The Local Church

February 18, 2024

This week, we introduce a brand new series for Lent called “Fast: Practices for a Slow Lent and a Spacious Life.”

Scripture: Luke 9:51; Luke 10:1–12

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. We're also posting good stuff on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, too. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

February 11, 2024

It’s Transfiguration Sunday, and this week, Brent wonders if this story is not meant to be understood as much as it’s meant to be experienced.

Scripture: Luke 9:28–36

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. We're also posting good stuff on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, too. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

The Speakeasy is a gathering for unfiltered conversations on faith and justice. At each gathering, we invite a special guest to share their personal experiences and stories in conversation around a particular topic or issue related to faith and justice. We hope these events inspire empathy, foster common ground, and cultivate deeper connections in our community and beyond. 

To kick off our new season, we welcomed Mike Wiley, who shared about how to develop empathy, what dribbling a basketball teaches us about creating social change, and how the voices in his head have impacted him.

This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at The Plant in Pittsboro, NC, on February 4, 2024. To learn more about Mike Wiley, visit mikewileyproductions.com. To learn more about The Local Church, visit our website or connect with us on Instagram.

February 4, 2024

This week, pastoral intern Camber Herrig introduces the concept of carceral hermeneutics and asks, “Who is Jesus,” and her answer might surprise you.

Scripture: Luke 9:18–27

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. We're also posting good stuff on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, too. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

January 28, 2024

This week, we wrap up our time in Luke 8 with a sermon on birds, storms, demons, and names.

Scripture: Luke 8:22–39

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. We're also posting good stuff on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, too. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

In this episode, Brian Newman, executive director of the Isaac Ishmael initiative, shares his unique perspective on the Israel-Gaza conflict, exploring its historical roots, theological implications, and the role of faith in pursuing peace.

1. Historical Context of the Conflict:
   Brian Newman provides a historical overview of the Israel-Gaza conflict, tracing its origins back to the mid-19th century with the rise of nationalism in Europe and the subsequent Zionist movement led by Theodor Herzl, which sought a homeland for the Jewish people. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the complex history that has shaped the current state of affairs in the region.
2. Theological Perspectives and the Land:
   Newman discusses the conflation of biblical Israel with the modern state of Israel, highlighting the differences between religious claims to the land and the secular nature of the current Israeli state. He challenges listeners to consider whether the nation of Israel today can be equated with the biblical promises made to the Jewish people.
3. Dispensationalism and Modern Implications:
   The podcast delves into the concept of dispensationalism, a Christian theological framework that influences many evangelical Christians' views on Israel's right to the land. Newman explains how this belief system impacts the political and religious dynamics of the conflict.
4. Jesus' Role in Peacebuilding:
   As a pastor and follower of Jesus, Newman shares his theological approach to the conflict, emphasizing the need to invite Jesus into the conversation and the potential of his teachings to foster peace. He argues that the radical and revolutionary message of Jesus offers a path towards reconciliation that is often missing in the approaches of both Judaism and Islam as practiced in the region.
5. Religion as a Facet of the Conflict:
   While acknowledging the deep religious significance of Jerusalem to all three Abrahamic faiths, Newman suggests that religion often serves as a smokescreen for the political, social, and military aspects of the conflict. He calls for a deeper understanding of the ways in which religious narratives are intertwined with and sometimes overshadowed by the geopolitical struggle.

Links

• Christmas Sermon by Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac
• The Isaac Ishmael Initiative
• Image used in podcast artwork: "Christ in the Rubble" by Kelly Latimore

January 21, 2024

Three movements describing what it looks like to let your light shine

Scripture: Luke 8:16-21

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. We're also posting good stuff on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, too. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

January 14, 2024

This week, Brent offers a little hope to anyone who’s already failed their New Year’s resolutions and anyone who’s ever heard the Parable of the Sower and felt called out. This one’s for you.

You'll learn:

1. How to respond when you've already failed your New Year's resolutions or good intentions. The pastor shares openly about his own struggles to keep resolutions, emphasizing God's grace and the importance of community support.
2. The meaning behind Jesus' parable of the sower and the seeds. Rather than bringing shame, Jesus offers the parable to say "I understand the struggles you face, but don't give up."
3. Practical ideas for spiritual disciplines or a "rule of life" - daily habits and practices that can help nurture spiritual growth amidst life's busyness. Examples from the pastor's own rule as well as MLK's are shared.
4. How a rule of life or spiritual disciplines can sustain justice and reconciliation work over the long haul, keeping the "soil" of one's heart receptive. MLK modeled this in the civil rights movement.
5. That God never stops inviting us back and providing possibilities for new life and growth, no matter our failures or weariness. Community support empowers us.

The big takeaway is learning to create life-giving daily rhythms and rely on God's grace to stay the course, especially when doing meaningful work for justice and wholeness.

Scripture: Luke 8:4-15

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. We're also posting good stuff on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, too. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

January 7, 2024

Epiphany Sunday's episode tells Simeon and Anna's story, expectations around Jesus's arrival, trusting in God's work, and the link between sunrise and it all.

Scripture: Luke 2:21–40

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. We're also posting good stuff on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, too. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

December 24, 2023

Here are a few selections from our Christmas Eve Celebration at The Barn of Chapel Hill — featuring two songs and the sermon.

Scripture: Luke 2:1–20

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. We're also posting good stuff on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, too. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.