Filled With Messages: Recent Episodes
Ruth Farrell
Life is filled with messages. At best, most of them are forgettable. Plenty of them are confusing and anxiety-inducing. Filled With Messages are the sermons of Ruth Farrell, the lead pastor of a church in Chicagoland. If you want to fill your life with encouraging, transforming messages, listen in.
There are a plethora of stories that tell us who we are. Much of the time, we choose to focus on the negative stories. But God wants us to lean into the stories that lead us to life.
Life is filled with scary situations, proverbial lions’ dens. Although it may seem that we are all alone, God is always with us, filling us with the courage to persevere.
All humans need encouragement to survive and thrive. Christians are repeatedly called throughout scripture to be the hype men of our family, friends, neighbors, schoolmates, co-workers, even strangers. Listen in to hear more about our call to be encouragers.
Life is better when we’re part of a team, but being part of a team can be a challenge. Today’s scripture shares some wisdom about best practices for teams.
When life is hard, it’s easy to feel defeated. Reframing difficult seasons as having work to do can help us give ourselves a little more grace as we journey through them.
Olympic athletes have incredible training regimens. While we might not need to be so intense, training and being goal oriented is a wise way to live. In today’s scripture passages, we’re encouraged to run, train, strain for the goals God places in our lives.
Joy can be so allusive some days. Life can be filled with so much tragedy and trouble that joy can seem inappropriate or inauthentic. But God gave us the gift of joy to help us through the stresses of life. Relaxing into it leads us to God’s peace, healing, and hope.
In the movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, one of Ferris’s goals is to help a friend who’s struggling. In today’s scripture passage, we hear the story of three different people who in their own unique ways helped someone who was in trouble. Their actions (and Ferris’s!) can give us some ideas about we can be a helper to those having a hard time.
How do we know someone’s character? How can we discern who to let into our hearts and lives? A story from 1 Samuel can give us some ideas.
It’s so hard to know when it’s time to get out of the way. In this message, we hear the story of someone from the Bible who struggled with doing just that. Hopefully by listening to his story, we can do so with more grace.
Most of us have a judgmental attitude at least from time to time. Today’s scripture text reminds us to be curious, not judgmental. In doing so, we follow in Christ’s footsteps.
Life is filled with boring, mundane, ordinary moments, even seasons. God’s grace is with us in those times as well as the extraordinary ones. How can we learn to be more attuned to God’s grace in all our days?
When we are experiencing ends in our lives, it’s normal to struggle, to find it hard to be hopeful. Jesus’ promise is that God will not leave us in the ends of our lives, but will bring beautiful new things out of them.
How we live and move and have our being in this world effects not just us and those closest to us. It affects the whole world. As Christians, we’re invited to follow Jesus’ model of being full of generosity, empathy, kindness. But how do we do this in a world that feels like it’s filled with more and more chaos and hatred? Listen in to hear more.
In scripture, we are repeatedly encouraged to walk in God’s love. What are some practices that help us do so?
Forgiveness is often hard and complex. At the same time, it’s something Christians think they should be able to do easily. How can we give ourselves grace when we are struggling to forgive?
One of the things Christians celebrate at Easter is that God is all about resurrection. Not only did God bring Jesus back to life, but God brings us back to life, too. Listen in to hear how God does this.
Just like us, Jesus had good days and bad days. The ways Jesus approached the hard days can help us better navigate them when they come our way.
Just like many of us, at times Jesus struggled with self-care. In looking at his example we are reminded of the importance of taking care of ourselves.
Boundaries are important parts of healthy relationships, but they can be tricky to manage. Jesus modeled healthy boundaries. Following his example can help us navigate their complexities.
Most of us are thirsty for genuine and meaningful connection. How can Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan Woman help us build useful skills for connecting well with others?
When life’s storms are upon us, it can be hard to let go and have faith. But Jesus modeled napping in the midst of life’s storms. He encouraged us to trust God to take care of us while we get some much needed rest.
Growing older isn’t always fun. There are stages and seasons of life when the aging process is a challenge. Following Jesus’ example can help us weather these storms, maturing gracefully in mind, body, and heart throughout our days
Many days we feel like zombies wandering thoughtlessly and aimlessly through life. But God wants more and better for us. How can we follow Jesus to a full life, an abundant life?
