Podcasts about church learn

Janet Boynes, founder of Janet Boynes Ministries, offers powerful insight into how the Church can lovingly minister to those in the LGBTQ+ community without abandoning biblical truth. She dives deep into the importance of community, discipleship, and spiritual authority while sharing her own transformation story. This conversation is real, vulnerable, and practical for every believer. Discover how to be a voice of compassion and truth in a culture filled with confusion. A must-listen for pastors, parents, and anyone looking to lead others into freedom.About the GuestJanet Boynes is the founder of Janet Boynes Ministries and an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. A former lesbian, she now shares her powerful testimony of freedom and healing through Jesus Christ, offering resources and hope for individuals and families navigating issues of sexuality, identity, and faith. She is the author of several books, including Called Out and God & the LGBT Community.Reasons to ListenUnfiltered Testimony of Transformation – Janet shares her personal journey from abuse, addiction, and same-sex relationships to full redemption through Christ.Practical Tools for the Church – Learn how to effectively minister to those in the LGBTQ+ community with grace, love, and uncompromised truth.Cultural Clarity with Compassion – Understand the cultural shifts impacting faith, sexuality, and family—and how to stand firm in God's design.Big TakeawaysHealing Takes Community – A loving, Christ-centered community plays a vital role in healing from trauma and breaking free from sin.Truth Doesn't Equal Hatred – Speaking truth about biblical sexuality can—and should—be done in love without compromising God's Word.Church Must Be Prepared – Churches need to educate themselves on how to walk alongside individuals in sexual brokenness.Discipleship Over Decisions – It's not enough for someone to “come out” of a lifestyle; they need discipleship to grow in Christ.Identity Is in Christ Alone – No label or past defines us—only who we are in Jesus.Missional ChallengesStep Out in Faith – Speak truth in love to someone you know who may be struggling with identity—start with a conversation, not a confrontation.Create Christ-Centered Community – Invite someone who feels marginalized into your small group or church activity—extend the love of Christ personally.Educate Yourself Biblically – Read one book or watch a teaching on biblical sexuality this week to deepen your understanding and compassion.Chapters & Timestamps00:00 – Introduction to Janet Boynes01:05 – Janet's Childhood Trauma & Abuse04:39 – Her Turn to Drugs and Homosexuality08:39 – Encounter with the Church12:17 – Re-dedication and Church Acceptance17:44 – Building Community After Leaving Homosexuality21:05 – The Church's Missteps and Missed Opportunities24:24 – How to Speak Truth in Love28:13 – Janet's Ongoing Struggles and Faithfulness33:09 – Addressing Cultural and Spiritual Battles40:52 – Janet's Marching Orders to the Church45:54 – Where God Is Leading Her NextGuest Website & Socials

Episode 14 On this episode of Your Visuals Matter, Carl sits down and talks with Stephen Kendrick of The Kendrick Brothers Productions. They will talk about ;earning from movies, about quality. Their conversation is about their newest movie, The Forge and the importance of discipleship. This movie parallels the universe of War Room and focuses on the theme of discipleship, showing the process of spiritual growth and maturity. The conversation also touches on the importance of quality visuals in presenting the gospel and balancing entertainment value with the message. Stephen shares his experiences and lessons learned from their previous movies and emphasize the need for excellence in representing Jesus. CONNECT WITH CHURCH VISUALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/churchvisuals⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/groups/churchvisuals⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/churchvisuals⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠yourvisualsmatter@churchvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOW NOTES⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Scott Wilder of Pre-Born - "The Pope Allegedly Used a Derogatory Slang Term to Describe Gay Men - and Then Quickly Apologized. What Can the Church Learn from His Example?"

- PRAYERS NEEDED! "A Texas Pastor has Been CONVICTED of STEALING THREE CHURCH BUILDINGS - and ATTEMPTING TO STEAL SEVEN MORE!" - President & CEO of Thru the Bible, Gregg Harris - "What Lessons About Unity Can the Church Learn from the Death of a CNN News Anchor?" - CRAIG DENISON: Living Intentionally

It's been an incredible week at the United Methodist Church Annual Conference. It's been a time of unexpected, vision and unexpected presence of the Holly Spirit.  Those who are in favor of inclusion of everyone, including our LGBT+ community were blessed with votes that approved everything we ask for. It was truly a blessing from God.  It's a day of new beginnings and a new truly United Methodist Church. Watch this episode to find out what happened and what it means for the future of the United Methodist Church.

