The 180 Church Podcast with Dr. Sammy and Friends

Easter: Hope Again

Easter marks a day of celebration despite these strange and unprecedented times. Hope can seem absent in the face of uncertainties, doubts, and fears in a world that feels like it is closing in on us. But on Easter, the climax of the gospel narrative, God closes the human story and unfolds a divine one: one of grace, a true hero, promises delivered, and death conquered. The resurrection of Christ is the greatest symbol of the Father's faithfulness to us, power over death, and the hope of the world.

Lent: From Fear to Love

Fear tends to lead us on a trajectory that we are often not proud of, or even end up regretting. The feeling of fear overtakes any rationale or reason, accuses and blames for self-preservation's sake, and highlights some of our worst moments. But we aren't bound to a life of giving into fear; we are more than the worst parts of ourselves. Through love, we have the potential to combat our fear and demonstrate grace and mercy. Love, unlike fear, is not a feeling that grabs hold of us—it's a deliberate, intentional action, and a choice we can make to be the best of ourselves.

Lent: From Fear to Faith

Fear is not one-size-fits-all, as Dr. Sammy says in this week's remote service. It’s been three weeks since we’ve transitioned into a socially distanced life, and many of us may be experiencing fear in a variety of different forms, whether technical or adaptive. But, how do we move from fear to faith during this unprecedented time? In this week's podcast, Pastor Lydia and Joe converse about how we can cling to the prince of peace through this storm.

Lent: The Hero Of Our Journey

COVID-19, for many of us, has become a major source of fear and panic that seemed to occur almost overnight. In this weeks podcast, Joe and Pastor Lydia discuss how difficult times, such as this pandemic, emphasize our need for a savior, the real hero in our stories, and the supply of our strength and hope when we feel our resolve running low. It’s when all measures fail, and we fall short that looking up is how we remember that God is good.

Lent: The Hold Of Power

When something like the coronavirus pandemic threatens our sense of control and autonomy, it can reveal our true character. We are capable of being generous in plenty, but what happens when we're vulnerable during a time of fear? The lesson of the third temptation was that in spite of how bad his circumstances were, Jesus trusted in God and stayed true to his values. The temptation of hostile self-preserving behavior can be seductive, but by following Jesus's example and having no rivals in our relationship with God, we can become ambassadors of Christ in a time of need.

Lent: Spiritual Entitlement

In todays podcast, we are continuing our discussions on the season of Lent by observing the second temptation that Jesus overcame during his 40 day fast: spiritual entitlement. It’s not always easy to come to terms with the fact that we may feel entitled to certain rewards and favorable reciprocation from God for our good deeds and behaviors, but its certainly the case that many of us carry these assumptions in our walk with Christ. Spiritual entitlement could very well be holding us back from seeing what God is truly doing in our lives, so in order for us to remember who God is, his good character, and mitigate our own forgetfulness (or stupidity), we revisit and remember the altars and times in our lives that God has pulled through.

Lent: The Hold Of Materialism

In this weeks episode of the podcast, Joe and Pastor Lydia talk about how materialism, in very subtle ways, takes hold of our hearts and how Lent, fasting and prayer, makes us available to Gods presence and dreams. Materialism tends to be coupled with luxury, extravagance and lavishness, but materialism can also look like the things we take comfort in knowing it helps us get through our days, and even survive the tumult of our lives. Lent offers us a season of reflection that invites the Holy Spirit to re-examine what we think we “need” to make space for the eternal things that God has in mind for us and his kingdom. 

Vision: The Season Of Lent

Fasting, or at least the intermittent variety nowadays, is commonly known as a time-restrictive diet that is often paired with self-improvement and healthy lifestyles. While there is an aspect of restriction, this is very different from fasting in the biblical sense. Each time fasting is mentioned in the Bible, it is always paired with prayer. At its deepest level, fasting and prayer are seen in Jesus's life, to serve as an invitation for us during Lent to confront our vulnerabilities that we avoid, and to remove the distractions in our lives so that we can feast on the life-giving voice of God.

Vision: Rescue

In today's podcast, Pastor Lydia and Joe reflect on the necessity and impact of remembering others and the Father's heart for those who are marginalized and feel forgotten. We forget and therefore inevitably omit people and even ourselves, though that may not be our intentions, for a multitude of different reasons. However, to model Jesus is to recall, see, and act on those that we remember on the fringes of our societies and communities. The harvest is ripe and plentiful, and as believers we are called to the pursuit of God and his heart for the forgotten.

Vision: Integrity

This weeks episode features a candid conversation about integrity. Time and time again, integrity is highlighted as a component of mission statements, values, and a foundation for character development, but it seems that it is more often talked about than actually practiced. What does it take to live in integrity and forgo self-interested expediency? How does integrity ultimately benefit not just ourselves but the collective? Join us in this weeks podcast with Joe and Pastor Lydia as we discuss a life lead in integrity and it’s impact for the kingdom.