We live in a multitasking, juggle it all world. But balance is essential to our wellbeing. Perhaps Jesus’ example can show us some steps can we take to make sure our priorities don’t get lost in all the demands we face.
Most of us know the importance of using our words gently and kindly. But there are times in life when a stern word is necessary. How do we know when it’s appropriate to speak a stern word? Today’s scripture text offers us some insight.
It’s easy to judge people by what we see on the surface. Jesus invites us to a different way, a way of seeing beyond the masks most of us wear. A way of witnessing the beauty and truth of ourselves and each other.
God is always placing signs in our lives that lead us to grace, peace, healing, love. How do we tune into those signs so that we can be closer to God every day?
There’s so much that wants to rob us of hope, but God is always bringing light into our darkness. So when we do have hope, it’s important for us to sing it loud and clear for all to hear.
Many of us are stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, wearied by all life throws at us. God calls us to lay aside the pressures of life for awhile by finding joy and peace when we connect with others.
Weariness is such a familiar feeling to many of us that when God tries to gift us with hope and joy we completely miss it. How can we acknowledge our weariness while at the same time open ourselves to God’s goodness to us?
We all know that being thankful is important. Yet it’s easy to forget to give thanks. Why? What gets in our way of being grateful, especially to God? Listen in to hear more.
Some days the violence and destruction in our world can feel overwhelming and hopeless. How does God invite us to bring peace to this broken world of ours?
Most of us have habits, behaviors, patterns we would like to change so that we can experience and share more of God’s freedom, joy, peace. But doing so can be very hard. How can we work together with God to free ourselves of no longer helpful habits?
Having safe homes (both physical and relational) is so important to our wellbeing. Scripture teaches God is one of our safe homes. But what does that mean? Listen in to learn more.
Forgiveness is essential to our wellbeing. It’s also a cornerstone of our faith. But it can be so hard. How can following God’s example help us learn to forgive?
Life is so often filled with pain and burdens. How can we follow Jesus’ lead and lighten the loads others bear.
Scripture tells us that animals have things to teach us. More specifically, they have wisdom to share with us about the ways God cares for them and us. Listen in to hear more.
Scripture calls us to love God with our whole beings. But how do we do that? What might it look like in practical terms? Listen in to hear more.
God often calls us to go, to move, to shift our locations, our attitudes, our beliefs so that more people can experience God’s blessings. But going and changing is hard for many of us and we will face difficulties along the way. Listen in to hear a scripture story that will build our faith that God is always with us along the way.
All of us face new beginnings from time to time. How does God approach new beginnings and how might following God’s lead help us when we are in these situations?
How do we keep trusting God, believing in God’s faithfulness even when life is full of pain and suffering?
God asked Joshua to be strong and courageous as he led the Israelites through a season of exponential change. Listen in to hear more about how we can be strong and courageous when we are experiencing change.
Our words have incredible power to do both harm and good. How can we learn to harness them to bring Christ’s light and healing into the world?
Sometimes life seems like one long downward spiral to death. But along the way, God invites us to find joy in the good stuff of life.
Scripture employs metaphors to help us understand God better. In today’s text, the author speaks of God being like a Mama Bear defending and protecting her cubs. Listen in to learn more.
Along our life’s journeys, we encounter surprises. Some are good, others less so. Learning to lean into the surprises helps us be more agile, more gracious, more open to the movement of the Holy Spirit.
It’s easier than ever to isolate ourselves from new people, but God’s call is to open ourselves to others so that everyone can receive God’s grace and love and hope.
At times we have to leave the people, places, and things that feel like home. Learning to trust God always goes with us helps us make it through the anxiety and fear when we have to do so.
Some days it’s really hard to believe Jesus was raised from the dead or that his resurrection matters today. On those days, how do we keep trusting God?
We often expect God to show up with trumpet fanfare, in miracles, in the equivalent of Easter Sunday mornings. But more often God shows up disguised as our everyday lives.
All of us struggle with worries and anxiety at times. Jesus did, too. Listen in to hear more about the healthy coping mechanisms Jesus employed in the most anxious week of his life.
