Preaching For Your Drive Home: Recent Episodes
Michael Goldston
On Trinity Sunday, we spend too much effort trying to understand the Trinity and explain the Trinity, when the Trinity is actually about experiencing the love and grace that is Godself. The unfathomable love and grace of the eternal, almighty God was poured out for the world and can be experienced personally by you in lavish richness that must be shared, that's the Trinity. Ephesians 1:3-14
The Holy Spirit comes upon us at our baptism to constantly, day in and day out, remind us who we truly are. We are children of God, saved by grace and empowered to write a story and sing a song every day in praise of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:9-17
Society wants "normal" to be without struggle, a false sense of self-sufficiency. But God uses our struggle and suffering to help us see our dependence on him - on grace. And God's grace is enough.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
So often we don't talk about things that are uncomfortable or too powerful for us. But God loves us as whole persons and Jesus wants us to bring all of our struggles, physical, spiritual, social, and mental, into his light for healing. Luke 8:26-39
The difference between Jesus and all the other wannabe "Messiahs" is that Jesus was raised from the dead. His bodily resurrection, really a living, breathing, eating, solid new body, is the source of our hope, the most important foundation of the Good News, and the reason we can live in the ways Jesus called us to live without fear of death, but with confidence that we to will share in a resurrection like his.
1 Corinthians 15
Jesus was raised from the dead and that changed everything. The Good News of the new life that is possible spread one by one, from Mary to Peter and John, across the world. The new life Jesus gives us is the power to spread God's love, peace, and justice through acts of kindness and mercy, one by one.
John 20:1-18
Nevertheless, Jesus persisted in teaching, healing, and loving as the powers of the age and the changing currents of the people aligned against him. Nevertheless, the women disciples persisted, all the way to the foot of the cross. Our call is to bear each other's burdens, endure when all seems lost, persist when everything looks wrong, and witness to the truth of God's sacrificial love. Nevertheless.
Matthew 27:55-56
You can be a hero every day when you have the courage and trust to join God's mission by simply doing unto others as you would have them do to you.
Gideon is a lot like us, not too heroic, not too bad, just a normal guy who makes some mistakes and doesn't understand why God is not helping his people. The trouble is that Jesus didn't die for "mistakers", he died for sinners. Until we realize that we are sinners, that the things we do affect our relationship with God, we are not ready to accept the grace of God. Judges 6-8
God's strength is love and God's power is grace. God comes to Jacob in his darkest moment to try again to lead him. Jacob won't submit and doesn't change his ways, but God still won't let him go. Grace looks like losing to the world, but to the recipient it leaves a mark and gives a new name, child of God.
Genesis 32:22-32
Like us, even the great heroes of the Bible have times when they lack faith and make poor choices. We all have a hero and a regular sinner inside of us, and God still chooses us to work in and through, using all of us, even the broken side. Genesis 21:8-21
One of the hardest barriers for us to overcome is the one created by our own ideas, plans, and schemes. Mary shows us the way. When we live in and appreciate the moment, being mindful of Jesus' presence and what he has done for us, we can trust God's plan of love, sacrifice, and grace. John 12:1-11
Pressure of life, whether from expectations or from sickness and pain, can bend you over and weigh you down. Jesus wants to free you from the pressure by letting you know that before you have done anything or failed to do something, you are a child of God, beloved of the Lord. Luke 13:10-17
Jesus wants to free us from all our anxiety that is causing us great distress and creating barriers between God and our neighbors and us. Luke 10:38-42
Jesus is saying that drawing lines between us to shame sinners is not the way to hold each other accountable for our sin. Jesus draws a line around the whole crowd and says you are all sinners, all in need of God's grace and mercy, the mercy Jesus is offering to this woman.
When we engage in Jesus' mission to the poor, imprisoned, and oppressed, it is our blind eyes that are opened to new truth about his love. Luke 4:16-30
In his conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus crosses boundaries founded in past prejudice, ethnic division, misogyny, and personal shame to overcome personal and societal sin. The living water of grace overflows the boundaries we try to erect to invite everyone into a relationship with Jesus the Messiah.
John 4:3-6
Jesus crosses social and cultural boundaries to engage with women during his ministry. At a wedding in Cana, his mom trusts him to use the opportunity of the wine running out to present his first sign. The miracle transforming of the water to wine at the wedding shows that Jesus is overcoming our ritualistic and procedural boundaries to offer grace for everyone and invite us to the all-time greatest wedding party ever.
