Two Fools on the Road to Emmaus
 
Current Episode:The Clone Conspiracy - There is continued discussion around the idea of Unity in the Church as a necessary precursor to revival or some sort of move of God. Is it possible that the way we think about unity is in fact the reason unity is difficult to achieve? Is it possible we have made the idea of unity an idol with a Jesus veneer which demands an unhealthy uniformity based upon practice and doctrine rather than upon Jesus? Mark and Michael discuss unity with diversity.
Archive (click here for Past Episodes) Behave or Out Ya Go! - Back fresh after the holidays Mark and Mike jump in with both feet... up to their necks! Starting the year off with a fresh "What the Heck are they Thinking" where they discuss church discipline in Matthew 18. Is Jesus talking of Punishment? Excommunication? Shunning or can this be read in a way which is consistent with the Gospel narrative and the whole of what Jesus taught? The Happiness Paradox - The guys discuss a number of different thoughts around happiness. How does our culture view failure? Weakness? In the end, what makes us happy and how can we achieve it? Starting with happiness paradox: "the more directly one aims to maximize pleasure and avoid pain, the more likely one is to produce a life bereft of depth, meaning, and community." Happiness, by its nature, cannot be obtained by direct pursuit. You have to sneak up on it. Better yet, you have to let it sneak up on you while you're pursuing something more important. Shame & Justice - Throughout the centuries shame has been seen as a powerful tool to get desired behavior. Does shame lead us to life or like in the garden, result in us hiding from the very One who can heal us? If shame is a consequence of the fall, can this impact our idea of justice and more importantly God’s justice? What does God look like through the lenses of shame? How does this affect our view of current events and other people? Lots of questions as Mark and Michael wrestle with the nature of justice as seems to be found in Christ, perhaps like you have never considered before! Authority of Scripture - What does it mean when we say scripture has authority? How can a book have Authority? Is it a rule book? and if scripture is inspired how so? Does authority of the Kingdom look any different than the powers of this world? Mike and Mark think so! The guys wrestle with the term authority of scripture and what that means to us today. Habits of a Healthy Christian? - Dallas Willard says Grace isn't opposed to effort but to earning it. What is the role of the spiritual disciplines for healthy faith? Not getting hung up on a program, the guys talk about the values of spiritual discipline as a means of growing in deeper intimacy with Jesus. Ministering to Idols - This will stir up the religious spirit! LOL! Mark and Michael are tipping some sacred cows and challenge ideas of success and could it be what we chase is contrary to what we really yearn for -Life! Eyes of Compassion - After a bit of a rant on US and Canadian elections and leaders, the guys bounce off a TED.com video with Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, as he wrestles with why human beings may struggle to be compassionate. Mark and Michael reflecting on the Compassion ministry experience at The Rock. How can we be more aware of those in need? How can we respond in a way that brings life? Be careful little eyes what you see PT1 & 2 - Can fear and shame manifest the fruit of the Spirit? Do we need the shadow of punishment to motivate us to behave or is love sufficient enough to help us choose life? The fruit of sin is fear and shame and if the issues of life flow from the heart, then how come we use fear and shame as a means of bringing about wholeness? Can a pear tree produce apples? Exit Stage Left - Is it possible to walk another direction and even part company with folks who have a different vision for relationship with God and still honor all those involved? Spring-boarding from listener feedback, the guys discuss how we can navigate out of institutional religion in healthy ways with integrity to the message of love. Repent Already! - A wild week in the financial markets and accusations of greed and trying to point the finger of blame. In light of the global 'blame game' the guys wade into the idea of repentance and try to put it back into a healthy larger context which can lead us into deeper relationship with Jesus and wholeness. Spells and Incantations - Is the Bible the owners manual or a moral rule book, or is there something so much richer that makes Christianity much more unique than any other religion? Mark and Michael have a lot of fun sharing a vision for the The Ecotone Project and invite folks to contribute their stories, poems, music and art of many kinds. This morphs into a discussion on the narrative view of scripture and the freedom to enter into relationship of love that is the story of God. Peace & Fear - Could it be that things may in fact be getting better instead of worse? Leaping off from a video in the Talkback section, the guys look at the Kingdom of God active in the world and Christians role in seeing the Kingdom manifest. The guys look at the way in which fear is used to get us to perform may actually be counter productive to healthy maturity in Christ. Let the Dead bury the Dead - Sometimes it is so easy to focus on the negative and lifeless at the expense of all the life that surrounds us. We can miss the forest for the trees! Our fear, the baggage of others, and needing the approval of others can steel the joy of life in the right now. Mark and Michael wrestle with people pleasing, dogmatic folks and our response to folks who we will never please lest we are formed in their image! |
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Mark and Mike host an on-going conversation about life with Jesus in the real world. They share ideas and thoughts which have come through their personal walk of faith through the land of rule laden religion and into the undiscovered country; the freedom in Christ, grace, relationship rooted and governed by love. We appreciate every email we get! Join the conversation! Send your comments and questions: email us!
