Podcasts about does god have

Many people use the beginning of each year to set new goals or see it as a time for a fresh start. As parents who have lost a child (especially in those first few years) those are not things we are interested in at all. In fact, we don't want to go into a new […] The post 283: Does God Have a Word for You? appeared first on GPS Hope.

A Daily Gift of Kindness Show Synopsis: A Candid Conversation with authors from the newly released book A Daily Gift of Kindness. Guests: Michelle Harwood-Lange Sally Mary S. de Leon Fran Asaro Ilene Gottlieb Andi Buerger Ida Ra Nalbandian Mary Vovers Brown Dr. Givanna Cheeks Bio's: Michelle Harwood-Lange - How do you describe a woman who understands the rigors of life more than most? Michelle Harwood-Lange's experience stretches the gamut of exquisite joy to some serious life lessons none of us will see, even over a lifetime. She has learned to pivot those negatives into positive strengths.  As an author, artist, and inspiring thought leader, her mission is to share her life through the power of the written word and visual art. Her powerful wisdom and intuition flow from a pen or brush to enlighten minds and awaken souls. Sally Mary S. de Leon - As an Army Veteran and a nurse with over 20 years of experience, Sally Mary approaches healing and empowerment like a master gardener, tending to each individual's needs with compassion and expertise. From patching scraped knees as a child to advocating for patients' rights as a nurse and paralegal, she has always had an innate drive to care for others. Her commitment extends to serving on non-profit boards focused on reducing veteran suicide and homelessness. Inspired by her journey, are you ready to unearth your potential for healing and growth? Visit https://operationbetterme.com/  to learn more. Fran Asaro - Fran Asaro is a YouTube Mentor and Strategist. She is the Founder of the Senior Tuber Community where she helps mature people become well-versed YouTube Content creators as she walks them through the steps to leave their legacy, earn additional income, and share their gifts with the world.  More about the Senior Tuber - https://services.seniortuber.com/allservices/ More about the Senior Tuber Community - https://services.seniortuber.com/senior-tuber-circle/      Ilene Gottlieb - Ilene Gottlieb is The Heart Healer. She's been in nursing for over 50 years, with 30 years in Vibrational Healing. Ilene is an expert in creating and using holistic approaches to clear energy blocks and promote healing. She helps an International clientele of heart-centered individuals and entrepreneurs who struggle with trauma, fear, self-sabotaging negative thoughts or behaviors, and self-worth issues. Working with Ilene, her clients experience inner peace, self-confidence, empowerment, and a knowing of their soul's purpose. Ilene has served 1,000s of clients globally as an International Speaker and Vibrational Healer. She is the Founder of The Heart Healers Ho'oponopono Community. https://linktr.ee/ilenegottlieb.thehearthealer Andi Buerger - Founder of Voices Against Trafficking and a survivor, author, and advocate for victims worldwide. Her books, Voices Against Trafficking - The Strength of Many Voices Speaking As One  and A Fragile Thread of Hope: One Survivor's Quest to Rescue, are available on Amazon.com as well as her Voices Of Courage magazine. Andi's new release debuts in 2025 along with a television program also titled Voices Of Courage. Her work continues to appear in numerous magazines and books such as Unsheltered: Voices from the Street by Peggy Willms and Dennis Pitocco and the best-selling compilation, Wellness G.P.S.  Ida Ra Nalbandian - Ida Ra Nalbandian is a former university lecturer who taught philology, linguistics, and comparative literature. She is the author of multiple books, including Does God Have a Bicycle, and Jacob's Magic Vegetables: How Loving Kindness Grows. In addition, she is a contributing author to A Daily Gift of Hope: A Collection of Stories from Hopeful Hearts Around the Globe, and Portals. Energetic Doorways to Mystical Experiences Between Worlds (with Freddy Silva) Ida and her family founded VSCF-Vahagn Setian Charitable Foundation in memory of her late son, whose life was tragically cut short by a drunk driver. Ida honors the foundation's mission of promoting self-awareness, attentive choices, and the expansion of the greater good. https://vahagnfoundation.org Mary Vovers Brown - Mary Vovers Brown, founder of TriMedia3, offers digital marketing to small businesses.  Her corporate background has honed her communication, strategic planning, problem-solving, and creativity skills.  Originally from Australia, Mary has been fortunate to live and work throughout the US including Hawaii and Alaska. She is the proud single mother of two incredible souls. Reach her at: mary@trimedia3.com Dr. Givanna Cheeks - Givonna Cheeks Baker, Ph.D., PMP, CBCP serves as President/CEO of Entero Emergency Management Consulting, INC. (DBA Entero Solutions). Givonna earned a Ph.D. from Capella University where she studied Public Safety Leadership with a concentration in Emergency Management. Before attending Capella University, she earned a Master of Science in Business Management at Troy State University. Givonna has proudly served for 22 ½ years in the United States Army with two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through numerous military and civilian leadership experiences Givonna has learned exemplary leadership and genuine care and concern are vital to sustained organization growth and success. Video Version: https://youtu.be/HZrKGeuOkno?si=NSHBmTkvArMaj1Gx Call in with a comment or Chat with Teresa during Live Show with Video Stream: Call 646-558-8656 ID: 8836953587 press #.  To Ask a Question press *9 to raise your hand. or write a question on YouTube during Show Learn more about Teresa here: https://www.webebookspublishing.com    http://authenticendeavorspublishing.com/

