Gospeled Boldly: A Higher Things Podcast

Jesus and Pilate square off and the banter is worthy of Hollywood writing. In this episode, Pastor Eric Brown and Thomas Lemke marvel at the back-and-forth between these two, and the level of respect (and even courtesy) they show - starkly contrasted with the cries of "crucify him" coming from the Jews.[ download ] Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

Pastor Eric Brown and Thomas Lemke finish off the High Priestly Prayer, and jump into the account of Jesus' arrest. Name calling and incompetent violence ensues. [ download ] Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

Pastor Brown does a deep-dive on the theology of the cross. What is it? How can it help us when we're down? What does Jesus' death and resurrection teach us about our own impending demise and renewal?[ download ] Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode Jeff Goldblum, er, I mean, Pastor Eric Brown, lays out how scriptural interpretation is rightly done.[ download ] Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor Eric Brown goes on a solo tour to tackle the book of Philemon. He addresses the reasons it is such an overwhelmingly encouraging book, and recounts why it holds a special place in his heart.[ download ] Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor Eric Brown and Thomas Lemke discuss Jesus' upcoming departure, and what is means that the Holy Spirit is coming. Deep wells here, to be sure; much deeper than the sleep you get when you fall asleep in church... like Pastor and Thomas did.[ download ] Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode Pastor Eric Brown and Thomas Lemke discuss the conversation between the disciples and Jesus on the way to the garden. It is becoming evident through Jesus' words that a Christian life is not, well, a walk in the garden. Also, Pastor has a new mic! ...And Thomas' mic cord apparently has a short in it. Improvement? You decide![ download ] Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor Eric Brown and Thomas Lemke go deep on the Holy Spirit. Then, they examine Jesus' next "I AM" statement—where he compares himself to a vine, and the disciples to branches who bear fruit.[ download ] Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor Eric Brown and Thomas Lemke discuss Jesus' ongoing pre-cruxifiction briefing of the disciples, with the aim that they remember that peace and joy are going to be the ultimate outcome (an important lesson even for us as we age, to be sure). Then they jump into the high priestly prayer, where Jesus goes to the Father on behalf of his friends.[ download ] Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor Eric Brown and Thomas Lemke launch into John chapter 14. They begin by discussing where Jesus is going, and the nature of his relationship with the Father, all while taking on the next I AM statement: "I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life". Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode Pastor Brown and Thomas look at the set-up to Judas' betrayal, and it turns out that there's more there than meets the eye. The following verses have them asking, "what is love?" Next, they examine Jesus' promise that the disciples can not come with him, and whether there is or is not a rooster involved in the crowing Jesus promises will follow Peter's denial. Lastly, they take up Jesus' claim to be the "way, the truth, and the life." Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode Pastor Brown and Thomas dive into the end-cap of Jesus' public ministry - a discourse on belief, unbelief, why Jesus and come, and who sent him. Then they get into Jesus' use of object lessons with the disciples, and what washing feet and changing diapers have in common. Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

Pastor Brown and Thomas embark on a discussion of the triumphal entry, and what the Jewish throngs in attendance might have been expecting. Then they discover how Jesus handles questions from the Greeks who have come to figure Jesus out. Last, they talk about the concept of glory, and how John's idea of glory differs from that of most, and the unbelief of the people who prefer a different sort of glory. Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

Coming back from what amounts to an unannounced hiatus, Thomas and Pastor Brown (who recorded this episode just prior to Lent) jump into Jesus' road to his passion and death. He gets back to Bethany (a town coming under increased scrutiny now that Lazarus has been raised), gets some pre-embalming (much to Judas' ire), and then pulls a Solomon on his way into Jerusalem. Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor Brown and Thomas get into the resurrection of Lazarus, and our own resurrections, also accomplished through Christ. In place of the Inquisition, Pastor and Thomas talk about movies and stories with Christian themes. Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor Brown and Thomas examine the fallout from Jesus' claim of one-ness with the Father. Is it bragging (or blasphemy) if it's true? Then, they begin to move through the story of the death of Lazarus, ending with a bit of a cliffhanger. Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor Brown and Thomas continue to talk all manner of things Shepherd. The Jews themselves are still hard to impress, even as Jesus drops another claim to outright Deity. Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this Christmas episode, Pastor Brown and Thomas turned to Luke's account of the nativity of our Lord and discussed the other birth narratives as well. During the Inquisition Thomas asked Pastor to talk about the Incarnation, then the two discussed possibilities for the actual time of year of Christ's birth. Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor and Thomas finish the story of the formerly blind man and his groan-worthy treatment at the hands of the Pharisees. He stood his ground though, and we still sing "I was blind, but now I see" in like manner in Churches across the world. Then we got into Jesus' next I AM statement, where he says he is the door for the sheep. Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.

In this episode, Pastor and Thomas continue with Jesus' epic discourse, and look into what Jesus means in saying that the Jews' father is the devil. The irony steps up a notch when they brush aside Jesus' words and accuse him of having a demon and being in cahoots with the Samaritans. Jesus tops of the discourse with an unambiguous claim to deity, then escapes the mob that gathers to stone him for blasphemy. Then we turn to the healing of a man born blind, which has all sorts of ramifications to unpack. Copyright Higher Things®, Higher Things - Dare to be Lutheran. Support the work of Higher Things.