Passages
122 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsPassages explores upcoming Bible passages used for preaching and weekly discipleship by Craig Brown, Lead Pastor at First Free Methodist Church of Seattle. Passages will open new doors to Biblical texts in preparation for a sermon or other teaching.
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Episodes
April 28, 2024 | Esther 7
April 23, 2024 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBThe story of Esther is a gripping tale of conspiracy, intrigue, and integrity. Here we find a great hero in Esther, who defies all constraints placed upon her. She is the agent of God's justice where evil is exposed. She saves herself and her people by being true to who she is.
Hebrews 5:11-14 | April 21, 2024
April 16, 2024 07:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBWhen we don't know where we are going in life or are simply confused, we often think it is easier to retreat inward. Our response of fear in these situations will bring isolation rather than openness. The followers of Jesus are called to live lives of "salt and light" which means that we must be open to sharing ourselves with the world.
Colossians 3:12-17 | April 14, 2024
April 09, 2024 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBBeing thankful and expressing gratitude do not come easy for all of us. They are both expressions of deeper commitments we have each made. Thanksgiving and gratitude exist because of our commitments to compassion, grace, humility, and most of all, love. This week's episode explores how Christians are called to gather together in community to worship the God who is the most generous of all.
Philippians 3:7-11 | April 7, 2024
April 02, 2024 08:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBBusinesses large and small take time to look at their income and expense statements. Were there losses? Where did we gain? When do we take such a survey of our own life in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? This week, the Apostle Paul guides us through his way of counting the costs of being a follower of Jesus. Perhaps we, too, can learn how to make Jesus the all-consuming center of our lives.
John 20:1-18 | March 31, 2024
March 26, 2024 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBThe story of Jesus' resurrection is filled with many different emotions. There is joy, wonder, confusion, and even fear present in this story. What emerges by the end of this text is a beautiful sense of hope which emerges in the presence of the risen Jesus. That same hope can be ours today!
Mark 11:1-11 | March 24, 2024
March 19, 2024 08:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBJesus' entrance into the city of Jerusalem shortly before his death and resurrection is a moment of celebration. In Mark's version of this story, we see no large crowds, a Jesus who says nothing, and all of it happening on a donkey. Humility is center stage as Jesus is welcomed as the Messiah. How can humility and power go together? This week's episode explores how it can happen.
March 17, 2024 | Acts 6:1-7
March 12, 2024 08:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBBeing a community, or even a family, can be hard at times. Everyone has opinions and, most of the time, we are not always willing to change our mind or even listen carefully to others. There is a special way Christians live in community where tough decisions are generous and grace-filled. This week's episode explores how that can happen.
March 10, 2024 | Matthew 6:16-18
March 05, 2024 09:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBThe discipline of fasting is enjoying a revival. Many people practice intermittent fasting or abstain from certain foods during the year. (I'm looking at you Dry January!) Fasting has always been woven deep into the Bible even including Jesus himself. In this only text where Jesus teaches on fasting, we find important lessons on how fasting can shape the heart and soul.
March 3, 2024 | 1 Corinthians 11:23-34
February 27, 2024 09:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBHoly Communion is a special time in the life of any church's worship and in the lives of people. We are drawn close to God's infinite love and grace when we share around the Lord's Table. It is a table that should make us one. In our world filled with divisions and arguments, Holy Communion, with the power of the Lord Jesus there, just might make a difference!
February 25, 2024 | 2 Timothy 3:10-17
February 20, 2024 09:00 - 25 minutes - 17.4 MBThe Bible continues to be the all-time best selling book. It was written over a period of 600 years covering over 2000 years of history. It is 66 different books which convey a unified message of God's grace. How are we supposed to read the Bible, much the less, use it well? The Bible helps to answer that question about itself. When it does its best work, it points to the God whose story it tells.
February 18, 2024 | John 17:13-26
February 13, 2024 09:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MBMany Christians feel that being Christian is a matter of agreement with certain truths or practices. Jesus calls his followers to something a bit different. Finding deep relationships with Jesus and others might be the key to experiencing the love of God in a more profound way. If this is true, our prayers might sound less like a request list and more like a longing to experience Jesus.
