The text for that sermon came from Philippians 4:6, where St. Paul exhorts his readers to “have no anxiety about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

In 1985, as a Presbyterian pastor, Marcus preached on the need to present our prayers with thanksgiving, because we know that God is trustworthy.

On this episode, Marcus reflects on that same passage with the benefit of 35 years of hindsight, to share how his understanding of this passage from St. Paul has deepened over time.

The post Marcus Grodi Reflects on a Thanksgiving Sermon He Preached in 1985 appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

The post St. Cyprian of Carthage and Perseverance to the End – Marcus and JonMarc Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

What is the love of God, and how does it differ from our own? How can His perfect love perfect our imperfect love? We are of course called to love God, but why is it important for us to also reflect on the love He has for us?

The post St. Cyprian of Carthage on Clinging to God’s Love – Marcus and JonMarc Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

St. Cyprian tells us to “prefer nothing whatever to Christ, because He did not prefer anything to us.” Jesus held nothing back in His incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection; our call as Christians is to give everything of ourselves back to Him in return.

The post St. Cyprian of Carthage on Preferring Nothing to Christ – Marcus and JonMarc Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

The post St. Cyprian of Carthage and the Fear of the Lord – Marcus and JonMarc Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

St. Cyprian speaks of the need “to love God with all one’s heart; to love Him in that He is a Father; (and) to fear Him in that He is God,” but what is that supposed to look like in our everyday lives? Marcus and JonMarc explore what St. Cyprian says about this challenging aspect of what it means to live in God’s will.

The post St. Cyprian of Carthage on Love of God and Neighbor – Marcus and JonMarc Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

It can be manageable to live that principle when it comes to obeying directives from God, or changing negative behaviors; but what are we supposed to do when it comes to applying that principle to accepting the harm that others intend for us? Are we supposed to be doormats, or should we demand justice? Where is the balance?

In this episode, Marcus and JonMarc explore the mystery of suffering, humility and the Will of God, and look at how submission to God’s will means not that we’re called to solve a problem, but rather enter into a mystery.

The post St. Cyprian of Carthage on Willingness to Suffer – Marcus and JonMarc Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

As human beings, what we do with our bodies has implications for our souls. St. Cyprian reminds us that our bodies express the disposition of our souls when it comes to lust, gluttony and sloth, but also in regard to faith, hope and charity.

The post St. Cyprian of Carthage on Moral Discipline – Marcus and JonMarc Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

To focus on justice to the exclusion of mercy leads to legalism; to focus on mercy to the exclusion of justice leads to license. St. Cyprian reminds us that in order to balance these goods, we must seek to do the will of God, who is both infinitely just, and infinitely merciful.

The post St. Cyprian of Carthage on Justice and Mercy – Marcus and JonMarc Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

What is the relationship between our will and our passions? How do we avoid the complacency that leads us to let our guard down in regard to sin? How do we tame the tongue? Marcus and JonMarc dig into what St. Cyprian has to say about employing the virtue of prudence in our walk as Christians.

The post St. Cyprian of Carthage on Prudence and Self Control – Marcus and JonMarc Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.