Messages from St Paul's Lutheran Church and the Bridge in Muskego, WI
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A podcast about topics on Christianity and life, from St Paul's Lutheran Church and The Bridge in Muskego, WI
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The Need for Followership, Part 2: Followers Are Servants - Pastor Kuehl
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24:00
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Humility and pride are polar opposites. Pride exalts self at the expense of God and others. Humility exalts God and others at the expense of self. Pride is the essential vice, for it increases one’s hunger for all other sins. Humility increases one’s hunger for the forgiveness and healing found in Christ. The one who is proud demands to be served. …
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The Need for Followership, Part 2: Followers Are Servants - Pastor Nate
31:54
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Humility and pride are polar opposites. Pride exalts self at the expense of God and others. Humility exalts God and others at the expense of self. Pride is the essential vice, for it increases one’s hunger for all other sins. Humility increases one’s hunger for the forgiveness and healing found in Christ. The one who is proud demands to be served. …
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The Need for Followership, Part 1: Followers Trust the Impossible - Dave Panitzke
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28:23
So often it may seem that all is lost. A cancer diagnosis, a relapse into addiction, the revelation of the unfaithfulness of a spouse, just the nightly news of the horrors and atrocities taking place throughout the world—it would appear the evil has this world by the throat and there is no hope of any real and lasting change. But nothing could be f…
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The Need for Followership, Part 1: Followers Trust the Impossible - Pastor Pete
25:14
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So often it may seem that all is lost. A cancer diagnosis, a relapse into addiction, the revelation of the unfaithfulness of a spouse, just the nightly news of the horrors and atrocities taking place throughout the world—it would appear the evil has this world by the throat and there is no hope of any real and lasting change. But nothing could be f…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 12: Finishing Well - Pastor Nate
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40:10
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When the fires of the trials of life burn hard and long, our strength, our patience, our ability to endure, even our motivation begins to fade. Arrogance and pride can sneak in when things are going well for us. Or we can become cynical and embittered toward our struggles and difficulties. Where do we find the strength and the ability to finish str…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 11: Godliness and Contentment - Pastor Pete
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Godliness is a God-centered life. It grows, not through the pursuit of a process, but through the presence of a person. Jesus Christ is the mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16). His presence in your life is your hope of becoming the person God calls you to be. Christ in you [is] the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Contentment is finding joy in wh…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 10: Live to God’s Glory - Dave Panitzke
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What do you live for? God wants us to think big. Do we live for ourselves? Our desires? Our ambitions? Do we live for our career? Our relationships? Our family? Our friends? We live for the One who died for us. We live to glorify him. We live to give witness to his love to the people he has placed in our lives. In so doing we find fulfillment, mean…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 10: Live to God’s Glory - Pastor Pete
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What do you live for? God wants us to think big. Do we live for ourselves? Our desires? Our ambitions? Do we live for our career? Our relationships? Our family? Our friends? We live for the One who died for us. We live to glorify him. We live to give witness to his love to the people he has placed in our lives. In so doing we find fulfillment, mean…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 9: Care for the Care Givers - Pastor Nate
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Being in a place of leadership—even in the church--is challenging. A congregation is made up of diverse people: different backgrounds, personalities, preferences--different lenses through which we see the world. There is no way that church leaders can make every member happy all the time. Leadership in the church is to one degree or another a minis…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 8: Treat Each Person as a Precious Individual - Pastor Pete
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In his second letter to Timothy Paul writes: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” God’s Word is true. God’s Word is practical. God’s Word is sufficient. God’s Word provides principles that are endurin…
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Unraveling the Mystery - A Study of 1 Timothy
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Af St Paul's Lutheran Church, Muskego WI
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 7: Establish Your Training Regime - Pastor Nate
