Christianity In Action

Being the parent of a teenager is rough. But imagine how much more difficult it must have been to be Mary when Jesus was 12? We turn to a familiar story from Luke and learn what examples for today's world that Jesus is trying to show us in this sermon from Rev. Joshua Bower.

Jonah was more than a story about a big fish. It's a redemption story about how a man who was was nothing if not self-absorbed ends up being selfless. Today, Rev. Joshua Bower talks about the nature of sacrificial love and how maybe it, above all other forms, sits at the center of Christ's love for us.

It's been a crazy few weeks in the world. Since the death of George Floyd, mass riots and protests have erupted across the globe. How are we, as Christians, called to respond to these events? JD Sumner and Rev. Joshua Bower talk about being Christians in such tumultuous times.

So how did French Mennonites, atheist academics and Yale Divinity School help a region of Southwest Georgia rebound from a spate of natural disasters? Rev. Deb Tregaskis has a remarkable story about how she came to find her calling in the ministry and how that, in turn, has ultimately led her to serve in a very delicate role as the Presbytery Executive over a mostly rural swath of Georgia.

When Will Runyon was just a boy, he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition that lead to several hospital stays and a feeling of isolation. Today, Will serves as the chaplain at a hospital at the center of a Coronavirus outbreak where he, alongside nurses and doctors, serve a vital role in helping comfort the sick and dying.

Mark 13 has some incredible visuals. FInd out what secret messages still linger in the text and what it means for us today, as Christians living in a Covid19-filled world.

There's a ton of really beautiful and dramatic imagery in Mark 13, as Jesus stokes to fires of revolution ahead of Good Friday and Easter. But is there a hidden message buried within the text that can be used to help us deal with the anxieties of the day? Josh and J.D. talk it out.

On a bright blue Georgia morning at one of our favorite coffee joints, the Rev. Joshua Bower and myself talk a little bit about what the Bible and Christ have to say on the topic of love. What does it mean to love others the way you love yourself? What does it mean to love oneself? We could've easily called this podcast "Love in the time of Covid19;" how do the stresses of life such as work, kids, marriage and pandemics impact our ability to love? We talk about it all on this week's episode of "Christianity in Action." If you liked the podcast, feel free to give to support it by going to going to www.1stpresalbany.org and clicking the give online button or just click here.

It's a striking visual; Mark 11: 1-11, Jesus and the disciples are on approach to Jersusalem where he finally enters triumphantly as King. How and why can this be applied to your daily life?

Jesus didn't literally mean to pluck out your eye if it sins, did he? It's easy to get distracted by all kinds of things that want to pull you away from the life that Christ wants you to live. What are you prepared to do help eliminate those barriers? Can you recommit yourself to avoid those distractions and focus on God?