Matthew 2:13-18 - December 31, 2023
December 26, 2023 09:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBJesus as refugee! Not too long after the birth of Jesus the forces of evil, power, and corruption are already trying to end his young life. With all of the power of empire set against Him, God finds a way for Jesus to live so that one day he will defeat the greatest enemy of all; sin leading to death. This is story about the extraordinary act of Joseph to save "The Child" so that He might save us all.
Luke 2:8-20 | December 24, 2023
December 19, 2023 09:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBThe Christmas story is perhaps the best known story in all of the Bible. It has been re-enacted time and again by adults and children alike. We warm to the images of Jesus birth and the wonder of that first Christmas. If we take a closer look, we might find that the story has more wonder than we ever realized. It is a story filled with ordinary people finding themselves in God's great plan of salvation. Maybe that makes it easier to find ourselves in this story.
Luke 1:39-56 - December 17, 2023
December 12, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBit is hard to imagine that the cosmos hangs in the balance with two Jewish women in the first century. Elizabeth and Mary have an important moment together when their unborn children meet for the first time. These two women find themselves in a moment when God will use each of them for extraordinary things, one of which, will be savior of the world.
Matthew 1:18-25 - December 10, 2023
December 05, 2023 09:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBHave you ever been caught between a rock and a hard place? The Bible is filled with stories of people who found themselves in exactly the same place. The story of Joseph, in Matthew's gospel, is a good example. He is faced with a daunting choice about his future. In the midst of that situation, an angel appears and offers him a new and glorious solution which had never crossed his mind.
November 19, 2023 - Matthew 7:1-6
November 14, 2023 09:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBJudging and being judgmental are two different things. One requires prudence and wisdom. The latter requires ingratitude and fear. Jesus offers us a new and wonderful way to balance these these in the Sermon on the Mount. how can we convey the sacrificial love of God while not losing ourselves in the process.
November 12, 2023 - Matthew 5:33-37
November 07, 2023 09:00 - 15 minutes - 10.6 MBWords are important. Our promises are important. This week's episode explores how we can use our words, both written and verbal, to express our heart more clearly. When we do so, clarity and authenticity can happen in surprising ways!
November 5, 2023 - Luke 19:1-10
October 31, 2023 16:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBGratitude is usually a response to something done to or for us. We say, "Thank you!" when something happens which brings joy, satisfaction, or even wholeness. Sometimes we feel the sense to do more than just say, "Thank you." This week's episode explores some of the different forms thanksgiving can take.
October 29, 2023 - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
October 24, 2023 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MB"In everything, give thanks.", the Apostle Paul tells us. How hard this is to do. The daily pressures of life and constant distractions easily lead us away from thanksgiving. Re-centering our lives in gratitude each day can change the way we live and see the world.
October 22, 2023 - Romans 5:1-5
October 17, 2023 08:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBChristians can give thanks to God for many reasons! Foundational to all of them is God's saving grace in Jesus Christ. That grace is a gift to us. Not only does it offer us salvation, it also offers to us a way of being made stronger even in the most challenging times.
October 15, 2023 - John 6:1-14
October 10, 2023 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBWe are taught from an early age to dream big and think big. Our culture continually reinforces that message to us. Bigger is better. Jesus helps us see the world and ourselves in a different way. When it comes to feeding 5,000 people, all Jesus needs is one boy who brings forth only what he has for food. Jesus does the rest.
October 8, 2023 - Micah 4:1-5
October 03, 2023 08:00 - 19 minutes - 13.1 MBGod's vision of the future is a bright one filled with hope. Even in the darkest of times, we can trust in God's power and grace to be at work in our lives and in the world. For followers of Jesus, we hold on to the hope that this new age of the Kingdom can only come about through the victory of Jesus.
October 1, 2023 - Daniel 1:1-16
September 26, 2023 07:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBThe prophet Daniel is most known for surviving the lion's den and speaking truth to power. He was a devoted man of prayer. These essential elements of Daniel's character all have a beginning in a diet of vegetables. This week's episode focuses on how we are called to serve God even with our bodies and our diet!
September 24, 2023 - Zechariah 8:1-8
September 19, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBWhen is it hardest to deliver a message of hope? That is the question Zechariah the prophet must hold as he proclaims God's message of hope to a people who feel lost. In the end, hope is found in a deep and abiding relationship with God. This week's episode helps us to find clues about a rich life with God.
September 17, 2023 - Haggai 1:1-6
September 12, 2023 07:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBMost people don't spend much time with the prophet Haggai. Perhaps it does not get as much attention as it should. Haggai raises questions about devotion, wealth, and how we can best manage our priorities in life. This week's episode explores how Haggai's message is one for today.