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A 5k, a marathon, a Tough Mudder, tryouts for your school team—we recognize the importance of preparing well for these types of events. In many cases it can be a “do or die” situation. Preparing well requires a plan, commitment, tenacity and self-discipline. The race of life is also a do or die situation. And life is much more a marathon than a 5K.…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 7: Establish Your Training Regime - Pastor Kuehl
24:39
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24:39
A 5k, a marathon, a Tough Mudder, tryouts for your school team—we recognize the importance of preparing well for these types of events. In many cases it can be a “do or die” situation. Preparing well requires a plan, commitment, tenacity and self-discipline. The race of life is also a do or die situation. And life is much more a marathon than a 5K.…
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Pressure Reveals Truth - Dave Panitzke
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It’s easy to hide weaknesses when everything is going well. But what about when the pressure is on? When we experience the pressure that life can bring, what truth will that pressure reveal? Pressure can not only reveal to us the truth about ourselves, but can also reveal the truth about God to us, and to others.…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 6: Aspire to Greater Service - Pastor Pete
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Our church body and many others are wrestling right now with a shortage of ministry workers to meet the needs of the local church. Why are there fewer men and women going into full-time ministry work? There are, of course, many factors. Your present pastors recall the culture surrounding them when they were young and considering pursuing full-time …
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 5: Explain “Church Rules” - Pastor Kuehl
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21:22
The household of faith is built on the reality that God has designed the members of his household be complementarily diverse. That’s a mouthful. It means that God created us all with unique gifts, skills, talents, and predispositions. This diversity provides all that is required to meet the complex needs of the household of faith, individuals, fami…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 5: Explain “Church Rules” - Pastor Pete
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39:55
The household of faith is built on the reality that God has designed the members of his household be complementarily diverse. That’s a mouthful. It means that God created us all with unique gifts, skills, talents, and predispositions. This diversity provides all that is required to meet the complex needs of the household of faith, individuals, fami…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 4: Don’t Let Politics Get in the Way - Pastor Pete
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As the presidential election draws closer, people’s fear is tangible. Some of this fear is rational. Much of this fear is not. Our future does not rest in the hands of the man who will be elected as our next president. Our future rests in the hands of the One who created and rules over all things. Our future rests in the hands of the One who unders…
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Episode 39 - Loving Our Friends With Special Needs
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Our guest on the podcast is Pastor Joel Gaertner, the Director for Special Ministries of the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod). The reality is that ALL of us have special needs, but many of us tend to wear them more on the inside than the outside. How can Christians and Churches be a more welcoming place for with special needs, especially…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 3: Build a Positive Self Image - Pastor Pete
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What do you see when you look in the mirror. A vast majority of people do not like what they see. And we are not talking first and foremost about appearance. We are talking about the man and woman underneath. The mistakes we have made, the people we have hurt, our failings and failures, our disappointments and regrets. If this is what see, we are n…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 2: Remember Your Goal – Proper Use of the Law - Pastor Pete
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27:51
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Many of us grew up with a healthy amount of fear when it came to our fathers or other male leaders, principals and police officers, for example. Certainly, there was benefit in this fear. We put ourselves and others in danger of great harm when we choose to break the rules. In the same way, it is healthy to fear God. His law is real, not just a sug…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 2: Remember Your Goal – Proper Use of the Law - Pastor Nate
22:50
22:50
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Many of us grew up with a healthy amount of fear when it came to our fathers or other male leaders, principals and police officers, for example. Certainly, there was benefit in this fear. We put ourselves and others in danger of great harm when we choose to break the rules. In the same way, it is healthy to fear God. His law is real, not just a sug…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 1: Start with the Foundation Mystery - Pastor Kuehl
20:35
20:35
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20:35
"I just want to be happy." The challenge with that sentiment is understanding what it truly means to be happy. Am I happy when I feel good? Am I happy when everything is going my way in life? A part of us recognizes that these kinds of approaches to happiness are shallow, that true happiness has to have more depth to it. Throughout the Scriptures w…
