From Richard's Heart

Losing Your Son

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:58:35 -0600

Recorded March 29, 2009. One of the hardest things in life for a father is losing a loved one. In particular losing a son can be very traumatic. From time to time some fathers are asked to sacrifice their own sons for a greater good. Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son. During times of war fathers all over the world must be willing to lose their sons when the sons join the military to fight for their country. Even God had to lose his only begotten son to save a lost world.

Richard in this podcast episode points out one very important detail regarding Abraham's sacrifice. Even though God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham did not believe he would lose his beloved son. God on the other hand knew his son Jesus would die. However, God also knew Jesus would not remain dead for very long.

Listen to this episode to find out what Richard has to say about one special Father who saw His Son die for our sake. You may also leave an appropriate comment regarding this episode by clicking on the comment link on our blog page.

Salt Covenant

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:11:45 -0600

Recorded on March 15, 2009. In this episode Richard talks about salt covenants. Numbers 18:19 refers to a salt covenant between God and Israel's priests and Levites. In Biblical times people carried pouches filled with salt. Among other things, two parties would exchange salt to seal a covenant (contract) between them. The salt would become forever mixed with the other person's salt. This symbolized that the covenant could never be broken.

The following is the text in the handout Richard referred to in this podcast episode:

In biblical times men carried a pouch of salt on their belts to prevent dehydration as well a trading it as a form of currency. When two men desired to finalize a business transaction or enter a covenant [or contract] of loyalty with each other, they would recite the conditions of their covenant and then exchange salt from each other's pouch. Once they exchanged salt, they shook the salt grains within their pouches symbolizing the sealing of the covenant which became binding, for it was impossible to retrieve their original salt grains from one another.

Some Bible passages referring to salt covenants are:
Genesis 14:3; Genesis 19:26; Exodus 30:34-35; Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; 2 Kings 2:19-21; 2 Chronicles 3:15; 2 Chronicles 13:5; Mark 9:49-50; Luke 14:34; Colossians 4:6

If you wish to look up these passages on line, you can go to BibleGateway.com. BibleGateway provides access to the Bible in many languages including English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic.

Find out more about what Richard has to say about salt covenants by visiting our podcast page. As always we encourage you to subscribe to From Richard's Heart on our podcast page.

You can leave appropriate comments about this episode on our blog.

Where did that come from?

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:25:39 -0600

Recorded on March 1, 2009. Ever said something and wondered where did that come from? For example, someone cuts you off in traffic, and you let out a few choice words unsuitable for a family friendly forum. Or you accidently hit your thumb with a hammer while trying to hang a picture--you mention God and Jesus repeatedly, but the tone of your voice suggests something other than honor and praise to your God and Savior. Where does that come from? James 3 states our heart is the source of what comes out of our mouths. We are unable to tame our tongue. Before our tongue can be tamed, we must change our heart.

You may leave appropriate comments to this episode by visiting our blog and clicking on the comment link below the "Where did that come from?" entry.

God seeks intimacy

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:22:49 -0700

Recorded on February 15, 2009. Richard uses John Eldredge's book Walking with God as the springboard for this week's message. In this book, John Eldredge asks does God seek intimacy with us? In short, Eldredge concludes even in our sin, God seeks us out.

Richard continues by looking at 1 Corinthians 10. God seeks after and then stays in touch with us. Through the desert, God continually took care of the Israelites. The Israelites were baptized into Moses. In other words they were homogenized in Moses.

As children of God, we become homogenized with God and Christ. Christ becomes such an integral part of us, that we cannot become separated from God. Even when we sin, Jesus seeks us out. Jesus wants an intimate relationship with us.

You can leave a comment about this episode by going to the "God seeks intimacy" blog entry.

