The Surge Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Surge
Listen to recent messages from the teaching team of The Surge, a church meeting in the State Theatre in Falls Church, VA, passionate about church planting, service and helping people find their calling.
In a difficult season for the early church—when leaders like Paul were imprisoned and communication was limited—the message is that God’s people are part of something far bigger than a human organization, and God always has purpose in what He is doing. Paul’s instructions in Colossians 4:2–6 become a practical guide for how the church remains strong and faithful in any era.First, believers are called to devote themselves to continual prayer—not as a spiritual luxury or empty church language, but as essential “oxygen” for spiritual life. Prayer should be watchful and alert: looking inward with honest self-examination (including confession, weakness, and spiritual thirst) and looking outward to notice the deeper needs of people that only Christ can truly meet. Along with prayer, gratitude should be genuine and from the heart, not merely polite words.Second, the church should pray intentionally for open doors to share the gospel and for pastors and leaders to proclaim Christ clearly. The sermon highlights that this matters both locally (including ministries to young adults) and globally (especially gospel work among children and schools), because the spread of the gospel is ultimately God’s work, advanced through faithful prayer and obedience rather than human strength.Third, believers are urged to “walk in wisdom” toward outsiders—making the most of every opportunity and keeping their focus on what matters eternally. Non-believers are not opponents to win arguments against, but people to love, pray for, and invite into salvation, with a sincere desire that they would be in heaven with us.Finally, Christians should be ready to give a clear, hopeful answer for their faith with gentleness and respect. The gospel must not be diluted or treated as outdated—it is the life-changing message that Jesus died for sinners to rescue them from eternal separation from God, and it still transforms people, families, and communities today. The goal isn’t to measure success by numbers, but to be found faithful—servants who prayed, lived wisely, spoke graciously, and made Christ known.
God’s heart is the “shepherd heart” from Luke 15: He leaves the 99 to go after the one who’s lost, hurt, or vulnerable, even putting Himself at risk to rescue and carry them home. Using Fantastic Four and the contrast with Galactus’s transactional “consume and move on” mindset, the sermon challenges us to reject people-as-numbers thinking and ask: how far am I willing to go to protect and pursue the one God values?
The sermon uses the movie Thunderbolts as a picture of what it feels like to live with a painful past and the heavy weight of shame. The characters are trained killers and “disposable delinquents” with real darkness behind them, and the film’s central struggle becomes: what do you do when you can’t escape what you’ve done, what you’ve seen, or what you believe you are?From there, the message turns to Jesus’ parable of the two sons (often called the prodigal son). The younger son’s failure is obvious—he dishonors his father, wastes his inheritance, and ends up broken and desperate. But the sermon also points out that the older son is sinful too, not through wild living but through entitlement and self-righteous rule-keeping—believing the father “owes” him. The key takeaway is that everyone needs grace: the openly broken and the quietly proud.A major theme is the difference between guilt and shame. Guilt says, “I did something bad,” which can lead to repentance and change. Shame goes deeper and says, “I am something bad,” and that’s where people get trapped—isolating, hiding in silence, replaying failure, and losing hope. The sermon connects this to the movie’s “void” imagery, where people are forced to relive their worst moments, and to real life, where shame can feel spiritually and emotionally suffocating.The good news is that God’s answer to shame is not condemnation but the Father’s love. In the parable, the father does the shocking thing: he runs toward his son, embraces him before the son can prove anything, and restores him fully—robe, ring, sandals, and a feast. That picture is meant to reshape how we see God: not an angry boss waiting to punish, but a gracious and compassionate Father, slow to anger and abounding in love. The sermon emphasizes that Christians don’t earn a place at the table; they are made clean and welcomed only through the blood of Jesus.Finally, the sermon highlights that shame is healed in the light—through confession, community, and people who will speak God’s truth back to us. Like the Thunderbolts pulling someone out of the “void,” believers help one another by saying, in effect, “You’re not alone, and you can come back.” Church is meant to be a fellowship of broken people—a “party for sinners,” a “dance for people who can’t dance”—where no one pretends they qualify, but everyone is welcomed because of grace.The closing call is to stop hiding, come home to the Father, trust that God truly removes shame through the cross, and then live in gratitude, freedom, and honest community.
