize that there are about fifty more just like him in a big unruly mob jostling up behind him, trying to see around you...
This is quickly becoming a very Unexpected Christmas Story.
Questions or comments? email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org or post them here.
Want to hear more? Check our archives or visit our podcast at http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Can you help The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA help people in need? Donate here: https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to you.
As the woman, pregnant, in labor, clinging to the donkey she rode, was ushered up the walk, the innkeeper came out, waving them away into the snow as he turned an bolted the door behind him.
Nonsense. Sure, it makes a fun story, but it's insane, which should be immediately obvious to anyone who hears it. So dust off your Bibles and follow me as we journey through the REAL story of the amazing birth of Jesus.
Advent starts next week and we'll talk about the Christmas story throughout the season. This week, though, we're going to talk about two women who had obviously rejected God's ways and brought great shame to their families and communities by their brazenness. Except, maybe that wasn't the way God saw their stories...
An Unexpected Christmas Story begins here...
Questions or comments? You can put them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Podcasts of our messages can be found as The Shield Online on iTunes and Spotify and all the rest or on your favorite podcast app. Our archive is also available here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Can you make a gift to help The Salvation Army in its mission to share the gospel of Jesus Christ by meeting human needs without discrimination? You can do that here:
http://grassvalleyredkettle.org or here: https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to you and yours in the coming days!
As we prepare for America's favorite holiday, Black Friday, we might need to spend a little more time focused on how Thanksgiving should be an every day holiday, not a once-a-year one. Why? Because the benefits are beyond amazing! How about you give it a try? If you aren't willing to commit to a lifetime, how about just this week? I think you'll see that the benefits of continuing in thankfulness will make you want to do it more and more every day.
When you hear someone who isn't quite right in what they say or do, what's the appropriate response? Should we roast them on social media? Fillet them and their mistakes in public? Start a whispering campaign intended to shut them up or drive them away? Or, perhaps, should we invite them over for dinner and to exchange ideas by hearing them out and then sharing our view and reasoning without judging them or requiring them to accept our point of view?
I can tell you which answers people generally choose to live out. But instead, let me tell you a short story about Paul and one about some of his companions.
We live in a world filled with scared people reacting to their fear. There is an antidote for that poison, but it isn't one many people are willing to take. Taking it will set you free, but making the choice to do so involved getting out of the comfortable bubble you live in and exposing yourself to the very world you have been afraid of. If you are willing, though, I know someone who will go with you who will keep you safe...
Comments/questions? Email me! roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Want to hear more? The Shield Online is available on iTunes, Spotify, and your favorite podcast app. Or at our host site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Can you help The Salvation Army help others? https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to each of you. Go with God.
The greatest horrors of the Halloween season cannot come close to those perpetuated by humans on one another. And God placed Ezekiel in the midst of that horror, the only living man in a field strewn with tens of thousands of the dead.
Why? What purpose could there be in visiting this place?
It turns out, it was so you and I could be given hope.
Grace and peace to you.
Comments/questions? roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Donations to help The Salvation Army in Nevada County help others? https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Want to hear more? Check out The Shield Online on your favorite podcast service or at our online home: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Does resurrection matter? It's a crazy idea, right? In Acts 17, Paul's insistence on preaching Jesus raised from the dead runs head-on into a wall of educated disbelief. But they are willing to hear him out - for a few minutes, anyway.
What happens next and why it may (or may not) matter to us is a big part of knowing what God expects from us and that's important, because it is the standard by which we will be judged by Christ.
In a world torn apart by evil actions and deep hurts, what are we to do?
When an enemy has slaughtered our children, what are we to do?
When the monsters are revealed and our anger is sharp and ready to be thrust into their hearts to rip them out the way they have done to us, what are we to do?
Today, an examination of facing the impossible in an unexpected, but necessary, way.
Grace and peace to you and to your enemies.
When someone says things to you which are different from the way you've always done things or different from the way you think or have been taught that the world works, what is the proper response? Do you cover your ears and yell LALALALALALALA! at the top of your lungs so that what they are saying can't leak in? Do you hide or burn their books? Do you run them out of town? Or is there another way? Something else you could do?
This week we see how two very different groups respond to the idea that Jesus is Lord.
Grace and peace to you!
What Must I do to be Saved?
That's the question, isn't it? And to get to the answer, we're going to start with Zeus having an affair, Apollo killing a dragon, Paul's group of evangelists being praised by a possessed slave, snake oil, acceptable police brutality, and finally God shaking things up a bit to get some people's attention. Then we'll know what we must do.
Grace and peace to you this week!
God delights in me and my perfection. And if you are blameless and never turn from his ways or break any of his commandments, you can be perfect too. Worried that it may be too late? Oh, do I have some good news for you!
Comments or questions? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Also, there is an opportunity for a prize because I screwed something up during this recording and when that happened, I offered a prize to anyone who reaches out to me about... Something. (Gotta listen to find out!)
Grace and peace to you all this week.
Luke takes his time showing us the chain of events that God arranged to demonstrate that one particular conversion was absolutely ordained. I could have called this message "The first Christian in Europe." You should know who I'm referring to, but here in the Western world, we tend to downplay or ignore her, even though she is one of the most important figures in the early church.
Questions or comments can be brought up here or by emailing roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Podcasts of past messages are available by finding The Shield Online with your favorite podcast app (iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc.) or by visiting our host site at http://bit.ly/shieldonline
The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA has been actively reaching out to those in need since 1883. If you can contribute to help us help others, that's great. You can find our address or donation links online or by clicking here: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Grace and peace to you all.
People can't be trusted. We are inconsistent and petty and self-serving and, sometimes, downright mean. Okay, not all the time, but every one of us has our moments, don't we?
It's no wonder that people leave the church. Is there a reason to be Followers of the Way of Jesus if even our leaders may fail to live up to the standards of that Way?
Questions or comments? Post them here or email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Is this guy crazy? Check out our past videos here or our podcast archive at http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Can you help The Salvation Army in Nevada County? We provide utility assistance and clothing and housing and food and disaster aid and youth programs and emotional and spiritual care, among other things. You can make a gift here: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Grace and peace to each of you.
Do we need to do conform to a certain set of standards to be holy or do we simply say that the grace of Jesus is enough and then live that out, whatever that looks like? That's the question which faced the growing movement of the Followers of the Way of Jesus back in Acts 15. Today we look at what they decided and what it might mean for people like us today.
Short one today. Mostly, I want to tell you a story.
A story about bread.
And hands.
And what on earth is meant by a continual sacrifice of praise?
When people attack you or the ones you love, what then? When stones are thrown your way, they can make great weapons, can't they? Should you pick them up and fight back or should you go away and plot your revenge? Or should you go back to the people who hurt you and offer to share everything with them? Which of these sounds right?
These questions are at the heart of our passage today. Join us as we take apart this section of Acts to find principles which can guide our reactions to trouble even in the modern world.
I'm out on vacation this week, but couldn't resist putting together a little something from God's Word for you to chew on while I'm gone!
What is it that we were made for? Do we have a purpose in life? And if we do, are we living it out?
Grab your Bible for this one - I'm going to hop you around a bit to see if we can untangle an answer to one of life's biggest questions!
When is condemnation acceptable? When should the past be the past and the future be the focus?
Plus learn a few things you may not have known about Captain Roger, about the Bible, and about throwing stones.
You are forgiven. For all the things that have or are keeping you from being the best you can be. Any way that you haven't reflected the image of God. Or that you won't. It's forgiven. Yes, even that thing.
That's impossible, right? Crazy?
But what if it's true?
Find out as we examine what the Followers of the Way need to do to be forgiven. Here's a hint:
People will try to put detours and obstacles in your way, trying to force you to go their way. But our job isn't to follow other people, it's to follow Jesus.
This week's message from the book of Acts! We're up to chapter 13, and there are some mighty powerful things going on...
Today, we're going to hear a rescue story. Which is great and all and I can't wait for you to hear it. But what I really want is for you to understand that you're going to have a chance this week to act out the Way of Jesus OR to act out in the way of Herod. The path I'd like you to take is probably obvious, but the decision is going to be yours alone. Maybe, after hearing today's message, your decision will be a little bit easier...
Questions or comments are always welcome. Put them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org.
For more information about the Grass Valley Corps or The Salvation Army in general, check out http://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to you.
Is the church making a wild, radical turn to gain members and importance? Isn't that why it started letting THOSE people in? You know, the ones we shouldn't be associating with? The sinners, the unclean, the ones we should shun and preach against?
That's right, I'm talking about the church in about 43 AD. What did you think I meant?
Lessons for today from the words of yesterday are available in this session of our walk through the Book of Acts.
Questions and comments are welcome here or by emailing roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Need to catch up on our Acts series or any previous teaching? The full archive is available by checking our podcast archive. Search for The Shield Online using your favorite podcast app or by visiting our host site here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
We each can give something to help those in need. If you can help support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA, your gift of any size is a blessing to those in our community. Reach out directly or you can use this link to our donation site: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Grace and peace to you this week. See you next time.
Obviously there are those who are INSIDE our circle and those who are OUTSIDE, right? And those who are OUTSIDE are wrong, horrible, unholy, evil people who should be rejected and shunned, right?
Well... That may, in fact, be the exact OPPOSITE of what we are taught by Jesus, by the early church, and by scripture. I wonder why it is that we Christians have become known for our anger and condemnation instead of our love?
This week: The first part of Acts 11 leads us through a different approach to people who seem, to us, to be outside our circle.
I'm sure that Peter NEVER thought that God would accept THOSE people unless THOSE people changed first. It had taken heavenly convincing for him to lower himself to even speak to people so far outside his religious norms. But then God didn't even allow Peter to finish the message he had worked up, and everything changed and got a LOT simpler and more complicated...
Comments and questions always welcome, here or by email to roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Two men have strange visions that lead them to become something they are not. Can they avoid profaning the things of God in the process? Or is this all some kind of cosmic test that they are failing? We'll find out together as we look at this week's passage in our journey through the book of Acts.
Comments and questions always welcome. Leave them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to you all.
RADICAL INCLUSION
Not words you expect to hear about the people in the early church? Today we look at two examples from the book of Acts - examples which are small steps towards a much larger change in religious culture than most people ever would have thought possible.
