Isaiah 9:1-7 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

²The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.  For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. ³You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice.  They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. ⁴For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.  You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. ⁵The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned.  They will be fuel for the fire.

⁶For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.  The government will rest on his shoulders.  And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷His government and its peace will never end.  He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.  The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Click on the link below to listen to the talk:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:07 — 17.5MB)

Luke 2:1-7 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ²(This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

⁶And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Click on the link below to listen to the talk:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:08 — 8.8MB)

1^st Corinthians 2:8-10 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. ⁹That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

¹⁰But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.

Click on the link below to listen to the talk:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:08 — 19.3MB)

John 20:19-29 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Click on the link below to listen to the talk:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:57 — 17.4MB)

1^st Thessalonians 5:15-18 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

¹⁶Always be joyful. ¹⁷Never stop praying. ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Click on the link to listen to the message:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:21 — 18.5MB)

1^st Peter 2:1-3 So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. ²Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, ³now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

Click on the link to listen to the message:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:58 — 17.4MB)

John 8:25-35 “Who are you?” they demanded.  Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be. ²⁶I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” ²⁷But they still didn’t understand that he was talking about his Father. ²⁸So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he.  I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. ²⁹And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” ³⁰Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. ³¹Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³²And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” ³⁴Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. ³⁵A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

Click the link to hear the message:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:15 — 21.2MB)

Deuteronomy 32:1-43 “Listen, O heavens, and I will speak!  Hear, O earth, the words that I say! ²Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew.  Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants. ³I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! ⁴He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair.  He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

Click on the link to hear the message:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:07 — 15.6MB)

I spent 4 years serving in the Navy and this was a talk I shared for Veteran’s Day.  It’s interesting to consider what people think of when they read the warfare metaphors in the Bible.  Warfare and military service is much different today than it was in Jesus’ day.  So the pictures that come to mind for us when we “put on the whole armor of God” are different than even a generation ago, much less a couple millennia ago.  But what’s great is that the Spiritual strength we get from God has never changed!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:15 — 19.8MB)

There are some people, who obviously haven’t ever studied the teachings of Jesus, who say he was simply a good, moral teacher, which is just goofy, because if they had read the things Jesus said and still didn’t believe that he was the Son of God, they would have to call him a total nut-job or a wicked deceiver.  The religious leaders of Jerusalem didn’t kill Jesus because he was a good teacher.  They killed him because he claimed to be God, and people were following him and believing in him and that made the leaders extremely jealous.  And then Jesus went and rose from the dead and made things extremely inconvenient for the establishment.

Obviously, Jesus was a moral teacher, but it’s impossible to leave it at that…unless of course you have an agenda to deny any truth that might cause you to have to face the reality of your personal responsibility for your choices to break God’s law and live a sinful and selfish life.

Just sayin’.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:05 — 19.3MB)