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Indhold leveret af Jeff Roper. Alt podcastindhold inklusive episoder, grafik og podcastbeskrivelser uploades og leveres direkte af Jeff Roper eller deres podcastplatformspartner. Hvis du mener, at nogen bruger dit ophavsretligt beskyttede værk uden din tilladelse, kan du følge processen beskrevet her https://da.player.fm/legal.
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Happy Valentine’s Day! You know what that means: We have a brand new season of Love Is Blind to devour. Courtney Revolution (The Circle) joins host Chris Burns to delight in all of the pod romances and love triangles. Plus, Meg joins the podcast to debrief the Madison-Mason-Meg love triangle. Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/WeHaveTheReceipts Text us at (929) 487-3621 DM Chris @FatCarrieBradshaw on Instagram Follow We Have The Receipts wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.…
Indhold leveret af Jeff Roper. Alt podcastindhold inklusive episoder, grafik og podcastbeskrivelser uploades og leveres direkte af Jeff Roper eller deres podcastplatformspartner. Hvis du mener, at nogen bruger dit ophavsretligt beskyttede værk uden din tilladelse, kan du følge processen beskrevet her https://da.player.fm/legal.
This is the podcast dedicated to helping you fulfill the Mission of God in your life and around the world, hosted by Jeff Roper. Jeff serves as the Global Associate Director to MENECA and Europe for Foursquare Missions International. Find out more by visiting www.jeffroper.com
Indhold leveret af Jeff Roper. Alt podcastindhold inklusive episoder, grafik og podcastbeskrivelser uploades og leveres direkte af Jeff Roper eller deres podcastplatformspartner. Hvis du mener, at nogen bruger dit ophavsretligt beskyttede værk uden din tilladelse, kan du følge processen beskrevet her https://da.player.fm/legal.
This is the podcast dedicated to helping you fulfill the Mission of God in your life and around the world, hosted by Jeff Roper. Jeff serves as the Global Associate Director to MENECA and Europe for Foursquare Missions International. Find out more by visiting www.jeffroper.com
Hey everybody! Welcome to the final episode of this season of All In! I have a question for you: what do these people have in common? Tim Cook (Apple CEO) Fannie Flagg Harper Lee Booker T. Washington George Washington Carver Hugo Black (Supreme Court Justice) Rick Bragg (Pulitzer Prize) Helen Keller Truman Capote Hank Aaron Martin Luther King Jr. Joe Namath Jesse Ownes Rosa Parks Condoleeze Rice Lionel Richie Hank Williams Sr. and Jr. They are all from Alabama. I grew up in a very town of about 200 people in Alabama. I fled the state when I was 19 years old. I moved to the Pacific Northwest, about as far as I could go while remaining in the lower 48 states. I had a very thick southern accent I worked diligently to overcome. When someone finds out you are from Alabama, they generally ask backwardness, bigotry, and incest. To be honest with you. It was challenging. While on a rare visit to see family, I was in a large bookstore, when I found a book that caught my eye, “ Alabama in the Twentieth Century .” I bought the book and started reading it. When I finished the book, I had two main thoughts: This is how history is supposed to be written. This was a great book. This guy helped me find the beautiful I knew existed in Alabama that is too often hidden by the stereotypes, the rednecks, fundamentalist religion, narrow-minded intolerance, and gratuitous meanness. Dr. Wayne Flynt is the author the book I read. He was born in Mississippi but grew up primarily in Alabama and graduated from Anniston High School. He attended Samford University as a ministerial student; double majored in History and Speech. He also attended graduate school at Florida State University, receiving his Ph.D. in American History. He is a prolific author. Of his fourteen books (three of which are co-authored): two deal with Florida politics, three deal with evangelical religion, three deal with poverty, and three are broad surveys of Alabama history, including his two most acclaimed, POOR BUT PROUD: ALABAMA’S POOR WHITES , and ALABAMA IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY . His memoir entitled, KEEPING THE FAITH , was published in 2011, and his history, SOUTHERN RELIGION AND CHRISTIAN DIVERSITY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY was published in July 2016. His most recent book (2017) is MOCKINGBIRD SONGS: MY FRIENDSHIP WITH HARPER LEE , which won the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum Literary Prize for Excellence in Writing. Two of his books have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and one won the Lillian Smith Award for non-fiction (the oldest and most highly regarded book prize in the South, given by the Southern Regional Council). Two of his books have won the Alabama Library Association prize for best works of non-fiction, three times he has won the James Sulzby book award for best work on Alabama history (awarded by the Alabama Historical Association), and three times the University of Alabama Press has bestowed the McMillan prize on his manuscripts as the best received in history. Dr. Wayne Flynt is a community activist, serving American Cancer Society’s Committee for the Socio-economically Disadvantaged, was a co-founder of both the Alabama Poverty Project (now called ALABAMA POSSIBLE) and Sowing Seeds of Hope. Dr. Flynt has been awarded more than can be covered. He has taught and spoke across America and the world. Dr. Flynt is active in a number of professional organizations, six of which have honored him with their highest awards for service. In 2003-04 he served as president of the Southern Historical Association, the largest professional organization devoted to the study of southern history and culture, with some 5,000 members worldwide. He was founding general editor of the online Encyclopedia of Alabama from which he retired in September 2008. I hope you enjoy our conversation today! If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Culture eats strategy for breakfast. Famous words mistakenly attributed to Peter Drucker.It doesn’t matter who said it, it is TRUE. We can glibly talk about changing culture, but culture is a hard this to change. Yet, if you want real and lasting change, you must do more than change policies, you must change cultures. I could think of no one better to talk about this topic than my friend, Tammy Dunahoo. Tammy