Revolution Church

Jay is up to his eyeballs with his big move, so rather than having to find a way to come up with a talk, Josh is filling in so Jay has room to breathe for a bit! Today’s talk is inspired by a line from Elton John’s song Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It’s about going back to a simpler time. An easier time. The strange thing about Christianity, though, is that we’ve gotten to a place where ‘progress’ is actually further behind us. It’s back back. Back to Jesus and Peter and Paul talking about grace and equality. So, the way we go forward at Revolution is to go backwards. Back to a time before the corruption set in. To a time where the belief structure was just about loving and accepting people and being aware that the old laws of the Bible are crushing us—just like it crushed everyone that came before us. To help demonstrate the dangers of taking the Bible literally and living in the way of legalism, we take a strange journey to show the complicated path the Bible took to be written in English. And how many links in the chain there were between that and getting the Bible to America. This doesn’t diminish anything, and it doesn’t take away from the Bible. All it shows is how it makes no real sense to take it so literally. There were too many cooks in the kitchen for thousands of years, including misprints and plenty of people being burned at the stake. The Bible is incredible, and we lose a lot of that when we force it to be literal and we force legalism into our lives. Today we also talk about Elijah, Elisha, Shawn Michaels, Final Fantasy 7, and the movie The Darjeeling Limited. It’s a fun one!This talk was given on June 4, 2023 from Long Island, NY.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world is kind of screwy and we’re gonna head there a bit today. The bulk of Jay’s talk today explores some passages in 1 John. Because, besides all of the confusion and anxiety of life these days with politics and hate and fear and war—Jay is adding moving to a new apartment on top of all of that! And in the end, it seems despite our effort and drive to power through, life still seems pointless more often than not. And because of that apathy sneaks its way in more than we’d ever care for it. Today Jay’s real question is “What are we doing to get through this everyday?” That’s why a focus on 1 John today is really helpful. Because it talks a lot of how true love casts out fear and it casts out hate. We learn that to truly love God, we can’t hate our neighbor. It just doesn’t work. So when we’re all in a bit of darkness and we’re all struggling…and our leaders have become so petty and pathetic with each other, things just do not feel safe. It all feels so dark and overwhelming. But if we all help each other, lean on each other, love each other. Then that lets a lot of light into our really dark world.This talk was given on May 21, 2023 from Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone! Today’s talk is a little weird but that’s okay because Jay’s gotta be Jay. After a brief continuation and further thoughts/developments of last week’s talk, Jay jumps into what our focus is with Revolution—learning to have the tough conversations. Trying to stop ‘othering’ others. We say ‘trying’ because it’s not easy, we all struggle. But sometimes trying goes a lot further than we think. So let’s keep trying. Let’s try to overcome binary thinking. Let’s try to come together. Revolution is trying to bring people together while our politicians and social media try to manipulate and divide. Giving this immense pressure to be something we’re not. It seems that even people who want us to be different and unique…want us to be different and unique just like them—hate who they hate, love who they love, hold sacred what they hold sacred. But we’re all human. And humans are nuanced. When did we lose the nuance? When did we become so legalistic? It’s important to set boundaries, but maybe our boundaries come with a door or window, something that helps us mend relationships in the future. But, hey, let’s not forget it’s Mother’s Day! Let’s see what Tammy Faye has to say about it! Jay reads an excerpt from I Gotta Be Me, and it sums up everything perfectly—as only Tammy Faye can. Happy Mother’s Day! This talk was given on May 14, 2023 from Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like so many of our talks recently, this one wasn’t the one that was planned. But our original plans got derailed once again by a national tragedy. And that tragedy almost always seems to be another mass shooting in America. We are so sick of it. We’re sick and we’re heartbroken. We’re in danger everywhere we go. Jay’s talk this week is short. And it’s raw. Because enough is enough! These shooters don’t care about our politics, at all. They don’t only kill liberals, or adults, or people of color. We’re all equal in our danger. So when all of this is happening, how do we love our neighbor? How does that fit into this? If the book of James says that ‘faith without works is dead,’ then where does only offering up thoughts and prayers fit in? Something more needs to be done. We need to choose people over religion. We need to love each other and not let religion get in the way. We need something, because this can’t go on. This talk is raw and uncensored. Normally, I (Josh) take time to edit out any or the harsher words that might slip out in emotion or frustration. It didn’t seem right with this one. Enough is enough. This talk was given on May 7, 2023 from Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Todays talk is a bit heady and philosophy heavy, but it’s a good one! After studying and listening to some Todd McGowan, Jay starts to really break down the idea of separation and what Paul means when he talks about “…for all have sinned.” Often times we’ve heard that as a way to make us feel bad, or to emphasize how much we rely on salvation, but what Jay discusses is: What if what it means is we’re all equal? Similar to what Paul says in Galatians about there being no Jew nor gentile. If sin is separation, and grace is reunion – then by saying ‘for all have sinned,’ really we can look at it that we’re all just as separated. We’re all coming from the same place. We’re all starting on a level playing field. That we’re all outcasts! Together! It gives us a common ground, together. And that’s a start to getting rid of the concept of ‘other.’ If we see that nobody belongs, then it stops us from fighting about who belongs. When Jesus is sharing a meal with Matthew and is questioned about the company he kept, he told them that he came to help the sick, not those who think they aren’t. He came to help the separated, not those who feel they aren’t. Let’s live in the imperfection and the contradiction of it all! And realize that that’s the meat of living.This talk was given on April 30, 2023 from Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay gets a little serious this week and shares with us his first personal experience with Christianity and how that led him to where we are today and what Revolution is trying to be as a community. Feeling inspired by a punk rock show to stay true to himself, Jay discusses how the Christian legalism he encountered at a young age–the hurt it caused and how it pushed him away from God almost altogether. But eventually that all led him to discovering grace and acceptance and loving radically. How the more he dove into studying and reading, Jay came across the idea that Christianity isn’t the faith of being rigid. Or at least it shouldn’t be. As a society we spend so much time looking for things that separate us, but we have so much in common. And the most important thing we have in common is our humanity. Let’s have a love that reconciles. A love that Jesus said we would be known by. Let us be driven by love and not rules, not separation. Because we’re not different–we’re just people.This talk was given on April 23, 2023 from Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to certain topics, such as grace, and having tough