Company of Disciples' Recordings

In John 14-17 we read this promise from Jesus that, as followers of him, we will do even greater things than he did! How is that possible? Jesus did amazing miracles, he healed people, walked on water, raised people from the dead, and he himself died on a cross and then rose from the dead 3 days later, and we're supposed to do even greater things than him?? What did he mean by that and how's that possible? That's our topic for this morning, as we look to John chapters 14-17 to understand what he meant and how that's possible.

For the past 2 years, Covid really made us feel NOT in charge. This virus couldn't be controlled and it still can't be controlled. It mutates, it spreads and it seems to go wherever it wants. It doesn't matter if you were young, healthy, old or immune compromised, it decides how hard it will hit you and it will decide if you get mild systems, harsh symptoms or just plain kill you. Governments were brought to its knees with covid. Scientists were baffled and still trying to catch up with Covid. Humanity was and still is NOT in charge. What were the general feelings? Anger. Fear. Confusion and hopelessness. Like covid, when something or someone can determine whether you live or die, let's face it, we are not in charge of our lives. Death is the common denominator in all of us and anyone or anything who has control of death, is in charge. We're not for we can't control it. However, like the folks we will be exploring today in this chapter, they want to be in charge yet John reveals to his readers and us that really, they weren't because death is not controlled by them. Let's begin.

What's truth? During these past couple of years of Covid, we've been bombarded with incoming evidence from medical and science communities, statistics from health authorities and governments and anecdotes from social media and news outlets. Recently, because of the ongoing pandemic and constant recording and testing, we now have evidence that can be labelled as facts such as: it is a fact that covid vaccines do help reduce your chance of having severe illness when you catch covid; It is a fact that wearing good masks and social distancing can prevent catching covid Etc etc. However, we also come to realize during these past years that facts do not necessarily mean they're true. With ongoing anti-covid mandate and anti-vaccine protests throughout our country, what may be true to you may not be true for someone else. Let's simplify. It's fact that at this moment, our temperature in Vancouver is right now 13 degrees Celsius. That's a fact. What's true for me, is that this is REALLY cold weather but for someone from Winnipeg, this is actually weather for shorts and t-shirts. To them, it's not true that it's really cold outside. Here's my question that I'll be elaborating and hopefully provide an answer for you today. For the past 17 chapters, Jesus laid out all the facts to his disciples, the Jews and the crowds. Yet Pilot asked a really good question, albeit his intent was out of mockery and want to write off Jesus, but yet profound, “What is truth?” And, just to wet your appetite, here's an appetizer: It's really up to you. Say what? Isn't Jesus TRUTH? Is He for you? Or is he just merely a historical fact? How do you know? Let's begin

It's so hard to say sorry and really mean it especially when I know that I'm right and they're wrong. When I know that the victim was me and the perpetrator was them. When my friends, colleagues, family members and best buddies agree that I was right and they were wrong and those perpetrators should say sorry first. Do you know what's even harder? To be the first to say sorry and to be the first to forgive AND to show generosity to them all at once. Why is it so hard to do that? Because, it's in the name of justice and fairness right? Because that's how the world should operate. That's the norm. Today, as we embark on a famous story where Jesus washes his disciples' feet. We are given one simple message from Jesus: If you claim to be His follower, eat some humble pie and follow him.

What do you really want? And if that person gives you what you want, would you trust and believe them? Clearly in the clip I showed you, the crowd did and if you've seen the movie, it didn't turn out that well. We are embarking on a chapter that contains 2 popular narratives: Jesus being anointed with perfume by Mary and Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey with crowds of people waving and putting palm branches on the ground singing "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" You might say, wow, this crowd really believes and trusts Jesus. They just adore him! But, what we read in the remaining verses in this chapter, the crowds did not believe or trust Jesus. Why? Because Jesus didn't give them what they wanted. Question for us today: If Jesus doesn't give us what we want, do we believe Him or trust Him?

