2014.11.02 - Kevin Makins - The Sign of Jonah
“You Christians Are So Unlike Your Christ” (Ya, We Know!)
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As we near the end of the story of Jonah we come to the question: what is the Sign of Jonah?
And what does it have to do with a famous Ghandi quote?
2014.10.26 - Kevin Makins - The Sign of Jonah
ACT IV: The Chapter We Don’t Talk About
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When you hear the story of Jonah it’s often told as a Three Act Play: Jonah hears God’s calling and flees, he’s swallowed up by a sea monster and changes his mind, he goes to Nineveh and BAM! they repent.
But there’s a fourth act in Jonah, a chapter we don’t talk about, and it’s probably the strangest part in the story!
And ultimately it asks the question: what do we do when we’re #blessed?
Note: At 41 minutes there is a brief financial update from Matt Willard!
2014.10.19 - August “Gus” Konkel - The Sign of Jonah
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August “Gus” Konkel is a professor at McMaster Divinity College, and we first met him when doing some preliminary research on the book of Jonah. As we talked with Gus three things were quickly revealed: He is super smart, he is very wise, and he reads from the Hebrew text.
Then we found out he taught a class called “Preaching Jonah”… So of course we had to have him join us!
Gus preaches about the repentance of Nineveh, the culmination of Jonah’s prophetic word, and what “repenting” is truly all about.
2014.10.12 - Leshia Knopf - The Sign of Jonah
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When Jonah fell into the waters he fell into the one place where a good god shouldn’t be: a place of chaos and death.
And the strangest thing happens…
2014.09.29 - Kevin Makins - The Sign of Jonah
Prophet Pagans, Pathetic Prophet
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The author of Jonah is making subtle commentary in the book. See if you can find it!
Also, Kevin tells a story about the worst spiritual retreat he ever had. Worst. Spiritual. Retreat. Ever.
2014.09.29 - Kevin Makins - The Sign of Jonah
The Nazis of the Ancient World
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The world Jesus lived in was ruled over by the Roman Empire. Nearly a millennium before Jesus, there lived a man named Jonah.
And the world of Jonah had it’s own Empire: the Assyrians.
And the capital city of Assyria? Nineveh.
As we dive into the text of Jonah, we also dive into the world he inhabited, and it is most certainly a violent, depraved, and wicked world.
Two side notes:
1) The quality of the recording this week is… subpar. It’s listenable, but not great. Listen at your own risk!
2) This sermon has a fairly large audio clip from Dan Carlin’s “Hardcore History” - the clip is about 10 minutes, but the full episode comes in at over an hour. It’s ABSOLUTELY worth listening to if you want to understand more about the Assyrians and the city of Nineveh.
To download the rest of the episode visit this link: http://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-17-judgment-at-nineveh/
For more podcasts from Dan Carlin, including his “Hardcore History” series, visit dancarlin.com
Dan, you are incredibly smart, interesting, and talented. Please don’t sue our little church. xoxo
2014.09.21 - Kevin Makins - The Sign of Jonah
I’ve Got Good News, and I’ve Got Bad News…
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We begin our series on the story of Jonah by looking at… the Gospel According to Matthew. Obviously.
And as we do we dive headfirst into a CRAZY text about “The Lord of the Flies”, robbing strong men, awesome haircuts, trees producing fruit and the only sin God can’t forgive.
2014.09.14 - Kevin Makins - Same Page Sunday 2014
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It’s been four years… FOUR YEARS of being a congregation! How are we doing? What’s next? What is the POINT of this “being the church thing?”
And the question everyone is really asking: how can we avoid dragging a foot?
It’s Summer(!!!!!), which means it’s time for us to enter, yet again, into our Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is a season of rest for us as a church where we cease to “do” and simply sabbath.
If you want to hear more about it, listen to the last sermon in the “So What” series on “Rest”.
We will continue to meet on Sundays in a simplified way, and will have the Preaching Guild (a collection of preachers within the congregation)carry us through the summer. There will be no podcasts during this season.
The summer preaching series is on “Blessed are…” from Matthew 5. The schedule is as follows:
July 13 - …the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven - Kevin Makins
July 20 - …those who mourn, for they shall be comforted - Matt Willard
July 27 - …the meek, for they shall inherit the earth - Justin Eisinga
August 3 - …those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied - Sandy Purple Shwarma
August 10 - …the merciful, for they shall receive mercy - Leshia Knopf
August 17 - …the pure in heart, for they shall see God - Cindy Stover
August 24 - … the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God - Stephen Edwards
August 31 - … those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (and the following verse) - Jared Both
Finally, a fitting quote on the need for ceasing:
“We need to have times of pruning in our churches, times where most, if not all, activity ceases. Times of rest and abiding. This runs contrary to principles taught in most church growth courses and seminars. How can one grow a church larger by shutting it down for a season? Yet that is exactly what happens at many of the churches where we have discipled the leaders and introduced them to the principles [of rest and work].