Does God Have the Right? Romans 9 Pastor Brian Green

"Wellness G.P.S.- Get Prepared for Success" Panel 2 Lori Walker is a Usui Reiki Master, Holy Fire Reiki Master and a contributing author to multiple books including Mayhem to Miracles, The Four-Fold Formula for All Things Wellness, and A Daily Gift of Gratitude. She is also a commissioned notary in the state of Pennsylvania. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069752775443 ljwalker131@comcast.net Dr. Keith McNally specializes in facilitating discussions by bringing like-minded people together to create real impact. Dr. McNally launched three podcasts in the past two years: The Question Guy Podcast, Coach's Corner, and the Envision Speakers Series. The Question Guy Podcast addresses people's personal stories. Coach's Corner is a one-on-one conversation regarding his guests' professional expertise. The Envision Speakers Series brings a group of subject-matter experts together at the table to propose solutions to problems currently impacting our world. He is also the author of Walking the Path – A Leader's Journey, a leadership book focusing on personal development. Finally, Dr. K is on a mission – to eradicate the negative impact of suicide by providing help, hope, and healing. Help Dr. K with this mission by supporting his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2025! http://www.drkeithmcnally.com https://walkingthepath.net Ida Ra Nalbandian is a former university lecturer who taught philology, linguistics, and comparative literature. She is the author of multiple books, including Does God Have a Bicycle, and Jacob's Magic Vegetables: How Loving Kindness Grows. In addition, she is a contributing author to A Daily Gift of Hope: A Collection of Stories from Hopeful Hearts Around the Globe,and Portals. Energetic Doorways to Mystical Experience Between Worlds (with Freddy Silva) Ida and her family founded VSCF-Vahagn Setian Charitable Foundation in memory of her late son, whose life was tragically cut short by a drunk driver. Ida honors the foundation's mission of promoting self-awareness, attentive choices, and the expansion of greater good. https://vahagnfoundation.org Eileen Bild is the CEO and Executive Producer at OTELproductions, ROKU Channel Developer and Talk Show host for OTEL TALK. She is an author and internationally syndicated columnist for BizCatalyst360, Life Coaching Magazine, Women's Voice Magazine, and NSAEN. She is also a Breakthrough S.P.A.R.K. Coach. https://www.oteluniverse.com/  info@otelproductions.com   https://www.corethinkingblueprint.com/ Coach@EileenBild.com   Info@EileenBild.com Givonna Cheeks Baker, Ph.D., PMP, CBCP serves as President/CEO of Entero Emergency Management Consulting, INC. (DBA Entero Solutions). Givonna earned a Ph.D. from Capella University where she studied Public Safety Leadership with a concentration in Emergency Management. Before attending Capella University, she earned a Master of Science in Business Management from Troy State University. Givonna has proudly served for 22 ½ years in the United States Army with two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through numerous military and civilian leadership experiences, Givonna has learned exemplary leadership and genuine care, and concern are vital to sustained organizational growth and success. givonna.s.cheeks@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbakerphd/ https://enterosolutions.com/ Video Version: https://youtu.be/GDxw299slqk?si=18ftSzrwx0Mhl0go Call in with a comment or Chat with Teresa during Live Show with Video Stream: Call 646-558-8656 ID: 8836953587 press #.  To Ask a Question press *9 to raise your hand. or write a question on YouTube during Show. Learn more about Teresa here: https://www.webebookspublishing.com    http://authenticendeavorspublishing.com/

