Scripture Talk by Grace Church

Heaven is for real. We get to go there. Christ made a way for us, and by following Christ, we get on that way. Following Christ, though, also means loving this life and striving to answer God's call in it because God is present here too. Christ, in presenting our heavenly home, also gives purpose and meaning to this life. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy talk about balancing a hope for heaven and a joy here and now.

If you've ever been to a funeral or a funeral home, even if you've never been inside a church, you've encountered Psalm 23 - specifically the King James version. It's up there with John 3:16 as one of the most well known pieces of Scripture, and we associate it with death and heaven. True that it ends with a promise of dwelling with God forever, but this Psalm is all about God carrying your through the slings and arrows of this life with comfort and joy. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy testify to this passage's power to carry us through our current troubles.

An air of mystery hangs around the Walk to Emmaus. How did they not know it was Jesus? Why didn't Jesus let them know right away? The mystery helps paint a real picture of what the life of faith is like in a post-Ascension world. We also don't always know it, when we are talking to God. We too have to navigate a touch of mystery. We too have an opportunity to encounter the risen Lord. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy talk about how these encounters should affect our lives.

Jesus's disciples had a distinct advantage over modern believers. They walked with Jesus, talked with him, saw the miracles for themselves, and bore direct witness to the resurrection. They saw his hands and his pierced sides. Yet, still they doubted. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy seek to keep this in mind as we wrestle through our own doubts and skepticism.

Christ is rise! He is risen indeed! Jesus rose from the dead. His disciples slowly discover this fact over the course of that first Easter morning - first Mary, then Peter, then John. We, as the reader, get that dramatic irony. We’ve known it all along, but we get to watch them wrestle with it and come to see that the promise had come true. Jesus went through a lot, but neither death nor the Romans could hold back God. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy talk about how that is still true today.

Anyone who grew up in church grew up with Palm Sunday. The music is bigger. It’s not quite Easter, but as a kid, you get to walk around church waving a plant. Rad. What does it mean? Who cares. I don’t have to sit still. We celebrate this moment in Christ life because it’s him declaring victory before the battle has even started in earnest. It’s a moment that we can be assured of Christ’s final victory. It’s a glimpse of God’s true kingdom come and will done. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy relate this directly to the challenges we face in our current moment.

Are feeling as dead inside as a valley of dry bones? Has the whirlwind of suffering that is our world right now got you down? Well, we’ve been here before. Centuries ago, God’s people found themselves in Exile, and they despaired - fearing that they’d never return and that God had left them. God hadn’t. Instead, God led God’s messenger, Ezekiel, into a desert of dry bones to drive home the ultimate point: God can and will always make new life. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, Sister Brandy, and Stacy apply this directly to our lives in the midst of coronavirus.

Jesus knows us - like really, deeply, truly knows us. He knows what's good, and He knows what's bad. It can feel dangerous to stare deeply into one who knows us so well. The Samaritan woman in John 4 has one of those opportunities to come face to face with Jesus, hear his hard true, and comes away feeling loved by the Savior. That's the thing back Jesus. He knows what's wrong, and still gives us grace. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, and Sister Brandy talk about what this can mean for us too.

People get frustrated. They lose faith. They want to go back to the things that they are comfortable with. A faith journey may involve moments, when you don't see God as clearly. Certainly, this happened to the Israelites in the wilderness. They ran out of water, freaked out, and wanted to go back. It all gets squared away. God hadn't abandoned them. Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, and Sister Brandy talk about how this happens constantly in the modern world and the same is true about God now as then.

John 3:16 is a like number one hit of the summer but for scripture. It's everywhere. It's the piece of the Bible that, especially Evangelicals, are mostly to know. But, do you actually know how it fits into the Gospel of John? Did you know that it was given in response to a Pharisee that had essentially become a seeker? In this episode, Pastor Trey, Pastor Scott, and Sister Brandy talk about where this scripture comes from and how to move through doubt in a healthy way.