The ECC Podcast

Our leader from Judges this week is Jephthah who went from being an outcast to a leader used and shaped by God. We all have bad things happen. But God uses difficult things to form us into who He has purposed us to be. This is a faithful hope that strengthens us in the trials.

Have you ever been hiking on a well-marked trail and somehow wandered off the trail and ended up lost? It can cause panic and anxiety, especially if we have no means of finding our way back to the trail.
In our story from Judges today, we find our leader from the previous chapter…who was clearly on the right trail…has veered off the trail and taken matters into his own hands. Instead of trusting God, he does what he thinks is right in his own eyes.
What can we learn about God and ourself from this story of Gideon and Abimelech? 

If I wake up in the morning and go through the day with a small view of God, there are consequences.  I will live with fear and anxiety because everything depends on me, and my mood will be governed by whatever circumstances hit me that day.
 
What if God has a different way for me?
What if my view of God is too small?
 
As we continue in Judges we see how Gideon lives his life with a small view of God…until he doesn’t.

Many of us have heard of Samson but…who knows the name of Samson’s mother? There are many characters in the Bible whose name is not even mentioned and even though their name is not mentioned, their lives are still a testimony and example to us. In part-one of the Samson story we learn from his parents, specifically his mum.

Often we (and others) see aspects of our lives as broken. Some sort of dysfunction or even a disability. Can and will God work in and through us in those areas seen as a struggle? We usually don’t expect it.  Or even look for it.
In our story today God takes a left-handed dude and does some amazing things. Maybe He can do that in us as well?

To understand the setting and context for the book of Judges, Ken takes a quick look at the ending of the book of Joshua, which sets the stage for what comes next in the book of Judges.
Some horrific things happen in the book of Judges and we see God's people being shaped by their culture and not by God. But God's grace (and justice) shines throughout the whole book.
What can we learn about ourselves and about God from this wild and often strange book? A very relevant book for us today. 

Has anyone ever told you to "grow up?" Ouch! It feels kind of insulting doesn't it?  Those who followed Jesus in the 1st century were told by both Jesus and Paul (the guy who wrote half of the New Testament) to be mature, to grow up, to be shaped liked Jesus. But it wasn't meant to be a smart alec comment.
In this closing message of the Shaped by Jesus Series series, pastor Ken shows us from the Bible what both Jesus and Paul had in mind for the followers then and for us today.

Jesus invites all who follow him to be people that are "salty". To add flavor to life. To preserve life. He invites us to be like a light that shines and impacts everyone around that light. To be like a city on the top of a hill, where everyone can see it (kind of like Burnaby).  But maybe we’ve never considered that by giving away our faith could also be part of our own spiritual formation?
In this message pastor Ken will share scripture and stories that illustrate what it can look like to give away our faith and also how God uses this to grow our faith and shape us to be more like Him.

How does Christian service help shape us to be more like Christ? Through Matthew's Parable of the Sheep and Goats we will learn what it means that service done to "the least of these" is service rendered to Jesus. Just as Jesus gave His life as a ransom for others so the church is called to be shaped by Jesus in giving ourselves for the sake of others. By engaging in service, the church reaffirms that wholeness is found when mercy and justice overflow. 

Carl Gaede, director of our partners at Tutapona, is our guest and challenges us to understand more about our fears and how not to be overcome by them.
Shaped by Jesus Series Info