Part 2: Grace in the Garden: The First Act of Redemption Tracing Grace Back to Genesis
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 30th, 2025
When we think of grace, most of us start at the cross. And rightfully so, it’s the ultimate picture of God’s love poured out for sinners. But what if I told you grace started much earlier? Like… in the very first chapters of the Bible?Grace wasn’t Plan B. It wasn’t God scrambling to fix a mistake. Grace has always been part of God’s plan, even in the Garden of Eden. And the moment humanity fell, g...  Read More
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What Is Grace, Really? Understanding the Unmerited Favor of God
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 29th, 2025
Grace is one of those words we toss around in the church so often that sometimes we stop feeling the weight of it. We sing about it, pray with it, tag it at the end of sermons, and yet many still don’t understand what grace really is.Grace isn’t just a soft, comforting idea or a spiritual safety net. Grace is the very heartbeat of the Gospel. Without grace, we have nothing. With grace, we have eve...  Read More
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Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 25th, 2025
Let’s be honest, faith isn’t just a feeling. It’s not a spiritual buzzword. And it’s definitely not just something you believe in your head while playing it safe with your life. No, real faith does something. It moves. It obeys. It risks.I heard someone say at the Alpha Conference, “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K,” and it hit me right between the eyes. Because it’s true. If your so-called faith never le...  Read More
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No, the Gospel Is Not Woke—It’s Righteous
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 23rd, 2025
In recent days, headlines have lit up with a troubling message being circulated in the name of the Pope: “Woke is not an insult, but rather a reflection of the gospel.” Although it has been deemed not associated with the pope, it's still being circulated and believed.  Let’s be clear: that statement is not just misleading—it’s dangerous. It confuses the holiness of God with the tolerance of man. I...  Read More
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It’s Hot… But Not That Hot, A Wake-Up Call from the Heat
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 22nd, 2025
I was working on a deck today, it was hot, like H-E double hockey sticks hot. I was trying to keep enough fluids in my body so I didn't cramp up or pass out. I only worked for 4 hours in full sun, but it felt like an eternity.St. Louis heat is no joke. If you’ve walked outside, you know exactly what I mean. The moment you open the door, it hits you like a wall — thick, heavy, suffocating. You brea...  Read More
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The Affair at the Coldplay Concert: When God Brings the Darkness to Light
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 19th, 2025
It started as just another concert.The lights were dim, the crowd was electric, and Coldplay was on stage, doing what they do best, captivating thousands with emotion-filled lyrics and soaring melodies. But in the middle of the noise, cameras caught more than a performance. A couple, wrapped up in intimacy, completely unaware, or unbothered, that they weren’t alone. The problem? They weren’t marri...  Read More
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If You're a True Christian, Then You've Changed the Way You Live
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 17th, 2025
We live in a world where the word “Christian” has been watered down. It’s become more of a label than a lifestyle. But Jesus didn’t come to hand out labels; He came to call people to die to themselves and live for Him. That means if you’re truly a follower of Christ, then something in your life has changed. Not perfectly. Not instantly. But genuinely.Paul says it plainly in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Th...  Read More
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Miracles and a Wicked Generation: Why God Doesn’t Perform to Prove Himself
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 16th, 2025
We live in a world that craves the spectacular. People chase signs, demand wonders, and wait for the skies to part before they’ll believe. “If God is real,” they say, “then let Him prove it.” But here’s the truth: God doesn’t perform on command. He doesn’t cater to skepticism. And He doesn’t hand out miracles like party favors to satisfy a faithless crowd.Jesus Himself made that clear.In Matthew 1...  Read More
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Tithing Again: Why It Still Matters
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 15th, 2025
Let’s talk about something real. Something that’s easy to ignore or get defensive about. But something that matters deeply to God, and deeply to the mission of the Church.Tithing.Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: “Here we go again. The church wants my money.” But hear me out, not as a pastor asking for a budget boost, but as a shepherd caring for the spiritual health of our house.Tit...  Read More
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One Generation Tolerates, The Next Celebrates
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 15th, 2025
There’s a sobering truth that echoes through Scripture and history alike:What one generation tolerates, the next generation will normalize—and eventually celebrate.The drift never feels dramatic in the moment. It’s subtle. Quiet. Cultural. A compromise here, a silence there. And before we know it, the things that once grieved the people of God become part of their rhythm of life. What was once a w...  Read More
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We Don’t Need Good Advice—We Need the Good News
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 9th, 2025
In a world overflowing with self-help gurus, motivational quotes, and endless podcasts offering “life hacks” and strategies, it’s easy to mistake good advice for what our souls actually need. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing inherently wrong with good advice. It can help you make better decisions, set boundaries, and even be more productive. But good advice can’t raise the dead. And that’s the ...  Read More
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The Less Truth You Know, the Easier It Will Be to Be Led Astray
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on July 7th, 2025
We live in a time where deception doesn’t come dressed in red horns and a pitchfork—it comes dressed in half-truths, emotional slogans, and spiritual counterfeits. It sounds good. It feels right. It even quotes Scripture… but slightly twisted. And that’s the danger.Pastor Anthony Philip Mitchell said it clearly: “The less truth you know, the easier it will be to be led astray.”That’s not just a go...  Read More
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