On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge:   Underscores the imperative to vote for our values on Nov. 7 to protect the lives of the most vulnerable   Prepare to vote by reviewing these election resources    Highlights the contributions of Black Catholics within the Church   Learn more about the Black Catholic community in our diocese   Befriend six African Americans on their way to canonization    Asks us to renew our respect of “the sacrifices of veterans by becoming instruments of peace in our world” on Veterans Day   Read his statement in honor of Veterans Day   Provides pastoral guidance on how to live the universal call to holiness     Find inspirational stories of those who are answering that call  

On the podcast this week, the Revd Robert Stanier, a parish priest and keen cricketer, talks about how English test cricket has been revolutionised by “Bazball”: an attacking, risk-taking style of play that doesn't worry too much about losing. Are there lessons here for the Church of England? He writes in this week's Comment section, “For the Church, one lesson of the Bazball revolution is that, as we think about fresh expressions, perhaps we should be thinking less about new formats, but more about fresh mind-sets. Counter-intuitive as it is, what we already have may contain possibilities we haven't even begun to uncover.” Read the article here: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/21-july/comment/opinion/opinion-england-s-cricketers-test-the-art-of-the-possible The Revd Robert Stanier is Vicar of St Andrew and St Mark, Surbiton, in the diocese of Southwark, and a former winner of the 2018 Wisden Writing Competition (Comment, 18 May 2018). He played in a recent clergy match featuring a cluster of cricketers from southern dioceses. Read his match report here: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/21-july/news/uk/clergy-cricketers-play-on-undaunted-by-fewer-players-and-summer-rain Photo: Alamy Try 10 issues of the Church Times for £10 or get two months access to our website and apps, also for £10. Go to churchtimes.co.uk/new-reader

Do the Swifties (including Brian's wife and daughter!) have something to teach the church about committed community? Then, baffling boycotts of Chick-Fil-A and now The Chosen have Brian and Aubrey talking about Christians may be losing the forest for the trees. They're also talking about fundamentalism, when heart attacks are most likely to happen, and Greg Laurie's thoughts on the gospel. Follow The Common Good on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Hosted by Aubrey Sampson and Brian From Produced by Laura Finch and Keith ConradSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi Guys! Ricky Pope here and this week on the Christian Nerds Unite Podcast, I am joined by Justin Nava Host of The Best Known Church Show as we talk church marketing. Plus scripture and nerdy news.Learn more:https://www.navachurchmarketing.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-known-church-show/id1620277633The video version is here: https://www.youtube.com/christiannerdsunite?sub_confirmation=1I host my podcast with Captivate, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host™ - you can too, and get your first 7-days totally free! Clicking: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=rickypopeMy Microphone - Electro-Voice RE20: https://amzn.to/2VVg1yaJoin our Parteon: https://www.patreon.com/christiannerdsuniteSome of the links are affiliate links meaning at no additional cost to you I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

About Jack Preus - Dr. Jack Preus is an educational leader passionate about engaging teachers, school leaders, and ministries in advancing a full and lasting education through innovation and creating sustainable models. Jack strives to leverage creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit to bring Christian Education to students in communities who do not currently have access to faith-based schools.  Committed to this mission, he began his career as a teacher, coach, and administrator serving students at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, CA, finishing his Doctorate in Educational Leadership at UCLA. In 2014, he joined Open Sky Education as a National Director, supporting the team to advance its mission nationally by growing its school networks (HOPE Christian Schools and EAGLE College Prep public charter schools) and its Christian wraparound programs (Compass Educational Programs).Jack's role at Open Sky currently includes launching a low-risk, low-cost national network of Christian microschools as the National Director of Soaring Education Services, a Division of Open Sky Education. In addition, Soaring works directly with school founders to assist them in launching their schools.  In addition to his work at Open Sky Education, he also works to advance this mission for children by participating in various national speaking engagements and committees. Jack has been married to his wife, Anna, for 18 years and has three children, Ella (13), Jack (10), and Abigail (6). Jack and family live in Gilbert, Arizona.

