Pastor Awesome Don't Care

 

David sought God only after three years of famine (2 Sam 21). His delay exposes how easily we ignore suffering. What pain have you chosen not to see, and who are you avoiding to escape the weight of compassion?

Pastor Awesome knows gifts

 God gives each of us distinct gifts (1 Cor 12), yet we often chase the ones that promise status or profit. So be honest: what gifts do you envy—and how are you using the ones you do have for yourself instead of for God?

Who's Your Servant?

In Matthew 20, a bid for status meets Jesus’s simple truth: real authority flows from God and is proven through service. The question still stands—are you trying to own people or serve them.

Duck! The Sower is Coming!

While the parable of the Sower (Matt 13) describes the reasons people fail to fully embrace faith in Christ, it also leaves us wondering why God would distribute His Word and His Love so indiscriminately. Do you hold back charity, love, or even consideration for specific groups?
 

My King will Beat You UP!

Pilate called Jesus “King, (Luke 23)” but Jesus rules by changing hearts, not by force. So which king do you want—one who leads through fear, or one who brings peace and justice to the hurting?

Crossing Boundaries

 On His way to Galilee, Jesus did what most Israelites refused to do—He went through Samaria. The “good” people of His day questioned crossing into enemy territory, but Jesus cared more about connecting with people than respecting the boundaries others insisted on. John 4

Followers or not

 

While calling His apostles (Matt 4), Jesus did not ask them to argue theology, He simple asked them to follow Him. During their time with Jesus, we see them struggle to understand what He wants from them, but maybe it's just as simple as doing the things He would do. How do you follow Jesus?

Transformations

John 2 shows Jesus turning water into wine—a sign of His power to transform. But not all change honors Him. How have you or your church drifted from being true witnesses of God's goodness?

Greed covered by nobility

A woman lovingly anointed Jesus’s feet, but the disciples masked their greed with noble-sounding criticism over the cost (Mark 14). When have you used virtue to disguise self-interest?

Shopping for the gospel of your dreams

 

Although we all talk about the 'Good News' or 'gospel' (2 Thes 2:14), it seems like Christians define the gospel as a political affiliation, a set of beliefs, or even a theological position. We all point to the grace afforded us by Jesus Christ, but is it more than just a 'fire escape/' Could the gospel be more than we ever thought it could be? What do you believe the gospel is?

Jesus makes the unseen seen

When the disciples argued over who was to be the greatest, Jesus pointed to the one least likely to be heard, thought of, or even seen (Luke 9). By pointing to the most powerless, Jesus made the unseen seen, and reminded us all that the path to greatness is actually found in humility. Who do you ignore? Could they be the greatest among you?

Awesome's Treasures

 When the Israelites entered the promised land they found an abundance of food (Josh 5). This provision reminds us of the grace God extends to us through Jesus Christ (Eph 2). Perhaps we should consider how much has been given to us and how having received gifts, we should give to others (Matt 8).

Pastor Awesome doesn't get it

 Before becoming a follower of Jesus, Peter humbled himself and declared himself to be a sinner (Luke 2). While the word "sin" is unpopular, most of us hold some guilt over a time in our lives when we failed to live up to our own values. The promise of Christ is that He can free us of our guilt, if we can just face it.

Sure, I'll repent...of what?

 John the Baptist condemned his audience for their sins and called them to repent (Luke 3). While the sins are not named, the remedy is to remember God and who He is. How had they forgotten God? Do we consider the great sin of Israel their lack of temple attendance, or do we recognize the Old Testament prophet's call through John as a need to cast off greed and provide relief to those suffering around us?

Awesome not hearing you

 In Mark 7 Jesus heals a man's deafness and asks that no one advertise the miracle. Those who witnessed the act could not seem to help themselves and soon the miracle no longer belonged to the man, but it had been appropriated for the crowd's purpose of promoting Jesus as the Messiah. We might notice how quickly the man disappears from the story to be replaced by the crowd's agenda.

Doggone it

 When Jesus spoke the words the Church now uses to celebrate the "Lord's Supper," He gave no moral requirements, He simply provided spiritual nourishment to those who would come. Do we help others come to the table of Jesus? Do we demand more than Jesus Himself or maybe we mistakenly offer physical nourishment and wealth in place of spiritual. Let us embrace the true gospel of Christ.

The Foolishness of Christ

 The way of Christ is so contrary to the violence and greed of our world that it seems like foolishness to those who don't practice it. Even more disturbing to those around us might be the willingness of Christ to include anyone from any background, even the disagreeable. (1 Co 1:18-26). Is this the 'foolishness of Christ' you see in the Church, or do you see the Church excluding, bickering, and conquering?

Big Umbrella

 Often Christians seek to limit access to Christ by rejecting others. Paul seemed to do just the opposite, in1 Co 9:16-23 Paul declares that he is 'all things to all people'. Paul's willingness to open the door of the church to all who would come caused discomfort and clashes between devout followers of both the Hebrew God and the pagan deities. Who would you exclude in order to be more comfortable?

Using Paul to clobber others

 Christians are infamous for using Paul's writings to condemn any behavior that they feel is not acceptable. One example is 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Some translations chose words that specifically condemn the LGTBQ community, instead of accepting that anyone who refuses to give up power and pleasure taken by force should repent. Have you ever reinterpreted the Bible for your own purposes? 

The message given to Jesus for you

 God audibly spoke to those who witnessed the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:11). The voice clearly stated that Jesus had a family relationship with the very creator of all existence. The good news of the gospel is that we get to join that family and share the in love God has for His children. How do you experience and share your family relationship with The God?