If I were Satan, this would be my playbook. Does it look familiar, America? Check out this snippet from my latest sermon, "Does God Have a Problem With American Christianity?" ---------- To get more unfiltered and unapologetic Bible teaching from Pastor Mark, visit www.RealFaith.com or text “RealFaith” to 99383. Follow on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyzD6QsOut9S3e854Ffj41g?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pastormark TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pastormarkdriscoll Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markdriscoll/ Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/pastormark To donate and help get Bible-teaching out to a lost and broken world, visit: https://raisedonors.com/markdriscoll/podcast-general-donate Click here for more resources: https://linktr.ee/markdriscoll

If I were Satan, this would be my playbook. Does it look familiar, America? Check out this snippet from my latest sermon, "Does God Have a Problem With American Christianity?" ---------- To get more unfiltered and unapologetic Bible teaching from Pastor Mark, visit www.RealFaith.com or text “RealFaith” to 99383. Follow on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyzD6QsOut9S3e854Ffj41g?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pastormark TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pastormarkdriscoll Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markdriscoll/ Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/pastormark To donate and help get Bible-teaching out to a lost and broken world, visit: https://raisedonors.com/markdriscoll/podcast-general-donate Click here for more resources: https://linktr.ee/markdriscoll

Matthew Dowling, preaching minister at the Plymouth Church of Christ, preached a message titled "Does God Have a Ministry for Me?" from Ephesians 2:10 and various scriptures. The summer sermon series is "GODFAQs." This was the final message in the series.

Matthew Dowling, preaching minister at the Plymouth Church of Christ, preached a message titled "Does God Have a Ministry for Me?" from Ephesians 2:10 and various scriptures. The summer sermon series is "GODFAQs." This was the final message in the series.

In this episode of Hebrew Voices #160, Does God Have a Body?, Nehemia talks to Dr. Gabriel Wasserman about a medieval Karaite epistle. Their discussion explores Jewish moneylending, Sabbath observance, and a rabbinical Midrash about the size of God's body … Continue reading → The post Hebrew Voices #160 – Does God Have a Body? appeared first on Nehemia's Wall.

Does God Have a Plan for My Life 11 27 2022 by Tim Stutzman

Does God Have a Plan for Missions? Matthew 28:19-20 Acts 1:8

Parshat Bereisheet:  The Image of God  -  English and Spanish.  Does God Have a Body?  Recorded October 24, 2022.   Parshat Bereisheet: La imagen de Dios - Inglés y español.  ¿Tiene Dios un cuerpo?  Grabado el 24 de octubre de 2022.  

