That Don't Fit

In this episode we continue our occasional conversations with folks from a variety of backgrounds on their thoughts and experiences around ethnic harmony. We interview Nathan and Catherine Gin, whose Chinese/Swiss/American backgrounds have given them a distinct view on how to think about ethnicity and culture. As a bonus we get stories about Nelson Mandela and bowling at the White House.

In this episode we talk about a topic that is a passion for JT and a chore for Andy.  That's working out.  If you want to see generational differences at work, check out this episode.

In this episode we try to get a handle on how we get our news and how we make sense of what we get. This isn't a ‘hot takes' debate. It is two guys who want to stay up to date with what's going on, but who don't want to be buried under an avalanche of information and opinions in the process.  

In this episode we interview Jorge Pardo, a man from Puerto Rico of Spanish and Cuban descent. Jorge talks about his cultural heritage and being a Latino in non-Latino spaces, and how he navigates that experience as a follower of Christ. 

JT and Andy talk about crying - why we do it and what it does for us.  This isn't a conversation about sorrow or grief - it's a conversation about the crazy ways our bodies work that produces the experience of crying. Paradoxically, we laugh a lot in this episode.

JT and Andy catch up after a break in recording episodes to talk about what they've been doing, what they are currently listening to and reading, and they drop into a conversation about the value of friendship for those who are in ministry.

Andy and JT discuss the practice, challenges and glories of prayer and how they have been inspired to pray by the experience and words of others.     Quotes: C. S. Lewis:  "Well, let's now at any rate come clean.  Prayer is irksome.  An excuse to omit it is never unwelcome.  When it is over, this casts a feeling of relief and holiday over the rest of the day.  We are reluctant to begin.  We are delighted to finish.  While we are at prayer, but not while we are reading a novel or solving a cross-word puzzle, any trifle is enough to distract us."   Tim Kerr:  “To pray in the Spirit is to pray when the Spirit moves in our hearts and helps us to desire and seek God's will. It is the Spirit imparting the heart of God to us in the moment. When we pray in the Spirit, as John Owen says so compellingly, ‘we see a sight of God as on a throne of grace' and we know He welcomes our prayers to Him.”    Corrie Ten Boom: ”Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden."   E.M. Bounds:  "Prayer….is simply making known our requests to God for things agreeable to His will in the name of Christ….Prayer is infinite ignorance trusting to the wisdom of God."   Timothy Chester:  "Here is the test of whether you have grasped the radical simplicity of the gospel.  Do you think your prayers are more likely to be answered if you are living a more godly life or if you are also fasting or if you bind demons in your prayer or if you pray for two hours rather than one hour?  If we are inclined to answer yes to any of these questions then we have not grasped the sufficiency of Christ's mediatorial role."   Timothy Chester: "It is sometimes said that good private prayer is the foundation of good corporate prayer, but it may be more biblical to say that that corporate prayer is the foundation of private prayer.  Our experience of God in Christ is corporate.  Western individualism has made the individual alone with God the centre of spirituality.  For the people of the Bible it is the relationship between God and his people that is central.  Personal prayer revolves around this common experience-not the other way around."   Charles Spurgeon:  “The throne to which we are called is the throne of grace.  It is a throne set up on purpose for the dispensation of grace and from which every utterance is an utterance of grace.  The scepter that is stretched out from it is the silver scepter of grace.  The decrees proclaimed from it are purposes of grace.  The gifts that are scattered down its golden steps are gifts of grace, and he who sits upon the throne is grace Himself”.     "I find it wise to sprinkle a few words of prayer between everything I do" - Charles Spurgeon   "I find this a tremendous truth and a rather uncomfortable challenge ,my prayers, whether I pray, how much I pray, about what I pray—reveal my priorities, and they reveal how much I really think I need God, or whether I am—deep down, in fact self-assured and self-righteous. If Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God knew that he needed to bow my knees before the Father, what of us? If Jesus Christ, the greatest teacher in the world followed up his instruction by prayer what of us, if Jesus Christ who was sent on a mission that changed not just world history but all of eternity, knew that he needed to pray—what of us?" - Alistair Begg   "Then came the reading of the scripture, that was time enough no hurry, how those English people did love the word of God. The second prayer followed. that was my prayer because it was everybody's cry. His prayer was greater to me than his sermon. In his sermon, he talked with men, in his prayer, he communed with God. When he described the coming of Christ to the soul it seemed to me I saw for the first time I saw the King in his beauty—the suppliant was forgiven, with his face streaming with tears and his tone so full and rich that it swept through every heart —as a breath of perfumed air flows through the halls of a palace. This divine air possessed our hearts when he cried, we love Thee, Thou knowest it. Not because Thou art great but because of the inestimable gift of the only begotten Son.  Lift us up, O God. Take us out of the dust. Let us by faith come to the fountain and be washed. We come. We feel Thou hath washed us. We are clean. Yes,  we are clean. Blessed be the Lord our God. Make us young again. Wake us up. Let us not sleep. We thank Thee for our troubles…for all that makes us conscious of our alienation from Thee, bless our orphanage, our college, our retreat…and so on he went enumerating every claim and presenting the request so naturally, that every heart joined in the upgoing petition. We close our prayer. As to the words we have been with Thee. We know it that thou hast heard us and blessed us. We feel it. We retire from the mercy seat, and we thank Thes for audience, and pray for a blessing on us all" —Spurgeon the Pastor by Geoffrey Chang   Books: Pray Big: Learn to Pray Like an Apostle (Inspiration from the Apostle Paul on how to pray and what to pray)   Spurgeon the Pastor: Recovering a Biblical and Theological Vision for Ministry