Some days it’s easy to have hope and trust God’s presence in our lives. Other days, it’s a struggle just to get out of bed. No matter what we’re experiencing, God had good news for each and all of us.
So often our questions are ladened with assumptions about others. Jesus invites us to consider why we ask the questions we ask and to have compassion and empathy for others.
Our emotions are gifts from God which help us understand our deepest needs, but sometimes we struggle to listen to what they’re really saying. God invites us to look plumb the depths of our emotions and share what we find with others and with God.
Change is part of life, yet we often fight it. How can we learn to listen and lean into change when it comes? How can we learn to trust God is with us and will bless us through the change?
There are so many people, places, and things clamoring for our attention. How do we discern to whom we should listen?
Sometimes God asks us to obey and at other times we are called to disobey. Learning to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading can help us know which way to go.
Sometimes God shows us that the ways of our ancestors were wrong and invites us to new ways. Making the change is hard work, but God will be with us every step of the way.
God sometimes sends us hope and healing in very surprising ways. Can we open ourselves to receive God’s love and care from wherever it comes?
God has given us each so many talents. Will we follow a child’s lead and use them to bless others, especially children?
We tend to think of courageous people as those on the frontlines or those who run into burning buildings. Certainly they are. But God calls all of us - even little children - to live with courage every day.
When Joseph decided to divorce Mary, he was making an acceptable choice. But God had a better way and invited Joseph to choose it instead.
Sometimes fear is overwhelming and anxiety weighs so heavily. In those time, God invites us to let our fear be what it is and also to rest in his presence with us.
There are a lot of genealogies in the Bible and often skip over them. However, some of them (in particular, Jesus’ family trees) contain good news and grace for us. Listen in to hear more.
Sometimes it can be hard to think of reasons to be thankful. Perhaps it can be particularly hard to do so when we’re considering our relationship with God. But there are pathways that can lead us to give thanks with truly grateful hearts.
Jesus often invites us to see the world through new lenses. In Luke 6, he even goes so far as to asks us to love our enemies.
We all know the adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Yet many of us do judge others based on their outward appearances. God invites us to look at peoples’ hearts instead.
No one likes those who act self-righteously. And most people would agree that humility is a good thing. But there are some humility traps. Listen in to hear more about how we can avoid the traps of both self-righteousness and humility.
When is it time to stop praying for a miracle? In today’s scripture text, Jesus encourages us to not lose heart, but keep on praying.
Many of us find great comfort in our pets, perhaps partly because they are a stable presence in our chaotic world. Scripture uses scenes from the animal kingdom to remind us we can have hope that God is still at work in this world.
God brings the heat on injustice, provides shelter from the storms of life, and invites us to join him in this work.
Time is often challenging for us. The good seasons of life seem to go by too fast and the difficult seasons seem to last too long. God sees our struggle with time, has empathy for us, and invites us to learn to be present in each moment.
God is always kneading, stretching, growing us. The process isn’t always fun, but God always does it with love.
God invites us to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice on whatever adventure he has in store for us next.
There is so much in life which dries us out, so much that sun-bakes our souls. We are invited to work alongside God in watering others so we all can grow, flourish, and thrive.
Our tongues have the power of life and death. God asks us to use our words to bring life and healing. Listen in to hear more.
God is patient with us no matter what. Even when we struggle to trust, God still give us peace. Listen in to hear more.
Often we’re called to be a pattern, an example for others to follow. But what does that look like in everyday life? Listen in for some ideas.
Many days, it’s hard to have faith. On those days, Jesus’ faith (and the faith of our siblings in Christ) keep us deeply connected to God and the Holy Spirit’s grace, hope, peace, and love which enables us to boast joyfully, even on the worst days, about the Trinity’s goodness.
Lists are often good tools to help us reflect on our lives. One of the most famous lists in the Bible can also help us ponder our lives and our relationship with God.
Many of us take time to remember those who have passed on. For instance, we memorialize our fallen soldiers with wreaths on Memorial Day or perhaps we place flowers on the graves of loved ones on their birthdays. In the Bible we find several people raising stone moments to remember God’s faithfulness. Perhaps it might help us to trust God especially in the hard times of life if we did something similar.