Comments and questions welcome - but you should really listen to the message first. You can also email me directly: roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Can you help us help others? The Salvation Army of Grass Valley helps hundreds of people each month, but we can't do it without partners like you. Check out https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org for more information.
Want to check out the archive of our messages? Find them at http://bit.ly/shieldonline or by searching for The Shield Online on your favorite podcast app.
Grace and peace to you all!
How many disciples does Jesus have? Can you name them? And what is a disciple anyway? What drives someone like that?
Today we are taking a break from our walk through the book of Acts to spend a few minutes looking at what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and what scripture tells us about those who were. And most importantly, what does any of that mean to us now?
Grace and peace to you all this week!
Grace and peace, all!
Captain Roger is gone to a Men's Retreat this weekend and none of the workshops he was teaching got recorded. Which was sad, BUT it does mean you have the opportunity to hear this great message from our archives!
What do you do when you are overwhelmed by the storm?
From Sept 29, 2019
Hey, remember that guy who had so many of our friends beaten and killed that most everyone had to flee the city? And he said he'd do the same to us, if he could find us? He's going to be in town and was wondering if we have a guest room and some food he could use.
Does that sound crazy and impossible? Sure, but it happened. It turns out that NOTHING is impossible with God.
Listen to this week's message, then post any questions or comments, or email them to roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Check out of podcast, The Shield Online, at iTunes, Spotify, an any other major podcast sites. Or you can use our archive site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
The Salvation Army of Grass Valley, CA serves the people of Nevada County with food, shelter, clothing, utilities assistance, and emotional and spiritual care. But we can only do those things with the help of people like yourself. You can made a gift of any size here https://bit.ly/donateGV or through our main site at https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to you all this week!
Even the devout never really expect to hear God's voice. Not really. Not in the same way they hear the voice of the person standing next to them.
So what happens when they do? And what happens when what God says flies in the face of everything they have believed, the very things by which they have defined their lives?
Luke wrote the subversive book detailing the Acts of the Apostles in such a way that he slowly took his patron on a journey from the resurrection of Jesus to the church as a place of radical acceptance and inclusion. People who are unwelcome are being welcomed. People who cannot change to be acceptable are being accepted. I'm sure it was terrifying to the people then, just as it is now.
So can we, or should we, live out the example of the early church?
Food for thought in this week's worship in study.
Comments and questions are welcome. You can also email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Think I'm off the rails? Check out how this train got here by reading the book of Acts and by listening to the earlier messages in this series. You can find The Shield Online at your favorite podcast hosting site or here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
The Salvation Army in Grass Valley helps dozens of families each week, but we can't do what we do without help from people like you. Your gift of any amount is gratefully accepted at https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to you this week!
That group of people you KNOW are misguided heathens who will never be able to find their way to salvation because of their evil ways is now claiming to be followers of Jesus. Do you:
a) Call down fire and brimstone
b) Shun them and talk smack about them like you always have
c) Go spend time with them, pray with them, and ask God to pour out the gift of his Spirit on them
I suspect you know what my answer is, whether you agree with it or not. But what does scripture tell us we should do in this situation? Because that's exactly what Acts chapter 8 is about, and it is this week's focus for our worship in study.
Our Facebook page is down, but you can still leave comments or questions here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Our podcast of these messages (The Shield Online) is available from your favorite podcast source or at our host site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
And you can still give to help families in need through our main site: https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to you this week!
We're back in the book of Acts today, examining the story of the life and death of Stephen, one of the Seven who ran the first Christian food pantry. What did he do or say that inspired a large mob of stable, upright citizens to drag him out of the city to be lynched? What was it about killing Stephen that inspired a wave of terror and violence against the people who made up the early church? And how can knowing this story help us identify when the same elements are creeping into the modern world, creating a similar tension which threatens to explode into death mobs even now?
Comments/questions? Post them or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Want to hear more? The Shield Online is available from all major podcast hosting sites and apps.
Want to help The Salvation Army help others? Consider donating. $10 can feed a family of four for a day! https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace! See you next time.
What's up with the Bible anyway? Is it a dusty old book full of rules and outdated lifestyle advice? Why are there so many different translations? Is there any reason for us to bother with it today?
We're taking a short detour off the road of our journey through the book of Acts to try to understand a few things about the roadmap we are using to look at the history of the Church. Plus, there's a game and you could win valuable prizes!
Comments or questions? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
What other crazy things has Captain Roger said? It's all public record! Check past videos here or the multi-year archive of podcasts at http://bit.ly/shieldonline or by finding The Shield Online at iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcast site.
The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA, helps thousands each year with necessities such as clothing, food, shelter, utilities, and the like, but we couldn't do any of it without the help of people like you. Donate here https://bit.ly/donateGV or through our main site at https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org/
Grace and peace to you!
It's Resurrection Sunday! Join us for the unusual story of a man who had a golden screw in his navel. And then an even more unusual story, told from the perspective of those who knew Jesus was dead.
Grace and peace to you.
Comments and questions are always welcome.
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You can hear more from us directly through our Podcast host (http://bit.ly/shieldonline) or by finding The Shield Online on your favorite podcast service.
JESUS IS ALIVE!
Holy Week begins today with Palm Sunday! Does that matter? Do the little ritual meanings we assign to the days of this week come from the Bible or are they made up? Or both?
Is it okay to drag Judas through the streets and throw rocks at him before setting him on fire?
We'll take on these questions, and some that may be a bit more important, in this week's message.
Grace and peace to you all!
Breathing is easy, right? We all do it unconsciously. Well, what happens when you breathe mindfully instead?
That's what is happening in the lives of the early followers of Jesus. They are learning what it means to breathe together and how even a small barrier to doing that cleanly can present a huge obstruction to living life the way Jesus intended them to.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you breathe in the message God has for you today so you can breathe the love of Jesus out to the world.
Comments or questions? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Want to hear more? The Shield Online (these messages and sometimes others too) is available on Facebook and YouTube, through your favorite podcast app, or at our Podcast host, here:
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Grace and peace to each of you this week! See you next time.
It turns out that God doesn't need you to fight.
God seems to want us to believe we should OBEY God instead.
The Apostles and other members of the early church seem to have got a handle on this, at least in one early situation. This week we're diving in to see if there is anything in there which we can take and use to help us make our modern world a better place.
Grace and peace, y'all.
My favorite pieces of scripture are the little ones that get lost in between the bigger stories - the ones that you might read past without noticing. Today we're going to look at one of those and see where it brings us...
Questions, comments, or complaints? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace to you all this week!
Take a breath and let it out slowly. And again. Breathing is amazing, isn't it? From the first gasp to the last, breathing is the source of life animating your body.
Living in community is like breathing together. It is sharing life together. And when everyone is focused on doing so, the community thrives and grows in ways that can be hard for individuals to imagine. But what happens when members in the community separate themselves from the rest, as if they aren't all connected?
Today we look at what happens when someone stops breathing with the community.
Questions or comments? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Previous messages available here or in out podcast archive at http://bit.ly/shieldonline
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Grace and peace to you!
Hey! You! Yes, you. Jesus loves you for who and what you are and wants you to be a part of God's family. Yes, you! That's not exactly what today's investigation of Acts 4 is about, but ultimately, it's what everything is supposed to be about.
But to get there, you need to understand something about Star Trek... (Wait, what?)
Do you have questions or comments? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Can you give to help people in need in Nevada County, CA? See what we're doing and donate to The Salvation Army here:
http://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Want to catch up on past messages? You can find The Shield Online on iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. You can also check out our host archive here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you all this week!
Before we go further in the book of Acts, learning the events and history of the early church, I thought we should stop and learn what exactly the church is and whether we are actually a part of it. What does it mean to be "part" of the church anyway? What makes us the called out assembly of God and not just a group of people with some shared ideas?
This week we learn to live as "echad" in "ekklesia" through submission and love in a way that SHOULD bring peace.
Comments? Questions? Post them or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Miss an episode? Find past videos here or check out our podcast archive at http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Got a couple of bucks you can share to help people in need? How about making a donation to The Salvation Army? Check out https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org for information about what we do and ways to help.
Grace and peace to you all this week.
What is the point of sequels, and why is the Bible filled with them? It's almost as if someone was trying to make a point and make sure we all get it...
Thank you for joining our weekly digital message time! Your participation through questions and comments is always welcome. You can post those here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Our mission is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ by meeting human needs in his name without discrimination. You can help us do that by donating to The Salvation Army in Nevada County. https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
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Thanks for journeying with us for a few minutes!
Grace and peace to each of you this week.
Thank God for his instruction that we build up the body of the church by loving one another unconditionally and by lifting up every person, without exception! If that's not the church you know, you will want to check out this passage in Acts to see what the first followers of Jesus did and what may be different from what we are doing now.
Questions and comments are always welcome. Post them or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Check out our message archive! http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Help share the love of Jesus by helping those in need. Your gift of any amount is appreciated and can be given at https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to you this week!
This new thing had happened and everyone was excited to share. Even though they knew it made them all sound crazy! It WAS crazy, and yet, somehow, it was true. And they had to tell people. But would they listen?
Will you?
Comments and questions are always welcome. Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Check out our podcast, The Shield Online, on iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Or you can visit our host archive here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
We meet in person in beautiful downtown Grass Valley, California each week. Join us Sundays at 11:00 am at 10725 Alta Street!
The Salvation Army's mission is to share the gospel of Jesus by meeting human needs in his name without discrimination. Whether you are nearby or far away, you can help. Make your gift of any amount or find out more information about what we do here: grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Grace and peace to each and every one of you this week!
O God of cleansing, burning flame: Send the fire!
I live in what we could call the nation's tinderbox, Northern California, and fire has burned scars into all our lives over the last decade or so. But fire is only bad when it is misused or out of control. Sometimes you need a controlled burn to clear away the corruption in life so that what matters will stand tall and healthy when the flames of judgment come.
Questions or comments? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Help save lives by donating to The Salvation Army! grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
Check out our message archives in your favorite podcast app or on our host site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you this week!
