Christmas is a magical time of year full of sparkle and anticipation. It’s easy to get distracted with the gifts and the carols and food and fun. With that in mind, how do we get quiet enough to really celebrate the birth of our Savior? What does it mean to experience God?
Join me this week for a conversation with the host of the podcast, Halfway There and author of “Jesus is Willing: An 8 Day Experience,” Eric Nevins as we dive into how to more fully experience God this Christmas holiday. You’ll learn a great way to spend meaningful time in scripture without feeling overwhelmed and pressured to ‘do it right.’
Special Thanks to James Swanson and James Page for their contribution to our theme song, “The Long Road Home,” lyrics by Brandy J. Goebel. Copyright 2018.
This episode was recorded, edited and produced in Sandy, Or. 2019. All rights reserved.
It’s easy to be thankful when everyone you love is gathered around a Pinterest perfect table, the turkey is golden and a light snow is accumulating outside. But what about when life isn’t so perfect?
How do we have a grateful heart when we get the diagnosis, or the emergency phone call, or the news that we’ve been betrayed and the bank account is empty? Where does a thankful heart come from?
Join us this week as we explore the difference between being grateful in our circumstances versus being grateful despite our circumstances.
There is hope in Jesus that goes far beyond what we see and experience here on Earth. We will all experience heartbreak and loss, there’s simply no getting around it. How will you get through the storms that life brings your way?
Special thanks to James Swanson and James Page for their contribution to our theme song, “The Long Road Home.” Written by Brandy J. Goebel. Copyright 2018.
This episode was recorded, edited and produced at 4G’s Studios in Sandy, Oregon. 2019. All rights reserved.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” – Matthew 5:9
What if we have it all wrong? What if being a peacemaker means we actually ruffle some feathers. Turns out, that’s exactly what it means. Peacemaking isn’t for the fainthearted. It’s messy work, but it’s what we’re called to.
Special thanks to James Swanson and James Page for their contribution to our theme song, The Long Road Home, written by Brandy J. Goebel. Copyright 2018.
This episode was recorded, edited and produced at 4G’s Studios in the lovely Sandy, Oregon, where the trees are green every day. 2019. All rights reserved.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” – Matthew 5:7
Mentioned well over 300 times in the Bible, mercy is a word we probably ought to pay more attention to. Especially in this day and age when politics and religion are getting co-mingled in ways that often make us forget that first and foremost, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Mercy Defined
The biblical definition for the word mercy, as used by Jesus in his sermon on the mount, is this: to be compassionate (by word or deed, specifically by divine grace); have compassion (pity on).
Meanwhile, Webster’s New World Dictionary defines it this way: 1. a refraining from harming offenders, enemies, etc., 2. imprisonment rather than death for a capital crime, 3. a disposition to forgive or be kind, 4. the power to forgive, 5. a lucky thing; blessing.
This episode, as well as talking about what mercy is, we also focus on how to live a life of mercy in our day to day lives. We’ll look at 1 Peter 3:8-12 in the ERV (Easy to Read Version).
So all of you should live together in peace. Try to understand each other. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Be kind [compassionate; merciful] and humble. Don’t do wrong to anyone to pay them back for doing wrong to you. Or don’t insult anyone to pay them back for insulting you. But ask God to bless them. Do this because you yourselves were chosen to receive a blessing. The Scriptures say,
‘If you want to enjoy true life and have only good days, then avoid saying anything hurtful, and never let a lie come out of your mouth. Stop doing what is wrong, and do good. Look for peace, and do all you can to help people live peacefully. The Lord watches over those who do what is right, an, and he listens to their prayers. But he is against those who do evil.’
Listen
Listen in to this week’s episode to see some examples of how this might look in your own life.
Special thanks to James Swanson and James Page for their contribution to our theme song, The Long Road Home, written by Brandy J. Goebel. Copyright 2018.
This episode was recorded, edited and produced at 4G’s Studios in Sandy, Oregon. 2019. All rights reserved.
We all know what it’s like to be hungry and thirsty, longing for something to fill our bellies. But what about our souls? What if there was a way to fill up the mysterious void we all seem to have deep down inside us?
Join Brandy this week for a quick lesson on Beatitude #4 to learn how you, too can be satisfied to your deepest core.
Special thanks to James Swanson and James Page for their contribution to our theme song, The Long Road Home, written by Brandy J. Goebel. Copyright 2018.