hold the title of Vice President – Senior Director of Leader Culture+Care for The Foursquare Church. Tammy Dunahoo has served The Foursquare Church in multiple roles since 2003, including general supervisor, Arkansas District supervisor, vice president of Women in Leadership Ministry, on the National Church Health Initiative team, and multiple boards and committees. She serves on the Foursquare board of directors, the cabinet, and on the board of trustees of Life Pacific University (LPU). Besides these roles, Tammy pastored with her husband, Gary, for 38 years. Tammy’s greatest passion is to educate, train, mentor and sponsor emerging generations.She loves to see young leaders, women and men of every people group, living out their God- given design, and creatively and effectively engaging culture. Her role includes serving the president and partnering with him in architecting culture with a specific focus on discipleship and leadership development, diversity and NextGen. I think you'll really enjoy this conversation and I hope you find it helpful to your specific context. Enjoy!…
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a celebrated spiritual writer and sought-after speaker. A native of North Carolina, he is a graduate of Eastern University and Duke Divinity School. In 2003, Jonathan and his wife Leah founded the Rutba House, a house of hospitality where the formerly homeless share community with the formerly housed. Jonathan directs the School for Conversion , a popular education center that works to make “surprising friendships possible.” He is also an Associate Minister at the historically black St. Johns Missionary Baptist Church . Jonathan is a co-complier of the celebrated Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals , and the author of several books on Christian spirituality, including Reconstructing the Gospel , Strangers at My Door , The Awakening of Hope , The Wisdom of Stability , and The New Monasticism . He is also co-author, with Reverend Dr. William Barber II, of The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement . I first learned of Jonathan when I heard him interviewed on a podcast. His work sounded very interesting, so I bought his book, “Revolution of Values: Reclaiming Public Faith for the Common Good.” I ended up reading it twice. An evangelical Christian who connects with the broad spiritual tradition and its monastic witnesses, Jonathan is a leader in the Red Letter Christian movement and the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. He speaks often about emerging Christianity and faith in public life to churches and conferences across the denominational spectrum and has given lectures at dozens of universities and seminaries, including Calvin College, MIT, Bethel, Duke, Yale, Princeton, Jewish Theological, Perkins, Wake Forrest, St. John’s, DePaul, and Baylor. Now, he is making his big break as a guest on this podcast! I hope you enjoy this interview. You can connect with Jonathan through the School for Conversion or on his website . Additional Recommended Resources: The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Hey everybody! Today I am giddy! I am thrilled to be able to have Dr. Miroslav Volf as a guest today. He is probably one of my favorite living theologians. I think you will enjoy this week's episode as we explore his book Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation Miroslav Volf is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and is the Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. He was educated in his native Croatia, the United States, and Germany, earning doctoral and post-doctoral degrees (with highest honors) from the University of Tübingen, Germany. He has written or edited more than 20 books, over 100 scholarly articles, and his work has been featured in the Washington Post , Christianity Today , Christian Century , Sojourners , and several other outlets, including NPR's Speaking of Faith (now On Being with Krista Tippett ) and Public Television’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. Some of his most significant books include: Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation (1996; revised edition, 2019), translated in 9 other languages, winner of the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, and one of Christianity Today ’s 100 most important religious books of the 20th century Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace (2006), which was the Archbishop of Canterbury Lenten book for 2006 Allah: A Christian Response (2011), on whether Muslims and Christians have a common God After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity (1998), winner of the Christianity Today Book Award A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good (2011) The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World (2006; revised edition, 2020), winner of the Christianity Today Book Award Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World (2016) For the Life of the World: Theology that Makes a Difference (2019), his most recent book, co-authored with Matthew Croasmun Prior to his appointment at Yale Divinity School in 1998, he taught at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Croatia (1979–80 and 1983–90) and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (1990–1998). A member of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. and the Evangelical Church in Croatia, Professor Volf has been involved in international ecumenical dialogues (for instance, with the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity) and interfaith dialogues (on the executive board of C-1 World Dialogue), and is active participant in the Global Agenda Council on Values of the World Economic Forum. Miroslav regularly teaches and lectures in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and across North America. He has given over 30 prestigious lectureships at universities around the world, including Harvard University; Oxford University; Stockholm School of Theology; Duke University; Calvin University, University of Birmingham. Recommended Resources: For the Life of the World Podcast Episode 105: The Emergence of Sin, and Interview with Matthew Croasmun If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it!…
Hey everybody! Welcome to this week's episode of all in. I have long wanted to interview John Goldingay and the day has finally arrived! You are in for a treat. John Goldingay (PhD, University of Nottingham; DD, Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth) is professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary, but lives in Oxford, England. He is a prolific author. His Amazon.com Author’s Page covers six full pages of his books. His books include: An Introduction to the Old Testament A Reader's Guide to the Bible Reading Jesus's Bible Do We Need the New Testament: Letting the Old Testament Speak for Itself Commentaries on Psalms , Isaiah , and Daniel Biblical Theology The three-volume Old Testament Theology : volume one , volume two , volume three the seventeen-volume Old Testament for Everyone series a translation of the entire Old Testament called The First Testament: A New Translation and most recently, The Theology of Jeremiah Goldingay is a Church of England minister, and now that he is back in England likes walking by the Thames, rediscovering English food, worshiping in Christ Church Cathedral, and relearning British English. If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Hey everybody! Welcome to the podcast. I have a confession to make: I have a love hate relationship with social media. Some days I feel really good and I check Facebook and I want to pull my eyes out. Some days I mess up and post something. I posted a really controversial post a while back (you can read it here). After I posted that I wondered: "why is everyone online so upset?" This week, I wanted to invite my friend Doug Bursch on the podcast. He has written a book called Posting Peace: How Social Media Divides Us and What We Can Do About It. In his book, Doug Bursch provides a spiritual examination of why social media divides people and how Christians can address polarization through a ministry of peacemaking. Digital media dehumanizes and disembodies us, dulling our ability to know when to speak and when to remain silent. But healthy online communication is possible through a constructive posture of reconciliation. Posting Peace: How Social Media Divides Us and What We Can Do About It comes out April 20th. Make sure and preorder it today. If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Is there a way to walk faithfully through doubt and come out the other side with a deeper love for Jesus, the church, and its tradition? Can we question our faith without losing it? Today, we are going to explore this with Dr. A.J. Swoboda, author of the newly released book: After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith without Losing It. Dr. A. J. Swoboda (PhD, Birmingham) is assistant professor of Bible, theology, and World Christianity at Bushnell University. As well, he leads a Doctor of Ministry program around the Holy Spirit and Leadership at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning Subversive Sabbath (Brazos) and his new book After Doubt. He is married to Quinn and is the proud father of Elliot. They live and work in Eugene, Oregon. Dr. A. J. Swoboda has witnessed many young people wrestle with their core Christian beliefs. Too often, what begins as a set of critical and important questions turns to resentment and faith abandonment. Unfortunately, the church has largely ignored its task of serving people along their journey of questioning. The local church must walk alongside those who are deconstructing their faith and show them how to reconstruct it. After Doubt offers a hopeful, practical vision of spiritual formation for those in the process of faith deconstruction and those who serve them. If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund.…
Hey everybody! Today, we have Wendy Nolasco on the podcast. Wendy is the general supervisor for U.S. Foursquare Church. It is said she is able to leap tall egos with a single bound, able to freeze water with a single stare, and she's able to bring peace with a single word. I don't know if that's true, but what I do know is true, is she is a leader, a learner, and a passionate gatherer of people. In my time of getting to know Wendy, my respect and admiration for her has only grown and increased. I think you'll enjoy this podcast as we talk about some very meaningful leadership lessons. Recommended Resources: Divine Mentor by Wayne Cordeiro Brennan Manning Henri Nouwen Social Dilimena on Netflix If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund.…
Hey everybody! Welcome back to a new season of All In! I wanted to give fair warning that we will be talking about some fairly controversial topics in this week's episode. It is my privilege to welcome Dr. Kristin Du Mez, author of the book Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation . I read this book recently and it put together a number of pieces that had been building in my mind, but I had not yet been able to put them together. I had been a lifelong member of the Republican Party since 1988 until 2015 when in my estimation, it became a personality cult. I've tried to figure out how evangelicals have come to support systems, structures, and persons that are very questionable in their relationship to what we value as Christians. So I wanted to explore this with Dr. Du Mez and get her input as a scholar and leading thinker. I highly encourage you to read her book, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Fatih and Fractured a Nation. If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund.…
What happens when your life looks like it's going to go one way, and then reality hits you up broadside and knocks you a completely different way? This week, we're going to explore this a little and what it looks like when tragedy and obstacles happen but God still redeems it. Today I interview someone I've wanted to chat with for some time, Andy Opie. Andy and his wife served as FMI missionaries in Thailand for six years. They currently reside in Illinois as Andy studies for his Ph.D. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I think you'll enjoy this episode. If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
