The Backbone of Missional Life

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Enjoy this discussion about the importance of Missional Communities and how they have been transformational throughout Christian history. Learn why its more important than ever to raise up these groups across the West and increase Christian presence in our neighborhoods. This exciting episode is both a review and commentary of Charles Mellis' book Committed Communities in which he explores the power of authentic Christian community to reach the world for Christ and the how younger generations are often the impetus for positive change.

Season 5 Episode 2 - Resources

Explore what it means to be a light right where you live. Discover the Mission of God and why this is a conversation that must be had. Did you know that some studies suggest that in the next 30 years, American churches need to plant 215,000 to possibly as many as 275,000 new churches simply to keep up with population growth and the current rate of church closings? Arise, Shine, friends! May your light burn brightly.

Pastor Ervin McNeill and some words of wisdom

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Today we have the privilege of discussing a life, a fall, a recovery and a coming to faith that bears witness to the saving grace of Christ.  It is a testimony that reveals the challenges of one life - from not fully hearing the gospel in church as a youth, to the ravages war can have on a veteran, to recovery in both faith and life. “We have an awesome God!” exclaims Pastor Ervin McNeill. In A Story of Transformation and Witness - The Testimony of Ervin McNeill, Pastor McNeill shares his testimony and how by the grace of God he came to the Pacific Garden Mission where he accepted Christ in 1979 and today continues to serve as the mission Chaplin. You will hear of the transforming power of God’s Word in very real terms. Speaking from his own experience and his accepting responsibility for his own choices in life, he notes, “God’s  Word, it changes the mind about the world around us.”

I invite you to listen to this story of a man, transformed by God’s grace, the work of the Holy Spirit,

Life lessons discovered through one family's search for ancestors.

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A simple discovery. A family treasure. It is true that "... we are a product of our parents and they are a product of their parents, and so on..." says Don Baar who has been working on building a family tree for some years. When he mentioned 2,800 individuals, I was awed. One morning, sitting with Don and some friends between services at church a conversation came up about contemporary issues related to immigration and from that was birthed this episode, Legacy - A Revealing Discovery of Faith and Values . A story of immigration from the 1840's or so from Holland to America. I was struck by the discovery of a pocket size notebook that contained a letter with the details of the journey from Europe to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The experience of deep painful loss for the pursuit of something more made bittersweet through a legacy of faith and identity that continues today. A memory made known that inspires Don to share with youth the importance of family each year at Timothy Christian Schools.

Listen closely. Perhaps your family has hidden treasures that will be recalled... perhaps stories yet untold to children that might be forgotten but for the desire to ...

Many people as asking why Christianity is on the decline in the West. Listen to this well researched two part podcast analyzing the trend and response.

[powerpress]

It's that time of year. The New Year is a great opportunity to set out with new ambitions and improvement programs, but is this hope? I find myself pondering just what hope is and what the secret to a transformed life could be. So many of us seek it… especially now as the tinsel and glitter of Christmas is put neatly away and we slide back in to the pattern of hope anticipating the new year will bring change. The hope of wrongs made right or at least put behind us, and a prosperous future. We discuss the expectations we have about this time of year in terms of faith and in terms of how we often depend on ourselves for the best things in life and that expected change will come. In Christmas Matters in Your New Year we look at how the story of Christmas matters all year! For it is because God entered human history by a humble birth, God incarnate in Jesus Christ, that we have true hope for change and life transformation.

During winter break from seminary, I decided to read a fabulous new book called Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller. In the book, Keller shows that Christmas is not just a celebration of Jesus' birth. Rather it is the coming of our Lord. He explores what this means in our lives using the familiar biblical images and characters from the nativity. I recommend the book highly. In this episode, I have built on this theme partially reviewing the book and sharing musings on life about how Christmas is a hope to live into for life. I wish you the best in the New Year.

Highly Recommended

Hidden Christmas

An interview with YoungLife staffer Anneke Stremler. She shares her walk in faith and her passion for training our youth in the ways of Christ. After a tragic loss, she emerges stronger in her pursuit of God and her desire for service.

An interview about the compassion, operation, and challenges of the Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry. Hunger may be where you least expect it, maybe even next-door!

A review and lessons learned from the 2016 Global Leadership Summit.

[powerpress]

Have you wondered just how it is that people come to Jesus? Why do they make that choice? This question has a wide range of answers governed by biblical truth. Today we discuss both the doctrine and the experience of coming to Christ - two people, a contrast of cultural backgrounds, one Christian, one not. Special guest Mika Gladden, my lovely wife, born and raised in Japan, makes her first appearance on Faith that Acts to share how she came to know Jesus. This episode is a conversation on a subject about which many notable Theologians do not agree - a matter of a sovereign God and human responsibility. Today, we peer through the lens of human experience and perspective on how we come to Jesus; we explore the need, the seeking, the invitation, and response to the Gospel, biblically.

Though debate has raged in theological circles ever since Augustine and Calvin, I have come to know where I stand. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). "God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should NOT perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The Israelites accepted foreigners to serve in their homes through circumcision. Christian faith is a circumcision of the heart and likewise we are adopted into the family of God. It is by the Gospel that we come. Paul said, "It is the power of God for the salvation of ALL who believe. First for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Rom. 1:16). This is where I stand - if you believe in Jesus Christ and repent, you are saved. It is the free gift of God to those who believe. It is by grace through faith.

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Helpful Resources Mentioned in the Show

The Case for Grace

Zondervan Bible Backgrounds Commentary