Tag Archives: gospel

155-Institutional Power is Not What it seems.

 

“Do you derive power from any institutions?”

Throughout life we migrate from family, to social networks, to organizations, to institutions.  We develop political and survival skills and often become very attached and even derive our identities from our teams, companies, religions, political parties, and tribes.

In today’s broadcast, I am going to lift the veil of what is behind institutional power, and reveal the power that drives it, and offer an amazing alternative.

Join me now for this very challenging podcast that asks us to reframe everything and usher in a New World.

1- Crypto God

 

“Where is God?”

 Believers are quick to answer this question with some theological token about omnipresence. Non-believers are quick to answer that if they knew the answer, they would probably believe.

In today’s broadcast, I will begin a series where we examine what seems like the unrelated topic of Blockchain technology and Crypto currencies, but as you’ll see, I begin from a much wider field of view. Join me now as we see beyond the Blockchain and locate the hidden (crypto) God.

Lepers and Liberty

 

“How can you tell if you are actually free?”

Personal liberty is a core desire of every human being. Yet in our journey to find it, most of us settle for captivity.  Is that you?

In today’s broadcast we look at a parable that charts the course to freedom along a very unsuspecting route. From the view of an outcast, captivity holds promise, but in the long view, the trade off is severe. Join me now as we follow one leper who begins to see beyond everything.

8- Subverting the Government

 

“Is it possible or even necessary to subvert the government?”

No institution has more control over us than our government.  Whether you distrust it or depend upon it, scripture tells us that God has established all of them, yet it warns us to “be ware of the leaven of Harod…”

Jesus dealt much with government and he models a unique path for us. It’s not rebellion. It’s not avoidance. It’s not resistance. It’s submission and subversion.  Join me now, as we look closer at how the Gospel re-identifies us from our government, not destroying it, but by transforming it. It’s a wake up call so we can see beyond everything.

6-Subverting the Community

 

“Why in the world would we want to subvert community?”

In today’s broadcast I expose the paradoxical relationship that we should have with our different communities. Yes we like our friends, groups, clubs, teams, associations and gatherings. These are the bedrock of our lives and the meeting place of community.

All this is true, but community comes with a very subtle catch. Join me now as we learn to see beyond the “fine print”of community, and discover the only means of making it better.

5-Subverting the Family

 

Does subverting the Family seem like a bad thing?

Subversion literally means to “turn from beneath”or to undermine authority.  Subversion is a transfer of power that doesn’t come by might, but by anotherkindof power.

In this weeks broadcast I explain how the Gospel of the Kingdom is a subversive exchange of power. We’ll look at how Jesus subverts his own family in order to rise up and embody the larger and more inclusive family of God.

We’ll also examine how the institution of family imprisons us if we leave the family at the wrong time or in the wrong way or fail to leave at all. The institution of the family has been idolized and as a result we behave in horrible ways or suffer with tremendous guilt all in the name of family.

Join me now as we explore how the Gospel subverts the institution of the family as we learn to see beyond everything.

121- The Gospel We Just Can’t Believe

 

In a survey I performed in 2015 I asked the question: “What is the Gospel?” In this post and podcast I share the most common answers to this question and then share what I think is the best definition I’ve been able to find. I will propose that the Gospel which is supposed to possess transforming power, is actually somewhat impotent until the definition of terms permeates our personal inner experience to change. This opens up a really big frameshift where the Gospel is either NOT limited to Christianity, or it’s saying Christianity is not an alternative religion as it’s often claimed to be. Tune in and see if your definition is big enough, if it’s not, then put your seatbelt on because it’s going to be an epic ride.

120-Dormant Potential

 

We can all imagine the world a little bit better than it is. When it comes to work, we can imagine it a lot better than it is. Did you know there is a watershed principle that radically determines what kind of company we are employed by? It’s called by many names but boils down to either being a “People first” company or “Something other than people first” company. The bible calls these two diverging perspectives the Kingdom and the world. But its not a matter of whether you boss or owners or shareholders will make a change. In this podcast and post I prove that we bring the change to each and every moment and collectively we either oppress ourselves or liberate ourselves. It’s up to us. What will you bring to work this week?

97- Orbits and Molting

 

In this podcast and post I will use two metaphors to illuminate spiritual reality. The orbit of our planets move in and out of proximity to our sun based upon speed and distance. In like manner our spiritual orbits all vary and all of us need to fine tune this orbit if life is to thrive and we are to avoid freezing or scorching. Secondarily, molting represents the necessary outgrowing of our external formative container. We know we are ready to molt when we can imagine the world better than it is. We all experience a gravity (Pull) or a compulsion to expand (Push). I will show you how to access this benevolent force that pulls and pushes us into a way better life.

83- Liberation despite Sin

 

Easter is the time where the Jesus-O-Meter is pegged into the red zone. Pastors focus on the historical aspects of Jesus story in order to elevate substitutionary atonement. We’re told that if we believe, we will be free from our sin. Yet our sins remain. Is it possible that the church has made Easter about the means and not about its purpose? In this podcast and post I will show that the real purpose of Easter is not to remove sin, but to liberate us from the countless systems that imprison us despite our sin.