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Topic: Pain & Suffering
Burning Love
God’s desire for us is that we become all that God created us to be. Life is the process in which we can resist or yield to God’s desire for us. When we yield we sense God’s burning love as warm and liberating. When we resist we experience God’s burning love as pain and wrath. Read More
Communion in the Wilderness
At the Passover meal just before Jesus was killed he instituted the practice of communion. When we take communion, we do so in the time between the initial experience of our faith and the final fulfillment of our unity with God and each other. This space “in-between” is like the wilderness the Jews experienced after leaving Egypt but before entering the promised land. Read More
Stay Awake
As Jesus was warning his disciples about the coming destruction of the temple he instructed them to be careful lest their hearts be weighed down in various ways. This warning applies not only to Jesus’ disciples at that time, but also to his disciples today. Read More
A Touch Of Reality
The Bible has a lot to say about poverty. Most of it refers to material poverty—which is why we are focusing on that this series—but the Bible also recognizes the poverty of isolation, loneliness and invisibility. Read More
To Have Or Not To Have
Greg was careful to be clear that his challenge was primarily to those in the lower middle class of America and higher. However the principles apply to all of us: Don’t hoard the things of this world, but rather share generously with those who have less than we do. Read More
Embracing the Pain
None of us like pain. In fact, much in our world today helps us to avoid it. Scripture promises that as we follow Christ we will suffer and endure pain but that it is not without a purpose. As we persevere, we experience growth and joy and become more like Christ. Read More
What God Really Wants (It Ain’t Nothin’ New)
There is a consistent and persistent message God has been sending through both the Old and New Testaments: Love your neighbor as yourself. And everyone is your neighbor! What was recorded as law in Lev. 19 was echoed by the prophets and reiterated by Jesus in the gospels. Read More
Prayer and Patience for Justice
The parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge is deeply rooted in the larger story of God’s faithfulness to Israel, Jesus’ re-enactment of that story, and the question of whether Jesus will find faith on earth when he returns.
The Porcupine Dance
Forgiveness is always easier to talk about than to actually do. But without it we are alone and isolated, and can be consumed by hurt. Jesus taught about how we should forgive each other through parables: because we experience God’s great forgiveness, we share the same with others who have wronged us. And as a result, we learn how to live our lives with each other and experience the freedom that God wants for us. Read More
Let God Be Glorified
Tragedies happen. This world is far from God’s ideal, and we must be ready to respond in God’s way when we find ourselves in difficult situations. Jesus shows us some clear ways to think and act so that we don’t fall into traps of judgment or guilt when life doesn’t work out the way we want. We also must remember that even though God doesn’t cause painful situations, he can always bring good out of them. Read More
"Thank you all the way from Oregon. I deeply appreciate being shepherded by Pastor Greg and everyone else on the panels. You are a rare find in the church nowadays. Tackling tough questions with humility and a kingdom perspective. It has been life changing for me in such tumultuous times."
– Heather, from Oregon