Southern Reverend

1 Corinthians 13 isn't usually a passage for Advent or Christmas, but it's more relevant to the birth of Christ than you might think. Y'all have a blessed and merry Christmas!!

Luke's gospel tells us that shepherds were sent to visit Jesus the night he was born, but why is this significant? What does this tell us about the nature of this New King & His coming Kingdom? Why does it give anything to rejoice about today? Listen to find out.

When the Wise Men visit Jesus, they bring Jesus all of the same things that He wants from us: our treasure, our worship, and our mourning. In exchange for all that we bring, Jesus gives us peace. This is the second in a series through Advent, called Heaven Came Down. Read more of my reflections by going to https://www.southernreverend.com/journal

Luke 1:68-79. Advent is a season that invites us to pause and wait on the arrival of God in the child Jesus. It is a time to reflect on what God has done and to hope in what God will continue to do. In this episode, we take a few minutes to explore what that might mean for us, wherever we are and whatever we are going through. The song at the end of this episode is "Hope," by my good friend Jeffrey Box from his album, "Liturgy." Check him out after you're through listening.

Acts 3:12-19 Peter's speech to those gathered around to see the aftermath of a miracle tells us a lot about what it means to really be a witness. He recalls history, he appeals to people's identity, and he brings to bear his own past as a man ignorant of God's purposes through Christ--all for the sake of giving people good news. If it seems like Peter's speech is harsh--well, it is. Sometimes the truth is not an easy pill to swallow. But Peter doesn't end his speech on a message of condemnation. Peter ends it on hope. With Jesus, there is always hope.

Acts 4:32-35 The early church in the Book of Acts was a strange new thing: a community oriented to the needs of others, who were kind and generous to those on the edges of society, a group of people united not by their ethnicity or their politics, but by their common belief in a risen Christ and grace that pours out from it. What is it about this resurrected Jesus that causes people to behave in this way? And what implications does it have for those of us now, who are citizens of His kingdom? In this episode, we'll walk through it.

Episode one of Can I Get A Witness centers around a man learning to minister to those who would be his enemies. It begs the question, "How often do I turn away from others because they are the wrong kind of people?" This episode is taken from Acts 10:34-43. You can listen and read more from Southern Reverend at www.southernreverend.com or find me on Instagram and Facebook at the handle Southern Reverend. Y'all have a great week and be good to one another. (Intro song, "Morning," written and composed by Joel Elliott Mooneyhan. All rights reserved.)

The gospel arrives from the unlikeliest of places, in the unlikeliest of circumstances, to and from the unlikeliest of people. The stories in this series come from the Book of Acts; they all show the gospel of Christ breaking through barriers and confounding expectations. This good news isn't unlikely just because of the story it tells, but also because of what the story caused ordinary men and women to do in response. Readings for each week's episodes will come from the following texts: Acts 10:34-43 Acts 4:32-35 Acts 3:12-19 Acts 4:5-12 Acts 8:26-40 Acts 10:44-48 Acts 1:1-5, 21-26 Acts 2:1-21 As you read these passages and listen to this podcast, don't be afraid to read the passages that come before and after the Lectionary texts. You might even read the entire book. When you do, you'll be amazed at the shape the early church took and the impact it had on the surrounding world, all because ordinary men and women stood up when asked, "Can I get a witness?" You can listen and read more from Southern Reverend at www.southernreverend.com or find me on Instagram and Facebook at the handle Southern Reverend. Y'all have a great week and be good to one another. (Intro song, "Morning," written and composed by Joel Elliott Mooneyhan. All rights reserved.)

The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the turning point of human history; it's the event that orients our calendar. But it's also a story that is told inconsistently across the four gospel accounts. In this episode, I give a quick reflection on why that actually isn't as problematic as it seems. It's by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it will give believers and skeptics alike a jumping off point to investigate and reflect on further. It may help to read each account before you listen, so if you'd like to do so, they are: Matthew 28:1-10 Mark 16:1-8 Luke 24:1-12 John 20:1-18 You can listen and read more from Southern Reverend at www.southernreverend.com or find me on Instagram and Facebook at the handle Southern Reverend. Y'all have a great week and be good to one another. (Intro song, "Morning," written and composed by Joel Elliott Mooneyhan. All rights reserved.)

Good Friday is a strange name for a day commemorating the death of Jesus, but it is fitting; everything about Jesus' life is an inversion of what we expect. God almighty living not as a king, but as a carpenter. The Son of God making friends not with the righteous, but with sinners. The Messiah arriving not to conquer, but to die. In this episode, from John's account of the conversation between Jesus of Nazareth and Pontius Pilate, we'll look at how one of my favorite movies relates to the story, how the Kingdom of Heaven is like kudzu, and how Jesus' suffering was actually his coronation.

