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750 episodes
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Word of Life Church Podcast Pastor Brian Zahnd
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- Religion & Spirituality
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4.8 • 289 Ratings
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Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri is a thriving non-denominational church led by Pastor Brian & Peri Zahnd. We are followers of Jesus seeking to be an authentic expression of the kingdom of Jesus in the twenty-first century. Additional sermon audio and other resources are available on our church website at wolc.com.
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The Gospel as Rebirth
When by the grace of God we realize that who we've become is not who we are supposed to be, the good news is this: We can put our trust in Jesus, be reborn, and begin the salvation journey of becoming the person we were always meant to be.
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The Gospel as Tragedy
Can the gospel be told as a tragedy? Obviously. And it certainly was by the Apostles. Before we jump to the triumph of the resurrection we must first face the tragedy of the cross.
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The Gospel as Comedy
The gospel is the divine comedy that begins with a ninety-year-old woman having a baby and concludes with a slain lamb overcoming all the monsters of the abyss. This is the divine comedy we’re invited join by simply believing that Jesus is Lord, and the joke is on the devil.
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The Gospel as Voyage and Return
In a Voyage and Return story the central character travels out of their familiar, “everyday” surroundings into another world completely cut off from home. This other world is strange, different, exotic, and perhaps at first, exhilarating. But eventually a shadow intrudes. Things begin to change…for the worse. The traveler increasingly feels threatened or trapped. At some point they will need to return home—but enriched and transformed. Unlike the Quest plot, the journey away from home is usually by accident or a mistake—they pass through the looking glass, fall down the rabbit hole, or stumble through a wardrobe into another world. There will be adventures and dangers, but the story ends with the hero returning home, now with greater wisdom and a newfound appreciation.
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The Gospel as the Quest
"You seek a great fortune, you three who are now in chains. You will find a fortune—though it would not be the fortune you seek. But first, first you must travel—a long and difficult road, a road fraught with peril. You shall see things wonderful to tell. You shall see a cow on the roof of a cotton house, and oh, so many startlements. I cannot tell you how long this road shall be, but fear not the ob-stacles in your path, for fate has vouchsafed your reward. And though the road may wind, yea, your hearts grow weary, still shall ye foller the way, even unto your salvation."
-O Brother, Where Art Thou? -
The Gospel as Rags to Riches
Rags to riches is the familiar story where we begin with an apparently ordinary, insignificant person, overlooked or even dismissed by everyone else, who suddenly takes center stage and is revealed to be someone quite extraordinary. And the greatest rags to riches story is the gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth.
Customer Reviews
Transformed and Renewed my Faith
I grew up in the Evangelical church. I went to Wheaton College and minored in Biblical Studies. But I left the faith for a decade because of how I saw my own family and church members use the faith to abuse others. Right around COVID, I prayed that God would reveal a version of the church and Scripture that I could believe in. Within a week, I found WOLC and Pastor Zahnd online. I felt like a drowning person who finally saw land. I’ve read every book he’s written and I listen to every sermon he preaches. Since then, I went to seminary and graduated last year - something I never dreamed I would want to do. This church and Pastor Zahnd are truly filled with the Holy Spirit, and are a prophetic voice in America today. I am so grateful God led me to them!
Powerful, life-giving sermons
Word of Life Church has gotten me through the COVID-19 pandemic and some difficult times in my recent past. It is evident to me that these sermons are inspired by the Holy Spirit and reflect the unconditional love of God.
Thank you so much!
Brian Zahnd
A voice in the wilderness. Right up there with Dallas Willard.