Jesus At 2am - A Humorous, Intelligent Look At The Bible, Church History & The Life Of Faith

How does one go from being the church's greatest persecutor to its greatest advocate? The short answer, in Paul's own words, is: grace. In this episode, we examine this most central theme in Paul's theology. What exactly is "grace"? How do we experience it? And is it a new development in God's character, or has the God of Israel been demonstrating grace all along? If you've ever sought a deeper understanding of the Christian conception of grace, this is the episode for you. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Gal. 1:11-17 (NRSV) Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The letter to the church at Rome - essentially a treatise on the saving work of God across history - is the Apostle Paul's magnum opus and one of the great works of Western literature. It is so profound in its insight and broad in application that we are tempted to read it apart from its context. But it is the work of a very human author, whose internal and external life must be understood. In this prologue to Romans, we meet Paul, the once notorious Saul of Tarsus - zealot and Pharisee.   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Acts 7:54-8:1 (NRSV) Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

One of the most difficult elements of the spiritual life to accept is that humans are inherently bad at it. That is not to say we cannot make progress (we surely can!). But for every three steps forward there are two in reverse. That's simply how it is. And it is a journey God accepts. What's more, God willfully chooses to walk it with us. And seeing that truth - the enduring presence of God amongst his very "stiff-necked" people- turns out to make all the difference in our day-to-day relationship. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 33:12-34:9 (NRSV)   Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 The divine commandment of sabbath is stunning and without parallel in the Ancient Near East. Yet YHWH regularly repeats the command to rest and connects it with the covenant bond between Israel and God (so critical was it to God that laboring on the sabbath could be a capital offense!). In this episode we examine both the divine call to work and to rest, and why it is that God (contrary to what we often suspect) literally forbids maximizing our human output - in our own service or in his.   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 31:1-18 (NRSV)   Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Unheard of in the ancient world was a deity who travelled with his people. There were gods of particular regions (and within those regions lesser deities who controlled the wind here or the rain there), but a god so tied to his people that he sojourned with them, never. Until YHWH called Israel. In this episode we examine the depth of the bond between YHWH and Israel and God's commitment to be present. We also look at the first offering taken, one to build God's "tabernacle" - a voluntary act of giving!   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 24:3-25:9 (NRSV)   Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

One characteristic we have come to expect of a deity is their concern for how humans treat one an other. But this was not the case in the ancient world! Most gods cared only about how they were treated, Fate determining what befell humans. Yet the God of Israel placed care for humans at the core of his law, especially care for the powerless by the powerful. In this episode we look at YHWH’s concern for the poor and his insistence that his people do the same.

One of the most striking aspects of Israel's God is his concern for human interactions. We've seen this already in the 10 Commandments and YHWH's insistence that his people be marked by justice. But God does not stop a broad principles. In this episode (the first of two), we look at what's known as "The Mishpatim" - the civil law that is to govern day-to-day affairs amongst God's people. It give a remarkable look at God's character and the quality of life that is to define his holy nation. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 21:1-21, 33-36; 23:4-5 (NRSV)   Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Unlike the covenant with Abraham, the covenant at Sinai comes with stipulations - obligations which, if met, lead to blessing, but, if ignored, lead to punishment. The most critical of these stipulations we know as the 10 Commandments. In this episode we examine what these commandments actually command and how they function in light of the larger Sinai covenant, in later Judaism, and in the church of the 21st century. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 19:16-20:21 (NRSV)   Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

After 40 days in the wilderness, Israel arrives at Mt. Sinai. And it is there the next stage of their growth as God's people begins. It is at Sinai that she is consecrated, and there that God establishes a new covenant - a contract that binds Israel to obedience. YHWH will be her king and she will live out a unique identity in the world - distinct from all other peoples. The question will become: What happens if Israel cannot fulfill her end of the deal? The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 19:1-25 (NRSV) To find out more about Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and how you can help those recovering from natural disaster, CLICK HERE.   Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Letting go of Egypt - saying goodbye to the past, to the familiar, to habit (however deadly it may have been) - is one of the most difficult tasks of the life of faith. And it is one of the primary purposes of the wilderness. In this episode we find Israel 3-days into her exodus journey, already longing for the (comforts?) of Egypt and questioning - again - the goodness of God. It is a deeply honest look at the human condition, as Israel discovers once more that her God is with her (and with us!).   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 16:1-30 (NRSV)   To find out more about Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and how you can help those recovering from natural disaster, CLICK HERE.   Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Israel has been saved by the mighty hand of God!...only to find herself in the "wilderness." (Always in scripture, a place representing isolation, emptiness, and fear.) It's not quite the picture of deliverance she had in mind. And yet, as Israel will discover, the wilderness is where the best spiritual formation happens. It is there that we are forced to confront our complete dependence upon God and God alone. And it is in the wilderness that God meets us with compassion and with a new call to his service. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 15:22-27 (NRSV)   Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

