RG AUDIO 080521   Isaiah 25:7-12 “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever” (Isaiah 25:7-8a). Ancient rulers and the wealthy often hired “tasters.” They would taste all food and beverages served to make sure that no poison was […]

RG AUDIO 080421   Isaiah 25:1-6 On vacation in western Colorado, we followed Independence Pass down into Aspen. Though famous for its winter skiing, Aspen is a great camping and hiking destination in summer. We decided to ride the chairlifts up Aspen Mountain. There were a series of five chairlifts rising all the way to […]

RG AUDIO 080321   Nahum 1:9-15 On the east side of the Tigris River, across from Mosul, Iraq, are the dusty ruins of Nineveh. The site bears evidence of human habitation back to 6,000 BC. The area is also prone to deadly earthquakes. Nineveh was the seat of empires. Each seemed to exceed the former […]

RG AUDIO 080221   Nahum 1:1-8 God had a bull’s eye on the city of Nineveh. In Genesis 10 Nineveh was built by Nimrod. Nineveh was dedicated to Ishtar, the fertility goddess. In the Bible Ishtar is called “Ashtoreth.” King Josiah destroyed a temple to Ashtoreth, built by Solomon on “the Hill of Corruption” to […]

RG AUDIO 080121   2 Corinthians 12:1-10 2 Corinthians 12 is the well-known “thorn in the flesh” passage from Paul that has captured much of our modern imagination. Just what was that thorn? It’s revealing what some suggest—oftentimes reading their own personal thorns into the story. Isn’t it just like Paul to continue to keep […]

RG AUDIO 073121   2 Corinthians 7:1-10 Sometimes, God blesses us by putting one or two persons in our life who become deep and meaningful means of grace. It might be simply their presence or their uncanny ability to read you like a book and know exactly what you’re feeling. To have this beautiful means […]

RG AUDIO 073021   2 Corinthians 1:12-22 The apostle Paul, in one of his letters, talks about how the gift of faith (belief that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, that Christ died and rose again, removing our trespasses and reconciling us to God) is imparted by the Holy Spirit, who takes up residence in us. […]

RG AUDIO 072921   Romans 8:31-39 Some friends were in the Caribbean enjoying the breathtaking views of the sea from a boat. One of the men peered into the crystal-clear water and saw the sea floor. He dove into the water, wanting to touch the bottom. What he didn’t realize was the bottom was forty […]

RG AUDIO 072821   Isaiah 42:10-17 Do we really know where we’re going? Yes, if we’re going to the market. Yes, if we’re going to visit a relative. If there’s a place we’re trying to get to, if we don’t know the way, we can just fire up the navigation system on our mobile phones […]

RG AUDIO 072721   Psalm 119:153-168 There is a good chance that the society and culture in which you live have been experiencing what is called discontinuous change. This happens when there is a big change, and just as everyone is getting used to it, everything changes again and throws everyone for a loop. A […]