September 10, 2023 - Luke 10:17-24
September 05, 2023 07:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBThis week's episode: Rev. Dr. Craig Brown and Rev. Camille Pook reflect on Camille's recent mission trip to Colombia. With Luke 10 guiding their conversation Pastor Camille shares powerful examples and stories that reflect Jesus' teaching.
August 27, 2023 - Hebrews 13:1-3
August 22, 2023 08:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBMany of us have heard of Philadelphia, the "City of Brotherly Love." What if "Philadelphia" were a command given to all followers of Jesus? This week we a take a close look at how the Christian community is called to love like no other. Radical. Conspicuous. Open.
August 13, 2023 - John 20:19-23
August 08, 2023 08:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBGoing from being a simple follower to one "who is sent" is a BIG transition. On the very first Easter Sunday, Jesus tells his disciples that each of them will now become a person who has been sent by him to spread the gospel in the world. How does this happen? Where does the ability to do this come from? Jesus offers to his new "sent ones" more than they could ever imagine!
August 6, 2023 - Acts 1:1-8
August 01, 2023 08:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBJesus' final words to his followers before his ascension are important to hear today. Jesus is seeking to enlarge their vision. Their perspective is to keep things conventional and simple. Jesus invites them to see that the mission is one that happens here, there, and everywhere.
July 30, 2023 - Acts 10:23-35
July 25, 2023 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBGod is always at work building bridges and helping reconciliation to happen. This work of God can be disturbing to us at times! It is through these new relationships that God helps everyone breakthrough to a new perspective. God's best work happens in the moments when we trust the outcome to Him.
July 16, 2023 - Revelation 5:6-14
July 11, 2023 15:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBIf God is at the center of all things, how we find a way to live like that is true? Making space to respond to God is often driven by our deep needs which at times can be broken and in need of healing. God is at the center of all things. This week we explore how to set our lives in a manner that truly makes God the center and star.
July 9, 2023 - Revelation 4
July 03, 2023 08:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBPower and authority are sought after today as much as it has even been. Two thousand years ago, Roman Emperors demanded that they be addressed as, "the Lord God, the Almighty," John's vision of the heavenly world in Revelation 4 makes it clear that there is only one who has true power and authority. This truth is proclaimed again and again throughout Revelation. All other power is simply an imposter.
July 2, 2023 - Revelation 1:9-17a
June 27, 2023 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.4 MBWorship is one of the most important acts any Christian can do. In worship, we offer thanks to God for everything in life. Worship is also a place where God speaks to us and gathers us in. The Apocalypse of John (Revelation) is filled with vivid pictures of worship and praise. This week's episode explores how that vision of worship begins; with the presence of Jesus in the church.
June 25, 2023 - Genesis 22:1-14
June 20, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBWhen we do what God asks of us, it can be filled with a sense of fear and doubt. When Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, his response filled with faith. In one of the most shocking and brutal stories in the Bible we find a God who is tester and provider. The question remains...who is actually being tested?
June 18, 2023 - Exodus 19:2-9
June 13, 2023 08:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBBeing a dynamic follower of Jesus is not about doing great things or being perceived as spiritual. God is the one who does all of the heavy lifting. What we must do is cooperate with what God's Spirit is doing in our lives. This week we explore how Moses and the people of Israel learned this truth at Mount Sinai.
June 11, 2023 - Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
June 06, 2023 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBReligious people, Christians included, spend quite a bit of time and resources deciding who is "in" and who is "out." In these three stories from Matthew 9, we find a Jesus who welcomes and engages with some of the least likely people. it earns him scorn and ridicule. In the end, it is the power of God that triumphs over all.
June 4, 2023 - Acts 2:37-47
May 30, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBThe earliest days of the Christian movement were ones filled with awe and wonder. Churches have been trying to return to this "feel" for centuries. Sometimes we get it dialed in and other times we are just a little lost. Sometimes the difference comes down to allowing God to do the work of awe and wonder more than us.
May 28, 2023 - Acts 2:1-21
May 23, 2023 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBThe beginnings of the church are not something clouded in secrecy and closed doors. The movement of God is public and open. God is openly at work in the lives of human beings. As a mission movement, Christians would do well to heed the lessons from this pivotal moment in the church's story. Faith is not a private matter.
