MissionLife

Fear isn't the end. It's actually a great place to start! In this episode, we are taking everything we learned from the previous (part one) and adding a bicycle face, Agabus and some old-timey music. It's a recipe for boldness in the neighborhood!

Do you like scary movies? I remember watching them when I was younger but sometime since then I've lost all interest. What is fear, though? What causes it? Is all fear the same? A lot of our missional ideas hit a brick wall called fear. In this episode, we are going to explore the causes and types of fear with the goal of punching the thing in the teeth. It's part one of a two-part episode on boldness.

Do you have someone(s) in your neighborhood that drain you? You hate to say it, but, they are kind of a parasite. They just take. Missional living doesn't ignore or reject these kinds of people even though it can be hard to know what to do. Why are they that way? What is a healthy response? In this episode, we're looking to Coastal Redwood trees, Carole King's living room and Dennis the Menace to try and find some answers.

Why do we think we have to be able to defend the Christian faith before we can be missional in our communities? Neighboring doesn't require scholarly prowess...it just requires an ear and a little time. Rather than arming yourself with all the theological arguments to go nose to nose with someone, why not begin with questions? In this episode, we're giving up on the battle of wits and moving into a posture of curiosity.

Mind your own business. Don't tell me how to parent. What's true for you isn't necessarily true for me. Plus a hundred more statements that all sound the same. It's a separation of our agreed adherence to ultimate or absolute truth. One of the results of increasing individualization is increasing subjectivity of truth in unified agreement, adherence and practice. In order to protect our "liberty", we create distance from each other so that "my truth" is untouchable. How are we supposed to interact, understand and influence neighbors and community members who see the world and truth so subjectively? Are we supposed to see it subjectively too?

Few people know the empathy of Jesus like Simon Peter. At a time in our country when coldness, harshness and aggression dominate the public forum, the empathy of Christ speaks of forgiveness, softness and second chances. From the mouth of Simon comes poignant and timely story, one we should all take to heart. Empathy in our communities is the key to something fresh and meaningful. Often times, empathy is the beginning of the Gospel in the lives of those who so desperately need it.

This message from July 26th, 2019 was preached at Fairmount Family in Indiana.

Recently, I was reading about swarms (seriously) and I started thinking about how they are different from crowds. People in groups behave in interesting ways. Then I started thinking about my favorite group...the Church. Is the Church a crowd? Is the Church a swarm? Jesus called us a flock. Is a flock the same thing as a swarm? In this episode, I'm delving into the fascinating world of swarms and holding the ideas up against the Church to see what we can learn.

We're taking a break! MissionLife Podcast is napping until September while Nathan works on a few other things. Come see him at Fairmount Family Camp in Fairmount, IN between July 21st and 28th. This episode is the sermon version of #36 Imagine. Enjoy! We'll see you in a few months!

"I think people just need to see faith lived." This statement from guest Lenny Luchetti became the central focus of our conversation. In this episode, Luchetti and I are discussing the sermon of our lives as an important expression of the missional life. What does your life preach to those around you? Luchetti's newest book "Preaching with Empathy" will be the guide for today's conversation. And, as always, links and additional content are available on our website: missionlifepodcast.com

Recently, Nathan preached a sermon out of Luke 8 from the perspective of Legion. Jesus' missionary journey across the Sea of Galilee for this one man resulted not only in healing but a missionary call. As a result of the incredible deliverance of Legion, he was sent as a missionary to the Greeks of the Decapolis. Listen as Legion tells his story.

A note about the recording: The sermon was preached at Kampala International Church in Bugalobi, Uganda. The sanctuary is an indoor/outdoor structure that is open to the children's area and the capital city of Kampala.