What If Goodness Is The Strategy

If you’ve ever felt like you had to earn your place with God, we want you to hear this clearly: you’re already welcome. We start by talking about seasons how we rush to “throw out the sweaters” when life feels stuck, and why the church calendar can ground a deep spiritual life. As we enter the Season of Creation, we lean into a countercultural practice of attention, letting the natural world point us toward God’s presence, God’s love, and our place in the world. From there, we wrestle with John’s reminder that people have tried to describe God for generations, but Jesus comes to show us the Father with clarity and mercy. A surprise pastoral moment follows: a spoken blessing for Ethan’s 21st birthday that names belovedness, belonging, and the freedom of being deeply loved. That flows into a powerful idea we all need: church can be “weekly amnesia therapy,” where we remember our true name and stop living as if we’re on the edge of the family. Then we open Romans 12 and get concrete. We talk about genuine love, holding fast to what is good, outdoing one another in honor, serving without autopilot, staying patient in suffering, persevering in prayer, and practicing hospitality to strangers. We also face the hard teachings: bless and do not curse, live peaceably with all, never avenge yourself, and overcome evil with good, including the surprising “burning coals” image as a way of giving someone a chance to come back to life. If this stirred something in you, subscribe for weekly teachings, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find this Christian podcast and these Sunday sermons from First Love Church. What part of Romans 12 do you most need to practice right now? Support the show This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors.  If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church you can donate at https://www.firstlovechurch.org/giving In the service of LOVE, Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake