Natalia Terfa - One of the oldest and longest running unanswered questions in all of history is why do bad things happen? Not just to good people, but at all? Why is there so much suffering? Why do I suffer? Why does anyone suffer? The book of Job is one tentative and unsatisfying step into answering the unanswerable. Support our podcast here Watch…

Mark 4:35-41 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asle…

Chad Brekke - There is an old saying, “seeing is believing” but Paul seems to be describing the opposite, “believing is seeing!” We walk by faith and not by sight is the way he puts it. Well, this great passage has a lot of good stuff to unpack, so let’s get after it! Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instagram Visit our We…

Mark 4:26-34 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harve…

Natalia Terfa - So many of us have heard the story of the garden and Adam and Eve and the serpent and all the fallout that follows, but what do we really know about it? How do we keep believing the lie? And is our original state blessing, or sin? Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instagram Visit our Website…

Genesis 3:8-15 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, be…

Katie Rykal - As we gather to celebrate our graduating High School Seniors, we hear their words, their stories and bless them as they step out on their own. Whether they are heading to colleg e, tech school, directly into the workforce, or taking some time to figure things out, we will send them out with the reminder that we, as a Church, will alwa…

2nd Corinthians 4:5-12 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants[a] for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay,…

Natalia Terfa - What does it really mean that we are called children of God? Why does it matter? Does it really change anything? Video: The danger of a single story - Chimamanda Adichie Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instagram Visit our Websiteעל ידי Prince of Peace

John 3:1-17 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the k…

Chad Brekke - I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…Everybody gets to speak up for God; because the community of faith in Christ is the place where the power to speak belongs, not just to a few, but to all. Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instagram Visit our Website…

Acts 2:1-21 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to…

Natalia Terfa - We have a kind of poetic word salad from John’s Gospel in front of us today, where Jesus prays for people in the world when he is no longer in the world. But is “in the world” physical, or metaphorical, or both? How do we understand what it means to be “in” and “of” the world? Is it good or bad? Or Both? Support our podcast here Wat…

John 17:11-19 Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and t…

Chad Brekke - The church today exists in a culture defined by opposition and division. As we look at a fascinating encounter between Peter and folks he considered to be outsiders if not enemies, we may see a way forward for the church in our time. Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instagram Visit our Website…

For Youth Sunday we focused on Daniel 6 2 Key Verses: Daniel 6:17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Jud…

Natalia Terfa - In one of my favorite stories in Acts, Phillip is changed by an encounter with a eunuch from Ethiopia. What starts with a question ends in a baptism on the side of the road. Scandalous!! Or is it? Scripture: Acts 8:26-40 Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instagram Visit our Website…

John 15:1-8 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless …

Chad Brekke - A couple of months ago, we heard Jesus say in Mark’s gospel that "whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and the gospel will save it.” What might these things look like in the real world? When Peter is dragged in front of the powers that be after the resurrection in today's reading, we get o…

1st John 3:16-24 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By…

Natalia Terfa The fear and astonishment of the disciples is made so clear in today’s Gospel. They haven’t come very far, have they? Notice how Jesus doesn’t talk at them or around them. He shows them his body. His hands and feet. To show that yes - that happened - and yet here he is. Scripture: Luke 24:36b-48 Support our podcast here Watch the Live…

Acts 3:11-2 While (the man who was lame and healed) clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God …

Natalia Terfa & Chad Brekke Join us in this special podcast episode of Ask the Pastors as we set aside our usual preaching schedule to delve into public theology together. We addressed questions from our congregation around the theme of doubt and questioning. How does John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father exc…

John 20:19-31 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again,…

Chad Brekke - People come up with some frightening ways to prove their faith. From the power of positive thinking, to handling venomous snakes during worship, efforts to demonstrate personal faithfulness come in many forms. The Easter proclamation turns the tables on this endless quest. The risen Christ defeats sin and death to give us something fa…

Mark 16:1-8 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And loo…

Isaiah 53:3-6 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crus…

Mark 14:12-26 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say…

Matthew 9:27-31 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it don…

Chad Brekke - Continuing with our tradition of settling in on Palm Sunday to listen to a live reading of the passion of Christ. Somehow, we always hear something new, something that transforms our current time and draws us in. Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instagram Visit our Website…

John 12:12-19 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not,…

Natalia Terfa Jesus uses the word glorify a lot in this passage, so it’s worth spending a little time thinking about what we think that word means, and what Jesus meant when he used it. The distance between those two answers gives us a hint of what is coming. Scripture: John 12:20-33 Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instag…

Mark 10:32-45 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and th…

(Chad Brekke) Much of popular Christianity in the United States is packaged in the always-recurring theme of the power of positive thinking. If we can just focus on that “next level” that God surely has planned for us, we will find true happiness. How does this message sound to the single mother in the refugee camp or the prisoner on death row? Is …

Pastor Jody Becker, a dear friend of Pastor Scott's, delivers the message today as POP celebrates 5 years of Pastor Scott's leadership. Joshua 1:1-9 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people,…

(Natalia Terfa) When Moses was given the Ten Commandments, things seemed pretty clear. But immediately the people began to do what people do and look for loopholes, exit strategies, and hierarchies. What if we took a little time, and went back to basics? Just the big 10. Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17 Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow…

John 2:13-25 13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and ov…

Matthew 8:1-4 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothi…

(Chad Brekke) Do you ever wonder why Jesus had to go the way of the cross, the way of rejection and suffering and dying? Wouldn’t just being an amazing teacher, preacher, and healer have been enough? Great questions, let’s get into it. Scripture: Mark 8:31-38 Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instagram Visit our Website…

Mark 8:27-38 27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Chr…

(Chad Brekke) Many of us first heard the story of Noah and the ark in Sunday School as children. In our imaginations, we could see all the fun animals and the big boat. But a version of this ancient story has echoed throughout human history and for those who dare to step back into that ark and look around, there is still more to learn. Scripture: G…

Genesis 22:1-18 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, a…

God, today my finitude is rubbed on my forehead. The reality of my limits, my fragile body, spoken over me like a curse: From dust I was made, to dust I will return. Some days I need to be reminded that I am not the perfectibility project I set out to be I am full of bounce and brimming with hope. All woes, solvable. All problems, a distant whisper…

Joel 2:12-13 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.…

(Natalia Terfa) It’s the Sunday before Lent, and of course, that means it’s Transfiguration Sunday. What does it mean that we go from such a high place to such a low place in this short period? Especially since we, like the disciples, present with Jesus on that mountaintop, prefer the highs over the lows. Scripture: Mark 9:2-9 Support our podcast h…

Mark 9:2-9 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus…

(Natalia Terfa) “Everyone is searching for you” the disciples tell Jesus as his popularity and reputation grows. But Jesus doesn’t let the lure of prestige keep him from what he was sent here to do. Where do we go when we’re looking for Jesus? What are we hoping to get from him? Where is it that we will find him? Scripture: Mark 1:29-39 Support our…

Isaiah 40:21-31 Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princ…

Mark 1:21-28 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us,…

(Chad Brekke) We are still in the first chapter of Mark, so many voices are vying for attention. The one crying out in the wilderness, the crowds, religious leaders, worshippers, and even unclean spirits. In this passage, Jesus says, “be silent!” When Jesus speaks, something new happens. Healing, restoration, and hope begin to emerge. Let’s listen …