“Falling Upward”

Based on John 10:11-18: Life is divided into two halves. This division has nothing to do with chronology or age. In the first half, you are told who you are by those around you — friends, nation and culture. It works for a time, but then you begin to wonder. You begin to question. You begin a period of deconstruction as you are forced inward to find out for yourself just who you are.

What will the second half be like for you? Who will help you as you are forced, yes forced, to deconstruct and reconstruct yourself.

Father Richard Rohr offers this paradoxical truth: “The way down is the way up and the way up is the way down.” Pastor Tim helps us to understand how God is present in our second half and to understand the necessity of this paradoxical process. He explains that with God, “Falling upward” is what you do instead of falling down. Finality in hopelessness, failure, pain? Not with God. He flips180 degrees and transforms them into tools that you can use to reconstruct yourself for the second half of this life here on earth — divine tools that paradoxically result in renewal and empowerment.

The gospel of John says fall forward, fall upward. Paradoxical? Yes! Impossible? Not when your shepherd is the Good Shepherd.

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered”

Based on Ephesians 1:3-14: The battle for your soul is being fought in the spiritual realm. As Christians, we are preoccupied with the fighting for our soul that goes on in the earthly realm–with forces that we can perceive with our five senses. For the contest that is continually waged for our souls in the spiritual realm, we are unaware.

God is the purveyor of our souls in this spiritual warfare. His promise avers that He will win that battle on our behalf. This promise is our assurance as his beloved sons and daughters. Listen along as Pastor Tim explains what it means, as a Christian and therefore, heir to that promise–to be “signed, sealed, and delivered.” What blessed assurance!