Thread #62: Acts: Returning to the prototype of the Church
Big Thread News! We now have a Facebook group. And… a flashy new app in theAndroid Marketplace. It gives access to all Thread podcasts and the ability to rate, comment and post directly via Twitter, FB and email. Try it out if you have an Android phone.
Our new study , the book of Acts is important because it gives us a journal of the earliest attempt to live out the teachings of Jesus–the prototype. This group understood Christ’s teachings the best because they actually knew him and had heard him teach in person. I am certain this has happened in Christianity. On the one hand we have the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus recorded in the gospels. On the other hand we have a thing called Christianity which is the combination of the religion about Jesus plus culture. It exists in Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Protestant, Evangelical and Pentecostal versions. You have Mennonites and the Amish. Monks and Priests. Temples and churches worshipping in gymnasiums. Each will give you their defense of why their version is correct. What I want to make certain is that I am following the way of Jesus. As hard as it is to do, I want to try to strip away what has grown to be Christianity and get back to the original germ of the movement.
Thread is a podcast, a radio-like program you can listen to online by clicking the links below or on ITunes.
Here’s the link to the ITunes Version You can listen directly here by clicking below. Thanks!!! If you like the broadcast please share it with others. If you want to see all the available podcasts click here.
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Thread #18: The Importance of Faith
Bible study for grown ups. Ever been around a person of tenacious faith? They are contagious in their optimism and their confidence that in the end, God will make it all work out well. These people are the life-changers for others fortunate enough to live around them. They are the world-changers. In a world of doubters and God haters, people of faith encourage God. I want to be that person, don’t you? Listen to this episode from Mark 5 and see how faith grows and works in every day life.
Here’s the link to the ITunes Version You can listen directly here by clicking below. Thanks!!! If you like the broadcast please share it with others. If you want to see all the available podcasts click here.
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Thread #15: The Process through which God reveals Truth to us
Have you ever considered planting a church or starting a new ministry or home/office cell group? This Thread has lots of guidance for you. Mark chapter 4:21-34 also explains how healthy ministries are planted and how they take root and grow. If you want to receive truth from God and want to pass it on to others, then this Thread is for you.
Here’s the ITunes Link to the Show. Listen to it there and make comments please. It will help the podcast grow in popularity. Thanks!!!
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Spiritual Children
This is a shot of Sherry with two of her Filipino daughters, Sarita and Tess. She has spent countless hours mothering both of them through many years and we are both so proud of how their lives have turned out. They have chosen a path of integrity and have served the Lord and love people with all their energies. I don’t think there is anything more meaningful in our lives than pouring all we have learned into others who want to take it in. Spiritual children are a great part of the overall legacy of our lives. You just need to create some open space, time and attention in your heart and find a heart connection with someone ten years or more behind you.
Open your home up to them. Share food. Ask for their story. Pray for them. Keep in touch. It will just develop at its own pace according to the need of the learner. If you have made a sincere effort to walk with God and learn from Him and His wise people, then you owe it to the next generation to pass it on.
If you aren’t already doing this ask the Lord to give you at least as a spiritual child in addition to the blessing of natural children you may have also received.
Thread Episode 2: True Disciples May Have to Suffer
Hi! Here’s the second installment in our weekly Thread podcast. Check here every Tuesday at 9AM for the latest episode or subscribe through ITunes. This one shows how Mark’s gospel has a hard-core message: true disciples must expect resistance as they live out and declare the teachings of Jesus. The greatest resistance will probably come from inside of us as we attempt to avoid dying to ourselves so Christ can be born in us. Let God purify you, my friend, even if it means pain, sacrifice and embarrassment for a little while. It’s worth it in the long run! Good meat for serious believers.
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