The 180 Church Podcast with Dr. Sammy and Friends

Good Friday Service: It Is Finished

Dr. Darrell Johnson, Teaching Fellow at Regent College, helps us reflect on the cross and the meaning of, "It is Finished." Tune in tonight at 7 PM for Good Friday Service.

Anticipation and the Already but Not Yet Kingdom

Life is often complex and full of unexpected outcomes which causes us to anticipate the future with dread and anxiety. When we feel helpless to the disappointments of life, we often forget how to be hopeful in something good. But in an uncertain future, we can remember that God is faithful to us and has wrote our story from beginning to end. Though we may not understand God's story and our place in it, we can have hope in His will because through Jesus and His arrival and resurrection, God has brought His kingdom to us.

Join us in person @ AMC Theater (890 Broadway) 19th St. NYC Noon or online 12:10PM!

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A Divine Conspiracy: When the Sacred Visits the Humdrum

In chasing after the extraordinary, we overlook the ordinary, and we forget that it is often in the humdrum moments that God works and moves in us. When we prioritize our desires and seek control over our lives, we become too fixated on the future, or too absorbed in the past, and we make ourselves unavailable for what is in front of us in the present. God has never asked us to perform miracles in order to draw near to Him; He simply calls us to remain faithful to what He has placed in front of us, and to open our minds and hearts to the work of the Spirit. In doing so, we open ourselves up to the possibility of our ordinary, humdrum days being transformed into something sacred.

Homecoming: Revisiting our Altars

In the humdrum routines of daily life, we often forget, and therefore take for granted, the precious moments in which God has touched us. However, we can remember these moments, firstly by revisiting our sacred altars: the places at which we drew close to God, or at which the reality of God became real to us. Similarly, we can revisit our sacred memories of times when others walked with us as representatives of God or as companions in seeking the truth about God, especially during our moments of weakness and doubt - because it is in our weakness that God's strength shines ever more brightly.

 

Jesus Culture

When analyzing the framework of any organization, we examine that it’s mission and culture compose foundational elements for its reason to exist. There is a purpose to be and a work to be done in the world. As for the church, the thread that fundamentally ties the community of God together is centered in Christ - a culture defined by its identity in Jesus and its reflection onto one another through our relationship with him. It is through Christ we become the church built on his people, to encourage and grow with one another by reflection of the imago dei and conduct the work of the kingdom as God’s people who meet because of the good news.

The Long Term Value in Developing Spiritual Rhythms

Because film and television often portray good-looking people living romanticized lives, it is easy for us to create unrealistic expectations, even standards of near perfection, for ourselves and for others. The season of Lent gives us a chance to expose and reexamine these standards. After all, Jesus, as the Son of God, also dealt with expectations - including a challenge by the devil to demonstrate his very identity after having fasted in the wilderness. We can take inspiration from Jesus's response and develop similar spiritual rhythms. Whenever we struggle with expectations and feel that we cannot live up to them, we can, just like Jesus, recall that we all are first and foremost beloved by the Father.

From Fasting to Feasting (Reimagining Lent Part 2)

Too often, Lent becomes about what we fast and how well we fast. However, the true point of Lent is fasting for the sake of feasting on God's transformative power and the salvation which only He can provide. Whereas a focus on fasting leads to a preoccupation with incremental self-improvement and what is better for ourselves, a focus on feasting encourages us in our dependence on a Savior and our alignment with His mission. Regardless of what our particular defaults are, fasting is really about surrendering our self-will and self-reliance; it is a sacrifice of our own desires and capabilities to make space for God to bring visible and lasting change into our lives, all for the sake of others.

The Importance of Prayer in Community

Many of us regard prayer as a solitary act, and indeed, we need to spend time alone with God as Jesus did in scripture. Because we have so many defaults, flaws, and competing commitments that are in the way in our relationship with Christ, we need the power of communal prayer, especially during the Lenten season when the temptation to resort to our coping mechanisms is highest. It may be difficult for us to pray together when we don't share our needs. However, there's a growing strength in communal prayer that allows God to help in our times of need and to keep ourselves aligned with Christ.

Reimagining Lent: From Fasting Food to Fasting Our Defaults

Many of us resort to coping mechanisms that are perpetuated by culture to counter the pressures and grief of our day-to-day lives. Whether it is the bottle or other forms of self-medication, these default modes can offer short-term relief and get us through the day. However, they often fail us and develop into chronic problems themselves. With the Lenten season upon us, we have an opportunity to divert our default coping mechanisms to a true source of power and life change - the Father and his community in prayer.

Join us in person at AMC Theater (890 Broadway) 19th St. NYC Noon or online 12:10PM!

The Alarming Dangers of Spiritual Piety

What we see on the pulpit is often a spirituality of stardom and ostentatious faith, but when we examine the fine line between spiritual sincerity and spiritual piety, we reveal a pervasive danger of unintended consequences. Where a vibrant faith invites approval, applause, and respect, there is an incentive for those who seek these accolades. When we pursue spirituality without the power of the spirit, spiritual piety can get the best of us without proper checks and balances. But if we pay attention to Christ's warnings and model of servant leadership, perhaps we can move toward a leadership of competency and humility that mitigates narcissistic leadership.