CONNECTED Adventist
211 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 8 ratingsA super organic podcast, delving into the connection Adventists have with the Holy Spirt, what Adventists think of each other and what the outside world thinks of Adventist! Welcome and thanks for following the CONNECTED family!
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Episodes
Tarantulas, Eating Disorders and Body Image
September 13, 2021 20:13 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MBOur physical appearance can impact much of what we believe about ourselves. The hard thing is though, that what others think about us can become what we believe about ourselves. Society, media and our peer groups can determine whether we value and accept our appearance or whether we criticise our appearance and live life trying to change how we look. Some of us carry the scars of childhood teasing, bullying and discontentment all the way into adulthood, without finding any more acceptance for...
The Fairytale of Christianity
September 05, 2021 19:59 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBEveryone knows what a fairytale ending is like, the main characters run away and get married, the evil villain dies or goes to prison for the rest of their life, the sick person gets better and those who were lost are found and reunited with their loved ones. Why does humanity long for happy endings? And more importantly, is that the only reason that Christianity is so popular? Do Christians base their life on a fictional story that has no truth in it but simply makes them 'feel good' about l...
Vegetarianism is NOT the Health Message
August 29, 2021 19:38 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBSTOP telling people to be vegetarian! Ok, I prayed for gentleness and tactfulness with this episode lol The health message is so much more than eliminating meat from the diet. Yet, it seems that's all most non-SDA people associate with Adventism- second to the sabbath. What if people thought 'Oh, Adventist, they're so fit!' or 'Adventists, have such a great work-life balance' or even better 'Adventists reflect God's goodness and seem to have mastered wholistic health'. We could be known for ...
Overtaking God's Will
August 22, 2021 21:25 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBThere's two kind of the drivers, the ones that overtake a slow vehicles on the highway and those that patiently follow the slow drivers. Within Christianity we also see a distinction between those who 'make' God's will happen and those who patiently wait for God's will to come to fruition. Now, I'm not saying we should all sit at home on the couch waiting for things to 'happen' in our lives, but rather inviting us all to rest in God through the delays and the obstacles in our lives, while rem...
The Race of Sanctification
August 15, 2021 20:29 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBCompetition is one of those aspects of life I don't like. I don't like seeing people lose and let's be honest, I don't think anyone likes or enjoys being the 'loser'. But competition can sometimes bring out the best in some people. Competition can give other competitors a much clearer awareness of the 'winner's' capabilities and as a result, competition can push people to their potential in a way that may have never happened if they were racing alone.
Stop Being Thankful for Things
August 08, 2021 20:28 - 33 minutes - 31 MBGratitude is one of those habits we try and instil in our children at an early age. But as adults, life and unfilled expectations seems to make gratitude a habit that is harder to cultivate and maintain in our daily life. But I want to challenge the mainstream philosophy of "being thankful", by asking you to not just be thankful for things, situations and outcomes but rather, be thankful in spite of things, situations and outcomes. I believe that basing our daily gratitude on God and His good...
To Leave or Not to Leave?
August 01, 2021 19:53 - 42 minutes - 39 MBWalking away isn't easy, whether it's walking away from a friendship, a family member, a relationship or your local church. Depending on our personal opinion, walking away can be seen a 'weakness' or avoidance. But making a choice to 'walk away' can often comes with high risks and great loss. Other people regard 'Sticking around' as a'weak' response to avoid offending or creating disruption. So, what are you going to do, leave or stay?
You're an Influencer!
July 26, 2021 20:19 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBThe term 'Influencer' seems to be thrown around a lot. But you know why? Because we're ALL influencers! Maybe not a YouTube, 500k subscriber, kind of influencer but don't under estimate how much your life is impacting people's lives.
I Joined the Gym
July 18, 2021 20:07 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBFor someone who doesn't like to pay much for anything... joining the gym was a BIG decision but to be honest, I had to make it. There was no way I'd reach my goals without having some accountability behind me. My own will power wasn't going to be enough to get me where I was, and where I wanted to be. A healthy Church, can do the same thing for us!
Race you to Burnout
July 11, 2021 21:36 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBWe all either know someone who 'burnt out' or, maybe we were the one who 'burnt out'. But burnout often gets a lot of bad publicity, but burnout doesn't mean you failed- you were just running a different race to the rest of the pack.
Wet Dreams
July 04, 2021 12:17 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBI know, who does a podcast on this?!?!?! Me! But I'm going to talk about all kinds of dreams, not just the wet ones. What are some of the ways we can navigate our feelings and convictions with any type of dream that leaves us feeling 'some kind of way'?
Winner's Mindset
June 28, 2021 05:48 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBWhen I watch people loose I feel sorry for them. I've never liked the competitive nature of sports because to be honest, I've lost WAY more than I've ever won. But as Christians, we should never have a "loser's mindset". Loosing- is not supposed to be part of our faith experience.