conversations, and disagreeing well, we know we can be a bit of a broken record here at Revolution. But then we look at the news, or social media, or society, and we realize we can’t be broken record enough! How has it gotten so bad that we can’t even stand the news we agree with? So, here we are again turning out the hits! Humanity! Grace! Jay has been feeling tired and frustrated lately–trying to live in a world like what we have today, gun violence, politicians, cruelty. It’s too much. Too much suffering and too much negativity. Jay looks a bit into Paul’s letter to the Romans, today, and a bit into James and even dips a toe into Psalms for this talk. Because today’s talk is about endurance, and how suffering, in a strange way, builds the endurance that will eventually lead us to hope! So, let’s learn to be human again. Try and learn how to humanize others, as well–to see the humanity in someone that doesn’t think like we do! To push ourselves to have those difficult conversations, to show grace. To accept others, and accept ourselves!This talk was given on April 16, 2023 from Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Easter Sunday and this week’s talk is a little off the beaten path. This week, Josh gives a talk that focuses on not only our ability to slay the giants that loom in front of us–but to also remember how many we dealt with along the way. It’s not always the easiest to find good things to talk about when discussing King David, but there is also a lot we can learn from him. A lot about grace and mercy, forgiveness, and hard conversations. How could a man who has done so much wrong be called ‘a man after God’s own heart’? We also talk about music and movies, of course, and about crossing through the valley and the abyss. We’ve all made it this far and we will keep on going! Happy Easter!This talk was given on April 9, 2023 from Long Island, New York.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This talk is a bit of an emotional one. Emotional more in the sense of frustration being an emotion. Jay talks about the struggles we encounter when we live (or try our hardest to live) the practice of disagreeing and arguing well. It’s getting harder to stay the course as more shootings happen and politicians do nothing, division grows and it seems like no one is helping–or even cares. Politics seems to be more about theatrics than it is about leadership these days. But we have to try to keep focused, we have to speak truth to both sides. We need to realize when we’re being lied to, even by our ‘own side.’ Because so much of Jesus’ life and teaching is about how no one is ever ‘the other’ and Paul understood this. He had a very different way of seeing Jesus. Seeing him more for His accomplishment of the cross. Jay discusses this and looks at passages from Mark and John, because Jesus wasn’t killed by Rome because of his exclusivity, but because of his inclusion of everyone, with no ‘othering.’ Sharing meals, showing humanity. We can’t let politics and politicians to become idols. We need to get back to the basics with Jesus–we need to have less enemies. We need to be bigger than our identities. Be bigger than our politics. To have empathy. To show and see humanity. And above all, to love. We can do this!This talk was given on April 2, 2023 from Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have a special treat! After finishing up the study of Paul Tillich's sermon "You Are Accepted" we wanted to do something different. A way to double down on our love for this talk and what it means and the impact it's had on Revolution. So here we are, the original sermon, in full! And to add on to all of this--the sermon is read by philosopher and storyteller (and Jay's best mate) Peter Rollins!Enjoy!Here is a link to Paul Tillich’s “You Are Accepted”https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/20810.pdfwww.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here we are, week 2 and the conclusion of Paul Tillich’s talk You Are Accepted. This week Jay finishes his study on this Tillich sermon. As Jay says a few times in this talk ‘let’s not take these words lightly.’ Last week we talked a bit about sin, but this week we’re onto all the good stuff about grace. Do we know what it means to be struck by grace? Does being struck by grace mean we suddenly believe God exists? Or that Jesus is the savior? Or even that the bible contains the truth? Or is getting struck by grace something different that that? Is it better to refuse God and Jesus in the bible, or to accept them without grace? These are heavy thoughts, tricky to wrap our heads around. Because grace is bigger than we understand. As Tillich teaches, moral progress may be a fruit of grace, but it is not grace itself. And sometimes it can actually prevent us from receiving grace. Both Paul Tillich’s original sermon, and Jay’s discussion of it can really help us navigate such a tricky and complex topic. Helping us learn what grace is and accept it. And ourselves. And others. To not create God in the image of other Christians or people from church. To not become all of the things we hate. And maybe, just maybe, these discussions can help us on our fall into grace and what it means to be struck by it.Here is a link to Paul Tillich’s “You Are Accepted”. Revolution is sticking around and there are some great things to come.https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/20810.pdfThis talk was given on March 19, 2023 from Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We made it through Galatians! And while we’re always a bit bummed to finish up that study, this year we’re immediately moving onto something just as great. Paul Tillich’s talk You Are Accepted. In this first week of the study, Jay dives into some backstory onto who Tillich is and walks us through some of his credentials. Then we go right on in! There isn’t much to say in this write-up because it’s all in the talk today. It’s all about learning what Tillich has to say on grace, and also try to sort out what ideas we might need to reject in order to better understand it. Because grace isn’t always the easiest thing to explain. In fact, Tillich argues that it is just as hard to describe as sin is. It’s a great talk that really pushes for a diversity of thought and the dangers of Christianity becoming more of a separator rather than a unifier. But, hey, nobody’s perfect, we’re all human and we’re all flawed–we’re working on it though! So, thank goodness for Paul TillichHere is a link to Paul Tillich’s “You Are Accepted”. Revolution is sticking around and there are some great things to come.https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/20810.pdfThis talk was given on March 12, 2023 from Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re at the end of Galatians, and now we’re sad. But next week the discussion of Grace continues with Paul Tillich’s talk “You Are Accepted.” But before we get to that, let’s finish up Galatians. A lot of this talk is about trying to find a safe space for unsafe conversations. Jay makes reference to two Jon Stewart interviews that he feels encompasses a cross-section of society today. And like many other interviews or news reports, these cross-sections fit right into what Paul is talking about in his letter to the Galatians. It’s interesting how timeless this letter is…but also very frustrating with how little things seemed to have changed since this was written. Galatians really deals with the fact that we’re all human–and all humans are nuanced beings. So why are we not acting that way? Why do we insist on legalism and binary thinking? Paul tells us to restore people with a spirit of gentleness. Why then do we tend to act more like an army that shoots it’s hurt and wounded? We need to find a place where we can share our burdens with each other but at the same time not give these burdens and struggles to others. We need to focus on our own burdens, and love everyone else. Otherwise nothing grows. Worse than that, nothing grows because the ground is so toxic. So how can