Ginghamsburg Church Podcast

Herod's Door

During the Christmas season many things show up at our doors: deliveries, Christmas carolers and other visitors. Jesus showed up in many people's lives from the time he was born. Some people were even threatened by Jesus and how they responded shows a lot about who they really were. As we look at Jesus' visits in scripture, we'll be faced with an important question: How do you respond when Jesus shows up at your door? Jesus is looking for an alternative response to our impulses - it's counter cultural but it will lead us to Jesus.

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The Banquet Door

This first week of Advent we're opening the first door of Christmas together: the Banquet Door. Jesus told many stories and made many promises, including that he would return one day. Jesus told his disciples no one would know the day or the time he would return, but they needed to be ready. Jesus' words still hold true for us today: we don't know when he will return, but we need to make sure we're ready. As we step through the first door, we'll create space to examine our hearts and make sure we're listening to the words of Jesus and making ourselves ready for his coming.

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Encountering God Around the Table

Thanksgiving has become synonymous with two socially acceptable practices: gluttony and greed. We eat (and eat, and eat) and shop. Then we pause for a moment and then repeat these steps.

But as we stop and examine our hearts and thoughts around Thanksgiving, we'll see that God has given us an incredible opportunity. It gives us a chance to reflect on God's goodness and to truly give thanks for the things which matter most: faith and family.

This Thanksgiving, let's practice moderation as we eat, but more importantly encounter the Lord through the time we share with our families.

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Most Important

Our society is built on a "me first" attitude. We focus our attention on our own health and happiness. We want our priorities to be ahead of everyone else's.  Life is all about ourselves. If it's not, we grumble, we argue, and we fight against it until we get back to making it all about ourselves.

But as we examine the life of Jesus, it becomes clear there is a different way - yes, a better way. It's not the way of the twenty-first century. It's the way of the son of God, who laid down all of his rights, power and authority, to become human. Jesus thought of the needs of everyone else before his own. Jesus modeled the kind of life we are supposed to live. We are supposed to live with grace, mercy, and most of all humility. It starts with us, and as we live in this way, it will not only change our hearts, attitudes, and lives but also the hearts and lives of everyone around us. ginghamsburg.org

Racing Through Life

Every person is given a certain amount of time on earth. God alone knows the number of days and years of someone's life. But each one of us has the ability to choose what we do with the time we have been given. The way we choose to spend our time, and in turn our lives, speaks to what we honor and value most.

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You Can't Out Give God

Most items we purchase have a guaranteed weight. Breakfast cereals, canned vegetables, fresh fruit, and even toothpaste are sold by their weight. But centuries ago, it used to be the opposite. Items like grain were bought and sold by volume, determined by the basket or container. Usually the seller would make sure the buyer received the full value, and sometimes even more, by shaking, pressing down, and adding more to the container.

We can apply a similar principle to our thinking around generosity. When we share more of our time, effort, energy, and resources with others, we are usually the ones who benefit. The Bible encourages us to live selflessly, generously, and with open hands. When we choose to live in this way, we will find even more meaningful returns on those investments. Those are the things which truly matter.

God can take a little and use it to do incredible things. That's how God works. This is how to multiply.

Developing a Financial Plan

God's plan involves putting God first, saving and investing for the future, and then living off the rest. It takes hard work. It takes faith and trust - but ultimately God is faithful and we can trust that God will provide for us.

This week shows us how God's plan will help us in the short term but also for the rest of our lives. God can take a little and use it to do incredible things. That's how God works. This is how to multiply. ginghamsburg.org

"Agency" is the buzzword for this episode. What is artistic or creative agency? How do we keep good boundaries that prevent us from handing agency over without realizing it? When we let the machine to the art, is it still art? In this episode Dan, John and Jason talk about practical ways to use AI to enhance artistic agency and ask BIG questions for the Church of tomorrow.

This week, as we gather as one church family, we're going to worship together, honor those who serve here at Ginghamsburg, and look ahead to what God’S next for Ginghamsburg. God's got great things planned, but it's up to us to step up, join the movement, and see how we can help.

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Dan and John welcome A.I. early adapter Jason Moore to the conversation. Jason has several decades of experience helping the Church overcome her fears of new technology by utilizing a healthy ethical framework rooted in creative agency. For anyone looking for practical handholds on how A.I. can enhance ministry – and how to recognize the threat – this conversation is for you. Find Jason's new book AI and the Church on Amazon, released October 15, 2024.