Kenneth Priest and I are both pastors. We both work for Chic-Fil-A. What can the Church learn from Chic-Fil-A? We let you in on what we have learned.

- JOAN CHITTISTER: "The Monastic Heart: 50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life" - Oberlin College FORCED to Pay $36 MILLION to a Local Business it Slandered. What Lessons Can the CHURCH Learn from this Situation?" - GLENN DORSEY: "The Bulletproof Leader: Revealing, Realigning, and Restoring the Heart of a Leader" - "A Minnesota Church Hired a Youth Pastor Who Wound Up Abusing One of His Students. What are Some of the Warning Signs to Keep this from Happening at YOUR Church?"

In case you haven't noticed, a lot of Reformed theology guys make podcasts. Neither Daniel or I attend a Reformed church currently. But Daniel has been flirting with Calvinism and might go full Presby. (Jokes!) In this episode we discuss the things we like and dislike about Reformed theology vs the big box mega church model.

Phil is currently Senior Professional Game Development Lead for The FA. He has been with The FA since 2018, and was previously Head of Coaching at Norwich City FC, and a Coach Educator at the PFA

Leading the church is more than an exercise in being a good expositor of Scripture. Josh and Sam discuss the benefits and limitations of business principles in the church. They cover issues of communication, finance, marketing, management, hospitality, counseling, and politics. Episode Sponsor: Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary builds strong theological foundations for men and women to fulfill God's calling. They have trained and commissioned more than 46,000 graduates to serve in local churches and global mission fields. Southwestern combines the highest standards of research and scholarship with vigorous training for real-world ministry — missions, evangelism, discipleship, preaching, and worship.

My special guest for this episode is Heath Hollensbe. He is a brilliant creative artist living in Fircrest, Washington. As a musician, writer, worship leader, and media content creator Heath knows what it takes to engage with artists in the church. Heath has helped produce Grammy award winning albums and personally knows many of your favorite Christian recording artists. On this episode of the Free Seminary podcast we discuss call, the future of the church, why artist are important to faith communities, what is driving them away, and what church leaders can do to bring them back. We include practical tips you can implement to connect with the artists in your community. You can learn more about Heath and his endeavors at https://www.heathhollensbe.com/ and https://www.themerakiagency.org/ Visit Free Seminary online at www.FreeSeminary.Education or check us out on LinkedIn and Facebook (facebook.com/FreeSeminary.Education) Subscribe Now so you won't miss a single nugget of wisdom, fantastic tale, or moment of laughter. Intro and Outro Music are by royalty free artist Joakim Karud, subscribe and patron him on Patreon to get access to great music. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/freeseminary/message

On the podcast this week, the Revd Katherine Price, Chaplain of Queen's College, Oxford, talks about her experience of Slimming World, and how it prompted her to think differently about the quest for spiritual health. She also considers whether the Slimming World's model has lessons for the Church of England's mission. “At Slimming World, I'd realised that I actually did have the will power and the discipline to make changes in my life that had a tangible difference,” she says. “But I was thinking, ‘Hang on a minute, I wasn't even massively motivated to lose weight; it wasn't my number one priority. My prayer life, which is a much bigger priority for me, why don't I have that discipline there?'. . . “And I was wondering why is it that this really quite simple group, the Slimming World group, was enabling me to make the changes that I wanted to make in my life to lose weight; and the Church, for whatever reason, that surely should be exactly the group which is enabling me to make changes in my spiritual life, and somehow that wasn't happening for me. And that just raised that question for me, I think.” Katherine has also written an article for this week's Church Times. Picture credit: David Olds Try 10 issues of the Church Times for £10 or get two months access to our website and apps, also for £10. Go to churchtimes.co.uk/new-reader.