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Unraveling the Mysteries, Part 1: Start with the Foundation Mystery - Pastor Nate
35:35
35:35
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35:35
"I just want to be happy." The challenge with that sentiment is understanding what it truly means to be happy. Am I happy when I feel good? Am I happy when everything is going my way in life? A part of us recognizes that these kinds of approaches to happiness are shallow, that true happiness has to have more depth to it. Throughout the Scriptures w…
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Rest Is a Gift, Not Something to Be Earned - Pastor Nate
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After a long day of work, you have earned the right to sit down in your favorite chair, put your feet up, and watch your favorite program. After a hard week on the job, you have earned the opportunity to relax a bit that weekend. After doing your job well for many months, you have earned those two weeks of vacation at the beach. This is how everyon…
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Trinity Sunday 2024 - Only a Triune God Can Deliver What Only a Triune God Can Offer - Pastor Pete
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No Christian teaching demonstrates that we have a top-down faith more than the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Scripture teaches that there is only one God. Yet that God exists as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Incomprehensible! It is the type of teaching about which the psalmist declares, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for m…
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Episode 38 - Honoring Christians Who Have Died
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Reflections on Memorial Day and Ending Well Memorial Day is thought of many different ways. A national holiday. The start of summer vacation. Family gatherings and cookouts. A day that honors those in the armed forces (That's actually Veterans Day in November). And then there is the actual intention - honoring those who have given their lives in mi…
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Resurrection Reality, Part 8: Christ Has Not Left Us Alone - Pastor Pete
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Jesus told his disciples that, though he was going to ascend into heaven, he wasn’t going to leave them alone. He was going to send “the Advocate,” a title for the Holy Spirit. But Jesus wasn’t sending the Spirit just to keep us company. Jesus would have the Advocate give us spiritual power so that we might participate in Christ’s saving work. Here…
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Episode 37 - Modern Mentorship and the Church's Need for Humility
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Our Guest this week is Jim Buske of Lighthouse Youth Ministry and he relayed a story he asked a man in the predominantly African American Garden Homes neighborhood of Milwaukee about the challenges the city and the neighborhood faces. His friends answer was informative, not just for minority communities, but speaks to an increasingly important need…
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Resurrection Reality, Part 7: Jesus’ Business Is Love; Therefore, So I Ours - Pastor Pete
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The entirety of God’s Word can be summed up in one word: love. God’s Law is all about love. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37,39). The gospel is all about love: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” (John 3:16). From his compassion for the sick and broken, to …
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Resurrection Reality, Part 6: Remain in Me - Pastor Pete
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Conventional wisdom would say if Christ has ascended into heaven, he is further away from his followers than when he was visibly on earth. The resurrection reality is that it is the other way around. Now that Christ has ascended, he is closer than ever. The living and ascended Savior has reassumed full use of all his divine power. So if you need Ch…
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Episode 36 - The What and Why of Voting in Church
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Voting is a significant topic in American culture, especially in an election year. But what does the "right to vote" really mean? While it seems straightforward, the reality of that vote changes in different contexts and today we want to talk about what voting is and means in the church specifically. The podcast today gives important context to the…
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Resurrection Reality, Part 5: The Living LORD Produces ACTIVE Faith - Pastor Kuehl
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Generally, our actions are shaped by our beliefs. People who eat low-carb diets do so, probably not because they hate pasta, but because they believe it healthiest. If a man buys stock in a company, it probably is because he believes in their business plan. Our beliefs shape our behavior. This is true of Christians’ belief in the resurrection. We b…
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Resurrection Reality, Part 5: The Living LORD Produces ACTIVE Faith - Pastor Nate
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Generally, our actions are shaped by our beliefs. People who eat low-carb diets do so, probably not because they hate pasta, but because they believe it healthiest. If a man buys stock in a company, it probably is because he believes in their business plan. Our beliefs shape our behavior. This is true of Christians’ belief in the resurrection. We b…
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Episode 35 - Does God Love Me or My Behavior?
