RG AUDIO 012719   Psalm 112:1-10 It is easy to be grieved when we see people lie and cheat to get ahead in our world. When someone deals harshly with another and seems to be rewarded with their request, it is easy to lament that good things happen to bad people. The only commandments they […]

RG AUDIO 012619   1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 The day of the Lord is day that brings justice to the people of God and judgment on the enemies and oppressors of God’s people. This descriptor for “the day of the Lord” is repeated throughout Scripture. Those who are in power acting against God’s people will not […]

RG AUDIO 012519   Isaiah 8:19—9:7 The desire of our Lord is to be the source of life and hope to the world. This hope can take place even amid oppressors who will beat down with a rod, or soldiers who invade for war. The peace and government of Jesus in the lives of each […]

RG AUDIO 012419   Luke 8:40-56 Twelve years. Twelve years is a long time to suffer affliction. One can expect that she has exhausted all of her options and is left with only one hope: Jesus will heal her. Her healing story is sandwiched by another story concerning the resurrection of a girl who is […]

RG AUDIO 012319   Luke 8:26-39 When is a gift no longer a gift? The moment it is received and becomes a personal possession. At that moment, it has gone from gift to property. It can be very difficult to remember what is now property was at one point a gift, even if that property […]

RG AUDIO 012219   Luke 8:16-25 The fear of death runs our world. Locks, panic rooms, inclement weather shelters, seat belts, and safety items of all variety are marketed to ensure our fear of death is assuaged. Bullies, gangs, and power-hungry leaders use the fear of death to influence behaviors. Yet, here in the face […]

RG AUDIO 012119   Luke 8:1-15 Every winter plow trucks drive through my street moving large piles of snow and with it large swaths of dirt cut from the neighbor’s yard. Every spring the city comes back to seed that ravished corner lot. The grass has no chance at longevity because of the annual recurrence […]

RG AUDIO 012019   Acts 3:1-16 The man had been lame since birth. Everyday he was carried, by someone else, to the temple in order to beg for bits and pieces. His only means of making a living was begging for the mercy of others around him. When Peter and John pass him by they […]

RG AUDIO 011919   Acts 10:23-38 “You like him more than me!” Have you ever heard that phrase? Maybe you uttered it yourself at some point. “She’s the teacher’s pet” and therefore gets more attention than the rest of us. She’s the apple of her daddy’s eye. From an early age we are often concerned, […]

RG AUDIO 011819   Luke 7:39-50 Simon is a Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner, only to have it crashed by a “sinful” woman. Simon was shocked at the unexpected guest—who wouldn’t be. What Simon saw and what Simon believed to be true were two different things. He sat at his own dinner party struggling […]