Church Nerds United

In this episode, we dive deep into the powerful parallels between gearing up for battles in gaming and equipping ourselves spiritually for the challenges of life. Just like players must wear the best gear to face raids and boss fights, Christians need to put on the full armor of God to stand firm against spiritual warfare. Based on Ephesians 6:10-17, we’ll explore each piece of God’s spiritual armor and how it prepares us for victory in life’s toughest battles.

Whether you’re a gamer or someone looking to strengthen your faith, this message will equip you to handle life’s trials with spiritual strength. Join us as we break down the Bible in a way that speaks to the gaming community and find out how to gear up for the ultimate fight.

Creators & Guests

Host
Pastor Brandon Holm

What is Church Nerds United?

Welcome to Church Nerds United, 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:

Hey there, fellow church nerds. Welcome to another episode of Church Nerds United, the podcast where faith meets fandom and sermons are the new superhero stories. That's right. Today, we've got a sermon that's more epic than the battle of Helm's Deep and more inspiring than Captain America's pep talks. But before we dive into this week's divine download, don't forget to hit that like button, subscribe, and ring the bell so you never miss an episode.

Greater Guild Announcer:

And, hey, if you love what we do and want to support the show, consider donating. Every little bit helps us keep the nerdy goodness coming your way. You can find the donation link in the show notes or head over to our website at greaterguild.org. Join the ranks of our Greater Guild Army and help us spread the geeky gospel far and wide. Now, without further ado, let's jump into this week's sermon.

Greater Guild Announcer:

Grab your bibles, light up your lightsabers, and get ready to dive deep into the word of God.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Welcome, guild members. Today, we're going to talk about one of the most important things in gaming. It's your gear. Now any serious gamer knows that the gear you wear determines whether you're gonna win or basically get crushed. Now imagine going into a raid or a dungeon that's high level and you go in with low level equipment.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Definitely, you'd be wrecked in seconds, and really to put it bluntly, you're screwed. But life is the same. Ephesians 61011 tells us to be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might, put the whole put the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Now the Bible compares life to a battlefield where we face real spiritual enemies, and we need to be properly equipped for these battles. Just like you wouldn't go into a game unarmed, you know, you don't go in life without the armor.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Now, you will not see it. You can't feel it. Can't touch it, and even thought of it, taste it. But you need you need it equipped for the battles you face pretty much every day. Now, in games, enemies are always lurking, setting traps, and trying to bring you down.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

And spiritual life is definitely no different. 1st Peter 5:8, he says, be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Have you ever had a great day and basically a great week, then suddenly poof. The next day or week it's absolutely horrible.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Well, this is the enemy actively working to bring you down just like any good, you know, rogue in a PVP battle. But our battle is not fought with physical weapons. These battles are fought in the minds and in our spirit. This is why in 2nd Corinthians 104 reminds us, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. Yeah.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

We're fighting a spiritual battle, and just like in a tough game, we need the right strategy and tools to win. So don't underestimate any battle you come across. Look at the many battles and wars where one side under underestimated the their opponent. Don't underestimate the actions that Satan will throw at you. But here's the good news, we're not alone and we're not unarmed.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

So think about how it is important to equip the right gear in a game. You know, without great armor, you're gonna take heavy damage. In Ephesians chapter 6 verses 13 through 17, Paul tells us about the spiritual gear we need to be ready for battle. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and eschews for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, and which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Now, let's really break this down and look at each piece of armor and describe its purpose. So the belt of truth. It's like knowing your stats in a game. Truth grounds us and holds everything together, and the breastplate of righteousness it protects your heart like a solid chest plate protecting you from damage.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Shoes of the gospel of peace. Well, it gives us stability and readiness, like quick boots helping you move faster in a game, giving you that extra boost to dodge or avoid, you know, a certain area fairly quickly, or to not arouse any enemies. The shield of faith blocks the enemy's attacks. It's like how a shield absorbs blows in battle. Really simple.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

But the helmet of salvation, that's the one that protects your mind. It keeps you focused on Christ, and not the distractions of the world. And finally, we talk about the sword of the spirit. This is the only offensive weapon we have, and it is the word of God. That's where we find it in the Bible.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

That's why we use the Bible, And basically, having the Bible, the word of God, your offensive weapon, is like wielding the most powerful sword that will cut through the lies of the enemy, and your enemies in general. And as you see, each piece serves a purpose. And just like you wouldn't leave any gear slot empty in a raid or or a boss fight, you need all of these to stand firm in spiritual battles. Okay. So you're saying, okay.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