It's no secret that our society and culture are changing rapidly. Sometimes these changes create an expectation for ministry leaders to abandon good theology. Karl Barth used to advise his preaching students to “preach as though nothing had happened.” In other words, do not be controlled by or allow all the things happening around you to distract you from the central issue of preaching the Word of God. Unfortunately, Barth noticed that most preaching in his day was closer to anthropology spoken loudly than it was preaching the Word of God. CS Lewis modeled this as well when he gave his famous BBC Radio talks that became Mere Christianity. We may argue that we must speak to the times we live in, and that is true, but we must also speak to the Eternal, not just the contemporary. Life Pacific University recently hosted a webinar entitled, “Outrage Us: Faithful Theology in an Emotional Age,” led by Dr. AJ Swoboda who is a faculty member at Life Pacific University. I thought the content was important enough that I reached out to my friends at LPU and asked for their permission to rebroadcast AJ’s presentation on my podcast. They were excited for this to happen. Life Pacific University exists for the transformational development of students into leaders prepared to serve God in the Church, the workplace, and the world. For more information about continuing your education, email LPU at LPUOnline@lifepacific.edu If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund.…
I used to think of sin as a crime that needed punishment or I would think of my sin as a weakness and feel shame, or a character flaw, something I need to hide. That somehow, sin was evidence that I did not really sell out to God that I was secretly rebellious. But I came to a point where I began to understand that sin is a wound from which I need healing. It started me on a journey that changed the way I view myself and others. I recently read a book that really captures this called The Pastor by Bradley Jersak and Paul Young. Brad has authored several books and has been a guest on the podcast before and Paul Young is the well-known author of The Shack . This week we are exploring the perilous human journey from self-will and striving through defeat and despair to hope and the redemption found only through surrender. Recommended Resources: My Blog Post: A Second Look at "Judgement is Coming" The Pastor by Bradley Jersak and Paul Young A More Christlike God by Bradley Jersak A More Christlike Way by Bradley Jersak Lies We Believe About God by Paul Young The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God by Brian Zahnd Eve by Paul Young If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Today, I want to talk about the Bible. The Bible is a complex and challenging book. In fact, it’s not even a book by today’s standards. It’s a compilation of many books, genres, eras, and authors. So keeping that in mind, reading the Bible and making sense of the Bible can really be overwhelming. The complexity of the issue only increases when you factor in that Christians don’t even agree on how many books should be in the Bible. Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Bibles all contain a different number of books. When you look at it as a Protestant, 76% of our entire Bible is the Old Testament and yet, we are a new covenant people. So what is our relationship to the Old Testament? I wanted to explore this and I could think of no one better than Professor Jim Adams from Life Pacific University. I first got to know Professor. Adams while getting my master’s degree there at LPU. He was both my favorite and most hated professor because he really challenged us. But I will have to say, he was my favorite in the whole program. The Old Testament is an area he specializes in. I hope you enjoy this episode! Links to recommenced resources can be found in this episode's show notes If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook. You can also submit any feedback or questions here. Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter. It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International. To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Hey everybody! This week I have the privilege of interviewing Matthew Croasmun who wrote the book The Emergence of Sin: The Cosmic Tyrant in Romans. It is rare for me, these days, to read a book and go “Wow!” I generally read 1-2 books per week, but I spent 2 weeks going through this book because it is that good. I’m so excited to interview Matt to explore this book more. In this episode, we explore a little bit about the emergence theory, sin, systemic racism, white supremacy and the gospel, and how the church should address issues of sin. I highly encourage you to check out his book The Emergence of Sin Matthew is the Associate Research Scholar and the director of the Life Worth Living program at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School. He also is a pastor at Elm City Vineyard Church. To learn more about Matthew be sure to visit his website. If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Welcome to a new season of the podcast! I wanted to start this season off with a deep dive into an area of leadership that has fascinating me for my entire adult life. What does it mean to lead in turbulent times? Here is one of my favorite quotes: It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt Today I want to dive deep into this topic. I could think of no one better to discuss this with than Rev. Glenn Burris. Glenn is a dear friend and pastor and has recently retired from his time as president of The Foursquare Church. I have witnessed him lead exceptionally well through turbulent times. I think you will enjoy our conversation. If you want to connect with Glenn Burris, you can find him on Facebook. If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Today I want to talk about something that has been on my mind for a long time. As a young child, I was fascinated with Native American culture. Like most Americans in my generation, we played a lot of cowboys and Indians, I always wanted to be the Indian. The one who lived off the land and made cool things like tomahawks and bows and arrows. I was told these people were savages, they were violent, pagan and that our European ancestors came to civilize them. As I grew older, I realized these things didn’t line up with the truth. The sad thing is history is written by the winners. I began to ask difficult questions like: What is the price we have to pay when Christian people justify the genocide of a whole people group? What can I learn from these oppressed people? How can these wounds be healed? What is God doing to redeem and bring healing to the Native people? Today I interview Jeff Yellow Owl where we explore some of these questions. Jeff serves as a pastor, therapist, and conference speaker. Jeff is a Native American who is reaching the Native people with the Gospel. Resources: One Church, Many Tribes by Richard Twiss Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys by Richard