Erica's Testimony

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:19:41 -0700

Recorded on February 1, 2009. Richard asked Erica Hoffman and her family to talk about Erica's recent trip to Costa Rica where she received some adult stem cell therapy. Erica had been involved in a tragic automobile accident which left her paralyzed from the neck down. All of us at Mesa have been praying for her and her family ever since we've learned about her accident. We are pleased and honored to hear what she had to say. We are thankful for the physical progress she has made since her accident. We are even prouder of how Erica's faith has grown since her accident.

You can post a comment about this episode by visiting the blog entry.

A Simple Act

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:59:53 -0700

Recorded on January 18, 2009. This episode Richard looks at Joshua 2. He focuses on Rahab, the woman who hid and protected the Israelite spies while they were in the land of Jericho. Through Rahab, God provided a sanctuary for His men. By faith Rahab's life was spared, and she was remembered in the great hallmark of faith (Hebrews 11:31). Rahab demonstrated her faith through her action, and she is now listed among the righteous of God.

you can provide a comment about this episode by visiting our blog page.

Be Patient

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:53:21 -0700

Recorded on January 4, 2009. In This episode Richard looks at James 5. We are living in the last days now. Are we ready? James asks us to be patient and stand firm. In God's timing, the Lord will return. Nothing we do will speed up or slow down the Lord's coming. We know one thing: the Lord's return will come, and we are called to persevere.

Maybe we do live in terrible times, but as Christians we have cause for joy. Each minute that passes brings us closer to Christ's return. Each minute that passes means we are closer to being with Jesus. Our patience and perseverance will be rewarded by our seeing Jesus face to face.

You can leave a comment about this episode by visiting our blog page.

Christmas Message

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:41:35 -0700

Recorded on December 21, 2008. In this episode Richard gives us a Christmas message. Today we live in tough economic and political times. For Mary and Joseph the times were even tougher. They were forced to return to their ancestral home town to be counted in the Roman census. Neither had much in the way of money, and when they arrived in Bethlehem they had no place to stay. An innkeeper let them sleep in a stable. On top of all this Mary was a pregnant unmarried teenager. In this extraordinarily tough situation, Mary gave birth to Jesus.

Jesus came to a world filled with anguish and tears. Through this humble beginning, Jesus brought hope to a hopeless world. God's angel announced the birth of our Messiah not to the well-to-do, respected, rich, and important members of the judeo-roman world, but to the bottom dregs of society. The birth of Christ is what we as Christians celebrate.

Go to our podcast page and hear what Richard has to say about the birth of Jesus. While visiting our podcast page, we encourage you to subscribe to this series.

Faith Has No Limits

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:27:39 -0700

Recorded on December 7, 2008. In this episode Richard talks about faith. He reminds us that sight is human, faith is spiritual. We may not be able to see God but we can know God. Richard looks at 2 Corinthians 5:7: "We live by faith, not by sight." Sight is limited by what we can see. Faith on the other hand has no limits.

Hebrews 11 expands on this concept. We are certain of what we do not see. The word of God is used to reveal the nature of God. We accept and act through faith--not limited sight.

All of us face tough times now. As Christians, we need to persevere. Without faith we cannot move ahead. We need to live by faith. Are we being tricked by I can't see it so I won't believe it? Or do we let the Holy Spirit fill us with faith so we can move boldly with God's calling. Let faith be operative in our life every day.

To hear what Richard Groh has to say about "Faith Has no Limits," visit "From Richard's Heart" and subscribe to this podcast.

Bolivia Mission Update

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:47:00 -0700

Recorded on December 7, 2008. Jamie and Susan Ramge share some of their experiences as missionaries in Bolivia. They work with the Quechua indians. The Ramges describe the Quechuan Christians as the most giving and generous people they've known. When serving the Quechua, the Ramges pack five gallon cans of gasoline on their vehicles to provide fuel for their vehicle and the portable generator used in their ministry.

Jamie emphasized the best way to help new converts is to encourage them to worship God in a way that fits their culture. The Quechua often worship God for several hours singing songs they've created in their own language. Jamie and Susan spend much of their time helping the Quechua leaders become more effective leaders in their community.

