Author: Rev. Christopher Gillespie

[ download ]

Pastor Riley and Kate discuss the after effects of the presidential election, and our tendency to judge others based on their decisions and actions. Instead, we are called to see Christ in our neighbor and serve them with love. Our neighbor’s church attendance or moral fiber do not determine our love and care for them. The Lord calls us to the Gospel, enlightens us with His gifts, and sanctifies and keeps us in the one true faith. So while we remember that the Lord calls us and saves us without our cooperation, in the same way our neighbor is called and saved without our help too. Not serving and loving our sinful neighbor won’t drive them to faith. Instead we see Christ in them and love them.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

[ download ]

Pastor Riley and Kate talk about doubt and the source of our faithlessness. Every Christian, even Christ’s Apostles, dealt with doubt and their own lack of belief in God’s Promise. To be a Christian doesn’t mean we have perfect faith, because we still live in this sinful flesh. We still want to be our own god and turn inward to find strength and salvation, even expecting perfection from ourselves after we have been forgiven, forgetting that our perfection is in Christ alone. Join us for an excellent discussion.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

[ download ]

A new episode of the Simulcast in which Pr. Riley and Kate discuss the aim and purpose of life. Is happiness our primary objective? What is happiness? Is pleasure important? What happens to our vocation when we seek pleasure continually? Does pleasure fulfill us as human beings? What happens when pleasure is no longer enough? Do we ever seek happiness and pleasure in church, forgetting that God gives us everything we need, especially that which is enough for our salvation?

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

[ download ]

Pastor Riley and Kate discuss the ongoing identity crisis that we face each day. It is so easy to define ourselves according to our relationships with others, our jobs, our appearance. Where does the search lead us when we are looking inward? Praise be to God who has called us by the Gospel, enlightened us with His gifts, and has sanctified and kept us in the one true faith. We daily return to our baptism where we are grounded and find our true identity as God’s children.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

[ download ]

Pastor Riley, Sandra, and Kate discuss the purpose and challenges of fellowship in the church versus the community we find in other groups outside the church.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

[ download ]

Pastor Riley and Kate discuss the purpose of the law and why Christians try to do good. How are our good works different from the unbeliever’s? Pastor Riley points us back to Christ and His saving miracles in the Gospel. Are we out to save the world on our own because we’re “Christian superheroes” or do we love our neighbor because Christ first loved and saved us?

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

[ download ]

Pastor Riley and Sandra are joined by Kate Olson as they continue to discuss the First Article and how Christians answer questions about how and why a good and gracious God allows bad things to happen. What do we confess about our Heavenly Father when things go wrong and we face suffering? How do we respond to God’s gifts? How do we know when God has given a gift or is allowing us to experience pain? Is there a difference?

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

[ download ]

More on the First Article of the Creed as Pastor Riley and Sandra discuss how Christians can talk about the world we live in and the gifts of God in it, while still dealing with the whole problem of sin.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

Show Notes

• HT Video Catechism – Ep. 16: The Creed, First Article, Part 1
• HT Video Catechism – Ep. 17: The Creed, First Article, Part 2
• HT Video Catechism – Ep. 18: The Creed, First Article, Part 3
• Conference Breakaway – Science and Faith
• Coffee by Gillespie

[ download ]

This week’s episode wanders around the Creed, sheep and goats, bearing crosses, baptism, vocation, sin, and helping God…among a host of other issues. Buckle in and hang on for the ride with Pastor Riley and Sandra.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

Show Notes

• Coffee by Gillespie

[ download ]

I don’t know what happened in this episode. It’s about the Law, the Gospel, the Liturgy, the Sacraments, ministry to people with disabilities, babies, baptism, Genesis, sleeping…even a basement sink. Listen in as Pastor Riley and Sandra Ostapowich follow this week’s rabbit trails.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact or leave them on The SimulCast Facebook page.

Show Notes

• Is There Good News For Disabled People? – Rev. Donavon Riley
• Coffee by Gillespie