Grace Podcasts

(Genesis 12:1-9 & Romans 4:16) Life can be full of huge risks, but should we do it? Should we take a big risk to maybe get a big return? Father Abraham shows the way (Children's Sunday 1/1).

(Genesis 1:26-2:3 & Matthew 28:16-20) Its helps to have an instruction manual when you are trying to do something, but much of life has no instructions! Jesus has some directions unlike anything that came before it (Confirmation Sunday).

(1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 & Acts 2:2-4, 12-13) We can sometimes get down on ourselves, feeling low, maybe saying some negative self-talk, but the Apostle Paul reminds us of a very different truth. See what it is in 'Except by the Holy Spirit' (Pentecost 1/1).

(Acts 1:6-14 & John 17:11) Getting back at someone can feel pretty good, but is it what we want long term? Jesus has a final command for his disciples that is surprisingly connected to revenge (Women 3/3).

(1 Peter 3:13-22 & Acts 17:26-28) Mothers Day can be tough for many people, especially when you think about how many times we can try to do a good thing but suffer. The Apostle Peter feels your pain and he points us in the right direction to have a clear conscience (Women 2/3).

(Acts 7:51-60 & John 14:25-26) We are have moments of pain and suffering. When a disciple of Jesus experienced this, he had a vision that reminded him exactly where he stood (Women: Barred from Service 1/3).

(John 10:1-10 & Ezekiel 34:11-12) Living without regret might seem impossible. We all have things we wish we could change, but maybe God's promise for life in its fullness doesn't mean we never make a mistake. Maybe it means something much deeper (Rise Up 4/4).

(Daniel 6:7-10) Anxiety can have an enormous negative impact on us and on the world. In the biblical story of Daniel we see someone who responds to the chaos around him not by fighting it tooth and nail, but by regulating the temperature. Hear how you, too, can rise up against conflict and anxiety (Rise Up 3/3).

(John 20:19-31 & Psalm 111:10) Thomas doubted what the disciples saw after the resurrection of Jesus, and we may have our doubts, too. But the call on all of our lives is not to be doubt free; its to represent something so much more (Rise Up 2/3).

(Matthew 28:1-10 & Psalm 118:20-24) Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, can have a devastating effect on our lives. Yet, the earthquake at the resurrection had the complete opposite effect. What will happen after the earthquake in your life? (Rise Up 1/3)

(Luke 16:19-31 & Zechariah 9:9-11) What happens after we die? There is plenty of mystery, but Jesus has some analogies to help us on our way as we understand this final key message from Jesus (6/6 the Message of Jesus)

(John 19:16b-30 & Psalm 22:1-5) What would you say or do if you only had a few days or a few hours to live? Jesus lays out some of the most important ideas with his seven last words. The connection between two of them might even surprise you! (The Message of Jesus 5/6).

(John 6:47-56, 66-69 & Ezekiel 34:2b-5) It seems like we can fall into ruin pretty easily, but the 'I AM' statements of Jesus put a whole new twist on what it means to be ruined (The Message of Jesus 4/6).

(Luke 15:11-32 & Leviticus 19:17-18) Parables are stories that move our hearts and call us to action. What would you do with someone who is reckless with their resources? (the Message of Jesus 3/6).

(Matthew 5:1-20 & 7:24-27) The sermon on the mount has had a profound influence on our world, but it could also destroy us if we misunderstand it. Hear some of the key points to rightly follow the ethics of Jesus in the kingdom (The Message of Jesus 2/6).

(Mark 1:14-28 & Psalm 32:9-11) Sometimes it seems like the whole world is broken. The way to a full life is laid out by Jesus, but it has nothing to do with what we usually think of (the Message of Jesus 1/6).

(Nehemiah 9:6-17 & Matthew 17:1-2) We want to do good for our community, but how do we really make that happen? Valentines and a journey to hell can point to an unexpected truth - the way forward is not in changing the community! (Rebuilding Us, Rebuilding Our Community 3/3).

