It's Hard to Believe | Week 2 | The Gift

 This episode of The Greater Guild Loading Screen features a special Christmas sermon titled It’s Hard To Believe from our series The Gift. Explore the challenge of belief in God’s promises through the lens of the Christmas story, geek culture, and practical faith. Discover how faith transforms our lives and equips us for life’s battles. 

Creators & Guests

Host

Pastor Brandon Holm

What is The Greater Guild Loading Screen?

Welcome to The Greater Guild's Loading Screen, the ultimate podcast where the sacred and the geeky collide! Dive deep into the Holy Scriptures with us as we explore sermons sprinkled with your favorite gaming quests, cosplay characters, and anime adventures. Whether you're a Paladin of Prayer, a Cosplay Crusader, or an Otaku of the Old Testament, this is your sanctuary.

Join our fellowship as we level up our faith through the lens of epic battles, legendary heroes, and fantastical worlds. From the wisdom of the Proverbs to the valor of the Apostles, we'll draw parallels between biblical narratives and the beloved realms of gaming, cosplay, and anime.

Tune in for:

Sermon Side Quests: Discover the deeper meaning behind Scripture with analogies from your favorite games and anime.
Cosplay Character Spotlight: Unveil the biblical virtues embodied by iconic characters and how they inspire our spiritual journey.
Anime Apologetics: Engage in lively discussions that bridge the gap between faith and fandom, unraveling the spiritual themes in popular series.

So, grab your controller, don your cosplay armor, and get ready to embark on an epic quest of faith and fandom. Church Nerds United is here to guide you on a heroic journey, one episode at a time. May the faith be with you!

Greater Guild Announcer: 00:03

Welcome to the Greater Guild Loading Screen. The podcast where we level up together in faith, geek out over scripture, and explore how God's word intersects with our everyday lives. Today, we're continuing our Christmas series, The Gift, with a message titled, it's hard to believe. Faith can feel like an epic quest full of challenges and uncertainties. But today, we'll dive into the Christmas story to see how God's promises transform our struggles into something extraordinary.

Greater Guild Announcer: 00:30

So grab your favorite coffee, sit back, and let's jump into this week's message.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 00:38

Welcome to another journey through The Gift, our Christmas series that dives into the heart of God's ultimate present to humanity, Jesus Christ. Today we're tackling something that feels very real, especially in our modern world, belief. Belief can be as tricky as being the final boss when your health bar is minuscule to trying to catch a rare Pokemon with 1 Poke Ball left. Sometimes believing is something unseen feels harder than any raid you ever attempted. But what if belief itself is the key to unlocking the greatest treasure of all?

Pastor Brandon Holm: 01:14

Let's dive in today's message. It's hard to believe. Now let me set the stage with the Christmas story that is repeated this month on every TV streaming channel wherever you watch entertainment, and we all know it. But let's just rehash it for a second here. And it's about Mary and Joseph who faced a moment where believing God's promise seemed impossible.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 01:38

And in Luke chapter 1 verses 26 to 38, we read, the angel went to her and said, greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Mary who was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be, and especially if you've seen many three d videos out there of what angels look like according to Ezekiel. There's a little bit behind that, troubled, aspect. But the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 02:14

You have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. You will be great and will be called the son of the most high. Now pause here. Imagine you're Mary.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 02:28

Again, you just saw this Ezekiel like angel. It says, do not be afraid. But again, Mary is just an ordinary person in an ordinary town, but now is thrust into an extraordinary situation. Again, being like a level one character in any RPG, and suddenly you're told you're the chosen one destined to save the realm. Sounds like every RPG at times, especially whenever winter nights.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 02:59

The leap from ordinary to chosen is massive, and it's no surprise that Mary's first reaction is confusion and fear. Probably, you would need a proper change after seeing an angel like that, but I digress. The angel's words do not be afraid are more than just a comforting line. They're a reminder that God's plans often challenge our understanding. Easy to believe in what we can see, touch, feel, and also control.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 03:26

But believing in God's promises, I can feel as daunting as facing an unbeatable raid boss without your best gear or team. The struggle isn't unique to Mary. How about Joseph? In Matthew 1 verses 18 to 21, Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant and has to decide whether to believe her story or quietly divorce her. And an angel again appears to him in a dream saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 04:00

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. Joseph belief, re does require a lot of courage. He had to trust God's word over the judgment of society, over his own doubts, and over what seemed logical. Belief drives action. And if you remember Samwise Gamgee in Lord of the Rings, Sam doesn't just believe Frodo can destroy the one ring.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 04:28

He stakes everything on it. He chooses loyalty and faith even when the path seems hopeless. Similarly, belief in God isn't just a mental exercise. It's about trusting enough to take action even when fear and doubt creep in. The Christmas story invites us to see belief not as a, not as something easy, but it's something vital.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 04:50

It's the beginning of the journey. The decision to trust in a promise that might feel as distant and unbelievable as a fairy tale, but it's through this belief that the greatest story, the story of salvation unfolds. Now why is belief hard but not impossible? God doesn't ask us to leap into the dark without guidance. He provides evidence of his promise.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 05:14

