As we're getting into the new year, we're going to be getting back into our sermon series in Ezekiel. Ezekiel has all sorts of deep biblical themes, from restoration and redemption to providence and punishment. Nic and Hannah break down where we've come to in Ezekiel and what's coming for the remaining portion of the series.

E&E #286

Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.

Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast

Music: HOME—We're Finally Landing, Nosebleed, If I'm Wrong (https://midwestcollective.bandcamp.com/album/before-the-night)

Nic and Niccole discuss and expand on topics from previous sermons.

E&E #285

Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.

Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast

Music: HOME—We're Finally Landing, Nosebleed, If I'm Wrong (https://midwestcollective.bandcamp.com/album/before-the-night)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Engage & Equip #275: Lessons from the Iron Curtain—Interview with Vasiliy Barbiyeru
Engage & Equip #258 and #260: Government Control: Interview with Hannah and Sanghyeon
Silence by Shusaku Endo
The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Engage & Equip #27: Shame and the Gospel

Questions covered in this episode:

00:55 — Why did God send an angel to warn Joseph but not the other parents of children Herod killed?
06:01 — How would you help a person who turned away from God in difficult times?
14:26 — How is HPC preparing for persecution?
25:04 — A discussion on persecution.
35:33 — Does God punish future generations for our sins, or not?
38:38 — Does shame come from God, or the Enemy?
41:10 — Can you help us understand what God is doing in Ezekiel 16?
43:47 — How should we respond to shame?
55:40 — What's the difference between self-hatred and shame?
57:00 — What's the difference between acceptable and unacceptable hypocrisy?
59:04 — How should Christians think about the death penalty?

E&E #284

Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.

Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast

Music: HOME—We're Finally Landing, Nosebleed, If I'm Wrong (https://midwestcollective.bandcamp.com/album/before-the-night)

You might have been introduced to the DeYoung family in their interview during one of our services, here. Rick and Peggy have developed a list of principles that they've used to guide their family, and here they share how those principles have played out in practice.

You can find the full list of their principles here.

E&E #283

Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.

Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast

Music: HOME—We're Finally Landing, Nosebleed, If I'm Wrong (https://midwestcollective.bandcamp.com/album/before-the-night)

Nic and Niccole cover your AMA questions.

Questions covered in this episode:

00:34 — A discussion on tier 3 leaders
06:55 — What are the "unrepresentable parts" in the church? (1 Corinthians 12:22-24)
16:42 — Should we give people consequences or let "natural consequences" happen?
18:48 — Should Christians be opposed to the death penalty?
30:26 — Is it condemnation to have condemning thoughts toward a person without sharing them with that person?
32:27 — Are we complicit in the failure of leaders who we put on pedestals and give accolades?
38:48 — What are the pitfalls of perfectionism?
50:03 — Numbers 12 is a passage used for why we should never criticize a leader. What should we do if a leader is in error?
57:16 — How does meekness apply to the right to bear arms?
1:02:41 — How does God's sovereignty work?
1:11:57 — How do you respond to somebody who believes they're saved but doesn't believe they need a relationship with God?
1:15:40 — How can I become closer to God?

E&E #282

Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.

Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast

Music: HOME—We're Finally Landing, Nosebleed, If I'm Wrong (https://midwestcollective.bandcamp.com/album/before-the-night)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Whose Justice, Which Rationality? by Alasdair MacIntyre
Dark Night of the Soul by St John of the Cross
The icon “Trinity” by Andrei Rublev
The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer
Psalm 63
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren

Questions covered in this episode:

01:51 — When pursuing meekness, how do you deal with anger over injustice?
11:35 — What is the difference between revenge and justice?
21:51 — How do I deal with not feeling an "emotional connection" to God?
32:48 — How do we pray for revival?
37:30 — How do we wrestle with things in our world not happening how we think they should?
48:17 — How do I gently approach a friend about making time for spiritual disciplines?

E&E #281

Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.

Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast

Music: HOME—Before The Night, Nosebleed, If I'm Wrong (https://midwestcollective.bandcamp.com/album/before-the-night)

Nic and Erin cover your questions from the second week of Unbrandable, plus a deeper dive into the overarching questions this series is trying to answer.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Apostles Creed
New City Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Questions covered in this episode:

01:05 — How did the posters that are hanging in the sanctuary come to be?
06:10 — What are the differences between the cultural uses of agape and what Paul was trying to teach the New Testament church?
12:23 — What is catechism, and what versions have you taught your kids?
16:00 — Diving deeper into the motivations behind Unbrandable.
23:35 — What specifically is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism?
34:52 — What is Expressive Individualism?
39:45 — How do Moralistic Therapeutic Deism and Expressive Individualism tie together?
50:00 — Why is it important to talk about these philosophies?

Nic and Erin cover questions from the first week of our new series, Unbrandable.

Questions covered in this episode:

01:58 — If God is opposed to idols, why do we have a cross in our church?
04:40 — Are representations of Jesus idolatry?
05:40 — Can you expand on how despite God reducing his complexities in the 10 commandments, he didn't reduce himself?
07:18 — What are the popular simplifications of God that you find unhelpful?
16:45 — Why is the "catholic church" in the Apostles' Creed?
20:30 — How was the bronze serpent in Numbers 21 different than an idol?
22:40 — How can we support other churches in the Madison area?

Questions covered in this episode:

00:52 — What is the balance of embracing God's will while embracing the prophetic gifts of the Spirit?
05:51 — How do we identify our distorted thinking when we're in the middle of it?
14:26 — How does the passage about God judging with sword and pestilence relate to Elijah meeting God at Horeb?
17:40 — Should we focus our evangelistic efforts on those less hardened toward God?
18:06 — Does God ever refuse us permanently?
18:50 — How can we avoid turning our study of God into our relationship with God being just theological theory?
22:10 — What is a healthy way to pursue God's revealed will without being legalistic?
22:36 — How should we eagerly pursue the spiritual gifts?
25:32 — How should we understand some of the OT passages that sound like socialism?
42:49 — How should I respond when God gives me blessings and joy?

E&E #278

Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.

Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast

Music: HOME—Before The Night, Nosebleed, If I'm Wrong (https://midwestcollective.bandcamp.com/album/before-the-night)

Questions covered in this episode:

01:52 — How can we show that evangelicals are not who media and politics displays us as?
05:15 — How should I address my non-believing mom's unvirtuous behavior?
09:30 — How do we surround ourselves with Christians while also embracing "toxic" people?
15:20 — What are your thoughts on telling somebody who is anxious or depressed to "be closer to God"?
21:16 — How can we use the insights of the mental health profession without ignoring spiritual causes?
26:58 — Can Christians be demon-possessed?
28:18 — Does normalizing mental health issues make us fail to acknowledge Christ's power and healing?
32:22 — How can I tell if my mental funk is serious or will soon pass?
35:33 — Are Christians called to try and change the mind of false prophets?
38:04 — Should Christians claim to "belong" to a particular political party?
40:30 — Is there a righteous way to pursue God's secret will?
45:05 — What do you think about using "open doors" to find God's will?

E&E #277

Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.

Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast

Music: HOME—Before The Night, Nosebleed, If I'm Wrong (https://midwestcollective.bandcamp.com/album/before-the-night)