life together

In this episode, I had the pleasure of conversing with my good friend and former colleague, Ronnie. We took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about our first event together and the whirlwind of emotions that came with it.

1. The Perfect Timing: Ronnie shared how the invitation to the event came at a time when he was weathering a personal storm and seeking a deeper connection with God. It was a beacon of hope, a chance for personal growth and transformation.
2. Battling Insecurities: Like many of us, Ronnie had his share of fears and insecurities. Would he fit in? Would he be judged? But he realized these fears were obstacles, not truths, and that God was working in his life.
3. The Power of Showing Up: Out of 10,000 men invited, only 240 showed up. These brave souls, including Ronnie, pushed past their fears and insecurities, proving that real growth happens when we step out of our comfort zones.
4. Self-Reflection and Growth: Ronnie's journey led him to a deeper understanding of his emotions and behaviors. Through self-reflection, he learned to recognize when he was acting out of character and used these moments as opportunities for self-improvement.
5. The Power of Writing: Ronnie found solace and understanding in writing down his thoughts and emotions. He encourages everyone to embrace this practice, regardless of whether you consider yourself a writer or not.
6. A Prayer of Gratitude: We ended our conversation with a prayer, expressing our gratitude for the lessons learned and extending blessings to our listeners.

I invite you to listen to this episode and join us on this journey of self-discovery and personal growth. And if you feel inspired, share your writings with us. We'd love to hear your stories.

Connect with Ronnie Santana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronniesantana
Follow Ronnie Santana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santanasellsocala/

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The church that does not operate under the biblical theology of worship is in danger of failing to give God glory and failing to offer worship that is pleasing to Him.  Contrary to popular belief, worship does not begin and end with the singing portion of our church services. Worship is also not limited to bowing in reverence before God. To begin with, worship is determined by God Himself.

Recommended reading: 
Life Together by Bonhoeffer
I will by Rainer

No church is perfect. It’s full of imperfect people who come together for a common goal: to love Jesus and to talk about Him to those who don’t know Him. The Church is the body of Christ and, as such, is charged to carry out His work in the world. Before Jesus ascended back into heaven, He gave the disciples the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples(reproduce) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age(Jesus' 2nd coming)" (Matthew 28:19-20).  A healthy local church will be actively fulfilling the Great Commission, and the Bible provides specific guidelines of what the signs of a healthy church are.

2 practical tests to apply to all teaching:

1.    Test of faith: does it come from God, being in agreement with apostolic doctrine, or is it a product of human imagination?

2.    The test of love: does it promote unity in the body of Christ

Recommended Reading:
Church Called Tov By Scot McKnight  
life together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Saint Athanasius Church

Contra Mundum Swagger

Video Version 

If you've ever wondered what it means to do Christian community or to follow Jesus with other people, you're not alone. Confusion and opinions abound, but what I've found in a decade of ministry in Chicago is you can learn a lot by observing what's missing. There's a big difference between treating community as a duty and a means to an end versus a gift and a celebration. Press into the difference in this episode!

In an effort to explore the scandalous grace of God in every day life, these articles seek to bring helpful conversations and encouragement to you wherever you are. 

www.larksite.com/blog/enjoying-the-faithfulness-of-god
www.larksite.com/get-connected

Christianity is a team effort, not a solo endeavor. In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares how "reaching in" is an important part of our spiritual growth. 
 

Centered Part 4 – Reaching In
 
Christianity is a team effort, not a solo endeavor. In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares how "reaching in" is an important part of our spiritual growth. 
 
There are four sections on a cross that mirror four spiritual growth goals: 
Growing Deep, Growing Up,Reaching Out, Reaching In
 
Today, Reaching In: making an effort to get to know and love your spiritual family better.
Acts 2:42 
Christianity is a team effort, not a solo endeavor. You can’t love God and not love His kids. 
 

Why Should We Reach in?

1. It makes Jesus happy. 
Ephesians 4:32  
 
2. It helps you. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 
Everyone longs to belong. You need people to walk with, work with, and witness with. You need people to watch you and warn you. 
 
3. It helps others. 
Hebrews 10:24 
 
4. It matures you. 
Strength comes from stretching. You don’t get better by being comfortable.  
1 John 4:19-21 
Jesus saves individuals, but He disciples groups.

5. It heals you.
James 5:16 
 

How Do We Reach In? 
1. Hang out. 
Acts 5:42 
Jesus had groups of 3 (close friends), 12 (spiritual family), 70 (ministry groups), 120 (acquaintances), & 500 (everyone).
Hebrews 10:25 
 
2. Help out. 
Galatians 6:2 
 
3. Get honest.  
Proverbs 27:17 
Without submitting things to a trusted friend, you won’t be as sharp as you could be.  
 
4. “One-another” one another. 
Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10),
honor one another (Romans 12:10), 
live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8), 
accept one another (Romans 15:7), 
serve one another (Galatians 5:13), 
be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32), 
admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), 
encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13), 
motivate one another toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24), 
offer hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9), 
and love one another (1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11; 3:23; 4:7; 4:11-12). 
You can’t one-another by yourself!
 
