On this episode, Craig and I jump into John 10: 11-18 and talk about Jesus' message about the good shepherd and his relationship to his sheep - and the hired hand, who will run at the first sight of the wolf. Who are we - are we the sheep? Are we the wolf, who will scatter the flock (and disavow any connection we have with our fellow man - i.e. the Starbucks employee who called 911 on two black men in Philadelphia) - do we strive for chaos or will we follow Jesus' lead to bond with the sheep and with our fellow brothers and sisters? Let us know what you think.

On this episode, Deb Carriger and I talk about Philippians 4:13, a well known verse from Paul, as he's in jail, writing to the church in Philippi. Deb and I talk about why it's a bible verse used by so many Christians, and we discuss how people use the Bible in different contexts, and how Paul's message shows us that no matter where we are in life, God has equipped us to survive and endure. I also talk about the controversy around the book The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven, the story of Alex Malarkey's come back from death story that was later admitted to be fake (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/04/11/the-boy-who-came-back-from-heaven-now-wants-his-day-in-court/) - and I talk about the dangers of placing your faith on lies and embellishment - Paul's says we don't need to embellish our faith - God has given us what we need.

On this episode of Faith, Craig, Deb and I dive into John 10: 2-5 – a passage that talks about sheep and shepherds. We also talk about the legacy of Dr. King – I talk about King’s first political speech in December of 1955 at the Holt Street Baptist Church, where he addressed the congregation on the future Montgomery Bus Boycott (https://swap.stanford.edu/20141218221308/http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/kingweb/publications/papers/vol3/551205.004-MIA_Mass_Meeting_at_Holt_Street_Baptist_Church.htm)

.. and the life of the preacher/activist began. We also talk about Youtube shooter Nasim Aghdam, a woman who was frustrated she didn’t get enough youtube hits, decided to go on a shooting spree and take her own life. Both Ms. Aghdam and Dr. King had something to say, but one was chosen, one spoke for the masses – for a cause bigger than themselves, and one has a voice that is still heard, fifty years after his death. The gospel of John 10: 2-5 shows us that sheep will only listen to the shepherd they know and will ignore all others. And only those who go through the gate, which is Jesus Christ, are shepherds and will be heard.

On the eve of Easter, Craig, Deb and I celebrate the great sacrifice Jesus gave to us by sharing the good word. Deb brings us the gospel of John 11: 25-27, which talks about the resurrection BEFORE the resurrection - the resurrection of Lazarus, a precursor to Jesus' resurrection. We talk about what his sacrifice means to all of us and we tie in the gospel to our daily lives. To all of you celebrating Easter, remember that he thought enough of you to die for you - so think enough of him to live for him.

On this episode of Faith, Craig, Deb and I talk about Paul’s gospel to the Romans in Romans 15: 7-13, where Paul emphasizes Christians to embrace each other, especially those who are different than you. In preparing for today’s podcast, I reference Rev. Steven J. Cole of the Flagstaff Christian Fellowship and his writings (https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-100-accepting-those-who-are-different-romans-157-12), and I also talk about Mark Anthony Conditt, the serial bomber who killed himself just as police were closing in on him – we talk about how his family sheltered him in the name of God and how dangerous it is to distance yourself from “sinful” people, instead of embracing them (Galatians 6: 1) and recognizing that Jesus did not distance himself from us (Romans 5: 8).

On this episode of Faith, Deb, Craig and I tackle the Beatitudes (Matthew 5: 3-11) - each of us handle the beatitudes that speak personally to us. We also talk about Wylie Greer, the Arkansas student that received a paddling for protesting gun control.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/17/us/paddling-for-student-protester/index.html

We also present the question: as a parent, how do you teach empathy to your child or children)? We'd love to know.

In this episode of Faith, Craig and I talk about Paul’s message to the Corinthians, where he tells us that God has provided for us and we have no need to yield to temptation. Craig and I talk about what tempts us, how to fight temptation and the context behind Paul’s message to two these groups of people in Corinth who praise God differently but still must interact with each other.

In this episode of Faith, Deb, Craig and I tackle the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17), a subject well known to anyone who's ever had Sunday school. We talk about the pitfalls of temptation, which of the commandments speak to us, which ones we struggle with; and we debate whether committing adultery is a physical act or a mental act i.e. coveting. As always, we'd love to hear what you think - write back!

We took a brief hiatus last week but the Faith podcast is back! Craig and I use Luke 22: 49-51 to address the tragic shooting that happened on Valentine’s Day, where 17 people died. In the gospel, Jesus chastises Peter for cutting off the ear of the soldier who arrests Christ. The conversation between Jesus and Peter just before the incident (Luke 22: 31) talks about Peter being tempted by Satan who wants to sift him from the wheat – and Jesus challenges Peter to not lose faith. This applies to all of us. I draw analogies of the gospel to the shooting last week: Judas = congress, driven by jealousy, ego and greed

Jesus = the Word, what is right and what is being ignored

Soldier = only doing his job; the wounded

Peter = us, righteous, but totally wrong – with the sword in our hands

The crowd = witnesses but doing nothing

We have a very passionate discussion about gun violence, how the children are affected and how the gospel can guide us in what to do next. I really hope you take time to listen and let us know what you think.

On this episode, Deb, Craig and I look into Ephesians 4: 1-8, where Paul instructs the Ephesians on keeping the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. We also talk about how hard it is to love people who don't make it easy for us to love - whether it be your partner, the people you work with, even our own president. But that is what we are commanded to do. We are also reminded that God has blessed us with the gift of Grace - and it's up to us to use that gift, to bond us together as children of God.