Twiss Black Buffalo: Tales of My Life by Ray Wilson Whiteman’s Gospel by Bill McCartney and Craig Stephen Smith Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World by Jack Weatherford If you want to get in touch with Jeff Yellow Owl, you can email him at: Jsyellowowl@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Today I want to ask a question. Do dead theologians matter today? We hear about being the church of now and being cutting edge, and a lot of stuff today that frankly, overtime makes me wonder, should we listen to our ancestors? I love this quote from G.K. Chesterton. “Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is a democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who nearly happen to be walking about.” Today we’re going to explore why dead theologians matter. We’re going to do a deep dive into one of my favorites, Maximus the Confessor. And I could think of no one better to talk about than my good friend Steve Overman from Eugene Faith Center. Here are Steve's articles for download: Materiality, Beauty, and Space: The Eastern Traditions as a Ressourcement for Pentecostal Worship and the Arts Blood Cries Out: Pentecostals, Ecology, and the Groans of Creation Here are the links to previous posts on my blog referenced in today's Episodes: Marriage: God's House of Ambush Ep isode 099: The Community of God with Doug Bursch Here are the links to books to dive deeper into Maximus the Confessor: M aximus Confessor by George Berthold Maximus Confessor by Andrew Louth If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
The Bible says in Proverbs 16:9 (ESV), “The heart of the man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Every one of us starts on a journey thinking "man, God is going to do this, and He’s going to do that." That’s kind of how God hooks us in. But what I’ve learned is that God never gives us the fine details because if we would have known the details we probably would have backed out. This week we’re going to explore some of that. If you’ve been part of this podcast for a while you’ll know Jonny and Sarah Griffiths, they have been our guinea pigs for what it means to go on the missions field. In Episode 35 , Episode 36 , Episode 52 and Episode 76 we talked about various processes they went through along the way. This week I’ve asked them to come back to talk about what they have learned until now. Be sure to follow All In Griffs on Facebook and check out their website: allingriffs.com If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don’t forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It’s your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Can you believe we are at episode 100! The average podcast only lasts about seven episodes. I feel so privileged to be here, at episode 100. People ask me why I do this podcast. And really, there are two main reasons. I want to pay it forward to the young leaders and I want to expose key leaders and people to the broader arena of people I know. Today, I reminisce about past podcasts and dream about the future. Past episodes mentioned: Episode 001: Am Interview with Ralph Moore Episode 078: The Intersection of the Gospel and the Gay Community, an Interview with Brad Williams Episode 049: A More Christlike God, an Interview with Bradley Jersak Moving forward, I want to provide rich content for you. So if there is something or someone you would like to see on the podcast, send me a note: jroper@foursquare.org. If you're enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don't forget to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It's your life, now go live it! I am among the eleven Area Missionaries supported by Foursquare Missions International . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Hey everybody! This week I am coming to you from Pasadena, CA. This is a message I gave to the members of Pasadena Foursquare Church, I hope you enjoy! If you're enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on iTunes. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It's your life, now go live it! I am among the more than two dozen missionaries supported by the Foursquare Missions International Global Missions Fund . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Hey everybody! I am excited for you to listen to today's episode. It was a real joy to interview Yaseer Handall, missionary to the Native Americans. Yaseer grew up in Mexico City, where he became addicted to drugs at a very young age. God intervened in this young man's life and placed an amazing call on him. Yaseer and his family are doing great things for the Kingdom, and he is the real deal! If you would like to partner with Yaseer, you can visit his website for more info. You can also check out Arise Coffee , where the proceeds go towards the vision of reaching the native people. If you're enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on iTunes. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It's your life, now go live it! I am among the more than two dozen missionaries supported by the Foursquare Missions International Global Missions Fund . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Hey everybody! We are coming to the climax of our Lenten Journey: Easter is on its way. This week, Holy Week, as you contemplate the joys and mysteries of our salvation in Christ, let your heart be filled with bright faith and overflowing joy. Great is the Mystery We Confess: Christ has Died Christ is Risen Christ will come again. Lent is a season of joy! Because we are drawing near to God. Lent is a season of joy! Because Christ is Risen! When Hope Breaks Through John 20:1-9 Easter Sunday is the Promise of New Life Resurrection Power is available to all for personal transformation Three Big Problems facing people today: Meaninglessness “You Don't Have to Be Neurotic to Feel Insecure: Finding the Courage to Deal With Guilt, Meaninglessness and Despair” by Reginald Stackhouse, Ph.D Empty Senseless Useless Worthless Pointless Inconsequential Purposeless Hollow Trivial Futile This was my condition before Christ. Guilt: This universal human condition. God has hardwired us to know right and wrong Shame Self-reproach Disgraced Alienation Anger (caused by disappointed expectations) Road Rage Domestic Violence Pew Rage Low grade disgusted with people and life in general because of your disappointed expectations. I. The People: A. Mary Magdalene - Meaninglessness Luke 8:2, doesn’t tell us much but that she was demon possessed Possession