I. “The medium is the message...” - Marshall Mcluhan“Guns don’t kill people...”The medium of the churchJesus - The Word become flesh. The embodied actions of Jesus were as much a message as anything he taught.II. Bringing arguments, philosophies, and ideas into submission to Christ 2 Corinthians 3-6Dualism IntellectualismEmotionalismGnosticism Escapism IndividualismIII. Towards an embodied faithEverything is spiritualLook and listen for God everywhereLearning the ways of reflection and contemplationThe discipline of getting around people who are different from youDon’t support issues online unless you are engaged in them in real lifeAffirm the goodness of God wherever you find it even if it is demonstrated in people who are not ChristiansSee desire as a gateway to the divine

Text: John 21:18-25I. Part of Christian obedience is knowing that we are called to follow Jesus wherever he leads us, not wherever he leads the person next to us.II. The trap of comparing ourselves with others Comparing ourselves with others distracts us from the call of God in the present This leads to insecurity, jealousy, pride and shameIII. Most great stories go through long periods of either difficulties or mundaneness Joseph, Moses, David, Ruth, Paul, Mary, Peter, even JesusIV. Follow the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23) Can we trust this Shepherd with our lives? Can we trust that he will lead us through the darkness? Can we trust him even when our lives don’t look as good, prosperous, or easy as others? Can we trust God to lead others even if it looks very different from where he is leading us?

Text: Gen. 20:10-19I. Midrash/ Missing the God's Presence in our lives.II. The God who doesn't fit in our boxes.Church. Why did I wake up early on a Sunday again? Henri Nouwen:“To pray, I think, does not mean to think about God in contrast to thinking about other things, or to spend time with God instead of spending time with other people.Rather, it means to think and live in the presence of God.As soon as we begin to divide our thoughts about God and thoughts about people and events, we remove God from our daily life and put him into a pious little niche where we can think pious thoughts and experience pious feelings. ...” Although it is important and even indispensable for the spiritual life to set apart time for God and God alone, prayer can only become unceasing prayer whenall our thoughts -- beautiful or ugly, high or low, proud or shameful, sorrowful or joyful -- can be thought in the presence of God. "

Text: John 21I. How Jesus gets Peter’s attention The call - Luke 5:1-11 The reminder - John 21:4-7II. Breakfast by the sea Comfort food The smell of charcoal and painful memories Forgiveness - By way of forgiveness Jesus gives Peter a job to doIII. Something more important than merely catching fish Because Peter has faced the worst about himself and the personal forgiveness of Jesus he can now live out his true vocation as one who truly knows the love of God in the depths of his being. “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” John 20:21 Life in the kingdom is about loving God and loving people.