Recently we had a chance to sit down with pastor, author and urban entrepreneur John Onwuchekwa for a conversation about building healthy church communities in urban areas and a bunch of other things that came up.

This is the second part of our interview with Eric McAllister, Director of Music and Liturgy at High Point Baptist Church in Austin Texas. In this episode, Eric walks us through his vision for creativity and theological depth as we gather to worship as the church. 

In the next two episodes we interview Eric McAllister, Director of Music and Liturgy at High Point Baptist Church in Austin Texas. Through his ministry Sunday Morning Songs, Eric is also creating modern hymnody to help churches experience richly theological and culturally diverse congregational singing as the gathered church.

We're going to be jumping into a little bit of a mini-series in our next few episodes on celebrating ethnic diversity in worship in the church. We've got a special guest joining us in the series but want to kick off with a message Andy did on appreciating the cultural and musical styles that come to us as a worshipping church.

We had another conversation ready to drop this week but we felt this January 15 message on Ethnic harmony from Acts 1 was so helpful, so we're going with it.  We've also included some elements from the service in celebration of Ethnic Harmony in the church.  Enjoy and be inspired!

Foundations message by JT on the beauty of ethnic diversity in the church.

In this episode, JT interviews Andy on his new book "Ordinary Greatness: A Life of Elias Boudinot". They talk about Elias, his character, his faith and what we can learn from a man who stood strong amid hard times. The book is available now!   You can buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Greatness-Life-Elias-Boudinot/dp/1585163902 

In this episode, JT and Andy discuss the topic of self awareness and how it's both a positive and negative thing in society.