So often, life is confusing, disorienting, hard. Jesus didn’t promise that life would be easy, but he did provide ways to experience his peace even in the midst of the struggle.
Most of us struggle with change, but God is always doing a new thing and invites us to join him in blessing the world through making earth more like heaven.
It can be so easy to get stuck in survival mode, but God wants to help us move to a thriving, abundant, expansive life. Listen in to find out more.
Sometimes there are things which terrify us, but we also know need to be addressed. We can trust Jesus to safely lead us to and through those things and into a life of peace and joy.
Some days it feels like oppression and evil are winning. But God will not be silenced and invites us to join the cosmic concert singing messages of peace and God’s favor into the darkness of this world.
Grace is one of the defining characteristics of God and therefore it should be of us. But we struggle to offer abundant grace. Listen in to hear Jesus’ call to offer prodigal - abundant and overflowing - grace.
Tenderness isn’t something we experience a whole lot these days, yet it has the power to change the world. Listen in to a story from the last week of Jesus’ life which invites us to overflow with tenderness.
Humans are a mix of amazing, wonderful, admirable traits and stuff we’ve got to work on. In today’s scripture text, Jesus invites us to work on the stuff that needs to change so we can live more abundant lives.
All of us want to be loved, but sometimes we resist the love offered to us. Even when we resist Jesus’ love, he continues to brood over us with care and faithfulness.
Humans are literally made of stardust. But there are many days where we feel like regular old dust. On the good days and the bad, God and the Holy Spirit are with us, giving us the wisdom and strength we need.
Many of us have learned there are parts of ourselves which need to remain hidden from others, from ourselves, even perhaps from God. But God invites us to bring our whole selves to him because he loves us, all of us.
Many of us hesitate to try something new, but Jesus tried new things and invites us to do the same. And oftentimes when we try new things we experience more of the abundant life Jesus has for us.
Most of us have been taught to believe that our weaknesses should be hidden, covered up, kept out of sight because they make us vulnerable. But throughout scripture we often find God giving people strength through the things that make them feel small.
We are often told that forgiveness is an imperative to the Christian life. But how we forgiveness is defined doesn’t often match up to what we see in scripture. Listen in to learn more about kind forgiveness.
One of Jesus’ most famous, and hardest, teachings helps us see us that kindness is a muscle which we need to learn to use with great discipline and intentionality.
Jesus often asks us to put other people’s needs before our wants. But that request doesn’t always sit well and sometimes even causes us to get pretty angry. Listen in to hear Jesus again calling us to care for those who are suffering.
One of the reasons God sent Jesus to earth was to help us see the world in new ways. In todays’s scripture text, Jesus invites those who are suffering to see the blessings God has for them and those who have privilege to be careful with how they use it.
Many days it feels like deep darkness covers our world and maybe even our lives. Scripture calls us to rise and shine even in the darkness, reflecting God’s light and glory all around us.
Kindness. It’s good in principle, but is it worth the effort or even possible in our world? Listen in to hear why living with love and kindness are the right way to be.
Most of us struggle to set healthy boundaries, know our limits, say no at key moments. Jesus models how we can do so well.
We’d love for life to be filled with amazing road trips to fantastic vacation destinations. But more often our life’s journeys are boring and even difficult. Learning to feel God is with us every step of the way can help us navigate all the roads we walk.
We want to follow God. But sometimes God seems to be leading us in crazy ways to ridiculous places. What do we do when we disagree with God’s direction for our lives?
We are so often tempted to live in the past, in our comfort zones, but life can only be lived forwards. Jesus invites us to follow him in forwards living.
When we think of the Holy Spirit, some pretty astonishing moments in God’s story come to mind. But how can we learn to experience the Holy Spirit’s presence in our everyday lives?
All of us want to be happy, to have good lives. The author of Psalm 1 shares some things we can do to make that happen.
God uses nature to restore, redeem, and recreate us, so let’s work to restore, redeem, and recreate it.
Monty Don is a master gardener. He so tenderly and expertly tends the flora and fauna in his care. Jesus used a metaphor in which God is a master gardener to call us to make our homes with God for there we find all we need for a good, healthy life.
