Jesus' kingdom and the kingdoms of this world operate in altogether different ways. One accomplishes its will by force, coercion, and the taking of lives. The other accomplishes its purposes through love, sacrifice, and the laying down of one's life for others. Daniel's friends risked their lives in defiance of the first. Jesus laid down his life to show us the second. This is the way of the kingdom. It is an upside-down, power-under way of being in the world that makes little sense to those who do not know Jesus. 

Our All-Family Gatherings begin with a short training, interview, or story on microchurches and missional living followed by table discussions. In this episode, we hear from Jondra Brewer who is serving the Vestal neighborhood of Knoxville with BLOC Ministries!

Where do we find hope when the weight of the world is too heavy to bear? Where do we find hope when the currents of the culture seem too strong to overcome? 

In Daniel 2, Daniel and his friends find themselves in another impossible situation. It seems as though there is very little hope for them in Babylon. However, just when things seem to be nearing an all-time low, they receive a message of hope from a very unexpected place. 

We all have a story! Our story has the ability to connect with and inspire those around us. By learning how to share our stories in natural and meaningful ways, we are able to build relationships and point people to the greater story that God is writing through all of us. 

Our All-Family Gatherings begin with a short training or interview on missional living and/or microchurches. This week, we hear from Erin Popova on the power of storytelling. 

How do we remain faithful to God in a world that is increasingly against God? 

As the culture around us changes, this question becomes more and more important. Daniel 1 gives us a great picture of how to subversively engage the culture without separating from the culture or becoming a product of the culture. 

Spoiler: It requires us to be deeply connected to the presence and guidance of God as we navigate life's hard questions and difficult decisions.

In this training, we conclude our exploration of the five gifts that Jesus has given his church. Every Christ-follower has specific gifts given to them by Jesus so that we might all become more like Jesus, experience the fullness of God's presence, and participate in his ongoing mission in the world together.

In week one of our series in Daniel we are introduced to a handful of Jewish teenagers who are forced into exile in Babylon. As we study their lives and the scriptures that formed them, we seek to answer timely questions for God's people in our current cultural moment:

How are we to navigate our faith in a culture that is increasingly hostile towards it? What does faithfulness look like amidst mounting pressure to compromise and conform? How do we walk in the way of Jesus in what can feel like a new and foreign land? 

Special thanks to Jim Davis, Michael Graham, Ryan P. Burge, John Mark Comer, and Tremper Longman III for their contributions to this message. 

In this training, we continue our exploration of the five gifts that Jesus has given his church. Every Christ-follower has specific gifts given to them by Jesus so that we might all become more like Jesus, experience the fullness of God's presence, and participate in his ongoing mission in the world together. This week we look at the fifth of these five gifts: teachers.

Special thanks to Alan Hirsch. J.R. Woodward, Nathan Brewer, Brentview Church, and Jon Ritner for their contributions to this episode.

Scripture: Mark 1:14-15

"The time has come. The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the gospel!"

The gospel is the core message of the Christian faith. How we understand and respond to the gospel means everything. But what did Jesus mean when he said gospel, and is it the same message that we think of when we hear the word?

In this training, we continue our exploration of the five gifts that Jesus has given his church. Every Christ-follower has specific gifts given to them by Jesus so that we might all become more like Jesus, experience the fullness of God's presence, and participate in his ongoing mission in the world together. This week we look at the fourth of these five gifts: shepherds.

Special thanks to Alan Hirsch. J.R. Woodward, Nathan Brewer, Jessie Cruickshank, John Ortberg, Bre Wiebe, and Susannah Crook for their contributions to this episode.