Christ 2r Culture Podcast

Life can be difficult. Discouragement is a common human experience. Sometimes, the purpose of the insignificant things we do seems impossible to understand. We may want to give up. Without encouragement, life can be burdensome. Without encouragement, we begin to think God is unconcerned for us. This is why the Bible tells us to encourage one another. We are to remind one another that God loves us, He promises to equip us for the challenges we face, and we are Christ’s precious treasure. In this study, we meet a man in the early church named Barnabas. He was nicknamed the son of encouragement. Join us as we learn how God used this ordinary man and his simple words of encouragement in life-changing ways.

Richard Stevens, a British psychologist from Keene University, conducted an experiment in which people immersed their hand in ice water. He concluded that the act of swearing during the experiment enabled participants to have an increased pain tolerance of up to 33 percent. Does this mean we should curse when in pain or around difficult people? Join us as we look at what the Bible says about cursing.

Jack LaLanne was a pioneer in American fitness. At age 62, he swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge underwater while handcuffed and towing a 1,000-pound boat. At age 70, he swam towing 70 rowboats with 70 people in them for one mile while handcuffed and shackled on his feet. At age 96, he gave an interview claiming he would live forever! His arrogant boasting didn’t help when shortly after the interview, he contracted pneumonia and died. In this study, we learn what the Bible says about how our ego shows up in our words as boasting, flattery, and exaggeration.

In 2013, Justine Sacco, a communications executive with the media company IAC, sent a sarcastic tweet to her 170 Twitter followers just before boarding a plane for Africa. The tweet dripped with racial animosity — “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” During her 11-hour flight to Cape Town, the tweet spread like wildfire from her tiny band of Twitter followers until she became the number one worldwide trend on Twitter. Hundreds called for her firing. Thousands labeled her as a hate-mongering racist. She had no idea that during her 11-hour flight when her phone was off, she became an Internet sensation. When she landed, she lost her job. She couldn’t find work for months, all because of a tweet with 12 slanderous words. As we study gossip and slander, we will examine how gossip spreads and the damage it can cause.

In 2017, while struggling with depression, 15-year-old Molly Russell took her life. During the dark struggle, she turned to social media for help. Before her suicide, she interacted with over 2,100 posts about suicide and self-harm on Facebook and Instagram. The words of the posts convinced her that instead of seeking help, she should take her life. Recently a British court held Meta, Facebook’s parent group, liable for her death because of the words they chose not to censor. As we begin our series on taming the tongue, we learn what the Bible says about the power of words and the importance of using every word we speak to honor God in our life.

Shaquille O’Neill, the four-time NBA champion and one of the greatest basketball players ever, renounced his celebrity status in an interview with the New York Post. He feels celebrities are “freaking crazy.” He doesn’t like how they treat people, what they do with their life, and what they say. “That has never been me.” Shaq said, “I hope to be remembered for my kindness both on and off the basketball court.” In 2 Samuel 10, David also shows incredible kindness. The question is, will people embrace or reject the kindness of the king?

In 1932 Franklin Roosevelt made a speech in Pittsburgh where he talked about the importance of restraining government spending. Four years later, he wanted to speak in the same city in favor of government spending. He asked one of his advisors what he should do. They told him to deny the works he had spoken four years before! In 2 Samuel 9, David could have done the same thing and conveniently forgotten about a promise he had made almost twenty years before. Instead of going back on his word, David shows us the importance of keeping our word and being men and women of integrity.

What will it be like when Jesus returns? How will He treat those who have rebelled against Him? What will happen to those who longed for Him? In 2 Samuel 8, we preview Jesus’ eternal rule as God’s anointed king over creation through the lens of David, God’s anointed king over Israel. Join me as we look at what Jesus’ leadership will be like in our future.

The story is told of how Louis XIV requested that at his funeral in the cathedral of Notre Dame, all be darkened — except for one candle burning on his casket at the front. When Massillon, the court preacher, rose to give the funeral sermon, he walked over to the casket and blew out the candle. He began his funeral message with the words, “Only God is great! Only God is Great!” In 2 Samuel 7, David was overwhelmed by God’s goodness to him. We learned that because God is so good, the best thing we can pray for is the fulfillment of God’s promises.

What should you do when you have made it? What should we do if we can retire? Join us as we learn from King David what to do when we are to financially comfortable.

