The Teaching Series With Brad Gray

Following his encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus’ response is utterly remarkable. He pledges to give half of his possessions to the poor and provide a fourfold restitution to those he’s wronged. He understands what a holistic response looks like, and offers an incredible pattern for us to follow in our lives as well.

We’re kicking off a series on Zacchaeus from Luke 19 where over the course of several weeks, we’re going to look at this story from a number of different angles. In this particular teaching, we look at Zacchaeus’ desire to change and what he had to overcome in order to have an encounter with Jesus. It’s going to be quite a ride as this electric story is about so much more than just a wee little man.

How often are we “there,” but not really “there?” How often are we distracted and not fully present in the moments we find ourselves in? What does that do to us, and particularly to those who become collateral damage in our inability to be present? This is what this teaching addresses as we look at a fascinating passage in Exodus 24 and seek to apply it to the various aspects of our lives, especially in our addiction (err, usage) of our cell phones.

We generally look for God in the big things, and yet, I believe God is most available to us in the everyday, humdrum activities of life. The problem is, we’re unaware as we speed through life, not slowing down long enough to notice the miracles in our midst and to encounter the divine in the daily. God woke Moses up to this reality, and I believe God wants to do the same for you and me.

On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted a statement known as “The Declaration of Independence,” announcing that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states – no longer a part of the British Empire – and calling themselves, “The United States of America.” The most well-known line within the Declaration indicates that Americans have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Liberty is freedom. But what does the Bible have to say about freedom? That’s what’s tackled in this teaching as we learn the paradoxical truth that in order to find true freedom, we must seek slavery.

Rain was always a downer for me growing up. It spoiled the outdoor fun. As a result, I never understood Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5 about God sending sun and rain on the righteous and unrighteous and then concluding with being “perfect as your heavenly father is perfect” – as if that was even possible. But set in its context, this passage makes all the sense in the world, and Jesus’ words take on powerful implications for our lives.

Hebrew is such a rich and visceral language. One of its coolest words is “hagah.” It often gets translated as “meditate,” but it actually means substantially more than that. In this shorter teaching, we look at this astounding Hebrew word and explore how we can become more active and intentional about digging into the Scriptures, rather than passively reading them, and finding utter joy and satisfaction in the process.

It’s easy to tell others what they should do. It’s more challenging to lead the way first. But we must. In this teaching, we look at how Paul demonstrates this powerful truth in his letter to the Colossians and his reference to John Mark, who deserted he and Barnabbas at the most inopportune time and caused a tremendous amount of pain and friction. Paul knew he couldn’t ask someone to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself. The same is true for us as well.

Our lives are incredibly busy, and most of us aren’t intentional about creating space to retreat from the hustle and bustle to find rest, restoration, and rejuvenation. And yet, without such spaces, we deteriorate and lose focus on what’s important. Jesus understood this. In this teaching, we look at Jesus’ rhythm of retreat, and get really practical on how we can do the same in order to live a vibrant and properly focused life.

We say “yes” to a lot of things, but are they the things we should be saying “yes” to? Jim Collins has said that “the good is the enemy of the great.” We can get so caught up in doing “good” things that we miss out on the “best” things. Jesus understood this clearly. And in this teaching (shot on location in Israel), we look at how Jesus was totally fine disappointing people in order to stay true to his mission. He knew how to say “no” to the good things so he could say “yes” to the best things. Get ready to have your world rocked because this teaching will mess with you!

In Luke 8, a woman grabs the corner of Jesus’ garment and is instantly healed. It’s a bizarre story, until you understand the stunning connections she’s making, and why she does what she does. But even more stunning is Jesus’ tender response, and the implications of his invitation for us to come to him for help and healing despite our uncleanness, hesitations, fears, and messes.

Many of us know Jesus’ statement about loving God and loving others in Matthew 22. But I’m guessing most of us don’t know the Gezerah Shavah behind it that makes it even more fascinating, revolutionary, and challenging than we thought. This is what this teaching tackles as we seek to understand what it more fully means to love God by loving others.

There’s an ancient Jewish practice that revolutionized my prayer life and fostered an awareness of both God and gratitude that I hadn’t accessed on a regular basis before. In this short teaching, I share what that practice is and how it can have a significant impact on your life as well.

It's really easy to focus on what’s notgoing well in our lives, rather than being grateful for what isgoing well. But what would happen if we allowed gratitude to be what grounded us? How would we then view the challenging things in our lives? That's what this teaching addresses by looking at the astounding connections between the healing of Naaman (2 Kings 5) and Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17).

One thing I’ve learned about Jesus is that nothing is random. It’s utterly remarkable how his words and actions tie into the Old Testament story and then propel the overall story forward. Take Luke 7. Jesus raises a widow’s son back to life. It’s incredible. But what makes this story so fascinating isn’t only what Jesus did, but where he did it. When we understand that, we begin to understand just how intentional Jesus is with everything, including your story and mine.

The Sea of Galilee is bursting with life and vitality. The Dead Sea is toxic and nothing can survive. And yet they’re both fed by the same source – the Jordan River. How can this be? The answer is utterly fascinating, and its truth speaks to one of the most significant realities of how we flourish in life.

I’m a really hopeful person, especially on the heels of celebrating the resurrection. But at times, I despair about the condition of our world and the struggles of life. Perhaps you do as well. That’s why I share a fascinating story that has helped me tremendously in addressing these moments and finding the courage to press on.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the most significant event in human history, and each of the gospel writers tell the story in a way to highlight different aspects. This teaching explores how John records it, and how he employs the “8th Sign” and “garden” themes to boldly declare that sin, death, pain, brokenness, and chaos do not get the final word.

One of the most challenging aspects of faith is unmet expectations - that gap between what we thought/hoped God would do and what actually occurred. So how do we deal with those moments? That's what this teaching addresses as we explore the bizarre exchange between Jesus and Peter at Caesarea Philippi.

The future is often really fuzzy. And trying to figure out what is to come or understand what God is doing can leave us confused, frustrated, anxious, or even angry. So how we do we approach an unknown future? This teaching seeks to answer this by looking at a key concept in Isaiah 2. Personally, this was one of the biggest lessons I learned in one of the most challenging transitions I've undergone.