Conversate

Episode #36

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin conversate about the concluding chapter of 1 Corinthians. These kinds of words are generally glossed over in our casual Bible reading, because we think, "What does this have to do with me, or my faith in Jesus?" 1 Corinthians 16, sort of reads like a travel log with a few final instructions. However, when seen in context with the rest of the letter, we see that Paul writes these words because he was on a mission!What mission? The Great Commission of Jesus! "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."That's it. That's what he was doing. What about us? What are we doing here? Is this Great Commission also for us? How do we live it out? Listen to this episode to join the conversation. We hope you enjoy it!

Episode #35

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin conversate about 1 Corinthians 12 as the Apostle Paul uses the image of the body as an image for the church. It's really a simple image, yet the comparisons are rich and deep. Aaron and Kevin tell stories about their own struggles and temptations to feeling inferior or arrogant based on certain seasons and situations. We all daily struggle to live life in humility truly appreciating the uniquenesses of other people and seeing how living life with others can be a benefit to ourselves and to the building up of the body. We hope you find this conversation beneficial, challenging, and that you can take something from it to start another conversation with someone else. We hope you enjoy it!

Episode #34

In this week's episode Aaron and Kevin conversate about 1 Corinthians 11 in particular. The problem of division rears its ugly head again in Corinth in the way that they have been celebrating the Lord's Supper. However, it's so bad that Paul says what they're doing is not even having the Lord's Supper. Some of them are just getting drunk and others are going away hungry. Aaron and Kevin get talking about the uniting power that eating together has. They share personal stories and experiences about times where food was the uniting factor between races, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, and then they even get into the particulars about what Lutheran Christians believe, teach, and confess when it comes to the Lord's Supper. We think you'll really enjoy this conversation.

Episode #32

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin have a conversation about the Church. This is a big conversation that was started in Pastor Aaron's sermon on April 25th, 2021 while preaching about 1 Corinthians 3-4. Aaron and Kevin's conversation goes in lots of different directions from our connection to the saints in heaven, to the ways that we utilize our bodies, to why we even participate in churches in the first place. There is even more to be said about the Church than can be encapsulated in one 30 minute conversation, but we think that this will help reframe some of your thoughts about the Church. We hope you enjoy it!

Episode #31

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin conversation about 1 Corinthians 2 in which the Apostle Paul speaks a lot about the Spirit of God. This conversation takes us into the Scriptures to learn about who the Spirit is, when the Spirit shows up, what does the Spirit do, etc. Because we don't often talk about the Spirit and maybe even have a hard time relating to the Spirit, we hope that this conversation will shed some light and give you practical ways to engage with the Spirit of the living God. We hope you enjoy it!

Episode #30 

In this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin conversate about 1 Corinthians chapter 1. In particular, the conversation circulates around this idea of who we follow. What influence do these people have in our lives? How do their voices affect our minds? Did Jesus mean something different when he said "follow me?" This conversation follows up Pastor Kevin's sermon on 1 Corinthians 1, which was titled "One for All... Name." The day he preached that sermon (4.11.2021) was also confirmation Sunday at Saints Peter and Paul Lutheran Church in Houghton, MI. There were 7 young people who stood before the church and confirmed that they believe in Jesus and want to follow him alone. In a day and age where following certain "influencers" on social media is a cultural norm, the message about only following the name of Jesus is much different. We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Episode #29

On this week's episode, Pastor Kevin sits down with Sam Kilpela for a conversation about Easter. Easter is the biggest day of the year for Christians. It is the pinnacle of the Gospel - the highpoint to which all four Gospel writers point.Now that we are past Easter - you might be wondering...what impact does Easter have in my life, really? What are the day-to-day implications? Kevin & Sam reflect on some of the impact Easter has had in their own lives.Then think on your own life. What are your "Easter moments?" How do the hard times in life - those times when you were really "down" - give you a chance to connect with others, even those outside the faith? How do these moments give us a chance to share about "rising" from such challenges and the ultimate rising they point to?Take a listen, reflect, and share with those in your life.

Episode #28

On this week's episode, Aaron, Kevin, and Marcus all sit down together to have a conversation about Holy Week. These 3 guys all grew up in homes where participating in Lent and Holy Week was a big part of their traditions. Holy Week may or may not be part of your tradition or faith walk, but we think it ought to be. Listen to this conversation about some of the impactful memories and faith foundations that have been laid in the lives of these 3 men by walking closely with Jesus during Holy Week. Maybe it will spur on new thoughts for you and encourage you to add new traditions to your life and the life of your family. **disclaimer -Unfortunately, we did not realize until the recording was completed and on the editing table that we had issues with our microphones. You will still be able to hear the conversation, but we want to apologize that the quality is not near what it normally is. Bear with us.

Episode #27

On this week's episode, Aaron and Kevin discuss the conclusion to the Book of Daniel by reflecting again on who this man Daniel is, where he is living, and the things that he is enduring. Daniel was an exile in a foreign land. And yet, he did as Jeremiah encouraged him "seek the welfare of the city and pray to the LORD on its behalf" (Jeremiah 29:7). Daniel, through faith and a bold witness to God helped to bring the name of the LORD to the land of Babylon. We, all, have been sent to the place where God has us living. Sometimes as Christians, we may feel that the culture around us has shifted and we are exiles living in this land. If that's the case for you, you can learn from Daniel how to work towards the transformation of your community in the name of Jesus. We think that this podcast will be both challenging and encouraging for you. We hope you enjoy it!

Episode #26

In this week's episode, Aaron and Marcus engage in a conversation about Daniel 10. This is a chapter in the Bible where the curtain is peeled back to witness spiritual warfare that is going on all around us all the time. This is a topic that we don't often talk about - probably because we don't know a lot about it in the Scriptures. However, spiritual warfare is real and practically speaking, it is constant in our lives. Join Aaron and Marcus for this conversation which opens up the door to necessary conversations about mental health, physical health, and how these things are actually spiritual battles as well. We want this conversation to be helpful and hopeful for you and anyone who may be battling these kinds of struggles.