Does God Have a Sense of Humor? - Matthew Kelly Get Matthew's 60 Second Wisdom delivered to your inbox: https://www.matthewkelly.com/subscribeVideo Transcript:“THERE ARE SO MANY opportunities each day to catch a glimpse of the genius of God. One of my favorites is laughter. God is the genius behind humor and laughter. Laughter is essential to the human experience, and humor has been observed in every culture, in every place and time. Can you imagine life without laughter? The goodness and genius of God is evident in laughter. Laughter is medicine for the body, mind, and soul. Its benefits are endless. Modern medicine has discovered that laughter strengthens your immune system, improves mood, and diminishes pain. Laughter is a powerful form of stress relief. It burns calories, eases anxiety, reduces stress, and is a natural antidepressant. A good laugh relaxes the body, eases tension, and leaves your muscles relaxed for up to forty-five minutes. Laughter stimulates your heart and increases the number of endorphins released by your brain, which creates an overall sense of well-being. When you laugh, the amount of oxygen-rich air that rushes to your lungs increases. Laughter reduces blood pressure, increases blood flow, and can help protect you from a heart attack. It increases happiness, reduces anger and other negative emotions, and increases resilience in the face of obstacles and unpleasant events. Laughter increases our energy and enthusiasm for life. People who laugh regularly are more joyful and have healthier hearts. Humor improves personal satisfaction, strengthens relationships, helps defuse conflict, shifts our perspective, and attracts other people to us. Laughter connects us with others, makes our burdens seem lighter, and can reduce anger and conflict. It creates a sense of belonging and bonds people together. It enhances teamwork and improves productivity. Laughter and humor build trust, encourage collaboration, increase likability, draw people in to listen, improve memory and retention, make arguments more persuasive, and increase learning by reducing classroom anxiety. Laughter releases serotonin, which improves focus, decision making, problem solving, objectivity, open- ness to new ideas, and overall brainpower. It took some really smart scientists to discover all this, but God is the genius who is alive and well in laughter. All this may leave us wondering: Does God have a sense of humor? Humor is essential to the human experience. Many of the most memorable and meaningful moments in life are humorous. But where is humor in our experience of God, religion, and spirituality? If you read the life and teachings of Jesus as portrayed in the four Gospels, there is little evidence to suggest that he had a sense of humor. Do you believe that Jesus didn't have a sense of humor? I believe he had a wonderful sense of humor. I imagine him walking down the dusty roads of Galilee with his disciples. Thirteen guys spending all that time together. There must have been some epic moments of humor. Wouldn't you love to hear Jesus laugh? Wouldn't you love to know what made him laugh and how he made others laugh? For some reason, nobody thought it was important enough to record, and we have been making the same mistake by excluding humor and laughter from our relationship with God ever since. Just as humor is essential to the human experience, maybe it is also essential to our spiritual experience. There is an old joke about making God laugh. It is often repeated and rarely questioned, but we will question it together now. “If you want to hear God laugh,” the joke goes, “tell him your plans.” If you think about it, this theory is tragically flawed. What kind of father would laugh at his children when they tell him their plans? In the joke God is laughing at us—or is he laughing at our plans, or our in

Today’s Broadcast July 15, 2022Ask Pastor Mike-Israel Listen Download Today's Message Purchase Message From Series: Ask Pastor Mike: Israel Purchase Entire Series Broadcast Archive Message Description Pastor Mike answers the question: Does God Have a Plan for Israel? Series Description The Ask Pastor Mike broadcasts provide answers that Christians have about God, the Bible and Christianity in our world today. What’s Next Spiritual Detours Christmas Courage Internal Warfare This Month’s ResourceTop Series Fatal Excuses Christianity In Real Life The Experience of Every Christian Receive Monthly Insight from Pastor MikeYour email addressSubmit Share This Message:

Welcome to New Hope's Cutting Room Floor Podcast where we get a chance to talk about what didn't make it into the sermon this week, and what our speaker would've liked more time to engage with.  We'll also go over some questions you might have had, and generally just have a good time talking about what was on our speaker's mind. Episode 10: Does God Have a Political Party? with Mike Sterns and Denise Douglas   RESOURCES The Church of Us vs. Them, David E. Fitch Christless Christianity, Michael Horton The Politics of the Cross, Daniel K. Williams A Non-Anxious Presence, Mark Sayers The Liturgy of Politics, Kaitlyn Schiess Not In It to Win It, Andy Stanley Taking America Back for God, Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/04/us/andy-stanley-evangelicals-book-blake-cec/index.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/christians-politics-belief.html

“Does God Have a Big Toe?” from 2022-06-12 by Matt Matthews.

