Scripture Talk by Grace Church

The story of God's people goes through these cycles. We're saved. We mess up. We suffer. God saves us again. The Old Testament is essentially a thousand years or more of these cycles. At the end of each is God's redemption - God's grace, and each of these cycles point us in the direction of Christ who breaks the cycle for good. Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, and Pastor Scott explore a moment where Isaiah got to announce the end of a cycle.

The Christian year has a rhythm. Each December, we celebrate Christ’s birth. Each spring, we remember his suffering, death, and resurrection. Just on the verge of summer, we turn our eyes to the decent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. But, the Christian year always begins with the end. The first Sunday in Advent is the beginning of a new Christian year, and traditionally, it’s a time, when we read some words from Christ about the end of the age and how his birth begins that process. Pastor Trey takes a break from his vacation to talk to Sister Brandy, Pastor Scott, and Stacy about what it means to live in this in between time - between incarnation and final victory.

Earthly powers think that they’re so great. False gods will always be in your face trying to grab your attention - trying to show their so called might. This was true for the early Christians and their experience with the Roman empire, and it’s true to today with the thousands of things that steal your time with false comfort. None of these things are truly powerful compared to God. Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, Pastor Scott, and Stacy discuss what it is to catch a glimpse of God’s true might.

We all have God given abilities. We all have callings from God to use those talents. That is a part of why we exist - to love and serve the Lord. To not do so is to fundamentally miss a part of the Christian life. Jesus uses the Parable of the Talents to paint his picture vividly. Not everyone is equally talented, but everyone is given something. Pastor Trey and Sister Brandy discuss what it means for us all to step out of the shadows and onto the stage of God's kingdom building work.

We all have thoughts on governments. We all have feelings on specific governments, taxes, law, etc. Jesus tells us to give to governments what belong to be them, but the under toe of all of it is that everything belongs to God. We live a world that still has governments, but we are governed by a higher power - God and God alone. Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, Pastor Scott, and Stacy examine what this means for us - particularly on the eve of a presidential election.

It is perhaps easy to tell people how to follow Jesus. We've been given a pair of lovely testaments that are God's word. Read those. Tell people about what's in them. Job largely done. There is one more critical step that Christ gives us in Matthew's Gospel. Live that way yourself. Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, Pastor Scott, and Stacy examine how hard that last step has been for us over the past 2,000 years.

Moses is the greatest of God's prophets. Moses led God's people to the promised lands. Moses doesn't get to enter said promised land. One of these things is not like the other ones, and yet they are all true of Moses. Moses does mighty things for God, but he is still human and complicated. Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, Pastor Scott, and Stacy think through this complicated man and the transfer of leadership that this moment creates.

Anyone who has kept a night watch will know that it's no mean feat. Staying alert and ready through constant boredom for the odd chance that something might pop off can lull even the most strident into a state of less than readiness. The long wait for Christ's return is no different. We know that he's coming, but when? No one knows. Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, and Pastor Scott challenge us to answer Scripture's call to stay alert!

Moses is gone for a minute, and the people completely lose it. Okay, he was gone for a few weeks, but still, a guy should be able to go up a mountain to commune with God without the whole show falling part! What happens next is an intriguing scene, where Moses and God argue, but Moses is arguing to save the covenant. What does this mean about God? What does this mean about our relationship with God? Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, Pastor Scott, and Stacy may not know either, but they explore the bounds of who we know God to be.

Most Christians who made it through their children's Sunday School days can close their eyes and recall the parable of the Good Samaritan. It boils down to Samaritan good! Priest and Levite bad! Be like the Samaritan guy! And it does, but what's a Samaritan? Why does Jesus highlight them specifically? Turns out, their a hated enemy, and this parable runs a lot deeper than do nice things for people. Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, Pastor Scott, and Stacy dive deep into the more radical underpinning of this well known story.