Here's the list of podcasts I mentioned in my sermon this weekend

Invisibilia - “The Culture Inside”

This American Life - “Episode 535: Origin Stories (2014 Updated Edition)”

RadioLab - “Juicervose” (you might also like “Colors”)

Invisibilia - “Frame of Reference” (you might also like “Emotions” and “Flip the Script”)

Planet Money - “Episode 337: The Secret Document That Transformed China”

Reply All (2 parts) - “Episodes 102-103: Long Distance” (you might also like “Episode 104: The Case of the Phantom Caller”)

TED Radio Hour - “Rethinking School” (you might also like “Hardwired”) - this one is good but I included it because our book club has several educators in it

3 Faith Shortcuts that Lead You Nowhere

We’re looking today at three faith shortcuts that get you nowhere.

All three are shortcuts every single one of us is tempted to take.

All three are shortcuts we all actually take, and you might find yourself on one right now, and it’s leading you nowhere. 

No one loves a good shortcut or hack or life hack more than me. I’ll tell you about some of my favorite hacks this weekend.

My favorite shortcuts or hacks are fun or relatively insignificant, but some hacks are not so good. 

Imagine a surgeon trying a new shortcut procedure he picked up on Youtube!

The 3 faith shortcuts that lead to nowhere can be discerned by reflecting on Jesus’ crucifixion. That’s our passage this weekend. 

When Jesus is on the cross, mockers say, “If you’re the Son of God, surely you have the power to get yourself down from that cross right now.” 

That’s a shortcut. That’s a hack. And it was a temptation Jesus faced from way back in his ministry. 

Satan tempted Jesus to take a shortcut and bypass the cross. 

So we’re looking this weekend at Jesus on the cross and reflecting on how we too are tempted to take faith shortcuts.

I hope to see you there.

Photo by Raphaël Biscaldi on Unsplash