MCC Jesus and Next Gens Podcast

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Today’s Topic: What Is Worship?

Guests: Sarah Traynor, Manchester Christian Church

OVERVIEW: What is worship? Why do we worship? How can a family worship together? Worship is more than just singing, and today Sarah Traynor, our MCC Bedford worship leader, walks us through the meaning of worship and how we can worship God with our lives.

Helpful Resources

MCC Family Life Resources

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Today’s Topic: Christ-Centered Marriage, Part 2

Guests: Evan and Jill Jones

OVERVIEW: If a couple wants to have a Christ-centered marriage, but has maybe never seen that modeled before, where should they begin? How do you know if your marriage is Christ-centered? What is your favorite marriage advice you received, and your favorite marriage advice to give? Have there been any specific resources that you’ve found helpful in your own marriage? Today we are going to talk about what it means to have a Christ-centered marriage and how to build a marriage on the foundation of Jesus.

Helpful Resources

MCC Family Life Resources

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Today’s Topic: Christ-Centered Marriage, Part 1

Guests: Evan and Jill Jones

OVERVIEW: If a couple wants to have a Christ-centered marriage, but has maybe never seen that modeled before, where should they begin? How do you know if your marriage is Christ-centered? What is your favorite marriage advice you received, and your favorite marriage advice to give? Have there been any specific resources that you’ve found helpful in your own marriage? Today we are going to talk about what it means to have a Christ-centered marriage and how to build a marriage on the foundation of Jesus.

Helpful Resources

MCC Family Life Resources

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Today’s Topic: Serving as a Family

OVERVIEW: What is service from a Biblical perspective? What does serving look like inside and outside of the church? What qualifications do I need to serve? Why serve? What does it look like to serve as a family? How can you get plugged in to your church?

-  God chose specific leaders to communicate and lead God’s people

-  Jesus came as a humble servant to live and die for us

-  Apostles continue the work of Jesus, leading and teaching believers and non-believers alike

-  Servants take a posture of humility, doing work they don’t necessarily love doing.

-  Whatever we do within the church can and should be done outside of the church. We do not just minister in a building but throughout the world. We love and serve others outside of a Sunday morning church service.

-  God qualifies us for the work we are called to do. Many people are shaped and molded into the leaders they are today because of the way God prepared and equipped them as new leaders.

-  We may not feel like we are good or wise enough to serve, but there is a need and we can remember that God calls us and qualifies us.

-  We serve because we want to live out the Scriptures. It’s one thing to know the Word of God, but it’s another thing to apply the Word of God in our own lives.

-  So what are you passionate about? How has God gifted you? Find a way to use your passions and gifts to bring God glory.

-  There will always be a need somewhere. We can be reformed to be more and more like Jesus and help people know who Jesus is.

Helpful Resources

Article: “Serving at Church”

MCC Family Life Resources

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Today’s Topic: Questions and Doubts of Faith as a Teen

Guest: Madison Geisler, Resident at Manchester Christian Church

OVERVIEW: Is it wrong to have doubts about God? What should a kid do when they start to doubt? How can parents walk with their kids through doubt? What has helped you be confident in your faith? Today we want to talk about the questions and doubts that kids, students and even adults have

-  We can ask “where is God?” and not feel shame when we ask the tough questions about faith. It can actually be an opportunity for us to draw closer to God.

-  Remind kids that this is not wrong to have doubts or questions about God, about their faith, about scripture. It is okay to ask questions. And the more people these kids can go to, to talk about these doubts and questions, the better.

-  We have seasons of doubt where we may not know what to say or believe. Yet once we start asking these questions and diving a little deeper, we understand a little more about faith and the nature of God.

-  Find people who can walk with you through these doubts and questions. There are resources you can use and people that can be in your corner when these tough seasons and experiences arise so you can be prepared to dive into God’s Word and not be overwhelmed with fear and anxiety that stems from the questions and doubts you have.

-  It’s okay to not have all the answers as a parent, guardian, mentor or leader. Just assure the child or student that you are there to walk with them through it.

Helpful Resources

MCC Family Life Resources

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Today’s Topic: Jesus, Discipleship and Spiritual Formation

Guest: Eric Lattimer, Resident at Movement Christian Church

OVERVIEW: What is discipleship? What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Are there stages of spiritual formation? How can we group spiritually as disciples? How can we model Jesus’s discipleship model in the home? These are some of the questions we will be asking on today's episode of Jesus and Next Gens!

-  Disciples are followers and students of Jesus.

-  Discipleship is what it looks like to live as a follower and student of Jesus

-  A disciple understands the relationship between walking with Jesus and reflecting that to the people in their lives.

-  Discipleship is not about being knowledgeable but learning what Christ taught us and then teaching it to others.

-  Discipleship and mentorship go hand in hand. Mentorship finds its way in discipleship.

-  Spiritual formation aids in the process of living like Jesus.

-  Spiritual formation is living out an authentic relationship with Christs. This is a way in which we walk with God, it is not a checklist that we must complete in order to be close to God.

