This week, the SFC: Ask Me Anything series has been hi-jacked (or in this case, hi-joshed). As two of the last three episodes have been our host Ryan Leeds asking questions to SFC’s International Team Captain Josh Stock, the tables have now been turned.

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"What does the Bible say about social justice and LGBTQI+?" We’re halfway through our SFC AMA Series, and, true to the series title, we invited you, our community to share questions you had about literally anything related to shred ministry so that we could Shine Brighter and Bridge Better together. We knew, and even hoped that you would ask questions that were challenging, because only by talking through them can we learn how to effectively respond in love to the people and situations in our everyday lives In this week’s episode, Ryan Leeds interviews Jim Howard to answer the question, “What does the Bible say about social justice and LGBTQI+?” We actually received a few questions on this topic, and it felt appropriate to combiner’s them into this one episode. Jim’s answer and encouragement reveal a beautiful picture of the heart of God on this topic, and we hope that you find it both challenging and encouraging. 

Check out Dr. Jim Howard's website: jimhoward.net 

Check out Dr. Jim Howard's new book: Freedom to Choose: What to Do When the Bible is Unclear

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In this weeks SFC: Ask Me Anything episode, Josh Stock seeks to answer the question: "How do we keep the stoke for ministry alive in dry seasons?" 

It can be so easy to be motivated to fulfill the mission of SFC when we see God drawing people to himself, moving in miraculous ways, and transforming our communities to look like His kingdom. The fruit propels us, and it continually affirms us that this mission, this effort, is worth it. 

But what about when we aren't seeing that? What about when we aren't seeing fruit from our labors? How do we gain the conviction and energy to keep going? What are we supposed to do when we're not "feeling" it (when we're spiritually dry?)? 

That's what Josh seeks to answer today. We pray this episode encourages you in your personal ministry within the ski and snowboard culture, however that may look for you right now. We hope that you find this conversation helpful! 

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Well, it's been a while since our last post, but we haven't forgotten about you! We've been hard at work recording episodes for our next podcast series, SFC: Ask Me Anything. The first episode of the next series will drop Monday, April 11th. So stay tuned! We're only a week out. In the meantime, here's a special bonus episode for you. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Pastor Dane Ortlund, author of the popular book, Gentle and Lowly, to discuss the heart of Jesus for sinner and suffers. We hope that you find this conversation as encouraging as we did! 

Check out Pastor Dane Ortlund's book: Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Suffers 

Visit our website at wearesfc.org 

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Support this podcast by giving to SFC at wearesfc.org/donate

So before we jump into our third series of the SFC Podcast (SFC: Ask Me Anything!), we thought it would be a good idea to share a couple of bonus episodes with you. For the next couple of weeks, we'll be dropping a few short devotionals from a couple of different SFCers. In this first bonus episode, SFC's National Director, Randy Schroeder, shares some thoughts on Romans 12:2 - "be transformed by the renewing of your mind." We hope you enjoy!

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Okay, so we’ve made it to the end of another series. Man. Time flies when you’re having fun, right!? We hope that this series has been a blessing to you and that you’ve been challenged to think about/approach the disciplines a little bit differently. Remember, the goal isn’t just to add more things to your schedule. The goal is to develop a deeper and more intimate relationship with Christ that results in YOU reflecting the light of Jesus to the world around you.

Now…we wanted to conclude this series by highlighting an integral part of the spiritual formation process - the community. According to the authors of the New Testament, we need other believers in our life. We need it because we’re broken. True. We’re reconciled. And our sin no longer defines us. But we are still susceptible to the lies that the Enemy tries to sell us. Really…we’re enthralled by them, because they appeal to the desires of our flesh. And as we’ve said throughout this series, it’s hard to fight the desires of our flesh. And that’s why we need community. We need Christian brothers and sisters in our life who can lovingly point us back to the gospel, and who can continually stir us up to love and good works.

In this episode, Ryan and Alie argue that spiritual formation should always take place in the context of community (if that’s available to you). Spiritual formation is a community project. So please don’t go it alone!

Resources Ryan used in preparation for this talk:

Jonathan Dodson: Gospel-Centered Discipleship 

Bill Hull: The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ

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Confession. I’m not going to beat around the bush…this is a tough one. This is a practice that requires a lot of vulnerability. And if we’re being honest, most of us struggle to get to a place of complete vulnerability. You know, where we actually open up and share the deepest and darkest parts of ourselves.

But as hard as it may be, confession is an incredibly important part of our spiritual formation journey. We need it. Not only does it kill our sin (because it’s been dragged into the light - it’s been exposed), it brings healing to the soul. Unconfessed sin produces anxiety. It produces a sort of depression. David expresses this beautifully in Psalm 32. But when you’ve confessed your sin in the presence of a loving community (which may only be one or two trusted individuals), you no longer have to look over your shoulder anxiously wondering if someone is going to find you out. You’re known. And when you’re known, you’re free.

Now, I want to be honest. Confessing your sin is not always going to feel great. In fact, it may suck at first. People aren’t always going to have the best reaction. And you may have to work through some of the repercussions of your sin (like broken relationships, broken trust, etc.). And that won’t feel great. But over time, as the dust settles, it does bring about genuine freedom. Because, as we’ve said, you’re known. And when you’re known, you’re free.

In this episode, Ryan dives into the practice of confession. He sets the stage by highlighting the goal of our confession, examines some of the reasons we may struggle with confession, and - in a moment of vulnerability - shares a little about his journey with this practice. So stick around. We hope you enjoy this lesson as much as we did.

Resources Ryan used in preparation for this talk:

John Mark Comer: Live No Lies: Recognize And Resist The Three Enemies That Sabotage Your Peace

Dane Ortlund: Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community

Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Seeking the Face of God: Nine Reflections on the Psalms

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What defines a Christian community? What makes it different from any other sort of positive community (outside of the Church)? Now, that’s a great question. I think it’s easy for us to think of our Christian community like any other type of positive community. It’s filled with people who generally like each other and who have similar interests. Maybe they’re even on mission together, pursuing some good cause. But is that all Christian community is, or is there something more?

According to what we see in the New Testament, Christian community is marked by two key elements that set it apart from other communities: 1) Guidance, and 2) Fellowship. Christians aren’t just people who get together because they like the same thing. No. Christians are people who are committed to one another. They’re committed to one another regardless of likes and dislikes, political beliefs, or cultural backgrounds. They’re committed to seeking the Spirit together and walking in the light. That’s what makes a Christian community different. That’s what makes a Christian community compelling.

In this episode, Alie dives into the disciplines of guidance and fellowship. She does a great job defining the disciplines - explaining what they are and what they’re not. These aren’t disciplines that we talk about all that often. And whether that’s because we weren’t aware that these are, in fact, disciplines, or because we assume that we know what they are, these disciplines are worth talking about. They’re worth leaning into. So tune in and spend some time chewing on this one. We’re confident that you’ll be challenged to think about the disciplines of guidance/fellowship a little bit differently.

Resources that Alie used in preparation for her talk:

Richard J Foster: The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

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