You ever have the problem of having to wait for something but you don't really know what the something is or how long it's going to be? So you find yourself sitting around, brooding over things that are really outside your control but which you wish you could change or somehow move on from? You aren't alone. That may actually be a universal thing. I know I've been there. It seems that King David had some moments like that, and Peter, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, went through some of that too.
Which is where we're going today in our look at the book of Acts.
All that, plus a super hero in the Bible. Seriously, you don't want to miss this one!
Got questions? Post them or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org and we'll share our answers.
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Grace and peace to you. Remember, we're all in this together.
Psst... Hey, you! I can trust you, right? Good, because I have something important I want to tell you, but the government has banned the book about it. Even just saying that is probably enough to get me flogged, so if you don't want to hear more, stop now.
There was a man named Jesus who said he was God, which I know sounds crazy. But when I tell you about the people who believed in him and what happened with them, maybe you'll understand why spreading this story is considered so subversive.
So, you want to hear it?
Questions, comments, or need a copy of the book? Email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
To make a donation, visit grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
You can find The Shield Online through your favorite podcast host, or check our archive at http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you this week.
Hey, you want to go dancing?
No, not with me. With God. Because he's been waiting for a chance to dance with you. Really. Check out today's message to hear how that will work. Because if all this God stuff is true, we might need to polish some of our moves.
It's a new year! Feel free to ask questions, new or old, and we'll see if we can find answers together! Post those here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
We need your help to support people who need help! You can give to The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA by visiting grassvalley.salvationarmy.org
We post every message to our podcast, which is available wherever you download such things or at our host site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to each of you as we enter in to 2023 and beyond!
It's Christmas! Let's talk presents!
In the last chapter of his gospel, Matthew slips three very special gifts into our hands. Three things we may not have noticed. Three special ideas which could reshape the way we view or live out our faith...
Got questions or comments? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Want to make a donation before the end of the year? Drop it in our Virtual Red Kettle to support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County, California! http://grassvalleyredkettle.org
There is no better way to spend Christmas than by catching up on the whole series of teaching on the book of Matthew! We podcast everything and you can find it at your favorite podcast source or through our host site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you all! And a very happy Christmas to you.
Jesus is dead... Or is he? Let's follow the body.
You might be surprised to hear what people expected. It sure wasn't any kind of miracle.
Please give us a like and subscribe if you can.
Comments, questions? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace, all!
Where is God when life hurts?
My God, my God, have you turned your back on me?
Can a cosmic God know or care about the pain and suffering of a single person?
Yes.
He knows that pain, that separation, that sense of being utterly alone that each one of us feels in our darkest moments. He knows because he has lived and died in that pain and abandonment.
And even in the deepest depths of that darkness, he found a way to bring the light of joy...
Comments, questions, or conundrums? Post them in the comments or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Want to help bring light to someone's darkness? Make a donation to The Salvation Army at grassvalleyredkettle.org this month or at https://bit.ly/donateGV any time.
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Grace and peace to you all this week!
Mocking someone involves making fun of them in a cruel or derisive manner.
While Jesus was being crucified, people were lined up to mock him.
I guess it gave them a chance to tell their favorite jokes about brutal executions. It can be hard to find the right time and place to share those, right?
But it's how Jesus responded that holds my attention in this story. And it should be the detail that matters most to you as well.
Check it out.
Questions and comments are always welcome. Post them here or email them to me at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace to you this week.
The crowd wants blood but the judge knows the defendant is innocent. What kind of corruption would lead him to pass sentence?
The very kind he was steeped in.
The final trial of Jesus is our point of study for this week, but it may all connect in ways you've never thought about before.
If you enjoy our messages, be sure to hit the LIKE and SUBSCRIBE buttons so we know you're there. :)
We love questions and comments! Maybe share your opinion about the mystery we talk about in today's passage? You can post that kind of thing here or you can email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace to each one of you.
Jesus and his followers were defeated, right?
Jesus was arrested and had been abandoned by even his closest disciples.
Peter, his second in command, had dropped the teaching of Jesus like a hot rock and then run and now was about to make that worse by cursing his former master and insisting that there had never been anything between them
Judas, realizing what he had done, tried to find a way to make things better, but ends up lost in the darkness of his own soul instead.
Can there be any victory from such a defeated group of people?
Of course there can.
Comments or questions? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace to you!
When Matthew tells his story of the betrayal of Jesus it is Peter that he focuses on. Peter, not Judas. Oh, Judas gets his mention, but Peter's betrayal seem to have loomed larger in Matthew's reckoning. Perhaps because Peter's betrayal was so much closer to Matthew's own.
At the time Jesus was arrested, they all failed him. Thank God for his grace and his love for us! Now, will we learn from what happened, or will we treat it like a nice story and assume that what Jesus said and did in this instance couldn't possibly mean we can or should do the same?
Comments and questions are welcome, either by posting them here or by emailing roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org.
Donations to help us help the people of Nevada County, California are always appreciated! Gifts can be given here: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Want to hear more? Check out our archive of past messages and subscribe to get any new ones through your favorite podcast app or by visiting our host site. Look for The Shield Online here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you.
The Passover meal was shared by family and tied people together in a sacred bond of unity and peace as they remembered the promises of God. Jesus and his followers celebrated this meal together on one particularly fateful night where they all pledged to remember the promises of God together.
And then every one of them betrayed him.
What happened at the last meal they would share together? The one that should have been a joyful celebration of the love of God for each of them? Join us today and hear the story for yourself.
Because you want to remember this...
Questions? Comments? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace to you.
The great thing about the Bible is that there is so much in there. While many of the stories are inspiring and joyful, others are dark and horrifying. Some fill you with the excitement of the best action thriller movies you've ever seen while others are quieter, more introspective. But they all should help us fill in a picture of who God is and what he can do.
Today we take a break from our journey through Matthew's story about Jesus to spend a few minutes in a filed filled with death and hopelessness until the breath of God turns death into new life.
Comments or questions? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace to each of you.
If you're like most people, Jesus isn't the Messiah you want him to be.
You're not alone in that. There were plenty of people in his day who worked to stop him, to keep him from changing the world. They were willing to do whatever it took to make sure he didn't get a chance to do more than he already had.
Even among his own followers, questions had risen which they didn't like the answers to...
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Grace and peace to each of you. We hope you find these moments of study useful and thought-provoking. Go with God.
Have you ever wondered exactly what God wants you to do with your life?
Didn't you realize that there is no reason for you to wonder?
Jesus laid out a simple, six-step plan for us to follow to be ready when he comes.
Six simple, as easy as you want them to be, as big as you want them to be, steps. Steps you NEED to follow.
Questions? Comments? Drop them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace to you all this week!
That well-known 80's philosopher Blondie once described the Rapture by saying about a man from Mars:
Now he's gone back up to space
Where he won't have a hassle with the human race
When Jesus teaches about the time when God's Kingdom will be fully realized, he uses some terms and ideas that some of his followers have taken to mean something VERY different than what had originally been intended. At no point does Jesus ever say that we're going to fly off to space to a special box seat where we'll get to watch the end of the world. But what he DID say is the sort of thing which should change our expectations and our actions.
Questions or comments? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org or visit our in-person services (Sundays at 11:00 am in Grass Valley, CA)!
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Grace and peace to each of you.
Jesus said to get out.
They did.
Why?
Because they trusted his warning.
And the greatest slaughter in history got to happen without them.
Matthew 24 included a prophecy for the people of that time. What, if anything, can we take from it to make living in our time better?
Comments or questions? Post them or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace to you.
You remember that time when Jesus told people that religion was dragging them into hell?
Funny how that doesn't get preached on much, isn't it?
Or maybe it isn't so funny.
I wonder why religious leaders don't spend more time talking about the fact Jesus said that we shouldn't be religious leaders. And who it is he says we should follow instead.
Because when Jesus says that we're either a child of the Kingdom of God or a child of hell, that seems like something that would be really important for us to hear and understand, doesn't it?
Comments or questions? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Want to learn more about being part of the Kingdom of God? Try our podcast archive! http://bit.ly/shieldonline or through your favorite podcast app.
Grace and peace to you.
It's time to play everyone's favorite game: Q&A with Jesus!
Today we will see three challengers take on the champion, trying to stump him with their questions and so avoid having to respond to his. Will they be successful, or will Jesus complete the challenge to win at the game's highest level?
And what does any of that have to do with Four Children?
Find out in today's exciting episode of Matthew's Gospel!
This edition of Matthew's Gospel is brought to you by The Salvation Army's Grass Valley Corps, Captain Roger McCort presenting. If you have questions or comments, you can post them in the comments or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org.
If you can help support the work we do, please do! One way you can do so is by using this link to donate: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Past episodes of our investigation into Matthew's book about Jesus, plus many other volumes from the Christian Bible, can be heard by subscribing to our podcast, The Shield Online, through your favorite app or by visiting our host site here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you all this week!
There's something weird about the confrontation between Jesus and the chief priests in the Temple.
The stories he tells are an indictment of the way they have been leading, but when you read them all as one piece, rather than picking them apart and teaching them one at a time, it doesn't sound so much like condemnation as it does like a plea for repentance. He's giving them a warning, not a reprimand. He's reaching out to them, not turning his back on them.
He's not telling them they've missed their opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God. He's warning them that they could.
Or at least, that's how I read it. I think it's how Matthew intended us to read it. What do you think? Join our conversation today!
Questions or comments? Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Can you help support our ministry to people in need? Give here: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Want to hear more? Check out podcasts about the Gospel of Matthew or any of our previous series: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Want to know more about being a part of the Kingdom of God? Reach out to me and we can talk about it.
Grace and peace to you this week.
In his first three days in Jerusalem, Jesus acted out three living parables - three prophetic actions which point to the reign of God overcoming the rebellion of the world.
Here's the thing: In spite of the very public and dramatic nature of these events, the people witnessing them may not have even noticed they occurred.
Even though Jesus was declared king, initiated his reign, investigated and condemned corruption, showed the right way, and indicated that judgment was coming to bring justice and a new way of relating to God.
For most, it all seemed kind of ordinary. We're going to pull back the curtain to catch a glimpse of what was really going on.
Questions? Ask here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org.
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Grace and peace to you this week!