The Influence that your Story Holds
June 21, 2021 07:34 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBThe experiences we have with people can stick with us for a lifetime. Someone I knew used to tell me about their daily experiences with a person they worked with. Over time, I began to respect a person I'd never met, just from the stories this person told me about their work colleague. Never under estimate the power of your experience in the context of the Gospel, to draw people to a person (or God) they've never met before!
From Darkness to Light Bearer ft Shannon Fenger
June 13, 2021 21:13 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBOh how those adolescent years can either build us to see our glimpses of our potential or shake us up and even MESS us up! Many people experienced some of the most difficult stages of identity formation during their high school years. For some us, we're still carrying the wounds we received long into our adulthood. Shannon shares with us how God used a simply interaction to transform his darkness into the place where he could become a Light bearer!
Interpreting Facts Through Filters
June 08, 2021 04:14 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBOur past, our opinions and our ignorance can cause us to distort facts and Biblical truth to suit our preference or to back-up our communities of preference. It's time for all of us to take all the Bible goodness we've discovered (or had shared with us) back home and let God transform our preferences so that our opinion, on all Biblical concepts, are based on God's leading; not crowd thinking or church culture.
Time to Let Go (second attempt)
May 31, 2021 06:44 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBHaving to move will often reveal to you just how much stuff you have that you don't need and that you don't actually want to take to your next location. It seems as though we accumulate excess things without even trying. Emotion excess can accumulate just as unintentionally as physical things. But it's best that we "downsize" and "declutter" our soul- sooner rather than later. Life is too short to live it, transporting boxes of negative memories, trauma and pain.
I'm Leaving
May 24, 2021 00:06 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MBMy 4 week break was an answer to more than just one prayer- it was an answer to LIFE CHANGING prayers!!! I'm leaving!!! See ya, QLD and HEEEEELLO NNSW!!
There's Hope
April 18, 2021 20:05 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBDroughts and dry spells drain the life out of most things. Animals lack food, the trees loose their foliage and the grass becomes brown and it looses all its softness, but what happens when a Christian is going through a spiritual drought? We're told there's hope no matter how lifeless our spiritual life is and to "not give up", but how long do we have to wait before we finally get a 'spiritual downpour'? And is it too late for some?
Preach the TRUTH- all of it!
April 11, 2021 14:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBHave you ever met one those Christians that are always warning people to follow 'the truth' and to not be 'deceived'? One of those kind of SDAs came to my church this week. And although I fully agree with much of their concerns and their 'truth', i often hear only one perspective of Biblical truth from these kind of Christians. 'Doom and gloom' preaching must always be presented with the redemptive truth of the Gospel, the hope-filled truth of the Gospel and the comforting truth of the Gospel...
Dirty Laundry
April 04, 2021 14:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBWe all have 'dirty laundry'. Some of us have multiple baskets of 'dirty laundry'. However, many of us keep those experiences hidden away even though; we've been washed in the blood of the lamb. But if we reflect on the Bible narrative- we'll find ourself pushing through the complicated and messy past of some of the most respected Bible personalities. And then, you have Enoch and Job. Their Biblical accounts seem spotless and without any stain of sin. Some of us may have a clean record but one...
Stop Reading Your Bible
March 28, 2021 20:10 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBCalm down y'all! It's not what you think. Well, it kind of is but not really. The Bible was never intended to be read. It was meant to be studied and for its advice to guide us everyday. We're called to continually and inexhaustibly meditate and reflect on God's word- not just read it so we can check it off our morning routine list.
Forbidden
March 21, 2021 20:27 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBForbidden things aren't always 'scary' looking. We don't need to be a genius to know that most people won't fall for things that look 'messed up'. The Devil is cunning and a great salesman- he has a way of making the forbidden appear enjoyable and 'pleasing to the eye'. But the Bible gives us a better way. Trust in God's counsels will always be the most powerful source of wisdom to fight against the Devil's deceptions. 'Forbidden by God' should always translate into safety and peace for us.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and THAT interview
March 14, 2021 20:27 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MB17 million people watched the interview. 17 million people have an option about the interview. On this episode I share just one of those 17 million opinions about the interview and the aftermath of what Harry and Meghan shared.
Rapture.Persecution.Armagedon.
March 07, 2021 20:48 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBThere's a whole bunch of scared Christians in our churches. And I'm not surprised! Some churches seem to preach about 'doom and gloom' WAY more than they preach about God's glory THROUGH the 'doom and gloom'. End time events will always create fear, it's a scary chapter of Earth's history, but we must be very careful to not base the entire Christian journey and the Christian experience around one chapter, while ignoring the theme of the Christian story- the Good News of a Perfect Father savin...