According to the Bible, what is the name of the Lord God? Are there different names for God and is there a certain and appropriate way to address Him? The post Does God Have a Name? appeared first on incmedia.org.

Selected Scriptures The post Does God Have the Whole World in His Hands? appeared first on Grace Life Church of Ankeny.

Why did the chicken cross the road? Because he wasn't a very good Samaritan! Benjamin and Ryker spend this episode of the podcast wondering how in the world theology can relate to this joke and others like it. Show Notes (The Theology of Humor) S1:E12 Table of Contents & Timestamps: (0:00-2:19) Introduction (2:19-13:56) What is Humor? (14:14-20:00) Is God Funny? (20:00-23:06) Is Jesus Funny? (23:06-27:10) Is the Bible Funny? (27:28-30:15) Should we be Funny? (30:15-34:50) Fallen/Redeemed Humor (34:50-38:41) Improv (39:02-42:00) Recap (42:00-44:11) Resources (44:11-45:04) A Couple Jokes (45:04-47:06) Outro Key Takeaways: Humor is amusingly subverted expectations, probably The Gospel is full of paradoxes which are mysterious but not illogical God the Father is probably humorous, but His jokes go way over our head Both Jesus and Scripture are really funny at times, but we should be careful not to anachronistically turn them into standup comedy Fallen humor is rotten, low-hanging fruit, redeemed humor is fresh, high-hanging fruit Godly humor is humbling, community-building, and perspective-resetting Resources: The Man Who Was Thursday by GK Chesterton https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Was-Thursday-Nightmare/dp/0141191465 “Does God Have a Sense of Humour?” by Stephen Masty https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2014/01/god-sense-humour.html “Beyond a Joke? The Place of Humour in the Christian Life” by Susanna Baldwin https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/beyond-a-joke-humour-in-the-christian-life/ “Humor as Theology” by Scot McKnight https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2019/12/31/humor-as-theology/ Music: “Beach Trance” - Luke Hall “Funky” - Luke Hall “Experimental Jazz” - Tyler Hall Follow Luke: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nvVzvhz2ATr1TlLS3kEM0?si=TO4CR2lyRbmE-wpdVatwUg https://soundcloud.com/c_luke_hall Follow Tyler: https://www.tjaudioengineering.com/ https://www.facebook.com/tylerhallphotography/ https://www.facebook.com/tjaudioengineering Reach out to us with any suggestions, thoughts, or love! thetheologyof@outlook.com Copyright Benjamin Corneliusen & Ryker Lutjens 2020. All rights reserved.

On Sunday, March 1, 2020, Pastor George started a new series on Knowing the Will of God with a message titled, “Does God Have a Will for Our Lives?”