All of us have scars. Most of us try to cover them up. But what if God didn’t want us to cover them up but allow him to make something beautiful and meaningful out of them?
An old adage says “laughter is the best medicine” and God would pretty much agree. Listen in to hear why.
Christ is risen! Yet we still experience pain and suffering. How might we reconcile Christ’s resurrection with our still messy world? Listen in to find out.
All of us are in need of saving from hurts, pains, heartbreaks. Blessedly, a Savior came in the name of the Lord to heal all of us.
Jesus reminded us that in order for delicious food to rise from the ground first a seed has to be buried. We have a sense of what this meant for his life, but what does it mean for ours?
Sometimes it’s hard to see the ways God is blessing us. Scripture encourages us to look in life’s rearview mirror from time to time to see the ways God has redeemed us from trouble in the past. Doing so will fill our hearts with gratitude and joy.
Often anger is seen as unchristian. But Jesus gets angry so anger can’t be inherently wrong. So when is it ok to get angry?
God blesses us and calls us to be a blessing. Are we blessing just the loudest voices around us or are we listening especially for marginalized voices so we can be sure to bless all people?
Most of us tend to see our so called faults and failures more than we see the good things about ourselves. Yet first and foremost God sees us as his beloved and beautiful children and calls us to see ourselves in the same way. Listen in to hear more.
Many of us choose to give up or fast from something during Lent. What sort of fast might God be calling us to this Lent?
We all tend to see Jesus for who we want him to be, which isn’t necessarily wrong or bad, but there are times when God invites us to see Jesus more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly.
One of the messages we often hear (implicitly and explicitly) is that we should be amazing, perfect, put together all the time. There are even Bible passages that seem to say this. But is that actually how God expects us to live? Listen in to find out.
Confession is something many of us shy away from because it’s been used hurt us or control us. But scripture offers us a different way to see confession - one steeped in merciful love and leading to joyful community.
When we’re suffering, it’s natural to ask God “why?” Oftentimes, in response to our heartfelt questions, God invites us to see the world and our pain through a different perspective which helps us trust God even if the pain continues.
The Magi are some of the people in the Bible who most pique our imaginations. Thinking about them helps us as we follow the stars God places in our lives.
Throughout our lives, we face difficult moments when we are filled with questions. How do we faithfully, respectfully, lovingly, but also honestly respond to God when those times come? Listen in to hear how Mary handled a moment just like this.
There’s a lot of heartbreak and brokenness in our lives, in this world. God invites us to join him in bringing his peace, healing, joy far as any hurting is found.
Most “important” people don’t act with gentleness, humility, mildness. They milk their glory for all it’s worth. But Jesus - himself God - willingly laid aside his glory mildly and invites us to do the same.
How do we find hope when all seems hopeless? By looking for hope in unusual places, choosing to hope even when we’re at our limits, and remembering how God has fulfilled hope in the past.
We know we should practice gratitude, but sometimes it’s hard. Perhaps our temperaments aren’t given to it. Maybe we’re crazy busy. Possibly we’re going through a really tough time. But there are practical steps we can take to develop gratitude in our lives and implementing these things will bring us more joy.
Life is filled with difficult seasons and situations. How can we not just endure these circumstances, but learn to be content, even grateful and joyful in them?
To be human is to experience anxiety at times. It can be so hard to find peace when we are worried. But if we choose to connect deeply with God when we are stressed, then we will be lead to God’s peace and joy.
Some days, we find ourselves lacking confidence. On those days, Christians are encouraged to turn not just to family, friends, trusted professionals, even ourselves to find courage and hope, but to also turn to Jesus and in him find supernatural confidence.
It is so tempting to argue and complain about life. Certainly, God doesn’t want us to ignore our problems and pain, but rather encourages us to share our frustrations honestly, while giving thanks. When we do, we shine like stars and bring joy to others, God, and ourselves.
One of the ways we can bring more joy into our lives and the world, the authors of scripture tell us, is by imitating Jesus. But what does that mean and how do we do it? Listen in to find out.
Some days it is hard to rejoice, but when we are surrounded and supported by a healthy community, they empower us to rejoice in our God always. Listen in to hear more about how we can rejoice in community.