In this episode, Andy gives a helpful sermon on what critical race theory is and what it means for us as Christians attempting to walk in harmony.    Sermon quotes used:   Voices on Critical Race Theory Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic: What do critical race theorists believe? Probably not every member would subscribe to every tenet set out in this book, but many would agree on the following propositions. First, that racism is ordinary, not aberrational...—“normal science,” the usual way society does business, the common, everyday experience of most people of color in this country. Second, most would agree that our system of white-over-color ascendancy serves important purposes, both psychic and material... Because racism advances the interests of both white elites (materially) and working-class people (psychically), large segments of society have little incentive to eradicate it... A third theme of critical race theory, the “social construction” thesis, holds that race and races are products of social thought and relations. Not objective, inherent, or fixed, they correspond to no biological or genetic reality; rather, races are categories that society invents, manipulates, or retires when convenient... A final element concerns the notion of a unique voice of color. Coexisting in somewhat uneasy tension with anti-essentialism, the voice-of-color thesis holds that because of their different histories and experiences with oppression, black, Indian, Asian, and Latino/a writers and thinkers may be able to communicate to their white counterparts matters that the whites are unlikely to know. Minority status, in other words, brings with it a presumed competence to speak about race and racism. (Critical Race Theory - An Introduction. 6-9 Janel George: CRT is not a diversity and inclusion “training” but a practice of interrogating the role of race and racism in society that emerged in the legal academy and spread to other fields of scholarship. (Kimberlé) Crenshaw—who coined the term “CRT”—notes that CRT is not a noun, but a verb. It cannot be confined to a static and narrow definition but is considered to be an evolving and malleable practice. It critiques how the social construction of race and institutionalized racism perpetuate a racial caste system that relegates people of color to the bottom tiers. CRT also recognizes that race intersects with other identities, including sexuality, gender identity, and others. CRT recognizes that racism is not a bygone relic of the past. Instead, it acknowledges that the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the imposition of second- class citizenship on Black Americans and other people of color continue to permeate the social fabric of this nation. (https:// www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/civil-rights-reimagining-policing/a-lesson-on-critical-race- theory/) Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer on essential elements of Critical Theory: 1. Our identity as individuals is inseparable from our group identity and, in particular, whether we are members of a dominant, ‘oppressor' group or a subordinate, ‘oppressed' group. 2. Oppressor groups subjugate oppressed groups by dictating and maintaining society's norms, traditions, expectations, and ideologies. 3. Our fundamental moral duty as human beings is to work for the liberation of oppressed groups. 4. To these core commitments, critical theorists often add several corollaries: • Subjective, ‘lived experience' is more important than objective evidence and reason in understanding oppression. • Privileged groups promote their own agenda under the guise of objectivity. • Individuals who are part of more than one oppressed group experience ‘intersectionality;' their oppression is qualitatively distinct from the oppression of the separate groups to which they belong. https://freethinkingministries.com/critical-theory-christianity/ Samuel Kronen and Nate Hochman: (CRT's) core claims are that racism, whether overt or systemic, lies at the root of all racial disparities; that race and racism shape our political and personal lives; and that the dominant group in society – in this case whites – have a hidden psychological, political, and economic investment in maintaining their privilege at the expense of minorities. Some other principles include intersectionality, the idea that human beings are composed of a multitude of intersecting group identities, some of which are Andy Farmer 3 of 4 2022.05 Critical Race Theory and Covenant Fellowship Church considered victims and others oppressors; standpoint epistemology, the notion that our racial identity informs our worldview in ways that are less accessible to those of other backgrounds; and differential racialization, the attempt to grapple with the different ways that a group has been “racialized” at different times in history to the benefit of the majority culture. In essence, critical race theorists look at two indisputable facts – that the United States of America was historically racist and that racial gaps between whites and blacks persist – and then seek to unearth the connection between these two realities by deconstructing the complex interplay between privilege, identity, and structural oppression. The question is not whether these facts are related, but how they are related. (https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/volume-33- number-1/critical-race-theory-un-american) Susan Stryker: “Because members of minority groups are, by definition, less common than members of majority groups, minorities often experience misunderstanding, prejudice, and discrimination. Society tends to be organized in ways that either deliberately or unintentionally favor the majority, and ignorance or misinformation about a less common way of being in the world can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and mischaracterizations. On top of that, society can actually privilege some kinds of people over other kinds of people, with the former benefiting from the exploitation of the latter: settlers benefited from the appropriation of indigenous lands, slaveholders benefited from the labor of the enslaved, men have benefited from the inequality of women. Violence, law, and custom hold these social hierarchies in place.” Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution, 7-8. Susan Stryker. As quoted by Josh Blount, 11/21 Abby Ferber: Intersectional theories argue that race and gender are intertwined, and neither can be fully comprehended on its own. An intersectional approach sees race and gender as interacting and inseparable, and intertwined with other identity categories such as age, sexual identity, class, disability, etc.. Everyone plays a role in the dynamics of privilege and oppression and can work toward creating change in the ways that systems and institutions are organized to perpetuate inequality. It is only by adopting an intersectional approach, which examines the ways in which race, gender, and other systems of inequality interact and intersect, as part of what Patricia Hill Collins calls a matrix of privilege and oppression, that we can fully comprehend and work to develop successful strategies for combating any and all forms of oppression. (Whiteness Studies and the Erasure of Gender, 2007. P. 268, 280) Carl Trueman: Critical theory is today a diverse phenomenon that draws deeply and variously on strands of Marxist thought, psychoanalysis, feminist theory, postcolonialism, poststructuralism, queer theory, and deconstruction. It embraces a variety of such approaches and continues to develop its conceptual vocabulary and its range of political concerns. Yet at the core of the various approaches of critical theorists lies a relatively simple set of convictions: the world is to be divided up between those who have power and those who do not; the dominant Western narrative of truth is really an ideological construct designed to preserve the power structure of the status quo; and the goal of critical theory is therefore to destabilize this power structure by destabilizing the dominant narratives that are used to justify— to “naturalize”—it. (The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (pp. 225-226)