So what topped the news this past week that deserves my Christian opinion? A recent survey done by Angus Reid Institute showed that "Many Canadians now believe Catholicism, evangelical Christianity and Islam are more damaging to society than beneficial, a new survey shows, as people across the country continue to turn their backs on religion." Are we damaging? I will offer my Christian opinion tomorrow at noon! Global News Article: https://globalnews.ca/news/8759564/canada-religion-society-perceptions/ Angus Reid Survey:https://angusreid.org/canada-religion-interfaith-holy-week/?fbclid=IwAR0GQnA6_8PJnJSQjfX__tCqBqVGs8MNoj-3hnRj2sETKccvAYbpNp1sqa8

Let's talk about leadership. I was in corporate management for a good number of years prior to pastoring and running a non-profit and the word “leadership” had always been the topic of lunch and learns, seminars and especially, business consultants hired by companies to guilt trip us. While I was taking my project management course at UBC, almost every session had a component to talk about leadership. The question that all these courses, seminars, lunch and learns, TED talks and consultants try to answer was always this: What makes a good leader? Then, I get a common answer: a nebulous, open to interpretation, non-succinct, typical catch all phrase to substantiate the executives' existence: Servant leadership. So many books written on servant leadership and yet every one of them sounds like the other. Today. Hopefully. As we explore chapter 10. Let's see how Jesus defines leadership and maybe, he can provide us with a fresh look at how we, Christians, can be good leaders wherever we are.

So what topped the news this past week? SANCTIONS! And not just sanctions but the pain at the gas pump because of them. So how should Christian respond? Jonathan offers his opinion

It's interesting in this movie clip that the reason why Lucy's older siblings did not believe her was because of her claims were seen as illogical. Yet, the professor, rather than quickly writing off Lucy's claims, he approached it with interest and curiosity almost giving us the impression that even though he's an academic and well learned, he still has space to entertain things that he can't explain logically. I sometimes see myself in Lucy's older siblings as well. It may not be talking with children though I do catch myself being tempted to see their stories as fiction too quickly but I catch myself not taking seriously those who may not be educated in the fields I think I'm somewhat have experience in such as theology, bible, management etc. That I'm more eager to interject and correct them as opposed to intentionally listening to them and respect their opinions and ideas because in my mind, I know better. Their opinions and suggestions are illogical. Today, we see the Pharisees behaving like Lucy's older siblings. They are convinced that they know everything about the law, the expected messiah and how sin and suffering works yet Jesus says it is because they are convinced that they know, because they made no room to explore and take interest on different views and things that may go beyond their logical mind, Jesus calls them blind. Are we blind? Let's begin

Ambition. Good or Bad? How can we tell? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they explore another 1990's X-men animated episode entitled "Family Ties". Enjoy!

Rules. In the scene I showed you, it seemed like the rules didn't provide John Wick any freedom and these rules only benefitted someone else. Today, we will be looking at how the Jews saw the Law of Moses as rules and how Jesus upended their perception of them. Sure, according to the Psalms and many passages in the Old Testament, the Law was supposed to be the light that guided their paths. But, because of how the Jews used it, it didn't provide light to guide to life, it was used to condemn, judge and for their benefit just like the rules John Wick faced with the High Table. Jesus upends that. How? Let's begin

Credibility. Many of us who work understand the value of credibility, in other words, putting weight behind the words we say and the actions we take. We hold credentials such as degrees, certifications, diplomas from various schools and institutions so that when we provide financial advice, speak on the pulpit, diagnose a medical condition, provide consulting advice, perform dentistry, perform an automotive repair, or manage a project etc., that through these credentials, CPA, CFA, PMP (which I have), M.Div (which I also have), P.Eng, M.D., R.N., we tell people that we have been given the seal of approval and whatever we say and do within our expertise is credible. However, in that movie scene, Marisei Tomei did not have any credentials that people expected of her yet she spoke with authority and had credibility after she spoke shocking everyone. What she said was absolutely correct and even more but no one knew how she knew that. Today, instead of Marisei Tomei, we see Jesus' credibility being questioned and I'm wondering if we also sometimes question Jesus' credibility because of our expectations of him. Let's begin.

Welcome to another IMCO with Jonathan. So what topped the news this past week on our local news channels? Stuff happening outside of Canada. Russia-Ukraine, India-Pakistan, Corruption in African Countries, China's Heavy Hand and of course, Global INFLATION! And btw: we still have Covid but that's not as romantic as the above mentioned. Question: Should we care about global events happening around the world that are not in our backyard? Jonathan offers his Christian opinion this Wednesday.. LIVE... Enjoy!

Moving to a new neighborhood and starting at a new school is never easy. Will we be accepted by the people there, or will they reject us? Jesus faced that question as he came down from heaven and entered the world as a human. Casting aside the religious traditions, Jesus invites us to a relationship with him that we can either accept or reject. John 1-2:12 gives us a snapshot of the themes and events that will happen throughout the Gospel of John. Dan Forest starts our new series on John by asking three questions of this passage: Who is Jesus, Who are We, and What Invitations are there for us today?