The political climate in Bolivia is not entirely stable, and the Ramges have asked us to pray about that. We also have agreed to pray for Jamie and Susan as they immerse themselves in learning Quechua. Naturally we will pray for God's providence with vehicle and technology maintenance as Jamie and Susan travel into remote areas in Bolivia.

Listen to this episode and subscribe to this podcast by visiting "From Richard's Heart."

Surviving Our Vetting Process

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:04:17 -0700

Recorded November 23, 2008. Richard looks at Ephesians 5 beginning with verse 15. The U.S. recently finished a major election to recording this episode. Many politicians experienced a vetting process. In other words their history, personal life, business dealings, moral conduct--every aspect of their lives were under microscopic examination.

As Christians, we too go through a vetting process. Therefore we need to be careful how we live. As Richard puts it, use your God given head. God knows all our secrets. He knows our thoughts. He remembers all of our actions. Nonchristians frequently delight in finding discrepancies in our faith. We can go through our vetting process on our own, or we can choose to use God's wisdom.

Every day we have opportunities to serve our God. Do we make the most of every opportunity? Churches grow when their members do that. As a community of faith we need to seize the moment.

You can hear what Richard has to say about Ephesians 5, and subscribe to From Richard's Heart by visiting our podcast page.

Against All Odds

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:43:37 -0700

Recorded on November 9, 2008. Look at Matthew 5:11. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Satan opposes people who are effective for God. Remember Corrie Ten boon? She suffered tremendously because of the Gospel. Satan opposed her because she was a powerful agent for God.

Joshua against all odds overcame giant a obstacle between Israel and Jericho and saw the great wall fall. Noah built a great ship and waited for the rain. Against all odds, Noah's faith saved him.

You can add your comment regarding this episode by going to the "Against All Odds" blog entry.

Lazarus Come Out

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:58:12 -0700

Recorded October 26, 2008. In this episode, Richard examines the story of Lazarus found in John 11. Jesus receives word that Lazarus, someone very close and dear to Jesus is very ill. Jesus deliberately waits before going to see Lazarus. Before Jesus arrives to see Lazarus, Lazarus dies.

Does the story of Lazarus die with his death? Jesus finds Lazarus' sisters mourning. Lazarus has been dead and buried four days. What more can be done except offer condolences and mourn with the family? If you look at John 11, you will discover the story of Lazarus ends with Lazarus alive and well.

You can add your comment regarding this episode by going to the "Come Out" blog entry.

Make a message out of your mess

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:14:19 -0700

Recorded October 12, 2008. This week, Richard takes a look at Acts 17. Paul is in Athens where he discovers an alter to an unknown god. Paul noted how religious the athenians were. They worshiped over 200 gods. Just to make sure they didn't leave anyone out, they made an alter to the unknown god.

Paul knew who this unknown god is. Before looking at the unknown god in Athens, Richard shows us how Christians often worship unknown gods. For us unknown gods are anyone or anything that takes the place in the preeminence of our God the father. When something becomes more important than Jesus Christ in our lives, we worship an unknown god.

This ungodly focus results in our being mired in an ugly mess. The more we stop trusting God in everything regarding our lives, the greater our lives become a mess. Thankfully the unknown god Paul preached about in Athens can transform our mess into a message.

visit our web site at http://mesacommunitychurch.org

What good is faith without deeds?

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:33:48 -0700

Recorded September 28, 2008. In this episode, Richard takes a look at the relationship between faith and works. Most Christians are familiar with the great faith chapter in Hebrews 11. Like many people in the Old Testament, many of us live by faith too. We have not seen Jesus, we go day by day on the promises of God, and we lack absolute proof about God's love. Yet we remain convinced in our heart of hearts that God loves us, that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and we are the beneficiaries of God's grace. So how do we know we have faith? Better yet, how do others know we have faith?

We know we have faith when our actions reflect what our words say. Others will know we believe Jesus is our Lord and Savior by our deeds. We will never be saved by works, but our works provide the evidence that we really do have faith in a loving God.