Ignorance seeks leadership, power, and glory, says a modern commentator. A couple centuries back, Matthew Henry wrote that we are idiots when we ask for the glory of wearing a crown instead of for grace to bear a cross. Jesus said we need to forget about trying to be in charge and focus on being servants or, better, slaves, to others instead.
What do you think you rule over? Should you rethink that?
Questions, comments, and wild sputtering about the way I'm obviously misreading how Jesus said we should backstab our friends to get ahead in this life can be posted here or emailed to roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Donations to support the work of The Salvation Army as we strive to meet human need without discrimination here in Nevada County, CA, can be made here: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Podcasts of our messages can be found as The Shield Online at any major podcast archive or app, or by visiting our host site here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you all.
Divorce and its aftermath? The place of children? What's in it for you? How do we measure our value?
Sometimes we talk about our "worldview" and how that determines our actions.
Sometimes Jesus told people things they didn't want to hear about God's view and how they needed to change their thinking.
Isn't it great that God trusts you to make your own decisions?
What questions does this passage leave you with? Ask them here or email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Worldly wealth won't buy your way into heaven, but it can be used to help those in need. If you want to help those in need, here's one way to give: https://bit.ly/donateGV
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Grace and peace to you today, this week, and all through your life!
At what point is it okay to just tell someone to go to hell? You know, that point at which we decide that the things they have done or are doing are unforgivable. When we are ready to let them be cast into the burning pit?
Good news! Jesus covered that with his disciples! He's given us clear guidance on exactly when it's okay to turn our backs on another person. The answer might surprise you. Does that sound click-baity? It probably is, but you'll have to listen to this week's message to find out for sure!
Comments or questions? Post them here or email Captain Roger directly at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Can you help The Salvation Army help people in need? You can make a gift here: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Curious about past messages or future ones? Find The Shield Online through your favorite podcast app or by visiting our podcast site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you this week!
Who is the most valuable and who can we discount as unimportant?
Who is loved by God and who is it okay for us to hate?
That guy over there has always been a jerk to me, so it's okay for me to look down on him, right?
This woman has caused a lot of evil to be done over the years. It's okay for me to distain her actions and consign her to the pits of hell, isn't it?
This week we start to look at Matthew chapter 18, which tells us exactly how Jesus would answer all of these questions.
Questions and comments are always welcomed. You can post them here or email Captain Roger for a more private exchange. roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
The Salvation Army of Grass Valley helps dozens of people each week, but we can only do that with your help. If you are able to make a donation towards our ministry in Nevada County, CA, this link is one way you can do so: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Curious about our other teaching times? Want to listen to our messages in a convenient podcast format? You can find The Shield Online through Apple, Spotify, Google, or your favorite podcast app, or directly through our Buzzfeed site here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to each of you this week!
Once upon a time there was a man who was interested in taxes. Then Jesus did this thing that resonated with him and he realized that he never needed to pay taxes again and that he could choose to pay anyway.
A thing like that is so crazy someone had to write it down so it wouldn't be forgotten. So he did.
Comments or questions about today's message? Come see us in person at our Grass Valley service - 11:00 am every Sunday! Or drop your thoughts in the comments box here or email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org for a more personal response.
Can you help support the work of The Salvation Army? Maybe you're the fish who brings the coin we need. You can give online here: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Want to hear more about how these ancient stories can change the way we do life for the better? Check out the podcast archive of our messages here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you all!
Jesus left for a night and his disciples fell apart.
We've all been there, right? Someone leaves you in charge of something and suddenly you feel lost, cast adrift, unable to remember or trust the things that you really DO know to be true and you just utterly lose faith that you can do anything at all.
That happened to these guys.
Then Jesus came back...
Questions or comments can be posted here or emailed to Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Donations can be made online at https://bit.ly/donateGV
Interested in other stories about Jesus or the Bible? Check out the messages we've posted in the past and make sure you get any we do in the future by subscribing at our podcast site or through your favorite podcast app. More information here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Remember that time when Jesus told Peter that he needed to get in line or get out? You don't? Perhaps you missed the real story of what was happening in Matthew 16 and 17. Don't feel too bad. You know who else missed it, at least at first? Peter. But you need to hear it now and understand it, because you're either going to follow Jesus into the Kingdom or you're going to act as if you're Satan and there is no other option.
Comments and questions are always welcome! Post them here or email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Can you help support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA? Every dollar given here stays here and helps bring people from hungry and homeless to healthy and housed. You can give by traditional means or by using this link to our online donation site: https://bit.ly/donateGV
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Grace and peace to you all this week!
In today's passage, Jesus takes his followers into the very mouth of Hell to show them that there is no power which can keep chained those who God sets free. It's both a lesson and a command.
You don't remember hearing this story? Your probably have, but without a little context to help us understand what was going on we all tend to skim over sections of Scripture or even forget them. This week we are focusing on the context of this story from Matthew 16.
Got comments or questions? You can post them here or email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
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Grace and peace to you this week!
Who is in your tribe?
Who is it right to feed and who should you turn away?
Who do you wish would just go away because they are annoying you?
I hope the answer to that last one isn't me! But even if it is, you should take a few minutes to watch this worship in study video about something Jesus did and who he did it for and what that did (and should still) mean for the rest of us who want to think we are trying to follow him.
Questions or comments? Drop them below or email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Can you help us meet the needs of the community we are planted in? All gifts go to help the people of Nevada County, CA, through the work of The Salvation Army here. Here's a link to our donation site: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Curious about other messages about Jesus and what we can or should make of his teachings? You can find more in our video archive on YouTube or on Facebook or follow this link to our podcast site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you all.
We don't give Pharisees enough credit. The hearts of most of them were really in the right place as they tried to bring people closer to God through holy living.
BUT...
When your focus gets locked on one thing, you often forget or miss other things that are equally or even MORE important.
Or so Jesus said to this group who came to question him.
Questions or comments? We'd love to see them! Post them here or email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Support given through these links goes entirely to the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA. If you can help us as we help others, it is appreciated. Give here: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Miss a teaching? Want to listen to a podcast instead of watching a video? You can find a collection of our messages recorded here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Thanks for joining us today! Grace and peace to each of you.
You've heard this story a thousand times, but the way you've heard it is wrong. What you need to understand is that you can be everything God says you can - which is so much more than you are willing to believe, at least at first.
Today we look at the story of Jesus walking on water and how Peter did this crazy thing where he got out of the boat when Jesus told him he could and then he was able to walk on the water too. And we're going to figure out if that means anything to us today or if it's just a nice story.
Comments or questions are always welcome. Post them in the comments or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
We help people in need throughout Nevada County, CA, with everything from food boxes to clothing to utility assistance to community service to just hanging out and sharing life together. Come and be a part with us or, if you can, make a donation to the cause. You can give here: https://bit.ly/donateGV or you can find more information here: https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org/
Want to hear more of our study messages? Need to catch up on one you missed? Check our podcast on any major podcast site or app (Search for The Shield Online) or by visiting our Buzzsprout site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Thanks for joining us! Grace and peace to you this week.
There was a time when Jesus fed thousands of people and yet, somehow, that was the least important part of what was going on at that time.
How weird is that?
Comments or questions are always invited. Post them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
The work we do in Nevada County, CA includes feeding the hungry, housing the unhomed, and helping people in whatever other ways we can. We can't do that without your help. If you have the means to support us, you can use this link to give: https://bit.ly/donateGV
We make all of our messages available to anyone who wants to listen. One place to find them is our podcast site, which you can find here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you on your journey.
Jesus goes home to visit. Herod's step-daughter gets a head. We learn about the obstacles of pride.
Take your fingers out of your ears and remove the blinders you put over your eyes and pay attention to how easy it is to ignore the Word of the LORD.
Questions or comments? Post them here or email Captain Roger:
roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Do you feel led to support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA? We need your help! You can give to The Salvation Army Grass Valley in your tithe.ly app or you can visit this link:
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Grace and peace to you all!
Jesus used storytelling as one of his most common teaching tools. Today Matthew is going to walk us through some of those stories as he works to help us understand what Jesus wanted us all to know. Eight short stories and some explanation will lead up to a very important question and a call for each one of us to step into the Kingdom of God.
If you have questions or comments, please post them here or email Captain Roger at:
roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
To support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA, you can find The Salvation Army Grass Valley on tithe.ly or you can use this link to donate:
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Want to listen to this without having to see my goofy face? No problem! This study and dozens of previous ones are available in podcast form from your favorite podcast provider or by clicking here:
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Grace and peace to you all!
Jesus is NOT the chief of demons. He IS God's agent.
Jesus is NOT driving people out of the Kingdom of God. He IS offering everyone a place inside it.
Jesus is NOT leading you astray. He IS trying to get you to choose to live the life you were created to live.
Today we examine the next section of Matthew 12 and see what happens when the religious elite of his day decide it is more important to destroy Jesus than it is to listen to what he has to say.
Comments or questions? Post them here or email Captain Roger:
roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Want to give to support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA? Give here:
https://bit.ly/donateGV
Want to listen to today's message or any of our past Worship in Study times? Our podcast and archive are available on all popular platforms, through your favorite podcasting app, or at this link:
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Grace and peace to you all.
Jesus doesn't condemn the Pharisees who are trying to destroy him. He pleads with them to repent, turn back to God, and be part of his family.
Comments or questions? Post them here or email Captain Roger:
roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Feel led to help support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA? Use tithe.ly and search for The Salvation Army Grass Valley or follow this link:
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Want to listen to or share today's message in podcast form? Or check out any of our past studies? You can do that on your favorite podcast app or by visiting:
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Grace and peace to you!
What is more important to God: Mercy or Obedience?
How should we interpret scripture? Based on the letter of the Law or based on the intent of the Law?
Jesus dealt with these questions, but his answers were different from those of the Pharisees of his day. they were also different from the answers a lot of people who say they are Christians live out today. That should be a matter of some concern to us; something that leads us to look a little deeper...
Questions or comments? Post them here or email Captain Roger at
roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Want to give to support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County? You can use this link:
https://bit.ly/donateGV
Need to catch up or have a more portable version of this message or any of our past ones? Our podcast can be found on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast app, or at this link:
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Grace and peace to you all.
John the Baptist was worried that Jesus wasn't the Messiah because he wasn't doing what John expected.