What if the little things you overlook every day are actually the key to winning the race that matters most? Pastor E draws from the film F1 to illuminate one of Scripture's most beloved commands: "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). Just as driver Sonny reads the track, notices hidden details, and outmaneuvers his opponents through integrity and sacrifice, Pastor E challenges us to live with that same intentional awareness. He unpacks the Hebrew word hesed—covenant loyalty in action—showing how Sonny's relationships transform an entire racing team, mirroring David's radical welcome of Mephibosheth to his own table. Most powerfully, Pastor E reveals that Micah 6:8 isn't merely a moral checklist—it's a prophetic portrait of the cross, where divine justice and mercy are perfectly reconciled in Christ, freeing us from arrogance and expanding our capacity beyond our own limitations. You are not bound by your past, your exhaustion, or your inadequacy. This week, open your eyes to the people around you—and run your race with justice, hesed, and humble, resurrection-powered faith.
What if God has already shown you where you're headed, but the path feels impossible? Through the story of King David—anointed king yet hunted, doubting, hiding in caves—Pastor Wadmar reveals that faithfulness isn't the absence of struggle; it is the struggle. Like David singing "Why, God?" while fleeing Saul, we've all wrestled with callings that don't make sense. Wadmar's message offers a powerful contrast between Saul's hollow apologies and David's genuine repentance, challenging us to follow through on our "sorry." Don't miss this transformative message—watch it now!
If you hate rejection, imagine how Jesus feels about it?
Jesus uses these parables in facing down the religious leaders and Israel proper for the rejection of him as the fulfillment of God’s promise to offer mankind a way to a restored relationship with their Creator. Some believed they were good enough by their nationality; others bought the lie it was their innate goodness. Jesus warned both it was only through belief and actions that proved the belief was genuine that they would enter God’s kingdom. Instead, the kingdom would go to those who knew they didn’t deserve it.
How are Christians to interact with others who reject Jesus?
The parable of the wheat and weeds indicates that it’s God job to render judgment at the end of time—not ours in the here and now. Some Christians seek to avoid contact with the unwashed masses; others tend to take mingling a bit too far. God’s word gives us helpful instructions for being in the world, yet not of it, for being discerning without judgmental.
Truth is, who we are outside of work matters. Getting our correct identity right outside of work will make all the things we’ve talked about the last three week fall into place. Most of us grew up with some bad identities that marked us—“You’re fat, slow, small, stupid, clumsy, weak, useless. Maybe we got these identities from our families. Maybe we got them from classmates. If we’re not careful, we can spend our lives carrying those around or trying to prove them wrong. Ultimately, we just need Jesus to tell us who we are. Isn’t it awesome we can be called “children of God.” If we buy into this identity, work falls into its proper place.
Just as God shows Himself to us through the creation, we show something of God by the way we work and by the way we act at work. Why? Because we’re image bearers. What we do reflects back on our Creator. It’s a convicting question to ask ourselves, “Do people see God through me at work?”
Why would God send angels first to a bunch of snot-nosed boys tending sheep to share news of Jesus’ birth?
How do we navigate a world where people are constantly harming us?
Text is James 2:8-13. We zero in on the importance of playing the mercy we’ve been shown in Christ forward to others who don’t deserve it any more than we did. Ouch! The warning is that, if we don’t, God won’t be merciful to us. In other words, our salvation comes with God’s expectation that we know we should show mercy to—i.e., forgive--those who hurt us. If we don’t, it may reflect that we’ve not really embraced salvation at all. So, we have to remember to focus on what God has done for us more than that stuff that is done to us in this world.
Isn’t it normal and right to have favorite food, favorite teams, favorite clothes, and favorite people?