John 2:1-11
Fruit of your God-inspired and God-empowered life will live on forever. Life that takes advantage of relationships based on power and privilege for selfish gain will be burnt up. Luke 3:7-17, 21-22
The scribes, Pharisees and King Herod missed God's greatest blessing because they were too focused on the triumphant scriptures instead of the "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly" scriptures. The blessings of home are wrapped in inauspicious packages of community and solidarity with the poor, hungry, oppressed, and marginalized. Micah 5:2-5
Even when there is not much joy to be found in your present circumstances, Christian joy is faith in God who is transforming the world, in the certainty of a future that is better, in believing that God will right the wrongs and deliver us from evil. Isaiah 12
We fear that we won't measure up to the home God is preparing for us. To walk the path following Jesus, we must submit to God's cleansing and purification. Malachi 3:1-4
The way to the home we want to live in, of peace, joy, hope, and love, is to follow Jesus.
Jeremiah 33:14-18
God saves us from disaster multiple times a week. We must Learn how to recognize God’s mercy and respond in gratitude like this Samaritan. Luke 17:11-19
Jesus cries at the death of his friend Lazarus, sharing in our human grief and loss. Then Jesus wrestles death to the ground and defeats it as a prequel to the defeat that will come at the resurrection. John 11
When you are feeling parched and dry from a world of trouble, the Holy Spirit is thirst aid for that deep down body thirst. Psalm 42
The one who is forgiven more sees the reality that we all face more clearly. Recognizing the reality of forgiveness engenders a response of radical, passionate, sacrificial, abundant, and appropriate love. Luke 7:36-50
Creation and salvation are about all things coming together and being held together in Jesus. We are "Made For Each Other," created and saved to form loving relationships with each other in Jesus and be a part of the love of the Trinity. Colossians 1:13-22
Jesus gets frustrated because he dies on a cross to pour out grace to transform the world, and his disciples are too busy arguing to see the opportunities for healing right in front of them and the enormity of faith required to do it and then to pray, pray, pray to God, "Help my unbelief." Mark 9:14-29
We all know what it's like to experience rejection and condemnation. Jesus offers radical acceptance that leads to new life. John 8:2-10
What Brene Brown calls the "audacity of authenticity" is being exactly who God made you to be, not because you are so awesome, but because your true self with all your weaknesses is how we best reveal the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
What Brene Brown calls the "audacity of authenticity" is being exactly who God made you to be, not because you are so awesome, but because your true self with all your weaknesses is how we best reveal the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
What Brene Brown calls the "audacity of authenticity" is being exactly who God made you to be, not because you are so awesome, but because your true self with all your weaknesses is how we best reveal the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
What Brene Brown calls the "audacity of authenticity" is being exactly who God made you to be, not because you are so awesome, but because your true self with all your weaknesses is how we best reveal the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
A safe place must be centered on the worship of God, who welcomes all and loves all. Psalm 146
God has planted the Word in us, Jesus Christ, so we are beautiful, valuable new creations growing to be more like Jesus. We live out who we are when we treat others with the same recognition of their beauty and value with our words and actions. James 1:17-27
God wants to give us new hearts, new desires, and will to live as God created us to live and be a part of God's saving mission in the world. Ezekiel 36:24-28
As we decide how we will live together in this ongoing pandemic, we are called to reflect the unity of the Triune God to the world in how we treat one another and make decisions together. Ephesians 4:30-5:2. John 6:21-51
Jesus knows that you work for what you are hungry for. He wants to satisfy your hunger for love, so you can become hungry for things of the new age, peace, justice, and righteousness. John 6:25-35
God's mission brings comfort, peace, healing, redemption, and salvation to the world that is suffering and in need. We get to be co-workers, messengers from God bringing news so good that people want to kiss our feet.
Isaiah 52:7-10.
God's mercy gives you the opportunity to make your whole life a dance of faith. 2 Samuel 6:1-15
We are called to be agents of God's healing, to cast out the demons that plague people, and to call people to new life in Jesus Christ. And that in short, is what we call mission. Mark 6:7-13
Jeremiah is saying that God is always faithful to the agreement that he made; meaning those in the agreement will experience God’s mercy, love, kindness, and grace to bring them through the worst times in their lives and out the other side. Lamentations 3:22-26
Jeremiah is saying that God is always faithful to the agreement that he made; meaning those in the agreement will experience God’s mercy, love, kindness, and grace to bring them through the worst times in their lives and out the other side. Lamentations 3:22-26
Slowly, carefully, day by day, relationship by relationship, God works out his plan to make us into the perfect creation he plans for us to be. Jeremiah 18:1-6
God is always ready to comfort us when we experience pain or suffering. 2 Corinthians 1:1-7
The Sabbath is a boundary for our work that balances our lives and shows a sign of faith in God's provision. Mark 2:23-28
By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can imagine the world the way God is re-creating it, pray for it to be that way, and live into that future. Isaiah 65:17-25
Faith at its most fundamental level is placing yourself in a posture to receive a gift like a child on her birthday. Mark 10:13-16
God has done the impossible and miraculous, God has raised Jesus from the dead. Now, all the impossible things that block our relationship with Jesus can be rolled away.
