Have you ever considered how your Christmas decorations and family traditions affect your family's celebration of the birth of Christ? Today, Pastors Clint and Michael dig into the history, theology, and practical implications of our holiday traditions. Regardless of how you deck your halls, you will likely learn something new about the celebration of Christmas and be encouraged to reconsider those traditions as an opportunity to teach the deeper meaning of this Christian celebration.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in exploring the deeper meaning of Christmas with us during this Advent season.

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Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

The story of God's covenant continues when Isaac begins to search for his future wife. Pastor Clint explores how God may not be mentioned in the text but yet God is clearly at work in fulfilling his original promise to Abraham.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey together through Genesis together.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

Sarah dies in the land of the Hittites and we watch as Abraham honors his wife's life by purchasing a choice burial location. In what might otherwise seem like very simple details of this couple's life, we discover how Abraham is both a man of character and how God provides even when he is an alien in a foreign land.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey together through Genesis together.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

In the end, Abraham passes the test and God promises to bless him and his offspring. Today, the Pastors discuss how to read difficult passages and be willing to both learn their deep lessons and also to live with their ongoing mystery. Once again, God has been faithful to Abraham and once again, we discover that God's ways are always above our ways.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey together through Genesis together.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

Christmas is a strange season where sacred and secular blend together. Today the pastors discuss what Christians should think and do about all of the Christmas entertainment? Is there any sacred left in the songs and movies of a culture obsessed with Santa Clause and White Christmases? Join Pastors Clint and Michael for a lively conversation (that exposes very different assumptions) about what Christians should do with all of our "Christmas" entertainment. Parents, stay tuned to the end for some advice for helping your kids navigate these questions!

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in exploring the deeper meaning of Christmas with us during this Advent season.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

When God asks Abraham to sacrifice his own son, it started a chain reaction that leads to the climactic, and dark moment when Abraham nearly follows through. Yet, God stays Abraham's hand, and we discover that God had already made provision for a different sacrifice. Did Abraham already know that God would provide another sacrifice? Was Abraham's faith ever in danger of wavering? And what answers does this deep story provide to the innumerable questions that it raises? Join Pastors Clint and Michael as they finish the story of the "Binding of Isaac."

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey together through Genesis together.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

Today we begin what be the core turning point of the entire book of Genesis, if not the entire Old Testament. God, who has promised to make Abraham the father of many nations, now commands Abraham to sacrifice his son, the very physical representation of that promise being kept. Today, the pastors present the myriad of questions that this story creates, and lay a foundation for exploring the deep and troubling story that lies ahead.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey together through Genesis together.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

Today, Hagar and Ishmael come back into the story and we are quickly reminded of how messy and challenging the Biblical story truly is. Abraham and Sarah, threatened by Ishmael, and desperately wanting to realize God's plan for their lives, send a mother and her son to live by themselves in the wilderness. In the midst of their great trouble, God is faithful. Yet, that faithfulness still challenges us to ask tough questions about we treat each other along the way.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey together through Genesis together.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

God keeps his promise to Abraham and Sarah and gives them Isaac whose name means "laughter." Today we celebrate those seasons when God's faithfulness is so clear and the moments when thanksgiving flows so freely through our lives. God has kept his promise, the covenant continues, thanks be to God!

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this journey together through Genesis together.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

How long has Christmas been celebrated like what we think of as Christmas? In today's episode, we learn that, surprisingly, it hasn't been very long. Join Pastors Clint and Michael as they explore the nuanced history, culture, and impact that our changing Christmas celebrations have had on Christians' celebrations of the birth of Christ for thousands of years. Starting with the fundamental awareness that Christmas can't be simply boiled down to one basic practice will become the backbone of all our Christmas conversations in the following weeks.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in exploring the deeper meaning of Christmas with us during this Advent season.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.