What does it mean to be alive? If it's a feeling, I can definitely point to different chapters in my life that I felt really alive. When I married my wife, I felt alive. When Annabelle was born and I saw her for the first time, wow, that was definitely a moment of feeling alive. When she opened her eyes, looked at me and held my finger while she was lying on that weight scale for newborns. Oh, talk about right at the feels. Whenever I accomplished a project that I initiated, I would feel alive. When I watch movies that I can relate with and see them overcome struggles like earth's imminent annihilation by aliens with a snap of a finger, time warps, arch nemesis etc. I feel alive. However, these feelings are temporary. They come and go in spurts. They're not constant. So being alive should be different. Being alive is not temporary. Being alive should encompass those feelings of alive but are constant everyday no matter what circumstances we are in. How do we get that? How do we, as our passage would use as a metaphor, get living water and LIVE? Let's begin.

So what topped the news this past week? Unfortunately, the trucker convoy at Canada's capital AGAIN! And not only at the capital but also at various parts of the country most notably along the Cdn/US border. This past week, I was bombarded with spam emails from "Christian" organizations asking pastors like myself to support the convoy because they believe we are to submit to God NOT Trudeau. Interesting... And so, let's talk about it! I will be offering you my Christian opinion on who we are to submit to this Wednesday at noon. Enjoy!

Have you ever said to yourself, “I can't believe I completely missed it” when in hindsight it was supposed to be obvious to you? When I'm having a conversation with someone or the person is trying to explain something to me or I'm reading an email, what was supposed to be so obvious yet at that moment, I completely missed the point. What the person was trying to say to me, I completely misinterpreted it. Maybe I'm getting old so I'm losing my hearing. Or maybe I'm just thinking about something else. Or maybe I just jumped to a conclusion and because I did, whatever was said would go through that filter. Today. We encounter Jesus providing signs to the Jews, signs that point to himself as their messiah and not only messiah but God himself. Yet we see in these passages we will be exploring today, the Jews completely missed it. Signs that were supposed to be obvious to the Jews in Jesus' day especially the well educated, they just missed it. Why? It's because they already drew a conclusion, and that conclusion filtered and influenced how they saw Jesus' signs. How about us? Let's begin.

So what topped the news this past week? Unfortunately, for Canadians, it's the so-called Freedom Convoy. Though the Freedom Convoy topped the news, what was intriguing were the words used from both protestors and politicians, "Rules" and "Freedom." Can these two words ever co-exist? Because lately, they seem to be mutually exclusive. Jonathan shares his Christian opinion. Enjoy!

What does it mean to be dignified in a Christian sense? When you look up the word "dignity" there are more synonyms than an actual definition. How does one get dignity? How does one feel they have dignity? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series by discussing another episode from the 1990's X-men Animated Series entitled "Proteus." Enjoy!

So what topped the news this past week that is worthy for Jonathan to offer his Christian opinion? The "Freedom" truck convoy where truckers who opposed the vaccine mandate (and all vaccine mandates) are still protesting in front of Canada's capital. Jonathan offers his Christian opinion on this this Wednesday at noon. Enjoy!

What would you do if you did something you weren't supposed to do? Are you going to come forward and be honest about it? Are you going to hide it and try to find ways to keep it hidden? David chose the latter and it didn't turn out that well. He was caught and though he was "a man after God's heart" he still had to face the consequences of his choices. Dan continues our Life of David series with 2 Samuel 11-12. Enjoy!

It'll be a miracle if she reached her 70th birthday. Those were the words from medical professionals who were examining my mom's condition when she was diagnosed with a rare brain degenerative disease when she had her fall while just doing her morning routine. Then, year after year, her motor skills degenerated, from walking with a cane, to a walking with a walker, to being pushed in a wheelchair and then bed ridden for the remaining days at a care home, she passed away on April 17th, 2021. Looking back, During those days while I helped my dad as much as I could to care for my mom, there were good days and there were absolutely horrible days. There were days when mom really tested my patience and there were days when her needs were so great that I just felt helpless. There were days when I asked God, when will this end and days where I wished I didn't ask that question and wondered why I even did since I'm her son. Today, I want to share my reflections as I read David's dying days. When I read 1 Kings chapter 1 along with Eugene Peterson's reflections on this passage, I was moved to reflect on how my relationship with my mom was during her dying days. The point I want to extrapolate today is this: When caring for those we love who are dying, honour their days. Let's begin.

