The 180 Church Podcast with Dr. Sammy and Friends

Pentecost: It's Our Turn Now! "Learning to Pay Attention To God"

In today’s episode, Pastor Lydia and Joe take a moment to pause and reflect on what God is doing within the affliction we experience in our lives. Disruptions are often unwelcome because they interfere with the plans we set out and the expectations we carry, but in the same vein, the tough times and difficult moments can point to what the Father is working on if we pay attention to it. Whether we have been wayward with our formation because of these difficulties or have forgotten about mission, this week’s message reminds us of our call to Jesus, to re-examine our values and to refocus on our purpose for the kingdom of God.

Pentecost: It's Our Turn Now! "Grief, Loss, and Suffering"

In the advent of a new decade, brimming with expectation and hope for new beginnings, our world was met with many forms of suffering and loss due to a history-making pandemic. With the pain of loss, the process of grieving is often overlooked in favor of coping mechanisms. To our detriment, these give us an out rather than a means of true healing and meaning to be found in our suffering. However, the story of our sufferings and losses do not end in despair but in hope and redemption. Through Christ, we are offered hope in our losses, empathy in our pain, and purpose with our suffering, so that we too can provide healing and redemption, just as he had.

Pentecost: It's Our Turn Now! "Adapting to the New Norm"

Our world undergoes perpetual and inevitable change — there is no clearer example of that than the new norm established by the global pandemic. But why the church exists and does what it does remains the same in spite of all the external change brought on by the pandemic, and everyone — whether a pastor or a mere member of the community — still has an equal responsibility to spread the good news to those who need to hear it. Our purpose and mission will never change, but the ways in which we share and express the gospel can and should change. When we stop clinging to rigidity and instead embrace adaptation in the face of change, we discover newer, better, and more miraculous ways through which one lost sheep can find his or her way home.

Pentecost: It's Our Turn Now! A Stale vs. Vibrant Church

In today’s episode, Pastor Lydia and Joe navigate how we can examine the state of our faith: whether it is bristling with vibrancy and expectation of the power of God, or stale and indifferent towards it. It is important for the community of believers to take a temperature check and examine the state of staleness In our faiths because God is always at work in our lives, and in the state of our unbelief and pessimism, we may just miss out on the great things the Father is doing in us and around us. It is in relationship with God and not the mechanism of spiritual works or religion that refills and refreshens the soul of the believer, and this week’s message is an invitation to be filled by our need for God once again.

Pentecost: The Small Fringe Movement

In today’s podcast, Pastor Lydia and Joe talk about how they were encouraged by this week’s message to continue fighting for the sake of the gospel. The foundation of the Christian faith is predicated on the prolific event of Jesus’ life and resurrection - a watershed moment that ultimately changed the fabric of reality and made its mark on history. It is by this truth and for this reason that believers and seekers alike could continue to speak of the gospel in the present and propel life change just as the disciples had in the days of the early church. The historical authenticity, eye-witness accounts, and the convincing proofs of the enduring good news, from then to us now, is why we believe and persist in speaking in the name of Jesus.

Pentecost: It's Our Turn Now! "The Need For Community in Adversity"

Because evil exists, we will inevitably face adversity in striving for our goals and in our fight for God's values. The story of the apostles in Acts 5 teaches us that though they faced imprisonment and persecution, their community was the bedrock from which they drew the strength to persevere against adversity. Precisely because the apostles were able to bounce back from hardship to fight for God's mission, we learn that the community of believers exists to encourage us when we feel too weak to continue towards our goals. That is why we need to cling to community not only in the face of adversity, but also in moments of joy so that we remember to celebrate overcoming our struggles.

Pentecost: It's Our Turn Now! "Why the Fellowship of Believers Exists"

Today’s episode features a conversation between Pastor Lydia and Joe focused on the purpose of the fellowship of believers. The reason why the fellowship exists is because evil exists, but in contrast to the early church in the Book of Acts, the urgency regarding the conflict of good and evil is not reflected as strongly in this day and age, though it is the universal reality. Oftentimes, pettiness and quibbles amongst the fellowship can blind us from the importance of the true calling of the church, and we seldom live our lives in awareness of the spiritual warfare that we are subject to. This message serves as a reminder to not lose sight of the mission at hand, to unite in one mind and heart as brothers and sisters, and to seek first the kingdom of God above all other things together.

Pentecost: It's Our Turn Now! "Flirting With Sin"

In today’s podcast, Pastor Lydia and Joe discuss the grave reality and implications of flirting with sin. The temptations we encounter through our lives are tantalizing and often appear innocuous and harmless in the moment, but in downplaying the severity of sin, we risk the danger of eroding our souls and a life of purpose and flourishing with Christ. It is a dangerous game we play, and often our duplicity, pride and stupidity can get in the way of overcoming sin. However, with a confessed life, shared between a fellowship of believers and God who knows the sins we wrestle within our hearts, we are equipped with the courage to combat a path of despair and pursue a flourishing one.

Pentecost: It's Our Turn Now! "Allegiance and Opposition"

In the juxtaposition of a weekend that marks our country’s independence and a charged socio-political climate we currently reside in, we are reminded of the higher credence of intrinsic value amongst all people. In representing the gospel and upholding the truths we find as self-evident, it is relatively easy to say what we believe and value, but it is another matter to stand for these truths in the face of tension and opposition. For us as believers to stand for the imago dei of all individuals, it is in the opposition that the Spirit of God is at work, where faith is forged, and our allegiance to the kingdom is made known and made first.

Pentecost: It's Our Turn Now! "The Corrosive Nature of Power

In today’s episode, Pastor Lydia and Joe discuss the prophetic calling God has set in motion for each and every one of us. It seems obvious that the systems of power set in our societies have ultimately fallen short, and for many of us, it can appear daunting to rise to the call to affect any kind of change, hope, or healing in the name of Jesus.  However, the truth is that God uses the weak to shame the strong, uses seemingly ordinary people to change the world, and this is the narrative we become a part of as followers of Christ in obedience to the call of the Father. Tune in and join us on how God offers poetic justice through you and I.