Podcast - ♥Hopesprings

We turn the gem of the Scriptures and find something that was always there, never hidden...God leaves the safe sheep to find the vulnerable one, leaves the stored treasure for the lost coin, leaves the entitled son to find the broken one...and nothing is lost. \r\n

David, reflecting on his time as a shepherd, pens one of the most compelling songs in the Bible. It compels us to reflect on the shepherd who loves us wherever we are. A meditation on Psalm 23.\r\n

Isaiah pulls the wig off of our spiritual games played when we pretend we want to hear from God without loving people and breaking all forms of oppression. We find our healing lies with the healing of others. \r\n

As we find ourselves in a new situation, we turn to old texts that reveal a message that is always new. We wrestle with a passage calling us out of darkness and into light, with an encouragement to return to the way of love. Love for everyone, all the time, everywhere, in any situation. \r\n

In a prayer from the least of all of God\'s people, we see the big-ness...the width and length and height and depth of the love God has for us. The love that made the worlds breathes life and power into us in our inner being. \r\n

A radical Mom teaches us how to love and find our place in THE story. We see a love that challenges ours in fresh ways and challenges us to deny ourselves and find something more. \r\n

It is easy to forget where and who we come from. In a text from the book of Isaiah, we are beautifully reminded of the faith and struggle all through the long years to realize who we are as the kids of God. May you remember and live as loved ones. \r\n

In a baffling encounter with the divine, Moses supposes he isn\'t the one, that he knows the story doesn\'t include him. From a burning bush God speaks, sees, hears, and subverts his reasons he cannot. We are caught up in the story of God together, seeing our own excuses being swallowed up by the great love of God. \r\n

We find comfort and challenge for folks facing exile. In our our isolation we can relate. All the high places, the low places, the rough places...all places are revealed as God\'s places as we hear the good news we are not alone. \r\n

In a pandemic, in a snowstorm, in unbelievable times, we celebrate the good news that was initially...unbelievable. We find a resurrected Jesus welcomed by disbelief. A story so crazy it just might be true, and give life and light to those wrestling with the darkness. Happy Easter!\r\n

We find Jesus in his own garden of solitude waging the fight of his life in isolation, even as we deal with our own current isolation as a society. Strength and obedience get stripped of their melodrama and are revealed for what they are in the garden of Gethsemane: acceptance. \r\n

Our pastor Michael takes us on a bike ride, on an exploration of the river that runs through the Scriptures, our community, and the one running through us. \r\n

As the Coronavirus threatens the health and safety of people around the globe, we find ourselves sticking close to home. But here we gather together online for a study of a song written from a cave. Peace from our fort to yours.\r\n

In a beautiful expansion of his teaching about who is first and who is last, Jesus illustrates the point with a story perfectly designed to offend our sense of fairness. It calls into question our hearts, exposes our motives, and illuminates a love that makes sure everyone eats.\r\n

Jesus addresses a young, entitled, religious person who wants what we all want...more? He finds he needs a near impossibility. Jesus shows him his way and reveals the way for us all.\r\n

Men look to test Jesus with a question about divorce. He upends the question, their hearts, and their understanding of what marriage means. In the process he gets to anyone willing to hear. \r\n

In a conversation that begins with taxes, we see the deeper question: who\'s significant? Who\'s in? Who\'s out?\r\nAs he does, Jesus reveals how we ask the wrong questions in our search for significance. We end up finding more than we bargained for.\r\n

Jesus heals. Again. Jesus challenges us to have a little faith, a little more than the little faith we have. That little speaks to the mountains of impossibility in our lives.\r\n

Moved in his guts for the harassed and the helpless, Jesus asks us to ask God to send someone. Spoiler: the someone is us.\r\n

In stories of healing we find faith that stops at nothing. No social, physical, mental, or spiritual barriers keep people from Jesus, or from the life he is bringing. People jump the barriers Jesus is tearing down to life and peace.\r\n