The people coming to see Jesus were doing so because they were looking for entertainment or healing, but not to learn something new, because Jesus wasn't teaching what they expected.
How much of your spiritual life is formed by expectations rather than by following Jesus?
Comments or questions? As them here or visit our in-person service in Grass Valley any Sunday at 11:00 am. Or you can email Captain Roger:
roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Want to support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County? Use tithe.ly to find The Salvation Army Grass Valley Corps or use this link:
https://bit.ly/donateGV
Want to hear this message or any of our previous messages in podcast form? Check here:
http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you today!
How should a follower of Jesus respond to war?
Wage peace.
How should we do that?
Just the way Jesus laid out - no more and no less.
Where did he tell us how to face conflict in the world?
We'll cover that as we discuss Matthew chapter 10 in today's Worship in Study. It's important and it's simple, but it sure isn't easy.
Got comments or questions? We're happy to discuss them in the comments or you can email Captain Roger: roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Want to help support the ministry and efforts of The Salvation Army in Nevada County? https://bit.ly/donateGV
Want to hear our messages in podcast form? (We're told Captain Roger has a very soothing voice to fall asleep to at night...) Find The Shield Online in your favorite podcast app or on Spotify or on our host site: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you all.
An open discussion of why Captain Roger believes Jesus was resurrected.
From the Easter 2022 worship in study at The Salvation Army Grass Valley Corps
It's RESURRECTION SUNDAY!
But we're going to keep walking through the story of Jesus in the book of Matthew because there are some important connections there which we should make about life and faith and resurrection and restoration and justice.
Got comments or questions? Post them here or email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org.
Want to support the work of The Salvation Army in Nevada County? Click here to give: https://bit.ly/donateGV
Want to listen to today's message or any of our previous teaching in a podcast? Find that here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Grace and peace to you. Keep seeking!
Earlier this month I was privileged to speak at a friend's church. The topic became "Things you don't expect to find in the Bible" as I spoke about a fairly commonly known, but rarely truly examined, story from 2 Kings 5...
The introduction has a mic a little too hot, but the tech team got it fixed in 30 seconds.
Enjoy!
Jesus says that napping during a crisis is okay with him.
Well, that may not be a direct quote...
Check out the situations Matthew is describing where Jesus shows authority over the natural, the supernatural, and the things of God
The Sermon on the Mount is over and Jesus is heading home.
But it turns out that's the BEGINNING of the story, not the end.
Matthew uses the next events to tell us how Jesus lived out what he preached, to give us evidence we could trust about who Jesus might be, and to encourage us to live our lives as agents of the Kingdom. And this, too, is just the beginning...
Please post any questions or comments - we'd love to see them!
Email Captain Roger at roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Are you led to support the ministry of The Salvation Army in Nevada County? You can do that here:
https://bit.ly/donateGV
And, as always, we post all of our messages at The Shield Online podcast site here:
http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Where does you allegiance lie?
Jesus teaches some great stuff, but do you believe it?
What does your life show? What is the fruit you are bearing?
Jesus has laid out, very solidly, what it is that we need to do as agents of God living in the Kingdom of Heaven. But is it something we really want to do?
Please be sure to post any questions or comments!
Email Captain Roger: roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Feel led to support The Salvation Army in Nevada County?
https://bit.ly/donateGV
The archive of our messages is available at our podcast site:
http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Things Jesus never told us to do:
Tell people they suck and they're going to hell.
On behalf of myself and the times it may seem that I have said anything like that, I apologize. I should have been paying attention to what Jesus taught and demonstrated so I could apply it to my life rather than judging others.
Comments and questions always welcome.
You can e-mail Captain Roger: roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Led to give to the work of The Salvation Army in Grass Valley, CA?
https://bit.ly/donateGV
Our sermon and worship in study times are podcast here:
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The great philosopher Bobby McFerrin once said, "Don't worry; be happy!" While I can't guarantee happiness, I can guarantee that worry robs you of the ability to be happy. I can also tell you that Jesus said there is no cause to worry when you trust in the LORD for the things he promised.
Email Captain Roger: roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Do you feel led to support us financially? https://bit.ly/donateGV
Want to hear our messages: They are all podcast here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Do you want to live in God's Kingdom? If so, you will serve him as your king.
If you can join us for our live service today, this is what we're going to talk about there. If you can't, post any comments or questions and join the discussion of what it means to give your allegiance to God. Reasonable people sometimes disagree, and that's okay! We want to work through this stuff together.
Email Captain Roger: roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org
Do you feel led to support us financially?
https://bit.ly/donateGV
Want to hear our messages: They are all podcast here:
http://bit.ly/shieldonline
Jesus told his followers to be perfect, like God is perfect.
What on earth does that mean?
Isn't that an impossible standard?
Did he give any examples of how we are supposed to do this?
We cover all this, and my love the the NCIS franchise, in today's message from TSA-Grass Valley.
What does it mean to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven? What is expected of those who follow Jesus? He laid that our for us in the passage we are exploring in this week's message from The Salvation Army in Grass Valley!
You're going to hear this a lot from me as we look at one small piece of Matthew's story about Jesus at a time:
You can't break Matthew's story about Jesus into small pieces and still understand what's going on.
Today: What are beatitudes and why are they here and what does that mean and why do we care?
Jesus was tempted, just like you or I. How was he able to make the right choices and can we do the same?
Journey into the wilderness - you never know what you will find there, but it will always include some kind of spiritual awakening.
The childhood of Jesus examined.
No, I'm sorry, but that thing you heard is just a story...
Jesus was acknowledged as king by the Magi (who were more than you've been told), by the King of Israel (who was worse than you thought), and by Matthew (who believed Jesus to be Messiah and God and wants to show us why).
Matthew 2:1-18 is dissected in today's message!
The Christmas story, with Matthew using the story of Joseph to prove the point of Isaiah...
Which is the point of life!
Welcome to the book of Matthew! Which starts with this long, boring, list of names!
Except...
There's something about that list you haven't seen. Check this out...
How do you get angry at the right things in the right way for the right amount of time and do so in a way that people will find to be as desirable as a sweet, fully ripe, ready to be picked and enjoyed piece of fruit?
That's what it means to reflect the character of God in the way we are intended to.
It's true! George Michael was absolutely right when he said we've got to have faith.
But what is faith anyway?
How to grow the Fruit of the Spirit: Joy and Peace
Here's a hint - they may not work the way you expect...
What is Fruit of the Spirit and why would we want to grow anything like that anyway?
Today, a discussion of what and why, but also of what not and why not.
WARNING: This story, like many stories in scripture, isn't really suitable for children under the age of twelve.
But it is one we should all read, know, and consider as we think about what the grace of God could mean in our lives.
This is the end of our Bible Horror Stories series for 2021.
What gifts we bring to God matter.
Here's one that was both not needed and very VERY wrong.
What led to the souls of Aaron's sons being consumes by God's holy fire during the beginning moments of their ministry?
Should we be worried that this could happen to us?
It's October and this is the RETURN of Bible Horror Stories!
This week, a drunken party, a callous act of blasphemy, and a disembodied hand which scratched a message of doom on the wall...
There's just never enough time to get ready, is there?
Is there?
There is?
There is.
Hmm...
What does God wish he hadn't made? Something that he had thought was very good, but which went very wrong?
(Can we even talk about God in those terms?)
In the beginning, God created a lot of stuff...
Continuing our series into the early chapters of the book of Genesis.
Wouldn't you know it: Right in the middle of a discussion of how we can solve problems, a problem came up!
Don't worry - we solved it...
There is a deeply personal, intimate relationship between the LORD and his creation, one that we have spent centuries trying to mute or ignore for some reason.
The whole thing about the conflict and bad choices in the Garden of Eden isn't that it happened, but that it still happens.
When you're a Bible geek like me, you can unlock the secrets of the universe from a single passage... Or go horribly wrong.
Which one of those happened in this message?
You'd better listen and find out!
Today we focus on something that is VERY important to know: You were made in the image of God. Anything that obscures, damages, or redirects attention from that reality is a lie. Live the truth, not the lie!
Jesus told this guy Nicodemus a weird thing about getting born a second time. Nick had to think about it, but when he really got it, it changed EVERYTHING.
Then there was that one time when Jesus took his band of insiders into an outcast country to an outcast village to find the outcast who needed him most (and everyone else too).
How many disciples did Jesus have? No, not twelve...
Hundreds. Thousands, at times.
How many does he have now?
No, really, how many? And how can you know for sure?
Killing our enemies is one of our favorite things to do. You ever wonder why? Or if there is another way?
Walking with God is often uncomfortable and can involve terrific storms. Is that enough to keep us from answering his call?
Who are you serving? And why? Because the Israelites were soundly condemned for embracing nationalism over community, which should lead us to ask some hard questions of ourselves.
Today we approach the delicate subject of an art project that required casting five separate, solid gold, festering groin boils as an apology for not being respectful and serious.
I know, it sounds like I'm kidding. But it's true.
I love the Bible!
The book of Ruth tells us an important and personal story, which we largely miss because we have hidden the most important part of it...
The Bible doesn't say much about Jesus coming to live inside of us, no matter what those preachers keep telling us. But it does say a lot about us living inside of him...
Who are you wearing?
It's Resurrection Day!
On which we answer important questions, such as "What would God want with a dead cat?" and "Why?" and "Will there be ice cream later?" (The answer to the last one being, "I hope so," though we will not address it directly as part of this message).
God is NOT on your side.
Sorry.
It's true.
But the reason is AMAZING and can be celebrated.
"Hey, Jesus! Give me a piggyback ride! Carry me everywhere!"
We wouldn't actually say that, would we? It's lazy and demanding. But every time someone says, "Jesus, take the wheel," aren't we in the same territory?
Today: How Jesus expects his followers to walk - not be carried!
Holiness - a word that strikes terror into the heart of the listener!
"No!" they cry, "Don't subject me to big church words and almost certain boredom!"
Fear not, gentle listener! Or the rest of you! Because we don't DO boring here! No, no, no!
Today, we're going to take the sting out of holiness and then figure out if it's worth paying to get some. You'll want to hear this...