Sometimes we think that a change of scenery will solve all our problems. If only we could find a new job, move to a new town, go on a trip, we’d feel so much better. But rarely do these geographical changes solve all our problems. The Good News is that God is bringing healing and goodness and solutions right here to us in the real world, our goal is to learn to see heaven all around us.
God created each of us both great and small. Keeping these contrasts in balance helps us see ourselves honestly and answer some of life’s biggest questions.
A lot of us are afraid of the dark, especially of the times when life feels dark. But there are wonderful things that can only happen when it’s dark and oftentimes, in the darkness, we see God more clearly as other distractions are diminished.
Recently, it’s kind of felt like we’re living in a time warp, in Groundhog’s Day, repeating the same day over and over again. Following God’s example and creating contrast out of sameness can help us get through weird and strange times.
Most of us are exhausted, weary, carrying heavy burdens. Jesus invites us to rest, not necessarily by taking a vacation or even a nap, but by taking on his way of life which leads us to places of freedom and peace.
We have such a hard time seeing the beautiful things about ourselves. There are so many forces in our lives (family, friends, culture, work, even our religious traditions) which focus in on the things they want to change about us. But God loves us exactly the way we are right now and wants us to learn to love the awe-inspiring and wonderful people he created us to be.
George Floyd’s friends described himself as someone who was the change he wanted to see in the world. God calls us to follow Mr Floyd’s example and work to ensure black lives matter in our homes, communities, and world.
When life is moving at its normal pace, it can be difficult to see what needs to change in our lives. But the Holy Spirit is always wanting to blow and burn things out of our lives that are no longer good or useful so she can bring us to beautiful new places of freedom and purpose.
Waiting is hard. Sometimes, particularly when we are suffering deeply, it’s nearly impossible. Where is God when we are waiting? How do we hold onto hope when our pain seems to never end?
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer and say, “hallowed be thy name,” what do we mean? Does God’s holiness have any relevance for us, for our lives, for our world?
When we’re feeling anxious, struggling to feel grounded, mental health professionals recommend thinking about a happy place or person or memory. Jesus taught that God was one such person to whom we can turn for help. Listen in to hear more about how God comforts and care for us.
Thomas is often labeled “The Doubter” as if doubt is a terrible thing. But really, Thomas was just honest and vocal about his needs. Jesus heard Thomas’ demands, met them, and will surely do the same for us.
Most of us tend to give way more (time, energy, money, etc) than we actually have. When we give beyond our limits, we hurt ourselves or we hurt others. How can the Holy Spirit help us find a better balance?
So often in life, dreams, hopes, plans, expectations unravel. Where is God when life is falling apart? How do we continue to have hope when life is in tatters?
It’s important to be empowered and have agency, but sometimes things are out of our control and sometimes God asks us to follow his lead. How can we reframe those times in life when we’re feeling like things are unraveling out of control and in doing so find God’s hope and new purpose? Listen in to hear more.
How does God call us to respond when life - not just for us but for our communities as well - is unraveled by things over which we have no control?
There are a lot of disappointing messages in our world and we can become pessimistic and bitter because of all the disappointment we experience. But God is always at work brining us hope and joy. Listen in to be reminded of the ways our loving God brings light to our darkness.
One of the messages we hear often is that our county and world has a growing mental health epidemic. How did Jesus interact with those struggling with their mental and emotional health and how does he call us to support them? Listen in to hear more...
Ben Franklin famously said there are only two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. So what do we do when things we were certain about start to unravel? Or what do we do when we realize things we are certain about need to be unraveled? How do we seek God when life is unraveling?
At any given moment there are people in our lives who are suffering, grieving, experiencing pain. We want to support these people, but how can we do that well? What wisdom does God have for us on this matter? Listen in to ponder these questions together.
One of the messages we often hear, especially in Christianity, is that we should be happy and joyful at all times. But when we’re suffering, it can feel disingenuous to be cheerful. How does God want us to feel and act when we’re (or someone or something we love) is in pain?
One of the messages a lot of Christians hear is that we should keep our faith to ourselves. Certainly it’s very important to be respectful of other people’s belief systems, but is there anyway we could boast about God respectfully and carefully? Listen in to hear more...