we navigate this? What is this other way? A third way? A way of nuance and grace. That is what we’re discussing today. And how we need to do our best to never tire of taking the high ground, never tire of showing grace. It’s very very hard. But in walking this path we know we’re doing the right thing. We know we are loving others the best we can.Here is a link to Paul Tillich’s “You Are Accepted”. Revolution is sticking around and there are some great things to come.https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/20810.pdfThis talk was given on March 5, 2023 from Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Galatians series is back! This week we finish up chapter 5! Before the talk starts Jay shares some news about Revolution and where it is going, and some epiphanies he’s discovered. Then we dive right in–Two weeks ago, when we left Paul and his letter, he was discussing the current state of the people he was writing to–they were divided, clashing, and tearing each other apart. They were being consumed by each other. There was no love and there was no peace. Why does this sound familiar? Why does this sound like Paul is writing to us today? Has anything even changed? In this chapter Paul summarizes the whole of the Law, and what it amounts to: Love. Loving each other. Are we so divided now that it’s impossible to have peace and community? People are full of nuance and there really is no blanket way to deal with everyone. We need to accept each other and ourselves radically. We need to learn to live with the lack. We need to radically accept the lack. We need kindness and gentleness. We can’t allow ourselves to fall victim to this hierarchy of suffering where we base our grace on who we like more, and take them more seriously. Seeing them as more human than we do others. Paul addresses all of this and more in these last few verses of chapter 5, and has us asking the question: What is the kingdom of Heaven?This talk was given on February 26, 2023 from Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whoa nelly, we’ve got a long one today! The talk wasn’t supposed to be that long, but sometimes things just get away from you. And when Josh starts talking about the Bible and God…and Star Wars…and wrestling…and cats…and music, well these things just happen. Today’s talk is about trying to find the magic in the Bible. Especially after years of deconstructing, does that kill the magic of it all? The wonder of it all? Is there a difference between deconstruction and destruction? Today’s talk is also about choosing friends and loved ones even if you have different beliefs. To focus on the importance of each other, rather than then throwing it all away because you start to disagree with each other. The talk also dives into the question of if something can be true even if it’s not literal. Does truth equal literal? Can something be a metaphor but still be completely true? Can something have inconsistencies and contradictions and still be true? If we learn to loosen our grip and allow for humanity, are those contradictions as strong as they once were? What changes? If something happened that proved the Bible to just be a book, a run of the mill book, do the insides of it change? Does the wisdom, poetry, insight…does that just fade away into nothing like it never existed? Is the Bible bigger than just three stories from the first book? As you can see there is a lot to talk about and dive into and wrestle with, so why are you still reading this? Let’s fire this episode up and see what conclusions we can come up with and what magic we can find.This talk was given on February 19, 2023 from Long Island, New York.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve made it to Galatians 5!...well sort of. We’ve made it to Galatians 5.1. There are a few very important things in this chapter so we don’t want to rush it. In this chapter, very much the thread of the letter as a whole, Paul is discussing the dangers of legalism and makes a point for the fact that the Law that was set up with Moses was only temporary and that Jesus fulfilled that Law. But even though the Law is fulfilled, legalism always finds a way. It found a way back then, and it still does today. Does being so tied to the Law make Jesus’s death in vain? There is something to be said about this letter, being the earliest Christian writing, to be a rebuke letter about turning back to the Law. About this transgression of thinking that certain people shouldn’t be allowed to call themselves Christians simply because they don’t do what we want them to do. They don’t live how we want them to live. And still today that is the biggest issue we have with Christianity today is people creating rules and regulations based on their own biases. Don’t get me wrong when we say this, we are also talking about ourselves. We too, sad as it is, fall victim to this. Why are we so hesitant to love people we disagree with? Is it because of our own insecurities, or something else? Are our traditions only hurting us because we’re holding them so tightly? Do we hold people to too high of an expectation? Are we being consumed by one another? Has biting and devouring done us all in? Hopefully Paul can continue to help us figure all of this out! This talk was given on February 12, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After taking a week off from Galatians to take time and reflect on how the world seems to be going to hell in a handbasket, we’re back! Galatians 4! This chapter is Jay’s least favorite part of this study–but he’s going to do his best to make it make sense for us. Paul expresses some concern in this chapter. Concern that maybe all of his efforts are wasted because everyone is going back to their old ways. The people are split, and split to the extent that they throw everything out…including Jesus. Phew, good thing that sort of stuff isn’t happening these days, right? Paul asks where the goodwill people once felt towards him has gone. He notices that he has become an enemy because of the truth he is sharing. And here we are, like 2000 years later, still having the same issues it seems. So, like Paul, Jay encourages us to look into ourselves and try to find our idols. What have we become slaves to? What dictates our lives? What do we exclude people over? What happened to love? What happened to grace? Why aren’t we compassionate or patient with each other? Hopefully Galatians can keep helping us find our way a bit. This talk was given on February 05, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re taking the week off from our 2023 Galatians study. Why? Because the world is in a bad place. A very bad place. We need to be aware of the suffering going on and we need to be aware of people losing hope. Some people may only get the crumbs from the table, but what about those people that don’t even get any crumbs. This is also a good point for us to take this small break from Galatians and do some self-reflecting. To think on what we’ve learned so far. Revolution is made up of many people, a lot of those who have been hurt by the church, hurt to the extent that we left the church altogether, and sometimes even lost faith altogether. But why do we tune into Revolution on Sundays? It’s because maybe we can identify with the outcasts. With the least of these. But in doing so we have to go further. Put movement to all of it. To go that second mile. Just imagine what we could do if Christianity stopped acting like an exclusive club. What if it didn’t turn into what it hated. If we could all be open to nuance and to just be human beings and to see others as human beings. Just think of what change that could bring!  