Church Nerds United

 Welcome back to Church Nerds United! In this episode, Pastor Brandon dives deep into "Resurrection Power-Up: Spiritual Revival for the Weary." Ever feel like life has knocked you down, and you’re just out of health? Just like in your favorite games, God offers us a spiritual "respawn" through the power of the Holy Spirit. Learn how to recharge your spiritual health bar and rise again with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Get ready for some geeky parallels, biblical wisdom, and practical ways to power up your soul! 

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 dotorg. 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:

Just like in gaming, where characters can respawn or revive after being defeated, god offers us resurrection power through the holy spirit. When life knocks us down, God's spirit revives and restores us, giving us the strength to rise again and continue on our journey. Hello, Greater Guild members. Today, we're gonna talk about something that we're all familiar with, 2nd chances. I mean, let's face it.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

How many times have we been gaming? Face defeat and use the power up or respawn to keep going. Whether it's a revive spell, a healing potion, or even hitting that respond button, or just responding automatically, games give us ways to rise after falling. But what about real life? What happens when life knocks us down?

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Well, maybe it's through exhaustion, overwhelming stress, or challenges that seem to keep us in a cycle of defeat. Truth is life's battles can leave us weary, But here's the good news. God gives us a resurrection power up through the Holy Spirit. Just as our gaming characters can be revived, our souls and ourselves can experience spiritual revival when we tap into the power of God's spirit. And just like in gaming, where characters are respawn or revive after being defeated, God offers us resurrection power through the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Yeah. When life knocks us down, God's spirit revives and restores us, giving us the strength to rise again and continue on our journey. How we know this is from Romans 811. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So I wanna show you how God offers us resurrection power.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

How he revives us when we're weary, and how we can live in daily spiritual renewal. Most games where the there's always a health bar or at least a way of knowing our health status. Right? When it gets low or the screen turns bloody or dark, you know your character is in trouble and needs healing, rest, or some kind of recharge to keep going. Bonfires in the Dark Souls series is a great example.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Spiritually, we've got a health bar too. There are moments when our energy just runs low. When we feel spiritually drained, but unlike in a game, we sometimes ignore the signs that we need rest and revival. Isaiah 4 40, 29, 31 tells us he gives power to the faint and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youth shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted, but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Even the most energetic and driven among us get tired, but the beauty is that God promises to renew our strength when we're feeling weak and worn out. Jesus calls us to come to him for rest.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

A great example is in Matthew 11:28. He says, come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. This is not only the running theme of the series, but also for anyone looking for salvation as well. We need to recognize when we're spiritually weary and run to Jesus for the revival we need. He's waiting for us, arms open, ready to recharge our souls.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Now, as I said, in gaming, when your health is down to 0, healing potion med kit or, you know, special power up make all the difference. Spiritually, that power up is the holy spirit. God doesn't just let us lie in defeat. He gives us the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Think about that.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

The same power that brought Jesus back to life is available to revive our weary spirits. Now, again, repeating Romans 811. If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Jesus Christ excuse me. Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. The Holy Spirit breathes new life into us.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Just like in Ezekiel where God tells the dry bones, thus say the Lord God to these bones, behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And no, we're not talking about necromancy like in D and D. Sometimes we do feel like dry bones, lifeless, hopeless, But God's spirit comes in, revives us, refreshes us, giving us a new life. No matter how defeated we feel, his resurrection power brings us back to life. Defeat is rarely final, unless it is in the new game plus mode.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

If you fall, you respond back and you get back into action. Spiritually, God offers us the same opportunity. We all face moments of failure and defeat. But with god, falling doesn't mean the end. Proverbs 2416 says, for the righteous fall 7 times and rise again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

We can see this today throughout the world, and god's grace is our respond point. No matter how many times we fall, god offers us the grace to just get back up. And in Micah 7:8, we hear, rejoice not over me, oh my enemy. When I fall, I shall rise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Does that not sound awesome? Seriously, a badass statement tells your to tell your enemies during a match or even Satan. Defeat is not our destiny. Resurrection is. When life knocks us down, God's spirit revives us.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

He helps us rise again stronger, more resilient, and more resilient on his power. Excuse me, more reliant on his power. The enemy wants us to stay down, but with God, we rise again and again. You'd You know, basically, you don't use just one power up and call it good, especially in Dragon Age. You need continual buffs, healing and mana boosts to keep you going.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Our spiritual lives work the same way. We need daily fill of filling of the holy spirit to stay energized, focused, and ready for what comes next. A second Corinthians 46, Paul writes, so we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. Now, we know today what Paul didn't know is that our bodies actually renew about every 7 years.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

That's the going, up you know, going recognized thought right now regarding our bodies and our cellular structures. You know, we renew every 7 years. But again, that's 7 years, not daily. Our inner self, our spiritual self needs constant renewal. That's why Jesus in Acts 1 8 promises, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

This isn't a one time deal. Okay? God offers us daily power ups. As we spend time with him in prayer, worship, or even in his word, we're continually renewal. You can live in a state of ongoing revival, empowered to face each day with strength and courage.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

The holy spirit keeps filling us up, keeping our spirit spiritual health bar really in full. And so my friends, just like in gaming, we all face moments of defeat. But through god's resurrection power, we can always rise again. The holy spirit is our ultimate power up, reviving us when we're weary, giving us strength when we're weak, and ensuring that we never stay down for long. So when life knocks you down, remember that god's resurrection power is available to you.

Pastor Brandon Holm:

Let his spirit revive your weary soul. Tap into his strength daily. That again means going into the word, reading your bible, prayer, and embrace the life giving power that only he can provide. Don't let defeat define you. That spirit will raise you up.

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.