Battle of the Wills
February 28, 2021 19:54 - 33 minutes - 30.2 MBIt seems like we're always fighting against someone or something. And if it's not something or someone, at times, we may find ourselves even fighting against God! The power of human free-will is the only thing that limit the power of the Omnipotent God of the universe. Free-will, allows Created beings to completely disregard the Creator's intent, and gives power for the Created beings to go completely against the Creator's design and recommendations. So, how do you hang your clothes?
Strong like Xena, weak like Moses
February 21, 2021 20:22 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBWithin the church and outside the church, we all have people we admire. You know, those people who seem to have the very things we dream we had; whether it's the grades, the popularity, career, looks or the Spiritual gifts, we all know someone who has something that leaves us 'wishing' we were like them. But every 'always happy' person has areas of discontentment in their life, the confident person daily battles against their insecurities and the person who appears to have it all, also has a...
I'm friends with Youtubers!
February 14, 2021 20:44 - 42 minutes - 38.5 MBEmotional connection is crucial and necessary to the human existence. We were created to love and be loved. To know and be known. Yet, emotional human connection can also be the single source of all our heartache and our trauma. So what if you could find a risk-free way to have emotional connection without the danger? Let me introduce you to the friends that will *never hurt me- YouTubers! *never because because they kinda can't from behind a screen
Masks
February 07, 2021 21:28 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBMost people wear masks- some just won't admit it! On this episode i discuss 2 masks I believe some people wear, one hides their reality and the other masks hides their character. Let's take the masks off fam- life is sweeter when we work through the character flaws we try and hid and when we find light in the darkness of our hidden pain.
10 Days of LIES!
January 31, 2021 20:53 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBThe Seventh-day Adventist Conference's '10 Days of Prayer' initiative highlighted some EPIC RED FLAGS about revival! In a group discussion I was challenged to ask myself "what does REAL revival look like?". In my opinion, I think many of us have fallen for many lies and misconceptions when we talk about revival, and even conversion.
A Five Star Christian
January 24, 2021 21:24 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBOnline reviews can save us from spending money on a bad experience. Online, we give a lot of weight to people's opinion and we can even make their experience 'authoritative truth'. But what if their preferences are different to us? What if they have a bias attached to their experience? Not every online review reflects a legitimate rating.
The Dogs are Barking!
January 19, 2021 14:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBIts early in the morning and both my dogs are barking, I have two choices- go see what they're barking at or yell at them to stop. When the Holy Spirit is making a noise you also have to options- address the conviction or drown out the Holy Spirit. One option will save you from the 'snake', the other- will let the 'snake' get closer!
Angels like Vegemite
January 17, 2021 14:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBThey do! Well, my daughter would probably tell you they do. Do you believe in angels? Have you ever had an experience with an angel? My daughters believe they've had 2 interactions with angels in the last few months. What's stopping you from becoming an 'angel' to someone?
WWJD (not Jesus)
January 10, 2021 14:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBThere are situations in life that call us to respond in a way that's not the norm for us. Sometimes, God is calling us to speak up in certain situations where things (and people) need to be challenged. Staying silent (or 'in bed') won't stop the noise of the loud, dominating and inconsiderate crowds in our life. Get out of bed peeps and go tell them to turn their nonsense OFF! All with God's promoting of course!
"2021, where are you already?!?!"
December 27, 2020 14:00 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBLet's say that 2020- is what it is. For some, our year was painted with fear, pain, uncertainty, stress, loss and heartache and somehow, others have experienced a year of regeneration and renew. How can that be? The seasons of life don't have a date or a year. The seasons of life unexpectedly come to reality and when they do, we have to ride it.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christ-Mass
December 20, 2020 14:00 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBWe all know that the 25th of December is a significant date WORLDWIDE! What do we do with a date that Biblically isn't Jesus' birth date but is globally recognised as his birthday? Well, let me share with you what this holiday season has looked like for me throughout my walk with Jesus and my journey to making the 25th of December a significant date of my year.
The Humbling nature of Humility ft. Danielle Wakelin
December 14, 2020 00:41 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBHumility can be a hard Christian pill to swallow. Even harder is the balance between humility and service, and boundaries and self-respect. But regardless of how challenging the concept of humility is in the Christian life, Jesus called us all of His followers to humility and He said the humble will inherit the re-created earth!
Leaving the church for the "Highway"
December 06, 2020 20:50 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBSorry fam, MacFan decided to join the discussion and it was way louder than I thought it would be "Sitting on the fence" can be safer than crossing over to the wrong side. Leaving church and leaving God can become a decision that makes us live everyday, hoping we could go back. I hope you can prayerfully trust that 'the paddock' is better than the highway, until you actually believe that it is. And if you see someone wandering, say a prayer for them, they may be roaming because they're tryi...