As a follow up to last week's conversation, Dr. Chuck DeGroat returns to the podcast to answer listener questions about narcissism with Dan and Rachael. How are we to engage a person who might be a parent, spouse, or spiritual leader who has narcissistic characteristics? How do we engage a narcissist with wisdom? And, on a larger scale, how do we recognize the symptoms of a narcissistic church culture? We are deeply grateful for our community, for your bravery in asking these vulnerable questions. We ask that, as you listen to this conversation, you pay attention to what it stirs in your body and give yourself the care and space you need to engage. Listener Resources: Follow Chuck DeGroat on Twitter Read Chuck's book, When Narcissism Comes to Church Learn more about Chuck and the resources he offers Listen to the first podcast episode in a series on Spiritual Abuse

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That might sound like a strange question. But the truth is, the gay community has employed a marketing strategy to change America's view of the gay issue very effectively over the last 25 years. The church can learn from this strategy. You see, the gay community utilized a 7 mountain strategy to shift their issue from being a moral issue to being a civil rights issue. They developed strategies in business, government, arts and entertainment, media, education, family and even the church. In this week's podcast I share how they have effectively won the culture war with their biggest prize of all being legalizing gay marriage in America. We'll answer other questions about this topic that you've always wondered, such as, are gays born gay. We'll answer that one with the words of one of their own.

That might sound like a strange question. But the truth is, the gay community has employed a marketing strategy to change America’s view of the gay issue very effectively over the last 25 years. The church can learn from this strategy. You see, the gay community utilized a 7 mountain strategy to shift their issue from being a moral issue to being a civil rights issue. They developed strategies in business, government, arts and entertainment, media, education, family and even the church. In this week’s podcast I share how they have effectively won the culture war with their biggest prize of all being legalizing gay marriage in America. We’ll answer other questions about this topic that you’ve always wondered, such as, are gays born gay. We’ll answer that one with the words of one of their own.

That might sound like a strange question. But the truth is, the gay community has employed a marketing strategy to change America’s view of the gay issue very effectively over the last 25 years. The church can learn from this strategy. You see, the gay community utilized a 7 mountain strategy to shift their issue from being a moral issue to being a civil rights issue. They developed strategies in business, government, arts and entertainment, media, education, family and even the church. In this week’s podcast I share how they have effectively won the culture war with their biggest prize of all being legalizing gay marriage in America. We’ll answer other questions about this topic that you’ve always wondered, such as, are gays born gay. We’ll answer that one with the words of one of their own.

That might sound like a strange question. But the truth is, the gay community has employed a marketing strategy to change America's view of the gay issue very effectively over the last 25 years. The church can learn from this strategy. You see, the gay community utilized a 7 mountain strategy to shift their issue from being a moral issue to being a civil rights issue. They developed strategies in business, government, arts and entertainment, media, education, family and even the church. In this week's podcast I share how they have effectively won the culture war with their biggest prize of all being legalizing gay marriage in America. We'll answer other questions about this topic that you've always wondered, such as, are gays born gay. We'll answer that one with the words of one of their own.