It is Holy Week, the week in the Christian calendar that commemorates Jesus' last week on earth before his betrayal, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. It's a week of contradictions, of inverted expectations, and it begins with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This past Sunday I delivered the sermon at my Dad's church in Winder, Georgia, expounding on my experiences in New Orleans, giving a funeral for a stranger, and Luke's account of Jesus farewell parade. (Luke 19:28-40)

Southern Reverend is back this week with a conversation on faith and redemption with my friend Ben Smith. Ben and I met working together and have forged a great friendship around movies, food, and most importantly, our faith. He graciously agreed to come and share his story with y'all, and I now present it to you. If you're enjoying Southern Reverend, I'd appreciate a review on whatever platform you're listening on and maybe share it with your friends. You can also follow Southern Reverend on Instagram and Facebook at the handle Southern Reverend, or online at www.southernrevernd.com Thanks for listening, y'all take care and be good to one another.

In this episode, the second of two conversations with my friend Nathaniel Cheeks in 2016, we talk about vocation and ministry, and how call plays out even for people not employed by a church. (There will be more to come from Nathaniel and myself, and it won't take four years before anyone hears it.)

In this episode, taken from a conversation I had in 2016 with one of my very best friends Nathaniel Cheeks, we discuss what life was like growing up as preacher's kids. It may not be what you expect, or it may be exactly what you expect. You'll just have to listen to find out.

At the end of the Book of Revelation, Jesus proclaims that He is making all things new. This phrase is the key not only to understanding Revelation, but also in understanding what Easter means to us today, 2,000 years later. I'll be posting a few follow up mini-episodes soon to answer questions and go a little deeper on a few of the earlier episodes in this series. Afterwards, I am taking a little break to get things together for Summer and Fall. In the meantime, I'd love it if you shared this podcast with your family and friends to help me get the word out. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook at the links below, and visit online at www.southernreverend.com where I'll be posting more written content soon. Stay tuned, there is more to come. Until then, y'all take care and be good to one another. -Jem. www.instagram.com/southernreverend www.facebook.com/southernreverend

Throughout the teachings of Jesus runs a thread of forbearance with everyone, no matter who they are or what they've done to us. It is a teaching that ran counter to the culture of Jesus' time and place and runs counter to our own need for retribution even today. But Jesus is insistent: even our enemies are loved by Christ as much as we are, and therefore deserving of the same grace that we would want for ourselves. In the Kingdom of God, there is no need to have an enemy.

Jesus does not always appear in a flash of light; sometimes he appears quietly in our moments of sorrow or aimlessness, a stranger on the road. Without warning, without incident, he walks beside us until we finally realize that he has been there all along. The Gospel of Luke tells us of a story just like this. Music for this week's episode provided by the wonderful and talented Angela Petrilli. Follow her here: https://www.instagram.com/angelapetrillimusic/ For more from Southern Reverend, including more episodes, journals, and the like, visit www.southernreverend.com or follow on Instagram by going here: www.instagram.com/southernreverend Y'all take care and be good to one another.

Jesus is adept at speak to us exactly as we need to hear him. Saul of Tarsus would learn this better than anyone; as sure of himself as anyone could be, he is met by Jesus in a blinding flash of light. The encounter was unmistakable, and it changed him forever. The same thing happens today. For more from Southern Reverend. visit www.southernreverend.com Special thanks to Andrew Vickery for providing the music on this week's episode. For more of his music, visit https://www.reverbnation.com/andrewvickery

The obscure, the outcasts, and the outsiders; the wicked, the broken, and the downtrodden; the mighty, the strange, and the powerless. Throughout Scripture, God uses the most unlikely people to do things unimaginable. If you think your story is over, that you have failed too hard, or that you have nothing to offer Christ's Kingdom, think again.

When things have been long-dead and deserted, is there any hope of life? Does God really have the power to bring dead things back to life? Is there any hope of restoration when we feel abandoned? Spoiler alert, the answer to all of these questions is a resounding "Yes." This week's episode comes from the prophet Ezekiel. Special thanks to Dave Hicks from Manchester, England, for providing the music for this episode. Visit www.southernreverend.com for more. Y'all take care and be good to one another.

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?" COVID-19 has thrown everything out of balance for so many of us. Fear, anxiety, and frustration mark this strange historical moment, with so many looking for meaning in the midst of it. And then comes Easter Sunday, to remind us of where true life can be found, even in the midst of so much darkness.