Where did we get the idea that everyone has to believe the same thing when it comes to God?
Given the diversity of human experience around the world, how could that even be possible? Yet the mission of the church has largely been built on institutionalizing a particular process of saving souls by conversion to Corporate Christianity.
Join me now as we look deeper at Paul’s view of humanity as we learn to see beyond the religious frameworks into a faith that is ultimately beyond everything.
”Is God only found in some things, or in everything?”
Today we continue looking at Paul’s sermon in Athens where he reframes the Greek two-story religion of God up there and us down here, into a living faith where God is the Maker of all things and is thus in all things, through all things and beyond everything.
This idea was so revolutionary the Greeks insisted he stay and help them see this. Let’s join Paul today as we also learn to see beyond everything.
”What does it mean to be Religious?” Ever notice how the world looks at all the religions and concludes that they are all basically the same? From the outside looking in, it’s not so easy to tell them apart. Today we are continuing our look at Paul’s sermon in Athens because he’s laying the foundation for what religion is and how faith is different. Paul proves that faith in Christ was not intended to be another competitive religion, but something totally different that puts everyone into the conversation. By learning about our own frameworks of religion we will learn to see Paul’s framework much clearer and that enables us to See Beyond Everything.
This will be the last “rerun” for a while as we will begin broadcasting “Beyond Everything Radio” next week. This post comes from 2015 and I talk about what we all experience every single day. What goes on inside our heads when we hear people post various things online? What happens when someone posts something about God? In this post and podcast I share an experience with someone else’s message, while totally owning the fact that to others, I am that guy. When we boil it down, we discover that we are all in the same boat. None of us have all the truth, while we all have some of it. Thus we are all partial believers in the truth. What a great place to start learning. I hope you’ll tune in today.
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.
Welcome to the first broadcast of Beyond Everything Radio! This will air February 11, 2018 on AM 670KLT in the Denver Metro area. The Beyond Everything Radio Podcast will be a re-airing of the radio broadcast. In this broadcast I will examine why the question “Who or What is God?” is not really working anymore. We need a new question. We will then begin this series looking at Paul’s discourse in Athens as a framework for the new question which ushers in a theology for everyone.
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?
Is the Church a Crutch? This is a fair question and worthy of fair and self-critical answer. In this podcast and post I offer both the positive aspects of church as well as some sobering questions that pastors, church planters, and parishioners really should consider. The statistics of church decline within our culture are staggering and I believe something beyond social decline is taking place. I offer a test that you can try to see if the church is in fact a crutch. I’ll also offer a perspective that can illuminate a path forward as well as a new definition of what The Church is and can be.
Our world is full of Life-Coaches. This is an amazing time when access to information is soon to reach the entire globe. Information is shared in a global platform and has allowed online coaching to blossom within every area of human interest or need. Content is everything when it comes to coaching, and in a global information age, most content is homogenized. Thus coaching is really about accessing that 1 -2 % of nuanced, novel content. Even still, there is a big problem. Why doesn’t this amazing content transform more lives? In this podcast and post, I will expose the false claim that our DOING creates our BEING and how that cripples personal transformation. As an UN-COACH, I will explain the paradox of Big Truth and prove that it is our BEING that creates our DOING, and that changes everything.
Five years ago I transitioned from the typical church delivery system to serving as an online pastor and “un-coach.” So what happened? Was I disgruntled or angry? No. Was there a moral or theological deficiency? Nope. Behind it was a single question that emerged from our elder board which asked: “Has the church so highjacked peoples lives that liberation from it seems sinful?” Honest self criticism forces us to accept that 95% of all expense and energy and effort goes to the Sunday morning show. In this post I celebrate how online ministry provides a framework that puts people back into their lives and serves people by shedding all the bulk, expense, and pretense in favor of just being who we are, where we are. Freedom is learning to detox from our structures and thrive in the flow of ambiguity.