Episodes
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Worship - Better Together, pt. 4
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Deepening community requires deepening vulnerability. Relationships are worth the risk! Vulnerability is a process that begins with authenticity--the courageous willingness to open ourselves up to others and to allow them to open up to us.
Could it be that our vulnerability results in not just true connections with others, but a deeper relationship with God, our mission...all of life?
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Series Discussion - Better Together, pt. 3
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
In this series, we've been taking a closer look at what we want our identity to be as a church. We know that we want the ever-expanding, ever-deepening connection God calls us to, but sometimes there are barriers to that: time and vulnerability.
If you haven't yet heard/watched Sunday's sermon, we encourage you to do so (https://youtu.be/Z3zZkmcxH54), as Paul talks about Sabbath and how critical it is that we take time to rest and worship in community with others. In this week's discussion, Josh, Mara, and Paul further peel back the tradition of Sabbath, its relevance today, and what practical observance of Sabbath looks like for each one of us.
Thursday Jan 14, 2021
Series Discussion - Better Together, pt.2
Thursday Jan 14, 2021
Thursday Jan 14, 2021
Our series discussions are back! For the first time following a brief holiday hiatus, our pastoral staff--Josh, Mara, and Paul--gather to talk about the importance of worship, connection, and intimacy during a time when physical togetherness is a challenge.
Topics include the role creation, specifically our having been created in the image of God, plays in the call on our life, as well as what it means to live in relationship with God, with others, and with creation itself. Connection looks different for everyone, but we are all called to a level of connection that's reflective of God. What does that look like? What are the challenges? And how can we grow beyond those challenges, and in so doing, model that growth to our families and the next generation of our church?
This conversation expands on our Sunday morning teachings from "Better Together." Catch up on the sermons you've missed on our website: marysvillenazarene.org/media
(NOTE: There was no series discussion for part one of this series.)
Monday Jan 11, 2021
Worship - Better Together, pt. 1
Monday Jan 11, 2021
Monday Jan 11, 2021
God calls us to an ever-expanding, ever-deepening community. And intimacy and vulnerability in our relationships is a much deeper concept than just companionship alone.
The need for intimacy is not weakness--it is an essential part of our created identity. The church is intended to be a place where intimate relationships are formed and providential relationships are nurtured.
Will you be faithful to the relational opportunities in our church?
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
Better Together, pt. 1
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
In order to understand the importance of community, we need to understand the nature of our Creator and our created identity. Community, and the deep connections/relationships within, is ingrained in the fabric of creation.
God calls us to an ever-expanding, ever-deepening community. He was intentional with creation, therefore we need to live intentionally in order to experience community as God intended.
Sunday Dec 13, 2020
Worship - Wait for It, pt.2
Sunday Dec 13, 2020
Sunday Dec 13, 2020
Our Advent/Christmas series this year centers around the idea of disruptive innovation--an innovation that impacts the lives of ordinary people. Christmas is a disruptive innovation--Jesus changed everything. Life will never be the same.
Last week (in part one), we learned that we experience the Kingdom by turning to God and trusting Him, not through perfect religious performance. This week's "disruptive innovation" is the idea that God doesn't just want our best--He wants our broken.
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Worship - Wait for It, pt. 1
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Our Advent/Christmas series this year centers around the idea of disruptive innovation. The word "disruptive" doesn't always mean something negative. It's simply a break in our normal course. And as we've seen with computers, cell phones, and Henry Ford's assembly line, innovation can radically alter our lives.
Christmas is a disruptive innovation, changing the lives of ordinary people. Life will never be the same.
This week we're looking at the life and ministry of John the Baptist, and learning how God invites us to life change, not religious observation. We fully experience life in God's Kingdom by turning from sin and trusting Him, not through perfect religious performance. What is holding you back from starting in the right direction?
Monday Nov 30, 2020
Worship - Sing, pt. 5 (Psalm 56)
Monday Nov 30, 2020
Monday Nov 30, 2020
This month we've been focusing on Psalms, using them to fill in the blank: "I have a reason to sing because ______." The goal is to remember that while life may not be perfect, we have a reason to sing.
This week we're looking at Psalm 56. "I have a reason to sing because... God gives life.."
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Series Discussion - Sing, pt. 4
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
In this week's edition of The Podcast (for lack of a better name for now), Josh, Mara, and Paul expand on Sunday's sermon by discussing what it looks like to live a lifestyle of forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a common theme in the Psalms. What role did forgiveness play in David's identity as a man after God's own heart? Are there conditions to forgiveness? How important is confession in our relationship with both God and others? Is there a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation? And, how can we model this lifestyle of our forgiveness to our children?
Lots of good nuggets from this week's conversation--we hope you enjoy it!
Thursday Nov 19, 2020
Series Discussion - Sing, pt. 3
Thursday Nov 19, 2020
Thursday Nov 19, 2020
It's easy to get lost, right? Even with a GPS. In regard to navigating life, however, how do we choose God's direction? What does that look like? And when you decide to change direction according to God's will, does that mean you have to go back and undo or fix every wrong single turn you've made in the past? No!
God's given us his Word. His direction. What we have to do is make the next right choice. Sometimes that's difficult and we like to ask ourselves why things are so hard. But maybe we should be asking why we expect doing the right thing to be so easy?
This is a great discussion to carry over and share among your family--including kids and teens!--and we encourage you to keep the conversation going at home.