May 7, 2023 - John 14:15-21
May 09, 2023 08:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBWe all obey others for a variety of reasons. Seldom do those reasons have to do with love. We are too often governed by power, guilt, shame, and control. Jesus offers a new way of being faithful which is by love leading to obedience. To do this remarkable thing, we need the gift of the Spirit to guide the way.
May 14, 2023 - John 14:15-21
May 09, 2023 08:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBWe all obey others for a variety of reasons. Seldom do those reasons have to do with love. We are too often governed by power, guilt, shame, and control. Jesus offers a new way of being faithful which is by love leading to obedience. To do this remarkable thing, we need the gift of the Spirit to guide the way.
May 7, 2023 - John 21:1-17
May 02, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBFor too many of us, our past trauma, pain, and shame keep us from the freedom God seeks for our lives. In this week's episode, Jesus meets seven of his friends and provides for them in ways they could never expect. One of them even experiences the redemption of his deepest shame.
April 30, 2023 - 1 Peter 2:19-25
April 25, 2023 08:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBHardship and suffering are to be avoided! The human survival instinct is a hard one to transform. Peter tells us how Jesus was able to face suffering in a transformational way. This way of suffering is a long game in which we realize that pointing our life toward God in the good AND the bad will make all the difference.
April 23, 2023 - Luke 24:13-35 | Lift Up Your Hearts
April 18, 2023 08:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBOn the very first Easter Sunday Jesus made many appearances. Two followers of Jesus were returning home after the stunning events surrounding Jesus' death. As they make their way, Jesus appears and opens their hearts and minds to a new way of experiencing him. it is not just an experience of the head; it is one of the heart, too.
April 16, 2023 - John 20:19-31 | Doubt Is Not the Problem
April 11, 2023 08:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBIs being called a "Doubting Thomas" really fair? When Jesus first appears to the disciples, Thomas is not there. All he asks is to be included the same way his friends had been included. Doubt is an important and healthy posture for us. Doubt gives faith a chance to do its best work!
April 9, 2023 - John 20:1-18 | Finding Life
April 04, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBBelief and faith are mysterious things. They grow and evolve in each of us as human beings. We can often mistake a "breakthrough" as a conclusion. The opposite is quite true. Breakthroughs of faith will lead us into new seasons of growth. Those who were witnesses to Jesus' resurrection clearly share this dynamic growth on that first Easter morning.
April 2, 2023 - Matthew 21:1-11 | Finding Purpose in Authenticity
March 28, 2023 08:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBIt is not always easy to be yourself when it seems that everyone is watching you! Jesus' entrance in Jerusalem is a powerful moment of authenticity. Everyone had great expectations of what he would do and be. He remains faithful to who he is and God's purpose for his life. This week's episode explores how he maintains a sense of authenticity when the stakes are high.
March 26, 2023 - Matthew 25:31-46 | Finding Confidence in Compassion
March 21, 2023 08:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBThe notion of a final judgment often brings a sense of fear causing us to wonder what side of that judgement we may find ourselves. Jesus tells a story about judgement where all people are separated into two groups. Those that served him and those that did not. This week's episode explores a tough passage of scripture by looking at two different ways to interpret it.
March 19, 2023 - Matthew 13:31-33 | Finding Power in Small Things
March 14, 2023 08:00 - 13 minutes - 9.3 MBWe often wish for a big impact. The assumption often made is that a big impact comes from an equally big action. For the followers of Jesus, big impact usually begins with small actions done quietly. The true power of God is not revealed in grand movements alone but, in the small actions that we may think make no difference at all. This week's episode explores how those small actions have a huge impact.
March 5, 2023 - Matthew 13:24-30 | Finding Patience Through Prayer
February 28, 2023 09:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBMany in American culture are educated to solve problems. Our impulse is to fix, repair, and create efficiency. It is hard to leave things alone. In this week's episode, we explore how evil works in the world and what we are to do about it. It is a story about judgement and how damaging it can be.
February 26, 2023 - Mark 4:1-12 | Finding Hope When We Feel Lost
February 21, 2023 09:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBThe parables of Jesus have ignited interest and debate for years. Jesus' teaching often require a sense of effort on our part to hear them and keep hearing them. The Parable of the Seeds is not different. In this week's episode, we explore how there is a great promise for us all even when we feel a bit lost.