was looked upon as disease, this victim of an alien and evil power, not an accomplice of it. (ISBE) Whatever we may know of her can be summed up as: A great sufferer relieved A great sinner purified. She came into the circle of believers, marked out from the rest by an exceptional experience of the Lord's healing power. B. Peter – Guilt Jesus’ first words to Peter, “Follow me…” When Jesus entered Peter’s life, this plain fisherman became a new person with new goals and new priorities. He had found Christ to be the Messiah. He knew the Son of God. He boasted in his devotion. And when under pressure, denied even knowing Christ. C. John – Anger Mark 3:17, "sons of thunder" Rebuking one who cast out devils in the Lord's name because he was not one of their company (Luke 9:49); Wants to call down fire from heaven upon a village of the Samaritans (Luke 9:54); Joined with his mother and James in asking for the highest places in the kingdom of the Master (Matt 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45); John was the only disciple present at the crucifixion and was appointed by Jesus to care for Mary (19:26-27). II. The Problem Hope had died Mary’s Meaning in Life was dead Peter’s last words about His Master were words of denial. John, this son of thunder, who would lean on Jesus like a dear friend or even a little child, appears to have his expectations disappointed again. III. When Hope Breaks Through The Silence of Heaven There were no angels, no songs, no flashes of lightening. Only silence. It is so non-descript. There is no poetic beauty to it. There are no bold descriptions. No Angels singing in festive choir. Only Silence Hope had broken through. Death had lost its grip. It is all so silent. So alone. How else could it be? When something this grand, this magnificent, this glorious took place only the deafening silence of heaven and earth could declare the grandeur of this moment. There was no chorus worthy. There were no words adequate. There was only silence. There were no choruses of angels. There were no shepherds in rapturous wonder. There were no wise men poised with gifts. What else but silence would do for this event? Then the silence was broken with a simple declaration: He is not here. He is risen! Hope Breaks Through! Hope Breaks Through the Tyranny of Death Hope Breaks Through the Meaninglessness of Life with God Hope Breaks Through the Torment of Guilt Hope Breaks Through the Bondage of Anger Empty promises, empty dreams, empty lives, empty days, empty pleasures; none of these satisfy. But the empty tomb, now that satisfies. The Easter Sermon of John Chrysostom Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God? Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival! Is there anyone who is a grateful servant? Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord! Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord! First and last alike receive your reward; rich and poor, rejoice together! Sober and slothful, celebrate the day! You that have kept the fast, and you that have not, rejoice today for the Table is richly laden! Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one. Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith. Enjoy all the riches of His goodness! Let no one grieve at his poverty, for the kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free. He has destroyed it by enduring it. He destroyed Hades when He descended into it. He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh. Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with. It was in an uproar because it is mocked. It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed. It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated. It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive. Hell took a body, and discovered God. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see. O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated! Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down! Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is Risen, and life is liberated! Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead; for Christ having risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen! Recommended Resources: Book of Common Prayer App The Lenten Spring by Thomas Hopko Great Lent by Alexander Schmemann If you're enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on iTunes. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It's your life, now go live it! I am among the more than two dozen missionaries supported by the Foursquare Missions International Global Missions Fund . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund.…
Hey everybody! We are still in the time of Lent, a Spiritual spring cleaning. If you have missed any of the series, you can go back and listen to parts 1-5). As we explore the Prayer of Saint Ephrem today, I want to focus on the final phrase of the prayer: "Grant me to see my own error and not to judge my brother". The Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephrem O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust for power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Your servant. Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother; For You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. 1 John 1:5-2:11 When I turn from the path of love, I embark upon a journey into darkness. When I betray the law of love I enter a world of self-deception. When I betray the law of love, I begin to see the world in a way that justifies When I see a self-justifying world, my view of reality becomes distorted. When I betray the law of love, I start walking in darkness. When I do something that is contrary to the law of love darkness and deception cloud my heart, mind, emotions, thinking, etc Over time, certain dark places become characteristic of me and I carry it with me wherever I go. By being in the darkness, I provoke others to be in the darkness (reverse of this is Heb. 10:24-25) While in the darkness, I invite mutual resentment and obtain mutual justification for my own self-deception. Love says: You should … Choice to Make “Honor or Betray the Law of Love” In the darkness the only thing you are aware of is yourself. PRAYER: May God, by the Holy Spirit, give us this kind of love, through Jesus Christ. Amen. Recommended Resources: Book of Common Prayer App The Lenten Spring by Thomas Hopko Great Lent by Alexander Schmemann If you're enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on iTunes. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It's your life, now go live it! I am among the more than two dozen missionaries supported by the Foursquare Missions International Global Missions Fund . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund.…