This talk was given on January 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Week 3! The 2023 Galatians study is going strong! This week Paul tries to get us to see the ‘Good News’ and remove the asterisk that we often put next to the concept of grace, when really we need to embrace the anarchy of grace. The chaos of grace. Paul teaches us this week that God is no respecter of man–and in that sense we are all one! We need to see each other as ourselves. One and the same, get rid of the division. Also this week Jay pulls on a thread that came to him in preparing this weeks talk. A thread about Abraham and the covenant God made with him. Are there principles in Galatians that stem all the way back to then? Was there an alternate reason for Christ’s death? Jay dives into all of this and more. And always he reminds us to love one another, to argue well, to disagree well. And to always remember that when we argue with our enemies to remember to love them, above all things. This talk was given on January 22, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here we are! week 2, chapter 2! Jay is back from Belfast and hitting the ground running with the second installment of this year’s Galatians study. In this talk Jay discusses the second chapter of Galatians and gets into the dangers of ‘the law’ and the danger of factions. Jay discusses how God has no favorites and there is nothing wrong with asking questions. We also learn a bit more about why other disciples and apostles were casting off Paul and not accepting him–and that is because Paul accepted a shamed criminal as the Messiah. And it is because of this belief that Paul asks us to love on a higher level than what comes naturally to us. To do what is not instinctual for us. And as always, especially with this topic, we get into how Grace is Anarchy. It favors no system. It's radical and lawless. Is it the third path?This talk was given on January 15, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here it is! Jay’s annual dive into the book of Galatians! We wait all year for it and it’s the best way to begin a new year full of all new possibilities and resolutions. Grace, grace and more grace. This is the first part of this multi-week study. What better place to start off this journey than Belfast? A city that is no stranger to fighting, division, and war! But a city that came together to overcome and move forward and heal. A city that found a way to love and have difficult conversations. A great embodiment of the message Paul gives in this letter. In this first part, Jay dives into the first chapter–Paul’s resume, for lack of a better phrase. We learn a bit about the man he was, how he changed, and why he calls himself an apostle even though contemporaries would beg to differ. This talk was given on January 8, 2023 in Belfast, Ireland.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay is back and popped online briefly to discuss the future of Revolution. And also reflected on how far Revolution has come from since it started all those many years ago. Jay has the next few months planned out, starting how we bring in every new year, our annual Galatians study! That starts next week and will be broadcast live from Northern Ireland! Jay also discusses the different influences on his work from MLK to philosophy to punk rock and more. Along with all of that, Jay shares some future plans and ideas we have for Revolution–but for that we need your help! We’d like to keep this going, but we can’t do it on our own. Jay goes into all of that, and more! (As well trying his hand at optimism!) This is a great community and we love you all! Happy New Year everyone!!This talk was given on January 1, 2023 in Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Jay’s birthday so we’re giving him the week off! In this week’s talk, Joshua Murray dives into the process of grieving a loved one and tries to make sense out of the change of perspective that happens when someone passes away. Why do our views of them change and all the bad things get stripped away? Is there a reason behind this? Josh also spends time in what seemingly is becoming his favorite book of the bible, Ecclesiastes. He dives into this ‘meaningless’ book about our ‘meaningless’ lives and tries to find meaning in all of it. In typical fashion this also involves discussing Cormac McCarthy, Japanese animation, ocean waves, partying in 101 different places, Coldplay, failing repeatedly, and just about every topic under the sun that is not the bible…to amplify Josh’s understanding of the things the bible teaches us.This talk was given on December 18, 2022 from Long Island, New York.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay starts this talk off by sharing memories of our friend Frank who passed away unexpectedly. He was greatly loved, greatly appreciated, and will be greatly missed. Then Jay does the unthinkable…he dives into a scripture he’s been avoiding, seemingly, for his whole career. What is this elusive scripture? Matthew 21. In this chapter, Jesus talks to leaders that are doubting his authority. This is done for a number of reasons, a main one seeming to be the company Jesus kept. In this interaction Jesus poses questions and parables, but also he makes sure to mention the love and kindness his company gives. He states how the tax collectors and sex workers of the time are more primed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven before the religious leaders. It bares to mention that Jesus don’t imply that the religious leaders won’t have access to the Kingdom, just that they seem to be trailing behind when it comes to love and grace, deeds and actions. Because, as Jay teaches in this talk, love trumps everything else. And he truly believes it–and it's a hill worth dying on. We are called to love and to be gentle with each other. To be patient. Can we imagine the impact on the world if we all just took extra steps to be gentle with each other! How does this chapter translate today? Who are our religious leaders that need this message? One of love and grace? Of gentleness and patience? Is it our politicians? Is it comedians? Is it us? At Revolution we love the hope of grace!This talk was given on December 11, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the loss of another dear friend from Revolution, Jay needed time to grieve and process. So, for this week’s talk we have a special throwback. We have a talk from 2005! A younger, passionate Jay gives a talk at a festival–our guess is maybe Cornerstone. As with digging up anything that is nearly 20-years old, not everything Jay said back then lines up with who he is now, or what Revolution stands for now. As people change and grow, so does their understanding of life and people, the Bible and theology. But it is both amazing and comforting to be able to go back almost twenty years and see the constants in Jay’s message and what Revolution stands for. It stands for grace, and love. For being someone people can turn to and feel safe and know they will not be judged. For sticking around when others bail. For learning that grace is enough, there are no other strings attached. We are accepted and need to accept others and ourselves. These things have been a constant in Revolution–and still remain. The grace of God is sufficient–let’s accept it, and ourselves and each other. Because no one is perfect and no one is beyond the need of grace. Let’s accept it and love each other.This talk was given in April 2005.