January 2016

Janus, Christ, and New Beginnings

James Andrews
News Year resolutions are popular as a way of committing to changing something about us, whether it's our weight, our look, our social media, charity, etc. . . However, this is not a new trend by any means. Roman soldiers had their own distinct ritual that had a similar function. However, it is in Christ that we begin to understand what new beginnings truly mean for those who identify as being in Christ.... Read More...
3 min read

Jesus and a Theology of Shame

Austin Bailey
There is an important discussion to be had when shame and openness meet. Brene’ Brown –someone who has popularized the shame discussion from a clinical study POV – has said in her viral TED videos, “If you are breathing you have felt shame.” This is good in at least one respect: no one is alone in the experience of shame. How we handle shame in todays culture is one of the most pressing discussions for this time. ... Read More...
4 min read

Discipleship and Shame

Jon Laurenzo
The discipleship process usually entails three things: an invitation to salvation, encouragement to enter a small group, and finally an invitation to serve at church. This process and ones similar to it has helped hundreds of young people form life-giving relationships with Jesus Christ. However, there is an unspoken understanding that after this short, allotted amount of time a person was supposed to have their life together and be a fully perfect “disciple of Christ”. Discipleship must also include the understanding that we are all human, and we will all fail. How we handle those failure is key. ... Read More...
5 min read

Knowing Our Stories through the Story of the Bible

Steven Fettke
“The stories that we construct are not a special way of perceiving the world or of making sense of everything we hear or read. It is the only way we can make sense of the world” The tighter we remain connected to the biblical story, our foundation, the greater will be our confidence and security that is found only in an obedient relationship with our Creator as expressed by the biblical story.... Read More...
4 min read