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Have you ever wondered if God seems to care more about how we behave than who we are? It's honestly not fair of us to see the God of the Bible, the God of the cross and empty tomb this way, but in our world we tend to feel the constant judgements all around us. Whether it's at work, at home, in relationships, at church... we have opinions of others…
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Resurrection Reality, Part 4: The Risen Savior is the PERFECT Shepherd - Pastor Nate
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Scripture frequently pictures spiritual care in terms of a shepherd watching over sheep. Even folks unfamiliar with shepherding are able to grasp the meaning. Sheep are helpless animals—an easy meal for predators. For sheep to survive they needed a shepherd who not only leads them to sources of food, but who also is willing to tangle with a pack of…
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Episode 34 - The Value and Importance of the Creeds
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Why Lutherans Use Creeds in Church Creeds are a statement of belief that help Christians express the basic truths that they believe, as both an individual or as a corporate church. Perhaps you already know this, but there is not a uniform agreement in the larger Christian church about the importance of validity of the Creeds. So why, in the Wiscons…
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Resurrection Reality, Part 3: We Have a Meaningful Message to Share - Pastor Pete
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A platitude is a statement aimed at helping soothe some sort of emotional unease. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Or “Life is a mystery.” Or “Good things come to those who wait.” While platitudes may be well-intentioned, at best they come off as trite. And since platitudes provide no real help, they can actually make a situation worse. …
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Episode 33 - When Jesus Went To Hell
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Understanding Jesus Descent into Hell The Apostles Creed is a simple summary of the Biblical, Christian faith through the use of several statements that have rich theological depth to them. The second article, (or second paragraph of the creed) has to do with Jesus, who he is, what happened to him and what he does. As part of this creed, there is a…
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Resurrection Reality, Part 2: The Living Lord Gives Proof and Peace - Pastor Pete
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In most world religions, the alleged foundational event was experienced by only one person. A self proclaimed prophet would allege he alone had some special encounter with God. “No really! Just trust me. It really happened.” The resurrection reality is so very different. In the Great Resurrection Chapter (1 Corinthians 15), St. Paul writes an entir…
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Three Thoughts on what God Has Already Given You In a sermon from a few weeks earlier, Pastor Pete shared an illustration that involved $80 as he helped the congregation wrestle with our guild driven anxiety that fuels the "TRY HARDER" voice we all wrestle with from time to time. With the illustration comes a great conversation on what it means to …
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Resurrection Reality, Part 1: All Will Be Made Alive - Pastor Nate
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The film director Woody Allen once said, “I’m not afraid to die, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Studies have shown that most people fear death to varying degrees. This fear is so common, there is even a field of psychological study called thanatology. It examines human reaction to death and dying. One of the biggest reasons people …
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Rethinking Religion, Part 7: Rethinking Appetite - Pastor Kuehl
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We use the word “appetite” to describe a powerful desire for something. So, what is it you crave the most? Where does your mind go in those quiet moments? What do you want? Power? What do you dream about? Prestige? For what do you hunger? Pleasure? Are our appetites healthy? A truly healthy appetite is one that aligns with our deepest needs: forgiv…
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Biblical Observations from the Passion Story. One of the benefits of reading the Bible over and over is that we all mature through experiences. Wisdom comes from the combination of knowledge and experience and as we read the scriptures and become more familiar with the word of God in the Bible, we see more and more of God's truth and the applicatio…
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Rethinking Religion, Part 6: Rethinking Real Strength - Pastor Pete
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What does real strength look like? Is it exerting your will over another using any means necessary, including force. But this week we see Jesus Christ demonstrate a different kind of strength. Jesus assumes a position of weakness. To do what Christ did for us and our salvation took real strength.Af St Paul's Lutheran Church, Muskego WI
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Rethinking Religion, Part 5: Rethinking Commitment - Pastor Nate
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Religious sociologists sometimes divide Christians into two groups: committed Christians and cultural Christians. The former are usually defined as those who are active in a congregation, who pray regularly, who read Scripture, etc. The latter are those individuals who call themselves Christian and perhaps have some Christian beliefs. Yet, they do …
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Episode 30 - The Value and Challenge of Bible Translations
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How different does this sound? "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." and “If anyone wants to follow me, let a person deny themself, take up their cross, and follow me. Did you see it? "Must" vs. "Let a person" One is more direct and to the point, but has an edge that may go beyond the original…
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Rethinking Religion, Part 4: Rethinking “Try Harder” - Pastor Pete
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While not every religion uses the word “sin,” they all embrace the concept. Every religion acknowledges that mankind’s flawed attitudes or misguided actions are a source of pain, both now and potentially in eternity. So, every religion offers a solution: a set of laws, a moral code, a path to more enlightened behavior. What do they have in common? …
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