We look at that celebrity, that influencer, that person who's got their life all together and we think, "If only I could be them." Admiration is one thing, but it's a fine line between that and idolatry when the thing we see (or seek) becomes the thing that gives us meaning and purpose--and it's not God. In today's episode, Pastor Paul and Mark talk more about the rampant spread of modern idolatry in our world: No longer golden calves or secret, hidden-away worship, we've begun to elevate that which we feel will "complete" us to the place where God should be. With a call to heart-examination and a reminder that our identity can be found only in the One who calls us his own, we're delivering another fresh take on how we can avoid becoming "idol factories" in a time where it's easier than ever to set God aside and put--well, pretty much anything--in his place.

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Money. Cars. Clothes. Status. Relationships. Sports. All fine things on the surface, but when the sin of idolatry rears its ugly head...watch out! The problem isn't so much with the money or the cars or the clothes (or the watches) themselves but with our elevation of those things to idol status. When we find our identity more in the idol than in Christ, we are committing ourselves to a hard relationship with both. 

Today, Pastor Paul and Mark look at what kinds of things can become idols in our lives and how the process of idol-making begins in a person's heart. Thanks for joining us on another new series in Season 2 of A Fresh Take. 

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We're wrapping up our series on great books for believers to read this week by looking at a tough conversation facing many people today: transgender identities. Pastor Paul and Mark are joined by Pastor Ty Waardenburg as they look together at an excellent resource for Christians who might be wrestling with how to show love in situations where the Bible’s truth interacts with and may differ from many of our world’s lifestyle choices. Preston Sprinkle is the author of Embodied: Transgender Identities, The Church & What the Bible Has to Say, and this title is one that reminds us to see those in the transgender community solely as people rather than statistics or issues. 

Here on A Fresh Take, we don't always find hard and fast answers to difficult issues. Instead, we look to express how to represent truth, grace, and Christ without being cold and judgmental to those we may not agree with. As Sprinkle says, "Outrage doesn't change the world. Love changes the world."

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Embodied by Preston Sprinkle

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You know him as C.S. Lewis, the great mind behind The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and The Chronicles of Narnia--but all his friends and family just knew him as Jack. Today, Pastor Paul and Mark look at the extraordinary life of Lewis and his faith journey from ardent atheist to committed Christian. So many of his books, whether fiction or not, have had an enormous impact on the lives of believers and searchers around the world. From the youngest of readers who open a wardrobe to a magical winter to the seasoned skeptic who just wants some clarity on what Christianity really is, the timeless tomes of Lewis will enchant, inspire, and transform anyone who turns a page. 

:: RESOURCES ::

The C.S. Lewis Signature Classics

The Chronicles of Narnia BUT read them in the following order:

1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

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As we continue this opening series of Season 2 by looking at some of Pastor Paul and Mark's favorite authors, we're doing a dive into some of the harder topics of Christianity alongside three timeless yet modern authors: J. I. Packer, a theologian; Tim Keller, a recently retired pastor; and Philip Yancey, an unassuming but prolific writer. Each of these men has penned works that speak to the more difficult issues--pain, disappointment, justice, prayer--and as a result created a new set of classics that are not only deep in their thinking but accessible to any reader. Here's your taste of just a few of the many books from the great minds of Packer, Keller, and Yancey.

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J. I. Packer:

Knowing God

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God

Tim Keller:

The Meaning of Marriage

The Prodigal God

Generous Justice

Prayer

Philip Yancey:

Where Is God When It Hurts

Disappointment with God

Reaching for the Invisible God

The Jesus I Never Knew

The Bible Jesus Read

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Season 2 of A Fresh Take is underway, and it's time to get back to the books! Pastor Paul and Mark Pennell will open this new season with a four-week series on some of their favorite books--ones that have challenged, encouraged, inspired, and transformed them throughout their faith walks. This week, we begin Season 2 by looking at some titles that revolve around spiritual formation. These books will reveal the unseen part of you that demands attention in order to grow your soul. Every title discussed today has had impact in some way or another on the lives of Paul or Mark...how might they impact you?

:: RESOURCES ::

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (Comer)

The Divine Conspiracy (Willard)

The Spirit of the Disciplines (Willard)

Celebration of Discipline (Foster)

Prayer (Foster)

An Invitation to Solitude and Silence (Barton)

The Return of the Prodigal Son (Nouwen)

In the Name of Jesus (Nouwen)

The Dark Night of Soul (St. John of the Cross)

The Reflective Life (Gire)

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As we close the book on Season 1 of A Fresh Take, Pastor Paul and Mark continue their conversation from last week on how we can grow closer to God through our relationship with Christ. So many of our relationships nowadays are transactional in nature--we want to know what we can get from the other person and how much it will cost us. These relationships are never unconditional and, as a result, never safe or secure. Yet more evidence of our fallen nature, our humanistic drive to seek after transactional relationships also leads us to ask the wrong questions when it comes to cultivating a deeper knowledge of and connection to God. Instead of asking, "What do we need to do?" to be in relationship with God, the real question is, "What has God already done?" The answer, of course, is Christ.

Just as a bride doesn't have to "earn" a proposal and commitment from her groom, so we too never have to earn our relationship with Christ. In today's episode, Pastor Paul looks at the traditional Jewish marriage ceremony and its different parts (proposal, betrothal, and marriage supper) serve as an analogy of the relationship between Christ and his bride, the Church. 

Thanks for joining us for the first season of A Fresh Take, and we look forward to having you join us again for more fresh takes on timely and timeless issues with Season 2 starting in September. 

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Have you ever felt that God was just *really* far away? As though no matter what you did, you couldn't get closer to him? If you have, don't worry--that's a really common feeling that many Christ followers have experienced at one time or another in their lives. Even some of the great heroes of our faith like Martin Luther or Mother Teresa have felt fear over the distance they sense between themselves and God. So, what do we do?

Today, Pastor Paul and Mark look not only at the "why" of feeling far from God but also at the "how" we can start to fix it. It's a very real possibility that God has purpose for his distance--maybe to teach us the honesty of our emotions or the confusion of our feelings. It even could be just to remind us that while we shouldn't ignore our feelings, we shouldn't rely on them either. Instead, we need to remember the truth and not the deceit of our emotions: God is there even when our feelings are fickle. 

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Howard Hendricks, prolific writer and longtime Bible professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, might seem like a larger-than-life figure to many who have only heard about him. But for Pastor Paul, he's the real thing. As a seminary student-turned-lifelong friend of Hendricks, Paul recounts funny and poignant anecdotes about the man and mentor himself before moving on to some of his classic "Hendricks-isms"--sayings that embody the humor, wisdom, and honesty of a man of God who made an enduring impact on the life of each student, church leader, and reader he touched. 

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On A Fresh Take, Pastor Paul and Mark are always in prayer that God will use this program to open eyes and soften hearts. And yet it is hard to let that happen sometimes when we are faced with continuous suffering. In the second part of this mini-series on how God uses pain for his purposes,  we look at Deuteronomy 29:29, which reads, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." The "secret things," which include suffering and evil, are unable to be understood apart from the wisdom that comes from knowing God--and sometimes, not even then. 

Today, Paul and Mark pause from their constant chase after the mystery of God to look instead at some things that are known:

The final word on dealing with suffering as a Christ-follower? We have a choice: We can be bitter about our current lot, or we can choose peace, have courage, and trust God's purpose. 

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