Text is James 12:1-9. It’s all about the horrors of favoritism. God doesn’t play favorites: he sees us all equal in our sin, all equal in our salvation, all equal in our worth. So don’t let your preferences become prejudices, don’t compare and keep score. Remember that in addition to loving God, we’re to love our neighbors as ourselves—and everyone’s our neighbor
What impresses God and what doesn’t?
James 1:26-27 is the text. God hates external piety with a poisonous tongue, angry bickering over lesser theology, rituals devoid of spiritual reality, man-made rules, and fear and isolation from the world. He’s impressed with us helping the helpless and living a life that’s set apart to Him,
Can being a Christian improve your luck?
When we say someone is “lucky” what we usually mean is that they are fortunate. The biblical term for that is “blessed.” James 1:21-25 gives us some great insight on improving our odds at being lucky, fortunate, or blessed: get rid of the crud we know about; get more insight from God’s word because there’s probably more stuff you need to change you didn’t know about yet; don’t just hear God’s word, do it; continue to go deeper in obedience.
If the bible is ok with expressing righteous anger, why am I getting called out for my temper?
It’s about tempering our temper. We’re to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Too often, we overlook the first two and jump right to anger. And we’ve all got that in us, but we can rein it in if we listen and be slow to speak and to get angry. We are to be new creations in Christ, so Christ can transform us.
Why do I do things sometimes that, in hindsight, are clearly counter to my own best interests?
It’s all about temptation. Bottom line: when we screw up, we’ve got no one to blame but ourselves. It’s not someone else’s fault. We have desires, some good, but some bad. We play around with those desires, and pretty soon we start thinking about fulfilling them. We flirt around the edges for a while with that, and then fall headfirst into it. The desire eventually gives birth to action that harms us. Temptation isn’t bad—we’re all tempted, just as Jesus was. But giving in to it is the problem. Best action: Flee!!
Is my net worth really just the value of the stuff I own?
James, writing to a dispersed community of Christians who have lost most everything, encourages them to find their vet worth is what God says about them, not what their possessions or earthly status or other people say about them. Our value comes from whose we are, not what we have. And if you have stuff, make sure you know it’s from God and act like the manager of it, not the owner.
If we’re putting the other person first, do we just give up on our own hope, dreams, and desires?
Habakkuk 3
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.
Why Doesn’t God Do Something? Habakkuk 1:1-17
We see injustice, or evil, or sickness, or a society gone wrong, a holocaust or an orphan and we ask the question - where is God? Why does He allow this to happen? Our prophet asks the question, but instead of this being a rhetorical exercise to not believe, he gets an answer from heaven itself.
Is unfollowing Jesus a good idea?
Transitions, temptation, and trouble always create questions and doubts. But Peter responded to an uncertain future following Jesus with, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life and we’ve come to believe you are the Holy One of God.” Yeah, we’d better consider the alternative. Salvation costs nothing, but following Jesus will cost you something. But refusing to follow Jesus will cost you everything. To whom will you go?
If Jesus is asking us to follow Him, what kind of leader is he?
In response to competition between the 12, Jesus tells them that to be great, you must be the servant of all. And he demonstrated it by living for others. Leverage authority to benefit those under you . Be for others, be humble. Ask how you can help others. Maybe you can’t do for everybody, but you can do for one person.
What if Jesus’ plans conflict with my plans?
Here’s the rub. God is God, and we can’t thwart His will. And because He’s God, He’s invited us into something bigger than us. We can do what we want and think it’s right, like Judas did, and rue the day. Or we can decide, as Jesus followers, to trust God knows what He’s doing. It’s all about whose will wins out in the battle for our hearts.
Is there a price to pay for following Jesus?
Jesus eventually lays out the fine print for following him, and it’s to be willing to deny yourself and take up a cross. That means simply saying, “No” to me. We’re not unfamiliar with this—we all turn down dessert at restaurants from time to time, right? But Jesus telling us we are to say “No” to us scares us to death. But maybe it shouldn’t. You save your life by losing it to Christ and the gospel. Truth is, you’re going to lose your life anyway, at the end, right? Will you be willing to say “Yes” to Jesus and “No” to you in those defining moments in life? Everything hangs in the balance.
