Mothers help protect and nurture us. They also help cast a vision for our lives. We use the story of Jochebed and Moses to help celebrate Mother's Day as we spotlight the song "Be Thou My Vision."
The hymns we sing shape us. So what shaped the hymns? "It is Well with My Soul" comes from a haunting cable after a shipwreck and is testimony to the amazing faith of Horatio Spafford. See how Jesus calmed the sea in the Bible and how He can calm the rugged seas in your life, too.
Poor Thomas was really no different than any of the other disciples. He needed to see the wounds on Jesus' body before he believed. Using the story of Thomas and the creative tales from Robert Ripley — of "Ripley's Believe it or Not" fame, we explore how we have seen the risen Christ in action in our lives and how we can help others see Jesus in the world today.
The Rev. Robert Johnson, lead pastor at Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita, shares details about his first book, "Jesus Unchained: How to Rise Above The Agendas, Find Peace and Be Set Free." In this interview, Johnson shares how he thinks followers of Jesus actually lessen His power by limiting the Savior's influence on their lives. They, in effect, place him in the chains of the limiting image we create of Jesus in our minds, when he could be making a much larger impact on the hearts...
Our lives change in an instant — actually one instant after another, from the time we are a child until we take our last breath. The Easter story is an example of lives changing in an instant. Through the story of Mary Magdalene and a more contemporary story of an abandoned boy, we explore how lives change in an instant.
Continuing with the "Sermon on the Plain," we look at what it means to love our enemies. And we ask the question: Did Jesus really mean what he said? Despite how difficult it can be to love those who disagree with or for some reason dislike us, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"
Looking at Jesus' Sermon on the Plain, we explore in this episode the importance of those of us with plenty to help those who do not. Our goal is equity as we attempt to usher in the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Many of us know well the story of Jesus calling the first disciples and how they would "fish for people." But in that same story is a lesson about independence — specifically how there are bigger and better things ahead if we are willing to give up some of our independence as we trust and follow Jesus.
Using the story of Jesus' proclaiming himself to be God's anointed and the reaction from people in his hometown of Nazareth, we explore the feeling of jealousy and the withholding of the truth that Jesus is the Savior for all of humanity.
The Rev. Dr. Leah Schade returns to "In Layman's Terms" to pick up on the conversation we stared in 2021 about her book, "Preaching in the Purple Zone." In this episode, she shares an issue guide designed to help United Methodists discuss LGBTQIA+ inclusion and the upcoming General Conference. Rev. Dr. Schade has provided proposed sermon outlines to be used with the issue guide. These are not provided as requirements but rather to serve as resources for pastors interested in using the Sermon-Dia...
The miracle of turning water into wine might seem trivial, but a closer look reveals how Jesus interacted with His mother as an adult while teaching us about transformation. The miracle also paved the way for Jesus' first followers to buy into His ministry.
Todd shares the audio from a sermon he provided from his basement on the first Sunday in January 2022 — a cold, icy day in Lawrence, Kansas. Using the text from Ephesians 1, we explore how we are adopted into the family of God thanks to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Our short series on "The Redemption of Scrooge" concludes with an exploration of how our miserable miser of a character rediscovers joy. May we do so and keep Christmas all year round!
As we continue with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the Ghost of Christmas Present teaches our lead character three important aspects of love: Showing love by being part of a community, showing love by showing mercy to others, and showing love in true, genuine relationships with those closest to us.
Our advent series focused on redemption continues, as does our exploration of the classic story "A Christmas Carol." In this episode, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, and the miser starts to recognize that his life doesn't have to be as lonely and miserable as it has become. Scrooge is starting to understand that he can have a sense of peace.
Advent is all about the anticipation of the arrival of the Christ child. But why did Jesus come to live among humans in the first place? To provide an opportunity for redemption for all of us. In this four-episode series, we explore our redemption by following the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge from the classic tale, "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens. As old Scrooge is changed, we will see the themes of Advent come to life. We start with "Hope."
Todd concludes a special three-part series on showing gratitude to God during the week of Thanksgiving 2021 with a study of how Jesus gave thanks. Unlike many of us, Jesus didn't just give thanks for what already had happened, but He also thanked God prior to performing miracles and before willingly dying for humankind — lessons in showing great faith that God would provide what was needed.