Is God a cranky old man just waiting for you to get out of line so he can zap you with lightning and send you to hell?
That's sure not how Jesus puts it...
Gratitude might be something easily forgotten when one little thing doesn't go the way you want it to...
The weird tale of two priests who tried to hide God from the people and why it matters to you.
How often have we ever said something like, :I can't wait for things to go back to what they were before"? That's certainly a normal thing to say - it's what Israel said when they asked Aaron to make them an idol to worship...
God uses what he needs to in order to get our attention and get us walking with him. for one guy, that meant walking in dreams...
God used Moses as a messenger to the Pharaoh, but he also used him as a messenger to his own people and to the Egyptian people. What kind of a walk would any of them have after he was done bringing them the message?
There are some horrible stories in the Bible, but few are as disturbing as God telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Is there something we can take from this story which will help our walk with God? Or is it just horrible?
When the Light of Jesus came into the world, what did it reveal? And What does it show us now?
Today, three songs that point to the Messiah!
Except two aren't songs and the third one is more of a parody...
Well, whatever, you want to hear this!
When you hear a story as often as we hear the Christmas story, we tend to forget what would be going on inside the characters, behind the scenes, and between the lines.
The birth of Jesus was the greatest gift Joseph ever received, but it also ruined his life.
Come on a journey as we find the joy in disrupting the world's expectations.
Where is the joy of Christmas? Is this drawn out celebration anything more than a month-long grab for our money and attention?
Captain Roger looks at the Advent story in a whole new way by looking at it in a very old way...
Although it might be hard to tell if you listen to certain brands of teaching, God's message to us is NEVER, "Repent, Sinner!"
Can I back that up? Yes, I can.
The mouth of Hell seems like a place you would want to stay away from, but Jesus brought his followers inside.
Why?
Listen to this episode explaining a passage from God's Word that isn't usually examined in depth and learn how much more exciting the true message of Jesus is for his disciples!
Is prayer boring?
YES! If you're doing it wrong.
IN this message from TSA-Napa we examine what it is that makes prayer worth doing, what makes it something you might want to do, and why garlic, which has nothing at all to do with prayer, was an important part of the life of a Pharisee.
"I've been saved!"
Oh, yeah? What exactly does that mean and why do you think it matters?
In this message from TSA-Napa, we dissect one of the fundamental beliefs of a modern Christian faith: Salvation.
Why it may not be what you think it is...
Some stories in the bible seem to start bad and get worse.
Judges 19 is one of those.
Why would God let people put this dark and twisted tale into his book?
Find out when you listen to this message from TSA-Napa.
By the way - This is DEFINITELY not a child safe story. I'd steer any kids under the age of twelve into another room while you listen.
Here is the second of this year's Horror Stories of the Bible. This year, the theme is revenge, and today's tale is an examination of a particular piece of revenge poetry and what we should do with it.
This macabre ode calls for rejoicing at the deaths of infants and leads many to wonder if the LORD is a bloodthirsty God who encourages the destruction of the innocent to balance some cosmic scale of injustice and pain. Is that a good, healthy, healing practice for God's children, or not?
To find out, you need to listen.
Don't Dinah's Defilers Deserve Destruction?
That's just one of the questions we're asking as we begin our second annual trip through the Horror Stories of the Bible. This year: Revenge!
These stories are dark and horrifying and rarely on a preaching calendar or devotional thought of the day calendar.
I don't recommend listening to this one with anyone under 12. It includes themes such as rape and murder, including depictions of violent death. And that's jus the parts from the Bible.
It's all in here - what the Bible isn't and what it is.
Why some people prefer certain translations and why I won't use the ESV.
Bible stories that you've heard - but have never really heard before.
And a game.
You could still win a prize by playing, even if it's weeks or months after we posted this. Keep track of your answers and send them to me. Word.
DOUBT.
Such a big, scary word, right?
WRONG!
Doubt is a great thing and it's something we all need to embrace and explore in order to advance on the journey of our lives.
You may believe that you've heard something about the Kingdom of God.
There is no kingdom.
Does your Bible include teaching from Jesus about the Kingdom of God?
He never says anything about a kingdom.
You think you can put your finger on a Bible verse that includes the phrase "Kingdom of God" or "Kingdom of Heaven"?
Do it. And be prepared to hear why it doesn't say what you (or your translators) think it says.
You really want to listen to this.
I really want you to listen to this.
What else do we want? More importantly, why do we want that?
The Tenth Commandment, like the nine before it, isn't exactly what you think it is.
We just spent ten weeks examining the Ten Commandments. Today I'm going to tell you why they don't matter...
And why they do.
Ultimately, there is only ONE command that matters. Yes, there will be a quiz.
Do not steal - but what is stealing and what can be stolen? This command is about a LOT more than just stuff!
Join us for a look at the eighth commandment as it was originally intended to be heard.
Each commandment we have examined has had more depth and importance to our lives than we expected going in. How about the Seventh Word of God? Does adultery matter any more? Did it matter then? Maybe you don't think so, but perhaps the word means something more than you think...
Fair warning: There is some discussion of sex as we examine this command about sexual integrity. It isn't graphic and it isn't the main point either, so listen! But the content may not be appropriate for anyone under the age of twelve.
Is life sacred or just valued?
If every life really mattered, would that change anything? Or would it change everything?
The Six Word of God: lo ratsach - Thou shalt not... Well, you'd better listen to find out, because, like the other commandments we've looked at so far, this one may mean something more than you've been told.
The Fifth Commandment - what is this even about? And why? Does it matter today, or was it just a thing for a bygone era before nursing homes were a thing?
What does it mean to honor our parents? This week's message from TSA-Napa.
I hater preaching about the Fourth Commandment! It's so much deeper than we've been led to believe, and it flies in the face of my habits.
What is it and how do I need to modify my behavior because of it? This week's message from TSA-Napa shares it all!
What if "taking God's name in vain" has nothing to do with what comes out of your mouth?
I bet you can't name the Ten Commandments in order. Even if you can recite both passages they are included in, odds are that you will split them up differently than others do. That's part of the fun as we look to take apart the Ten Commandments, examine what they mean and how they work, and then decide if they should have a place in our lives today. And if so, what is that place?
This week's message from TSA-Napa!
What is worship, do we even DO that any more, and how does it relate to the contract we refer to as The Ten Commandments?
This week's message from TSA-Napa may spend time talking about cows and baseball, but it's MORE important because of that, not less.
What are you committed to? What does Jesus expect you to be committed to? Great questions we all should address regularly, so you'd better join us today and maybe take a few notes...
Starting with a story about things we did in the old days which would quickly get us fired today, then moving on to relate that to the current pandemic, the state of our souls, and the promises of God, this isn't a "normal" Worship in Study time from TSA-Napa. But then, nothing ever has been normal and nothing ever will be normal and there isn't really any such thing as a new normal. There's just life, right? Listen and make up your own mind!
You know what I love to do? Throw stones. I like to see how many times I can get them to skip across the water. In ordinary conditions, that's rarely more than seven or eight times, but when you get the perfect rocks and perfect conditions at the perfect lake? That's when magic can happen...
This week's worship in study from TSA-Napa. Keep your eyes open!
I'm no dream interpreter, but it's probably bad when you dream about God sending someone to chop down your tree. Welcome to the main story of Daniel chapter 4. This week we're looking at ways to avoid the choices which dehumanize us, and we think we may be able to find them in this ancient story of a king refusing to relinquish his pride. Join us for this week's Worship in Study from TSA-Napa.
Can we find evidence that God's love continues even in times of exile or separation when we feel abandoned? We're going to look for it today in Daniel chapter three. I think it may have been thrown in the furnace to destroy it. All we need is someone willing to step into a 2500 degree maelstrom to look for it...
Everything has been ripped away from Daniel and his friends. Can they find joy or purpose in the midst of uncertainty?
Today we are looking at Daniel chapter 2 as we use an ancient story to try to chart a path into an uncertain and difficult future.
Dreams are crazy things sometimes, which I know a lot of us have learned during our time of isolation. In today's story we read about a bizarre dream and how we learned what it was and what it meant. Is there anything about God's love for his people then which can apply to us today?
Thank you all for joining us!
We broadcast our Resurrection Sunday service on Sunday, so here's an Easter message from the past which still rings true today.
Share and enjoy!
What if all this God stuff is true? Would it (or should it) change anything?
A message brought forward from times past. The sound is a little uncertain for a few seconds towards the beginning (old technology), but it got better quickly and remained steady. We hope you enjoy this time of studying God's Word!
My voice has been sidelined by a virus and a virus has kept most of us away from any kind of worship service or other gathering. But God has provided us with something we can use to stay connected to him and to one another even when we need to stay apart for a period of time. That thing is a book - perhaps I should say THE book - the Bible, which in the faith circles I travel in is often referred to as the Word of God.
But what IS the Word? Is it just a dusty book full of ancient stories? Is it the guiding light by which we must live our lives? Or is it something else entirely?
This week we are presenting a classic message on the Word of God. Grab a Bible and follow along and see what you can learn about this life-companion and why you should care.
A small boy defeats a giant and cuts off his head. Everyone cheers and the boy gets the kingdom.
Or not.
What if the real victory has nothing to do with the fight?
The true story of David and Goliath from TSA-Napa!
Rahab was a harlot and Jericho was destroyed by fire. Is there anything redeeming in this tale, no matter HOW it gets told?
This is either the most horrifying story in all of scripture or it is the most reassuring.
Or it could be both.
You'll need to check it out for yourself.
This one even comes with a review:
"Thanks for good bible teaching." (Major Ivan Wild)
When you think of fathers and sons going out to do something, you probably think of ballgames or fishing, camping trips or trips to bookstores.You might think of all those businesses with "and Sons" in the name. What you probably DON'T think about is Abraham and Isaac, whose most meaningful exchange in the history we have of them is the trip where Abraham takes his son up a mountain to kill him and burn his body to ash.
This is one messed up story. And yet, we tell it to children...
Join us in an exploration of what is really going on in this nightmare-inducing family relationship.
If I were to make a list of things I was bad at, being a friend would be right at the top. That's a big problem, though.When we are told to love our neighbors, we are really being told we need to be friends. And not just "Hi, howya doin? See ya." friends. We're being told to be friends like David and Jonathan.
