Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith

The central claim of Christianity is that, in Jesus, God has accomplished all that is required for the salvation of the world. And, in particular, that this was accomplished through the cross and resurrection. It was there that Christ made atonement for this sins of the world. In this episode we look at the Paul's understanding of the atonement and do our best to explain how the death of one man accomplishes the the salvation of us all.   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 3:21-26 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

At last we arrive at the announcement of salvation. Though humanity stands utterly mired in sin, God himself will provide the means of our salvation. In one act, God will both justly fulfill the covenant promise to Abraham, and accomplish the proper judgment of sin (and thereby overcome it). That act: the cross. In this episode (part 1 of 2 on the atonement) we put the pieces of Paul's argument together and see that the sacrifice of Christ is the end to which God had been working all along.    The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 3:21-26 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.    

Here Paul concludes the argument he has been developing for 2.5 chapters: everyone stands utterly guilty before God. There is no excuse to be made, no special status to be conferred, humanity is rightly deserving of God's just wrath. It is the news we must hear if we are to truly take in what comes next: grace! The sermon is brilliant and preached by our regular contributor, the Rev. Mike Regele. With this one you are in for an intellectual and spiritual treat!   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 3:9-20 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.    

If Israel is humanity in microcosm, and Israel has not only failed in her covenant obligations, but the very signs of her belonging to God (circumcision and Torah) only further testify to her unfaithfulness, what hope is left of salvation? Surely the rest of humanity would fare no better were the covenant given to another. In this episode we look at the relationship between humanity's failure and God's faithfulness, and the real foundation of the salvation of the world... The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 3:1-8 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.    

Nothing was more elemental to Jewish identity, nor more distinguishing of the boundary between Jew and Gentile than circumcision. It was a mark, in the flesh, of one's belonging (or not) to the people of YHWH, long before obedience to Torah was possible. Yet Paul here Paul declares that even circumcision is of no special value in bringing one near to God. It is a circumcision of the heart that matters, not flesh. A declaration that opens to door for all humanity to share the inheritance of Israel. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 2:25-29 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In order to show us the fullness of what Jesus has accomplished at the cross, Paul takes us into an argument with his former self (the zealous Pharisee). The subject: Torah. For it was Israel's long-held belief that Torah served as something of a protection against sin and its full consequences. And that belief turns out to be an idol Paul must fully demolish (and he does) in order to then reveal the heights of Gods' grace. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 2:12-24 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In a move of rhetorical brilliance (as many in Romans are)! Paul takes the judgmentalism he has just provoked in his readers and turns it back upon themselves (i.e., us!). Whatever speck we may wish to pluck from our neighbor's eye, we must first contend with the plank in our own. But this is more than a morality lesson. As Paul moves deeper into an understanding of divine judgment, a paradox begins to form - justice, it seems, is a two-edged sword, simultaneously a means of salvation and of condemnation. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 2:1-11 (NRSV) Also referenced are these two images: Roman Rostra Today Roman Rostra (Artist's Recreation)   Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Few controversies have raised more ire and ugliness in the contemporary church than the debate about the place (or lack thereof) of homosexual relationships within the community of faith (and the larger culture). And at the center of that debate are Paul's words in Romans 1:18-32. In this episode we examine this highly charged passage - what Paul intended and how it both does and does not speak to the arguments the church is having today. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 1:18-32 (NRSV) Also referenced is Mike Regele's book, Science, Scripture and Same Sex Love. Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

"Paul, a slave of King Jesus, called to be an appointed messenger, set apart for the announcing of the news of God’s victory." With these words Paul opened his letter to the church at Rome and set the course of Christian theology. In this episode we examine Paul's letter opening in light of the literary conventions of his day and how he both adheres to cultural norms and radically transforms our understanding of the world around us. We also discover the mind of a genius and the heart of a saint.   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 1:1-17 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

In this episode we look not at Paul, but at the city to which he wrote - the capital of the greatest empire the world had ever known. It was a time of stability and strength and Rome was in the mood to make promises - not least the promises of justice, glory and peace (the Pax Romana). If only one would pledge loyalty to the empire, the benefits would be manifold. It's to the center of this world that Paul will write to declare a new kingdom - one with similar promises and competing loyalties.  The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 1:7 (NRSV) To see the images referenced in the sermon, click the title: Statue Base reading "SPQR" The Roman Forum at Dusk An Artist's Reconstruction of the Roman Forum Ara Pacis   Want to connect?  You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.