Around the Table

Guests:
Makota Inoue, Akihiro Ito, Frank Sauder, Kan Umemura

Guests:
Makota Inoue, Akihiro Ito, Frank Sauder, Kan Umemura

Guests:
Makota Inoue, Akihiro Ito, Frank Sauder, Kan Umemura

Guests:
Nick Gutwein
John Wiegand

Guests:
Greg & Mary Beth Lehman, Craig & Terri Martin

Show notes:
Transparent with leadership and our wives
Don't think your fears are unique.
Pre-marriage counseling: using the 3-fold cord materials.

Healthy Perspective of Marriage
Marriage will not fix a problem in our lives.
Pitfalls for husband and wife: to0 high expectations of marriage.
Marriage amplifies problems that existed prior.
Need to maintain relationship with Christ.
We all let each other down.
Good marriages take work.
PREPARE/ENRICH Programs for engaged/married couples.

Sometimes proposals are 'no' or 'wait'.
Need to be surrendered when making proposal.
Encourage not to be discouraged.
A 'no' can be part of our spiritual journey that molds us.
Satan wants us to see ourselves as a failure.
God uses the hard times we go through.
A 'no' does not mean the person will not be married.
Need to trust that one sending proposal also proved it out.
Learn to encourage each other through periods of doubt.

Guests: 
Greg & Mary Beth Lehman, Craig & Terri Martin

Show notes:
Part 1
How to prepare for marriage
What happens when we receive a 'yes'?

Martins: We didn't know each other well even though we grew up 3 miles apart.
Had to set boundaries since we lived close to each other.

Lehmans: Other relationship lived 2200 miles apart.
Major changes: move from rural/urban to urban/rural.
See what their environment is like.
Greg let me develop my own thoughts on people.

Challenges of newly married:
Young couple without kids; can be hard to fit in.

FAITH acronym
Follow biblical principles.
Going to be bound together for life so what are the biblical principles?
Call to live out and honor God.
Marriage is designed to make us holy rather than happy.
There is happiness when we build our marriage God's way.
During engagement we don't see each other's faults.
Marriage refines us.
Engaged couples should pray together (married couples too) and listen to each other's prayers.
Wife displays heart of a mother when praying out loud.

Applying Godly Wisdom
Ask of God in faith.
Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.
A house is built with wisdom and understanding.
Do not lean on own understanding.

Invest in Counsel and Community
Growing healthy marriages study can be helpful.
Find a mentor couple.

Guests: 
Scott Bahr, Joe Gerber, Luke Kieser, Jeff Waibel

Show notes:
• Story of Lazarus teaches there is a greater good.
• When God doesn't take action, we question God.
• We often can't know 'why?'.
• God will restore all things. All things will be made right.
• Interpret the OT by what we know of Jesus.
• Purpose/goal of apologetics: equip people to be grounded in faith to trust God in the most difficult circumstances, and point others to faith.
• Benefit of academic answers: the truth will prove true; we don't need to be afraid of conversations.
• Apologetics (answers) are necessary, but never sufficient.
• Holy Spirit draws people to Jesus.
• Don't think you have to have all the answers, just know the answers exist.
• Demonstrating the love of Jesus is the greatest apologetic.
• When we have questions about God, it's because we are stuck in the middle of our 'story'. Stories are often messy in the middle. We need to press on to the end where God will reveal himself.
• Reading many stories from one author helps us develop a relationship with the author. We need to read God's stories to strengthen our relationship with Him so we can trust him better in the 'middle' of our story.

Guests: 
Scott Bahr
Joe Gerber
Luke Kieser
Jeff Waibel

Show notes:
• General Questions:
• Where did apologetics conference come from?
• What is apologetics?
• Why is it important?
• Does Christianity have answers?
• History of apologetics conferences.
• Specific questions/statements:
• Is God good (the problem of evil)?
• If Jesus is God, He speaks with particular authority and clarity that makes him the lens we should view these difficult questions through.
• Is Jesus fair, good, loving, etc?
• Answer question 'Is Jesus God?' by listening to detractor's questions. Ask 'Why would someone doubt that Jesus is God'?
• God is one.
• Christ is also described as Creator.
• Jesus is worshipped as God in NT.
• Why are we discussing these questions?
• Christians have these questions (doubts), not just unbelievers?
• People are leaving the faith over these questions.

Guests:
Tom Klotzle
Rick Plattner

Show notes:

• Scripture passage to start off the discussion.
• Definition and description of joy; scripture references.
• Described what joy is not.
• Insights of joy in the midst of difficulties.
• Examples of Jesus not avoiding troubles and looking forward to the joy.
• Obstacles to joy are things that disrupt our relationships.
• Our greatest joy is our relationship to God.
• Satan tries to disrupt our relationship to God, to rely on ourselves, leading to worry and hopelessness.
• Linking of scriptures to develop the theme of joy.
• Use of hymns that go along with joy.
• Powerful personal examples of how Satan takes advantage of our troubles to rob our hope and joy, and how God, through His people, leads us back to the promises in the scriptures.
• Reminder we need to let God help us and not carry our load alone.
• Admit we often complain about small matters; but then think of those who are in situations much less desirable than ours.
• Gives suggestions how we can help each other look to God and how He has provided, is providing, and will continue to provide; leads to gratitude.
• Sharing words of gratitude and thanksgiving increases our joy.
• Closing scripture to encourage us in dire circumstances and point us back to God.

Guests:
Steph Baner, Lynn Fiecther, Fred Witzig

Show notes:

• How can church encourage healthy balance for ministers? Prevent resentment from minister's family?
• Positive example of how church surrounded minister's family.
• Negative example of church placing too high expectation on minister's family.
• Good example of congregation, motivated by love, sharing concerns/suggestions with ministers.
• Receiving correction needs to be done within relationship.
• Congregation should not have an agenda in putting in a minister.
• Ministry produces healthy change in the minister.
• Ministers need to not think too highly of themselves.
• Ministers need to be encouraged by congregation by pointing to Spirit and Word working through minister.
• Ministers need to encourage each other.
• Church should just treat ministers as a friend.