In 2003, in Texas, 19 people died after being left inside an airtight truck trailer. At the time, it was called the nation’s deadliest smuggling attempt. While the driver of the trailer truck was clearly at fault, the sin began years before with illegal immigration. In 2 Samuel 6, we learn that the harsh and surprising consequences of sin often begin long before with a pattern of lesser sin. Join us as we learn the blessings of consistent obedience to God’s Word.

On Sunday, December 4, 2016, a man with a rifle came into a northwestern Washington D.C. pizza shop and started shooting. Thankfully he was arrested, and nobody was hurt. It was the motive for his crime that was shocking. The pizza shop, Comet Ping Pong, was accused on Twitter of serving as the base for a pedophile sex ring involving presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and members of her campaign. The accusations of the pizza shop sex ring were re-tweeted and re-posted on social media so many times that many considered them true. Is the resurrection the same way for the Christian faith? Was the resurrection fake news that was repeated so many times that people believed it to be true? Join us as we learn why the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is a fact we can trust.

In Psalm 130:5, David writes, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word, I hope.” David waited over a decade for God to keep his word and make him king. The double-digit years of waiting were filled with discouragement, near-death experiences, and difficulty keeping peace in a nation at war. The story of David’s rise to power is an encouragement for all of us who find ourselves waiting for God to answer our prayers.

Have you found yourself stuck in a situation where you do not know how to move forward? It may be a difficult marriage or job. The only options to find relief are ungodly choices? What should we do? Join us as we learn how David faced times when there was no god-honoring path forward.

In May of 2016, John Houser opened fire in a movie theatre. Teacher Allison Martin and her friend, Jena Beaux were credited with helping save lives after the gunman opened fire. They shielded others with their bodies. Both of them were shot. Allison managed to pull the fire alarm emptying the 300-person theatre complex before more were injured and killed. When police arrived, John Houser turned the gun on himself and took his life. When interviewed after recovering in the hospital, Allison talked about the importance of forgiving the man who shot her. Join us as we learn how to work for peace and forgive those who hurt us.

What kind of leader are you? What does a godly leader look like in our dog-eat-dog world? 2 Samuel 2 is a contrast between an egotistical leader who is eager for war and a godly leader who is eager for peace. Join us as we learn what godly leadership looks like and the futility of rebelling against Jesus, God’s chosen king.

Adoniram Judson was a student at Providence College in 1808. He grew up in a Christian home, but in college he was captivated by a group of students who embraced Enlightenment ideas from Europe. He was especially fond of an upperclassman named Jacob Eames, who persuaded Adoniram to abandon his Christian faith and adopt deism. Adoniram moved to New York to pursue a life of pleasure in the theatre. It was at that time when he stayed in an Inn. It just happened that the man in the next room was dying. All night long Adoniram heard his cries of anguish and pain. It shook him to his core. Without God, how would he face the end of his life? In the morning, he asked the innkeeper who was in the room next to him. It was Jacob Eames. He died that morning. That death changed Adoniram’s life. He returned to his faith and become a missionary. In 2 Samuel 1, we see another death that changed a life. The death of King Saul changed David’s life.

Adriana Kuch was a 14-year-old freshman viciously beaten by girls in the hall of her New Jersey high school. It was a planned beating, with other students recording the incident on their cell phones. The purpose was to upload the video to TikTok and become famous. Two days after the beating, after hundreds of hateful comments on the video from people she didn’t know, Adriana committed suicide. So far, there are three students charged as an accessory to her death. Many of the students involved in the beating video now wish they had made a wiser choice of friends. As we continue our series on Spiritual Health, we learn how healthy Christians pursue wise choices, not just avoid openly sinful ones.

John Patton was a missionary to the cannibals of the New Hebrides Islands. Shortly after arriving, his wife and his newborn son died. He was forced to guard their bodies to keep cannibals from eating them. Rather than leave, he pressed on staying for the next 35 years. In a remarkable transformation. over three decades, every native on the islands gave their heart to Christ. Do not underestimate the way God can use the power of our witness to change a life. In this message, we learn how a healthy Christian can be an effective witness for Jesus.

John Patton was a missionary to the cannibals of the New Hebrides Islands. Shortly after arriving, his wife and his newborn son died. He was forced to guard their bodies to keep cannibals from eating them. Rather than leave, he pressed on staying for the next 35 years. In a remarkable transformation. over three decades, every native on the islands gave their heart to Christ. Do not underestimate the way God can use the power of our witness to change a life. In this message, we learn how a healthy Christian can be an effective witness for Jesus.