Conversate

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin are joined by a special guest from the congregation who was adopted when she was four years old. You'll have to watch this episode to find out who it is! 

Adoption is a Biblical word to describe our status with our heavenly Father. We are His children. He has chosen us to be his very own. As his adopted children, we are part of his family now and forever. We have full rights to the inheritance of heaven, and we also have the opportunity (and obligation) to live according to his family rules. 

We hope you enjoy this conversation about adoption and hearing a story from our special guest!

Have you ever considered yourself God's property? What do you think of that concept? 

It can be a little bit off-putting at first. Property? I don't want to be "property!" 

If that's what you're thinking, we encourage you to listen to this conversation and reconsider. We believe that being God's property is actually a really good thing for us. 

Aaron and Kevin explore this topic this week! 

Life is a huge word/concept in the Bible and...well... in our lives. 

At the end of the day, the basic reality of our existence is one of life and death. Physically, and spiritually. But, what does the Bible have to say about this thing we call life? Is there more to our life than simply existing? What does Jesus really mean when he says that he came that we may have life and have it to the full? 

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin open up this discussion. 

We hope you enjoy it! 

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin round our our time in the Beatitudes by talking about Jesus' last statement, "Blessed are the persecuted for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

What does persecution look like in our current context as Americans? Does it mean death threats, or is the persecution simply build up in our own minds? 

Aaron and Kevin get into this topic today but also discuss which Beatitudes resonate with both of them as we finish our time in Matthew 5. 

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." 

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin talk about peacemaking. They discuss the Biblical concept of peace and how to practically go about making peace with other people. 

In a world that is hungry for peace, but doesn't know where to find it, let us people people who bring the other-worldly peace of Jesus to them. 

We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Mercy. It's one of those "church words." But what does it mean? What does it look like? And why should our lives be lives of mercy?

In this conversation, Pastor Kevin talks with Dala Beard - longtime member of Saints Peter & Paul - about mercy. Dala draws on her experience as a transplant to the UP from Indiana and as a teacher to demonstrate how she has seen mercy in her life.

We also talk about God's mercy and how it gives us the motivation and model for how to share mercy in our own lives.

All this and more as we consider Jesus' words to us: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matt 5:7).

We hope you enjoy it!

How do you respond when you experience that things aren't right in the world? 

Do you get angry, frustrated or sad? Do you long for days gone by that you look back on and think, "If only the world could look like that again." Or, do you look forward and think, "With a little more human achievement, things will be so much better." 

Are either of these our Christian reality? Or is there something bigger and more profound about the way God has created us to work on the unrighteousness of the world. 

Take a listen to this conversation between Pastor Aaron and Pastor Kevin as they discuss Jesus words in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied." 

In Matthew 5:5 Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." This is a surprising statement; don't nice guys finish last?

In this week's episode, Kevin sits down with John Pemberton - Elder and member of Saints Peter & Paul to talk about this backwards way of Jesus. They explore what humility is, what it isn't, and why pride is the fool's way. 

But what we find when we lower ourselves (or find ourselves in a lowly state!) - is that Jesus is there to meet us. Exalt us. And lift us up to the heavens.

We hope you enjoy it!

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin talk about mourning. We live in a culture that doesn't like to mourn all that much. Even as Christians, we're often tempted to shorten the mourning process, or think that to be a Christian means we have to be "good" and "happy" all the time. But, Jesus says in the beatitudes, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." 

There is comfort for those who mourn. And we, also, can comfort others who are mourning. But, are we saying the right words?

Listen to Aaron and Kevin talk about this reality and we pray that you enjoy it!