The and this evidence is woven throughout scripture showing us that God's plans are trustworthy even when they challenge our understanding. In Isaiah 714, the prophet declares, therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel. This prophecy given centuries before Jesus is born is like the setup for an epic story arc in any video game movie or even an anime. You don't always know how the pieces will come together, but when the moment arrives it feels inevitable.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 05:51

God's plan unfolded through history step by step to fulfill this promise. Now let's fast forward again to the gospel of Matthew where this prophecy is explicitly connected to Jesus' birth. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us. And that comes from Matthew 1 verses 22 and 23.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 06:20

This isn't just a random coincidence by the way. It's God showing us that his word can be trusted. Prophecies like this are evidence that God has a plan and that he's always working behind the scenes to bring it to fruition. But here's the thing. Evidence doesn't always eliminate doubt.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 06:37

We can see this on x. If you notice a lot of, Christian gamers are having to, you know, rebuke a lot of, people who don't believe. But as gamers, we love lore and backstory. We, you know, we crave it. In fact, that's something that we're lacking in our modern day, games right now.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 06:56

And if you look at the Legend of Zelda, the prophecy of the chosen hero is there. But again, every time Link marks on his journey, the stakes are real. There's no guarantee of success until the adventure is complete. And believe me, if you've played those games, it can be difficult to complete them. And the same is true with faith.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 07:17

Even with evidence belief still requires trust. As Jesus said in John chapter 20 verse 29, then Jesus told him, because you have seen me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. God's promises are like the ultimate lore that builds our faith. The evidence is there.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 07:38

Prophecies fulfilled, lives changed, but the decision to trust still lies with us. It's like holding a treasure map. You can see the path, but you have to take the journey to discover the treasure. Let's remember that God doesn't leave us without evidence. His he's given us his word, his promises, and ultimately his son as proof that he is faithful.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 08:01

Question is into whether the evidence exists. It's whether you're willing to trust it and, you know, let's explore how belief transforms us. Faith isn't just about acknowledging God's existence or nodding along to a Christmas carol. The gift that radically reshapes our lives, giving us purpose, strength, and hope. In Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 through 9, Paul writes, for it is by grace you have been saved through faith.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 08:29

And this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast. Faith is described here as a gift. Something God freely gives us, not something we earn. Imagine playing a game where you receive a powerful item or very special you and unique ability, and it's not because you grind for hours but because the game's creator designed it for you.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 08:53

That's what faith is like. It's a divine power up, equipping us to face challenges we could never handle on our own. This gift doesn't just save us, it changes us. It gives us a new way of seeing the world. In Romans 1513, Paul writes, may the God of hope fill you all excuse me.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 09:14

Fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Faith brings joy and peace that overflow into every part of our lives. Think about this in terms of our culture as geeks. In role playing games, you often have to equip certain items or abilities to survive in the game world, And without them, every encounter feels like a losing battle especially happy if you have a really, sadistic DM. But with the right gear, you're empowered to take on even the toughest challenges.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 09:49

Faith is that essential gear of for life. It doesn't mean we don't face hard times. Far from it. It does mean we'll be equipped to endure them in the future. One of the most beautiful aspects of faith is that it invites us into a community.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 10:04

Just like in gaming where multiplayer raids require teamwork and trust, faith connects us with others who are on the same journey. And together, we encourage each other, share our experiences, and remind one another of God's promises. Finally, let's not forget that faith is active. In James chapter 2, verse 17, we're reminded faith by itself is if it is not accompanied by action is dead. Faith isn't something we just think or feel it's something we live out.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 10:38

It's like leveling up in a game. Your character might gain new abilities, but it's up to you to use them. God gives us the gift of faith so we can step into the lives he's called us to lead equipped to face life's battles with courage and hope. This Christmas, as we reflect on the gift of Jesus, let's also celebrate the gift of faith. A gift that really transforms us, sustains us, and connects us to something far greater than ourselves.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 11:05

I ask you this, where do you stand? Is belief hard for you? Well, guess what? You're not alone. Even Mary and Joseph had their moments of doubt but their faith in God's promises, you know, carried them through.

Pastor Brandon Holm: 11:20

So remember, that belief isn't about having all the answers. It's about trusting the one who holds them. Faith may be hard, but it's also the greatest gift. A gift that transforms lives and equips us for battles we never thought we could win.

Greater Guild Announcer: 11:39

Thank you for joining us on this week's episode of the Greater Guild loading screen. I hope today's message, it's hard to believe, encouraged you to trust in God's promises, even when belief feels like the toughest battle. If this message resonated with you, don't forget to share it with your friends, squad, or guild. Let's spread the word together and make faith a part of our everyday lives. You can find more sermons and live streams from the Greater Guild Church on YouTube, Twitch, and wherever you enjoy your favorite content.

Greater Guild Announcer: 12:09

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Until next time, may the God of peace and joy fill your hearts as you trust in him. See you next week.