1 Corinthians 13 isn't usually a passage for Advent or Christmas, but it's more relevant to the birth of Christ than you might think. Y'all have a blessed and merry Christmas!!

Luke's gospel tells us that shepherds were sent to visit Jesus the night he was born, but why is this significant? What does this tell us about the nature of this New King & His coming Kingdom? Why does it give anything to rejoice about today? Listen to find out.

When the Wise Men visit Jesus, they bring Jesus all of the same things that He wants from us: our treasure, our worship, and our mourning. In exchange for all that we bring, Jesus gives us peace. This is the second in a series through Advent, called Heaven Came Down. Read more of my reflections by going to https://www.southernreverend.com/journal

Luke 1:68-79. Advent is a season that invites us to pause and wait on the arrival of God in the child Jesus. It is a time to reflect on what God has done and to hope in what God will continue to do. In this episode, we take a few minutes to explore what that might mean for us, wherever we are and whatever we are going through.

The song at the end of this episode is "Hope," by my good friend Jeffrey Box from his album, "Liturgy." Check him out after you're through listening.

Acts 3:12-19

Peter's speech to those gathered around to see the aftermath of a miracle tells us a lot about what it means to really be a witness. He recalls history, he appeals to people's identity, and he brings to bear his own past as a man ignorant of God's purposes through Christ--all for the sake of giving people good news.

If it seems like Peter's speech is harsh--well, it is. Sometimes the truth is not an easy pill to swallow. But Peter doesn't end his speech on a message of condemnation. Peter ends it on hope.

With Jesus, there is always hope.

Acts 4:32-35

The early church in the Book of Acts was a strange new thing: a community oriented to the needs of others, who were kind and generous to those on the edges of society, a group of people united not by their ethnicity or their politics, but by their common belief in a risen Christ and grace that pours out from it.

What is it about this resurrected Jesus that causes people to behave in this way? And what implications does it have for those of us now, who are citizens of His kingdom?

In this episode, we'll walk through it.

Episode one of Can I Get A Witness centers around a man learning to minister to those who would be his enemies. It begs the question, "How often do I turn away from others because they are the wrong kind of people?"

This episode is taken from Acts 10:34-43.

You can listen and read more from Southern Reverend at www.southernreverend.com or find me on Instagram and Facebook at the handle Southern Reverend.

Y'all have a great week and be good to one another.

(Intro song, "Morning," written and composed by Joel Elliott Mooneyhan. All rights reserved.)

The gospel arrives from the unlikeliest of places, in the unlikeliest of circumstances, to and from the unlikeliest of people. The stories in this series come from the Book of Acts; they all show the gospel of Christ breaking through barriers and confounding expectations. This good news isn’t unlikely just because of the story it tells, but also because of what the story caused ordinary men and women to do in response.

Readings for each week's episodes will come from the following texts:

Acts 10:34-43

Acts 4:32-35

Acts 3:12-19

Acts 4:5-12

Acts 8:26-40

Acts 10:44-48

Acts 1:1-5, 21-26

Acts 2:1-21

As you read these passages and listen to this podcast, don't be afraid to read the passages that come before and after the Lectionary texts. You might even read the entire book. When you do, you'll be amazed at the shape the early church took and the impact it had on the surrounding world, all because ordinary men and women stood up when asked, "Can I get a witness?"

You can listen and read more from Southern Reverend at www.southernreverend.com or find me on Instagram and Facebook at the handle Southern Reverend.

Y'all have a great week and be good to one another.

(Intro song, "Morning," written and composed by Joel Elliott Mooneyhan. All rights reserved.)

The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the turning point of human history; it's the event that orients our calendar. But it's also a story that is told inconsistently across the four gospel accounts. In this episode, I give a quick reflection on why that actually isn't as problematic as it seems. It's by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it will give believers and skeptics alike a jumping off point to investigate and reflect on further.

It may help to read each account before you listen, so if you'd like to do so, they are:

Matthew 28:1-10

Mark 16:1-8

Luke 24:1-12

John 20:1-18

You can listen and read more from Southern Reverend at www.southernreverend.com or find me on Instagram and Facebook at the handle Southern Reverend.

Y'all have a great week and be good to one another.

(Intro song, "Morning," written and composed by Joel Elliott Mooneyhan. All rights reserved.)

Good Friday is a strange name for a day commemorating the death of Jesus, but it is fitting; everything about Jesus' life is an inversion of what we expect. God almighty living not as a king, but as a carpenter. The Son of God making friends not with the righteous, but with sinners. The Messiah arriving not to conquer, but to die.

In this episode, from John's account of the conversation between Jesus of Nazareth and Pontius Pilate, we'll look at how one of my favorite movies relates to the story, how the Kingdom of Heaven is like kudzu, and how Jesus' suffering was actually his coronation.