After listening, we encourage you to leave Richard a comment on our blog page.

Destruction and violence are before me

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:04:18 -0600

Recorded September 21, 2008. Sometimes the words in our Bible look like they were copied straight from today's headlines. Habakkuk noticed violence and destruction in his world. Governments were corrupt, and justice seemed to be non-existent. His book reminds us of today's headlines. Richard looks at the book of Habakkuk and shows us God's response to the depressing news we encounter whenever we read the newspaper or turn on the television.

Do we experience Jonah's fate?

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:02:36 -0600

Recorded on September 14, 2008. Sometimes we choose to run away from God's calling. We go to extraordinary lengths to escape God's plan for us. This often results in disaster for ourselves and those around us. When we choose to return to obeying God in our lives, we witness a mighty work by the hand of God through us.

Richard looks at the book of Jonah today. He shows how costly running away from God is. He shows when Jonah finally does yield to God, Jonah saw many people escape certain death.

Godly character brought about by Grace

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:07:34 -0600

Recorded September 7, 2008. Richard looks at 1 Corinthians 15:15. Richard focuses on Paul's statement, "By the grace of God, I am what I am." God's grace to me is not without effect. Paul is not worthy to be anything, but he is what he is by God's grace. God's grace transformed Paul from a terrible person into a champion for God. Godly character is the result of the active work of grace.

Make the most of every opportunity

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:19:54 -0600

Recorded on August 17, 2008. Richard talks about Paul's mandate to make the most of every opportunity given to us by God. We are to take advantage of every opportunity to witness. Even when that opportunity isn't safe or convenient or comfortable for us personally.

Richard takes a close look at 1 Corinthians 16:8 and following. He shows that with Paul's safe and effective work, there were many who opposed Paul. Discovering resistance and opposition to our efforts can be a good clue on whether we are being effective for God. Satan ignores us when we aren't doing anything for God.

In all things we are to be on our Guard, stand firm in our faith, and do everything in love. This takes courage, requires prayer, and takes great strength on our part.

Finally, can we pinpoint how God is working in our life? Do we see that when things go wrong in our life, they are often going right with Jesus?

Zambia Mission Trip

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:19:34 -0600

Recorded on August 31, 2008. Brandon and Shaun Pearman share their thoughts and experiences on their recent mission trip to Zambia. Brandon talks about the power the local witch-doctors have over the Zambian children. He also points out that Satan engages all of us in spiritual warfare on many fronts.
Shaun showed us the harsh economic conditionsof the Zambians. Yet, the Zambian children show thanks for even the small things they recieve. He reminds us how God can transform this world through the most unlikely people.

i Will Sing God's Praises

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:19:09 -0600

Recorded on August 3, 2008. Richard takes a look at the first eight verses of Psalm 34. He reminds us that David chose to praise God even when circumstances weren't favorable for David. We are encouraged to glorify and praise God together as a group.

We face many uncertainties in life. Yet God delivers us from the grip of our fears. As we look to God, we gain confidence. We shine with joy. Our troubles become God's opportunities.

As we look more and more to God, we discover He becomes more involved with us. God sets up shop around us. We sample and savor God's goodness. We know from our experience, God is good.

Richard's mic kept falling off while we did this recording. He made a quick reference to our failing technology as he retrieved the mic. Fortunately for us while our technology often fails, God does not.

Ron's Testimony

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:18:47 -0600

Recorded on August 3, 2008. Richard asked Ron Lindroth to participate in our worship service. Ron began by playing one of Richard's favorite hymns on his harmonica. After giving a brief testimony, Ron concluded with the classic hymn "In the Garden."

Ultimate Safety

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:18:14 -0600

Recorded July 6, 2008. We live in an age of constant threats to our safety and security. Homeland Security is supposed to keep US citizens safe. Many people rely on their wealth to secure their future. We use police and military to protect our safety and security. So what is the ultimate in safety?

