Steve Shoemaker: Jesus and Blind Bartimaeus: The Gospel as Healing
In his sermon on the healing of Blind Bartimaeus, Dr. Steve Shoemaker says our evangelical mission, the mission of the good news of God in Christ, comes in the words, "Rise, take heart, he is calling you." We bring people into the vicinity of Jesus, where healing can happen.
Don Pratt: From the Bottom Up
Dr. Don Pratt says it's not about power and privilege. We change the world by the way we love and serve those around us. We will turn the world upside down when we learn to ask, "Teacher, we want to do for you whatever you ask of us."
Katie Hays: I Love You, But...
Katie Hays says the church should be the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that if you lose all your people - even your family of origin - to stay near him, you’ll get back a family of choice that has decided to love you before you even show up, no "buts" about it.
Christine Chakoian: God's Vision
Dr. Chris Chakoian says this Sunday, Christians across the globe are celebrating World Communion Sunday - a day when we are urged to embrace the biblical vision of unity and peace. Not as a far-off dream, but as Christ’s calling to us right now.
Olu Brown: The Good Old Days
Rev. Olu Brown encourages us to take a moment and ask ourselves this question: Am I moving forward to the promise that God has for my life, or am I too busy reminiscing about the past--stuck in the 'good old days'?
Olu Brown: We Are Blessed
Olu Brown says Psalm 1 is a fitting reminder of what it means to live a life of faith, to be intentional about developing a relationship with God, like a tree planted by the water, growing and bearing fruit in every season.
The Rev. Betsy Swetenburg: That's What He Said: Get Behind Me, Satan
The Rev. Betsy Swetenburg says Jesus's rebuke of Peter seems harsh, and it is, but it was made because Peter sought to avoid Jesus's suffering but Jesus is prepared to walk through it as part of his sacred journey. Are we?
Sam Parkes: When You Are Hungry Enough, You Will Cross the Line
Dr. Sam Parkes says the woman who approached Jesus was a triple threat—a Syrophoenician, a Gentile, and a woman. She is desperate, hungry for her daughter’s healing to the extent that she crosses cultural and religious lines.
Dalton Rushing: The Anger Test
Explaining that anger is made manifest most often when what is does not line up with what ought to be, the Rev. Dalton Rushing says James provides a helpful Anger Test each of us should take.
Courtney Cowart & Salmoon Bashir: What Kind of Means for What Kind of Victory?
Salmoon Bashir
Organization: SIM: Society for the Increase of the Ministry
Denomination: The Episcopal Church
Dr. Courtney Cowart and seminarian Salmoon Bashir reveal that the battle for which we armor ourselves is a struggle for the universal spiritual liberation of every soul, and it can be accomplished only by clothing ourselves in the power of God’s own love—that is the entire armor of God.
Tony & Katie Sundermeier: Stay With Us - Companionship and Christian Discipleship
The Rev. Katie Sundermeier
Organization: First Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA
Denomination: Presbyterian Church (USA)
Two life companions share three ways companionship deepens discipleship—it guarantees we do not walk difficult or uncertain roads alone; it reminds us that Christ is revealed in what is shared between us; and it empowers us to share the good news.
Magrey deVega: Our Annual Summer Trip to Mount Horeb
Magrey deVega says 1 Kings 19 reminds us that, like Elijah, we might feel God is distant or absent from us right now—but maybe God is just stretching us, as God did Elijah, to listen and watch for the new way that God is showing up right now.
Charley Reeb: The Most Important Question
Dr. Charley Reeb says Jesus said some startling things during his time on earth: he claimed he was God, he claimed to forgive sins, and he claimed that if we put our trust in him he will give us eternal life. Powerful claims, indeed, and they force us to make a decision.
Andrew Whaley: Hope for Christian Pessimists
The Rev. Andrew Whaley says Jesus didn’t need the perfect mathematical formula to solve the problem of feeding the 5000; he didn’t need GPS coordinates of the nearest market. He just needed a disciple to point out a possibility—and even a pessimistic disciple was enough.
Dana Everhart: Take a Breath!
Dana Everhart says that in the past year and a half, there has been no stop for Christ’s followers in doing the work of the mission of loving and serving those in need in these difficult times—and so we may all need to take a breath, just as Jesus and his disciples sought to do.
Charles Qualls: Redeemed, Forgiven, and Adopted
Charles Qualls says Paul’s good news is that we belong to God as adopted and provided-for children in Christ. The good news doesn’t end there, though - we also can belong to each other.
Charles Qualls: Appreciated But Not Always Wanted
Charles Qualls says Jesus' reception in his hometown reveals he may have been appreciated but not always wanted for who he really was. But do we really want Jesus in every area of our lives?
Brett Webb-Mitchell: On Border Crossers and Misfits
Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell says Jesus heals misfits in two miracles in Mark 5. Jesus, the border crosser, reaches out to outcasts, misfits, the “Others” in Jewish society, and restores their lives with his healing touch - and he can do the same in our lives.
Quincy Brown: Is Jesus in Your Boat?
Dr. Quincy Brown says the good news of this gospel story is that Jesus tells the disciples to cross to the other side of the late, meaning that he will be present with them - and us - when we are crossing over the obstacles, problems, and uncertain situations in our lives.
Otis Moss III: Ezekiel's Tree
The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss explores the prophet/poet Ezekiel's words about God's tree, where diversity and equality thrive because they are sourced in the rich soil of faith and the power of the Son.