To whom do you listen when you’re in need of wisdom? There are so many “experts”, self-help gurus, programs which promise wisdom that it’s hard to know who to listen to. This message considers how the Psalms encourage us find wisdom.
There are so many messages clamoring for our attention that it can be hard to hear ourselves in the midst of all the noise. This episode considers why learning to listen to ourselves is so important.
Our world is filled with messages encouraging us to speak early and often. But if we learned to listen well, might we be able to bring more peace into our hurting, angry, violent world? Listen in to ponder the idea. (This episode contains quotes from The Listening Life by Adam McHugh. Many thanks to him for his words and work.)
Our world is filled with so many competing messages about the characteristics of a good leader. How can thinking about Jesus as our leader help us sort out the true markings of good leadership?
So many of the messages we hear are hopeless, perhaps because there are so many things in this world that seem to be falling apart. Are there reasons to hope that our broken world won’t always be this way? Listen in to find out.
We are bombarded by so many messages about what should come first in our lives. Listen in to think a little about setting priorities as a follower of God.
Our culture is filled with stories of GOATS (the greatest of all time). The subtle message behind these stories is that all of us should try to be the greatest of whatever we do (parenting, friendship, work, etc). But as Christians, is greatness the goal? Is that the message Christ speaks into our lives? Listen in to hear more.
When I listen to the world around me, I hear a lot of messages that might not contain actual "swear words," but are filled with curses. God, though, calls those of us who seek to follow him to bless others. Listen in to hear how we might do that.
Barbara Brown Taylor's book An Altar In the World is quoted several times in this sermon.Many thanks to her for her thought-provoking work.
One of the messages that comes across loud and clear today is that waiting is bad. In our Instagram world, we should be able to have anything we want instantly. But this sermon, based on Jeremiah 29:1-14, reminds us that God sometimes asks us to wait, perhaps even as long as 70 years. IT was preached October 13, 2019 at St. Peter United Church of Christ in Lake Zurich, Illinois. The guided spiritual practice at the end of the sermon (Welcoming Prayer) was found in Beth Ann Estock's book Discernment.
Sometimes it seems as though one of the messages of Christianity is that those who trust God aren't supposed to cry. We're supposed to be brave and say "It is well with my soul", even when life is awful. But is that really what God asks of us? Is it ok to cry at the sad parts of life, even if we believe that God is working all things together for his glory and our good? This sermon, preached at St. Peter United Church of Christ in Lake Zurich, on October 6, 2019, explores these questions through Psalm 137.
This sermon was preached at St. Peter United Church of Christ (Lake Zurich, Illinois) on September 22, 2019. Rev. Ruth Farrell is preaching. The text is Luke 16:1-13 which is either titled, "The Parable of the Shrewd Manager" or "The Parable of the Dishonest Manager." Listen in to hear how God is calling us to live shrewdly not just during life's crises, but all the time.
What brings a church together? What makes it thrive? Simple answer: Jesus. Jesus tears down the fences that divide us building us into an amazing home where God feels completely at home (Ephesians 2:19-22).
This sermon was recorded at St. Peter United Church of Christ (Lake Zurich, Illinois) on March 17, 2019. The Rev. Ruth Farrell is preaching. The scripture text is Mark 5:21-43 and the quote about labyrinths at the end of the sermon is from Barbara Brown Taylor's book An Altar in the World. This was sermon 2 (even though the episode says it was sermon 1) in a Lenten series entitled "Everyday Spirituality: Becoming more like Jesus through our everyday activities."
This was the first sermon in our Lent 2019 Series entitled Everyday Spirituality: Becoming more like Jesus through our everyday activities. The Rev. Ruth Farrell is preaching. The scripture text was Matthew 4:1-11 and the sermon also contains quotes from Barbara Brown Taylor's An Altar in the World and N.T. Wright's commentary Matthew for Everyone.
This sermon was recorded at St. Peter UCC (Lake Zurich, Illinois) on May 5, 2019. Rev. Ruth Farrell is preaching. The texts are Matthew 28:16-20 and John 20:24-29. The two quotes are from Rob Bell's What We Talk About When We Talk About God.