Today we take a break from our series about the Lies We Teach to focus on what true love really looks like. Happy Valentine's week!
Fair warning: There is one instance of rough language, but it's read straight from the Bible, so it seemed improper to beep it. We don't dwell on it.
In children's Bibles, the story of Esther always has that Disney princess quality to it.
As you may expect by this point in our series, the truth is something darker, harder, and far more important than the kid versions would have us believe.
This week's message from TSA-Napa: The Lies We Tell About Esther, Queen of Persia.
Zacchaeus was a wee little man... Or was he?
It may be hard to tell at first glance, but this story isn't even about Zach! And the way we teach it to our kids is downright appalling, when you break it down to its core messages.
Join us in listening and reclaiming the original meaning of this classic story from the life of Jesus.
In one cute story from a children's Bible, Jesus heals a paralyzed man so that people will be happy.
In the REAL story, a gang of vandals threaten to destroy a house in their efforts to get a friend healed by Jesus, who then doesn't even do what they want until moved to do so by the DISBELIEF of some religious leaders who were there.
That's different.
Should we care? Does knowing change anything? Yes, it can.
How many disciples did Jesus have?
If you just answered "Twelve," you've been taken in by one of the lies Sunday school teachers (and preachers too) tell in their efforts to simplify the story.
This lie is perhaps bigger, though; more consequential. So let's take a few minutes and see if we can uncover the TRUTH!
Jonah is always played for comic relief ("That dopey Jonah tried to run from God and got to ride in a whale!") when it is truly a horror story of hatred, fear, suicide, and God giving grace where we would rather he brought judgment.
This is no kid story, but it is OUR story.
If you grew up going to Sunday School or if you have ever read a Children's Bible, you have almost certainly been lied to. Some stories just aren't for kids!
Exhibit One: Samson. This Old Testament "hero" is a narcissistic, sex-obsessed, BDSM participant who completely fails to do what God asked.But he makes regular appearances in children's teaching materials as a role model nonetheless!
In this message, we unpack the real story of Samson, as I struggle to keep the NC-17 tale in the PG-13 realm.
Happy listening!
If you're going out into the world (you are, right?), you need to be properly dressed and properly armed. As a follower of Jesus, you have a full suit of Armor of Light and one particularly effective sword of the Spirit!
But what are those things, where do they come from, and how do you get them on?
The answers you need to the questions you need to be asking, included free of charge in today's message from TSA-Napa!
Who are we talking about when we talk about Children of Light? And what does it mean to be one of them?
Find out, this week on the TSA-Napa podcast!
What does it mean to live in the light anyway? Is that even a thing? And if it is, can it be done? Is there room for deliverance beside judgment?
A message for advent week two from TSA-Napa!
As we enter the Advent season, please join us on a journey through the wonders of light in dark places.
Even my dark, Scrooge-like heart can be lit up when the Light comes...
Gratitude and praise are important parts of living a fulfilled life.
And then there's the goat...
Jesus says it again and again: His followers are to be servants to one another and to all those around them. So why are we always clamoring to be leaders?
That thing you just read in the Bible might not mean what you think it means.
It might mean that and more.
It might not mean that at all.
And it might mean you need to engage your brain and do a little work rather than just letting the words flow over and around you. Sorry (not sorry).
Most folks don't realize just how much is really packed into ancient scripture. A deeper reading of the first sentences of Genesis tells us more than we expect and - quite frankly - this message only scratches the surface. So invite the Holy Spirit to guide your listening, grab a Bible to follow along, buckle up, and hold on.
Cannibalism, pigeon dung soup, and the living dead - Can the Bible get any weirder?
All these stories and more weave together to focus on a very true promise which is extended to you and to me: God wants us to live lives of wholeness, and he's willing to put the work in to make it happen.
When it seems that the ghosts of the past can tell you more than the God of the past, present, and future, your life has quite likely taken a wrong turn.
Beware what shades may come to haunt you, if that comes to pass...
Looking for a good horror story? There are hundreds of them in the Bible and over the next weeks we are going to look at a few of them. This week: While at a nice dinner party, the peace and celebration of the night is shattered by a shriek from the host announcing the appearance of a hand attached to nothing scribbling on the wall, leaving everyone in shock. What did it mean then and what could it mean for us today?
Join us as we begin a journey into the darkness which happens when people choose to leave the light behind.
In the last days before his arrest, Jesus told a story which would have left his hearers stunned and struggling for a response. The chief priests, scribes, and elders recognized that they were particularly targeted by his tale, but it would have stung just as much for the average listener as well. In fact, the whole idea behind it is so audacious, so challenging, so absolutely crazy, that we've spent about 1500 years trying to defang it by changing and obscuring its meaning. After all, a simple parable which we can point at others to say that it's all their problem and not ours is so much easier to deal with, right?
This week's message from TSA-Napa. Listen with your ears and your brains, not your world-centered hearts...
This parable isn't about what you think it is.
It's also not about the same thing as that other one.
It's its own thing.
Your thing.
Mine too.
Ours.
I know it sounds crazy; it's Jesus talking, right? He might be onto something here though. You should listen and find out.
When the storms of life threaten, do you let them drive you on to the rocks? That's what I did this week, and it was wrong.
Finding peace in a storm. This week's message from TSA-Napa.
Imagine it's October 1, 2001, and you are a Taliban member in New York opening a storefront selling Osama bin Laden shirts. Is that loyalty, or is it just insane?
Jesus told a story where he described something very much like that. A parable about a hated man who might be king and the ten servants he gave an impossible task to.
Then there was the time Jesus told a story about a man with fancy underpants and how dogs licked the sores of a man rotting outside his gate. Why do we care? Because it is a story which intimately applies to us.
This week's message from TSA-Napa.
What can a morally ambiguous story teach us about true justice? Jesus tells a story about horrible people doing horrible things to prove the point that God is good.
Fair warning: You'll need to think about this one...
Jesus said some crazy things that upset a lot of people. He often used stories to say those things. One time he said that there was a man who paid people enough to live on. This made others very angry.
This week's message from TSA-Napa
Righteousness may not be what you think it is.
Jesus made a suggestion about what it means to be righteous that made everyone who heard it uncomfortable - which is too bad, because it should really make us all a little relieved.
More of the crazy things Jesus said and taught. Today: Why would he compare the Kingdom of Heaven to an essential condiment for hot dogs?
Listen and find out!
This message has the worst starting line I've every used.
Seriously.
I'm shocked people didn't run screaming out as soon as I mentioned ancient economics.
Of course, what Jesus ACTUALLY said? A hundred times worse. More shocking. And yet, this parable gets told repeatedly using allegories and literal truths which have little to no life in them compared to the story Jesus told. Seize the truth! Find your pearl!
The shortest parable of Jesus seems easy to understand, but...
It does come right on the heels of Jesus saying that he uses parables so that people won't easily understand what he's teaching. So we'd better look a little deeper.
Ethnic slurs are never acceptable, but that hasn't kept translators from naming this parable with one.
We like to over-teach this one in modern times, and in doing so we miss how truly shocking what Jesus had to say actually was. Bend your ears to catch this one now, because it will matter to you before the end of the day.
Who your neighbor is doesn't matter. Who you are a neighbor to does though.
Jesus never told a story about a Prodigal Son.
But the one he told about the man who lost a sheep, the woman who lost a coin, and the man who lost a son was WAY better.
The first in a series of discussions about the parables Jesus used, what they meant, and why we should still care.
Who does God help and why? Surely not THOSE people over there...
The story of Elisha helping his enemy and winning a friend for God. Also the story of Elisha giving permission for someone to violate one of God's most basic commands.
Ooo. Better check this one out. Wouldn't want to let any heresy slip in...
No matter how I describe this, it sounds churchy. But we don't DO churchy here. We do deep truths.
Today, deep truths about the Spirit of God and you.
Guest speaker Cesar Gomez brings a message about how sometimes you have to do what you don't want to do, but then you find out that it's what you really wanted to do all along.
The second most important day on the Christian calendar (after Resurrection Sunday) is Pentecost Sunday! Which almost no one celebrates, only a few more even know about, and many less actually understand.
Come on a journey with TSA-Napa as we CELEBRATE this great day!
Sometimes life sucks. Be blessed by that. Wait... What?
Jesus says that persecution can be a blessing. How can that be?
You probably need to hear the stories we told at TSA-Napa this week.
Long long ago, in a place far far away...
The world was broken, so God used Abraham to put it back together again.
Yes, Abraham.
Listen to this episode of the TSA-Napa podcast to understand why that was and how it matters to you right now, today.
Two things most people don't understand which are really important:
1) Death isn't as fatal as its been made out to be; and
2) Being raised from the dead is rarely the most important thing in someone's life.
What does that mean for you in the here and now? Listen to this week's message from TSA-Napa to find out!
In the face of persecution and execution, the early church bore witness to Jesus. Why?
This is an unusual sermon, in that - just as I started to wrap up - the congregation began to ask questions and we ended with an interesting discussion about some of the topics raised. It was a unique and fascinating day.
I'm going to put this out there: Anyone who doesn't think Jesus was resurrected either hasn't really reasoned through the evidence or they are willfully choosing to disregard it.
What evidence?
Let's start here: Jesus WAS dead...
You know what prophets are? They're crazy, that's what. There's this one time when crazy Isaiah said that there would be a messiah coming who would get beat up and killed. What a nut! That couldn't happen... Could it?
This week's message from TSA-Napa is worth a listen. Give it a try!
Take everything that has happened before and chuck it. Why? Because there's a new thing! Forget the past, don't worry about the future, and live out this new thing in the here and now. Really. Who says? God.
Straight up check this out.
So you and a couple million of your friends and family are wandering in the wilderness and suddenly you realize there is NO FOOD.
Oops.
Now what?
Well, if you're one of God's people, trust.
Guest preacher Pastor Veujare has a word for us about Jesus.
Pastor V is from Fiji, a retired Salvation Army Officer of 25+ years, who is currently doing street ministry in Santa Rosa even though he needs a walker to get around (kind of makes our excuses for not going out to minister seem kind of feeble, doesn't it?).
He is joined by Susan Smith and Pastor Danny Smith.