Our special three-part series on giving thanks to God continues with an examination of how King David showed his gratitude toward God: Looking back at what God already had done for him and the Israelite people. Praising the traits and truths of God. Understanding God listens to our prayers. Having faith that God will answer.
In a special three-part series the week of Thanksgiving 2021, Todd studies how to show gratitude to God. The series starts with lessons from the prophet Daniel, who showed that we should give thanks to God when things are going really well for us, but also when times are tough.
Todd continues his series on certified lay ministry with an interview with the Rev. Dr. Carl Ellis. Besides being a retired elder serving two rural churches in southeast Kansas, Carl is the founder and leader of The Academy for Small Membership Church Ministries. In this episode, Carl shares his views on lay ministry and provides an update on changes regarding the academy — plus a special online workshop planned for late February.
We continue a short series on certified lay ministries and certified lay servants with a look at how one CLM, Bryan Hankins, serves two churches in the Omaha area as an associate pastor. Learn about his passion for teaching, how he works with the appointed pastor, and about an exciting multi-language effort for the Lay Servants Ministry Basic course within the Great Plains Conference.
We start a short series of episodes examining certified lay ministers (CLMs) and the role they play in the local church, how they are trained, and why more people may want to prayerfully consider exploring becoming a CLM. In this episode, host Todd Seifert talks with Jada Hodgson, a CLM serving as pastor at Plum Creek United Methodist Church near Paola, Kansas. It is believed that Jada was the first CLM in the United Methodist denomination.
The “In Layman’s Terms” podcast concludes its series on re-emerging from our in-home exiles with a look at how we can reshape our communities to more closely resemble the Kingdom of God. A key part of that effort likely is justice ministries. Host Todd Seifert, conference communications director, interviews the Rev. Sarah Marsh, the new coordinator for mercy and justice ministries. They talk about the difference between mercy ministries and justice ministries, and they discuss the partnership th...
In this special video episode of "In Layman's Terms," host Todd Seifert talks with Dr. Socorro de Anda and Rev. Larry Moffet about the Lydia Patterson Institute. LPI is a ministry of education and discipleship for kids along the border of El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico. Download the episode. You can learn more about LPI by going to its website: https://lpi-elpaso.org/ . Watch a video of this interview. Listen to more "In Layman's Terms" episodes at https://toddseifert.com/podcast/ ....
The re-engagement series continues with an interview with the Rev. Stephanie Ahlschwede, lead pastor at St. Paul United Methodist Church in the Benson neighborhood of north Omaha. She and Todd talk about the things St. Paul tried as a means of staying connected to its community and parishioners and how some of those efforts are now so ingrained into the church that they will remain long after the pandemic is over. In this episode, Stephanie references several videos you may want to check out for...
We continue our look at re-engaging our faith by examining how we read the Bible. In this episode, Rev. Jeff Goetzinger from the Hutchinson area and Todd talk about their different strategies for reading through the Bible in 365 days.
Continuing with the theme of re-engaging our faith and communities after the pandemic, Calvary UMC in Wichita serves as an example of how preparation and flexibility can keep people connected to each other and, most importantly, to God. Rev. Michael Marion and Rev. Ashley Prescott Barlow Thompson sit down with Todd to talk about how the pandemic forced them to make decisions and how the congregation is adapting even 13 months after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
As we come nearer and nearer to being able to return to life from our in-home exiles, we are embarking on a new series focused on rebuilding our communities and strengthening our spiritual disciplines. Using the stories from the Old Testament history books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the goal is to share stories about how people and churches are preparing to re-engage with their congregations, their communities and with God through their own faith practices. This first episode in the series sets the s...
Our country is more divided than ever. We have red states and blue states, and even red and blue congregations. Or do we? Aren't our congregations really just different shades of purple? The Rev. Dr. Leah Schade joins Todd for a discussion about her book, "Preaching in the Purple Zone," and how a method she has developed heavily involves the input from laity to help a church determine its response to topics pertinent to our times.
Oliver Green has been heavily involved in the Great Plains Conference since its inception. As we wrap up Black History Month, Oliver shares his story and what it was like to move into adulthood — as an African-American man — during the Civil Rights Movement. Oliver shares how the movement of the 1960s is similar to the cries for racial justice that we experience today, what attracted him to leaders like Malcom X and Martin Luther King and what can we do today to move forward on the important top...