(Nehemiah 4:1-15 & 1 Corinthians 2:1-5) Lives can change pretty dramatically when someone with confidence offers us a hand. Nehemiah did that for Israel, and we can do that for each other (Rebuilding Us, Rebuilding Our Community 2/3).

(Nehemiah 1:2-10, 2:1-5 & Micah 6:6-8) Sometimes we fail, and fail hard! We are not alone. Even Nehemiah in the Bible knew that feeling, but what he did next is an example for us all (Rebuilding Us, Rebuilding Our Community 1/3).

(Joshua 4:1-8, 19-24 & 1 Peter 2:5-6) Generational differences seem like they are everywhere, but are they really all their cracked up to be? Finding a deeper connection helps us to be there for one another, even if we don't see everything the same (for Generations, 4/4).

(Romans 11:33-12:8 & Psalm 95:6-7) Our commitments in the new year are about more than our body. The same is true when it comes to worship. We don't just put on a show for God - we give everything (For Generations 3/4).

(Matthew 3:11-17 & Acts 4:32-37) Sometimes good health and more money feels like thriving, but underneath it is something far more important. Jesus and the early church points to a feature that matters even more than health and wealth (For Generations 2/4).

(Romans 12:9-21& Matthew 7:12) We might know what is genuinely evil, but sometimes we get it wrong when it comes to evaluating people. Hear about an ancient argument that points the way to real good (For Generations, 1/4).

(Luke 1:26-38) The Second Annual Grace United Methodist Church Sunday School Christmas Play, 'Do Not Be Afraid.'

(Mark 12:28-34 & John 1:10-14) What's home when you move to a new place, or lose something you love? Holy Disruption can help us find true joy even when our home is taken from us (Holy Disruption 3/3).

(Mark 9:38-50 & Isaiah 9:6-7) Conflict never seems to end! Whether its with friends and family or biggest global conflicts, we can't seem to go a day without it. The way to peace, though, is not just avoiding conflict. Jesus points the way to real peace this Christmas (Holy Disruption 2/4).

(Mark 13:14-27, 32-37 & Isaiah 64:1-2) Life will inevitably change, but is it an apocalypse? It might be! Hear how change for ancient Israel led to something completely unexpected - hope (Holy Disruption 1/4).

(Luke 23:33-43 & Colossians 1:16-18) Revenge can feel like the right thing to do; even animals do it! But when we look closely at Jesus on the cross a very different picture emerges (4/4 Fear, Grief and a Far Away God).

(Isaiah 65:17-25 & Luke 21:16-19) Little kids will ask "why" on repeat, but that doesn't make it a meaningless question. As we deal with loss it can be the most important question we ask (Fear, Grief & A Far Away God).

(Genesis 50:1-21 & Matthew 10:29-31) Fear can stem from all sorts of places, but what's the right way to respond to it? The dreamer, Joseph, had a word for his fearful brothers that still speaks to us today (Fear, Grief and a Far Away God 2/4).

(Job 23:1-17 & Matthew 13:10-12) A major loss or a death in the family can rock our world and make us question everything. Job went through that and his experience points us to how to handle 'the dark night of the soul' (Fear, Grief and a Far Away God 1/4).

(Luke 6:27-37, 41-42 & Proverbs 25:21-22) A major trauma can reveal unknown enemies, just as a personal violation can. Jesus taught a way of dealing with this that has shaped the last two thousand years. Hear about a way forward even when your gut points you in the wrong direction (The Guilty Church 4/4).

(John 13:21-35 & Leviticus 17:11) After washing his friends' feet and warning them about Judas betraying him, Jesus gets down to business about what really makes us happy. When we are deeply and truly happy, we are also right with God (The Guilty Church 2/4).

(Deuteronomy 11:13-17, Leviticus 19:17-18 & Matthew 5:17-20) Our views change can on things, but what about God? Sometimes the Old and New Testament might look like God is changing. Is that true? Find out in 'From Age to Age' (Guilty Church 1/4).

