The dramatic conclusion of our transformational outcome: anxious to peaceful. In this episode, Paul and Pastor Brent dive deeply into the biblical vision of “shalom” and the gospel-centered approach we must have to know the peace of God. This anxious age requires us to be intentional about being a non-anxious presence in every aspect of our lives.
Episode 30 - Anxious to Peaceful - Part 1
Paul and Pastor Brent tackle another transformational outcome: anxious to peaceful. We live in an anxious age. How do we decipher our anxious culture? How can we find peace with all the anxious thoughts and anxiety-producing things thrown our way? In this episode, Paul and Brent reflect on how we can be a “non-anxious presence” in our world.
Episode 29 - Intentional Discipleship
Paul and Pastor Brent talk about how we can be intentional to pursue discipleship through modeling a gospel-centered life, spending quantity and quality time with others, capitalizing on moments to have discipling conversations, and setting milestones along the path of spiritual growth. This episode will encourage you to seek a whole-life discipleship, side-by-side with the family of God, as we pass along our faith to the next generation.
Episode 28 - Defining Disciple-by-Doing
Paul and Pastor Brent sit down to define “Disciple-by-Doing” and help us understand more about the unique ministry vision of New Life. This creative approach will shape the development of our indoor and outdoor spaces as we seek to embed the truths of Scripture into hands-on discipleship. We aim to develop a training center to form ambassadors of Jesus Christ by inspiring awe through creation. Listen to learn more!
Episode 27 - Celebration Sunday Recap
Paul and Pastor Brent look back on Celebration Sunday to recap this significant event in the life of our church. Our theme was: celebrate the past, joyful in the present, hopeful for the future. We talked specifically about the proposed building project and property development, and how every one of us can be involved in the vision God has given us to invest in the future of our church.
Episode 26 - Busy to Restful - Part 2
Paul and Pastor Brent tackle part two of our transformational outcome “busy to restful”. We dive deeper into the biblical vision of abiding in Christ and being restful in the truth of the gospel. We don’t have to try to be enough for God through our works, nor do we need to impress others with our busy schedules! Find freedom, rest, and joy as we take the yoke of Christ upon us.
Episode 25 - Busy to Restful - Part 1
Paul and Pastor Brent introduce a new topic that is probably very convicting for many of us: busyness. Our lives are full of activity, movement, obligations, and tasks. How do we understand the busyness of our culture? Why do we often have a fear of stillness or quiet? How can we examine ourselves and move toward restfulness in the gospel? These issues and more in this new episode!
Episode 24 - Lonely to Belonging - Bonus Interview
Pastor Brent sits down with Mark Revell to learn more about “belonging” in the local church. Mark is the Director of Training at ReachGlobal and a PhD student studying the ways Christians find belonging in churches in the country of Hungary. He has a wealth of experience as a missionary and his research helps us gain a better understanding of how the local church beautifully displays the reality of the family of God.
Episode 23 - Lonely to Belonging - Part 2
Paul and Pastor Brent describe how the church is the God-ordained family of faith in which we find belonging. True belonging begins with being fully known by God, fully loved by God, and fully redeemed by God through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then we find meaningful belonging in Christ’s Body, the local church, as we gather face-to-face and engage in worship, discipleship, and mission alongside one another.
Episode 22 - Lonely to Belonging - Part 1
We explore a new transformational outcome: moving from lonely to belonging. We are bombarded with superficial relationships in our culture. Paul and Pastor Brent consider the epidemic of loneliness that affects so many people today. We need to think critically about what it means to truly connect and belong, starting with our relationship with God, then extending to our relationships with others. The gospel redeems us to be in the presence of a Holy God, connected to the True Vine, Jesus Christ, and to belong to the Family of God in a local church.
Episode 21 - Relative Truth to Biblical Truth - Part 2
Paul and Pastor Brent sit down again to explain why it is so important that we embrace objective truth. We develop a theology of special revelation, specifically through the Scriptures that reveal Jesus Christ. Paul and Brent define “inspiration” and help us learn why the Bible is foundational for the Christian faith. Our prayer is that you would crave to know God through his Word!
Episode 20 - Relative Truth to Biblical Truth - Part 1
Paul and Pastor Brent launch into a new transformational outcome: relative truth to biblical truth. We begin by defining "subjective” and “objective” truth. Then turn to the Bible to understand how we can know God through general revelation. Our discussion ends with an intro to special revelation and a challenge to desire God’s self-disclosure through his Word.
Episode 19 - My Design to God's Design - Part 3
We pick up the final installment of our conversation with Pastor Brent and Stephen Jelks about moving from my design to God’s design. We dig deeper into the importance of having a solid foundation in Christ. He is the only secure and solid Cornerstone. The church is the visible edifice of God’s glory, a signpost and foretaste to the coming Kingdom of God. We end this episode with a summary of our disciple-making vision at New Life.
Episode 18 - My Design to God's Design - Part 2
Pastor Brent talks again with Stephen Jelks about our transformational outcome of moving from my design to God’s design. The focus of part 2 is on the biblical story and how we need to humble ourselves under the Master Builder’s plan, recognizing his sovereignty, and live a life centered on him. Architecture and design give us practical illustrations that will challenge your perspective on discipleship and enrich your understanding of the church.
Episode 17 - My Design to God's Design - Part 1
Pastor Brent sits down with Stephen Jelks, an architectural designer, to talk about our next transformational outcome: moving from my design to God’s design. Brent and Stephen reflect on the pride and self-centeredness that pervades our culture, then contrast this with the call of the gospel to live in humility and surrender under God, the Master Builder.
Episode 16 - Image Management to Authentic Relationship - Part 2
Paul and Pastor Brent continue the conversation about image management. We introduce new concepts, enmeshment and differentiation, that illuminate how real connection can be distorted. We need to firstly have a real relationship with God through Jesus. Ultimately our security in Christ is the only way we can truly connect with others and to live together as the Body of Christ in the world.
Episode 15 - Image Management to Authentic Relationship - Part 1
Paul and Pastor Brent reflect on the toxic culture of image management in our world today. They also share some personal stories and anecdotes that illustrate the problems that often arise when we want to be accepted by others. Apart from Christ, we will easily make image management an idol and it will destroy us! We need to live securely in the grace of God and his love for us in Jesus Christ.
Episode 14 - Non-Place to Place - Part 2
The continuation of our conversation about the church as a “place”. Paul and Pastor Brent illustrate how to redeem places for God’s glory and cast a vision for the church as a “placemaking” task. We need to envision disciple-making as an opportunity to enact the gospel in everyday life, together as the Body of Christ. Pastor Brent summarizes Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer’s book Faith Speaking Understanding: Performing the Drama of Doctrine.
Episode 13 - Non-Place to Place - Part 1
Paul and Pastor Brent begin an overview of the “transformational outcomes” we desire to see in our disciple-making vision. These goals paint a powerful picture of the kind of transformation we need to see in our lives at this particular cultural moment. Today we discuss moving from “non-place” to “place”. We need to embrace the embodied and relational reality of Christian community in which we experience spiritual formation through particular people gathered in a particular place. Paul and Brent explore the nuances of “place” in this two-part episode.
Episode 12 - Tacit Knowledge
Paul and Pastor Brent sit down to discuss the nuances of discipleship as we live in the complexity of the post-Christian world. How do we come to have a deeper knowledge of God that results in real transformation? Paul and Brent introduce a new term, tacit knowledge, that helps illustrate how we come to inhabit the truth of God in a deep sense so that we can live faithfully day-by-day.