I wanted to take some time to break down some important things God taught me at this moment regarding community engagement. 

Wendy opens up about losing her child and how much there is a need for community amongst people who have lost children to the system. 

I will take a sabbatical from everything work-related for a few weeks. I will be back in August with some more HEAT! This episode is all about what I learned starting this podcast and some quick announcements. 

Ashley Caycedo is a member of Cottage Grove from Miami, FL who has done ministry in so many different contexts around the world. God gave her the heart to go when she was young and she has remained faithful to that call God. She has done everything from fellowship in India to running an orphanage in Sierra Leone. 

In the month of May, I preached on how the 10 Commandments introduce us to this new Kingdom Culture God wants to establish. I wanted to take some time to remind and build on those ideas. 

This episode will just wow you and put life in perspective. Roger is from Tanzania and has endured much living as a person with albinism. But he has continued to trust in the Lord through it all though! He currently serves the Lord by editing this podcast for me. 

The Bible calls us to love our neighbor, but the American church tends to focus on the knowledge of God vs. loving those people who are around us. When churches are in urban contexts, it's easy to think of the walls of the church as protection to keep the "others" out vs an inviting place that is welcome for all to hear the truth of the Gospel. 

Pastor Ekram leads the Sudanese congregation with whom Cottage Grove Church shares a building. I have enjoyed getting to know Ekram personally. God is using their church to reach the Arabic community here in Des Moines.  

Individualism has taken the WE and US out of our lives. Maybe it's time to return to the beauty of doing things together and helping each other again. 

This is the second time having Roger Tapia on the podcast. In this episode, he opens up about some deep and painful things that helped him see that he needed Christ in his life. If you have not listened to his first episode, click here. 

Viewer Discretion is advised - This is not a great episode for little kids!