This episode was recorded, edited and produced in Sandy, Oregon, the 2nd fastest growing city in Oregon. Please don’t move here. 😉
This incredible passage is found in Matthew 5 and opens up one of the greatest sermons ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. Here, Jesus is pretty early on in his ministry and with a large crowd gathered around, he takes the time to teach his disciples what it means to be a follower of Christ.
And man does He start with a bang! Rather than telling the disciples how great it’s all going to be, this whole following Jesus thing, he immediately tells them how blessed it is to be poor in spirit. What!?!?!?
Join me, Brandy, as together we look at what exactly it means to be poor in spirit and how our earthly wealth, however limited it may be, might be the very thing that’s holding us back from knowing the greatest inheritance we could ever imagine.
In this episode, we’ll explore the effects of wealth as documented in this article.
We’ll also read over through Matthew 5:1-16 and dive deep into verses 1 and 2. We’ll also take a look at Matthew 19:16-24 when Jesus instructs a young man to get rid of his possessions and follow Him.
Fear not, my friends! I don’t think Jesus is asking us all to give up everything we own and all the comforts we have in order to follow and serve Him. But He is asking us to consider our attitudes towards those things.
So, take my hand and let me guide you through this challenging beatitude that has me questioning my own attitudes and beliefs about what I own and why. Who knows, maybe this will even be the start to decluttering our homes!?
Special thanks to James Swanson and James Page for their contribution to our theme song, The Long Road Home, written by Brandy J. Goebel. Copyright 2018.
This episode was recorded, edited and produced in downtown Sandy, Oregon. If you’re ever this way, be sure to stop by Joe’s Donuts and tell them who sent you!
What is my purpose here? What happens when I die? If there is a God, why is there still suffering in the world? How do I know if I’m on the right path in life?
These questions and so many more plague our minds and often leave us feeling restless, dissatisfied and often more confused in the end. But still, we ask them, constantly searching for meaning and wisdom and understanding.
Even as Christians who already believe that God is real, we still find ourselves wrestling with many of the same issues.
Matt and I are currently involved in a program called Alpha. It’s a multi-week video program that you watch with a group of people who don’t identify as Christian but are searching for understanding and clarity to some of these larger questions. We have the opportunity to serve as hosts for a new group that recently started and the question at the top of this post is the very question we talked over this last week.
It was interesting to listen to the questions that people have on their hearts. They’re fairly universal, in fact.
In this week’s episode, Matt and I share the questions we’d ask God if given the chance.
SEEING GOOD AND EVIL
The question Matt poses is this: why didn’t God create in us the ability to better see the spiritual evil that is all around us?
Imagine having the superpower called something like…. Dark Vision. I don’t know, maybe that’s already a superpower, but work with me. Dark Vision is the ability to see the evil forces that are constantly at work on this planet.
Not sure if this is the right job for you take? No worries, with the power of Dark Vision you can see clearly that the CEO and President of the company are cutting corners by employing children in economically depressed countries for pennies a day. Determination: Evil. This would be a bad company to align with.
Dark Vision gives you the ability to easily detect what is opposed to God so you can make choices that better align with your beliefs and values. It also helps you to recognize ways to pray for those around you who are struggling in their own ways.
Meanwhile, Brandy pauses to reflect on the same question that David posed to God, “Who am I that you are mindful of me?”
The fact is if God is real (and we’re working on the belief that He is), then it stands to reason that He made each of us with the same care and detail that He made the rest of the natural world. That means, that he carefully crafted each one of us with special talents and abilities, certain physical limitations, brain capacity, and emotional intelligence. That means we were born into the time and place that He chose for us. He knows the intricate details of our bodies, souls, and minds because he intricately wove us together.
And if all of THAT is true, that must mean He loves us, right?
But, who am I?
Who am I that the God of the universe would take the time to even consider me worth the effort? Who am I that He would send His son to die on my behalf in order that He could have a relationship with me? Who am I?
YOUR TURN
So, if it turned out that there was a God, and you could ask one question…what would it be?
Join us on Facebook to share your answer! Let’s talk about it!
You can also find us on Instagram and Pinterest or you can Email us any questions, comments or show suggestions!
This is right after we finished recording in front of the Newport Visual Art Center
Day 3: We took in the touristy stuff down on the historic Bayfront of Newport, including The Undersea Gardens, The Wax Works and Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
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