One of the great lessons Israel has to teach us is how to respond to salvation, what to do when we have been rescued. Israel's response? A psalm of praise. But this is not just a song about the powers and virtues of God, giving The Almighty his due. Rather, the poem is a means of both expressing thanks and memorializing events. It allows Israel to deepen her relationship with God in the present and to rehearse the events of salvation in the future (as many moments of desperation are yet to come). The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 14:26-15:21 (NRSV)   Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

At last God makes good on his promise to save. Israel is set free from Egypt and flees into the desert...only to discover that she is quickly trapped between the Red Sea and the fast-approaching army of Pharaoh. And it is a situation everyone who sincerely follows God will face - the moment when, unless God personally intervenes on our behalf, we are most certainly doomed. In this episode we join Israel on the shores of the Red Sea wondering if our faith has been a horrible miscalculation! The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 14:5-25 (NRSV)   Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Few stories in scripture are more historically or morally questionable than the story of the Passover. Did YHWH truly put to death all the firstborn of Egypt??? And if so, how can we possibly consider God good, much less loving??? In this episode we examine the Passover, its place in Israel's salvation, and the instruction is provides for living as God's people. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Exodus 11:1-12:13, 21-36 (NRSV)   Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Before we can surrender to God's care and leading, we must first be (mostly) convinced that God is devoted to us and capable of securing our welfare. And in the ancient world, way a deity demonstrated both power and devotion was by means of partisan action - working demonstrably on behalf of their followers. In this episode, we examine YHWH's plagues upon the Egyptians and what they are intended to reveal about the strength and faithfulness of Israel's God. The biblical passages quoted in this sermon are:  Acts 1:6-8 (NRSV) Exodus 6:1-9; 7:14-25; 8:16-19 (NRSV)   Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In the end, there is only one way to know for sure if God is active in the world and in your life: risk. Not random danger, but obedience to a call. It turns out that God's revelation is often paired with a command to "go...," and to risk, and thereby to discover that God is present. In this episode we look at God's appearance to Moses in the burning bush and the accompanying call to speak to both Israel and to Pharaoh - both sojourns into danger. But it is here that Moses learns "I am with you!" The biblical passage for this sermon is: Exodus 2:23-3:22 (NRSV). Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Learning to see God in our own lives is much like learning to see God in the story of Moses's birth. At first glance, God appears quite absent - nowhere to be found as his people face great trial. And yet, upon closer inspection, God's fingerprints begin to emerge everywhere. Where first we saw only indifference, slowly, deeply attentive care comes into focus. And we see that God has been active in our rescue all along. In this episode we learn to see behind the scenes - where God is always at work.   The biblical passage for this sermon is: Exodus 2:1-15 (NRSV). Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The journey of faith and surrender to God's leading begins not in strength, but in weakness, in captivity - slaves to forces too great for us to overcome. It is there that God meets us and declares again the promise of salvation. In this episode we begin where the exodus began - with God's people enslaved to Pharaoh, crying out for deliverance. And we recognize this physical captivity as a symptom of our larger captivity to sin itself. And we also discover captivity will not have the last word!   The biblical passage for this sermon is: Exodus 1:1-22(NRSV). Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The ultimate work of the life of faith is to surrender ourselves to God, to entrust all that we are and all that we possess to his care and leading. The question is: HOW??? How do we overcome the countless resistances we have to placing ourselves in God's hands? The short, answer is: reluctantly. But there is hope! God has a long history of bringing broken humans into relationship with him. So in this series we begin at the beginning of that work, the exodus. In this episode, we meet the God who saves. The biblical passages referenced in this sermon are:  1 Peter 2:9-10 (NRSV) Genesis 17:1-8 (NRSV) Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The purpose of studying what we don't believe is to define more clearly what we do - with the ultimate goal of obedience (and the healthy relationship with God, self and other that comes with it!). In this series's concluding, hopefully non-heretical episode, we look at Jesus's call to put faith into action, and I offer some practical advice on writing a personal statement of faith (a more helpful exercise than you might imagine!). Ready to work on your own statement of faith? You can download my Short Guide to Writing a Personal Statement of Faith HERE. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is: Matthew 7:15-27 (NRSV).  Want to support the podcast?  CLICK HERE for ways to help! Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.