Continuing their GospelX series, Jonathan and Henry discuss the 2 part episode entitled "One Man's Worth" from the 1990's X-men Animated Series. Enjoy!

So what topped the news this past week? Love vs. Accommodation. A world no.1 tennis player was deported from Australia banning him from participating in the Australian Open because he chose to be unvaccinated. Some say he got what he deserved, others say the Australian government should accommodate people's choices. Canada's Conversative party leader also endorsed accommodation. So does loving your neighbour require us to accommodate? Enjoy!

For us Christians, we talk with God in various ways. Prayer, singing, meditation, or a combination. But when we do, what do we say? What's the content when we talk to God? Today, as we continue our series on the Life of David and Me, we encounter David talking with God for the first time. This does not mean that David never talked with God till now. No, he talked with God often. This is the first time we are given a glimpse of what he talks about with God. And here's the point I would like to expand on today. It's what we talk about with God that gives us an idea as to how we see God and what kind of relationship we have with God. Is it an honest relationship or a superficial one. Is it one where God is our Lord and King or is he merely a divine butler or some divine entity that leaves us to fend for ourselves? What do the lyrics of what we pray, sing, meditate with God look like? Enjoy!

Last week's news topper was the uncertainty surrounding Omicron and the public's need for certainty, absolutes and linear instructions/guidance and the authorities inability in providing the certainty. For January 12th, 2022's IMCO, Jonathan wonders if it's when humanity faces a crisis that there is no desire for debates, conversations and looking at all possibilities, rather, we desire clarity and yes/no answers. Enjoy!

In every crisis, problem or setback, there's always a different perspective available. Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they discuss another episode from the 1990's X-men animated series with episode "Nightcrawler". Enjoy!

In this scene from Lego Batman, Alfred tells Bruce Wayne (in the bat costume) that it's time for him to take his role as a father for Dick Grayson who he adopted. He cannot keep avoiding this role. Avoiding our responsibilities. Some of you may know a word that describes people who avoid their responsibilities, that word is shirkers. Have you ever encountered a shirker? Or, have you ever shirked your responsibilities as an employee, a friend, a volunteer, a parent or spouse? Today, as we continue our series on the Life of David, we're going to look at the crisis between David and his second oldest son, Absalom. I'm going to argue that it was because David shirked his God-given responsibilities that this crisis happened. We will look at what were these God-given responsibilities, how he shirked away from them, possible reasons why he shirked and what can we learn about our God-given responsibilities. Enjoy!

What is kindness? Kindness encompasses many words: Friendly, generous, and considerate are the most popular ones in the dictionary. When someone befriends you when no one else would, you would say that person was kind towards you. When someone lends a helping hand, you would say that person was kind to you. When someone gives generously, whether it be for you or for a charity, you would say this person was kind. When you are given a moment to speak your mind without any interruption, you would probably say that the person was kind. However, what is kindness in a biblical context? The Hebrew word for Kindness, Chesed, is repeated 3 times in this one chapter of only 13 verses and hence, the author is telling us that we need to make a note of it. In my opinion, I think the author is teaching us what biblical kindness is. It's not just being friendly, generous and considerate, but more. Much more. And David, as we will see, puts it into action. Enjoy!

Because God is so loving and because Jesus is a friend of sinners, we can fall into this trap of thinking that God is safe, that God is easy-going and maybe even a pushover. But in 2 Samuel 6, we discover that God is wild and unpredictable. God is not safe, but He is good.

Why are we hesitant in making changes? Why are people unsupportive of making changes or follow your lead? Henry and Jonathan continue their GospelX series by exploring these questions as they discuss another X-men animated episode. Enjoy!

