Grace Abides with Nick & Andy

Sports are great! They are great to play, and great to watch, but do we take them too seriously? Are we defined by winning and losing? Do we worship great athletes? What can we learn from sports that is relevant to the Christian life? 

It's election season, and that means we are all talking about or thinking about politics. The Bible has something to say about politics, and so does Martin Luther. Today we look at a couple important questions:

- Can we love our country too much? 
- What are the characteristics that Martin Luther would look for in a political candidate? 

And a lot more. 

Jesus said a lot of things that we struggle with. He told someone to sell all they had and give the money away before they could follow him. He told people to gouge out their eyes. He said that he came to bring division. He even called a woman of another race a dog. 

What are we to do with these difficult statements? We shouldn't ignore them, and we shouldn't try to explain them away. In this episode, we talk about those difficult statements, and suggest a different way of understanding them. 

Do you know someone who has stopped praying, or stopped worshipping? 

People Are Leaving the Church in staggering numbers. In the past twenty years the number of Americans who attend a church has dropped by 20%. Statistics say that 25% of Americans are Christians but aren't members of a church. 

What has the church done wrong? What can we do better? 

Many people are worried. In this time of pandemic we are worried about our families, our finances, our jobs, and our world. 

Does worrying help us? 
What does the Bible say about worrying? 
How can we love people without worrying about them? 

The theology of "What A Wonderful World" by Louie Armstrong.

There is a lot going wrong in the world today, but there are also a lot of wonderful things. Which wonderful things point us to God? 

Hymn Theology - "The Old Rugged Cross" & the 5 Crowns

Why do we cling to the cross?
What trophies do we need to lay down?
Are we going to get a crown? 

What is echoing in your soul?
Are you at peace right now? 
If so, do you know why? 
If not, do you know why? 

In this episode we look at a beautiful hymn that gives us a glimpse of the new creation to come, and offers us a reminder of the power of God's peace.

Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is a masterpiece. It's a song about life, and love, and sex, and loss... but is it about God? 

A hymn about the average Christian day. Joy in the morning, strength for the day, a loving welcome in the evening, and peace at bedtime. What is missing though?