The medical industry’s eureka moment was when they realized the very food, they were serving patients and physicians in hospitals was the very same food placing patients in the hospital in the first place. “U.S. health organizations are calling for hospitals to offer plant-based food options. Two major medical groups in the U.S. are calling on hospitals to end the irony and support patient health with healthy food.The American Medical Association House of Delegates — a group which represents more than 200,000 physicians — issued a policy statement on June 14th at its annual meeting calling on U.S. hospitals to make some changes to hospital food for patients, staff, and visitors: Increase healthful, plant-based meal options, eliminate processed meat from menus, and provide and promote healthful beverages, including getting rid of sugary drinks and sodas.The American College of Cardiology also recently released new guidelines urging hospitals to improve patient menus by adding healthy plant-based options and removing processed meats. The guidelines recommend that “at least one plant-based main dish” should be offered and promoted at every meal. And that processed meats — bacon, sausage, ham, hot dogs, and deli meats — shouldn’t be offered at hospitals at all. They also call for a variety of vegetables and fruits to be served in all hospital cafeterias and on-site restaurants” (Oberst, 2017).We are seeing new healthy food movements sprout out of hospitals around the country. For instance, Dr. Michael Klaper, M.D of Midland Health in Midland, Texas has begun spearheading a new program with the philosophy, “Food Is Medicine.” They have implemented a “new, lifestyle medicine program for their employees incorporating the CHIP model (Complete Health Improvement Program) … The philosophy, "Food Is Medicine" is one Midland Memorial Hospital strongly believes in. As you can tell from the videos…, adopting a plant-based diet has had such a powerful impact on our employees and we believe our community should also have the tools to be successful (Midland Health, 2016).” This medical group has believed so heavily in this program that 2018 will be the third annual Food Is Medicine seminar. They also provide the visitor with all the resources they need to adopt a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle.Additional medical groups of note are adopting a similar strategy include UCLA Medical Center is using organic food. At its cafe, St. Louis Children’s Hospital is offering low-fat, plant-based meals made with no animal products or oils and crafted in small batches by a local company. The University of Vermont Medical Center says it aims to have the most sustainable health care food service in the country. Patients and visitors can enjoy nutritionally dense, minimally processed foods, including a variety of locally produced ingredients. They allow patients to order food when they want it, rather than delivering trays with the same meals at the same time. And the cafeteria serves fresh, organic ingredients and multiple vegetarian options. Another positive development at hospitals are either gardens or farmers’ markets. For example, Stony Brook University Hospital, in Stony Brook, N.Y., has a 2,242-square-foot organic rooftop garden that supplies vegetables and herbs for patient meals. Several Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers in California are teaching their staff about plant-powered eating to pass along information to their patients (Oberst, 2017).According to a 2015 study published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports, hospital gardens created for staff, patients, and the community could lower rates of obesity in communities they serve and reduce public health disparities by providing members of the community’s greater access to fresh, healthy, plant-based foods. “Regional distribution of gardens was relatively even, with the greatest number located in the Midwest. The South, a region with favorable growing seasons and the highest levels of obesity and preventable chronic disease in the US (May et al., 2013) had the second-highest quantity of healthcare-based gardens. As part of comprehensive approaches to address chronic disease, it is possible that multiple healthcare institutions may benefit from establishing community gardens” (George, Rovniak, Kraschnewski, Hanson, & Sciamanna, 2015).The Healthier Hospitals program is a call-to-action for an entire industry. It is an invitation for health care organizations across the country to join the shift to a more sustainable business model, and a challenge for them to address the health and environmental impacts of their sector. By creating a collaborative setting that engages all stakeholder groups and gives each individual player the tools they need to succeed, HH has created a platform to help health care organizations affect widespread, meaningful change — and measure their impact. Through the collaboration of world-renowned industry experts, HH has developed and is proud to feature a suite of tools intended to make the fulfillment of this mission as easy as possible (Healthier Hospitals, 2012).More and more of the medical community are coming to the realization about what their patients are eating in the hospital is completely counter to providing the patient with the optimal nutrition to prevent the illnesses they are being treated for. Shilpa Ravella, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University, states in her blog post “the science linking a poor diet to illnesses like heart disease and cancer is robust. This past October, the World Health Organization released a report placing processed meat in the highest-risk category for carcinogens and declaring red meat “probably carcinogenic.” Meanwhile, the latest dietary guidelines from the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion emphasized the health value of plant foods” (Ravella, 2016)“As medical researchers discover more about the foods that keep our bodies well, many hospitals continue to serve foods that promote disease. Last year, the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a nonprofit group composed of 12,000 doctors, issued a damning report about the healthfulness of hospital food in the U.S. Of the 208 hospitals surveyed, 20 percent housed fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Wendy’s on their campuses. And in a study led by Lenard Lesser, a family medicine physician at the University of California, San Francisco, and an advisor on hospital food environments for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 