Faith For All

Bringing some good news episode 1: When the good news doesn't sound all that good

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
John 6:66-68    New International Version
 
 
 
When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
 
Mark 5:2-5    New International Version
 
 
 
When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
 
Mark 5:15-17   New International Version
 
 
 
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
 
Mark 1:15     New International Version

Political Inclusivity

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:7-8  New International Version
 
 
 
We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
 
1 John 4:19-21    New International Version
 
 
 
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.  These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
 
Matthew 10:1-4     New International Version
 
 

Change: Finding God in change

 
Because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives
Colossians 1:4-9    New International Version

Change: The Icky Stuff

 
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,    and his ears are attentive to their cry;but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,    to blot out their name from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;    he delivers them from all their troubles.The Lord is close to the brokenhearted    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:15-18  New International Version
 
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 New International Version
 
 
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11    New International Version
 
 
 
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Matthew 6:25  New International Version
 
 
 
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:31-34    New International Version
 
 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart    and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him,    and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;    fear the Lord and shun evil.This will bring health to your body    and nourishment to your bones.
 
Proverbs 3:5-8     New International Version
 
 

Change: God is doing a new thing

 
This is what the Lord says—    he who made a way through the sea,    a path through the mighty waters,who drew out the chariots and horses,    the army and reinforcements together,and they lay there, never to rise again,    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:“Forget the former things;    do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing!    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?I am making a way in the wilderness    and streams in the wasteland.The wild animals honor me,    the jackals and the owls,because I provide water in the wilderness    and streams in the wasteland,to give drink to my people, my chosen,    the people I formed for myself    that they may proclaim my praise.
 
Isaiah 43:16-21   New International Version

Discussion: The Band Talks Music

Praise God in his sanctuary;    praise him in his mighty heavens.Praise him for his acts of power;    praise him for his surpassing greatness.Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,    praise him with the harp and lyre,praise him with timbrel and dancing,    praise him with the strings and pipe,praise him with the clash of cymbals,    praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
 
Psalm 150.     New International Version

Did Jesus Really Say That? Final "Jesus was not political"

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Philippians 3:17-21  New International Version
 
 
 
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Matthew 22:15-22   New International Version
 
 
 
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
 
Luke 2:10-11   New International Version
 
 
 
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
 
Matthew 2:1-2   New International Version
 
 
 
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
 
Mark 1:14-15   New International Version

Did Jesus Really Say That? ep 6 "Everything happens for a reason"

 
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.    He makes me lie down in green pastures,he leads me beside quiet waters,    he refreshes my soul.He guides me along the right paths    for his name’s sake.Even though I walk    through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil,    for you are with me;your rod and your staff,    they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil;    my cup overflows.Surely your goodness and love will follow me    all the days of my life,and I will dwell in the house of the Lord    forever.
Psalm 23   New International Version
 
  
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28   New International Version
 
 
 
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
1 Corinthians 15:54   New International Version

Did Jesus Really Say That? ep5 "God is color blind"

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,who sits on the throne,and to the Lamb.”
 
Revelation 7:9-10   New International Version

Did Jesus Really Say That? ep 4 "Love the sinner, Hate the sin"

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14   New International Version
 
 
 
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:34-40   New International Version
 
 
 
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"
 
Matthew 5:43-44   New International Version
 
 
 
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:1-5   New International Version