A thesaurus of good margaritas
Craig and Troy riff on rapid-fire parables, and Jesus trains us for the Kingdom. Go back and check out our series on parables at https://tinyurl.com/y7h8hjve
Contributors
Craig Donofrio
Craig Donofrio is the Pastor of St. James Lutheran Church in Cleveland, OH. He began his ministry after graduating from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in 1998 with an M.Div. Craig has served congregations from New London, CT to Pasadena, CA. After serving as a missionary based out of the Czech Republic, he moved to Cleveland to serve as the Pastor of St. James Lutheran Church where he co-hosts the 1517 podcast, “For You Radio." Craig has been a personality in radio and podcasting since 1993.
For You
Most Recent
On wheat and weeds and mustard seeds
What happens when Jesus tells a parable about His Kingdom? Craig and Troy discuss Christ's Kingdom operates.
Sow what?
Sow, Jesus seeds a parable and a pun, and lettuce understand. But when the corn grows, what ears hear and what ears don't?
We are family
. . . or are we an evil and adulterous generation? The difference is whether the Holy Spirit will cause us to hear the Word, or not
. . . and STILL Lord of the Sabbath
Jesus doubles down on being Lord of the Sabbath, and the Pharisees call Him satanic. But that makes no sense! Jesus is not satanic, He's the One who binds Satan and steals his stuff.
Lord of the Sabbath
Jesus not only desires mercy, but gives mercy. Our sacrifices will never satisfy the demands of the Law, but Christ's sacrifice for us gives all the holiness the law requires.
Look at you! . . . well, on second thought . . .
Is repentance really just an afterthought or a one-time event? Or is it the way of the Christian life in which God turns us away from ourselves and towards His Son.
Are you the guy, or is there another guy?
. . . to which Jesus answers, "Why? What have you heard?" Jesus challenges all the doubts about Himself and demands we believe in who He truly is.
It's not you, it's Him.
What does the Prince of Peace mean when He says, "I've come not to bring peace, but a sword?" In sending out The Twelve, Jesus reminds us all of just Who is our very identity.
What do you get when you cross a sheep, a snake, and a dove?
Jesus uses a lot of animal metaphors in order to instruct His disciples in how to interact with the world.
You want me to . . . what?
Jesus sends out His Twelve Sent-Ones on their first mission. Why does He give them the instructions that He gives . . . and what's up with the staff?
The harvest is plentiful
Jesus does Jesus stuff, but more Jesus workers are needed to do Jesus stuff, so Jesus apostles His disciples so that more Jesus stuff can get done . . . or something like that.
Replace your faith with Jesus
"Your faith has made you well" . . . except faith never believes in itself, but trusts only in its object, namely Jesus.
Partying with Jesus
Why is it that wherever Jesus is, there is the party? Because to dine with Jesus is to be at one with Him, and He with us.
A paralytic walks into a feast . . .
Jesus, the Great Physician, does "healing" in a way that no one else can. When He heals, it goes beyond physical and into eternity.
What do you do with a frightened sailor?
Being a Christ-follower is indeed a bed of roses. But don't forget: roses have thorns. Jesus advises potential disciples to count the cost.
The authority of Jesus and the machine that goes "bing!"
When a Gentile comes to Jesus with a request, Jesus is astounded by his faith. Christian faith understands Jesus' authority, but did the Jews understand that?
The rains come down and the cross goes up
Through the Gospel of Matthew, Craig and Troy continue talking about the "two religions." One is firm, built on the rock of Christ. The other is unstable, built upon literally anything else.
The religion of "You" is a religion of poo
Narrow gates, false prophets, and being denied by the Lord all stem from the same thing: the religion of "You." Craig and Troy work through some hard sayings in Jesus' sermon.
Is a stone a good gift?
What can we ask God for? Why do we think He'd want to give it to us? Craig and Troy talk about the deep meaning of "Ask, seek, knock."
Like margaritas for pigs
What's your vote for the most misapplied and misquoted Bible verse of all time? Craig and Troy vote for "Don't you judge me!" Today we talk about the reality of being under judgment, and seeking repentance.
Consider the lilies . . .
Why do you worry, when God has your back? Craig and Troy consider the lillies, the 1st Commandment, and the comfort found in seeking first His kingdom.
Deliver us from evil
God is not the source of temptation, but He may use our temptations to teach us of HIs grace. Craig and Troy conclude their study on the Lord's Prayer.
More on da Lord's Prayer, oh sure you betcha
"Forgive us our sins, as we forgive the sins of others"? How does that work? Craig and Troy dive headfirst into the Fifth Petition of the Lord's Prayer.
The Lord's Prayer, Part Deux
If God does all this stuff anyway, why should we even pray for it? Craig and Troy wade back into the Lord's Prayer and our receiving of what He does.