98 out of 233 university-affiliated teaching hospitals (around 42 percent) had at least one fast-food franchise on campus. Lesser’s findings were similar to another report published in JAMA in 2002, which found that six of the top 16 hospitals in the U.S. housed fast-food establishments” (Ravella, 2016)The medical community is a great litmus test for looking at our own health and diet in the Christian community. How often do we carry the very food items in our church café or snack stands the medical community to turning away from? If a secular industry can embrace the idea of whole-food, plant-based meals why is it so hard for us as Christians to do the same? As a result, we need to take a hard look at the way churches are feeding their congregations and their communities. Going a step farther, before preparing and serving meals to the military, to orphans, widows, the downtrodden, or the homeless, we should be evaluating whether or not we are serving healthy food to enrich their bodies.Therefore, as Christians, we are called to hold one another accountable in all aspects of the Christian life. Being in the community as a Christian is not limited to carrying heavy physical or emotional burdens on Sundays or in our small-group bible studies twice a month. If we are starting off our gatherings from a place of weakness by what we consume how can we expect to be attentive and functioning in a way gratifying God and helps us connect with our community at a deeper level. We have forgotten our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, which has been sent by God. We have to remember this body we are given is not our own, but it was a lent to us by God to carry out the work he has in store for us. We are the stewards of the body and the temple of the Holy Spirit but the current way we look approach caring for our bodies, as Christian men are broken.In the beginning, when God created food for us to eat, he provided all of the trees, fruits, and herbs pleasing to the eye and good for food. We need not want for more because it was already there for us. As sin began to enter the world and death came into existence, eating meat from animals was by choice without God. With God providing all of our food needs, there is no necessity for meat. Unfortunately, our culture has adopted the idea to primarily rely on meat for protein and nutrients. We’ve fallen into a diet and health routine because it’s how we’ve been told to do it all our lives and we have been given the tools to recognize how it can be changed for the better. As Christians we have to re-define consumption to include food consumption along with other forms, guarding our whole body against all forms of attacks from Satan whether they be physical, emotional, auditory, visual, and spiritual. How many small battles can we take back at the dinner table for ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities?As a Watchman for God’s kingdom, we cannot disregard the knowledge of protecting our temple fortresses. Satan wants to tear down the walls of the temple even if it means one individual at a time. We see this struggle even from a secular perspective as the trend of obesity has been steadily increasing in both children and adults despite many public health efforts for improvement. We still find ourselves wrestling with most health issues that are preventable. If our individual health is diluting the Body of Christ’s health, how much more is Satan attacking our lives and our spiritual well-being? The Body of Christ is only as healthy as the unhealthiest part of the body, then the individuals making up the Body of Christ collectively need to be healthier. Dealing with our overall health is less about ourselves and more about how we are helping others get and stay healthy. We make decisions every day affecting multiple facets of our life, through which, we dictate how we will carry out our responsibility to the Holy Spirit; as well as, the Body of Christ. We need to radically change the way we, as Christians, view diet and health in our church and community culture.Even though we have read the verses saying things are safe and acceptable to eat. We know this was in regard to the Laws of Moses not as something healthy or as something we must rely upon. Therefore, with modern science and technology, we can deduce what healthy is for our bodies, even though, it is permissive or clean to eat all things under God’s Law.Fasting gives us the opportunity to realize what we think we desire is to be closer to Jesus. Our desire to be fulfilled comes from the Lord and not from the things bringing us satiation. Fasting removes food as the basis for reliance on God but it also encompasses other areas of our life when we can experience a fast, whether it be physical things, material items, hobbies, security, sex, alcohol, drugs. Fasting is used in times of sadness and fear to prevent us from turning inward. Instead, we turn outward to God for guidance and strength. The war of attrition is won through the hearts and minds of the warriors. We either stay connected to the source which gives us the strength, or we fall down. As Christian we join God in our place of fasting; in order to, wait on the Lord and let Him reveal his great plan to us.We are seeing new healthy food movements sprout out of the secular hospitals around the country adopting a plant-based diet to positively impact their employees and providing the surrounding community with the tools to be successful. As a church, we should be enacted strategies and tactics to follow their example by adding nutrition and food health to the current outreach efforts. As we see the medical industry as a whole calling this movement into action, how much more wonderful would it be to see Christians following suit. More and more of the medical community realize what patients eat has a direct correlation to the overall health of the hospital and its community. The Church shouldn’t just be praying for those who fall ill or the misfortune of a bad diagnosis. We should actively seek better ways to feed our church and community. As Christian we need to be proactive, instead of remaining reactive. As Christ-centered communities, we need to take a hard look at where we are now and the trajectory we are on as a whole. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “If we could first know where we are and whither, we are going, we can better judge what to do, and how to do it.”Finally, we must ask ourselves as Christian, are we enriching the Body of Christ or are we losing battles one meal at a time?