Mind that you get your feet into the blood!
Oh, that sounds weird. I should probably give it some context so you know that it isn't something crazy.
I guess you'd better listen to this week's message from TSA-Napa, then carefully choose which bloody path you want to walk down.
Really.
There are some weird things in the Bible. Understanding why can help you figure out what to do with weird things that happen to you today.
This week, we start with the idea that rules are made because people do thoughtless or ruthless things and somehow get from there to how we can be truly grateful for what we have.
Really.
It was a fun message day! Join us and dozens of others by listening in on this podcast from TSA-Napa.
When people encounter the divine, what happens? Do they run screaming? Grow horns? Become different people?
Well, yes.
Walk with us through the glory of God and see how it transforms everyone who sees even the reflection of it.
I regret turning off the microphone while the congregation was singing that great modern spiritual psalm: Your Cheatin' Heart by Hank Williams, Sr. You'd have loved hearing it.
What's in your heart and where is it leading you? And - better question - does that even mean what you think it does? You'd better listen to find out.
Good news: My voice is starting to get better. :)
Don't look now, but God is right here. He's in this place, even though you didn't realize it. Right here, right now. More than that, he's calling you. What does that mean? And what are you going to do about it?
And what does it all have to do with ducks?
Imagine God is standing right in front of you, speaking to you directly. "I designed you to do this one thing," he says, telling you what it is. How would you respond? By telling God that he's wrong, of course.
You don't think so?
Check out this week's message to see why I think you're likely to argue with God, even though he obviously knows what's best. It's something to think about, because he's coming to ask you to do something...
Let me tell you a story about how I was missing the point of this story about missing the point...
I'm sure you've asked this question: Does God care about me? How can I know? Today we're going to examine the evidence and come to a conclusion, but it may mean looking at your faith in a more real light than you've exposed it to before. Does God care, and if he does, who exactly are you to him?
We start with a short game of In the Bible, Not in the Bible as we enter into a discussion of the idea that God is in control. What does that mean? If it's true, why does life suck sometimes? Could the ancient stories we read in scripture lead us to any kind of understanding of our own lives?
Got questions? We're a safe place to look for answers.
Get up! It's time to take light into the darkness! You can't keep those covers clamped over your head any longer. Your fears are meaningless because you are traveling with the Creator of the Cosmos! What shadow won't flee from the rays of glory coming from the Son?
How can the joyous occasion of celebrating a birth be turned into a sword piercing your soul? That's what happens when you give birth the baby who would become Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus the Christ.
Today we detail some of the events which happened in the days AFTER the birth of Jesus, events which affected his family and their faith.
Don't miss hearing this message, the last in our series for Christmas 2018.
In the last years of his life, Herod had gone quite mad. But the Magi came to him first, because he was the King of the Jews. Who else would you ask about the new King of the Jews than the old, right?
This may not have been their wisest decision...
This week's message from TSA-Napa profiles Herod and the Magi. The truth of this story may change the way you view the world forever.
Angels (who most decidedly are NOT singing) and shepherds (who might have been) make their appearance in our Christmas story as we learn the true story behind the mythology so many people mistakenly embrace. Why does the REAL story matter? Join us by listening to this week's message from TSA-Napa and you'll find out!
Why do we mythologize the Christmas story? The truth is SO much better than any of the fictions we have created about it!
This week: The truth about the circumstances of Jesus's birth.
You need to know this.
Guest speaker Cadet Paul Chisholm offers up a message about the importance of the Old Testament to understand the New. No, wait! Don't tune out yet! He uses clips from Terminator 2, a Michael Jordan story, and the insightful comparison of Jesus to broccoli to bring it home. Hey, if that doesn't make you want to listen, flying monkeys probably wouldn't do the trick either.
Just so you know, I got a little creative in editing the movie clip from over two minutes (of near silence) to about six seconds. And you can't see the pictures, the first of which were traditional "Jesus, meek and mild," kind of photos, and the later ones which were clips of Jesus from the end of Passion of the Christ. You know the ones.
Grace and peace to you all! Enjoy.
The mythology of Christmas is bedeviling to me. Why do otherwise intelligent people continue to promote fairy tales over the truth? We spend so much time focusing on the things which never happened and the things which are meaningless and even harmful that the amazing and beautiful story of God's redemption breaking into the world gets lost.
So we're getting rid of the non-existent innkeeper, dispensing with the singing angels, learning why no one invited shepherds to their party, and understanding that three gifts don't mean three wise men, or even necessarily men at all. We are sticking to the plain historical facts about a miraculous birth that changed the whole world. Come along for the ride!
This week: One woman has a life-long shame removed from her while another one agrees to be condemned for the rest of her life. It's the Christmas story you've probably never heard, week one.
CONTENT WARNING!!!
The ancient rabbis spent a ridiculous amount of time debating or teaching the details of King David's sex life. While the story of David and Bathsheba doesn't really get explicit, it is quite frank about some of the practices of the day. Some of which are vital to understanding what happened. We'll talk about them as they come up.
The story of David and Bathsheba is one most people know, but at the same time, it's a story that very few have really heard. Today, the almost-complete, absolutely-true, easy-to-understand, rarely-heard details explaining what was really going on in this amazing story of the redemption God makes available to his people.
The Sermon on the Mount contains Jesus's own Ten Commandments for Christians to live by. If you are going to call yourself a Christian, you might want to try living like one. Go ahead! Give it a try. It really is worthwhile.
I can't believe I've never heard the true story of Honi the Circle Drawer before. Today, Honi and Jesus will demonstrate how we should pray. Then Jesus will explain what that should lead us to DO. Listen and be blessed!
I'm sure all of you are willing to help someone out when they face some moral challenges in their life - you know, like when you'd rush to aid someone who just got a splinter of wood blown under their eyelid. That's great! But first, you should probably figure out how to get rid of that roof beam which is protruding from your head...
Twentieth Century philosopher George Carlin once described a home as a place to keep our stuff while we go out to get more stuff. Jesus warned us about the role of stuff in our lives, saying that we couldn't serve both God and stuff. Today's message discussed the truth that you really can't take it with you, no matter how hard you try.
Join us, your friends, and your neighbors in listening to this week's new Shield Online!
Motive defines actions, not the other way around. Why do we do what we do? And why did Jesus say to let our light shine, then say to keep our good deeds secret?
And should I have used that word from the pulpit?
Today's message dips into this area which affects us all!
This is the hardest teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. It's the one that people like to think Jesus didn't really mean. Even after I shared this message, I had a congregation member come and say that the Bible is full of metaphors, so this passage is probably one of those.
Sorry.
The context is clear and the history is clear. This is a plain teaching. The disciples may not have liked it, but they got it. In Acts we see that they followed it. In the first centuries after the Resurrection it was lived out. It's just the corruption of our hearts that lead us to think that we know better. We don't.
This is the world Jesus is presenting and the instructions he is giving for his people to live by. Maybe we should believe him, or at least give it a try.
Most of us manage to avoid killing anyone physically.But Jesus expects a little more from those of us who follow him. Something more radical...
In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out his view of how the world works and what people need to do to live as they were created to. Some of the things he said are so alien to the culture around us that we might try to ignore them, but he seems to think that we can do them and that we must.
Did Jesus do away with the Law or do we still need to live out the details? Jesus tells us that it's all about moving...
Fair warning - there is a discussion of some of the Law, and it's not a pretty part.
Jesus wants his disciples to know that they are valuable in ways they may not even imagine. So he compares them to the two most valuable things in the world: salt and light. But with great power comes great responsibility...
Did you know that there are eight easy steps to Christian living? There are. Jesus laid them out for his followers. The problem is, they all flew right into the face of convention...
Learn how to live like a follower of Jesus, and why no one wants to do that, in today's message from The Salvation Army in Napa.
Wherever you go, God is already there. Being aware of that doesn't just change your attitude; it changes your life and the lives of everyone around you. God is wherever you are, so what have you got to fear?
Today, stories of some of the folks who have been surprised to find God was in the places they were.
How many creation stories are contained in the first verses of the Bible? One? Two? How about three?
All of these possibilities, plus a few others, as presented to the Napa Corps.
Every journey is a collection of new beginnings. On our first Sunday in Napa, here are a few of my beginnings.
When the Day of the LORD comes, God will bring ultimate justice with him. Where do we find hope in a scenarios of darkness and despair? Come dissect the end of Joel's fascinating prophecy for the last days with us. I promise not to make you eat any bugs this week!
Joel prophesied to a people who were suffering and thought they had no hope. He brought a message of a darker day coming, but reminded them of a light that could sustain them through the darkest time. In this week, where we have had high-profile suicides and other troubling news, let us help you learn that there is ALWAYS hope, even if you can't see it.
Welcome to Majoring in the Minors! The Minor Prophet we are dissecting today is Joel, and we are trying to put ourselves in the place of the people of Judah after they had suffered FOUR separate locust swarms. Was this judgment? The end times? Or just a chance to get more insects into your diet?
Join us as we dig in to this fantastic book, one chapter at a time!
Lt. Bridget sets us on a journey of encouragement, making each of us a message in a bottle just waiting to be found. Listen and find out why Roger says she is the better speaker of the two of them!
Read Acts 1:1-5, then launch into this Message in a Podcast.
Encountering Jesus changed the life of Saul of Tarsus. It changed the lives of James and Judas, two of the brothers of Jesus. It changed the life of Peter,. And it changed my life too.
Lt. Roger McCort brings the Word at TSA-Eureka this week. Give it a listen and let us know what you think!
It's Mother's Day! Time to check out two mothers who looked out for their children as best they could: Sarai and Hagar.
Major Ivan Wild guest-preaches this unusual holiday special!
This week we’ve got a guy living naked in a graveyard with a bunch of demons, a giant herd of pigs, some freaked out villagers, and Jesus, who changes all of thier lives when they encounter him. But what’s most important is something that happened way back before you were created…
Join us for this exciting message from TSA-Eureka!
Nicodemus wasn’t just some guy off the street. He had power and influence and wealth beyond most men. But there was something about Jesus he needed to know more about. And that Encounter changed his life forever…
Join us by listing to this message from TSA-Eureka! Questions or comments are always welcome.
roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org