Ground Up Faith

In today's Devotional we consider the 6th chapter of Luke's Gospel; specifically focusing on Jesus's Sermon on the Pain; also called the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's Gospel. This is Jesus' central teaching; and it is also challenging. It calls us to be different. What are we to do with this text?

Reader: Kai Thurow
Meditation Music: Breath In by Yehezkel Raz
Devotional Music: The Hope Lounge by Dr. Paranoid

In today's devotion we pause to consider the continuation of Jesus' first sermon from the previous chapter. Here we have three brief stories, one with a leaper, one with a man paralyzed, and one with Levi the tax collector

In today's Devotional we hear Jesus' first sermon as he announces the inbreaking of the Jubilee year; heaven and earths new creation.

Reader: Kia Thurow
Meditation Music: Breath In by Yehezkel Raz
Opening Song: Peace on Earth by U2
Devotional Music: Season Finale by Beo'

Today we meet John, he's called many things but I call him a performance artist; inviting us to be players is a new theatrical production of the Exodus...familiar...yet different.

Join us on this second day in December as we read together the second chapter of Luke. Specifically we focus on the Christmas story. It's familiar; yet when we pause and consider it with fresh ears we learn that its not a silent, not a peaceful, and not as clean as we thought. Its chaotic...much like our own lives are. Yet even still Christ comes to us...how can we, like Mary, treasure the presence of Christ in the Chaos?

Meditation Music: Breath In by Yehezkel Raz
Devotional Music: Trying to be ok by Daniel Pratt

Today we read together the first Chapter of Luke. Our Focus passage is the Song of Mary, known as the Magnificat. Her song invites us to see the world with fresh eye.

Meditation Music: Breath In by Yehezkel Raz
Devotional Music: Walking in the Forests by Ben Winwood

Join us this season in quieting the loud clanging cymbals and noisy gongs of this world and instead fill the air with the Gospel of Hope, Joy, Love, and Peace that we have in Jesus Christ. We invite you to read a chapter of Luke each day during December. Then, on Christmas Eve, the 24th, You'll have heard the entire story of Jesus just in time to celebrate his birth! Please enjoy this introduction to the Gospel of Luke Featuring a Reading from Eugene Peterson's Introduction to the Gospel of Luke from the Message and musical arrangements of Joy to the World and Hark the Herald Angel Sing provided with permission by Benj Heard.

In this episode of the Ground Up Faith Podcast, we dive into the final "Part 3" of our series on Star Wars.  We sit down to finish out the original trilogy with our discussion of "Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi" and what it means for us to embrace a more mature, enduring hope even in the midst of everything that works to take our hope away. 

In this episode of the Ground Up Faith Podcast, we continue "Part 2" of our series on Star Wars and the Inspiration we draw from the original films on our faith life and practices. We discuss what challenges our sense of hope and how toxic fandom can impact science-fiction and the church.

In this episode of the Ground Up Faith Podcast, I sit down with my friends, Pastors Jonathan Conrad and Will Rose to talk about our favorite film franchise, Star Wars. In this, the first of a three-episode arch we'll draw parallels between Star Wars: A New Hope and living a life of faith today.