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With some of the people we love most from the Revolution community falling ill or going through tough times, life and circumstances has brought a few of us non-prayers back to praying. So, Jay decided to talk about the prayer of all prayers–The Lord’s Prayer. In really diving into it and breaking it all down Jay sees a pattern emerging: forgiveness. To forgive as we are forgiven. How the prayer calls for us to be in a constant moment of forgiveness–a continuing cycle of forgiving others and being forgiven. Jay also talks about the tough journey of empathy and how it’s so important to see the humanity in others because people are people and we all suffer. We’re all fighting our own battles. Because of that we really need to try and put in the hard work and become a safe place for others. A place where they know there is no judgement or condemnation. A place they know they can turn to. A place where we don’t focus on the specks in their eyes but instead deal with the log in our own. Seeing that maybe their specks aren’t that big of a deal compared to the hefty logs we’re carrying around. We need to have a passion for redemption, for love, for forgiveness…for doing the hard work.This talk was given on November 27, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay woke on Sunday morning to the news about the terrible shooting in Colorado. This tragedy altered Jay’s talk and instead of his regularly scheduled message Jay turned to a sermon by Martin Luther King Jr. A sermon where Dr. King talks about living a complete life, a fresh take on the book of Revelation, and an interesting view of The Good Samaritan. Jay goes through the sermon in its entirety and really unpacks what is said and how we can use the same principals when navigating today’s life, as we try to make sense of the senseless. To add to it all, in the time between when this talk was given and when this episode is posted there has been another shooting. MLK’s words are just as important today as they ever were.This talk was given on November 20, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay is back and refreshed and hits us with a great talk about Redemption. The talk is a bit of a follow up to a social media poll he put out asking for different thoughts, stories, or examples of redemption. He discusses how sometimes we have the thought of redemption pretty backwards–sometimes it’s not about us redeeming others, but it’s about them redeeming us, or us redeeming ourselves. About how sometimes enough time goes by that the truth starts to show itself. This leads him into a pretty deep dive into the redemption of Sinead O’Connor and what truth the passing of time has shown us about her life and actions. He discusses the difference between ‘restoration’ and ‘redemption’…is there a difference? Jay also dives into 3 examples of redemption as shown in the Bible looking at the books of Luke, Acts, and Romans–is grace and redemption for everyone? How did Paul go from killing Christians and upholding the law to wanting to do away with the law? Is the law cursed? Is Sinead O’Connor a perfect example of redemption? And where does the fictional prison of Shawshank fit into all of this?This talk was given on November 13, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The Truth of Fiction” This talk is kind of hard to sum up…so I’m not going to even try. A choose your own adventure! Is this a review of the Tammy Faye musical? Is it just a talk? Is it a sermon? Is it all of the above? You choose! But whatever you find this talk to be it still has it’s roots in grace, love, a perseverance. In revolution.This talk was given on October 30, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay is getting ready to head to London to see the musical Elton John wrote about Tammy Faye. What a strange life this is. But before he heads across the pond, he gives a lively talk about……grace, obviously! This is Revolution we’re talking about. In this talk Jay reflects a bit on being ‘haunted by God’ and how it’s what pulls him to continue his work and to love a religion that has caused him and his family so much pain. “Someone needs to save religion from the harm it’s done.” Enough with the punishment talk and the judgement talk. Enough of Christianity being defined based on all of the things it’s against. Grace is real and it’s something to talk about. Jay also dives into a bit of a philosophical quandary–Grace is a free gift…but what if it is an unwanted gift? What if people don’t want grace for themselves or to give it to others. What if they don’t want to argue well? It’s a question that’s worth diving into. To ask ourselves how a religion based on faith, hope and love and of grace and forgiveness is now the opposite of that. How a belief structure of unconditional love has so many conditions now. It’s a slippery slope because to whom much is given…much is required. And we’ve been given much much grace. So there has to be more than just preaching to the choir! What good does that do? There has to be disagreements and learning in order to grow. So, let’s be ready to give an answer, but let’s make sure it’s covered with love and grace.This talk was given on October 23, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay starts this talk with the heart-breaking news that Steve Pieters has Stage 4 cancer. It’s scary. It’s sad. And we’re giving all of our love and prayers to Steve. If you pray, please pray for Steve. If you don’t pray and praying just feels like talking to the ceiling, please talk to the ceiling for Steve. All prayers and everything you can muster. We love you Steve!! The rest of the talk Jay focuses on Jesus and how he turned everything upside down. Unorganized Religion. Jesus turned the world on its head with the things he said, the love he showed, and the company he kept. He tore the division between us and God. If there is no curtain separating us from God, then why are we forcing naivety onto ourselves and onto others? Shouldn’t we be the least naïve? But if we build a Christianity of naivety–to the point where we can’t think for ourselves–we fall into group think and our convictions stop being our own. If Jesus tore the curtain that separated us from God, why are we so eager to add separation back? How can we separate ourselves from others and cut them off and call it love? God is love! The church isn’t a building, it’s not a tradition. It’s us! The people. If our faith is built around buildings and big communities and traditions, is it really faith? Is it really something that is infinite? If the church is keeping you from loving people…then leave! Go some place where you can love and love radically!This talk was given on October 16, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s talk Jay asks us to make the decision to risk! To not toe the line. To think differently. To challenge ourselves. The world is a different place now. We’re not the same church found in Acts, found in the New Testament–so where does that leave us? Is it time for a change? To look at things differently, to not be so polarized. Jay dives into the book of 1 John. A book that he wrestles with a bit, and shares some of that with us. But he wanted to toy with the aspect of limiting our magical thinking when it comes to God and Jesus. Not fully, but just to see what is left when we shift the focus. To do this so we don’t get so bogged down in legalism. To test the spirit. To question thing and make sure it all holds up. To live life on life’s terms and see the Bible through that lens. To explore the concept of love and what happens when we love others and when we are loved. To explore Jesus’s message and to see if it was more about what he was against…or was his message about hope? Is our love real or is it counterfeit love? God is love and love gets passed on. As followers of these teachings do we provide a place where love is felt or fear is felt? Can love cast out fear? If we’re in the presence of love are we also in the presence of the infinite? We have to remember that whenever the Bible talks about love, it’s talking about a love we understand and have already experienced in our lives. Let’s focus on that. Let’s share that. And while we do that it couldn’t hurt to also discuss Sinead O’Connor a bit as well!This talk was given on October 02, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Still coming to grips with the passing of our friend Caleb, Jay gives a talk that isn’t really anything new. The talk is more of an echo of a lot of other talks he’s given. At Revolution we want to not only disagree well but listen well too. So, if we listen better than we can disagree better. What if we stripped Christianity down to its core, to its basics? What if we took the idolatry out of Christianity? Christianity has been reshaped. It’s almost unrecognizable. It has gone from a religion of love back to a religion of law–and this legalism is causing strife and grief and it’s causing us to other the others