Have you ever told someone “you owe me a favour.” Or, have you thought about it? Hoping that the person you helped would remember your act of benevolence towards them and be nice enough or “Christian” enough to return the favour when you need help? I did and even now I catch myself doing it from time to time. I volunteered my time, energy and even money to help others not because I wanted a favour returned but, you know, when I need help, I hope that the other person would at least be kind enough to remember the favour I did and be nice enough to help me when I need it to show that they appreciated what I did right? But rarely does this happen especially in the non-profit world. We expect it but rarely the favour is returned in kind. We say to ourselves, what a prick! I did so much for you yet when I need help, you offer none. The same goes with parenting right? As parents, we invest so much time, energy, money and our very being for our children but we cannot expect our children to return the favour in kind. In fact, many parents I see continue to spend time, energy, money and very being on their grandchildren and yet still, we cannot expect our children to return the favour in kind. Why? Because it's not love when we expect a return. And.. Out of love, we want to see our kids have every opportunity to flourish and fulfill their God-given purpose. We are merely an agents fulfilling our God given roles because we love God and our fellow human beings. If we expect anything in return, that's not love and definitely not the right motive. Today, as we continue our journey on the life of David, we see God giving David a lesson on this very principal. Enjoy!

Who am I? Have you asked this question lately? I have. Wait, what? Jon, you're such a confident person, a person who knows himself and knows what he's capable and not capable, why would you ask this question? Shouldn't that question be for those who are not confident, self-conscious or low in self-esteem? No. I think this question should be asked from time to time by everyone especially as we approach Christmas. It's a good question to pause, reflect, recap, see what's present and culminate everything to see what God has in store for each of us in the future and how Jesus' arrival informs that future. I ask this question to myself from time to time along with prayer because I believe if we are living organisms i.e. we continue to grow (upward, outward, sideways), we adapt, we evolve. We don't stay the same. We're not the same year after year and if you're like me who is getting older, it's noticeable. Each year, there's an additional area in my body that aches, I have one additional allergy, a few dozen whiter hairs or for some of you, less hair, my deepest condolences. I have hair growing where I don't want like inside my ears and nose. What I'm saying is that we are always growing, evolving, mentally, physically and hopefully, Spiritually i.e. growing closer to God. And by asking this question of “who am I” helps us to recap, reflect and culminate where we've been and evaluate how much we've grown or not. Today, as we look at chapter 5 of 2 Samuel, how did David “Realize” that he was growing? i.e. in verse 10, David “realized” he's growing strength upon strength and how he in verse 12 “realized that the LORD had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel”. As we celebrate another Christmas, have you grown in 2021 since the last Christmas in 2020? How do you know? Enjoy!

Misinformation! Have you ever been accused of being misinformed? With Covid still around, the word "misinformation" has been a hot topic of late because of how much misinformation about Covid has been spreading on social media. Jonathan has been accused of being misinformed so to conclude 2021 with one final IMCO, he'll talk about it. Enjoy!

Ever had a boneheaded moment where it was sort of a good idea for the first minute or so but rather it was a really dumb idea? Or, have you ever encountered boneheads? I have. Most of the boneheads I encounter while driving. People just make boneheaded decisions that make us wonder “what in the world were you thinking!?” The answer? They weren't. So, let's face it. We encounter boneheads and we ourselves have done some boneheaded things. What's one of the common denominators of all boneheaded actions and decisions? It's when we are rushed or impatient. Today, the author of 2 Samuel spends 3 chapters talking about boneheads. The author's purpose: to warn us that impatience leads to boneheaded actions and our boneheaded actions hurt people. Jonathan continues his Life of David & Me series with 2 Samuel chs 2 - 4. Enjoy! Be sure to visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com

In the bible, approximately one third of the Psalms are laments and of course, there's an entire book in the bible called Lamentations which contains all laments. Jeremiah is a book of weeping and laments. So, what is a lament? Well, let's start with what it is not. It's not just crying, sobbing or mourning. It's also not just feeling sad or depressed. It's also not just about venting, whining and complaining. All of these are expressions, symptoms and visual illustrations of laments but in themselves alone, are not. When we dig deeper into Laments, they are journeys through pain and loss with a specific purpose and goal in mind. There's a point to the journey of a lament. Jonathan continues his Life of David & Me series with 2 Samuel 1. Enjoy! Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we do! www.companyofdisciples.com

David has been on the run from King Saul for 10 years in the wilderness, and he's done everything he can to survive, which has involved some very questionable things. Over that time, he's put together his own A-Team of 600 men, but these aren't the best and the brightest, they're the ones in distress, in debt, and discontent. Why does God allow David and his A-Team to continue with their unethical actions and what did this say about us and Jesus' church today?

Merriam Webster defines free rider as this: A person who obtains a benefit at another's expense or without the usual cost or effort. How should a Christian respond to a possible Free Rider? Or should a Christian even use the term free rider on anyone? That's what we'll be talking about today as we continue our Life of David & Me series with Chapter 30 of 1 Samuel. Enjoy!

