The teaching ministry of Trinity Presbyterian Church of West Sacramento - a fresh perspective on God’s Word of grace and hope.
Today’s Bible Reading is Matthew 5:38-48.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven…” -Matthew 5:43-45a
Give to, love, pray for whom??? My enemies? Surely that doesn’t really include ____________ (fill in the blank with the right name). We’ll see this morning!
Today’s Bible Reading is Matthew 5:33-37.
“Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” -Matthew 5:37
Jesus’ standards in the Sermon on the Mount seem ridiculously high. What’s up with that. And what’s wrong with making promises and oaths? What is Jesus trying to tell us about the value of saying a simple “yes” or “no”? Guest preacher, Dave Dove helps us understand it all.
Today’s Bible Reading is Matthew 5:27-32.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” -Matthew 5:27-28
What does Jesus have to say about sex? Adultery? Lust? Divorce? Does he just not want us to have fun? Is what Jesus describes really even possible?
Today’s Bible Reading is Matthew 5:21-26.
“So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” -Matthew 5:23-24
Jesus seems to be saying that anger, name calling, an disputes between people are on the same level as the Old Testament against murder. What can Jesus possibly be saying? What can we do with it?
Today’s bible reading is Matthew 5: 13-20.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” -Matthew 5:14-16
Jesus says that Christians are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. What does it mean to be salt and light? What about hiding the light under a basket? So what will we go do?
Today’s Bible Reading is Luke 24:27.
“Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.”
How did Jesus himself interpret the Old Testament writings, which were the only scriptures available to his disciples while Jesus was alive? Why does it matter to us today?
Easter Sunday
Today’s Bible Reading is John 20:1-18.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” -John 20:1-2
Where is Jesus? His disciples sure didn’t understand. They knew what to expect from Jesus before, but now, everything’s changed. If Jesus is risen, what now?
Palm/Passion Sunday
Today’s Bible Reading is Matthew 27:11-32.
“So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ … And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ 22 Pilate said to them, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ All of them said, ‘Let him be crucified!’” -Matthew 27:17,21b-22
In the final days of Jesus’ life on earth, the religious and civil authorities found him guilty. Then they gave the people a chance to choose. They chose to release a man called Barabbas and to crucify Jesus. What would we do?
Today’s reading is Read John 11:1-45.
“Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’” -John 11:21-23
Why did Jesus let his friend Lazarus die? Did he really think that a theological statement would be a comforting answer? What does it mean for Jesus to be “the resurrection and the life”? And what can we do with it?
Today’s Scripture is John 9:1-38.
“‘As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him’” -John 9:1-3
Meeting a man who was born blind brought up some theological questions among Jesus disciples. But the real storm started after the healing. Why is Jesus so controversial? What does this healing mean for us?
We need to apologize to our faithful listeners. We were victims of a hacker attack and the most recent posting to “Grace in the West” originally included a number of completely inappropriate web links. We have deleted the links and applied a security patch to WordPress. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Your Trinity Podcast Team
Today’s Bible Reading is John 4:5-42.
“The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who is speaking to you.’ … Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’” -John 4:25-26, 39
Jews didn’t talk to Samaritans, especially not this Samaritan woman. But Jesus did. He learned her secrets, she learned about him, and lives were changed! Learn more today.
Today’s Bible Reading is John 3:3-17.
“Jesus answered Nicodemus, ‘Very truly, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’” -John 3:3
Theologians have been battling over the precise meaning of the phrase “born from above” for some time now, but the main issue is, “How can WE know we have been ‘born from above’?”
Today’s Bible Reading is Matthew 4:1-11.
“Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.” -Matthew 4:10-11
The Spirit led Jesus out into he wilderness where, after forty days of fasting, he was tempted by the devil. Was his choice really a big deal? How did Jesus resist? Does his victory mean that we too can resist temptation? How can we do it and what will it mean in our lives when we do?
Today’s Bible Reading is Matthew 5:1-12.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” -Matthew 5:11-12
Jesus says that all kinds of people in tough situations are actually blessed! How can this be? What do those in pain, out of power, and the persecuted except suffering? What does it even mean to be blessed in those situations? We’ll discuss it today.
Today’s bible verse is Matthew 4:18-25.
“As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea– for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” -Matthew 4:18-20
What will it mean when Jesus calls? For these fishermen, it looked like giving up everything in exchange for uncertainty, downward mobility, and discomfort. What made them decide to follow? Will we decide to follow too?
Today’s Bible Reading is Jeremiah 2:9-13.
“…for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.” -Jeremiah 9:13
Have we been looking for life in all the wrong places? Are our lives empowered by living water or are we storing everything we have and everything we are in cisterns that hold no water at all? How would we know? What can we do about it?
Today’s Bible Reading is Matthew 3:13-17.
“And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’” -Matthew 3:16-17
Why was Jesus baptized at all? And why did God choose this time to sing Jesus’ praises? John the Baptist’s objections look pretty reasonable too. All in all, the baptism of Jesus can be confusing. What did it mean then, and what does it mean for us today?
Today’s scripture is Matthew 2:1-12.
“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:1-3
When the Wise Men followed the star and arrived in Jeru-salem looking for Jesus, they came to King Herod to ask how to find him. Herod wasn’t as helpful as he appeared. Where are we getting our guidance? From Herod or from God?
Rev. Dr. Thomas Smith
Today’s scripture is Hebrews 1:1-4.
“He is the reflection of God’s glory.”
In this Chrismas season, we are reminded that we are all children of God and come to Him as children, full of questions and wonder, hoping in the truth that ‘nothing is impossible’ with God.
