Decoding the Ten Commandments with Mike Allen

Ever wonder what it feels like to truly be seen, understood, and connected with a group of individuals journeying through faith together? In this episode, we listen to Sara, Lauren, Shannon, and Erin, as they share a glimpse of their weekly New City Circle—where faith, vulnerability, and a good cup of coffee converge to create a lifeline of honest conversations, where trust is as transparent as the glasses through which God sees us. The stories shared in this episode are a testament to the power of community in not only understanding but also living out our identities in Christ.

To find out more about Circles at NewCity, you can visit the Circles page on in our Church Center app.

In this episode, Nate provides an update about the state of the podcast going into March. While there was much energy toward episodes each week on the M'Cheyne Reading Plan and New City Catechism, reality set in going into February, and the former will only be monthly, while the latter will not be at all.

Instead, there will be upcoming episodes highlighting what a Circle is like from the inside, as well as the broader vision for NewCity in this next season.

For the episodes related to the M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan, you can find them here.

In this episode, Benjamin Kandt talks with David Goodman about some of the elements from our Slow-Down Spirituality learning event earlier this month. David was originally going to participate as a leader and help with the teaching of the event, so this conversation is a way to recap some of the principles and practices that were shared there.

Here are some of the resources mentioned, as well as other helpful items:

• All of Life Guide
• Revisiting Our Common Rhythm: 3x Prayer
• The Due App
• Practicing the Way
• Subversive Sabbath
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
• You Are What You Love
• The Spirit of The Disciplines

In this episode (our 200th!), Nate has a chance to talk with Jason Dunn, NewCity's Executive Director of Congregational Care, and soon to be Associate Pastor.  Jason has been at NewCity since 2009, became a Ruling Elder several years ago, and is now accepting a call to the Associate Pastor position. He currently splits his time between overseeing Family Ministries, Congregational Care, and Kingdom Partnerships. 

In this episode, Nate and Pastoral Resident Ryan Gawrych discuss New City Catechism Question 6:

How can we glorify God?
We glorify God by enjoying him, loving him, trusting him, and by obeying his will, commands, and law.

They discuss the theology, significance, and practical implications of living our lives to God's glory.

In this episode, Nate talks with Pastoral Resident Ryan Gawrych about New City Catechism Question 5:

What else did God create?

God created all things by his powerful Word, and all his creation was very good; everything flourished under his loving rule.

They discuss the importance of God being creator, and especially that creation is good, though sin does affect it. They also talk about the importance of culture and about engaging with the world that we live in rather than retreating from it.

And, Ranger Rick is still apparently around and you can check it out here.

In this episode, Nate offers some reflections on Esther, which we're almost done with, and Mark, which we've just begun. On the app (find NewCity on Church Center), you can find links to a bunch of old episodes on Romans, as well as introductions to Mark and Esther.

In this episode, Nate Claiborne talks briefly about New City Catechism Question 4:

How and why did God create us?

God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.

Nate highlights the connection between being made in God's image and our ability to glorify him, something we strive to do as a community of people, male and female, adults and children alike.

In this episode, Nate draws connections between the different reading cycles within the M'Cheyne Reading Plan. In Nehemiah we see commentary on Abraham's story in Genesis that we read earlier this month. In Acts 22-23, we see Paul offering commentary on his own Damascus road experience from chapter 9. The Bible really is the first hyper-linked text and reading multiple chapters a day from different parts of it allows us to see that more clearly.

In this episode, Nate Claiborne discusses Question 3 from the New City Catechism:

How many persons are there in God?

There are three persons in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are the same in substance, equal in power and glory.

Nate draws on Kevin DeYoung's insights, which you can find in the commentary on the app, to help grapple with the doctrine of the Trinity and its practical importance for us as Christians