Usually when we talk about the Rich Man and Lazarus story in Luke 16 the focus is on heaven and hell, and how one might avoid the one and pursue the other. Until recently I had missed the part of the story that shows what Jesus thought about the rich and the poor and how they might mutually benefit each other. 

How Lazarus Can Help Us

This is a message I gave in November of 2013 to several churches in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s a teaching that I feel very strongly about, dealing with God’s ineffable love and how we’re to receive love from him, reciprocate love back to him, and reflect love to the world around us. You can find the more complete written form of this message on either barneywiget.com or musingthemysteries.worpress.com.

The Antiphonal Song

Since so many followers of Jesus are limited by spiritual timidity I gave this message to several churches in the Bay Area in 2013 on 2 Timothy 1:6-8 “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.”

Treating Timidity

Shame Off You! 
I had a conversation with a guy in the street who had served decades in prison for a double homicide he’d committed in his youth. He believes in Jesus but is still very wracked with guilt and shame. I shared with him the best I could about the freedom that Jesus brings and the next time I had an opportunity to preach in the Tenderloin during one of our street services I gave this message called:  “Shame OFF You!” Here’s the gist of it in its sort of raw and street-preachy, first person form, done at my kitchen table. 

Keep in mind the issues and illustrations I gave were for drug addicts, alcoholics, dealers, and all manner of people on the street. You might not have sinned the same sins of those sinners, but you’re still a sinner and the shame of anyone’s sin is still quite sticky and needs to be unstuck from our consciences. If you struggle with shame I hope this simple message helps you get free.

You can find the written form of this message at: http://musingthemysteries.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/shame-off-you/


Shame Off You!

When I was first diagnosed with cancer I worried about dying before my story was finished. I have some things I want to do before I go to be with Jesus. What you’ll find here is a brief “kitchen table talk” summary of an essay I posted on both my blog and website based on Jesus’ teaching in several passages in John’s Gospel. I’m both consoled to know that God will give me enough time to do everything he wants me to do and convicted that he will give me just enough time. 

Just Enough Time

This is a recording of a “Kitchen Table Talk” that I made years ago for one of our churches during a season in which we had a particular crisis that required supernatural forgiveness. Someone pointed out that the Church is a lot like Noah’s Ark. It might stink real bad from too many animals and not enough Lysol, but it is the only thing floating in the flood! Forgiveness is one of the keys for us to stay afloat.

A Few Facts On Forgiveness

First of all, “ACTitudes” is not a typo, it’s a Wigetism; a word I made up, a composite of both “attitude” and action,” both of which are heavily involved in the lifestyle of the disciple of Jesus. These are right attitudes that lead to right actions. I gave this message to our church in Santa Cruz, CA sometime in the early 2000’s. It’s the first of a series of teachings from various passages on poignant lists of Christian character qualities. This one is based on the qualities that James recorded in his third chapter:  “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” 

Christian Actitudes Pt 1

After I gave this message to our church in Santa Cruz, CA one eighteen year old kid went out and got this Greek term “epieikes” tattooed down the entire left side of his torso. It’s actually a beautiful piece of art, but I don’t think his parents have talked to me since then! So, if you’re inclined to do the same, please don’t tell anyone that it was in response to my teaching!

About Epieikes

I gave this message in our church in Santa Cruz, CA during a series on the Book of Revelation. No, it’s not about the Second Coming of Jesus, and yes, the title is a play on words. I’m not that vain! This is about God giving nothing less than his best to us and us giving nothing but our best back to him. As we make our resolutions for the coming year, let's consider giving the Lord our best!

Barney's Best Message

This message, based on the fruit of the Spirit passage in Galatians 5, is the final teaching in the series on “Christian ACTtitudes.” I’m indebted to an article by the late Jerry Cook in which he compared the toxic works of our sinful nature with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Happy fruit bearing!

Christian ACTitudes Pt 3

This is a teaching I gave while in the middle of a series on the book of Romans called, “Grace Based.” I thought it best to take an entire message to teach about Satan’s role as the “Accuser of the Brethren,” and how to resist his skewed logic by asserting what we know about the justifying work of the cross and resurrection of Jesus. 

The Enemy Of Grace

This teaching on how to minister to one another is based on the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. I propose that we take our cues on how to serve each other from what he taught us in the Upper Room that night. i.e. If you have my feet in your hands, please use neither scalding hot nor freezing cold water. And since your goal is to take off sin, not skin, please don’t use a wire brush!

His Heart, My Feet

Simpler isn’t the same as easier – a point I’ll unpack throughout this series. Swimming against the current in culturally toxic culture is like picking a fight with entropy. It’s one of things that make a life with God such an adventure! 

Introducing Simplicity

Simplicity, as I see it, is the way Jesus is, and the way he is in us. Two indispensable qualities of the simple life are "sincerity" and "spontaneity." Listen up! 

Some Symptoms Of Simplicity - 4:11:15, 4.35 PM

A lot of people want to be “spiritual” but what does that mean exactly? In this teaching from a series I did on the Book of Colossians I pointed out three spiritual aberrations that Christians concoct in our quest to be more spiritual:  legalism, mysticism, and ritualism. Our “isms” seem to be the same yesterday, today and forever – that is, until Jesus returns and sets us straight. Hope it helps you! Let me know if it does.