(Matthew 23:12-20 & Ephesians 5:11-14) Life can have unexpected curve balls in it, but maybe those curves can do some good for us. Jesus through a curve at the religious leaders of his time, but with a very specific purpose in mind (The Tears of Things 4/4).

(Lamentations 3:1-23 & Ezekiel 37:1-6) Sometimes the world can seem so broken we can't do anything but cry. An ancient tradition among the prophets included not only tears, but a far more profound innovation that would change the world (Tears of Things 3/4).

(Micah 4:1-3 & Luke 8:26-31) In our age of outrage violence seems to be the answer for everything, but evil isn't cured by violence. We need to work toward something far bigger if we are going to see our nation thrive (The Tears of Things 2/4).

(Isaiah 6:1-8 & 1 Corinthians 13:9-13) Anger can get the best of us, sometimes, but why are the prophets in the Bible so angry? Isn't God love? See how 'the tears of things' leads us not to anger, but to good trouble (The Tears of Things 1/4).

(Hebrews 11:29-12:2 & Matthew 22:17-21) It can be tough figuring out the right action in difficult circumstances. How do we know what to do? We look to the heroes of faith and the city of God (Living History 6/6).

(2 Timothy 4:1-8 & Revelation 3:15-19) Sometimes we feel like we have the right to something, but the Apostle Paul shows us what to do with those rights in a dramatic encounter with the Emperor of Rome (Living History 5/6).

(Ezra 3:10-13 & Daniel 11:2-4, 31-32) When nations are at war it can feel like nothing is going right. When the prophet Daniel faces the worst thing for his nation, we see a glimpse into the true meaning of life (Living History 4/6).

(Isaiah 11:1-12 & Matthew 1:17-18) Today is no different from thousands of years ago when people faced terrible circumstances, with no one listening. The prophets of Israel, though, propose a radical way forward (Living History 3/6).

(Daniel 2:31-45 & Luke 21:5-6) The Assyrian Empire looked like it was unstoppable until the Neo-Babylonian Empire completely annihilated it. But even the Babylonians won't last. What do you do when you have no power and an empire is rising all around you? (Living History 2/6)

(Genesis 15:1-18 & Hebrews 8:8b-10) Mesopotamia was home to the first great stories of creation and flooding, but a wandering Aramean gives birth to a whole new way of thinking (Living History 1/6).

(Galatians 6:1-10 & Luke 10:1-2) As the country celebrates Independence Day, we look at the state of the church. Are we genuinely doing the will of God? The Apostle Paul puts the challenge to all of us with a very direct way to measure whether we are doing it or not.

(Galatians 5:1, 13-25 & Luke 9:61-62) It is for freedom that we were set free! But what do we do with that freedom? Hear a series of highlights from the past year at Grace that help direct and focus the use of our freedom (Annual Highlights).

(Romans 5:1-11 & John 16:12-13) Getting back at someone can feel good, but is it good for the soul? The Apostle Paul gives us much to think about in how we compare to others.

(Genesis 11:1-9 & Acts 2:1-8, 12-18) Fostering and raising children can be tough to do. It can raise all kinds of feelings of being ill-prepared or inadequate. It can feel the same in the Christian life, but Jesus offers us a sudden, and unexpected path forward in Pentecost.

(Acts 16:16-34 & Revelation 22:13-14) Jail can feel like its always wrong to be there, but what if there's actually a good side to being thrown in prison? The Apostle Paul adds a surprising twist to what looks like bad news (Confirmation Sunday).

(Galatians 5:13-26 & Deuteronomy 10:12-13) Memorial Day and Aldersgate Day are two important dates. Hear about some of the surprising connections between these themes in "Freedom and Slavery."

(Exodus 1:15-2:10) Birth can bring with it all kinds of blessings, but also trouble. Hear about Moses' mother who had a brutally difficult situation as she gave birth. Her faith is a lesson to us all!