The Emmaus Road
Questions about faith? Questions about life? Wondering how it all fits together, and how to make sense of it all? Come and join the conversation as we seek the answers together! A ministry outreach of First Presbyterian Church of New Philadelphia, Ohio.
Episodes
October 8, 2023 • 13 mins
The Church should never worry about if the work it is doing is having an impact on the world. Sometimes the world might see us with indifference, or ignore us altogether. So what should Christians be oriented toward in the midst of that attitude, to ensure the Gospel message is still communicated?
Mark as Played
October 1, 2023 • 15 mins
The Church is always at work to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ, and to represent the will of God. But everyone thinks they know the most effect jobs for that task. How should the Church view its work, and to what end should it be pursued by its members?
Mark as Played
September 24, 2023 • 19 mins
“God never gives us more than we can handle” is a phrase we offer to people who are hurt or struggling. We offer it out of good intentions, but what if it does more harm than good? To the one struggling, everything seems like it is more than what they can handle. So how does God demonstrate his care during those struggling times, and transition us to a place where we can confidently stand- in spite of the situations we face?
Mark as Played
September 17, 2023 • 18 mins
We all may have heard at one time that we must forgive others who wrong us. The Christian faith expounds the idea of forgiveness, but is it applied in the proper manner? Many have misunderstood it to mean just accepting the faults and wrongdoing of others as “no big deal.” But that mentality has hurt many in the world, and within the Church. So how does the teaching of Jesus allow us to live it, and demonstrate a new way for those ...
Mark as Played
September 10, 2023 • 16 mins
In living out the calling and willfulness God has bestowed within us, we confront a world with powers and authorities who are at odds with our way of living. Yet God has placed those in charge of bringing order to the world, even when it seems that order acts against the people of God. How are we to respond to such a conundrum? Perhaps instead of trying to always buck the authority we do not like, we use it as a means to determine ...
Mark as Played
September 3, 2023 • 15 mins
A willing heart is a sign that God has touched us and made us a part of his own. But willingness is also a preparation God uses to further cement his ways into us. When we are drawn to the pure love, grace, and holiness of God, it is revealed everything that is out of step with him. Thus, it is shown how big and capable our hearts are to love and demonstrate that divine identity to the rest of the world. When we follow Jesus, and a...
Mark as Played
August 27, 2023 • 15 mins
A willing heart is what marks a person as part of God’s people, and is a sign of a faith that does not come from human origins. Willingness is what allows Christians to understand all that Jesus does, pursue the things the world is against, and see God as more worthy to gain than anything else. We willingly give of ourselves, “sacrifice” ourselves before God as an act of true worship, in order to gain more than he have ever hoped f...
Mark as Played
August 20, 2023 • 19 mins
The act of ‘labeling’ others is destructive to society and how it operates. It is also destructive to the Church, falsely claiming to know who are the ‘true’ and ‘false’ Christians. But human values and assumptions do not make people a part, or separate, from the holy assembly and promises of the divine. And it is that power which can change, teach, and guide us in how to truly be part of the Church and be what God desires for his ...
Mark as Played
August 13, 2023 • 18 mins
Many assume there is a “letter and spirit” to the laws and rules which govern our lives. Different ways to interpret what it means to live and be at peace with one another. Arguments could be made as to which is better, but the greater issue is how we ignore what those laws teach and guide us toward in the first place. Which is a better way to live and see the world, or are they both necessary to guide us toward something more idea...
Mark as Played
August 6, 2023 • 14 mins
The blessings, and gifts, of God are necessary in our lives. They are what reminds us of God’s protective rule over us, and proactive guidance for what we are accomplishing. We depend upon them for all we need, and sometimes want. But are God’s blessings, his interventions, just for what we want? Are they only gifted to those who have faith and ask for them? Or, are they for a purpose beyond just demonstrating our specialness in fr...
Mark as Played
July 30, 2023 • 17 mins
In many of his parables, Jesus speaks to his disciples about the “Kingdom of God.” We might think Jesus is being symbolic or spiritual about what he describes, but it is much more literal than we care to admit. How often who we relegate God’s Kingdom, or God’s rule, to a mere suggestion in our lives? How often do we overlook how sovereign God is, and can be, in all our situations? Especially as we live in a world filled with decept...
Mark as Played
July 23, 2023 • 15 mins
We live in a world that is increasingly under tension, between various powers wishing to rule us and within ourselves. We constantly label things as “good” and “evil” based on preference and what we believe to be right. But the parables of Jesus teach us how to recognize the difference, and how to live within the tension for the sake of those needing God’s rule. The key word for Christians living today is “patience.”
Mark as Played
July 16, 2023 • 18 mins
People are motivated by all sorts of different things, which make it difficult to connect and correct the actions and ideas of others. The Church believes its job is to change the hearts and minds of people, and correct their actions- which is only partially correct. We must take our cue from Jesus, in how he appealed to and taught others. And the results he expected to come about through the giving of his wisdom.
Mark as Played
July 9, 2023 • 13 mins
Christians are very good with wanting to do all they can for God. They try so hard in doing everything they can with proclaiming the teachings of Jesus, and to resist the power of sin and evil in the world. But oftentimes ignore the command of Jesus to come and take his yoke upon us, and rest with him. What does “rest” look like in this instance, and what does this offer of Jesus do to aid us living for God in our everyday lives?
Mark as Played
July 2, 2023 • 17 mins
Why are Christians instructed to do good in the world as disciples? For money or success? Fame or celebrity? For power and an easy life? Or because God offers a greater purpose by which to live, and a greater confidence by which to live by? To know the kingdom of God is close at hand, and the presence of God in our world is undeniable.
Mark as Played
June 25, 2023 • 19 mins
The calling we get from God to deliver his Gospel to the world is an honor. But it is an honor which puts us at odds with the rest of the world, and even what we value. Being his ministers and ambassadors mean that our beliefs and values do not have a place anywhere, since our loyalty and allegiance is with a Savior not of this world. However, God does use every opportunity in life to allow us ability to speak for and represent him...
Mark as Played
June 18, 2023 • 18 mins
Our society obsesses over the idea of work, and sometimes assigns value and worth to each person’s ability (or lack thereof). But Jesus speaks about what he expects his workers to accomplish, and what the Spirit enables them to accomplish. All efforts of Christ’s disciples contribute to the wider goal of harvesting for God in the world, and sometimes requires a keener eye on what is most important.
Mark as Played
June 11, 2023 • 15 mins
Faith is sometimes seen as a passive and non-committal response to the problems of the world. Reflecting a private belief that exists only in the heads of Christians. But faith is much more active and responsive to the world and the issues surrounding us, more than we care to admit. Faith allows us to step out in a trust, and in a stubbornness, which allows us to face the criticisms and objections of others. And to stand for what i...
Mark as Played
June 4, 2023 • 18 mins
Trinity Sunday is a commemoration and celebration of the way God has chosen to communicate with humanity. It reminds us while God is one, the multiplicity of God speaks in a range that touches all of God's characteristics, aspects, and works. It is not about a doctrine, but about life, relationship, and what we are invited to be part of.
Mark as Played
May 28, 2023 • 15 mins
Pentecost is our commemoration, and celebration, of the Church’s founding and establishment. The Church is given in order to be the body of Christ in this world, and continue the ministry Jesus has started. But what does that ministry look like, and how does our understanding of the Church impact how we participate in it? The Church’s celebration is also our opportunity to understand how God chooses to use it in our lives and the w...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.