What should followers of Jesus wear?
People tell us what they follow by what they wear: Cheeseheads at Packer games; green and yellow faces at Brazil soccer games; women in birkas; Buddhist monks. What we should be known for as Jesus followers is loving people like Jesus loved people—people that don’t deserve it. Paul describes loving like Jesus loved us as as clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, putting up with, and forgiving. Yeah, it’s supernatural stuff.
What is the endgame, the ultimate reward, for following Jesus?
It’s not just to be a better person, although we will be better people. It’s not just going to heaven, although we will. It’s not to be pain or problem free. It’s “fear not.” The endgame is to make us fearless. The lack of fear results from our utter confidence that God is always with us regardless of the circumstances, even painful ones.
If I were to follow Jesus, would I be expected to just drop everything in my life?
Following Jesus begins with listening and asking questions, not leaving your world, your family, and your job. Jesus teaches truth, we listen, ask questions, and learn. It’s not blind faith. It’s based on information Jesus imparts. But don’t be surprised Jesus might lead you to do something that makes no sense, maybe doing something you’ve done 1,000 times but in a different way. In other words, he asks you to take a step of faith. And if you follow Him in that step, it’s because you’ve grown to respect and admire Him. And the outcome f that step will probably may startle you and proves to you that Jesus is worth following some more. So, when you become aware of the next step in following Jesus, take it.
If I were interested in a job following Jesus, what would my resume have to look like?
Jesus invites people who are a mess into a relationship, and you don’t even have to believe anything or do anything. There’s no admission fee. He picked people others thought should not have been allowed into the club. Change happens through the “following” Jesus.
Are there truths of the Christian faith worth dying on the hill for?
Well, truth is truth, and all truth is God’s truth. That said, not all truth is of equal importance. “A prophet is without honor in his hometown” is true, but it may not be as important as “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” What are the truths worth dividing over and what are the ones not worth such division?
As a Christian, can you tell me why you do what you do?
God has saved us, but left us here on earth. Seems logical to think there must be a reason He hasn’t just taken us home. In fact, what’s delaying God from just ending this mess down here and getting the fun stuff of eternity with Him started? Don’t we know it’s because there are yet people to be saved? Shouldn’t that be about what we’re about, individually, and as a church? Isn’t that why we should be doing what we do?
How do we distinguish issues that are not worth disagreeing over from those that are?
Yes, we don’t just “get along” to “get along” on every issue. Some are matters of opinion where we have the freedom to do what God tells us individually, but some are more indisputable issues, where God has clearly spoken. On the latter, we need to take a stand. Even on those, there’s a right, loving way to begin to deal with the other person—personally and privately.
How do we handle disagreements in church?
Don’t be sitting around judging each other on disputable issues, where everyone has the freedom to do what God tells them to do. Be sensitive to newer, less mature Christians—do what helps them grow. Judging doesn’t help that growth, by the way. be willing to pass on your own freedom in Christ out of deference to others in the body.
What would really happen if we took Jesus seriously?
Connecting the story of dramatic change in Ephesus to the call Paul makes in this passage for Christians to wake up. I never saw before that the dramatic change in Ephesus began when Christians saw the consequences of treating Jesus as something less that He really was. He’s not a genie or a consultant; He’s God and He wants to be Lord.
What are Christians to be known for?
We should be known for our love—owe no one anything, except to love each other.
There are two trains heading towards each other. One train is traveling at 200 mph and the other at 171 mph. How long before we figure out the proper use of power and influence in light of God's love for us?
What does it look like for me to be in the right place at the right time and step fully into what God wants me to do in that moment?
What does it look like for me to be in the right place at the right time and step fully into what God wants me to do in that moment?
So I have a sweater and houseshoes, I like kids... how do bring I bring calling into the world?
How do guardrails limit heartache for me and those around me?