Roses are popular symbols of love and romance. But did you know they were once unpopular with the Church? Learn more about roses folklore in this episode! Check out the accompanying blog post at [http://www.icysedgwick.com/roses-folklore/](http://www.icysedgwick.com/roses-folklore/) to leave a comment or see the images.

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 A. Paul’s Argument: No Resurrection = No Hope 1. Proclaiming Christ is a Waste 2. Faith has No Real Effect 3. We are Lying about God 4. We are still in Our Sins 5. Those who have died have Perished 6. We have Only This Life •So we should be pitied for suffering and sacrificing for something that is a lie B. Paul’s Message: Jesus is the Resurrection and Life 1. Proclaiming Christ is Crucial 2. Faith is Effective 3. God’s Power and Word are True 4. We are Free from Sin in Christ 5. Death is not the End 6. We live for more than This Life •So we should endure suffering and make sacrifices with eternal perspective C. Don’t Waste the Resurrection 1. Receive Christ’s Forgiveness and Eternal Life 2. Remember, what you’re facing now isn’t the end of the Story 3. Sacrifice radically and Live boldly with Hope, Joy, Peace, and Freedom Response A. Salvation - If you haven’t trusted in Jesus for salvation, give your life to Him today! B. Learn More and Pray - If you’re interested in the Resurrection but not sure if you believe, don’t stop now. We’d be glad to talk with you and provide other resources. C. Rededicate your Life to Christ - If you believe in the power of the Resurrection and have trusted in Jesus for salvation, don’t waste that power at work in your life! Live fully for God each day! D. Join a Church - Learn about the Resurrection by attending Emmaus during April and being our guest for a free Discover Emmaus Lunch on May 6th at 11:45am. E. Tell Someone about the Hope of the Resurrection

Drake released a surprise two-song EP that featured the track "God's Plan." Shortly thereafter the Toronto rapper was spotted in different parts of Florida providing charitable support to locals in the area. As it turns out, Drake was filming those moments to be the epicenter of the visual for the track. The near $1 million budget for the video was used to help those in need. Drake paid for all the groceries of patron in the supermarket, gave scholarship money to a high school student, provided $10K shopping sprees for a few individuals, and supplied a homeless shelter with some funds to help contribute more to the community among other deeds. The pay it forward mentality got a lot of attention from people on the internet mostly praising Drake for using his platform for the positive. He would then unintentionally start the #GodsPlan challenge where people would share their good deeds with him, though he never wanted to start a hashtag but genuine help and support of people. TMZ caught up with Drake to ask him how it felt to give away the much money. "Man, it's one of the - exactly the best thing I've ever done in my life, to be honest," the 6 God replied. "For real." The reporter even asked how he would contemplate upstaging the gesture. "I don't know," he laughed. "Just keep helping." In this episode we will deal with the remedy for not giving 2 the reasons for giving 3 the rewards of giving and 4 the ruin of not giving

We love our Church: Learn how we are called to flourish like a palm tree as we are planted in God's community!

Our passage backtracks in time to the scattering of believers after the persecution of Stephen. It is God who expands His Church. Compare God’s progress report on the expansion of His early Church to today’s Church Growth Movement and the compromises necessary to post growing numbers as an indication of success. Is it human methodology or transforming Truth that grows God’s Church? Learn the history of Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch where the Jewish believers fled and evangelized to the Jews. Follow Barnabas, the encourager, sent from Jerusalem to Antioch where he summons Paul for help and where the followers of Christ were first called Christians. See how the Church supports its own when Jerusalem suffers famine. Understand the focus of real growth in God’s plan for His Church. Hear an answer to claims of those who have “been to heaven and back” and write a book about it.