Our discussion today ranges across a spectrum from the way the Bible continues to amaze us no matter how many times we read these inspired and timeless words to how we long just to be as much with Jesus as is possible. However, where we eventually land is that Eden is inevitable. The story God has been telling since the beginning is the only way that this will all turn out. We get to choose what side of the story we end up on, but God gets the final word and that final word is nothing but good, better than anyone can imagine. Thanks for going with us on this journey. You can reach us at info@thecosmiccarwash.com if you want to hear more.

Somewhere I heard it said once, "In the end, people don't get what we deserve, we get what we desire." On the face of it, when considering this from the Eden perspective, the Kingdom of God viewpoint, I believe it's a true statement. But as we explore this topic further we realized it isn't so binary as it seems at first. And once we pushed into the topic further, it became clear that even God doesn't get what he deserves, but if we strive to give God what He deserves (all our worship, devotion, and love), He delights to give us what He desires - union with Himself. He transmits His existence to us. MIND BLOWN! Thanks for exploring this with us and coming away with a deeper question rather than a pat answer. Reach out to us at info@thecosmiccarwash.com

The Kingdom of God is not for spectators and the presence of God is not a vacation spot. Similarly, resilience doesn't happen by accident. It's our union with Jesus that restores our humanity and enables us to be a light in the darkness, that shining city on a hill Jesus spoke of. More than intimacy with Jesus, we are invited into, indeed we are made for union with Jesus. But this union must be cultivated. Like any farmer will tell you, cultivating for growth and good returns requires sustained intentionality over a period of time. As the dark of the world gets darker, it's union with Jesus developed by purposeful engagement with Him that makes His people shine ever brighter. Join us as we explore what this means and how we can work it out in our lives. If you want to connect with us, you can do so at info@thecosmiccarwash.com.

Leaning into Jesus as much and as often as we can. Being authentically human. Living our lives like Jesus would if He were us. Jesus' thrilling and imminent return. Join us as we dive into God n' Stuff. We love talking about and living out the Kingdom of God. Of course every day we find ourselves not being fully the people that we want to be, but rather than getting DIScouraged, we are ENcouraged that Jesus keeps working with us, on us, and through us. The Kingdom of God isn't far off in some other galaxy, billions of miles away; it's as close as the nose on our face, closer than the air we breathe. If you are following Jesus, however imperfectly, don't give up. Your faith will soon be richly rewarded when He returns. If you aren't a Jesus follower, we implore you as vehemently as we can to give Him your allegiance and experience what real life is like.

Check out the NT Wright video we reference here If you want to reach out to us, you can do so at info@thecosmiccarwash.com.

We've each got the particular lives we lead. They include our hobbies, our jobs, our families, friends, vacations, and moments that really matter to us. And of course those look different for everyone. What we explore in this episode is how we are each tempted every single day to go to those things for the resilience, rest, and recovery that God wants us to find in Him. We're not talking about sin, that is always wrong, but rather the perfectly acceptable things about life that only become problematic when they are a substitute for the presence of God. Thanks for joining us. If you want to reach out to us, you can do so at info@thecosmiccarwash.com.

We just finished working our way through the book of Job, one of three books from the Old Testament classified as part of Israel's wisdom literature. Like many before us, and many who will come after us, we have been reflecting on his story. His friends were the worst, God never did explain to Job why he went through everything, and in the end Job was restored from all his suffering. There's a lot we can learn from Job and the way he conducted himself. Like always, this conversation is rich and chock full of wisdom. Thank you Lord!

We often say in church that no problem is too big or small for God, but when it comes to actual practice, we don't think to invite Jesus into our daily routine. Or, if we think about it, we convince ourselves that He doesn't care. Maybe we've heard someone else say to God (or we've said it ourselves), "God, if you're not busy..." But that's not the God that scripture teaches and that's not the God we've come to know. Psalm 37:23 says, "The Lord watches over the godly. He delights in every details of their lives." (New Living Translation)

That God cares about the details of our lives matters a whole lot, and that's what we dive into in this episode.

Let's be honest, life is a lot to deal with. It has been for as long as we can remember, but especially in the last four or five years it seems like the crazy of the world has been turned up to 11. A lot of time and money are spent on ways to help us find resilience, that ability to get up again each time you get knocked down. Mindfulness, presence, serenity...all well and good. But what do you do and where do you turn when these run out of steam? Fortunately for everyone of us, God has plenty to offer us to keep our lamps burning all through the night. He offers us Himself. He is the resiliency we seek and when optimism and mindfulness have run their course, the presence of the living Jesus is just getting started. We dive into resiliency, what we've found in the message of the Great Renewal and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining us. If you'd like to reach out to us, you can do so at info@thecosmiccarwash.com.