1 Kings 19:12 The post “Does God Have a ‘Still, Small Voice’?” appeared first on Ferris Church of Christ.

“7Then the Lord said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation. 2Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate; 3and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth. 4For in seven days I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.’5And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.11 In the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12The rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights. 13On the very same day Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons, entered the ark, 14they and every wild animal of every kind, and all domestic animals of every kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every bird of every kind—every bird, every winged creature. 15They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.17 The flood continued for forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18The waters swelled and increased greatly on the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters.6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. 10He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; 11and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more.13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying. 14In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15Then God said to Noah, 16‘Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.’ 18So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.* 11I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ 12God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” — Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18, 8:6-18, 9:8-13 (NRSV) There are two pieces to today’s sermon: we are going to slow down and get into this story of Noah’s Ark, and then we are going to pull this thread of slowness and understanding through to imagination, taking a look at this ancient practice of Midrash – the making of stories about Biblical stories. Let’s dive in – pun intended! To be honest, I do not love this story, for a few reasons. One – there is a huge gap between the happy two-by-two rendition we tell children and the reality of God being so fed up with human corruption and violence that They decide to drown everyone and start again. Don’t get me wrong – I love playing with kids and boats and animals, and teaching the basics of it to children is important. But we skim past the predicament that got humanity to the point of God throwing in the towel in the first place, and we rarely keep reading to learn about the traumatized Noah after the flood who deals with his post-ark PTSD with generously flowing wine and questionable sexual choices. Now, many of us never got Noah’s full story after Sunday School, so if your understanding of Noah begins and ends with the colourful animals boarding the ark, we are about to go a little dark here, so brace yourself. In the Scripture leading up to our story today, in Genesis 6, we read, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” (6:5). Yikes – though I’ll admit, that is an easy perspective to relate to these days if you are following the news at all. The Scripture continues: “it grieved him [God] to his heart.” Ouch. Dang, that’s some guilt y’all. Also, it is a stark reminder – you mean my bad choices don’t just affect me? “So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created – people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’” What?! What about the God who knew me before I was born? The one who knit me together inside my mother’s womb? The one who calls me precious, beloved child? This is another reason this story chafes against me – this is not my experience of God. But someone wise once told me don’t stop at the bits you don’t like or don’t understand – keep reading until you get to love.Ok, lets keep going.Wait a minute, says God, wait – there is one, that Noah fellow – I could use him and his family. Go build a big boat Noah – and he does, with some very specific instructions. And then the ones on the guest list get in and the Scripture reads that the Lord – Yahweh, God – “shut them in” (7:16). I actually love that phrase – what a vivid image: God closing up the ark, like Morgan Freeman dressed in white casually lifting up the gangway. But we will get to the imagination piece in a few minutes – back to the Noah story. The door is closed, the flood waters flow, and the seemingly ceaseless rains begin. The waters swell and ark carried on its way floating about. And here, here it gets interesting: as this story continues, it so remarkably parallels the first Creation story in Genesis. This is something that we might miss but would be very provocative for the Hebrew people. Let me explain:In Creation, God said, “let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear,”(1:9) and in the Noah story, ‘the fountains of the great Deep burst forth and the windows of the heavens were opened; (7:11) – the image reminds me of God releasing the original dam – so to speak – he put into place to keep things in order, returning a sense of that primal chaos.Another parallel comes once the onslaught of water has ceased. The Creation story reads, “a wind from God swept over the face of the waters,” (1:2) and the Noah story reads, “God made a wind blow over the earth and the waters subsided.” (8:1).Once they’ve hit land, we have another of these parallels. God blessed Noah and his sons, the new ancestors of humankind, “and said to them, ‘Be Fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth’” (9:1) – the same words that God said to Adam and Eve” ‘Be Fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth’ (1:28).