The Gospel for Everyone

While the holidays are a season in our year where we spend a lot of time celebrating and rejoicing, they can also bring about some struggles and problems that may dampen your festive mood.

Join Jason and Lane as they talk about five ways to really not just survive the holiday season, but how you can thrive through the festivities.  

The quick list of 5 ways to thrive:
1. Practice gratitude.
2. Pray in advance for patience.
3. Practice rest.
4. Remember those who are gone.
5. Stay focused on Jesus.

Here's a link to the playlist Jason referenced in the podcast called "Messiah Christmas" - 

In this episode of the Gospel for Everyone - we talk about resources for how to read your Bible, how to understand your Bible, and how to study your Bible.

Do you ever get overwhelmed in regards to the Bible?  Why should I study it? Why should I read it?  And besides that - there's hundreds of versions, so which one is the right one to read?  Why are there so many versions?  How do I choose??  How do I get the most out of reading the Bible?  These are common questions, and we thought we'd kick off the third season of our podcast looking at these things.

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 12 of the Gospel for Everyone.

In today’s episode, we’ll wrap up our conversation on biblical worldview. For the last few episodes, we've been thinking about what it means to develop a biblical worldview. A worldview is the lens we use to make sense of the world. It's a systematic way of looking at things. And everyone has a worldview. So we've been talking about some of the major themes in a biblical worldview: creation and identity and covenant, just to name a few.

In this episode, we will turn our attention to something that is really at the heart of a biblical worldview. A biblical worldview centers around the story of Jesus. All of these things we've discussed about creation and identity and covenant come together in a powerful way in the story of Jesus. He promises me a new identity as a new creation through a new covenant. 

CLICK HERE -- LINK TO THE IMAGES WE MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

Recommended resources on worldview:

1. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution by Carl Trueman
   • Philosophical, historical analysis of how we ended up here.
   • Pretty long, dense; has written a shorter version called Strange New World
2. Live Your Truth and Other Lies: Exposing Popular Deceptions That Make Us Anxious, Exhausted, and Self-Obsessed by Alisa Childers
   • Also recommended Childers podcast: The Alisa Childers Podcast
   • Frequently discusses these kinds of issues, challenges progressive Christianity
3. Christianity and Wokeness: How the Social Justice Movement is Hijacking the Gospel -- and the Way to Stop It by Owen Strachan
   • Strachan is a Bible scholar, analyzes the woke movement in light of Scripture. Highly recommended.
4. Hold the Line: A Call for Christian Conviction in a Culture of Conformity by Erik Reed
   • Reed is a pastor in my hometown. Quick read, but he really rallies us to deeper conviction about biblical truth.
5. Live No Lies: Recognize and Resist the Three Enemies That Sabotage Your Peace by John Mark Comer
   • Comer does a great job of describing the culture of lies we're currently living in.
6. The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
   • Written by two college professors, speaking about the effects of cancel culture on campus.
7. Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything About Race, Gender, and Identity -- and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose and James A. Lindsay
   • Not a Christian critique of critical theory. But it critiques the movement from a secular point of view. Really well done.

A quick heads up before you listen to this episode: we will be discussing Paul’s teaching about sexual immorality.  In a day where we hear a lot of differing and confusing messages about sexuality, we need God’s wisdom and instruction in dealing with this topic.  So, if you have a young child in the car with you while you’re driving along and listening today - we just wanted to let you know before we got started that this will be our topic for today.

So - having said that - Welcome to Season 2, episode 11 of the Gospel for Everyone. We are so glad you could join us as we continue this series on “Understanding the Times” - and today, Jason, we are going to talk about something that dominates pretty much all areas of music and media and news - and that is the topic of sex.  In particular - we’re going to be looking at sexual immorality, and how we can honor God by not only avoiding it, but actually running far away from it.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Ecclesiastes 1:9; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 5:1; Genesis 39; Mark 6:18; Romans 8:37.

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 10 of the Gospel for Everyone.  In this episode, we'll continue the "Understanding the Times" series with a message that expresses how God's covenant of love is expressed through His promises: to be with us, to be for us, and to change us.

Some scriptures for you to refer to during the episode: Deuteronomy 7:7-9; Jeremiah 31:31-34; 2 Peter 1:3-4; Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5; Genesis 2:18; Psalm 23:4; Matthew 28:20; Revelation 21:3; Romans 8:31; Romans 8:35-39; Ezekiel 36:26.

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 9 of the Gospel for Everyone.  In this episode, Jason and Lane tackle a question that has been asked for generations, and we have some good news, and some bad news, about the answer.  

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 8 of the Gospel for Everyone. 

In this episode we continue our series on "Understanding the Times" and we dive deeper into the discussion of having a Biblical Worldview. 

We also establish that the Word of God is authoritative truth.

Sermon Texts: Mark 1:21-28; Matthew 28; Revelation 22:18-19; Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 24:35

Resource:   Live no Lies by John Mark Comer

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 7 of the Gospel for Everyone.  

