A Church Without Walls

Meet my friend, Ruby Tanaka. Some may say that she's a dreamer; but she's not the only one. In fact, dreams and visions are mentioned as a way that God communicates over 200 times in the Bible. And part of the prophetic promise from Joel 2 is that when God's Spirit is poured out on everyone, they will dream dreams! The question then becomes, how do we pay attention and understand and interpret what God is trying to tell us? Let's explore together.

Lorinda's journey with God is one that highlights God's pursuit of us as described in Psalm 139: "Where shall I go from Your Spirit? If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the seas, even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me." While she shares some of the big moves of God in her life, it is the smaller ones over a long period of time that show how God has held her.

We dive back into the topic of deliverance from a new angle. How cano we engage with our own places where we are stuck? Join us as Bob takes us into Matthew 7 and Colossians 3 as we seek to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in identifying roots, addressing them and walking in new life.

One of the statements I have often heard is "everything happens for a reason." Usually someone is trying to give some sense of meaning to a hard situation, at other times there is a sense of resignation or fatalism. And while the thought that everything happens for a reason may feel like it offers some solid ground in the midst of chaos, if we believe in God it ends up saying that God is the reason for EVERYTHING that happens. There is theology that says just that, but is it true. Let's explore.

As we are learning to partner with and cooperate with the Holy Spirit, there are times when we can get excited about what God is doing, while at other times prayer takes more effort. The answers we are asking for don't come immediately (or at all). What does it mean or look like to persevere or contend in prayer? Meet my friend Wendy, who is a prayer warrior, and if there is anyone I want to talk to about this topic, she is the one.

Trigger warning: this episode contains content regarding drug addiction and attempted suicide. 
Jonathan Oliviera shares his story of redemption from being a young, fatherless, addict who tried to end his life to an unlooked-for encounter where Jesus claimed him as his own and set him on a new trajectory. 

I'm excited to share this conversation with my new friend, Charlie Yang. Charlie works in the tech industry and was happy to finish out there. He shares how God has been moving him from being the "most okay Christian ever" to a Spirit led Kingdom life, as well as his resistance along the way. Beginning with honest prayers and moving toward praying for others, the Holy Spirit has been empowering  Charlie in beautiful ways. 

If the conversations with about the Holy Spirit have felt like riding the rapids, let's wade into the deep, quiet waters where the Spirit hovers over the chaos of everyday life and the larger issues. Sara Shih operates out of a place of devotion that flows out of an experience of God's faithfulness in spite of her disobedience, a heart posture of regular dependence, out of which she participates with God's presence in the world, as she raises four girls and works with a global non-profit.

As soon as we start believing and expecting the Holy Spirit to do miraculous stuff, we run into all sorts of places where our expectations aren't met. God healed this person. Why not that person? 

So, I'm excited to introduce you to my friend, Rita Nussli. Rita is a person who lives in the power of the Holy Spirit out of a deep foundation of her belovedness in God. Prepare your hearts to receive what she brings as we discuss disappointment with God and she invites us deeper into a place of belovedness where there is the solid ground of trust even when God isn't doing what we hope.

With all the talk about the Holy Spirit and hearing God, what do we do if we feel our experience of God has been all or mostly silence? It's not a "one-size-fits-all" answer. Let's ask more questions about your journey and explore some of the terrain through the lens of spiritual direction.