in our lives. Have we gotten to a place where we care more about being right than we care about others? Do we need to stop and reevaluate? Let’s look inward. What are the doubts we have that we never share with people? What are the quiet questions we ask ourselves at night? How can we get back to love? How can we bring Christianity back into a practice of love? Right now, we’re not known for our love, as Jesus said we would be. Instead, we’re known for who we don’t love. We need to fix this. We need to ask the hard questions. We need to dive deep. And we need to find the narrow road. It's not easy but it’s worth it.This talk was given on September 25, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"May we all be beautifully broken in this world, and may we all have the grace to allow each other to be that also." No write up this week. No long-winded descriptions or witty jokes. There's really nothing to be said. This week's talk is a rough one as Jay shares fond and honest memories of our friend Caleb. We are all heartbroken and will miss Caleb very much. He was a great guy and a great friend and he touched us all and changed our lives. We love him very much. You'll be missed Caleb.Love your friends and love them well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Outrage culture, humanity, and division. Do these things go together? Today’s speaker, Joshua Murray, tries to pull the threads to see if they connect. In talking about humanity, Josh knew he had to go to the source–he had to go to the best place he could think of to discuss this topic, so he picked up his tablet that has his study bible with its notations and footnotes….and ignored that and instead used his tablet to reread some issues of Swamp Thing. More specifically Alan Moore’s run of Swamp Thing. What can we learn from this ‘monster’ when it comes to humanity? What can he teach us about how we see each other and ourselves? What makes us human? It’s hard to summarize all the nuance and complications of Swamp Thing, but we try! Can this comic book tie into the teachings of Jesus, or how about Paul? What’s it mean to be a servant of all? Why is Paul building tents to make money and survive when he doesn’t need to? What’s it mean to become all things to all people? And why is Jesus talking about circumcision during a festival? And most importantly what are the steps we need to take in ourselves to rise past outrage culture? What are the steps we need to take in ourselves to bridge the divisions in us? If you were standing by the Ark of the Covenant and it started to fall would you try to catch it?This talk was given on September 11, 2022 on Long Island, New York.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re gonna talk about what we always talk about. As usual, we’re gonna beat a dead horse. But it’s a message that bears repeating. A message of love, a message of showing grace. A message of not scapegoating. But it’s getting harder and harder to live this as times get more and more troubling. Is there a guide in our faith to navigate these current times and the binary way of thinking that is thrust on us? Life is full of nuances, why aren’t we allowed to see them anymore? It seems that in the U.S. politics have completely taken priority over our faith and religion these days. Where we aren’t divided by theological differences or biblical scholarship, but rather it’s all about if we’re progressive or conservative. It seems like we are being influenced to be afraid of each other. We keep creating enemies that divide us and keep us divided. Is Christianity a failed religion? It used to be something that kicked against the pricks. Are we recognized by our love? Christianity doesn’t seem to be about faith anymore, or about loving people. But more so it’s about whose side you are on. We have to remember that Love is the only force capable of turning an enemy into a friend. It’s not about politics, it’s not about theology. It’s about Love.This talk was given on September 04, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The original plan was to have another talk with Peter Rollins, but it didn’t quite pan out. So, Jay is back in Seattle and hits us with a really great talk. This talk centers around ideas that are not foreign to Revolution: showing grace, having good conversation, not scapegoating. Jay dives into the Gospel of Luke to focus on three of Jesus’s parables–The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Prodigal Son. How can we apply the principles of these stories into our lives? To do so so that we have life before death. To figure out how to reclaim Christianity. To be followers of Christ. Jay talks about how Jesus was always seen as hanging out with the wrong crowd, but where else should He be? Shouldn’t we be with the wrong crowd? Shouldn’t we be building bridges? We live in an unfair world, and forgiveness often seems unfair when grace is involved. But sadly, Christians don’t seem to be known for their grace or their love or their compassion anymore. The things Jesus teaches in these parables, and Paul later expands on–they are all wasted if we don’t care for the lost sheep, if we don’t search for that one coin. Can we be the father, the prodigal son, and the brother all at the same time? Have we ever felt like each one of these characters at some point? Jesus tried to share these lessons with the religious people of the time, to teach them the importance of love. Let’s learn these lessons. Let’s be known for our grace and our love again. Let’s stop focusing on looking like we are in God’s favor and let’s actually be in Their favor by living what we were taught.This talk was given on August 28, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feeling under the weather but hyped up on caffeine, Jay talks to us today about the Pharisees of Jesus’s time and how Jesus’s parables are still as relevant today as they were when he gave them. Pharisees were the morality police of the time–who are the moral police today? Is it social media, or influencers? Democrats or Republicans? Politicians? The Church? Are we the Pharisees? Has Christianity failed? Jay thinks maybe. Jesus said they will be known by their love…are Christians known for their love? Or for their judgement? Have we adopted idols? Wake up! Everyone wake up! Wake up Democrats! You’re hypocrites! Wake up Republicans! You’re hypocrites! We’re all hypocrites! Let’s focus on Christ and his teachings. Let that be the basis of our beliefs–not what party we voted for. Christianity is beyond politics. Politics play us against each other, let’s work together instead! As humans! We’ve got to change the church. We have to do this together! Pharisees required impossible standards, do we? Is this what we are becoming? How can we come together and be humble? Let’s show grace to each other in the past and the future! Let’s be the change!This talk was given on August 21, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay had a different talk planned for this one…but then he went into Starbucks and saw a sign that had to explain to the patrons a code of conduct that is expected of their customers. This sign struck Jay in such a way that it derailed his original train of thought and inspired something new. Mostly reformation. How reform can bring about divisiveness, and it can even bring about some chaos. Can we reform without scapegoating? Can we die to ourselves and continue to move forward? We’re called to give answers, but to be humble when we do so. When it comes to Revolution–it’s message, it’s community, it’s desire for reform–we have to remember that if we really do take it seriously then we want serious answers. Navigating this is tricky because reformation also brings out a lot of insecurities. But let’s confront the insecurities and see the good news! Let’s know our enemy and also love our enemy. Let’s make room for nuance, let’s allow for nuance. Legalism doesn’t allow for it, but we can. No one is beyond grace!...except maybe our enemies. But that is where each other comes into play. Let’s try to