[1] So here is where this story turns a bit for me - these parallels point out for us that the Flood story is not primarily one of God’s destruction, but rather of God’s RE-CREATION. When we read the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures as a long story about the relationship between God and God’s people we see patterns – not of angry wrath and destruction, but of broken people and second chances. When we stay a little while and take the time to notice these details, we can learn a lot about who God is. Almost nothing in the Old Testament – or the New really – is simple. Almost nothing can be understood by just skimming the top or letting our knowledge remain in Sunday School territory. The wisdom of these words demand us to sink deeper and deeper into the waters. Which is not really how we do things today. The culture of these ancient words does not fit well with our modern culture. These stories require a long chew and a slow process of digestion – rather than a protein shake in a blender that you slam back on your way out the door. Think of the way a cow eats verses a hungry puppy. And this is where Midrash comes in. Ancient Midrash is basically a collection of thoughts from Rabbis in history doing a slow cud chew on Scripture. And through time, this practice became ingrained in Jewish culture – I studied with a Rabbi who taught us that every reading has 70 faces, and you encounter a new face each time you greet it. And this is something that Christians – adopted into the people of God – also began to practice. It is why we refer to Scripture as the living Word, because we understand that God is still speaking to us through these texts by revealing more and new things to us with each generation. What Midrash does is respond to contemporary problems and craft new stories, making connections between new realities and the unchanging Biblical text. So – what does that actually look like and why is it important or helpful? The story I read to the children today is an example of Midrash.[2] It is a story about a story – one that we know well – in the Bible that gives us a perspective we might not have otherwise thought of. Had you considered the Flood from the point of view of the fish? Had the Noah story ever led you to the conclusion that God must be everywhere, as the Midrash story did? I have another example – have you seen the movie “Evan Almighty”? God – Morgan Freeman, dressed in white – gets in touch with Evan – an American Congressman – to build an ark in preparation for an upcoming flood. Much resistance and hilarity ensues as Evan finally capitulates and builds an ark, to the humiliation of his teenagers and at the great scrutiny of his neighbours…let’s take a look at what happens:__CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CLIP! This is a modern form of Midrash – these images and sounds help us unlock our imaginations to the fullness of this story – the water! The creaking boat! The violence of the water’s movement! The speed of the ark moving through that water! The animal sounds! The terror of those onboard! The Flood story is not a la-la-la (sing) “Noah and the animals” bedtime story only for children – none of our Bible stories are – they are vivid, shocking, and filled with sensory stimulation if we dare to notice. And if we let our understanding stay in the simplistic, surface level meanings, Scripture doesn’t change our lives. It doesn’t push into new depths of love and understanding. This practice of making something new from our Scriptural tradition – of holding the old and the new gives us the chance to step into and soak in the story and stay long enough for our fingers to get wrinkly. For our hearts to be changed. We have all been gifted with imaginations. I know this because I see it demonstrated in a thousand different ways: through art, play, music; through knitted patterns and quilted masterpieces. In carefully planned gardens, measured and organized toolsheds, tenderly crafted meals. In every novel we read or tv show we watch we are igniting our imaginations; of course we should use that gift in our faith as well! So I would invite you, this week, to pull out your Bibles and turn to a story you think you know very well – one you could likely tell to a child without the text. Jesus feeding the 5,000 with two loaves and five fish. The fishermen catching nothing after being out all night and Jesus tells them to drop their nets on the other side from which they haul in their biggest catch. The Crucifixion. Even if you are new to this church thing, or returning after a while away, you likely know the story of The Good Samaritan. So pull it out and read it. Then read it again. Then read it again, but this time be on the hunt for sound. Then read it again thinking of the smells all around. Then read it again – is there food? What would that have tasted like? Did the characters touch – what would those cloths have felt like? You don’t need to know the answers to imagine or wonder what those would be like. And I will guarantee that if you sit and bathe in the story just a little while, giving yourself time to get wrinkly fingers, something profound and holy will happen. You will notice details that you could’ve sworn were never there before. You see, when we enter into that creative place we are entering into a space with the One who created and is still creating. The one who yearns to share more with us, to draw us in, and who planted in us this terrific capacity to broaden and broaden and broaden. To learn and grow and be changed. The one who floods our hearts with love and second chances, who desires our re-creation, and gives us every new – sometimes painful – opportunity to begin again. And who promises – marked by that glorious colourful bow in the sky, never, never to leave us. Can I get an Amen? [1] Michael D. Coogan, The Old Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), 65.[2] Marc Gellman and Oscar de Mejo, “Water All Around,” Does God Have a Big Toe? (New York: Harper Collins, 1989), 27-29.