Hey everybody! We are continuing our Lent series, exploring the prayer of St. Ephrem. In the previous episodes ( Part One , Part Two , Part Three and Part Four ) we explored the “take from me” segments of this prayer. The next few episodes are the ones I have been dreading, because frankly, I do not know anything about these virtues. So, I am coming today not as a teacher, but as a fellow pilgrim. And these are some of the things I am seeing on this journey. Last week, we look at chastity and humility. This week we will look at patience and love. The Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephrem O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust for power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Your servant. Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother; For You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. Patience (Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible). Ability to take a great deal of punishment from evil people or circumstances without losing one’s temper, without becoming irritated and angry, or without taking vengeance. It includes the capacity to bear pain or trials without complaint, the ability to forbear under severe provocation, and the self control which keeps one from acting rashly even though suffering opposition or adversity. I am asking God for patience: Help me stop wishing everyone else would hurry up. Love: Thomas Hopkins, Lenten Spring Matthew 25:31-46 I was hungry I was thirsty I was a stranger I was naked I was sick I was in prison “ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ ” (Matthew 25:40, ESV) Learning to embrace God in the delays. Learning to embrace God in the weakness and brokeness all around us Learning to embrace the God who comes to me in difficult times and in difficult people. “ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. ” (1 John 4:7–21, ESV) PRAYER: May God, by the Holy Spirit, give us this kind of love, through Jesus Christ. Amen. Recommended Resources Book of Common Prayer App The Lenten Spring by Thomas Hopko Great Lent by Alexander Schmemann If you're enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on iTunes. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It's your life, now go live it! I am among the more than two dozen missionaries supported by the Foursquare Missions International Global Missions Fund . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Hey everybody! We are continuing in our Lent series. In the previous three episodes ( part one , part two , and part three) we explored the “take from me” segments of this prayer. The next few episodes are the ones I have been dreading, because frankly, I do not know anything about these virtues. So, I am coming today not as a teacher, but as a fellow pilgrim. Today we will focus on chastity and humility. The Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephrem O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust for power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Your servant. Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother; For You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. Chastity: In 2015 I wrote this article on Chastity "Religion has too often been an agent of anti-life, a negation of the goodness of God’s creation. We fast, we abstain, we humble ourselves, we embrace discipline, and we speak of dying to ourselves. When not seen through the prism of life these things are so morbid. No wonder Ayn Rand hated religion. If her understanding of our faith were the reality of our faith, I would join her in her hatred of Christianity. When separated from the life and joy of God these disciplines become a mockery of the God of joy, life, goodness, and abundance. The disciplines are intended to prune the branches on our tree of life in order that we may enjoy even more fruit. We fast not because food is bad or our bodies are evil. We fast to prune the life-giving branch on the tree of life. Then, when we give thanks for the meal we join our voice with the ancient prayer, “Blessed are you, O Lord, who brings forth bread from the earth.” We discipline our lives not to negate the joy and goodness of living, but rather to prune the fruit bearing tree so that we can enjoy even more life and goodness. Who better enjoys food: the gluttonous man who remains un-satiated regardless of how often he returns to the buffet line, or the disciple who has tempered his appetite through fasting and prayer so that he enjoys a proper and life-giving relationship with his food and drink? Lent reminds me to prune the branches on the tree of life. Lent reminds me, “Every branch that bears fruit will be pruned.” Lent reminds me, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” The beginning virtue is “chastity.” The word group the New Testament uses for “chastity” is, strictly speaking, untranslatable. The best we can do is translating it, “of sound mind,” “to be of sound mind,” “to bring someone to their senses,” “moderate, self-disciplined,” “moderation, self-control,” or “temperance.” “Wholeness” may be the best current translation. The idea is a spiritual health, a correct and appropriate way of reasoning, and a moderation that is expressed in inner equilibrium. It is the virtue of temperance that overcomes the passions, bringing the whole person to a place of wholeness in Christ. This “chastity” or “temperance” was ranked along with prudence, justice, and courage as the four cardinal virtues. By the time “chastity” has worked its way to us it has retained a limited understanding of its original content. It has been reduced to refer only to a person’s sexual habits. While unfortunate, this is reduction is understandable. Where else is the broken character of our existence better revealed than here, in this most intimate of places? Don’t get me wrong. Sex is God’s idea. He created it to be a sacred and satisfying union between husband and wife. It is a living icon of the soul’s longing for union with God. As God’s idea it is beautiful, healing, loving, and sanctifying. It is so powerful and dangerous it must be safely confined within the bonds of the covenant of marriage between man and woman. Anything less is missing the mark of what God has designed