In this episode, JT and Andy discuss the value of having relationships with people who think differently than you.

In this episode, Andy and JT discuss how difficult it is to find balance in the things we are passionate in. Christopher Ash's book "Zeal Without Burnout" is referenced as a helpful resource in this category.

In this episode, Andy and JT dissect the book "The Heart of Anger: How The Bible Transforms Anger In Our Understanding And Experience" by Christopher Ash and Steve Midgley. They also thank you for the kind comments and reviews! 

In this episode, JT and Andy take on a list of trigger words that are easily misunderstood and they work to define them and categorize them. Hopefully, this can be a resource for you as you hear these commonly used words/phrases.  Please send us trigger words that you'd like us to talk about on facebook/instagram/twitter @ThatDontFit

In this episode, JT and Andy break down the topic of justice and the scriptures we need to consider when thinking about it. 

Today we welcome a new friend to the podcast, Isaac Adams! He is the author of a book coming out in January called Talking About Race: Gospel Hope for Hard Conversations which we encourage you to pre-order now. Isaac is also the founder of United? We Pray which is a ministry devoted to praying amidst racial strife.  Listen as Isaac and your hosts talk about his ministry and book in depth and why we should be more active in prayer as we approach this topic.

In this laid back episode, Andy and JT discuss and debate each of their top five movie franchises. Enjoy!

Andy Farmer preaches on the topic of humility followed by a panel discussion including Jared Torrence and Leo Parris. 

In this episode, JT and Andy talk about how generations view the church and discuss the positives and negatives of critiquing the church. 

Andy and JT recorded this short episode to finish up our short series on the history of slavery that we released over Juneteenth as an educational resource. We hope this provides further clarification and insight over why this topic should be better understood in our community and our purpose/intent in making these episodes.

In this episode, JT and Andy dig into why it's important for us to rest. We are halfway through summer and relaxation is at the forefront of our minds. But it's helpful to really think through why we should rest and what that ought to look like. Enjoy this fun and encouraging conversation about why we need to take rest seriously.

In this episode, Andy and JT give a descriptive summary of how slavery came to be in the formation of our country. They dialogue based on intensive research why the founders did not abolish slavery when embarking on the American experiment.  As we remember Juneteenth, we thought it appropriate to dive deep into this difficult part of our history. So last week and this week featured episodes talking about this topic. We hope this can be a helpful resource to you as spend time learning, grieving, and celebrating the abolition of slavery in America.

