The 180 Church Podcast with Dr. Sammy and Friends

A New Creation in Christ: Embracing the New Identity Versus the Old

With the myriad ways we describe ourselves and define our identities, one voice tends to stand out above the rest: our past. How we perceive ourselves given our past mistakes, shortcomings, and histories seems to manifest in our behaviors, actions, and most evidently in how we treat ourselves. However, every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. Although it’s easy to believe that all we are stems from our past, as new creations in Christ and through our relationship with Him, we can find assurance in the promise that our identities are in the hands of the author and perfecter of our lives.

Just a glimpse of God, the Father’s heart.

In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus shares with us a glimpse of who God the Father is. The parable tells of a father whose son leaves with his inheritance, wastes it, and is insincere in repenting his sin. However, rather than punishing the son upon his return, the father unabashedly runs to embrace him. Thinking of ourselves as the prodigal son, we realize that the father's true heart is not in the inheritance given, but in the compassion in loving his son so mercifully. If we pay similarly close attention in our own lives, we see more than mere blessings and God's providence. We see the very heart of God, His deep thoughtfulness and perfect love for us.

The Foundation of Gospel Renewal

Sometimes we become too confident in our own abilities or our own morality and forget that we are saved by grace and not by good works. In Ephesians, Paul reminds us that we were, finally and unequivocally, dead in our sins with no hope of ever redeeming ourselves. It was in this direst of states that Jesus offered us the gift of salvation. Thus, we should not view the Gospel merely as advice to live our lives well, but embrace it and cling to it as our only hope and salvation. In addition, as Jesus gave us this gift out of His goodness rather than our own, we should feel justified to come to church as we are no matter the demons we're facing, and in turn welcome others to church as they are.

Martus: Witness

Martus is the Greek word for witness, and it is used in situations when a witness is called upon to serve as evidence of an event. More specifically, in scripture, God raises leaders and appoints them as chief witnesses to remind the Israelites of who God is through their testimony of God’s steadfast love. Just like the disciples and the pharisees who were in sight of the perfect witness of God in Jesus, we can also fail to understand God’s love. Our witness isn’t important because our experience or our words matter, but because through the process of sharing testimonies about God, we open ourselves to the possibility of being reminded of the hope and promises of God for us.

Ruthlessly Reveling in Unhurried Time

What are your values? It is this question that invites us into a deeper examination of our stated beliefs and intentions. We tend to take our claimed beliefs at face value. But beneath the surface of our words, our actions truly reveal what we believe. In the effort to love Christ and live as called by the gospel, we must honestly assess our thoughts and actions in order to challenge the insidious hustle culture that usurps intimacy in our relationships. As 1 John 4:19 states, “We love because He first loved us.” Actively bearing the values of the gospel we claim as our own requires the call to behold the beauty of Christ.

Ruthlessly Eliminating Hurry

We tend to hurry through life because we believe our hurriedness leads to greater productivity. But hurrying does not make us more efficient or effective in accomplishing things; nor are efficiency and efficacy what God calls us towards. In fact, hurrying often leads us to hurt people whom we mean to love. Just as Mary rested at Jesus' feet instead of stressing over peripheral details as Martha did, we are called to simply be present and not miss God's presence and movement in our lives.

A New Creation in Christ in the New Year

Most of us fall short on our New Year's resolutions; after all, we are fallible, and change is hard. There is good news however. As Christians we are new creations in Christ, and therefore there is change within us that comes not from our fallible selves, but from infallible Christ. Even so, this does not mean we are immediately perfectly Christlike; we will still struggle, sometimes for long periods of time. During these times, we should not despair, as God, who so loved us that He sacrificed His own son for us, would not then reject us in our struggles. In addition, we should not be impatient, but trust that God, who is all-powerful, knows best the time for everything. In this way we can rest assured and let God lead our lives.

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The Incarnation Made Simple: From the Great Departure to the Great Paradox.

The Incarnation of Jesus showed a radically different approach to changing the world: through vulnerability rather than power. Jesus came to the world not as a king exhibiting power to subjugate people, but in the form of a helpless baby. Furthermore, Jesus led a life of dependence on others for protection and even basic necessities. It is human tendency to keep people at arm's length in an effort to maintain power or pride, but only through vulnerability can there be intimacy and tenderness. By nature, humans have limitations and are needy; to follow Christ means being earnest about our weakness, surrendering our ego, and learning not just to love and carry others, but also what it means to be loved and be carried by others.

6 Keys for Your 2023 with Dr. Steve Brown

Dr. Steven Brown, President of Arrow Leadership, helps usher in 2023 with five key reflective takeaways to approach and even thrive in the new year. Whether we are optimistic, anxious, or ambivalent at the starting line of the year, the letters of Paul to the church of Corinth in the gospel offers several applicable measures to take courage in the Father’s faithfulness, deepen hope in His strength, and entrust our lives to Him. Dr. Brown encourages us and fellow believers to walk this journey together, with our hands in the Fathers, so that others may know the love known to us from Jesus.

The Stunning Proclamation of Christmas

Dr. Darrell Johnson, Teaching Fellow at Regent College, breaks down the Nativity proclamation in order to reveal its true significance: the birth of a new world leader who would bring with Him a new social order. An angel of the Lord made this proclamation first to shepherds - who were some of the lowliest in society at the time - thereby signaling that in the new social order, the least among men would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The Christmas story thus marks a radical shift for mankind, one which brings utmost grace and joy. "Do not be afraid," the angel said to the shepherds, for the birth of Jesus meant the coming of the sovereign Messiah, who would give new life to this world and all its people.