RG AUDIO 030318   1 Samuel 1:12-19 I remember the first time I was in a church service where the people did not pray quietly during the pastoral prayer. The voices were loud and seemed to be jumbled up together, getting collectively louder, sounding like shouts. This was new for me because the churches I […]

RG AUDIO 030218   1 Samuel 1:1-11 Hannah endured much ridicule for her childless state. Her husband loved her, his heart ached for her, but the cruel actions of others were almost too much to bear for her. Year after year, Hannah not only carried her heartache, but suffered the relentless provoking of her rival […]

RG AUDIO 030118   Exodus 2:1-10 Exodus 2 contains one of my favorite stories to share, and yet, the names of the women involved are not shared. A mother is under pressure because her infant son faces death. A sister watches over her brother hidden in a basket. The Pharaoh’s daughter sees the baby’s basket […]

RG AUDIO 022818   Exodus 1:11-22 World War II brought us stories of those who defied the Nazi orders to imprison and kill Jews by helping hide and rescue lives that were in danger. These people faced a daunting choice: obey orders or defy them. The risk was high—their own death was possible—but to those […]

RG AUDIO 022718   Genesis 2:15-25 The mystery and intrigue surrounding the story of the creation of man and woman never ceases to cause wonder. We wonder at the act of creating one being, only to realize that one is alone and without companionship. It is amazing to take one body and carefully make another. […]

RG AUDIO 022618   Genesis 1:26—2:3 Mirrors can be hard to miss. Even when we try not to look, it’s hard not to notice when our image is caught in one. When we stop to inspect that image, we might like what we see, or we might get discouraged and start picking ourselves apart. Just […]

RG AUDIO 022518   Psalm 33:13-22 Asking for forgiveness can be very daunting. We are not always sure of the reception we will receive. However, because of His unfailing love, we do not have to fear coming in repentance to God. God’s love for us is clearly revealed in the salvation He provided for us […]

RG AUDIO 022418   1 Samuel 7:1-12 Individual repentance is powerful, but communal repentance moves God on behalf of the nations. In 1 Samuel 7, the prophet called on the Israelites to forsake sin, turn away from idols, and come to repentance before God. They responded in obedience; they confessed their sin, and God saved […]

RG AUDIO 022318   Luke 5:27-39 Jesus Christ broke into our time, and this has changed everything. This change can be both scary and uncomfortable. The Pharisees were very uncomfortable with message and methods. They could not understand why Jesus would defile himself by eating with sinners, and why He rejected some of the rituals […]

RG AUDIO 022218   Luke 2:36-47 Waiting is one of the most difficult facts of life, even harder because we live in such an instant technological society. Advertising promotes that we should have everything we want and have it now. However, waiting is unavoidable. The question is this: How are we going to wait? In […]