Proverbs 4 has Solomon telling us to guard ours heart because everything we do flows from it. So, we need some guardrails for our hearts. You ever say something and wonder, “Where’d that come from?” Answer: your heart. So, how to tell the heart’s got a problem? You’ll find guilt, anger, greed, jealousy. When you hit these guardrails, what do you do? Confess, forgive, give, and celebrate.
How do guardrails limit our mistakes with money?
If you can’t serve both God and money, how to do tell if money is your master? This is about setting up guardrails with regard to over-consumption or greed and handling money wisely.
How do guardrails keep my significant other significant?
It’s about keeping your significant other your significant other
How do guardrails keep friends and associates from driving us into a ditch?
This is about the need for guardrails with regard to friends and associates. Modern science and the bible show us that we become like those we hang around with. So, choose wisely.
How do guardrails give us practical protection in our personal lives?
The main text is Ephesians 5:15-18, and this first message is just establishing the wisdom of having guardrails in our lives to protect us from going into a ditch, i.e., damaging our lives and our futures. Identify where you’re at risk and set some boundaries. Society won’t do this for you, but it will laugh at you and ridicule you when you mess up. You’ve got to take the reins on this yourself.
Does anyone else have a hard time thinking about anything else but their problems?
Two helps with anxiety. (1) Think about the right thing. Problems require some thought, some attention, but fixation? Probably not. Obsessing? Nope. Scripture tells us to be careful what we ponder. Not talking here about positive thinking, but Godward thinking. Intentionally direct your mind to God. Meditate on His Word. So, think right and, (2) do the right thing: obey. Practice the things Jesus taught us, and we'll have less time to worry about us. Focus shifting from us to God and others causes anxiety to lose its grip.
Has anyone out there found a good counselor to help you with your anxieties and fears?
God commands us (not a suggestion) to stop worrying. Great. How do we do that? God's recommendation: pray. But prayer isn't to just be a rehearsal of your worries. It's unburdening yourself, getting rid of the burden, putting them on God. He can handle it. Stop trusting in you; instead trust in God. Plead specific requests. Pray with thanksgiving, because thanksgiving kills anxiety. If you ponder how good God is, it helps keep worry at bay. Pray with rejoicing
Money is tight right now, so how can I not be terrified about finances when I get older?
This message is all about financial anxieties, given that 80% of Americans have financial fears ranging from somewhat to extreme. Even the rich have these fears. We can handle money better, but those concepts don't cure this because it's our hearts that need curing. Our fears reveal our idols, what we really want. Answer from Jesus: Dump your life of the love of money and what money can buy. We think money can satisfy and provide security. It doesn't. It's fleeting. A relationship with God provides both, however.
How do I break this fear that something bad is always lurking just around the corner?
The focus is on fear of the future, what's going to happen. The belief that Murphy's Law is true if it can go wrong, it will. The answer to our key question is found in three questions. 1) Who am I listening to? It'd ought to be Jesus; 2) Who am I trusting? It ought to be Jesus. Our fears show us we're not. 3) What am I seeking? It ought to be the kingdom of God make your great goal God, and He will take care of all your needs. A special on trusting in the right thing, worrying about tomorrow, looking for happiness in all the wrong places would work.
Death is something we all will experience, so why are we so afraid of it?
We have a double whammy in our culture not only fear of death, but fear of aging. Good news is the bible agrees that death is a problem. And death exists because of sin... we've all sinned. So our greatest need is someone to die for us. We may not think so, but the bible tells us we are in lifelong slavery because of a fear of death. The answer: Jesus came in the flesh, died, and was raised he is the solution to our fear. In Him, we're free, and no longer crippled by fear. A special about death or the fear of it or the uncertainty of it would work.
What do we need to hang on to when depression hits?
When it's seems hopeless, we need to hope in God. Our minds are going to talk to us about how awful things are. We need to interrupt that conversation and start one where we challenge ourselves to hope in God, and buttress that with what we know of who God is, what God is, what God has done, and what God has pledged to do. And we use that to keep pushing back the hopeless thoughts that we or other people, or the devil or the world pitch to us. Fight through that to praise God for the help He's capable of providing. A special on hope or when it all looks hopeless would work.
