The Park Road Pres Podcast

Overcoming Evil

The question today is how to defeat evil with good as the very last words in our passage charge us to do. "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good". It's something we ALL want – we don't want to live in an evil, corrupt society and we want the Church to be "salt and light" having a positive impact on its members and on our surroundings. How can the Church promote good and resist evil? (sounds like a job for crime-fighters and superheroes!) 
I want to jump right IN today and look at: 1. A Good Life (easier said than done!)2. An Empathetic Life (linking to Power and to people)3. An Intriguing Life (what's YOUR story?)

Self-Image & Membership in the Body

Today, we look at the role the Spirit plays in the Church as a Body made up of PERSONS. How are believers in Jesus Christ supposed to think about themselves in relation to other persons, to the Church as a whole and to the Leader or Head of the Church, Jesus Christ? How do YOU think about yourself? The whole idea of self-esteem, self-image, self-concept, personality: that's our inquiry for today.There are issues with self-image and I plan to look at some of the difficulties in defining or understanding ourselves and the self…AND there are resources IN the gospel (basic message of Christianity) for settling questions of self-concept. Finally what would it look like to take advantage of those resources – how would using those benefits help us?Let's look at:1) Self-Concept Quandary2) Power of Paradox3) Morphing to Morons

Fetchin’ a Bride: A Study in Romantic Providence

Spiritual Gifts (The Special Ones)

Gifts Received

Rev. Phil Letizia - Embodying Grace & Peace

Genuine Community

I want to ask you to join me… to recommit ourselves as a whole family to the institution of the Church. Today and in this whole series, I hope God will stir us up to see the Church as His agent, God's Embassy, God's Diplomat, His Ambassador sent to the world to make the Good News of Jesus tangible and UN-ignorable to a the not-yet-believing world.

Being Transformed

Mainly, we're asking questions about distinctively Christian or Gospel morals: IF we're given righteousness as a gift, if believers are declared justified in the sight of God because of what Jesus Christ DID which we receive by resting and receiving (i.e. passively and freely) THEN why should we be good? Why should we change? HOW should we go about changing and what would that change look like in the lives of real people?As we come into this chapter on Gospel-morals, let's look at: 1) Musing on Mystery2) Mercies to Morals3) The Morals Mercy Makes

The Power of Outlandish Security

To LIVE as this unique community, the church, is NOT something we can just sort of decide to do but requires power from outside ourselves. That power IS the Spirit of God given to all the adopted sons and daughters of God.Today, we come to the end of this "Engine Chapter" with one, great, final push, as if Paul is saying, "Not only will what I'm about to say help you to love and forgive one another… to endure difficulties WITH (and let's face it) sometimes FROM one another – but if you get what this means, there's a level of security here so compelling that it can sustain you in ANY difficulty life throws your way – the power of outlandish security!So let's look at this and restock the shelves of our hearts with it because we're going to need it in the coming weeks – it's the engine for ongoing love and commitment and unique community in the Church:1. The Congregation's Deep Need2. The Pastor's Method and Message

The Big Shift

Adoption: God embraces rebellious, excluded, enemies to His own family in an act of free grace, through which we're received into the family, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.This declaration by God – that "you are no longer an outsider but now included", this doctrine and this experience can change the nature of our good works AND can lead to a kind of freedom, spontaneity and joy not found in typical spiritual/religious approaches. So lets look at :1) The SLAVE Way2) The BIG SHIFT3) The SON Way

The Fight With Sin & Selfishness

Romans CH 8 is a favorite chapter for many Bible-readers. It addresses a key subject, very significant in our age and that is – security.The word comes up a lot in our time and place – security system, security guard, internet security, Homeland Security, Social Security… And not ONLY is there a kind of "post 9-11" and "post-COVID" obsession with that word in a world that's INsecure and vulnerable to terrorism and viruses and various dangers but ALSO, philosophically and psychologically, MODERN HUMANITY faces its own insecurity. Men and women and children are facing the existential dilemma…the desire for security.I have two GRAMMAR-QUESTION points today in this dense passage and then one final answer:1) Grammar Q1: Isn't that SPATIAL?!2) Grammar Q2: Whodunit?3) The Answer of Agency