In this episode, Andy and JT give a descriptive summary of how slavery came to be in the formation of our country. They dialogue based on intensive research why the founders did not abolish slavery when embarking on the American experiment.  As we remember Juneteenth, we thought it appropriate to dive deep into this difficult part of our history. So this week and next week will feature episodes talking about this topic. We hope this can be a helpful resource to you as spend time learning, grieving, and celebrating the abolition of slavery in America.

In this episode, Andy and JT continue their conversation on the topic of parenting. With JT in the throes of parenthood and Andy waving from the other side, they discuss their common experiences and principles that guided their perspective. ----more---- [1:48] - The Godzilla of parenting Bible Verses [9:02] - God's way is a mystery [13:18] - How do we know the way? [34:00] - We need to be spiritually disciplined [39:15] - Resources for parents [47:50] - What is something on your heart for parents?

In this episode, Andy and JT dive into the topic of parenting. With JT in the throes of parenthood and Andy waving from the other side, they discuss their common experiences at the start and what principles they carry/carried. ----more---- [2:05] - What comes to your mind when you think about parenting? [4:08] - The Torrence Family [14:40] - Andy isn't the baby-holder [16:40] - Coming home from the hospital [21:05] - What were your initial anxieties? [26:40] - What's your vision? [30:25] - Legacy [33:30] - What burdens do you have? [35:04] - You can't control their faith [38:07] - What does JT look like on a bad parenting day? [40:36] - What does Andy look like on a bad parenting day? [44:50] - Thoughts for parents who are overwhelmed

In this episode, Andy and JT dive into the topic of friendship. So many people feel alone and don't know how to make friends or how to deal with the loss of friends. They go back and forth with principles we need to hold heavily as we pursue friendship with one another. ----more---- [2:45] - Defining friendship [10:15] - What do you do when people don't want to be friends with you? [12:15] - Social Media [15:41] - "Made For Friendship" by Drew Hunter [22:15] - Losing friends [27:59] - Brothers and sisters [32:32] - The idolatry of friendship [42:44] - Walking in the light [45:28] - Confession [53:32] - What are your problems with friendship in this generation? [59:18] - Friendship in ministry

Jared Torrence preaches on the topic of gospel unity followed by a panel discussion including Andy Farmer and Jared Mellinger.

This week we welcome Cassie Juste to the podcast to continue talking about historical laws. Cassie walks us through laws from the early 1900s to the modern day. It is difficult to come to terms with the fact that these laws are part of our recent history, but it's important to wrestle with the implications that these laws have on our lives today.

In this episode, Andy and JT talk about cell phones. They dive into the history of getting them and make fun of each other's likes/dislikes when it comes to this useful tool that is so easily misused.

Continuing our conversation with Tim Shorey on his book "Respect The Image," Andy and JT turn the conversation towards talking about what it's like to pastor a multi-ethnic church with a multi-ethnic leadership team. Listen as they discuss some of the benefits of experiencing diversity in the context of the church.

In this episode, Andy and JT interview Timothy Shorey about his new book Respect the Image: Reflecting Human Worth in how We Listen and Talk.  They dig deep into why the principles laid out in the book are important and it leads them into a broader conversation about how we ought to relate with friends, family, and our church.

Andy Farmer preaches on the topic of redemption followed by a panel discussion including Jared Torrence and Jared Mellinger. 

Andy and JT celebrate the lives of some unsung heroes in the African American community. These are individuals that lived lives worthy of being known today and they each take time to share these powerful stories. Andy's hero is Henry Ossawa Tanner, an accomplished painter. JT's hero is Vivien Thomas, the man now credited for the breakthrough in heart surgery. ----more----[2:08] - Shoutout to Yasuke the African samurai[3:18] - JT's unsung hero: Vivien Thomas[11:38] - Doing post-doctorate work on a janitor's salary[14:56] - Falling out[16:24] - Legacy[18:00] - Takeaways[19:40] - How do you interpret Dr. Blalock's actions?[24:01] - Andy's unsung hero: Henry Ossawa Tanner[26:11] - Started painting[27:54] - Painting biblical scenes[32:30] - He had a sincere and enduring faith that shaped his art[35:00] - Life long struggles to create a space for himself[36:55] - He wanted to love his country----more----Like Something The Lord Made (Article)Something The Lord Made (Movie)Daniel in the Lions Den (Painting)Resurrection of Lazarus (Painting)Portrait of Henry O Tanner's Mother (Painting) 