What when do we have this? Well, granted, how do we get it? It's also another good question. So as babies, when we are born, you know, we have empty gear slots. So with your family, your friends, your church, and followers in Christ, as you develop and grow, you should have at least some basic spiritual armor equipped.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

They're gonna give you the basics. So it is when we fully embrace Christ as our Lord and savior, and we also connect with additional fellow followers, we can get better, more robust armor for the greatest battles in our lives. And like in every game that is basically an RPG or any combat type, that's single player or multiplayer, we're gonna have boss fights. It's the moments where your gear, skills, and your focus are really tested. And spiritually, we do face these boss battles daily.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

And that situations where it feels like the enemy is really throwing everything at us. You know, those bad days, those bad weeks, everything's just not going right. And as I said earlier, you may have the perfect day or week, but it does not mean that the enemy will not throw something equally or worse to ruin your next day or continue for the next week. And palm excuse me. Psalms 182 says, the lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

My god, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. And it's in these moments, God is our defender and our shield. But if we look forward to Romans chapter 837, it reassures us that we are more than conquerors through whom who loved us. Boss fights in life are tough, but with God's strength we're equipped to overcome. God has mentioned last week, is our healer, but God and Jesus are also our paladin and cleric.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

1 to share the battle, and combat while the other protects and heals. We're not fighting with our own strength when it comes to battles on the spiritual level. God is with us and he is the ultimate barbarian or fighter. Paladin definitely hits the spot. And he'll take hits with us.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Now, he's gonna go 1 on 1 with us. Again, we don't see it because god works outside of our 5 senses, and the same battle that rages in our mental and physical lives, god fights on the spiritual plane. And remember, the spiritual battle is just as important as our mental and physical battles. Now you've tried it. I know I've done it on several, you know, most, MMOs and several RPGs where you go into basically a boss fight, or a dungeon, and all of a sudden it's like, this is not for solo people.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Okay? In those situations, it's always easier with a team. Right? Even with solo battles sometimes they give you a companion to work alongside with. Same as truth for our battles in life.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

We're not meant to fight alone. Now this is why we have good friends and family, and and not the fair weather companions that run at the first sign of trouble. So in Hebrews 102425 it says, let us con consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. Works. There it is again.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

And like I said, and I'm gonna remind you every time this comes up, Later in the season, we'll talk the difference between work and works. So to continue on, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some. You know, some of us are introverts definitely, but we are here to encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Now, life is easier when we team up definitely. Just like in a game where you rely on your healer, your warriors, your your barbarians, whatever.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

You know, spiritually we rely on God, Jesus, and of course the church which happens to be the guild that you're listening to now, and that's for prayer, encouragement, and strength. And Ecclesiastes 412 reminds us though a man might prevail against 1 who is alone 2 will withstand him a threefold cord is not quickly broken Consider this in the way that we have suspension bridges. Golden Gate Bridge is the is really one of the best examples. Have you ever watched the documentaries about it? I highly encourage it because what you're seeing is very thin cables going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and these are bundled together in a cord, and then all these cords are bundled together into the huge ropes that you see the suspension ribbon.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

They're wrapped in cladding. But it's bundle on bundle on bundle and that's what gives us the strength and that's what a Ecclesiastes is talking about. So as with any good strength and a good bridge, you know, together we are stronger. We've heard it from planet's ape, you know, apes together are strong. Same here.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

So don't go it alone. Find your team, fight life's battles together. And this in calls includes, you know, going to a therapist to help with your mental state. Get some things in check. Go see your doctor if you're not if your body's just feeling weak or unhealthy.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

And if you need to, get a a partner to go to the gym so that both of you can strengthen up. How it works? Again, each person helps you out in one area. God does the same thing too. So as you go into this week, I want you to remember something.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

You know, don't face life without your gear. K? Equip the full armor of god daily to stand strong against the enemy's attacks. Like I said, in gaming, if you're unprepared, you're vulnerable. But with God's armor, you're unbeatable.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

So as I said, guild members, you've give I've given you the tools to win. Go out and fight the good fight with God by your side.

Greater Guild Announcer:

Wow. That was powerful. Pastor Brandon never fails to deliver a sermon that's both thought provoking and nerd tastic. We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and donate if you want to keep the sermons and geeky discussions coming.

Greater Guild Announcer:

And remember, you can always connect with us on social media. Just search for the Greater Guild on all your favorite platforms. We'd love to hear your thoughts and geek out with you. Thanks for tuning in, Guild Nerds. Until next time, keep the faith and stay nerdy.