This week Richard examines what he considers ultimate safety. He begins by looking at John 10. In this chapter Jesus reminds his disciples that as our shepherd, he knows all of us, and we recognize his voice. Jesus prevents anyone or anything from taking us away from him. In return God asks us to act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God.

Because as a congregation we enjoy God's ultimate safety, we participate in worldwide missions. We do this through our financial and prayer support of missionaries. We also participate via this podcast. And, we participate in worldwide missions as we witness to the people around us through our daily living.

Go!

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:17:52 -0600

Recorded June 22, 2008. Richard's message is based on Mark 16:15 and following. He highlights the word "Go!" Richard emphasizes Jesus did not make a "suggestion" or a request. Jesus expects us to do something. We are to go and preach the good news throughout the world.
As a small church we accomplish Jesus's mandate to go by our financial support of people called to the mission field. We further accomplish Christ's command by not discouraging the enthusiasm of new Christians. Finally we obey Christ's directive to go into all the world by proclaiming the news of God's salvation via our podcasts and our web site.

Richard's health prevents him from standing through an entire message. He often sits on a stool while he talks to us. Richard sometimes refers to his simple wood stool as his "throne."

Faithfulness

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:17:32 -0600

Recorded June 8, 2008. Richard became quite ill prior to recording this episode. He had trouble walking, and he could barely talk. The audio had to be tweaked a bit to bring out his voice. However, all of us rejoiced in seeing him.

Richard talks about Sarah in this episode. He notes how she recognizes God's faithfulness. Richard reminds us how God remains faithful, and how God meets our needs. All we are asked in return is to remain faithful to God.

Cause for Joy

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:17:12 -0600

Recorded May 25, 2008. God has given us a wonderful gift. Through the sacrifice of Jesus our sins (wrongdoing) are not only forgen, but God chooses to remember them no more. This gives us cause for great joy and happiness in our lives.

Richard looks at Hebrews 10:16-17. He celebrates the fact that God not only forgives us, he also forgets our sins too.

Mother's Day

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:16:42 -0600

Recorded May 11, 2008. In honor of Mother's Day, we share things that made our moms special to us. Our mothers gave sacrificially, prepared for the future, made us laugh, endured our intense dislike, and above all loved us. Richard reminds us that honoring our mothers and fathers pleases God. All of us owe a great debt to our moms.

Walking on Water

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:55:20 -0600

Recorded April 27, 2008. We had a mountaintop experience on April 20, 2008. The Jubilate Sacred Singers helped make our worship service extra special. That Sunday we floated on top of the world filled with joy.

Invariably when we experience mountaintop experiences, life's storms hit us hard. We find ourselves unable to cope. We begin to sink in a sea of helplessness and hopelessness.

In this episode, Richard talks about this kind of experience in our lives. He will do this by taking a closer look at Matthew 14 and Mark 6.

Who Are Your Heroes?

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:54:26 -0600

Recorded April 13, 2008. This week our guest host is Steve Gortz. He asks if we had to pick three heroes, who would they be? Steve mentions three of his heroes, Brian Piccolo, Lou Gehrig, and Tom Cooper. The first two heroes are well known professional athletes who died from cancer and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Tom is an ordinary person who showed everyone Christ's spirit by his daily life. Tom also has a terminal illness, but Tom's life witness shows us how Christ brings each of us a happy ending.

Boulder Police SWAT team visits us

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:53:43 -0600

Recorded March 30, 2008. Boulder Colorado's Police Department used our building for a SWAT training exercise. Richard shares what happened on that day. He also describes a wonderful phone conversation he had with a young man he and his wife Karen hold near and dear to their hearts.

Fasting a Condition of the Heart

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:53:15 -0600

Recorded March 16, 2008. Richard Groh talks about fasting and how it can super charge our prayer life. He shows how the early church used fasting to help them know, understand, and do God's will. While there are different kinds of fasting, fasting can help us show God our sincerity in being obedient to His leading.