In this episode, we continue the conversation with Cassie Juste on historical laws. Cassie Juste is an accomplished attorney who has spent time studying historical laws that have shape the foundations of our society. Andy and JT interview her as she walks us some pivotal legislation that shaped our country.----more----[0:45] - The Emancipation Proclamation [3:54] - Juneteenth[5:36] - Mass Incarceration[7:12] - Citizenship[8:31] - Reconstruction[15:52] - Black codes[18:40] - The black Church amidst adversity 

In this episode, we are excited to welcome our first guest! Cassie Juste is an accomplished attorney who has spent time studying historical laws that have shape the foundations of our society. Andy and JT interview her as she walks us through history and the laws throughout.----more----[2:12] - Introducing Cassie Juste[2:55] - History of laws[3:44] - Historical laws that are good to be aware of[4:48] - Laws that prohibit marraige[6:02] - The Declaration of Independence (1700s)[8:45] - Early 1800s[11:07] - Big picture thoughts[13:54] - How do these laws get passed?[16:02] - These laws affected more than just African Americans[18:35] - This wasn't that long ago 

In this two-part episode, Andy and JT give three (+30) reasons why the black Church matters to black and white evangelicals today. They dig into the history of the black Church and share what traits we should emulate as reformed evangelicals. ----more----[0:40] - It's the same Church[3:40] - White evangelicals need to dig into history[5:00] - Dr. George Kelsey[6:35] - Charles Octavius Boothe[8:50] - Black pastors were politicians [11:26] - Consider some of the major biblical themes the black church prioritizes[12:10] - The Exodus theme led to communal thinking[15:16] - We need to be vibrant in prayer and worship[16:30] - We need eschatological hope[18:08] - Speaking truth without fear of being cancelled[22:40] - Church membership[24:30] - We need to learn how to be oppressed and hold onto the gospel

In this two-part episode, Andy and JT give three (+30) reasons why the black Church matters to black and white evangelicals today. They dig into the history of the black Church and share what traits we should emulate as reformed evangelicals. ----more----[2:40] - What is the black Church?[5:30] - Elevated kingdom mentality[6:35] - The AME Church[8:35] - Addressing why more people are leaving the historic black church[11:04] - Mindful of liberation[12:11] - Be thankful for the black Church[13:15] - Dr. Walter Strickland podcast episode (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/as-in-heaven/historical-developments-of-the-black-church/)[15:40] - What should we learn from the black Church?[16:08] - A commitment to hope in suffering[16:50] - Community presence[21:15] - The celebratory nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ

In this episode, Andy and JT talk about what the Old Testament says on the topic of justice. They walk through Exodus and some other sections in the Old Testament and discuss how they should shape our perspective of the Christians' call today.----more----[1:56] - Words are a social construct[3:24] - Use the bible to interpret the rest of the world[5:09] - Injustice in Exodus[7:36] - Christians should focus on redemption in injustice[9:08] - Historical perspective[10:42] - Imposed injustice[13:10] - Injustice in David's life[15:49] - It's a privilege to live in a country where change can happen[17:49] - Tension between pessimism and optimism[19:17] - Exodus tells us how to treat the sojourner[21:01] - This is not our home[21:32] - The Church[22:36] - It's the same Church[25:40] - Future episodes on History 

Jared Torrence preaches on the The Gospel of Jesus Christ followed by a panel led by Andy Farmer with Jared Torrence and Jared Mellinger

