Josiah Day

Josiah’s Advent message reframed joy not as a fleeting feeling but as a faithful practice rooted in the gospel itself. Wrestling honestly with Martin Luther’s challenging claim that Christians are called to be joyful, Josiah explored Luke 2 to show that the good news of Jesus’ birth is *great joy for all people*—not an escape from the world, but God dwelling within it. He argued that joy is cultivated through abiding in Jesus, much like fruit naturally grows from a healthy vine, and that it develops over time through prayer, gratitude, and re-centering our minds on what is good. In a world marked by fear, cynicism, and darkness, Josiah named joy as an intentional act of resistance—against despair, against injustice, and against the lie that there is no good news—inviting the community to practice joy as a lived expression of hope during Advent.

Josiah continues “Holy Unraveling” by tracing how the printing press and the Reformation moved Scripture from elite control to everyday access, then reflects on his shift from rigid, literal, power-protecting uses of the Bible to a humbler, ecumenical approach. He affirms the Bible as divinely inspired and final in matters of faith and conduct, but warns that translation and interpretation can distort it—so all reading should be filtered through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Emphasizing “in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity,” he invites curiosity over certainty, offers questions for self-examination, and prays for gracious, life-giving engagement with Scripture.

Josiah’s message introduced the Psalms as songs and prayers that express the full range of human experience and emotion, inviting us to praise God for who He is, what He has done, and what He has yet to do. He explained that praise is not just about singing but about recognizing God’s character, creation, and ongoing work in our lives. Drawing from various Psalms, Josiah emphasized that we can praise God in all circumstances, both joyful and painful, because worship helps us remember God’s faithfulness and shifts our focus away from ourselves. He concluded that true praise extends beyond words or music to the way we live, love, and follow Jesus daily, making our actions a reflection of worship.

Josiah’s sermon challenges the traditional American view of sin shaped by penal substitutionary atonement, which paints God as wrathful and punitive. Instead, Josiah argues that Jesus’ life and the cross reveal a God of mercy and love—not a cosmic judge demanding punishment. Drawing on the *Christus Victor* perspective, he presents the cross as God’s victory over evil and darkness rather than divine wrath taken out on Jesus. Exploring two biblical stories of women labeled as sinners, Josiah broadens the understanding of sin beyond individual wrongdoing to include the harm done to us and oppressive systems that trap people in cycles of brokenness. Through these stories and reflections on Adam and Eve, he emphasizes that Jesus meets us with grace and restores belonging, reminding us that we are loved, treasured, and never alone.

In this week’s Sacred Earth message, Josiah challenges us to reflect on how consumerism shapes our lives and disconnects us from the heart of Jesus. Drawing from Scripture, social trends, and hard truths about labor and environmental exploitation, he invites us to live counter-culturally — choosing simplicity, contentment, and generosity over excess. As followers of Christ, we’re called to steward creation not just with intention, but with compassion for our neighbors and awareness of the systems we participate in. Listen in and consider: what does it look like to resist the pressures of “more” and follow the way of Jesus in a world of endless consumption?

What does healing really mean—and who decides who needs it? Kicking off the Outcasts series, Josiah dives into a powerful story of a man waiting 38 years to be seen. But this isn’t just about miracles. It’s about inclusion, dignity, and the kind of healing that goes deeper than the body. With sharp wit and heartfelt honesty, Josiah challenges the way we see disability, community, and restoration. He invites us to consider how Jesus draws near—not to fix people, but to bring them close. This is a fresh lens on healing that just might change how you see everyone.

The Advent season begins in darkness—but that’s precisely where hope shines brightest. Like the early church, who reflected on Jesus’ arrival in a world of silence and hardship, we find hope not in denying the darkness but by staring it in the face. Advent reminds us that Jesus entered the world as light that no darkness can overcome. This hope isn’t rooted in perfect circumstances but in the promise that God is making all things new—even now. As we await His return, our hope endures. This season, pause, reflect, and embrace the hope that begins in the dark.