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"Yap Yap Yap!" - The US Presidential debate at Saddleback Church is dicussed as the guys wrestle with empty Rhetoric. Are real life issues black and white and is rhetoric really enough to garner our vote? Do we ever think any further than the slogan or the 'right answer" or do we sleep just fine in oblivion? Join the guys as they discuss the rhetoric of others and their own! "What are we saying?" - Mark and Mike are extra 'up-ity' in this episode. How easy is it for us to say one thing and sound all pious and do the opposite. 'Love the sinner hate the sin'? Do we really do that or is it just some sweet churchy thing we say as we blow it all up and let God sort it out? Just a heads up - the guys are on this like stink on a skunk! Hierarchy 1 & 2 - The guys are responding to some emails. Why are we tempted to see hierarchy in many of our relationships? Are we seeing the gospel through the eyes of our personal and cultural biases and making bold indictments of those who don't agree with us? Can we miss the Kingdom as a result? Are you Content? - Mark and Mike push on a western favorite - the pursuit of happiness and contentment. Despite the promises of the advertisers and the latest technology many folks are feeling lost, empty and discontent. This is not just a problem in the world but alive and rampant in the Church. Mike and Mark wrestle with Kingdom contentment and contrast it with other promises of peace. This episode ends with an amazing song Poverty written by Jason Upton. Be sure to visit Jason's site. Power with Integrity 1 & 2 - This is an explosive issue! Power - politics, money, sex and religion are powerful forces in the world which dominate, enslave and oppress millions of people. War, disease, poverty, exploitation of the poor and the weak cast a shadow of fear over humanity which impacts every aspect of life. How do we steward power? Is it right for the Church to use the powers of the world to achieve Kingdom goals? Did Jesus? Are there ways that we can stand in bold contrast to these powers and not shrink back from a bold proclaiation and manifestation of the Kingdom? Conversion PT. 1 & 2 - Mark and Mike wrestle with the idea of conversion. Whose work is it and how does it work out in real life? Is there a place for healthy conviction and repentance and how does that serve our relationship with Jesus? What do lives of people who are head over heels in love with Jesus look like? Whose work is it and how does it work out in real life? What do lives of people who are head over heels in love with Jesus look like? Paul the new Moses? - Ever stop to wonder why and when the Apostle Paul became the new Moses? I mean Moses brought us the 10 Commandments, the Law and Jesus fulfilled the Law and led us into Love and grace and yet we hang on Pauls word to specific people in a specific context and make them a kinda weird christian law often missing the heart of the Kingdom in what he is saying. The guys wade into an exciting but controversial topic! Life in the World PT.1 & 2 - Another installment of “What the heck were they thinking?” where the guys spring board from a couple silly but true events to how do we live in the world, more specifically with other people who don't believe what we do. The guys really push the edge on what and why we believe what we do and challenge us all as followers of Jesus to deal with fear and root ourselves in relationship with Jesus. |
