Podcasts about being christians

Saint Justin Martyr, an early Christian apologist, is best known for his First Apology, which documents Christian worship and beliefs in the first century. This blogcast explores “St. Justin Martyr's Lessons in Christianity" from the Ad Infinitum blog, written by Erin Donn and read by Brian Rhude.Have you ever considered what it would have been like to be a member of the Church in the first few centuries? Jesus would have been fresh in peoples' memories, but the rich Christian tradition we have today would have only just been taking shape. Those early followers of Christ would have been interpreting what Jesus' teachings meant and figuring out how to live them out in their daily lives, both individually and communally. It was in this context that St. Justin Martyr, an early Christian convert and apologist who lived in modern day Israel from about 100-165 AD, lived. St. Justin is well known for his First Apology, which he wrote to the Roman emperor, Antoninus Titus, as a defense and explanation of Christianity. This text not only gives us insight to what it was like when the Church was taking shape, but it also provides a rich insight into how we can live as Christians to this day.1) Being Christians in name and deedSt. Justin knew as well as anyone today that it is much easier to say you are a Christian than it is to truly live as one. He wanted the emperor to truly understand what Christianity was and Who it was founded upon, to not base his opinions on the popular zeitgeist: “For from a name neither praise nor punishment could reasonably spring, unless something excellent or base in action be proved.” (Ch. IV) For us today, we live in a world where the name “Christian” can carry so many different connotations. It depends on each of us to “prove something excellent” in our actions. Besides claiming the name Christian, are we living and worshiping in a way that reflects this privileged name?2) How to live as ChristiansWhether Christians in the first century or in the 21st century, we are called to live for God and His eternal kingdom above all else. With his eyes focused on Heaven, St. Justin was able to accept persecutions because he understood that his earthly life was temporary. He encouraged others to “imitate the excellences which reside in [God], temperance, and justice, and philanthropy.” (Ch. X) Rather than the material offerings sacrificed at the time, St. Justin wanted to make an offering of his life by setting aside his own will and taking up God's ways. Rather than imitating the pagan gods, he wanted to become deified by “living near to God in holiness and virtue.” (Ch. XXIII) While our settings may be different today, we can still practice the patience, love, and charity towards others that St. Justin encouraged.3) Christian CommunityThroughout the Apology, St. Justin is not just preaching about individual Christians, but the whole Christian community. From the beginning, the necessity of community was always understood. It was through one another that they would receive the faith, be converted, and persevere in the faith. Rather than worship alone, the early Christians understood the need to come together. The faithful would gather to offer prayers for one another to be “found good citizens and keepers of the commandments.” (Ch LXV) They would celebrate the Eucharist in remembrance of Christ's passion and for their own nourishment. They would collect money to be distributed for the needs among them. Rather than seeing this early form of the Mass as a Sunday obligation, it was the fitting response to their new life in Christ. We too can embrace this view of community as the place we offer God fitting worship and truly practice our faith.While today most of us are blessed to not fear extreme persecution or martyrdom, we do still have the freedom and responsibility to make the choice for God and the good daily. Through the intercession of St. Justin, may we be strengthened to boldly profess and live out our faith. Author:Erin Donn serves as the parish missionary at Immaculate Conception Church in Washington, DC. Resources:Listen to On Mission: The SaintsResources on the Eucharistic RevivalBrowse the Saints and Feast Day SiteRead the Ad Infinitum blog Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center and you can also listen to his weekly Sunday Gospel reflections. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources.

Simeon after taking the baby Jesus to his arms said to Mary and Joseph, "this child is destined for the rise and fall of many." His adult publuc life showed what that meant. The outcast and poor, he lifted but the proud were called out. Being Christians, that is also our calling. (Luke 2:22-40, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord)

MESSAGEWhat Billy Graham Can Teach Us about Being Christians in AmericaFourth of July | Pastor ChrisDESCRIPTIONThis weekend, as we celebrate our birth of our nation, we are taking a look at the life and teachings of Billy Graham, while asking ourselves the question: What can we learn about being Christians in America?VIDEOS USEDBilly Graham – A Tribute from BGEAA Timely Billy Graham Message for COVID-19Paul Harvey interviews Billy Graham at his home in NCBilly Graham On HopeIMPORTANT LINKSGet ConnectedGive OnlineRequest Prayer

Welcome to the fifty-first episode of Equipping You in Grace. On today's episode, Dave Jenkins talks about how Christians should respond to some of the many challenges to the inspiration, sufficiency, and authority of the Bible that are occurring inside and outside the church. What you’ll hear in this episode: The inspiration, inerrancy, sufficiency, and authority of the Bible. How to respond to challenges to the Bible from our culture and in the church. The Intolerance of tolerance. Confidence in the truthfulness of Scripture. Why a high view of God leads to a high view of the Bible and the worship of God. Being Christians of passionate conviction. The redemptive story of Scripture. The work of the Holy Spirit in illuminating the Word of God. How to grow in your understanding of Scripture. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Equipping You in Grace via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast catcher. If you like what you’ve heard, please consider leaving a rating and share it with your friends (it takes only takes a second and will go a long way to helping other people find the show). You can also connect with me on Twitter at @davejjenkins, on Facebook or via email to share your feedback. Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of Equipping You in Grace!

Sunday, 5 June 2016, our sermon was lead by Steve Lounsbury from the Los Angeles Churches of Christ. Steve does a great job inspiring us with Jesus' words about dying to ourselves to save the lost. Being Christians, we follow Jesus and walk as He did - dying to our selfishness to help people become Christians and dying to our own worldly thinking so that lives can change all around us. Listen in as Steve encourages us with a powerful direction to die to save the lost and die to train the saved in his sermon entitled Jesus: The Ultimate World Changer!

Being a disciple of Jesus is more than a statement of faith or way of thinking - it means we say the things he said and do the things he did. Being Christians v. Following Jesus

Join us today as we go live with  State Committeeman Bader Qarmoutwho gives us the update on the NJ senate Race plus education policy. Bader Qarmout is an American of Jordanian descent. He was born in the country of Jordan to Christian parents. Being Christians in any Arab nation is not easy. Bader is one of 9 children and the entire Qarmout family immigrated to the United States in the mid-seventies. Bader’s father and older brothers worked at a plastic factory in Moonachie, NJ. The family of 9 children lived in a motor home parked in the parking lot of the factory. Every now and then, a police officer on patrol would notice the motor home parked between the trucks and kick them out. Bader says “If we were poor we never knew it.”To find out more about Bader go here: http://www.bgq4nj.com/ This show sponsored by Campusteaparties.com  Log onto Youthforindependenceforum

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-17 Speaker: Rev. Randy Lovelace The post Being Christians and Citizens first appeared on Redeemer Montclair.