RG AUDIO 042218   Hebrews 9:1-15 Most often mediators stand in the middle of conflict. This is not in order to keep the conflicting sides apart, but to reconcile and bring them together. No greater separation exists in this world than between the holy Creator and His fallen creation. While the sacrificial system established by […]

RG AUDIO 042118   1 Samuel 25:36-44 The task of the mediator is to help both sides determine an acceptable alternative so everyone can move forward. The mediator, however, cannot make either side accept the alternative. They must help both sides see the value in accepting the alternative. As the people of God, the alternative […]

RG AUDIO 042018   1 Samuel 25:28-35 Whether we realize it or not, conflict costs us dearly. Whatever it is—money, time, relationships, our emotional well being, or future opportunities—conflict will always cost us something. As such, there are very practical benefits when we choose to engage in peacemaking. Simply put, peacemaking saves valuable resources—material, social, […]

RG AUDIO 041918   1 Samuel 25:14-27 Whenever we encounter a person who views life differently than us, there is the opportunity for conflict. The fact that no two people in the world view life exactly the same means conflict exists all around us. The question is not whether we will face conflict, but rather, […]

RG AUDIO 041818   1 Samuel 25:1-13 The name Nabal means “fool” in Hebrew. Whether that was the given name of the rich man or was a later addition to the story, we soon find out that it certainly was a fitting name given his actions in 1 Samuel 25. David and his men provided […]

RG AUDIO 041718   Proverbs 15:1-9 The human body is an amazing creation. Our bodies respond to the environment around us in ways that we are not even aware of, but are essential to our survival. One of those responses is to danger. Whenever we are confronted with danger, our body begins releasing adrenaline that […]

RG AUDIO 041618   Proverbs 10:13-25 There is a saying, “If you only have a hammer, then everything looks like a nail.” The idea is that it does not matter what the problem is, we try to fix it the same way because that is the only way we know how. The essence of discernment […]

RG AUDIO 041518   Psalm 8:1-9 It is hard to fathom just how enormous God’s creation is. Imagine that our entire galaxy, the Milky Way, was the size of a plate. Now think of all the stars you can see when you step outside and look up at the sky. Thousands upon thousands of twinkling […]

RG AUDIO 041418   Luke 13:1-19 It was common in ancient Jewish culture to understand tragic events as the result of sin in the life of those affected. In Luke 13, Jesus asks the question to those listening, whether the people who suffered these tragedies were worse sinners? But before they have an opportunity to […]

RG AUDIO 041318   Matthew 9:1-13 While Jesus tells the Pharisees to think more deeply on the meaning of Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” the surrounding story gives us a pretty good idea of what Jesus understood the meaning to be. The healing of the paralytic is the climax of the first story, […]