Scripture Talk by Grace Church

Christ gives us a whole lot. He gives us a totally new life - if only we'd have faith. He takes us from where we started (however deep down that was) and lifts us up into some truly heavenly surroundings. All it takes is faith, and that faith transforms our prospects and our lives through God's mercy and a grace. Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, Pastor Scott, and Stacy talk about how we get there and how we keep each other there.

Are you worried about the end of time? Does the news get you down? Do you think that the end must be coming soon? Good news! We have no idea! Really, we don't. God knows, when the end is coming, but literally only God knows. For us instead, our task is to keep on keeping on. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy talk about our need for urgency to carry out God's calling in the world - not a call to fear some eventual end.

God is mysterious. God knows things beyond what we can know. God's wisdom is enough to make fools of us all. God's problems are big enough to make any earthly struggle seem meaningless. Yet, God sends God's strength into the world to help us carry out burdens. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy revel in how great God is and how great God's care for us is.

Abraham and Sarah wait close to a century to have a child. God makes them that promise, but still, there is even more waiting. Finally, long past any logical time for child-rearing, they are given Isaac. Then, out of nowhere, God call on Abraham to sacrifice Isaac - the promised child the hope of many nations. Abraham obeys without question. Why? Is it because he knows that God won't make him follow through? Or, does he simply give God that much priority? Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy show that you can learn about the life of faith regardless of your answer.

Life can be dangerous, and not always just in the things that go bump in the night kind of way. Often, it's the people that we know best that can hurt us the most. Christ saw this in his own life with Judas's betrayal. However, way back in Matt 10, he warned the disciples and, thus, us, that it will be that way sometimes. Pastor Trey, Sister Brandy, Pastor Scott, and Stacy talk about how even through the suffering and betrayal, we belong to God.

Jesus sends out his disciples with a tremendous amount of power and not much else. Yes, they can cast out demons, heal people of diseases, and generally minister as Christ would, but they only get the clothes on their back, a good walking stick, and a good set of sandals. They have to rely on God for everything else. God will take care of them but only what they need. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, and Sister Brandy talk through what this looks like for ministry in the 21st Century (with special appearance from Project G650).

There was a formless and chaotic void. God spoke, and, bang, a universe sprang into existence. Like clock work, God crafted every corner - light, dark, sea, land, plants, animals, humans. They all received God's creative touch and each in their turn was declared good. The big picture headline of creation is that God carefully ordered God's creation and saw the joy in it. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy talk about how this creation story gets taken some weird places in modern discourse but still lands back at a powerful and purposeful God.

Pentecost has been on the church calendar for just about ever. It's the birth of the Church with the descent of the Spirit. Yet, it often falls by the way side - important but not a focus. Yes, Easter and Christmas are more important, but Pentecost is a close third for important Christian holidays. It's the day that our work as the church really got going, when we were filled with God's power. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy talk about what that power is and what we can do with it

Jesus rises into Heaven. It's a glorious moment, but one that begs a pretty obvious follow up question: "Now what?" Christ, ever the good teacher preempts that question with his own statement, "I'm leaving, and now, the job of teaching is yours." Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy talk about how we continue to carry that torch and how we have the wind of the Holy Spirit at our back.

Esther kind of rocks. She gets put in an impossible situation with the lives of her whole people on the line. She faces down a king and a deadly enemy using her whits. Above all, she accepts that God put her in a particular place at a particular time, and for a particular task. She faces that calling even if it means her death. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy talk about how God has a purpose for all of us, and we all will be called upon to use what we've got for God.