Spirituality And The Isms

Jesus made it clear and concise:  “Be my disciples and make disciples.” This is a message I gave in our church in Santa Cruz in about 2005. It’s part of a series on being and making disciples based on the lives of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. I trust the Spirit to help you catch the vision!

Disciple - Making Disciples - 5:11:15, 1.35 PM

From where I sit, a lot of supposed disciples of the vagabond, homeless preacher named Jesus have confused their net worth with their self worth. 

This is part 1 of 3 episodes on Simplicity and Stuff. You can find a blog post on this topic at https://barneywiget.com/2015/05/25/simplicity-and-stuff/.

Simplicity and Stuff part 1

“There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.” G.K. Chesterton

For those at least moderately convinced by now that simplicity is biblical and a quality to be cultivated I offer some suggested simplifiers. Listen further…

Simplicity and Stuff part 3

Simplicity and generosity are symbiotic qualities and twin lifestyle choices. When talking about holiness we usually think of activities such as sexuality, speech, substances, and Sunday services. But the Bible speaks of our sanctification in terms generosity to the poor as much or more than all of these put together. I refer you to a fairly extensive list of Bible passages on the topic on musingthmysteries.wordpress.com under the same tile:  "Simplicity and Generosity."

Simplicity and Generosity

The kind of love that produces balance/shalom doesn’t love everything. It hates some things but never hates people. Love hates only the things that hurt people. It’s not biblical balance when you hate the democrats or the republicans or gays or whites or blacks or Asians. What you should hate is what does harm to the gays, whites, blacks, Asians, democrats and, yes, even republicans. 

The Beauty of Balance

This is Part 2 of 2 episodes on the basics of a life of prayer. You'll find the outline and list of passages referred to at https://musingthemysteries.wordpress.com/2015/09/26/a-primer-on-prayer/. 

Primer On Prayer Part 2

This is a kitchen table talk wherein I unpack a blog I did a while back on "The Candy Store Church." It's a little cynical, so beware. I mean no disrespect. I do love the Church and just want us to be better than this... 

You can find the blog at: https://musingthemysteries.wordpress.com/2015/07/08/the-candy-store-church/

The Candy Store Church

Intercession is the kind of praying that we do on behalf of those who don’t know how to or don’t care to pray for themselves. And when we pray this way we’re playing our role in the world as “priests," responsible to not only intercede for our Christian family but for the rest of the human family – terrorists included. 

How To Pray About Terrorism the Jesus Way

Is there a different way to see this famous mantra of prosperity promisers?

In the Meantime, Bless Babylon (What Jeremiah 29:11 really means) Part 1

The Epistle of James confronts classism in the Church and by the Church. Besides the teachings of Jesus, this letter is the New Testament's most concentrated teaching on social justice.

James On Justice (An Appeal For Classless Christianity) Introduction Part 1

Here's part 2 of my intro to the Epistle of James; this time focusing on the writer and how he mirrored the practice and teaching of his 1/2 Brother, Jesus on the topic of "Classless Christianity!" Listen at the peril of your prejudice.

James On Justice (An Appeal For Classless Christianity) Introduction Part 2

In the world, some are disdained and others acclaimed for their socioeconomic station, but for followers of Jesus those distinctions are irrelevant. Christ annihilates classism! If you wonder whether or not this is biblical, check out my take on James 1:1-11.

James On Justice (An Appeal For Classless Christianity) James 1:1-11

A rich guy gets a good seat and the poor guy who sits on the floor of the church! Not exactly what Jesus envisioned!

James On Justice (An Appeal For Classless Christianity) James 1:12-2:7

You’d think it would go without saying that we should check our prejudices at the church door for at least an hour of worship, but apparently we can't! It doesn’t speak well of us if we won’t even treat people who aren’t like us with dignity for one hour on Sunday mornings. Let's see what James has to say about it.

James On Justice (An Appeal For Classless Christianity) James 2:8-26

No one has more “envy and selfish ambition” than the devil and he’s happy to share it with anyone willing to log in and download it… 

Christians who are "classless" either give away their position for the sake of the community or give out of their privileged position for the community’s sake…

James On Justice (An Appeal For Classless Christianity) James 3:1-18

God does allow a lot of people to acquire wealth to use for his glory, but to make consumptive acquisition a universal promise for all and an evidence of great faith and true spirituality is, in my opinion, not only mistaken, it’s evil! 

Please listen to my justification for this brash statement in this brief commentary on James 4...

James On Justice (An Appeal For Classless Christianity) James 4:1-17

James 5:1-6 -- addressing and undressing classism in the Church… You can’t be the kind of Christian that James describes and, at the same time, judge the relative worth of other humans based on their socioeconomic success or race or any other external factor.

James On Justice (An Appeal For Classless Christianity) James 5:1-6

James’ vision for the Church was where the rich and poor sit next to each other, embracing each other in mutual, symbiotic relationships wherein the rich man needs the poor man as much as the poor man needs his rich brother.

James On Justice (An Appeal For Classless Christianity) James 5:7-20

This message given at Hope Church in November 2019 focuses on the problem of suffering and evil in a world made by an all loving and all powerful God.

If God Is So Good, What’s Up With All The Bad Stuff In This World?

After a 30-year pastoral ministry, Barney Wiget is now a Bible teacher, mentor of young spiritual leaders, and friend of the urban poor. This podcast includes a number of his most recent audio musings about Scripture and its Author. A wide range of Barney’s writings can be found on his blog and website. 

Musing The Mysteries

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