When anger consumes me, when fire rages through my core and my whole entire brain takes a back seat, when I allow my temper to take control of me, my actions make me look like a fool. Foolish not just because I look stupid, but because if I call myself a Christian, all the work I've tried to do to help people, being a good neighbour, being generous, all that work goes out the window due to that one 2-3 minute act of rage. A deep regret due to my actions where I am ashamed of my actions in front of people and especially in front of God. When we give in to our temper, we are fools. Continuing our series on the Life of David and Me, we encounter 2 angry men. One will look like a fool while the other won't. Enjoy! Be sure to visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com

Do you have voices in your head that you have conversations with? Voices that tell you whether what you're doing is right or wrong, worthwhile or not, good or bad etc.? Voices that help you quickly rationalize and navigate through decisions that need immediate responses or actions? According to Stan in Southpark, he sums up all these voices and identifies them as intuition or some would say, “gut feeling.” Today, as we continue our Journey with the Life of David and Me with chapters 23 and 24, we will see what's the difference between intuition and godly intuition. We all have intuition i.e. voices that we have conversations with ourselves, but not all of us have godly intuition. What is godly intuition and how do we get it if we want it? Today, we see several examples of intuition. Let's see which one was godly.

Do you have voices in your head that you have conversations with? Voices that tell you whether what you're doing is right or wrong, worthwhile or not, good or bad etc.? Voices that help you quickly rationalize and navigate through decisions that need immediate responses or actions? According to Stan in Southpark, he sums up all these voices and identifies them as intuition or some would say, “gut feeling.” Today, as we continue our Journey with the Life of David and Me with chapters 23 and 24, we will see what's the difference between intuition and godly intuition. We all have intuition i.e. voices that we have conversations with ourselves, but not all of us have godly intuition. What is godly intuition and how do we get it if we want it? Today, we see several examples of intuition. Let's see which one was godly. Enjoy!

Humans do weird things when they're afraid. Whether it's a phobia such as enclosed spaces, spiders, public speaking, death, snakes, clowns and snake clowns or fears of losing what they have such as their job, pride, self-esteem, identity, money, family, etc. There's also the fear of the unknown future, the unknown consequences, the fear of being pushed to do something that might be wrong but no one knows hence the fear of making decisions and commitment. The fear of not having absolutes and definite answers. Covid brought out the fear of running out of toilet paper, buffets brought out the fear of running out of all you can eat prawns, and rising house prices brought out the fear of missing out. Regardless of what we are afraid of, fear causes us to do things that are irrational, illogical, questionable and in David and Saul's case, immoral, unethical and ungodly. Jonathan continues his Life of David & Me series with 1 Samuel 21 - 22 Enjoy! www.companyofdisciples.com

When faced a crisis what do we do first? Well, let's just be honest, naturally, our stress level goes up, blood pressure rises, some anxiety if not a lot of anxiety kicks in and if you're like me, I quickly double check if my old spice deodorant is still working. How I check I'll leave it up to your imagination. Time tends to speed up as well even though it has been constant. Whenever some crisis happens, it feels like we have less time. When crisis hits, our amygdala kicks in our primitive survival instincts. Just look at squirrels when an oncoming car approaches. They're stressed. But what happens next is what separates us from the animals. It's when our frontal cortex takes over or what's left of it if you're doing drugs. This is where decisions need to be made, weighing in on the pros and cons, cost and benefits, acquiring knowledge and trying to rationalize the best approach to the crisis at hand. This is where discussions, negotiations and political maneuvering happens. Whether to collaborate and reach a consensus or make compromises. This is the time to see what you have at your disposal to address the crisis and try to think ahead of every possible consequence of each possible decision that is available to you. All this needs to happen within a finite amount of time because hey, you're faced with a crisis. I came from that world and you know what? Although it was stressful at that moment, looking back, it was fun. I loved the pace, the interesting nuances that happen and how these crisis situations kick my brain into high gear. However, I also realized during those moments that I could've done it better if only I slowed down just a bit to make room for one crucial step after my amygdala did its thing and before my frontal cortex kicks in. What is that crucial step? Prayer and worship. Jonathan continues his series on the life of David with part 3. Enjoy! Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do, who we are, why we exist and where we are going.