What kind of a citizen should a Christian be?
Be subject to governing authorities, recognizing that government is instituted by God. You resist them, and you resist what God has appointed, and you will suffer the consequences. Do this, not from fear, but because you answer to a higher authority than the government: God Himself. Pay the taxes you owe, and deliver respect and honor to those governing over you. Special could run the gamut from rebellion or something anti-government or bringing down “the man” to some July 4th anthem about how wonderful America is to it’s my country, warts and all.
How are Christians supposed to deal with people in the real world who wrong them?
Don’t pay back evil for evil. Do what everyone around you would claim is the honorable thing. In other words, don’t be what you hate in others. Take the high road and give God room to deal with the ne’er-do-wells around you. Even better, look to do something good for your enemy. Special could be about getting even or paying someone back or, flip side, refusing to lower oneself to get someone back or how hating others just messes you up.
If the church is supposed to be full of God’s love, why do we have so many denominations?
It’s all about how we are to genuinely love each other. Let God’s word work in us to root out stupid stuff, and then blast out love to other church members. In fact, outdo each other in showing honor to others. In doing so, you are serving God. Ponder how you can stir each other to grow in Christ. And don’t miss church, like some habitually do. I suppose the special could be any one of a zillion songs about love, or how love gives or thinks of others more than oneself.
I became a Christian two years ago, so why is it that nothing really seems to have changed?
We live the Christian life best when we’ve died to ourselves. Paul told us earlier that we’re to be led by the Spirit. Same concept. Don’t just conform to the crowd; let God take hold and be transformed. It’s really a whole life commitment, not just one hour on Sunday. A special about being sold out for something, being all in on something or someone would work.
Is there a master plan afoot, or is life and history just a series of unfortunate events with the incidental nicety thrown in to keep us guessing?
Yes, there is a master plan, and it’s God’s, and He’s is working it to perfection in ways that we aren’t even capable of grasping as mere humans. Paul explodes into worship here in v33-36. It’s almost as if he himself is overwhelmed at the inspiration God has given him to pen. God needs no advice, makes no mistakes, never apologizes, and what he does stands forever. If there is glory to be had, it belongs to God. I don’t know what special works here, but if you can get a choir of angels to assist, that’d be great!
What should a Christian’s perspective be toward Jews?
The short answer to that is R-E-S-P-E-C-T. (Should be a song with that title out there, shouldn’t there?) We shouldn’t write the Jews off as lesser because God’s not done with them, any more than He wrote Gentiles off during Israel’s heyday. Jews are still getting saved here and there, despite a partial hardening they are enduring as a people. God’s intent with all the Gentiles getting saved is to make Jews jealous. And a time’s coming when they will return en mass to believe in Christ. And how sweet will that be? God’s doing something in history with the Jews, so we Gentile Christians should not be haughty or condescending. Keep doing what we’re supposed to do—believe by faith in Jesus, the only way to get salvation, and share with everyone, including Jews.
If God has rejected Israel for rejecting Jesus as Messiah, why is the US so pro-Israel?
From the thousands of years of persecution, it seems God has moved on from his covenant with Israel. But has he? And if he has, what’s to keep him from getting disenchanted with any of us? We find here that Israel is still in the game, even though most are super opposed to Jesus. Even now, God continues to save some Jews—the remnant—the same way he saves Gentiles—through faith, not works. Bottom line is that God is true to his word, even though things might look a little grim for a season here and there.
If Jesus was the Messiah, why don’t most Jews believe in him—after all, he was Jewish?
Israel was offended that people not Jewish could become the people of God. As such, they lost sight of the great purpose God created the Jewish nation—to be a light to all the other nations, that whoever would believe could be saved. It’s easy to bash the Israelites, of course, but we can be so like them. Christians can be very comfy with our salvation and our relationship with God, but lack any fervency to play it forward. Should we not rise to the challenge to share Christ when we live in a city 96% of which is not Christian? I mean, we can’t walk outside without running into lost people.
