When the prophets envisioned God’s coming redemption, they sang of a world transformed. A world where deserts bloom, the lame leap like deer, and the ransomed return home with everlasting joy. The prophet, Isaiah, paints a picture of creation itself rejoicing at God’s restorative justice,… Read More »The Song of Justice

Micah promises that from Bethlehem, a small, forgotten, overlooked village on the edge of the Roman empire, will come a ruler whose greatness is marked not by power but by peace. When Gabriel appears to Mary, Micah’s prophecy begins to unfold: God chooses the humble,… Read More »The Promise of Peace

How can we hold onto hope amidst darkness? When the angel appears to Joseph and tells him that the child Mary is carrying, who he is supposed to name Jesus, has been conceived by the Holy Spirit and will forgive people their sins, the world… Read More »The Waiting Prophet

This week, Dennis Allan concluded our 12-week series on The Sermon on the Mount, focusing on on two verses that describe the crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ teaching. Matthew reports the crowds were “amazed” because of the “authority” of Jesus’ teaching. But, who is Jesus that… Read More »Who is this Jesus?

We all long for lives that can withstand the inevitable storms. We want our relationships to hold under pressure, our faith to stand strong when tested, and convictions to remain when circumstances shift beneath us. But what if the difference between a life that stands… Read More »Hearing and Doing

This week, Carrie Buckner explores Jesus’ teaching about the narrow path of discipleship and the danger of false teachers (Matthew 7:13-23 NIV). Drawing on the challenging imagery of wolves in sheep’s clothing and trees bearing good or bad fruit, he examines what it means to… Read More »The Path is Narrow

This week, Dr. Rafael Rodriguez, Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, talked about the way Jesus’s instructions to Ask, Seek, and Knock through prayer can feel really challenging. We can ask, we can seek, and we can knock, yet it oftentimes feels like… Read More »Oh Really?

This week, Julia Allan walks through Matthew 6:25–34, where Jesus commands His disciples, “Do not worry.” These words aren’t a shallow call to ignore anxiety or poverty, but an invitation to freedom from the illusion that our worth or security depends on what we produce, earn, or… Read More »Do Not Worry

This week, Pastor Shaq Hager walks through Matthew 6:19-24, a portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus warns His disciples not to store up treasures for themselves. Because, where our treasure is, our hearts follow. Jesus challenges us to examine what we truly… Read More »Eye of the Heart

Jesus’ command to love your enemies has fallen into disfavor. Christians who align with progressive political ideals and Christians who identify with conservative political goals have come, in many cases, to hate their political opponents and consider that hatred righteous. After all, if we view… Read More »Love Your Enemies