Author: Rev. Christopher Gillespie

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Eventually, all Christians eventually face doubts about their faith. Whether it’s being unsure about something new or different from what they’ve known before, or an all-out doubting that all this Christianity business is true…sinners doubt. If you tell someone about your doubts, do you worry about being drummed out of the church? Should you just keep it all to yourself, try harder to believe, and hope your faith returns? Sandra and Pastor Riley discuss doubt, faith, confession and how as Lutherans, our confession of faith actually includes room for doubt. We believe that we can’t believe.

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

Click here to listen to Part 2.

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Rev. Donavon Riley (of the Simulcast) and Rev. Eric J. Brown (of the Gospeled Boldly) spend a few minutes wandering through James Chapter 1, seeing why there is so much for Gospel loving simul-folk to love about this often malaigned book. Jazzy production and ambiance is provided by the king of Caffeine, Pastor Christopher Gillespie. This brief series will run 5 or 6 episodes, just enough to cover James.

Questions? Comments? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact.

Show Notes

Listen and Subscribe to The Gospeled Boldly Podcast with Rev. Eric Brown and Thomas Lemke.

Listen and Subscribe to The Higher Things® Simulcast Podcast with Rev. Donavon Riley and Sandra Ostapowich.

James Chapter 1.

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We all want the Christian faith to be passed on to the next generations, but numbers across the board aren’t indicating that is going well. This week, Sandra and Pastor Riley talk about what it means to be the communion of saints, who gather to receive gifts from God in Word and Sacrament, and learn together the liturgy and traditions of the Church. We also learn the history of this Church family, so we can all get to know (and even love!) each other as mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers — a family in Christ through Baptism, who remember and celebrate births and deaths, and everything in between. Together. From generation to generation.

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

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Part 2 of “Pa pa pa pa pa pa poker…wait, Lady Gaga is a Christian?” This is a continuation from Part 1 Can a celebrity really be a Christian and not only be famous within the Christian version of things? Join Sandra and Pastor Riley as they discuss the doctrine of vocation, Lady Gaga, Christian culture and how it all might work together.

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

Listen to Part 1 here.

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Many people were shocked when Lady Gaga posted a picture of herself with her family priest and claimed to be a faithful Catholic who believes in Jesus and the Gospel. Did Christians rejoice in her confession of faith, or did we leap to dissect her statement because there’s no way it can actually be true? Can a celebrity really be a Christian and not only be famous within the Christian version of things? Join Sandra and Pastor Riley as they discuss the doctrine of vocation, Lady Gaga, Christian culture and how it all might work together.

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

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In Episode 35 we continue the discussion that began in episode 34. Youth today are bombarded with all sorts of ideas and opinions about everything under the sun. It can be really hard to remain firm in your baptismal faith! On the other hand, adults have a lot more freedom to choose who and what may influence their beliefs. This week, Sandra and Pastor Riley talk about the challenges of engaging with people who believe differently than we do, while still making sure we are receiving all that we can from God’s Word and our various fathers in the faith.

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

Listen to part one in Episode 34.

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Youth today are bombarded with all sorts of ideas and opinions about everything under the sun. It can be really hard to remain firm in your baptismal faith! On the other hand, adults have a lot more freedom to choose who and what may influence their beliefs. This week, Sandra and Pastor Riley talk about the challenges of engaging with people who believe differently than we do, while still making sure we are receiving all that we can from God’s Word and our various fathers in the faith.

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

Listen to part two in Episode 35.

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Tune in to part 2! Lutherans confess that it is enough for unity in the church for the Gospel to be preached in its purity and the Sacraments to be administered rightly (AC VII). And then, as sinners, we turn around and use this very call for unity as a tool to divide “us” from “them.” We create subcultures, identify target markets for outreach, and decide who is worthy enough to be graced by unity with us. Listen in on another conversation between Sandra and Pastor Riley as they try to figure out what it looks like to be bound in unity through the Word and Sacraments because we are actually unified by Christ.

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

Listen to Part 1 of Episode 32.

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Lutherans confess that it is enough for unity in the church for the Gospel to be preached in its purity and the Sacraments to be administered rightly (AC VII). And then, as sinners, we turn around and use this very call for unity as a tool to divide “us” from “them.” We create subcultures, identify target markets for outreach, and decide who is worthy enough to be graced by unity with us. Listen in on another conversation between Sandra and Pastor Riley as they try to figure out what it looks like to be bound in unity through the Word and Sacraments because we are actually unified by Christ.

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

Listen to Part 2 of Episode 32.

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Christians make a big deal about Jesus’ resurrection…but then we kind of tend to avoid talking about what it actually means for us. We’re pretty uncomfortable with the whole idea that sin, death, and the devil are really and truly conquered. So, in a weird way, we kind of long for an easier way of life, in which we don’t have to live in freedom. We find all sorts of ways to put ourselves back under whatever laws we can find and make up. But the power of the resurrection is the power of freedom to hope all things, forgive all things, believe all things…to point everyone to Christ, to say, “There’s our God, there’s our Lord. This is what he’s done for you too. Receive it, believe it, enjoy it, be satisfied by it…because it’s everything.”

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