We encourage them to stop all small groups and to drastically scale back the worship service. Often there is just a simple time of singing and a brief word of encouragement shared. Many of the members go away on holiday or spend more time with friends and family. It looks to many like nothing is happening.
But in this time of abiding, great strength is given to those who do the teaching, singing, and serving throughout the rest of the year. Without a time for their spiritual ground to lie fallow, there would be a very poor harvest in the year to come.”
- Building a Discipleship Culture, Mike Breen and the 3DM Team
2014.06.29 - Kevin Makins - So What?
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In the last month, how many times do you think you’ve said “I’m just so busy”?
We live in a busy, overworked and overstretched culture… and God wants to save us from it.
2014.06.22 - Jared Both - So What?
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Reflections on the churches… mixed… history with politics.
2014.06.15 - Kevin Makins - So What?
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Should Christians drink alcohol? If not, why? If so, how?
And is there a way to enjoy alcohol that doesn’t devolve into harsh judgements, or dumb decisions, or long lists of rules, or selfishness, or vomit-in-your-hair? What does the bible say about alcohol?
Well apparently a lot! (Seriously, look at all there verses up there)
This sermon is a fairly lengthy exploration of alcohol in the bible, but it’s ultimately asking one simple question: how did Jesus drink?
2014.06.08 - Kevin Makins - So What?
Technology: The Stencilling on the Casing of an Atomic Bomb
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Some of the topics in this series are often talked about in church… but Christians rarely talk about technology.
Technology surrounds us: it’s cars and bikes and running shoes and smart phones and printed books and slides on a screen!
And it shapes us. Whether we want it to or not, technology changes us.
2014.06.01 - Matt Willard - So What?
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“It’s not that we don’t like to talk about money. We love to talk about other people’s money! It’s that we don’t like to talk about OUR money”
2014.05.25 - Kevin Makins - So What?
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Here it is: the most important (and awkward) topic on the list! We are surrounded by sex in our culture, but our culture fails to understand it. Our culture is sex OBSESSED, but is still as lonely and disconnected as ever. We are in desperate need of a better word on sex, and the church has tried to bring this word.
The problem is that sometimes, in trying to bring a good word, the church has heaped shame, judgement, and pain on people .
There must be a better way to talk about, and practice, sex as Jesus followers.
2014.05.18 - Stephen Edwards - So What?
Vocation: When Good Work Sucks
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Genesis 1-3, John 21, 1 Thessalonians 4
Work is created good: it’s good to work! But anyone who has ACTUALLY worked a job knows that it’s not all it was meant to be.
Let’s be honest, sometimes work sucks.
We need to redeem work! How can we learn to work as if Jesus is Lord over all?
Music is led by Jeff Wynands and starts 54 minutes in.
2014.05.11 - Kevin Makins - So What?
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James 3, 5; Matthew 15, 1 Peter 4
The tongue is a rudder, a spark, a deadly poison and a creature that cannot be tamed.
James, the brother of Jesus, clearly takes from his mothers side as he writes a scathing letter to the early Christians. Some Christians use their tongue to praise God one moment, while cursing those made in God’s likeness the next.
This should not be. This cannot be. There has to be a better way to talk.
Music is led by Alex Drumm and starts 44 minutes in.
2014.05.04 - Kevin Makins - So What?
Evangelism: Why Does Good News Sound So Bad?
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Mark 1, Matthew 4, 28, Luke 10
Evangelism is when a Christian tells someone about Jesus with the goal of converting them. When I say “evangelism” or “convert” or “repent”, what do you think of?
Do you think of love, and grace, and hospitality, and mutuality? Or do you think of OTHER things?
Like soap-boxes, and protests, and debates, and arguments, and judgement, and fear, and hellfire?
The message of Jesus is supposed to be good news! How did good news start to sound so bad?
And here is the real question: is there a way to reclaim this good news?
Music is led by Aaron Craig and starts 55 minutes in.
Creation: The Bible’s Environmental Agenda
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Genesis 1-2, 6, Psalm 19, 104, 148, 2 Chronicles 36, Romans 8
Sometimes when Western Christians talk about environmentalism it sounds like a BAD thing. People say “what does it have to do with people gettin’ saved?” or “don’t bring your environmental agenda into it!”
The problem is the Bible has an environmental agenda. And apparently God does too… Oops.
Music is led by Joel Cumby and starts 41 minutes in.
2014.04.20 - Kevin Makins - Church in the Wild
Just Hold On, We’re Going Home
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The Resurrection is the culmination of a very long story: a story about homemaking and home-breaking. Please don’t sue us Drake!
Music is led by Aaron Craig and starts 35 minutes in.
