TRC Chattanooga Podcast

We have heard the ditches analogy: that we want to avoid behavior that causes us to fall off into one ditch or another, and stay in the center ground. There are indeed situations where this is a great way to explain how to find the moral answer. But not every moral question is a ditch. When it comes to following God’s laws, we are highly imperfect. But far from calling us to be moderate centrists about his commandments, God calls us to be zealous. You might even say he calls us to be an extremist for them. Listen as Elder Wes Keene preaches this week’s sermon at TRC Chattanooga.

Most understand Psalm 32 to be about David’s contrition after his affair and resulting treachery with Bathsheba. In it, David says that he acknowledged his sin before the Lord and did not cover it. But that wasn’t always true. David, did for a time attempt to keep silent about it, and that had devastating effects for him. Keeping a sin secret is futile. The Lord is not mocked. But when we come to him and confess our sin openly, on account of Jesus Christ, he is faithful to forgive our sins. It is never too late to repent while you’re still living. Listen to Elder Wes Keene exhort the congregation at TRC Chattanooga, based on Psalm 32:5.

On the occasion of Reformation Sunday, Elder Glenn Jones preaches to the congregation about the tale of two men, Martin Luther and John Tetzel, asking the congregation, based on Luke 18:9-14, which of them went home justified. Jesus' teaching on God's mercy is so clear in Scripture, it is hard for anyone reading Luke's Gospel to deny that one is justified purely by God's mercy in Jesus Christ alone. Listen as Elder Glenn Jones preaches on how you too can go home justified, just like the lowly tax collector in Jesus' day.

The Church is always to be reformed, whenever corruption and false teaching creeps in. The well known Latin phrase, Semper Reformanda, is a way of summarizing this teaching we find in Jude's epistle. TRC Chattanooga is both a reformation and a catholic congregation, knowing that all Christians throughout history share in the faith once for all delivered to the saints and that they must also stridently defend it when false teaching finds its way in. Listen as Elder Glenn Jones exhorts the congregation with Jude 3.

What exactly is going on with Jacob's wrestling match in Genesis 32? Who is he wrestling and why? Before we understand that, we have to understand Jacob's relationship with God, and how he viewed prayer. Maybe you wrestle with men and with God, but your prayers before God must always be importunate. Listen as Rev. David Beckmann preaches at TRC Chattanooga.

Paul tells Timothy that he must continue in the things which he had learned, and he tells him why. But we must understand the importance of the teachings of our own youth. It is critical that we not deviate from what our parents and ministers taught us about the Christian faith. Because there are many forces upon the Christian urging them to form new and strange beliefs. Listen as Elder Wes Keene exhorts the congregation at TRC Chattanooga from 2 Timothy 3:14-15.

Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy at the end of Paul's life. Rather than the problem being about Paul, this letter was about the problem of Paul no longer being in this world and the reality that Timothy would face in appointing younger leaders to succeed in the faithful teaching of the Gospel message Paul had preached. We in the American churches today face a similar demand as the older generation passes on from this world. Listen as Elder Glenn Jones preaches to the congregation of TRC Chattanooga on 2 Timothy 2:1-13.

Paul warns Timothy to charge the congregation not to quarrel about the meaning of words because it ultimately leads to the ruin of the hearers. In Paul's day, the dispute was over the meaning of the Resurrection, but in our day the dispute is over the meaning of the created world and such terms as man and woman, the meaning of marriage, and much more. How should we apply this directive for us 'not to quarrel' and how has it been misapplied by many teachers in our day? Listen as Elder Glenn Jones exhorts the congregation with 2 Timothy 2:14.

When the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith, he doesn’t really address their request directly. Instead, he tells them what one of the effects of having even slightly more faith would be. But then he explains the relationship between a slave and the slave master. As we labor for God in his kingdom, we see ourselves in the slave in this account. How is it that faith is increased? And is this a good request to make? Listen as Elder Wes Keene preaches this week’s sermon at TRC Chattanooga.

We all face temptations with anger. We see others appearing to get away with wickedness, and we naturally get upset about it. But David warns us that we must restrain that anger, and keep it in check. In the end, if we do not, it leads to evil. Even when we have righteous anger about evil that we see, we can still succumb to a state of perpetual wrath. Listen to Elder Wes Keene deliver this week’s exhortation at TRC Chattanooga, based on Psalm 37:8.