Faith In An Uncertain World (Week 3) - Habakkuk 3v1-19 - Habakkuk chapter 3 is a prayer that can be our prayer when we find ourselves in a world of injustice. It is a prayer that remembers who God is and trusts that He is at work. It is a prayer that speaks of hope in spite of what is happening around us because of a resolute faith that God will make things right in HIs time. It encapsulates ch 2:4 of what it means for the righteous to live by faith - to stay the course regardless of the difficulty around us.

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Faith In An Uncertain World (Week 2) - Habakkuk 2v2-2v20 - Habakkuk’s concern in the first chapter is that God is using a people more wicked than Israel to bring judgment. How can God be ok with this? In the second chapter God responds to Habakkuk, stating that all will be held to account for what they have done. In particular He announces 5 woes on Babylon for their wicked and sinful ways (Economic Evil, Unjust Power, Violence, Immorality, Idolatry). These woes are a sobering reminder of God’s holiness and that how we conduct ourselves individually and corporately matters.

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Faith In An Uncertain World (Week 1) - Habakkuk 1v1-2v1 - The book of Habakkuk is a conversation between the prophet and God, centred around the prophet’s dismay at the injustice and violence he sees among his own people. Is God paying attention? What will He do about it? This sermon reminds us that God’s justice is sometimes brought about through unlikely sources but that He is still paying attention and will hold everyone to account. 

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Life in the Mess Q&A - Discussion with Reg Lewicki, Aaron Westera, with special guests Keith Regehr and Doreen Westera.

Topics:

"Can we reconcile with someone where we've lost touch or can't reach the person?" 1:04 - 4:46

"How do we engage with people who don't want to reconcile, or dismiss the offence?" 4:47 - 8:20

"Wisdom on contacting/confronting the offender" 8:21 - 15:52

"What about repeat offenders who continue to hurt us" 15:53 - 18:06

"Questions about forgiving fellow Christians and church division" 18:07 - 29:32

"How do we forgive when the institution or leadership of a church lets us down or hurts people" 29:33 - 40:04

"How are we to be peacemakers and help others pursue forgiveness and reconciliation when we are not the offended or offender?" 40:05 - 46:41

"How does this play out in such extreme situations like wars/terrorism" 46:42 - 52:09

"How do we forgive in racially charged situation?" 52:10 - 54:14

"Keeping in mind appropriate timing to have these conversations" 54:15 - 59:28

"Closing Thoughts" 59:29+

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST

Brene Brown & Dr.Herriet Lerner - How to Apologize - https://brenebrown.com/podcast/harriet-lerner-and-brene-im-sorry-how-to-apologize-why-it-matters-part-1-of-2/

"On Repentance and Repair" by Danya Ruttenberg

Active Bystander Training - https://www.trainingactivebystanders.org/

Life in the Mess Resources - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/186YApCBsEP7Zz3H87Os-pQ2H8CHhwP7v?usp=sharing

Life in the Mess (Week 3) - Ephesians 4v30-5v2 - There are many bad models of forgiveness that often capture a small portion of the practice, but usually are missing the whole view from scripture. Forgiveness is one step, albeit a very important one, in the process of reconciliation, and to skip any of the steps would shortchange the model God has given us.

Additional Resources - Life In The Mess

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Life in the Mess (Week 2) - Matt 18v21-35 - Scripture teaches us a lot about forgiveness! In our calling to model forgiveness like Christ, we understand that it is only possible by being rooted in Him. Forgiveness as a movement towards peace is for everyone towards everyone and tied to our own relationship with God. Not only did God model forgiveness but Jesus also taught us how to confront each other when an offence has occurred.

Questions? Comments? Want to Connect? Please visit lrc.church or email ⁠[email protected]

Life in the Mess (Week 1) - 2 Cor 5:14-21 - We live in a broken world with messy relationships and a cheapening of the concept of forgiveness. Christians are to forgive others as modelled by God’s forgiveness, a relational practice that requires us to shift looking at others as God does. We are invited to participate in God’s reconciliation of the world through the practice of forgiveness.

Questions? Comments? Want to Connect? Please visit lrc.church or email [email protected]

Thanksgiving Sunday - Psalm 95:1-7 - Thanksgiving is a time where we gather with others and consider all that we have to be thankful for. 

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Vision: Inside/Out - Romans 12:14-21 - In a fractured and fracturing world we are called to be those who bless others. The community of faith is not called together simply for their own sake but to serve for the sake of the world. The church is to be known for it’s love of others and for doing good in the name of the Kingdom.

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Vision: Inside/Out (Week 3) - Romans 12:3-13 - The Christian life is not simply an individual and internal life but is an invitation into community, to find and use our gifts for the sake of others. A life that is being formed by love will be outward focused.

Questions? Comments? Want to Connect? Please visit lrc.church or email [email protected]