Faithful Presence : Content & Resources

Featured

Presence Weekly 11/18/2024, "The Paradox of Obedience (Part 4): The Blessing of Obedience"

Now that we have been born again, we are set free to embrace and obey the command to love one another earnestly. Our paradoxical call to obedience culminates in love for one another rather than tribalism and judgmentalism.

Featured

Presence Weekly 11/10/2024, "The Paradox of Obedience, Part 3"

We obey the will of God because we are thankful that we “were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot...

Podcasts Featured

Election Day Encouragement

Because we trust in Christ, we can stand in calm, faithful presence in the public square today and in the coming days.

Featured

Presence Weekly 11/3/2024, "The Paradox of Obedience, Part 2"

This call to the practice of obedience is a call to be different. As Christians, our obedience on Wednesday will be reflected in the difference with which we speak about the election winners and losers.

Presence Weekly 10/28/2024, "The Paradox of Obedience"

As long as our minds are distracted and impaired, we won’t be able to set our minds fully (but only partially) on the living hope of salvation that is ours. We will be too concerned about all of the other short term and incomplete offerings of hope that ultimately leave us insecure and unfulfilled.

Presence Weekly 10/21/2024, "The Paradox of Our Hope, Part 3"

What we need is a hope that is always in front of us. A hope of something so good, so beautiful, so imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, that it is enough to sustain us through the whiplash of pendulum swings between hopes realized and hopes dashed.

Presence Weekly 10/14/2024, "The Paradox of Our Hope, Part 2"

God has given us a story that includes the most unimaginable and debilitating suffering so that everyone can place their unique suffering into the narrative of God’s story of redemption.

Presence Weekly 10/7/2024, "The Paradox of Our Hope"

We are inclined to hope in things that we think we can control or influence, that we can see, and that we can touch.

PastorsBriefing Featured

Pastor's Briefing: The Abortion Debate

In a post-Dobbs world, a pastoral response is one that gives a full explanation to and takes full ownership of our beliefs - beliefs that transcend political allegiances and come with deep conviction forged from deep experience and deep thought, which encourage a posture of faithful presence.

Presence Weekly 9/30/2024, "The Mission of Grace & Peace"

We must have the mindset of learning obedience to Christ, who calls us to experience and extend the grace and peace that come to us through the life-changing love of Jesus Christ.

Presence Weekly 9/23/2024, "A Matter of Perspective"

Our present situation, whatever it is, exists “according to the foreknowledge of the Father, and the sanctification of the Spirit, and  for obedience to Christ.” In all situations, we are both elect and exile.

Podcasts Featured

The Diversity of The Church as Blessing and Sanctification with David Bailey

This is the first episode of the first episode of Season 4 - Election 2024: The Church and the Public Square.

Presence Weekly 9/16/2024, "The Paradox of Our Identity"

Because we are elect exiles, we can live in our current cultural moment and every other moment as people who are valued, loved, and forgiven.

PastorsBriefing Featured

Pastor's Briefing: The Eschatological Presidential Debate

Christians are called to listen differently. We are called to evaluate the policy positions proposed by each candidate through the Biblical criteria of Christ’s eschatological initiative articulated in his statement, “Behold, I am Making All Things New.”

Presence Weekly 9/09/2024, "Maintaining Unity through Diversity"

For Christians serving and leading in the public square, embracing the diversity of Christ’s body, and seeking to maintain the unity of the church will undoubtedly offer foretastes of the coming kingdom to all who witness this gospel-centered love.

Featured

Presence Weekly 9/02/2024, "Character and Unity"

By displaying character in our service and leadership of the local church and in our vocations (both are acts of worship), we promote the truth that equality of opportunity, flourishing, and justice are the full implications of the gospel.

Featured

Presence Weekly 8/26/2024 - Maintaining Unity Through Service

When we fracture and fight amongst ourselves, that disunity plays out in the public square. How can we expect unity in the public square when the church’s primary offering is factions and infighting?

Featured

Presence Weekly 8/19/2024 - The Search for Significance

But the gospel sets us free from that lie.  Through the gospel, we can move from dependence on ourselves to dependence upon God.  While our efforts and work are essential, they are only truly meaningful and worshipful as we are dependent on God. Psalm 127 calls us to see that reality.

PastorsBriefing Featured

Pastor's Briefing: The Legality of Homelessness

For some workers, that could mean reassignment, as regulations that agencies enforce could be drastically altered. For constituents, it could mean the loss or restoration of much-needed support.

Presence Weekly 8/12/2024 - Offering Forgiveness

In the public square, offering forgiveness, even when it has not been asked for, relieves us from the burden of plotting our revenge or the demise of the one who hurt us.

Featured

Fall 2024 Cohorts Now Open: Register Today

Grow in your faith while you apply the gospel to your complex work. Faithful Presence Cohorts are confidential groups of 4 - 10 professionals working in agencies, on the Hill, in public policy, or in church-based ministry. Cohorts meet for 12 weeks to study the Bible, pray together, and encourage

Presence Weekly 8/05/2024 - Receiving Forgiveness

The public square has a way of convincing us that the public is the only audience that matters, and the only forgiveness needed is from the public. But that is rarely the case.

PastorsBriefing Featured

Pastor's Briefing: Loper-Bright and the Chevron Deference

For some workers, that could mean reassignment, as regulations that agencies enforce could be drastically altered. For constituents, it could mean the loss or restoration of much-needed support.

Featured

Presence Weekly 7/29/2024: The Process of Forgiveness (Part 1)

When confronted with the reality of our transgression, some of us minimize, because we have a big view of ourselves and a low view of others. We do so by saying,  “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Featured

Presence Weekly 7/22/2024 - “Honoring the President”

For Christians of either party, the one response of which we should be most cautious of is sinful and dishonoring rhetoric.