In The Middle Podcast

The gospel. In the world of Protestantism, there aren’t many words used more frequently than this one. In most of our experience, when we think of gospel, we think of personal salvation, we think of forgiveness of sin, we think of “going to heaven when we die”. When we consider the call to share this “good news” with others, we think of sharing the plan of salvation, we think of evangelism. But is that all there is to it? Does the Bible define “the gospel” this way? Spoiler: not exactly.

As many of us Jesus followers consider how to respond to the unrest that’s all around us, understanding the gospel is essential. It should be the gospel of Jesus that guides our every step as we navigate these times. Join us in the conversation!

In the digital age, with social media at our fingertips, we’re speaking more than any generation ever has before. Throw in a world fraught with pandemic and growing racial tension, and we can’t even keep up with the sheer volume of words being released into the atmosphere. Followers of Jesus are certainly not exempt from this, and we shouldn’t be. There’s really no better time to speak when there are so many people looking for hope.

Our words aren’t just words though, and we shouldn’t treat them in a trivial manner. Jump in on this conversation with Adam & Matt as they discuss the power of words.

So much hostility. So many social media warriors and keyboard vigilantes. Even those who aren’t as bold and brazen behind a screen still have deep seated opinions about the things we’re seeing in the news, and just about everybody seems to be the expert on how to fix the world’s problems. With so many opposing views, how can we possibly grow in love for one another? One of our action steps in last week’s episode was to “start the conversation”. But how can we do that when conversations become so hostile so quickly?

After last week’s powerful conversation with Monica Parris on “Let’s Talk About Racism (Pt. 2)”, we were nationally confronted with the senseless, stomach-turning murder of George Floyd, another unarmed black man. We watched a white police officer pin his knee against Floyd’s throat for over 5 minutes as he pleaded, “I can’t breathe”. As a result, the world is unraveling. National protests, demands for justice, and riots have ensued. It seems that we’ve reached a tipping point in America.

The question Adam & Matt seek to answer in today’s episode is this: How should White Christians respond to the reality of racism?

Black & brown brothers and sisters have lended their voices, been vulnerable, and opened up their hearts. They have shared their pain. How do we respond? Being grieved is a start, but how do we move from empathy to action? What can we do to put racism to death? How can we possibly affect lasting change?

Last week, we heard from Ryan Breland as we talked about existing racism in America, and how these issues have affected him personally. On today’s episode, we continue the conversation with special guest Monica Parris as she shares about her her own experiences as an African-American, and how we can respond to racism as followers of Jesus.

Two weeks ago, the tragic murder of Ahmaud Arbery began to receive national attention as video footage revealed what many have called “a modern day lynching”. The story has brought the presence of racism back into many of our discussions as we wrestle through what we’ve seen and heard, and mourn the loss of this young man.

In today’s special episode, Adam & Matt take a seat with Ryan Breland, black pastor & friend, and have a candid conversation about how Ahmaud’s story has impacted him personally, if he thinks racism is still a significant problem in the America, and how followers of Jesus should respond.

Most of us long for authentic & life-giving relationships, but our best efforts at “community” often fall short. There are some memorable moments from time to time, but if we’re honest, too often it can feel superficial, contrived, and a bit awkward. How can we experience the authentic community that we long for? What does it require, and what can we expect? Matt & Adam talk through these things on today’s episode.

If you’ve been a part of a church for any amount of time, then you’ve probably heard the word “community”. Depending on your experience, the church’s efforts at “community” can bring on feelings of joy or gloom, anticipation or dread. For some of us, it feels forced, and sometimes just flat out awkward. Even still, most of us long to be in authentic & life-giving relationships—we just don’t know where to find them. Join Adam & Matt on this episode as they have a conversation about what “community” really is, and why it’s an essential part of following Jesus.

We’re 7 weeks into this pandemic, and all of us are over it. We all want things to go back to how they used to be. We all want normal back and routine back. But what if God doesn't? What if all of this mayhem is actually a divine disruption? Listen in as Adam & Matt tackle these questions together.

The great philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said, “the function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” We know that prayer is important, but many of us only do it out of compulsion, or when tragedy strikes. What if God has placed us in this specific time to draw us into prayer? What would that even look like, and what effect could that have on us when all returns to “normal”? Listen in as Adam & Matt talk about these things on this episode of In The Middle podcast.