RG AUDIO 022118   Zechariah 7:1-13 The feeling of being excluded is very painful. Perhaps all humans are acquainted with this, because we have all been excluded at some time or the other. Yet, can God feel excluded and rejected? Consider the prophecy of Zechariah. God says that even the things that were supposed to […]

RG AUDIO 022018   Joel 2:12-21 At times we feel ravaged, like someone impacted by a locust plague. It might be in our finances, health, or relationships. We question: What did I do to deserve this? Friends may assure us, “Bad things happen!” This may be true, but at times God uses difficulties to get […]

RG AUDIO 021918   Isaiah 58:1-14 The way to joy is through community. Many times we worship as selfish acts of dedication, a means to affirm our Christian identity, or to get God to give us what we want. However, Isaiah 58 says joy is found in community with God and others. Community with God […]

RG AUDIO 021818   Psalm 25:13-22 In Psalm 25, David is really in trouble. His enemies are closing in. His problems are multiplying. He is lonely, afflicted, and distressed. Sometimes life is like that, isn’t it? There may be trouble at work, conflict in the family, sickness, or financial difficulty. These are times to seek […]

RG AUDIO 021718   Romans 8:28-39 I can appreciate the cautions I have heard from pulpits against the “name it and claim it” word-of-faith type of theology. Sometimes this type of faith is fixated on material things like wealth and physical health. Romans 8:28-39 encourages us to trust God for much more: “all things.” Notice […]

RG AUDIO 021618   Acts 11:19-30 In my first pastorate, my office was in the former parsonage. I would often hear the front door open and steps approaching. There would be a gentle tap on my office door, then the face of Brother Hamilton would appear. He was in his 80s, a former farm boy […]

RG AUDIO 021518   Nehemiah 9:9-20 The restoration of authentic worship requires a restored relationship with God. With Nehemiah’s encouragement, Ezra the priest organized a public reading of the Book of the Law of Moses (Nehemiah 8:1). The Levites instructed the people in the meaning of the words they heard. This resulted in several immediate […]

RG AUDIO 021418   Ezra 8:15-23 Part of the burden of spiritual leadership is to set an example of faith. God moved on the heart of Ezra, a priest among the Jewish exiles in Mesopotamia, to reestablish the worship of God. Ezra boldly asked King Artaxerxes for permission to take additional exiles and resources to […]

RG AUDIO 021318   Exodus 34:1-14 Moses would meet God in a tent outside Israel’s camp. Here “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11a). Yet, Moses wanted more. Moses wanted to see God’s glory. There was one problem. God explained, “You cannot see my face, […]

RG AUDIO 021218   Isaiah 55:1-13 It was going to be one of those weddings. It is not unusual these days to have multiple sets of parents and step-parents at a wedding. People who haven’t spoken in decades are suddenly forced by the bonds of blood and marriage to at least tolerate one another for […]