love each other’s enemies and help each other get to a place where they can love them too. Let’s be the change we want to see. Let’s live in a world where we love each other so much that we don’t even see our theology. Instead we see our love and we see our grace.This talk was given on August 7, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay is back home and doing his best the fight the heat out in Washington. Why are A/Cs so loud? This week Jay wanted to pick up where last week left off. To continue the themes that him and Peter Rollins touched on last week–the importance of listening well. Willing to go into places that have conflict. Often we’re not willing to listen to ‘the other’ or try to understand why we disagree. Hearing others in that way is a lot different than being yelled at and screamed at. So how do we sit down with our ‘enemies’ and listen? What are the snares of counterfeit love? Jay feels that having these conversations is the road less traveled. That the easiest road is just finding the snarkiest meme and snappiest comeback and throwing it in each others faces. So the importance is to listen well. It is also the way that leads to disagreeing well. So what are the enemies of listening? To discover that Jay dives into some of Paul’s writings and some of Peter’s writings. As a society we have forgotten, it seems, how to even agree to disagree, let alone to disagree well. Are we mixing up hating what is evil and hating people? Are we called to hate people? Are we called to fight with love, compassion and purpose? What does that look like? What was Jesus’s response and reaction to John the Baptists death? Did he hate? Did he love? Did he fight? What Did Jesus Do?This talk was given on July 31, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay is on the road this week, but this time with his best mate Peter Rollins. Jay picks Pete’s brain about the idea of not only arguing well, but also listening well–which often leads to arguing well. This is something the country is really struggling with. We always seem to be moving from one crisis to another and we never stop and listen or take any time to disagree well, to argue well. Pete discusses similar themes and solutions he’s observed in Ireland and how they overcame a lot of the same struggles. He talks about the idea of the unconscious, and how it is not just something a person struggles with, but also how groups and societies can also fall victim to it as well. Together they talk about the idea of opening ourselves up to listening to those who critique us, the dangers of patronizing love, what it means to have conflict, what it means to have war, and what it means to see ourselves through the eyes of others. All of this–and of course, as always–giving each other a hard time while doing it.This talk was given on July 24, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sorry for the delay this week, it was pretty unavoidable as both Jay and Josh had Covid back-to-back. But now we’re here now! Better late than never. This week’s talk is pretty raw and very honest. Jay is worn out, plain and simple. He’s just worn out, and the Covid recovery wasn’t helping matters. But what do we do when we feel worn out like that? What do we do when our grace seems to be reaching its limits? Jay reads a little bit from the book of James to see if he can find any strength in there for himself and for us. Because everyone is going through stuff. Everyone. And a lot of the struggles we go through, no one else sees. So when we’re struggling and hurting and it feels like we’re sinking, what do we do? Where do we turn? How do we stop from being consumed by others and how do we not consume them as well? What does it mean to be toxic? What does it mean to make the choice of showing grace? How do we not give up on someone that’s hurting us? Can we choose love? Can we choose grace? Can learning to disagree well do more for us and the people around us, and world at large, than always agreeing can? Do people get more growth and change from relationships or from scripture? What do we do when we’re just so so tired? These are some of the things Jay discusses this week that gives us food for thought and challenges us to choose love…if we can.This talk was given on July 17, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Don’t put your but in an angry person’s face.” This is the sound advice we get from this week’s guest speaker Zoso Birss. This week Zoso gives a great talk where they dive into the concept of non-violent communication. What is non-violent communication? How can we practice it? Who can we look to as a role model for this approach? What does Jesus have to say about it? Where do Martin Luther King and Malcom X come into play? What does Paul have to say on this? Zoso starts their talk with the concept of a Land Acknowledgement–they discuss what it is and what it means to them as a Canadian living in an occupied land and how we can bring those same principles into our understanding of the Bible. How the issue of occupied land would have been a large factor in Jesus’ life and upbringing and how the deep history of rising and falling empires would be the stories that Jesus grew up with and how those stories and history would ultimately shape the person of Jesus and his ministry. Also was Mary a punk rocker?Also please stick around at the end for the Afterglow! After the talk Zoso stuck around in chat and addressed various topics ranging from gender and sex to how to live (and at times fail) the practice of non-violent communication…even when someone is using a literal soapbox and microphone to amplify hate speech around you and your family.This talk was given on July 3, 2022 in Canada.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’m not a politician–but my message and work is to help us live in any political climate.” It’s getting tiring to have to say, again, every week, about how crazy life is getting. How everything is falling apart and we’re all hanging on by a thread. But here we are again and it’s the same thing…life is so difficult right now. Everything is upside down. So what are we to do? How do we live a different ethic, one that Jesus teaches and calls upon us to live, how do we leave that in this current political climate? We’re never told by Jesus or Paul to look to Rome…so why should we now? We don’t know the answers, really we don’t. But we know the answers lie in Community–in people, and in tough conversations. We are all sinking! We need people over politics, not the other way around. We need dissenting voices. We need reform. It’s Revolution’s work–to help us with any circumstances that come along. That’s it. That’s really all we can think to say. This talk isn’t very comfortable. People might get mad, or sad, or upset. But it’s a good talk and it gives us a lot to think about. A lot to discuss. And a lot to disagree on…but to disagree well. We need reform.This talk was given on June 26, 2022 in Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What we’re doing isn’t helping–none of it seems to be helping. We still remain so divided. Cancelling each other isn’t helping, not recognizing each other’s humanity isn’t helping. It’s only fueling our anger and clouding our judgement. We’re being consumed by one another. Revenge feels great!...but it doesn’t work. So how do we free ourselves from the gridlock of binary thinking? How can we discover our humanity together? Just imagine what we could do if we recognized the humanity in ‘the other’ to an extent that when they fall, we try to understand them and their pain before we judge each other. It takes patience. To be still. To stop. And to let those thoughts pass you by. To live and let live. We acknowledge it’s not easy. Hell, it’s not easy for us at all. Any of us. We’re right there in the mud with you, trudging down this narrow path. It’s a difficult road but we think it’s the better way.**Please note there were some recording hiccups, frustratingly both in the video and Audio. We did our best to iron these out but some of it was unable to be fixed. Please bear with us as we try to iron out these hiccups in our continuing journey of YouTube Live. We’re working on it!