November 11th, 2017
Throughout the Catechesis series, we’re providing an extra “cutting room floor” podcast, where we share some key ideas that we didn’t have time for in the week’s sermon.
This week, we asked the question “who is Jesus?” and discovered three core ideas the Church has always believed about Jesus.
One is that Jesus is SMART!
As Dallas Willard says in Divine Conspiracy
Our commitment to Jesus can stand on no other foundation than a recognition that he is the one who knows the truth about our lives and our universe. It is not possible to trust Jesus, or anyone else, in matters where we do not believe him to be competent. We cannot pray for his help and rely on his collaboration in dealing with real-life matters we suspect might defeat his knowledge or abilities. And can we seriously imagine that Jesus could be Lord if he were not smart? If he were divine, would he be dumb? Or uninformed? Once you stop to think about it, how could he be what we take him to be in all other respects and not be the best-informed and most intelligent person of all, the smartest person who ever lived?
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November 7th, 2017
To understand Jesus is to understand this mystery of God dwelling on the earth in human form, somehow both divine and human at the same time. But to understand Jesus is to also understand how Jesus is active and present within the Trinity both before his human birth and after his resurrection.
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November 3rd, 2017
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Did you know that 20% of people living in Travis County are below the federal poverty level? More than half of the Travis County residents eligible for SNAP are not enrolled.
That translates into a lot of hungry neighbors who we can help.
This November our Kindergarten-5th graders are going to take the lead in a food drive at Austin Mustard Seed. They’ll be learning about how to love and serve our neighbors while encouraging all of us to participate by bringing food to donate.
Starting THIS SUNDAY, NOV 5, we’ll be collecting donations for the Micah 6 food pantry. Micah 6 is a nonprofit that meets the needs of the homeless and impoverished in the University of Texas area. They donate over 3,000 pounds of food a week.
Items needed include:
- canned meats like tuna, stew and chili (pop-tops preferred)
- canned vegetables
- pasta and pasta sauce
- beans
- healthy cereals
- UHT packaged milk and juice that requires no refrigeration
(Ultra High Temperature, or long shelf storage packing)
How do we make space for people of all ages in our community AND care for our neighbors? By inviting our elementary age kids to champion this project.
Bring your food items to donate starting this week and throughout November! Let’s see how much we can collect!
October 30th, 2017
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John Chandler continues our eight week discussion series, “Catechesis: What the Church Has Always Believed”, by asking the question: “What does it mean to be created in the image of God?”
Quotes and Resources:
- “You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” — Anne Lamott
- “It is true that the Christian West used its technological superiority to colonize much of the world, and that technology has created serious dangers for the environment as well as for humanity. Nevertheless, it is ideological blindness to ignore the fact that technology functioning within a biblical framework has been one of the chief instruments of human emancipation.” — Vishal Mangalwadi, The Book That Made Your World
- “The image is a physical manifestation of divine (or royal) essence that bears the function of that which it represents; this gives the image-bearer the capacity to reflect the attributes of the one represented and act on his behalf.” — John H. Walton
Download the Reflection & Discussion Guide
Discuss more in a Community Group
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October 28th, 2017
John Chandler continues our Catechesis discussion on “What is the role of God in creation?” with thoughts and extras that didn’t make it into the sermon.
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October 27th, 2017
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Tomorrow we’re hosting the Austin Venue for SheLeads.
The party starts at 10:30 am at the Orange Chapel. Come on over, even if you haven’t registered yet.
One major reason we’re hosting this event is that of my dad, Jack Hammans, and the influence he had on me.
Jack will be a part of our panel of local leaders. He will share some of his own story of how he’s come to support women in leadership. He’ll be joined by three amazing local leaders who are women.
Thanks, Dad for being instrumental in my own development and growth both as a follower of Jesus and as a leader in the church.
If you are still on the fence, think about all of our amazing kids and the kind of church you want them to grow up in. Wouldn’t it be great if we could inspire them the same way Jack inspired me? Come on over tomorrow and we’ll dream about it together.
See you tomorrow.
October 24th, 2017
As a church, we have beliefs.
As individuals, it’s a little more complicated.
Sometimes we strongly agree. Sometimes we doubt.
If you don’t have anywhere to discuss your doubts, they can become much more.
Fears. Frustrations. Cynicism.
We grow isolated because we are afraid to share our doubts.
When you have a safe space to discuss what you believe, you fears grow smaller. Doubts which were once crippling transform into mystical questions.
We’re halfway through our discussion series “Catechesis,” where we are revisiting timeless core beliefs of the Church. Instead of ignoring or silencing our doubts, we’re pushing into them.
We’re asking questions that might seem dangerous—but we’re doing it in safe places filled with friends.
When we ask difficult questions together, we are transformed from apprehension to wonder.
Download this week’s Reflection and Discussion Guide.
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Listen Back to the Catechesis Series
October 24th, 2017
John Chandler continues our eight week discussion series, “Catechesis: What the Church Has Always Believed”, by asking the question: “What is God’s relationship with creation?”
Quotes and Resources:
- “This principle proceeds from the assumption that the grace of God can be seen in the raising of Christ, and concludes that Christ’s resurrection is the beginning of the new creation of the world.” — Jürgen Moltmann in God in Creation
- “[God’s] love is literally ecstatic love: it leads him to go out of himself and to create something which is different from himself but which none the less corresponds to him. The delight with which the Creator celebrates the feast of creation -the sabbath -makes it unequivocally plain that creation was called into being out of the inner love which the eternal God himself is.” —Jürgen Moltmann in God in Creation
- Breathing Room: A newsletter written and curated to encourage restful, social-media free weekends.
Download the Reflection & Discussion Guide
Discuss more in a Community Group
Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes
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October 21st, 2017
Shane Blackshear continues our Catechesis discussion on what is the Bible with thoughts and extras that didn’t make it into the sermon.
Quotes and Resources Mentioned:
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October 15th, 2017
Shane Blackshear continues our eight week discussion series, “Catechesis: What the Church Has Always Believed”, by asking the question: “What is the Trinity?”
Download the Reflection & Discussion Guide
Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes
Discuss more in a Community Group
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android |