Jesus shows us real power, true power, through humility, service, and love. Mark 15:16-20
Jesus comes into the muck and darkness of the sinful pit in which we find ourselves and offers us a lifeline out, trusting in his salvation on the cross. John 3:14-21
We meet God in the Body of Christ, the church family in which we live, love, and serve. John 2:13-19
Being embarrassed or ashamed about Jesus and his words is all about rejecting the truth that we are all broken sinners, imperfect people in need of God’s grace. Mark 8:31-38
We are citizens of a rival kingdom, and we must be train to be ready for a fight against the kingdom of Satan. Lent is our time to train. Mark 1:9-15
When we face death head on and prepare for death, it strengthens our faith in our God, who is stronger than death. 2 Kings 2:1-12
The stranger standing at our door, seeking to enter our church and our lives is Jesus himself. When we show hospitality, we open the door to meeting Jesus in a new way. Revelation 3:20
Welcoming everyone is a matter of a heart dedicated to fully including new people, even if it means changing old and cherished ways of doing things. Mark 8:1-10
Jesus shows table hospitality to "them," the others, the outsiders. We are called to do the same. Mark 2:13-17
Here is a fundamental theme of the Gospel, that God loved the world so much that he gave the best of what he had, his only Son, so that we can make our home with him. John 14:1-6
The power of the Holy Spirit given at baptism can change our hearts and minds to be more like Jesus. Acts 19:1-7
When you encounter Jesus, you will always be offered a new path to travel. Matthew 2:1-12. Guest preacher Rev. Jimmy Hartley
God is with us in the mess, the suffering, the trials. Matthew 1:20-23. Guest Preacher Rev. Laura-Allen Kerlin
We give thanks for God, who created us and who sustains us through tough times. And we give thanks for God who is the Rock of our salvation. Psalm 95
Keeping the lights on requires a store of resources and creating that store takes good stewardship. Matthew 25:1-13
You do not belong to a nation, party, or tribe. You belong to God, who minted you in her image and restores you in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit to show that image to the world. Matthew 22:15-22
The ones who sing the loudest at God's party are the ones whom everyone thought wouldn't be there. They've come through the tribulation and are saved by the grace of God. Revelation 7:9-17
When people come forward in faith, it confirms the good news, that peace is possible. Acts 10:34-48
God's law provides boundaries for our online freedom to help us love our neighbors online.
Independent Fact-checking websites:
https://www.snopes.com
https://www.politifact.com
https://www.factcheck.org
In a nation where so many are homesick for an old way of life, for safety and security, for a return to normalcy, the church can be a home for people to meet God and be family together. Ephesians 2:17-21
We are called to tell people about Jesus, to share the good news of what God has done for us and that good news is there for all people. Romans 10:9-15
Being light in our community reveals places of brokenness, where we can come alongside and care for the people and places that need it. Jeremiah 29:7
Five phenomenal women overcome the genocidal plans of the most powerful man in the world. Thanks to Maya Angelou for the title. Exodus 1:7-2:10
The Canaanite woman's daughter is suffering, and she knows instinctively that her daughter’s life matters. It matters more than the law, the order, more than maintaining propriety, more than the system. She is not a threat; she is a person who needs mercy. Matthew 15:21-28
God gave his Word, his Son, to fulfill his promises to bring us out of slavery and give us a new life of shalom. Isaiah 55:10-13
In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven far more often than forgiveness, so we should probably understand what our orders from our Lord are. Matthew 10:1-15 (See the word cloud in the picture from blindbeggar.org)
Our society is ordered around white privilege, and the church has shaped itself like society. We must follow Paul's command to "put things in order," God's order where the first shall be last and the last shall be first. 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
You are an essential worker in the Reign of Jesus Christ, and your job is making disciples. Matthew 28:16-20
The Easter story is larger than life because the life Jesus begins is a larger life, available to everyone by his Spirit. Matthew 28:1-10
Jesus has been where we are, in a place of anxiety and sadness, and prays that God will continue to pursue peace, joy, and love in this place. Matthew 26:36-46
Pray like Moses, keeping his hands in the air until his shoulders burn and his arms are shaking because if he lets them drop, everyone he loves, all he cares about, will be destroyed. Exodus 17:8-13
We will not live in fear, because we serve a God who brings the dead to life. Ezekiel 37
Jesus invites people to belong to a new family before they believe the truth about who he is. John 1:35-43
Jesus is never found. Never past tense. Always out there, working, in new, unexpected places, calling us out of our "normal".
We aren't just celebrating something that happened 2,000 years ago. Jesus is with us in our lives, in our hearts, in our church, in our communion. John 1:1-5, 14
The Moravians showed John Wesley Christianity founded on a heart in love with God and experiencing God's love that overflowed out into their community. 1 John 4:7-12