-  Discipleship does not just happen at church, but in the home with the family.

-  Start with basics: teach kids the love of God early on and how to forgive and love others. Then they will soon begin to understand the love of God and live more and more like Jesus as the love of God continues to change them.

Helpful Resources

MCC Family Life Resources

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Today’s Topic: Families and Divorce

Guest: Peyton Geisler, Resident at Manchester Christian Church

OVERVIEW: Whether you’re a parent or child, divorce is not easy for anyone. And there are always a plethora of questions surrounding the topic, especially when it comes to culture, the church and scripture. What does the Bible say about divorce? How should leaders navigate divorce? These are some of the questions we will try to answer in this week’s episode. We may not have all the answers but we hope that this conversation can be a catalyst for those struggling to ask the tough questions and initiate those deep conversations.

-  Scripture gives us a grand picture of love, that God doesn’t leave us when we mess up.

-  It is important to consider the context when examining the teachings on marriage and divorce in Old Testament and New Testament scripture.

-  We need to show that the church is a safe place to process the trauma of kids and students dealing with divorce in their lives.

-  Divorce is complex and the fact that kids or students want to talk about it is a very serious matter. Approach the conversation with love and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

-  If you are invited into a conversation like this, take this as an opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love.

-  Find community and take the conversation of divorce you may be having beyond the two people involved in the marriage.

-  It has to be clear to a child or student that it is not their fault. Their identity cannot be misshaped because they have taken the blame and put it on themselves.

-  There will be grief and this is a time of loss. This will not be a quick fix, but allow yourself and allow these kids and students to feel the things that they are feeling.

Helpful Resources

MCC Family Life Resources

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Today’s Topic: Building a Resilient Faith

Guest: Delaney Ryan, Resident at Manchester Christian Church

OVERVIEW: What is it like to have faith in a secular, unchurched environment? How can our faith persevere in a Western, post-modern culture? Today we try to answer some of these questions and understand how to build a resilient faith.

-  Having a relationship-oriented focus when it comes to connecting with believers and non-believers can break down walls and build bridges.

-  Know when to say no. Friends come and go, but God’s love and calling for us remains.

-  God is with us, even when we don’t see Him or feel Him. In our formative years, we can cling to Christ even when we are alone and feeling unloved.

-  God’s “no” is so good and so important. Doors open when we say “no” and we can remember that God’s “no” indicates that He has something better in store for us.

-  Don’t compromise your values. Hold to the holiness that Jesus calls us to.

-  Be kind. Whether you are a Christ-follower or not, kindness goes a long way and makes a lasting impact.

Helpful Resources

MCC Family Life Resources

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Today’s Topic: Tithing, Giving and Stewardship

OVERVIEW: Why do we give money to the church? Is giving Biblical? How much should I give? These are all excellent questions, ones that we will examine in this episode. We know talking about finances and faith can be a challenging topic of conversation, but we know that lives can be changed through giving of our finances and being good stewards with what we have.

-  Everything that we own is a gift from God and we are called to give back to God.

-  Giving is an act of obedience and trust

-  Stewardship is the idea that God has given us everything we need, and we must maintain what God has given us.

-  Scripture does talk about giving

o  2 Corinthians 9:6-7  God calls us to be cheerful givers. Giving is a heart issue and God wants us to give generously because we are cheerful and obedient, not because we are obligated to give. God wants us to give what He has placed on your heart to give (may be more than 10%) and give it joyfully.

o  Luke 21  God calls us to be all-in with our giving, not wavering with our financial gifts, but giving everything that we can to God, not just what we can afford to give.

o  Malachi 3  God calls us to test Him and trust Him with our giving. We can grow close to God when we give and He works in incredible ways when we give.

-  “God show me what to give and give me the courage to give”

-  A tithe is approximately 10% and is found in the Old Testament. This is typically the first 10% of the livestock or crops of the harvest that were given to God. Tithe is not found in the New Testament, but again, we can seek God to determine how much we should give and give it courageously.

-  Our giving represents our trust in God in many ways. Giving can be uncomfortable but God takes care of His children.

Helpful Resources

MCC Family Life Resources

ARTICLE: Tithes and Offerings: Your Questions, Answered

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Today’s Topic: Is Jesus the only way to God?

GUEST: Amanda Chitwood, Manchester Christian Church

OVERVIEW: Is Jesus God? Is Jesus really the only way to God? Is Jesus really who He says He is? Can we know God without knowing Jesus or believing in Him? These are the tough questions that we will wrestle through today.

-  Create a safe space to ask these tough questions

-  Start with the question, “Who are we? Who am I?”

-  We are broken, sinful people in need of something to get us back to God

-  Because of our brokenness Jesus became necessary

-  John 14 (near the end of His ministry)

o  “I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME….”

-  Jesus establishes our brokenness and that He is our help.

-  Understanding the person of Jesus is where the gospel starts

Helpful Resources

BOOK: Can I ask that?

VIDEO: "Doesn't Matter What You Believe" with Craig Groeschel - LifeChurch.tv

MCC Family Life Resources

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