Is going to heaven really as easy as Christianity makes it sound?
Yes, God may have elected, or chosen, you, but he has also included your free-will decision to place your faith in Jesus Christ as part of the process of salvation. Paul returns to that concept in this text, lamenting that his Jewish brethren still are trying to make nice with God through their works when Christ has already done it all for them. Salvation is amazingly easy to acquire once you bag trying to get it on your terms.
Isn’t it wise not to tell my insecure wife about an occasional online, and totally innocent, chat with an ex?
It’s about making a vow to confide in and not hide from our spouse. Such openness is the key to purity in a marriage. Why? Sin causes shame, and shame leads us to keep secrets, hide from each other (ex: Adam and Eve in the Garden, post-fall), and secrets begin to eat away at intimacy. As intimacy erodes, we will naturally look for it elsewhere.
Why is it that many of the things I thought were cute about my spouse when we dated now just irritate the heck out of me?
It’s about making a vow of partnership with our spouse--taking the differences of each spouse and weaving them together in oneness rather than allowing them to divide and separate us. To do that, we’ve got to start thinking more about WE than we do ME. This is a commitment, a covenant, with a spouse—I’m in 100%--and not a mere contract—I’m in as long as I get out of this what I want/need.
Why has the spark gone out in my marriage, and is there a way to get it back?
This is about making a vow of pursuit of our spouse. We tend to pursue what we don’t have but want. So, we tend not to pursue our spouses—after all, we already have them. But the relationship we really want is only at beginning at the beginning. You should want it to grow. If you want that enough, you will continue to pursue it by continuing to pursue your spouse.
How do you prioritize all the things required to have a great marriage?
This is about making a vow of priority to your spouse. Maybe a successful marriage isn’t as much about finding the one as making God the “one” and your spouse your “two”: God the 1st priority; spouse the 2nd. Let the relationship with the spouse flow from the relationship with God.
Paul talks about being OK in all situations, through prayer and reliance on God. Through physical and financial struggles, he's OK, because God and God through His people make a way of provision
When our human way of doing things can be allowed to die, dependence on God brings us new life in Christ... and there is amazing joy in a grace that doesn't depend on our credentials.
Paul tells us to have the same mind and outlook Christ did when He emptied Himself of His rights, authority and stepped fully into the will of God. So we let go of demanding our rights and due, and give up something good... for something better - a life filled with impact for God and His love for us.
To live is Christ, to die is gain. What if we actually believed that? I mean, really, really believed it? Cancer would still suck but not nearly as much. Getting killed by a crazy gunman isn't a thing. It just starts our amazing next chapter a little earlier than expected. Really trusting God in the way Paul does here, takes away the teeth of any suffering... the loss is real, but it's temporary. Is it possible to really step into this kind of faith day to day?
Key Question: Where do you turn when it seems that you’ve been completely abandoned by everyone?
Key Question - How am I supposed to deal with a new boss who is an absolute tyrant and only cares about getting ahead?
Key Question - Why don’t I feel better when I stand up for myself and get even when people screw me over?
If Jesus was a Jew and Christianity came out of Israel, why are most Jews not Christians?
Wouldn't it be surprising if what we really value runs us smack into what God wants for us too?
Key Question - Could the key to figuring out what we really want be wrapped up in figuring out what we value?
If mankind is evolving and getting better and smarter, why is it when I look around all I see is more and more confusion and hate?
If there is evil in the world, do we just try to hide from it or do tools to fight against it exist?
Why is it that I’m doing everything I want to when I want to, but somehow I don’t feel that I’m really free or in control?
Given the mess that the world’s in right now, doesn’t it seem like there’s a hidden force out there looking to screw things up?
My friends do all kinds of things they shouldn’t, so why am I the one who gets a speeding ticket the first time I go too fast?
I’d need to make some pretty significant changes in my life, so has anyone discovered a really easy way to do that?
