The 180 Church Podcast with Dr. Sammy and Friends

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.

Vision: Refocus

In this weeks episode, Joe and Pastor Lydia recount times when they stayed faithful to their talents and the layers by which we are called to stewardship. At times, taking responsibility of the small yet important things can be difficult and we tend to put them to the side. However, those very talents, stations, and positions in life are critical to adhere to if we are to live to be the best we can be, with much and more. It’s not uncommon that the vision we have for our lives come out of focus, but the grace of this parable and the gospel is that we can decide to make that change, address those difficult responsibilities, and make the most of this gift of life.

Vision: Crown of Beauty

The Father's call for the church is to protect and restore beauty, but we often miss the beauty in ourselves and others. Despite this, the gospel and the community of God reminds us of our worth and original design. We are certainly not perfect, but the church has been called to preserve and cultivate the best of who God created us to be.

Vision: The Hills and Valleys

In this weeks episode, join Joe and Pastor Lydia as we traverse the hills and valleys of relationship together. It’s not a matter of if, but when we are at some of our highest and lowest moments that we see with pristine clarity the ones who love us and represent the love of the father. It’s the vision that Jesus had for the local church and the ecclesia: that we could join together to be a community that displays the glory of God through our commitment to one another as friends in the hour of our greatest suffering and moments of lavish celebrations.

Vision: Clarity

As we continue our Vision series, Pastor Lydia chats with guest Ahnmin Lee about Clarity. What is the purpose of the church and who are we, as her members, called to do? Is it to become holier? To become trendy and hip? To become more successful? Dr. Sammy reminds us that the mission of God is clear and simple: to go after lost sons and daughters and bring them back home. In fact, the ethos of the church is the antithesis of success—leaving the ninety nine to go after the one lost sheep does not yield maximum results and benefits. But it does require sacrifice, empathy, and deep compassion. And it is the heart of Christ that we are called to imitate.

Vision: The Father's Heart

The podcast team is kicking off 2020 with the Return of the Prodigal Son. It’s in the cross section of vulnerable resolutions and previous mishaps and the tension of being lost and found that the heart of the father speaks the loudest. This year, we are invited to join God in a new-old vision, but the same mission that we’ve always been engaged in: to be a community that remains hopeful and loving for when our brothers and sisters return home.

Transitions

As we transition from the Christmas season and the New Year, we often wonder about the implications of being between two major moments in life. Things during this time can feel often ungratifying, stagnant, and insignificant, though there is more than meets the eye in what God is doing at these times. There are things that are seen and often celebrated, such as accolades, success, and gifting. God is focused on the things that are unseen, for the sake of eternal glory.

Advent: Love

We often misconstrue love as sentiment and romance, rather than a commitment we abide by regardless of how we feel. Similarly, we focus on the warm sentimentality of Christmas and overlook the fierce commitment that believers like Mary and Joseph made to God, even at the great cost of scandal. Tune into this week's sermon as Dr. Sammy discusses the true nature of love as a hard call to responsibility and a soft tenderness and vulnerability we must courageously embrace.

Advent: Joy

Many of us chase pleasure because we become addicted to the temporary happiness that a quick fix offers. But the reality of joy is that it not only lasts eternally, but it also points to something greater than our own desires. What we learn from Advent is joy revealed in the person of Christ as a sign from heaven beyond any happiness that we know.

Advent: Peace

With the season of Advent upon us, Joe and Pastor Lydia usher in a conversation revolving around the 4 major themes of this season: hope, peace, joy, and love. Today’s theme focuses on a conversation about peace and why the kind of peace we place our hopes and trust in this world seems to be so elusive, temporal, and frail. It’s difficult really to even have a moment that is free from any disturbance - anything can go wrong, really. However, the peace offered to us through the person of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the prince of peace, helps us put into perspective what it means to have an unchanging and accessible peace.