**This talk was given on June 19, 2022 in Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight…Okay, that’s from the movie The Dark Knight, I cheated. But honestly, it was the only thing I could think of. I didn’t know what else to write to try and describe this talk. There isn’t much anyone can say. It’s open and honest and raw as hell. Jay questions aspects of his life and beliefs. Wonders if he really was the hero he thought he was. Wonders if he’s really as strong as he thought he was. Especially the more he’s hurting, and the more life keeps knocking him down and bloodying him up. It’s a talk and it’s a conversation and it’s an apology. That’s the best I could do to describe what you’re about to hear. It’s a real good one. And important.This talk was given on June 12, 2022 from Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve all been there, all of us—those dark nights of the soul, where we doubt and feel abandoned by everyone, including God. Sometimes especially God. The only problem is that these dark nights seem to be stretching on to dark days, dark weeks, and dark years. Just feeling alone and abandoned. The bad news is I have no answers for you. The good news is you’re not alone. At all. Not even close. Did God abandon us or does it just feel that way? Is there really even a difference? This feeling of abandonment by God is as old as time itself. Quite literally. And it has no ownership. Christians feel abandoned, Atheists, Agnostics, Nihilists, Buddhists, Muslims, Jewish friends and family. You name it and they’ve felt it just like you and I have. This is something that should bring us together. Should keep us free from judgement and belittlement. Sadly that’s not the case and we often feel wrong or embarrassed on top of everything else. For today’s talk Joshua Murray dives into the Bible to look at others who have experienced this. He also looks to Paul…oh sorry, Paul Simon not the apostle, that was a bit misleading. He also looks to alcoholic space robots, binary solar systems, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Silver Surfer and Dr. Manhattan. Team them up with the heroes and prophets of the Bible and we might be able to navigate this all a bit more easily. And navigate it together with love and grace.This talk was given on June 05, 2022 from Long Island, NY.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been a horrible week. Last week’s talk was a bit off the rails, coming off the heels of the shooting in Buffalo—and before we could recover from that there was another mass shooting in Texas. A school shooting of young kids. So, this talk, frustratingly, is on the same tracks as the last one. At Revolution we try our best, our absolute best, to practice what we preach. We don’t want to scapegoat, and we encourage others not to scapegoat and we understand truly how hard that is to do. When you’re so upset and so angry and so sad. We just want something concrete. We want a person to blame. We want something bigger than ourselves to put our faith and belief into. It’s confusing when every side of the aisle seems to be trying to give us an easy answer to appease us, all the while pointing their finger in the other direction. Who do we trust? How do we get through the day when we have so much hatred in our hearts? Our job is to love everyone and try to work together, but it’s hard! Very hard. Nothing is black and white. We should be uniting not dividing. We’re a country, not a sports team where our team is better than the other. We should be in this together. We look to the Bible but it's hard. We get that. The Old Testament says one thing, and Jesus says something else. Our strongly worded thoughts and opinions on social media don’t mean anything, we’re just screaming into a void. We must have tough conversations. We must talk with people that say things we don’t want to hear and say things they don’t want to hear. But with love and humanity. We’re more alike than we think, all of us—So what if we share that. If we share our frustrations and our doubts with each other and we are honest about it, we can find common ground. We can see the humanity in each other. It’s not easy but it’s necessary and we can do it.**Please note there were some recording hiccups, mostly in the video. We did our best to iron these out but some of it was unable to be fixed. Please bear with us as we try to iron out these hiccups in our new switch to YouTube Live**This talk was given on May 29, 2022 in Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"That talk went completely off the rails…" It's hard not to find ourselves with scattered minds and thoughts and emotions these days. Especially when you need to give a talk shortly after another mass shooting. It's hard to process and certainly hard to keep any talk on the rails—Yes, it might fall off the rails at times, but it's still one hell of a talk. Revolution is focused on doing everything we can to stop scapegoating each other. We want to stop making others "others." We want to have the tough conversations and become all things to all people. We want to live life on life's terms. But sometimes it's such a struggle. Loving your neighbor is tough, loving your enemy is tough. We get it. We struggle with it too! It takes work and it takes time. It's a narrow road and it's not for the feint of heart. Legalism is easier. Scapegoating is easier. Racism is easier. But what fruits do they bring? Do those things lead to peace? Do those things help others? Help ourselves? But finding common ground does. Having tough conversations does. Being accepted and loved as we are does. Let's take that road. Even though it's hard and so often we want to quit and take the wider, easier path. Let's stay the course. Let's love each other. Accept each other. Not shy from hard conversations. Let's lift others up. Let's stop othering the others and get away from such barbaric and ugly ideals. And let's do it together!This talk was given on May 15, 2022 in Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay is back from L.A. where's he's been working on a project about his mom. Combined that with Mother's Day and Jay reading his mom's book I Gotta Be Me and we got ourselves a talk! Today's talk isn't just about Tammy Faye, but also diving into the inspiration and impact she's had on Jay's life and his views on Grace—which is the cornerstone of Revolution Gathering. Jay talks about how Tammy Faye was a ruthless lover of people, and a prisoner of hope and love. How she always chose love and how love was her trump card. We know life is hard and life hurts. It's pain and it's suffering, and no one does it perfectly. So, when we try to show others love and Grace, of course we'll fail at it and of course we'll miss the mark. Life is messy! But we try! And we keep on trying and we choose love even when it's uncomfortable and even when it hurts. Because, as Jay ponders in his talk, maybe that's what dying to our flesh really is—maybe it's about just trying and failing and learning who we really are. What makes us who us, and our desires to be who we are. And as Tammy's favorite verse in Philippians points out, we can do all things! We can love and show grace, we can fail and struggle, because we're not doing it on our own. We don't need to walk the Narrow Road alone, that's why we have each other. That's why we have community. To help each other get to a place where we can let our suffering get us to a place of betterment and not bitterness. Because at the end of the day, we only get one life! Let's find out who we are and who we want to be. Let's die to our flesh and become that. In the words of someone far wiser than us…We gotta be us!This talk was given on May 8, 2022 in Seattle, WA.www.facebook.com/revolutionchurchmnwww.revolutionchurch.com/donatewww.youtube.com/revolutionbroadcasting@jaybakker@revolution1994@revolution94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.