I know that as a Christian I am called to sanctification - to a life shaped ever more into the image of Jesus, in short, to a life of sinning less and loving more. And in some areas of my life, I see progress! But in other areas...not so much. Indeed in some facets of my life, I see almost no inner change at all, despite genuine effort. What gives? Do I just need to try harder? Really? (Frankly, much of me is ready to give up and just make peace with a besetting sin or three.) So what does actual sanctification look like??? How do I work with besetting sins? And is there an option for change beyond sloth (i.e., surrender) at one end of the spectrum and scrupulosity (never-ending guilt and anxiety) at the other??? The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:   Matthew 25:14-30 (NRSV)  Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

8 Questions on Life, Death, God and Faith, Part 07 - How Does Sanctification Work?

Where intellectual integrity meets an honest quest for faith. Humorous and sincere, this is one pastor's attempt at late-night-level honesty about the Bible, church history, theological scholarship, spiritual practice and...God.  And how it might just turn out that love is the name of the game.

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The divine rescue - of which the ministry of Jesus is the decisive act - is not merely to be understood as the securing of a heavenly afterlife for the faithful, but the restoration of a fallen creation. To be "saved" is to be set free, to be healed and to be counted a citizen of the "kingdom of God."  But such freedom recognizes there we are presently captives, subjects of a hostile regime. There is an enemy that must be defeated. But identifying that enemy - the actual enemy - can be quite difficult. In this episode we turn to the story of Jesus's "temptation" in the wilderness as Matthew helps us see that this is Evil's attempt at a negotiated victory. Why not accept some comfort here, some glory there and a whole lot of earthly power? All that is required is to let Evil continue it's work behind the scenes...  It's an offer Jesus managed to refuse..., but one we are quite often willing to accept in an instant. And the thing about deals with the devil is...there is never a deal.  It can help to follow along visually, so the text for this sermon can be found here --> Matthew 4:1-11 (NRSV) If you value the podcast and are able to support the community from which it comes, you can make a tax-deductible  contribution to Canvas Presbyterian Church here! (Thank you!!!)  For more series, resources and means of contacting me, simply head to jesusat2am.com or send me email here!

Jesus and the Revolution, Part 03 - The Enemy and the Allure of Now

God's Revolution to Restore All Creation begins with a cry to all Israel to prepare for war. But not the war Israel expected...  For decades tensions with Rome had been growing. Various political and religious sects (think Pharisees, Sadducees, et al.) were staking out their positions in the coming conflict. Swords and spears were beginning to be sharpened. And at that time, on the banks of the Jordan (the boundry of the promised land), John the Baptist beckoned God's people to "repent!, because the Kingdom of God (the restoration of God's direct reign in creation) has come near." The battle, the rebellion, is about to begin. It is time to choose a side and pledge allegiance to a leader - to the prophet God will send...  It can help to follow along visually, so the text for this sermon can be found here --> Matthew 3:1-17 (NRSV) If you value the podcast and are able to support the community from which it comes, you can make a tax-deductible  contribution to Canvas Presbyterian Church here! (Thank you!!!)  For more series, resources and means of contacting me, simply head to jesusat2am.com or send me email here!

Jesus and the Revolution, Part 02 - A Prophet as of Old

At the heart of Jesus's ministry is the declaration that "the Kingdom of God has come near!"   This is not merely a call for sinners to secure the afterlife, but the announcement that the fulfillment of the covenant of salvation is at hand! The God of Israel has arrived to depose the powers and principalities of this age and re-establish his reign over all creation. In short, the central proclamation of Jesus is a call to recognize - and join! - THE Revolution! In this new series, we take a detailed look at the Gospel of Matthew to understand the nature of the revolution Jesus has come to lead and what it means to pledge our allegiance to a new king. The text for this sermon is: Matthew 19:16-22 (NRSV) And here is a link to Cotton Mather's quite distressing book: The Negro Christianized: An Essay to Excite and Assist that Good Work, the Instruction of Negro Servants in Christianity. If you value the podcast and are able to support the community from which it comes, you can make a tax-deductible  contribution to Canvas Presbyterian Church here! (Thank you!!!)  For more series, resources and means of contacting me, simply head to jesusat2am.com or send me email here!

Jesus and the Revolution, Part 01 - A Call to Revolution!

The one commandment I disregard without a second thought is the one about resting.  The irony, of course, is that I often ignore this divine call to honor the sabbath in what feels like the work of the Kingdom. And it has been more clear in the last two years than in most of my lifetime that there is work to be done. It is easy for good people to become overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility.  Yet, the one with the greatest human responsibility of all, made public display of stopping, of resting...  So this episode is a look at Jesus's pesonal need for rest, and the reminder (which my recent life shows I have yet to learn!) that we must stop neglecting the work of resting for the Kingdom. To read along or study further, the biblical text for this conversation can be found here: Mark 6:30-52 (NRSV) And here is how to connect with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) - the global relief agency of the Presbyterian Church USA. They do amazing work!  You can also now share in worship with Canvas from anywhere in the world via livestream!!!! We'd love to have you join us! Want more content from Jesus at 2AM? Check out the website, where you can also learn more about how to become a patron. Up for connecting??? I'd love to have you send e-mail!  

Hope in the Time of COVID, Part 19 - Resting for the Kingdom

No, your eyes do not deceive you...the podcast is back! (It never really left, but was definitely on leave of absence for a while...very sorry about that - some of the details are in the intro.)  Then it's on to part 18 of our series: Hope in the Time of Covid. In this episode, we take a look at the difficult-yet-essential truth that the road to justice is paved in love. In this time when historic injustices are being revealed with painful clarity, we understand all the more the impulse of the oppressed to seek justice by means of violence. Even those of us who face little oppression can find ourselves shockingly enraged at minor transgressions against "what is right!" And we reflexively assume the person opposing us is the source of the wrong, our "enemy." If we can overcome them, we can achieve "justice." But that's not how true justice is ever established...   And, if you're the type who likes to read along, the biblical text for this conversation can be found here: Ephesians 4:17-5:2 (NRSV) Did you know you can now share in worship with Canvas from anywhere in the world via livestream? We'd love to have you join us!  You can also find a complete Canvas audio archive, links to the Canvas YouTube channel and much more on the Canvas website.  And for some very helpful resources on this subject, check out Canvas's Continual Learning series on Racial Justice Want more content from Jesus at 2AM? Check out the website, where you can also learn more about how to become a patron. Up for connecting??? I'd love to have you send e-mail!  

8 Questions on Life, Death, God and Faith, Part 07 - How Does Sanctification Work?

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