You’ll ask your neighbors to watch your stuff, but who have you asked to watch your soul?
 
Are you reaching in?

Deitrich Bonhoeffer (1906—1945) was a pastor, theologian, spy and conspirator against Hitler’s Third Reich. Bonhoeffer guarded, proclaimed and lived out the Gospel when the fate of Western Civilization hung in the balance. He was executed by the Nazis just weeks before their official surrender in WW2. Bonhoeffer understood that following Christ meant opposing evil, preaching truth, and living fearlessly––and his integrity and insight impact us today.

Links

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Centuries of contemplatives and community leaders, alike, have drawn bridges between inner and outer work. Meister Eckhart, the great thirteenth century philosopher and mystic, writes, “What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.” In other words, the virtues we cultivate within ourselves spill over and course throughout the work we do in the world. 

For our second issue, Clerestory writers and contributors have responded to the theme community. For the last four months, we’ve processed belonging, loneliness, and grief… love, friendship, and loss… locality and neighborliness… storytelling and peacebuilding… racial justice… liberation and the lack of it… human interconnectedness… and life together. 

Today on the podcast, we’re sharing three stories from Clerestory’s second issue. 

First, Kimi Bryson shares a creative nonfiction piece, “Pittsburgh” a reflection on moving and love in the time of the pandemic. 

Emma McDonald shares an essay on epistemic trust, community, and the QAnon conspiracy. 

And Anushree Singh shares “Coconut,” a moving personal essay on self-belonging and her identity as an Indian American woman. 

Read the Magazine: 

clerestorymag.com

Follow us: 

Instagram: @clerestorymag

Twitter: @clerestorymag

Facebook: facebook.com/clerestorymag

Support our work:

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Saint Athanasius Church

Contra Mundum Swagger

Video Version

Welcome to the third season of the Into the Pray podcast!

Mairi and I needed a wee break from the frenetic activity surrounding podcasting as season two drew to a close just a few days before Christmas. (There are more than 40 other episodes over seasons 1&2 that you can go ahead and listen to, including solid teaching through the book of 1 Corinthians).

2021 has started with an intense sense of spiritual activity surrounding a one day fast as we gratefully said goodbye to 2020. (How much do we have to be grateful for in such an unparalleled year?!).

Suffice to say, 12 months ago (before COVID was a thing), the Lord asked us to call every single church in the UK to close its doors. 12 months on we are now recognising more and more why He wanted this to happen and, indeed, why it shouldn't be a reality that we are resisting.

Lord willing, we will be producing a short/hard-hitting/provocative film in the early part of February that communicates strongly about where we ourselves have been feeling overwhelmed with the scale and magnitude of what He's been showing us....and we trust that He will also have been showing you too.

Look out for this film, our ongoing weekly sessions with Dave Brennan, our continuing Sunday teaching through 1 Corinthians and a new audio book version of Body Zero.

We need your help! Please consider supporting this podcast and the wider work that we're pioneering by giving here.

You are also more than welcome (especially if you're sick of Facebook) on our free community app, as part of our fledgling JesusCome! community, and you can find out more here, including the community values and etiquette documents that we make no apology for. 

Come, Lord Jesus!

Love
N&M 

If you would like to support this podcast, you can do so here.

In the blink of an eye, we have been married for 1 year. Our first anniversary has come, and while most of our married life has been in this crazy 2020 year, we have learned a lot, experienced highs and lows, and done everything together!

In honor of our first year, we wanted to do a list of 1’s:

-1 thing we learned.

-1 thing we liked that we did together. 

-1 thing that was hard

-1 thing we wish we could take back

And a few more, answers to these lists of 1’s..

It was a great exercise because, as everyone has learned in 2020, life can get crazy and unpredictable. So, for us, to get our marriage starting off right, we have had to be unified and ride out the craziness together! 

Even though this year has been infamous, we know that our favorite times have been together, and we are glad that we are going through hard times together as well.

In our segment, “that thing you do”, we ask Tania why Texas is the best state?

The line between truth and opinion has never been more blurry, than right here. 

Tania has never been known to give an objective and unbiased thought on Texas, and this segment was no different. It made for quite an entertaining answer as to why she thinks Texas is the best place!

This was a fun episode, so make sure to listen, share, and review!

Write to us a question or comment at whatsthedillpodcast@gmail.com 

Thank you for listening!!