We begin our Kingdom conversations by simply sitting with the word itself. While kingdom is not a word we frequently use in our daily vocabulary, its meanings are constantly active in much of our lives. Clarifying this might help move us to understand what lies at the heart of every Kingdom conversation. I invite you to join me in the conversation on this episode of Kingdom in the Coulee.

The "Kingdom of heaven" can sound like a "far-out" phrase, but as Jesus teaches us to localize it in our prayers, it can become something that both relieves and challenges our faith and followership. Join me for a quick chat today as I explore and apply this to our nearby neighborhoods.

Last year, not having the vision to sustain it, I abandoned this podcast. Since then, new exciting and scary ideas have emerged. I have both reframed and refocused the podcast's purpose, and now introduce it to you today, and invite you to prayerfully support The Kingdom in the Coulee. After all, it's about so much more than a podcast.

As Pharaoh and the Egyptians race towards the sea, the Israelite's panic takes hold and they begin casting questions at Moses. Moses' response provides a counter to the deeply ingrained fear oppressing the hearts and minds of the Israelites. I invite you to join me in this episode as we explore their fear and how Moses counters it.

Soon after the Israelites depart Egypt, they are led down a road that boxes them in against the sea. Pharaoh's wounded pride perceives this as an opportunity to repossess the people for his service. I invite you to join me in this final conversation on Pharaoh, his choices, his nature, and his relatability.

Following the tenth plague, the Israelites are immediately driven out of Egypt. Traveling to Succoth, they stop to eat and take stock of all that has occurred. There, the LORD provides various liturgy lenses that frame how they are to view and remember all that has happened. I invite you to join me in exploring these liturgy lenses and how they give shape to the beginning of Israel's new life.

The tenth plague is not just the final blow to make Pharaoh release the Israelites. Layers of reckoning make it a moment in which God deals with the way the world works while paving a path for a new way to take root. I invite you to join me in this episode to explore this moment and the reckoning it marks.

With God's tenth and final plague about to descend, the text suddenly slows down and turns into a script framing the upcoming event as an unfolding drama. A drama that would be the basis for Israel's relationship with the LORD. I invite you to join me as we explore the set pieces of this drama and the salvation story it is prepping.