Category Archives: Commentary

#30-FAQ: How Can I Know that God Exists?

FAQ #1-God ExistLast week’s  podcast challenged us to be a BLESS-ing by sharing how Jesus’ intersects our story.  When we rise to that challenge, we’ll hear questions.  Some easy.  Some hard.  Beginning with this episode, we examine five hard questions that people may ask you about God.  How should you answer?  Listen for some help with this question.

Scriptures referenced in this podcast are:

Romans 1:20-21

Colossians 1:15

Romans 3:23

You Tube Channel for the Clear Creek Church of Christ

#29-On Being a BLESS-ing

BLESSThis podcast stays in the realm of Bible teaching this week – or rather faith sharing. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, how easy is it for you to share with others your faith in Him? For many, I would say that it is probably difficult. My home congregation is trying to make it easy for everyone to share the story of their faith. So, I am pleased to share the first of several messages about sharing. Today, we learn how being a BLESS-ing can help you share your faith in Christ. BLESS is an acronym to help you remember some basic steps in sharing.  Take a listen for more details!


 

The scriptures used today and some notes are below:

Matthew 28:16-20

Begin with prayer (Acts 4:23-24, 29-31)

  • God, how you want me to bless the people and the places that you’ve sent me?

Listen (James 1:19)

  • Don’t talk, but listen to people – their struggles, their pains in the places that God has sent you

Eat (Acts 2:46-47)

  • Eat. Having a meal with people builds relationships.

Serve (Matthew 20:25-28)

  • Serve

Story (1 Peter 3:15)

  • When the time is right, jump in.

Matth 5:16

#28-Surviving Perilous Times

jesus-teaching-in-templeMost of the time we read passages like Luke 21 in light of an end-of-times narrative.  However, I think that Jesus’ hearers – his disciples and apostles – would have heard this narrative in a different way.  Jesus was preparing his disciples with instructions for survival in perilous times.  In their day, Jerusalem was going to be destroyed, the church was to be scattered through persecution, and disciples would be killed.  How would they get through those times?

In many ways, our times are not so different.  There is persecution for believers in Jesus – some that leads to death.  Churches are in trouble for various reasons.  And times seem to be getting more difficult.  How to God’s children cope?

In this podcast, I go back to Jesus’ instructions for His first followers from Luke 21:5-36.  Let’s hear Jesus’ words as they might have heard them, not as an end-of-times narrative.  What do we learn of coping in perilous times?

#26-God Weeps

Photo by gt.Photos.

Photo by gt.Photos.

Did you know that God cries?  There are two specific incidents in the scriptures which have startling similarities.  I talk about those incidents and what they mean for you and especially for me as a Narrator of Audio Books!  Join me for a short journey into the scriptures for a unique insight.

Links to the Scriptures used in this podcast:

Luke 19:41-44

Jeremiah 2:9-11

John 12:36-43

#13-How Would Jesus Date?

John Paul & Lauren

John Paul & Lauren

This week’s podcast comes courtesy of a blog posted by a young man studying at The Princeton Theological Seminary.  He asks the question which titles our podcast: How Would Jesus Date?  Intriguing to me.  Even better are the thoughts he shares with us.  Thank you, John Paul Cooke for sharing these thoughts and allowing me to use them in this podcast.

#8-The Merger of Audio Books & Spiritual Ideas: Devotionals

A Mended Heart

A Mended Heart

God Me & A Cup of Tea cover

God Me & A Cup of Tea

I’ve said that this podcast is dedicated to “audiobooks, spiritual ideas, and other items of interest.”  Today, I start a series of three (I think) podcasts which will highlight the merger of audiobooks and spiritual ideas.  I have recorded two devotional books, A Mended Heart by Patti J. Smith and God, Me and a Cup of Tea by Michele Huey.  In this podcast, I talk about both books and play excerpts from them.

#6-Resurrection Power

0411091740_0001

Photo by gt.Photos.

The Apostle Paul writes, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10).  As we approach the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, I offer some thoughts about how to “experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.”  Pull out your Bibles and join with me as we explore this topic.  (Thanks to the Harding University Concert Choir for our closing to this podcast, “His Name Is Life.”)