Show

Like good story telling, good theology takes lots of hard work, lots of good thinking. Unfortunately, it's too easy to take the easy way, and just accept whatever we've been told. We're exhorted in scripture to test everything, and that really does mean EVERYTHING.

The audio is really glitchy, but the content makes it worth publishing (I think). There are some pops, and obviously missing parts of words, but I think you can figure it out. If it's too bad, let us know.

"For God so loved the world that ... all things work out for the good."

Or something.

Have you ever noticed that when you memorize scripture you tend to memorize only the stuff you like... only the stuff that proves your point?

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Way back in April (2007) John Wilkerson of JesusGeek.info dropped us a line concerning his experience with children in worship. We did respond in a timely fashion.... but it only just now got published.

Sorry for the delay, John!

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Dan's up and around! Yay! Get the scoop on what's happenin' in the OD.o universe.

In 1 Timothy chapter 4, Paul talks to the young pastor about teachings that erode the joy of the gospel, steal from the Church and make the truth that the Church teaches look needlessly foolish. "Godless myths and old wives' tales" that are to be avoided. We should instead train ourselves to be godly. How many times has the Church been dragged into debates about good things that should be outlawed, when everything God has made is good?

Somebody has to stop the nonsense, and in doing so, we can save both ourselves and our hearers.

Primarily it's a discussion about the importance of the doctrine of the resurection, but we discuss a whole range of things, and how we, as humans, tend to screw them up. If there's a particular doctrine you'd like to discuss with us, let us know.

Keep Dan in your prayers. No update from Dan this week. I did get an email forward from him, but that was all. I'll check on him later today.

Perhaps we don't get excited enough about "missing sheep." When someone in our congregation drops off the radar, we should go after them, with fear for their lives

Keep Dan in your prayers. He had surgery on his foot on Wednesday the 11th (of July, 2007), and is now home recooperating. He does have a bone infection, which requires watching. Please left Dan up to the Lord.

Words of wisdom from Pumba: "Put your behind in the past!"

For many Christians, our testimony is the list of terrible things in our past that God saved us from.There's a danger in keeping those memories in front of us (prominent in our minds). There comes a time in our lives that we just have to "put our past behind us," and move on. It doesn't mean those things aren't real, that we should deny them, or that God doesn't intend to use those things to minister to others.

The core of Christianity is "putting on the mind of Christ." We don't live it. We don't teach it. We don't really think about it. Interestingly enough, the core of Christian discipleship is the mind.... not the emotions.

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Let's break sin down to it's bare, naked core....

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A Discussion About Church and How We Do Things, and How Others Do Things, and it's Okay

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Dan and Jody both have kids in a private Christian school. Are we doing this to protect the children? Or to provide for the children? Or is the damage caused to society by removing the Christian influence of these children and families from a society that desperately needs a Christian witness worse than the good we imagine that we're doing? ... or what? We talk.

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If you find yourself trudging through the Christian Life out of a sense of duty or morality, without love and joy, something's wrong. It's not just a simple matter of "something might be missing," this should be a matter of alarm for you. If Christianity is rules and duty and morals and obligations for you, you may very well have missed the boat from the beginning. The Christian Life is Life More Abundant, overflowing, a joyous celebration. It might be time to check your pulse.

We make another assault on the doctrine of tithing. This time, we actually stick to the topic, and make a little progress. We didn't reach the summit this time, but we covered some good ground. 

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This time, the  title pretty much wraps up the description....

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We got a little feedback from 'person who will remain nameless' about our use of the word "Shutup." Then we talked a little about what we tell the world about our relationship with Christ by the way we set our priorities.

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- recorded on the campus of First Christian Church in Roswell
- Dan got a job
- Big May Giveaway updates
- Best of Theology Rocks -- tell us what your favorite shows are
- We're working on a 2-CD set for a "New Disciple's Pack." We'd love your feedback on shows to include.

For the most part, when we read the parable of the "Prodigal Son," we focus on the beautiful image of the "lost/dead" son coming home, and the great party. When the "other/elder" son is referenced, usually it's as an illusion to the Jews. We would like to disagree. We think that the older son is the type of the Church. It's a funny kind of paradox. When you're on the outside, or just grafted into the family, you're the younger son. Once you're on the inside/grafted in, you immediately become the older son.

Traditions help us know who we are, but they can also harm us. To further complicate things, traditions are part of how we're made, how groups, organizations, families and churches work. We have to understand the traditions of others, and be sensitive to them, but we also need to be aware of our own traditions and how they can endanger us.

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