and what we truly desire and need. Everything else strays from the path of healing and sanctifying grace the marriage bed was intended to be. This is why all forms of sexual immorality are called sin: It “misses the mark.” It does not fulfill the purpose of what God intended. It may be pleasurable for a moment; but it leaves less of you, not more. Outside of God’s perfect design it diminishes you. Chastity is not a negation of the joys of physical love and intimacy. It is the pruning of a fruitful branch on the tree of life. Through chastity we are no longer like animals satisfying instinctual and biological needs, but rather we are human beings made fully alive expressing the most intimate, tender, beautiful, and life affirming union between two equals. Here we find the fullest satisfaction. The life of the body is no longer alienated from the control of the spirit. We willingly give our self to the other in the beautiful mystery of deepest exchange, the two becoming one in body as well as soul. Intimately dangerous, capable of the deepest healing or destruction, the longing, open, and vulnerable couple meets in the secret chamber to become one in this most intimate dance of marriage. Chastity is awe’s response to this glorious mystery. Chastity-temperance-wholeness is to have its complete work in my whole being. Here, in Lent, I cry out to God, “Give me the spirit of chastity, wholeness, self-discipline, a sound mind…” One of the most beautiful places the word for “wholeness” is used in the New Testament is the story of when Jesus delivered a man from a legion of demons. Mark says the man was “clothed, and in his right mind” (Mk 5:15). Jesus clothed his nakedness and healed his brokenness. This is what “wholeness/chastity” means. This is what I long for. This is what I pray for. This is what He does for me." Humility. Luke 18:9-14 Contempt for others is the fruit of self-righteousness. (self-justification) Self-righteousness: I am not like those people! The absence of humilty leads to graceless living – Offensiveness. How do I respond when I feel people do not treat me as I deserve? “ So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ” ” (Luke 17:10, ESV) “ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” ” (Luke 18:14, ESV) Prayer: Give rather… I do not have it in me. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Recommended Resources Book of Common Prayer App The Lenten Spring by Thomas Hopko Great Lent by Alexander Schmemann If you're enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on iTunes. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It's your life, now go live it! I am among the more than two dozen missionaries supported by the Foursquare Missions International Global Missions Fund . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
Hey everybody! If you haven't listened to the Lent series, part one and two, go back and listen. Today I will continue talking to you about the Lenten prayer of Saint Ephrem. This prayer has proved to be very useful in this season of spring cleaning for your soul. We have already covered sloth and faint-heartedness last week. This week we will talk about the lust for power and idle talk. The Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephrem O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust for power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Your servant. Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother; For You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. What is Lust for Power? As strange as it may seem, it is sloth and faint-heartedness that fills our hearts with a lust for power. If my life is not oriented toward God, not aimed at eternal values, it will inevitably become selfish and self-centered and this means that all other beings will become means to my own self-satisfaction. If God is not the Lord and Master of my life, then I become my own lord and master – the absolute center of my own world, and I begin to evaluate everything in terms of my needs, my ideas, my desires and my judgments. The lust for power is a fundamental depravity in my relationship to others, a search for their subordination to me. It is not necessarily expressed in the actual urge to command and to dominate others. It may result in Indifference Contempt Lack of interest Lack of consideration Lack of respect It is sloth and despondency directed this time at others; it completes spiritual suicide with spiritual murder What is Idle Talk? Of all creation on earth, humankind alone is endowed with the gift of speech. The Fathers saw this as the “seal” of the Divine Image in man because God Himself is revealed as Word. Being the supreme gift, it is also a supreme danger. The power of life and death are in the tongue. We may use it to fulfill and express To give life and hope To steal, kill and destroy It is a means of making Covenant and of betrayal. Words save and words kill. Words inspire and words poison. Words can Proclaim Truth and Spread Lies. When deviated from the divine origin and purpose, the word becomes It Matt 12:36-37, “And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned." Lust of Power and Idle Talk are the objects of our repentance They are the obstacles to be removed Only God can remove them Hence, the first part of this Lenten Prayer – this cry from the bottom of human helplessness. Then this prayer moves to the positive aims of repentance : Applications: Psalm 19:14 “ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. ” Daily Practice: Prayer and Devotional Reading using The Book of Common Prayer (or whatever you use) The Lenten Prayer of St Ephrem Journaling can be helpful During prayer, a “little seed” or thought may come to the surface, follow it. Recommended Resources Book of Common Prayer App The Lenten Spring by Thomas Hopko Great Lent by Alexander Schmemann If you're enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on iTunes. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me on Facebook . You can also submit any feedback or questions here . Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode. As always, you can connect with me on Facebook or Twitter . It's your life, now go live it! I am among the more than two dozen missionaries supported by the Foursquare Missions International Global Missions Fund . To support our global missions efforts, visit The Global Missions Fund. Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!…
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