introduction to reformed theology – Page 3 – Jesus @ 2 am blogs and podcast

Loving God 301, Part 4: Expressing Doubt – Psalm 13

February 7, 2016February 3, 2016Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

Doubt is a part of every intimate relationship. No matter how confident we are in the love of another, there are times when we wonder if that love endures (if it was every really there at all). It happens in friendships, families, marriages…and in our relationship with God.

We ought not be surprised by this or seek to deny it. It is hard enough to put our trust in those we can see, hear and touch. How much more so to lean into a relationship that is rarely mediated by our senses?!?

God is not surprised by doubt. Nor is he angered by it. Rather, God provides us the language to express doubt, to talk about it and let it be part of the relationship.

In this episode we explore Psalm 13 and both the experience and vocabulary of faith and doubt.

Loving God 301, Part 3: Expressing Fear – Psalm 140

February 4, 2016February 3, 2016Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

We’ve all heard of the “foxhole prayer” – pleading with God in our most desperate hour. It’s an experience we’ve all had, and one that often comes with a tinge of guilt: Will God be angry that we turn to prayer only when we are overcome with fear?

Take heart, then, to know that the psalms are filled with such prayers – cries to God for deliverance from every kind of threat. And take even more heart in knowing that such prayers are lovingly received and frequently answered with salvation (present and eternal!).

In this episode we explore Psalm 140 and the experience of fear – how to bring our deepest worries to the God who is both omnipotent and compassionate.

Loving God 301, Part 2: Expressing Praise – Psalm 150

February 3, 2016January 29, 2016Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

The great gift of the psalms is that they give us the words to pray from the depth of our soul, to give words to our experience. We pray them not because they are the “approved” prayers of the church, but because they help us articulate (and thus feel) what is most true about ourselves and our relationship with God. And in that light, it is very much worth noting that the psalms both begin and end with expressions of delight and praise!

In this episode our pal, Jon Saur, takes us through a short look at Psalm 150 – the concluding poem in the collection and the ultimate declaration of praise to God for his unending goodness.