Scripture Talk by Grace Church

David messed up a lot. Bad things happened to David. David’s early reign as God’s chosen king, a man after God’s own heart, was one of constant struggle. Still, at the end of his struggle with Saul, he praised God’s name and honored God as his deliverer. The Old Testament and particularly the life of David are good at reminding us that real people struggle, and God meets you right there. That’s the hope that Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, and Brandy take from today’s text.

Spoiler Alert: God defeats Pharaoh. Actually, God defeats Pharaoh multiple times throughout Exodus. The whole point of the first 14 chapters of Exodus is God's repeated defeat of Pharaoh. Still, here, at the climax of the story, the people doubt. The problems that they face seem too large even for God. And yet, God wins. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, and Brandy talk about how this can mean victory in our own lives.

Prayer is an essential component of Christian life. Prayer is powerful. Prayer gets answered. How? Why? That is less clear, but many of us have had the experience of prayer making a difference - occasionally in major ways. How those prayers get answered are often very different than what we would imagine. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, and Brandy talk about the limits of our wisdom in the eyes of God.

Love is all you need. This because God is love. God loves us; therefore, we can love others. If we fail at loving others, then, how close are we truly to God. These are the inspiring and uncomfortable questions that the author of 1 John packs into some of the deep theology contained in any 14 verse. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, and Brandy try to plumb these depths as best they can.

Sometimes, we find find ourselves under pressure. Certainly, the Israelites did as they wandered the desert for 40 years. This seemingly endless journey is also what forms the Israelites into the people of God. The years was an extended exam to humble them into understanding the value of God commandments. Maybe, this happens to us sometimes too. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, and Brandy wander through the desert and hopefully wrap it back around to the real world.

Freedom! We love the idea of freedom - the ability to do whatever, whenever. When young adults get their first taste of freedom, often, they go nuts. Is that the type of freedom then that we have in Christ? Short answer: No, it's not. In Christ, through the Spirit, we have the freedom to be the selves that God wants us to be. Pastor Trey, Scott, and Brandy discuss what this freedom is and what it means for us.

Even our Biblical Heroes don't always get it right. They freak out, run away, and need God's comfort. Elijah, after a major victory in God, does a lot of freaking and a fair amount of running. God stays with him and helps him work through. Pastor Trey, Scott, and Brandy connect this to our own lives and what God will also do for us.

God's wisdom knows no bounds. It's beyond our comprehension. God's so wise that the universe has dimension and the earth exists. Proverbs 8 gives us a personification of this wisdom that may also point us towards Jesus - even here in the Old Testament. Pastor Trey, Scott, and Brandy talk through this, deep biblical word study, the definition of Hebrew words, Greek Mythology and also God's glory.

In the end, God wins. Peace reigns. The New Jerusalem descends a literal heaven meets literal earth. When (not if), that happens, we will experience God fully and fully be God's people. That's the Bible's closing image, but we get to see a piece of it every week. Pastor Trey, Brandy, and Scott (in between accusations of tax fraud) talk about life in this brave new world.

For the understatement of a lifetime, Jesus did a lot for us. He chose to allow himself to be betrayed and killed. In doing so, he glorified God because he showed the depth of love that God has for us. The love commandment that he then issues us, challenges us to love in such a way and create a community to share that love. Pastor Trey, Scott, and Brandy explore this version of love and how it can become part of our Christian lives.