If all my bad stuff is forgiven as a Christian, then I can just live like everyone else, right?
An inheritance sounds good, but why can’t we choose not to have certain of our parents’ traits passed down to us?
Can someone explain to me how it’s possible to have more money and things than I ever thought I would and yet still be agitated and discontent?
No one gets married planning to commit adultery, so why do so many people fall into it?
Jesus said that if I ask for anything in his name, He’d give it to me, so where’s my new car?
“To be is to do”—Socrates. “To do is to be”—Jean-Paul Sartre. “Do be do be do”—Frank Sinatra. How do Being and Doing inter-relate?
Isn't there enough narcissism in the world without me acting like destiny and circumstance all revolves around me and self-discovery?
How much weight do my church membership, baptism, communion, confession and the life carry in terms of my relationship with God?
If I’m just living a better life than most everyone else, then me and God are good, right?
How do we, as a church, remain faithful to Scripture in what the Bible says about homosexuality while being a loving and relevant part of our culture?
If I make me a better me, but it doesn’t go any farther than me, am I really a better me?
Anybody got an idea for a goal for the New Year besides the standard ones I make and then break?
Between Santa sitting on a Throne of Lies and re-runs of It's a Wonderful Life, what is Christmas really all about?
What is the origin of “the handwriting’s on the wall” phrase and is it at all applicable to me?
If you’re a self-made man or woman, what’s wrong with feeling good about yourself and clapping yourself on the back?
If there’s a God, or is He engaged or just sitting back and watching everything to go hell in a hand basket?
Is there any biblical counsel for how the nation ought to deal with entitlement programs?
I recall that this country was out of money when the recession hit, so we printed more--
I’m no economist, but is that something we can just keep doing to fix things?
Everyone I know feels strongly that the wrong candidate winning will spell disaster for our nation--
if there’s a God, is he just going to sit back and do nothing?
What has led to the decline in the confidence and credibility of our political process so evident in this campaign,
and how do we turn that around?
If it’s true that we get the politicians we deserve, what can I do to ensure we get better ones?
The general discontent with the candidates for President suggests low confidence that any candidate has the answer for how to right the ship of state—is there another way to think about this election?
How can we avoid being that family that everyone wonders afterward, “What did those parents do wrong?
More details to come, but we're working with the local school system to host a GenFeeds event this fall to benefit children and families who (amazingly) struggle with food security even in our wealthy area. Some changes at the high school (with staffing and points of contact) have reset us on the date, but we should have updated details and a new event date very soon.
If the thrust of the American Dream is going after what you want with everything you have in you, why are so many people I see so dissatisfied once they get it?
Divorce seems like the “go to” option when things get tough, but the pain is so hard—is there a better way out of a marriage mess?
Key Question: All my friends made pretty much the same vows at their weddings, so I don’t understand -- why do many of them cheat?
Wouldn’t it be cool if God just got into the mess of real life and canceled all the debts we owe on our homes and credit cards?
If I were even interested in a relationship with God, what kind of a contract or deal would have to be negotiated?
God’s a little mysterious to me, so are there any tips on how someone might approach Him?
It seems that no matter what I do, it’s never enough—is it just me or are people genuinely ungrateful?
What are there specific things I can do that could lead me into God’s will for my life?
I’ve done pretty well getting myself into messes, so how about some guidance on getting out of them?
In most of the relationships I know, men and women are competing to get what they want—is this as good as it gets?
I’m trying to be the woman my culture tells me I should be, so why is the going so hard?
As a woman, I am pulled in a thousand directions and still wonder if I’m missing my purpose for being—got any advice?
Men and women clearly don’t look the same, so were they created or did they evolve with different roles?
Beautiful Design: In His Image
Key Question: I know people who are closer to their pets than people—I guess that’s ok, isn’t it?
Beautiful Design Part 1
Key Question: Is it just me, or has the sexual revolution failed to solve our problems and made things more confusing?
God's love, stronger than death. That is the heart of the gospel, and it's good news indeed...