thinking out loud

This message by Terry Timm reflects on our deep human longing not to be abandoned, using the Still Face Experiment and the image of spiritual "orphanhood" to name our fears of being alone. Teaching from John 14, Terry shows how Jesus answers that fear by sending the Holy Spirit—the Paraclete, or "true friend"—who comes alongside us, lives in us, and unites us with God in love. Listeners are invited to notice where they live with an orphan spirit, receive the Spirit's presence, and embody that same coming-alongside love for others who feel isolated or afraid.

In this message, Terry Timm reflects on Jesus' words in John 14 to people with "troubled hearts," inviting listeners to move from mere belief to deep trust in Christ amid stress, grief, and uncertainty. He unpacks Jesus' promise of the Father's house and the many rooms as a picture of God's welcoming presence, made possible through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

In this message, Richie Reeder teaches from John 10 about Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the gate for the sheep, emphasizing that our primary role as disciples is to listen for and follow His voice. He contrasts Jesus' heavy responsibility as Shepherd with our simple but challenging call to cultivate stillness, silence, and attentiveness amid a noisy, hurried culture. Through Scripture, personal stories, and practical reflection, Richie invites listeners to shift from striving to abiding so they can experience the abundant life that comes from truly hearing and responding to Jesus.

In this message, Katherine Sikma Wadsworth explores "lunar spirituality," where faith waxes and wanes like the moon, yet the risen Christ remains constant and present. Walking through John 20, she highlights Jesus' gentle response to the disciples' fear and Thomas' doubt, showing how he meets people in locked rooms of shame, uncertainty, and unbelief. She invites listeners to live Easter by being radically honest about their own faith struggles, trusting that Jesus sees, knows, and blesses those who have not seen and yet still dare to believe.

In this message, Terry Timm teaches that Easter "begins in the dark," in real spaces of grief and confusion, just as Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb expecting death and misreads what she sees. When Jesus simply speaks her name, Mary discovers that resurrection is first a personal, transforming encounter rather than full understanding. Sent as the first witness of the risen Christ, she models how we too are met in our darkness by Jesus, the true Gardener of new creation, who calls us by name and sends us to share this good news.

On this final Sunday in Lent, Richie Reeder reflects on both Palm Sunday and the church's "Lessons of the Desert" series, inviting listeners to consider how practices from the wilderness—prayer, testing, silence and solitude, self-denial, wisdom, and humility—might shape their lives beyond the season. Teaching from Matthew 21 and contrasting the crowds' "Hosanna" on Sunday with "Crucify him" on Friday, he challenges listeners to examine where their own faith can be fickle rather than faithful, especially when God doesn't meet their expectations. Richie closes by urging the church to carry these desert rhythms into Holy Week with a posture of honest reflection, surrender, and humble dependence on Christ.

In this message, Terry Timm invites us into the wisdom of the desert by reflecting on the life of Moses the Strong, a man transformed from violent outlaw to humble saint. Drawing on Pete Greig's video "Hero of the Desert: Moses," the message explores how Moses' story challenges our culture of influence and platform-building. Rooted in Philippians 2 and the picture of Jesus who "made himself nothing" and took the form of a servant, Terry then connects Moses' example—and the humility of Christ—to practical ways we can embrace "micro-deserts" of solitude, service, and surrender in our own lives.

In this message, Katherine Sikma Wadsworth reflects on how silence, solitude, and "desert" practices create space to hear God's wisdom amid the noise of our information-saturated age. Drawing on Proverbs, James, the stories of St. Hilda and St. Patrick, she contrasts mere knowledge with true, peace-bearing wisdom that comes from God. The message invites listeners to cultivate inner wilderness—through practices like silence, Scripture meditation, and limits on technology—so they can discern God's voice and put that revelation into practice.

In this message, Terry Timm reflects on "freedom through renunciation," drawing from the stories of the rich young ruler, the desert mothers and fathers (especially Syncleticia of Alexandria), and Jesus' teachings on treasure and the soul. He explores how possessions, comfort, and security can quietly possess our hearts, and how practices of simplicity, generosity, and intentional "micro deserts" can loosen their grip. Ultimately, he invites listeners to be "owned by nothing" so their souls can be fully alive in Christ, praying, "Jesus, thank you, I already have enough."

In this message, Terry Timm teaches that solitude is not an escape from the world but a sacred space with God where we are reshaped in love so we can return to the world with kindness. Drawing from the life of Jesus, the desert mothers and fathers, and biblical figures like Moses, Elijah, and Hagar, he shows how silence and solitude become places to see and be seen by God. Terry then offers practical "micro desert" practices—such as silent driving, brief technology fasts, breath prayers, and stillness—as ways to cultivate this transforming rhythm in everyday life.