What does it mean to be anointed? Eugene Peterson says this about anointing "In our biblical texts being anointed means being given a job by God. It means employment. We're told, in effect, that there's a job to be done and that we're assigned to do it – and that we can do it. Anointing connects our work with God's work. Anointing is the sacramental connection linking God's work with our work. God is a worker, a maker. God does things. He is, of course, but also acts. And it's in his acts that we know who he is." What does God's work look like and how does it look like to connect God's work with ours? As Jonathan continues his series of "Life of David Part 2" with 1 Samuel 16:14-23 he will explore what that is. Enjoy! Did you enjoy the production? Visit our website to learn more about who we are, what we do, why we exist and where we are headed at www.companyofdisciples.com

Do you believe you're just a "Dish-Washa?" We heard about how having an "inferiority complex" is detrimental to our well being but does it also hurt our spiritual well being and our relationship with Jesus? As we kick off our series on the "Life of David and Me," Jonathan starts us off with the story of Saul, David's predecessor. Because if was Saul's inferiority complex that led to David's story. Enjoy! Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website to learn more about what we do, who we are and where we're heading! www.companyofdisciples.com

Since 9/11, America is still having difficulties understanding and relating to the Muslim faith. When we hear the word Muslim or Islam we tend to think of Arabs, terrorists, the conflict in the middle East, what's happening now in Afghanistan, but these are bad assumptions. Arab is a race while Islam is a religion. Not all Arabs are Muslim and most Muslims are actually not Arab. Arabs make up about 13% of the Muslim population worldwide. And the majority of Muslims do not want war, they want peace on Earth. So what does Islam teach and how can we as Christians relate to it? Dan Forest unpacks this and more in Episode 5 of our series, Choose Your Religion.

What is Sikhism? How similar is it with Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity? Jonathan explores Sikhism by seeing how Sikhism responds to the following questions: What is the problem with the world today and Why? Is there a metaphysical narrative? Where are we headed without Sikhism? Where SHOULD we be going? How do we get there? Are there guides? Is there life after death? Enjoy! Did you enjoy our podcast? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about how we serve the business community.

BC was the second province to unveil plans to introduce vaccine cards. This documentation will be required to access some events, services, and businesses from September 13 until at least January 31, 2022, and subject to extension.To kick off his IMCO's from a long summer break, Jonathan will be discussing vaccine cards, the debates that surround them and offer his Christian opinion. Enjoy! Did you enjoy our podcast? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more on how we serve the business community.

Since Protestants rejected the Catholic faith 500 years ago, there has still been residual skepticism and animosity between these two branches of Christianity. But Evangelicals would be surprised to learn they have a lot more in common with the Catholics than they realize, especially since the Catholic Church has undergone its own reformation since the Protestants left. Sure, there are still differences in practice and theology, but there is a lot Evangelicals could glean from the Catholic faith. Dan continues our Choose Your Religion series by looking at Catholicism. Enjoy! Did you enjoy our podcast? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about who we are and how we serve the business professional community!

Who are the Evangelicals? Some of them have been on the news for the wrong reasons of late. The Anit-vaxxers, Anti-maskers and those who consume questionable remedies to fight Covid like using horse de-wormers. There are also those who believe in conspiracy theories, thinking the vaccine is part of Satan's agenda. Are they REALLY evangelicals? Because there are many Evangelicals, including yours truly, who aren't Republican, who believes in evolution, who thinks Noah's ark is just a story to prove a point, who is more middle in political and sociological views, stand for LGBTQ and Feminist rights and still love Jesus. So who are the Evangelicals? Jonathan continues our Choose Your Religion series with a discussion on Evangelicalism. Enjoy! Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals. Are you looking for a church? Try Crucible Church. email community@cruciblechurch.com or visit their website at www.cruciblechurch.com for more information.

"You can't kill a Hindu!" Jonathan continues his "Choose your religion" series with part 2: Hinduism. Hinduism is the 3rd largest religion in the world. How does this religion respond to questions such as: "What is wrong with the world today?" "Why is it happening?" "Where should we be going?" and "How do we get there?" Join Jonathan as he provides a brief overview of Hinduism and explores how Hinduism responds to the above questions. Enjoy! Did you enjoy our recording? How about check us out at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about what we do for business professionals! Are you church shopping? Try Crucible Church in Richmond, B.C. Email community@cruciblechurch.com for more info or visit www.cruciblechurch.com