In this episode, Andy and JT finish up their series on formative albums that shaped their lives. Tune in for some funny stories and some solid album suggestions.----more----[4:50] - At Home With Owen by Owen[9:55] - Comes a Time by Neil Young[14:43] - The Midnight Oregon Fight by Frightened Rabbit[22:38] - My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello [27:36] - The Mocker and the Monarch by Taelor Gray[32:52] - Winterlands 1978 by Bruce Springsteen

In this episode, Andy and JT talk about six more albums for their music series. Just sit back, relax, and laugh at these stories about Angry Andy and Emo Jared as they share a bit about themselves through their music tastes. ----more----[1:49] - Andy album one - "Cosmos Factory" by Creedance Clearwater Revival [6:05] - JT album one - "The First Days of Spring" by Noah And The Whale[11:32] - Andy album two - "Who's Next" by The Who [15:45] - JT album two - "Strict Joy" by The Swell Season[23:24] - Andy album three - "Eat A Peach" by Allman Brothers Band[29:12] - JT album three - "Sonshine" by Swoop

In this episode, JT talks about what it's like being a minority pastor in a predominately white church. It opened up the door for a powerful conversation about struggles he has faced along with some powerful application that every person should hear. ----more----[2:10] - Spaces: The Church[3:20] - I love the church[3:55] - Book One: Outside Insider by Bryan Loritts[5:20] - Book Two: Weep With Me by Mark Vroegop[5:55] - Excerpt from Weep With Me[7:35] - Common experience[10:35] - Cuts deeper when it comes from the church[11:58] - This is more than politics for me[12:52] - Rejected for speaking out[14:40] - What made you decide to make this church your home?[16:36] - Wise words from Shai Linne[18:20] - The gospel is big enough[20:40] - Church members need to pioneer too[23:50] - How do you keep the eye on the prize?[26:00] - We all have something to offer[28:20] - Experience is not just occasional[30:00] - The picture of heaven[31:40] - Closing comments/book recommendations  

Andy and JT want to share a bit about themselves by telling you about music that has shaped their lives. They each created lists of albums and unpack them in this series to be continued. ----more----[4:25] - Introduction[6:38] - Andy 1: Greatest Hits by Three Dog Night[10:22] - Jared 1: Illinois by Sufjian Stevens[15:44] - Andy 2: Abbey Road by The Beatles[20:03] - Jared 2: The Narrative by Sho Baraka[29:10] - Two songs that will minister to your soul as a parent----more----Three Dog Night (Greatest Hits): https://open.spotify.com/album/15dcVrftyyS9a0cD7QcTm2?si=7-JNvfFKRNOh9QDTtemJ0gSufjian Stevens (Illinois): https://open.spotify.com/album/7j8lfKDdL7vE8OAM4cA3W3?si=g2HYML96SPSBpfjJ7VtDCgThe Beatles (Abbey Road): https://open.spotify.com/album/0ETFjACtuP2ADo6LFhL6HN?si=vBjGZrQGQPKiVM18D9I98Q Sho Baraka (The Narrative): https://open.spotify.com/album/5BsScM9mlXSIhGsUwy8Yiv?si=6vcjxytYSvWvZhElPP7ElA 

In this episode we are taking a break from hot-button topics and focusing on the glory of God. This is being released one day after the 2020 election and we NEED to ground ourselves in the foundation of our faith. We tap into a resource we've provided the church with a teaching and a panel discussion on something fundamental. ----more----Preaching[1:15] - Intro and glory of God[3:35] - Glory is who God is… [8:20] - The Glory of Me and first application point[13:03] - 2nd application point to endPanel[16:54] - First panel question[20:36] - We have proven ourselves… [21:39] - The joy of justice[22:31] - God has a good purpose[24:51] - Can you kneel or stand during the national anthem?[29:52] - Tribalism[33:36] - Jared Mellinger closing thought

Highlights of JT’s teaching and panel discussion on the Imago Dei and race/ethnicity.