Rom. 11:11-24 Does God Have a Future Program for Israel?

Does God Have a Reason for Everything? Wrong Question!.

Mallika Chopra calls meditation "a great gift" to her life, not only because she said it causes a dramatically positive change in her father, Deepak Chopra, but also because it has helped her through her own parenting journey of raising two daughters with her husband. - Nightline debate, "Does God Have a Future?" https://abcn.ws/2Nv5OPw - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @mallikachopra - Website: http://www.mallikachopra.com/ - Books: http://www.mallikachopra.com/books-2/

Does God Have a Plan for Israel?

Confession: Belgic Confession, Article 27 Scripture: Romans 4:11-17, Revelation 21:9-12, 1 Peter 2:9, Romans 11:21-27 (Read from ESV) Preacher: Rev. David Inks Sermon Outline: Introduction I. Who is Israel? II. Is the Church the New Covenant “Holy Nation?” III. Does the New Testament predict a distinctive future for National Israel? IV. Circumcision & Law and Davidic […] The post Does God Have an Unpaid Promise/Debt to Israel? appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Teaching by Will Wyatt answering the question, Does God Have a Purpose for My Life? (From Ch. 4 of "Discovery: God's Answers to Our Deepest Questions"- Order at http://dfocus.org/shop/ )

“Grace” Is Accepting Unconditionally What God Gives Unconditionally, And Just Saying, “Thanks.” “Ministry” Is Giving Unconditionally What You Have Received Unconditionally, And Just Saying, “You're Welcome.” Callings We all have the same Calling: to experience eternal life, to Know God personally, to be with Him now. Keep your calling in the forefront of your approach to the rest of your life, and you will never have to worry about priorities, missing God, or being dissatisfied. Since this is His Calling of You -- He's the One doing the calling -- all you have to do is Respond (show up for class). He will take it from there. Does God Have a Specific Purpose for Your Life? We can take a deep breath and enter that rest that comes from knowing we don't have to accomplish, achieve or produce anything to fulfill our purpose in this life. Then what are we here for? Ministry Ministry is the means by which you give out what God has given in. Your ministry may or may not be in line with your temperament, needs, desires, expectations or abilities, and the Lord often purposefully gives us projects that challenge our weaknesses. Life Ministry For most, sharing what God has given is a part of our lifestyle. If we are simply depending on the Lord to live His life through us, we may be accomplishing far more in hidden ways than an entire ministry in the public arena. Vocational Ministry The idea that those who minister should be acknowledged, honored and compensated by those receiving ministry is well-founded, both scripturally, culturally, historically and experientially. Yet the nature and duty of a minister is to give, regardless of what is given in return.

“Grace” Is Accepting Unconditionally What God Gives Unconditionally, And Just Saying, “Thanks.” “Ministry” Is Giving Unconditionally What You Have Received Unconditionally, And Just Saying, “You're Welcome.” Callings We all have the same Calling: to experience eternal life, to Know God personally, to be with Him now. Keep your calling in the forefront of your approach to the rest of your life, and you will never have to worry about priorities, missing God, or being dissatisfied. Since this is His Calling of You -- He's the One doing the calling -- all you have to do is Respond (show up for class). He will take it from there. Does God Have a Specific Purpose for Your Life? We can take a deep breath and enter that rest that comes from knowing we don't have to accomplish, achieve or produce anything to fulfill our purpose in this life. Then what are we here for? Ministry Ministry is the means by which you give out what God has given in. Your ministry may or may not be in line with your temperament, needs, desires, expectations or abilities, and the Lord often purposefully gives us projects that challenge our weaknesses. Life Ministry   For most, sharing what God has given is a part of our lifestyle. If we are simply depending on the Lord to live His life through us, we may be accomplishing far more in hidden ways than an entire ministry in the public arena. Vocational Ministry The idea that those who minister should be acknowledged, honored and compensated by those receiving ministry is well-founded, both scripturally, culturally, historically and experientially. Yet the nature and duty of a minister is to give, regardless of what is given in return.