Over the next few episodes, we'll be looking at the topic we call "Understanding the Times" - where we will do a deep dive of some issues and situations we as Christians are facing today in the world, and how to best be prepared for them.  We'll be really focusing on the importance of having a Biblical Worldview.

Scripture references for this episode:  1 Chronicles 12:32; Acts 2:38-40; Romans 13:11-14; John 8:44

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 6 of the Gospel for Everyone.  In this episode, Jason and Lane sit down with Stephen Stockbridge, a small business owner who is taking the call of Jesus seriously and is beginning the process of living part time in the mission field.  

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 5 of the Gospel for Everyone.

In this episode, we're going to look at something all of us eventually face: getting through the holidays while grieving.  Whatever grief you are experiencing, we offer these 12 steps to help navigate your grief and heal during the holiday season:

1. Expect this time to be hard
2. Be easy on yourself
3. Don't be afraid to ask for help
4. Give yourself permission to be joyful
5. Tell God exactly how you feel
6. Be gentle and gracious with your consolers
7. Do something out of love for somebody
8. Try not to withdraw
9. Let past memories flood you.
10. Draw strength and hope from your faith
11. If you wish, visit the graveside and talk
12. Remember that this is normal

This material was adapted from an article written by Randy Becton.

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 4 of the Gospel for Everyone.  In this episode, we will tackle part 2 of a 2 part episode dealing with anxiety.

In particular, we look at how we control our thoughts, not that our thoughts control us.  We look at some practical ways Scripture directs us to do this.

Some key passages we use:

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.

Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 23:7 
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

We are in the throes of an anxiety epidemic right now.  How can we deal with it?  Is there any help in sight?  Join Jason and Lane as they begin a multi-episode series on dealing with anxiety the way God shows us through Scripture.

Key Verse: 
Philippians 4:4-7 (NKJV)

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Questions:

1. Today we began a new series focusing on God's wisdom for overcoming anxiety. Everyone experiences anxiety in their lives. But how would you rate your anxiety level right now? Higher, lower, about the same as always? Does it seem as if anxiety has increased over the last couple of years?
2. Philippians 4:4-7 is the most highlighted Bible passage in Amazon's Kindle app. Read over this wonderful verse and talk about what really stands out to you.
3. One of the root words for anxiety means "to squeeze tightly" or "to choke." Anxiety can sometimes feel this way, especially when it feels as if our circumstances are spinning out of control. But based on Philippians 4:4-7, we can always choose to be joyful and we can choose to be prayerful. Is this good news? To know that even when things seem "out of control," we always have the power to choose how we react to stress?
4. How would you explain the difference between joy and happiness? Why do the biblical writers stress the importance of joy?
5. Jason and Lane said, "Prayer is the most reliable path to peace." Do you agree? Have you experienced this to be true in your life?

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 2 of "The Gospel for Everyone."  In this episode, Jason and Lane discuss how to make the most of the time you've been given each and every day.  If you're struggling with finding time to do all the things on your to do list, and find yourself having no time for yourself, this podcast is for you.

Ever wish you had some practical tips on how to be the best parent you can be?  

Here are ten tips that we'd like to share with you that will hopefully help you in your parenting journey.

Welcome to Episode 24 of the Gospel for Everyone.  In this episode, we discuss all things missions, especially short term missions and how important they are not only for Kingdom growth, but for personal growth as Christians.  Special guest - Joshua Bybee.

Welcome to Episode #23 of the Gospel for Everyone. In this episode - Jason and Lane are going to take a look at a key passage in Scripture that has changed the lives of so many people - and is directly related to our key theme of the Podcast - that the Gospel is for Everyone.  We'll be looking at John 3:16

Book referenced - Live No Lies by John Mark Comer

In this episode, Jason and Lane interview Jon Stacy, a missionary in Santa Rosa de Copan in the Central American country of Honduras.  Jon works for Mission Upreach, along with his wife Stacy (yes, Stacy Stacy is her real name), and their three children Lawson, Jordan, and Tobin.

To learn more about MISSION UPREACH - CLICK HERE

To learn more about SUBIDA COFFEE - CLICK HERE

To learn more about the DESEO PROJECT - CLICK HERE

Welcome to episode 21 of The Gospel for Everyone!  In this episode, we interview Jason Helton, the Media Minister for the Madison Church of Christ in Madison, AL.  Jason has a podcast coming out in the summer of 2022 that deals with the importance of families and recapturing the time families have together...including in carline while dropping off or picking up your children from school.

Join us as we talk with Jason about the importance of reclaiming family time in this episode!

You can reach Jason by email at jason@madisonchurch.org

In this episode, Jason and Lane talk about bible translations and hermeneutics.  At the heart of understanding the Gospel is reading a version of the Bible that you trust, and can understand.  It also requires an ability to understand what it is you're reading.  That's where this discussion comes in.