Algorithms are of the Devil*
December 01, 2020 03:37 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MB"Algorithms have a life of their own! The internet usage patterns that algorithms identify can become our worst enemy or our greatest supporter. The Devil has his own way of identifying the behaviours we choose to 'watch' or to just scroll past- its called choice! The Devil's algorithm observes our daily choices and strategically sets us up to face the temptation based on things we've chosen to 'consume'. Through our choices, we reveal our weaknesses. But fear not my CONNECTED fam, algorit...
State of Origin- Stubborn Christianity
November 22, 2020 20:04 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBOUR unique faith is made up of a collection of choices. Many of us have grown 'into' our faith journey. God showed us light (Jesus and/or Truth) and we chose to accept or reject that light. God gave us conviction, we chose to accept or reject that conviction. Choice is the the controlling power behind our faith. However, sometimes, God calls us to evaluate some of our choices. External factors and our personal spiritual growth can at times, invite for a reassessment of some of our convictio...
They Don't Need your Prayers
November 15, 2020 20:59 - 33 minutes - 31 MBMoses needed someone to pray for him, but no one did. Elijah needed someone to pray for him, but no one did. We often think that certain people within our church don't 'need' our prayers. We do. Every person that is breathing, needs some one to pray for them!! Check out the lyrics of these 2 hymns: For You I Am Praying & I Need the Prayers ( 284 & 505 SDA Hymnal)
Falling Out of Love
November 08, 2020 23:03 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MBWe can't stay 'in love'. Let me explain, 'in love' is made up of so many unbiblical expectations, therefore 'falling out of love' is often attached to a lot of unbiblical disappointments. Biblical love is WAY more than flowers and your clothes been ironed for you. The example of love that God gives us is the only example we should follow and the only standard by which we should measure love.
My Lonely Birthday with Justin Bieber
November 03, 2020 20:03 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBHappy 2nd birthday my awesome CONNECTED fam!! On this episode I wanted to talk about how Justin's latest song 'Lonely' and my birthday, actually makes for a great CELEBRATION! In contrast to Justin's song, biblically, some of the loneliest people in the Bible, had the greatest degree of CONNECTION with God because they didn't have anything/ anyone else to depend on.
Marriage, Divorce, Adultery and Remarriage
November 01, 2020 20:55 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBNew 'things' are always fun and exciting when they're new. However, time and familiarity makes those once highly-stimulating things 'common'. Sometimes, our contentment is disrupted when a newer version of the same thing is released. What was once fulfilling, now evokes thoughts of discontentment because there's another option. Relationships are exactly the SAME! Adultery and the prospect of remarrying can make the marriage you have, seem 'common' and dissatisfying.
In the Beginning there was Awareness
October 25, 2020 19:49 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBGenesis 1 had a different feeling about it when I read it the other day. A chapter that explains how the world was created and that proves God's power and the existence of the Godhead, showed me the importance of LIGHT and how the first step of creation- was give light to the darkness. Giving 'light' is also the first step that God takes when He's about to pour out His creative power in our lives.
Bootleg Christianity
October 19, 2020 03:10 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBI had me a decent collection of fake designer products! But I came to realise that 'fakes' are almost offensive when you own the genuine. For an outside' who can't tell the difference between the bootleg product and the genuine- they all look the same, even though they're most definitely NOT the same. The same goes for Christianity. Not all professed Christians are the same. Some of us, risk turning people away from God because we're simply carrying the name but not carrying the experience.
We need Heaven
October 15, 2020 11:21 - 30 minutes - 28 MBIf there was no heaven or hell, no reward for being a Christian or 'punishment' for choosing a life of sin, would you still choose righteousness? Ty Gibson asked this question at an ARISE class in 2015 and I reflected on my motives for choosing to be a Christian, and why I chose righteousness in the place of my following my own will. I realised that some of my motives for wanting to be in Heaven weren't as genuine as I had preached. Nevertheless, Heaven should still be a place Christians want...
The High Distinction of Christianity
October 04, 2020 20:23 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBThe standard of Christlikeness is the highest attainment possible for followers of Jesus. But with that standard, comes a lot of refining. The 'criteria' for attaining a Christian High Distinction can become overwhelming and even discouraging for any believers. So is a HD impossible? Or is there more to be considered when setting such a high standard within Christianity?
Racing with the Joneses
September 28, 2020 00:10 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MBWe're all in a race. However, we're not supposed to be chasing after the Joneses, we're supposed to be racing to keep the faith and to win the prize of Christlikeness and eternal glory. When we start competing for a different prize, relationships, career, academic goals, wealth, assets and appearance, the descend on the slope of discontentment can become dangerous very quickly. The more you descend, the faster your discontentment grows and your dissatisfaction creates a dangerous outlook on ...
Just Fooling Around
September 20, 2020 14:00 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBSin is complicated yet simple. I know that doesn't make sense but you'll know what I mean after you listen. What I do know- with all confidence, is that sin is DANGEROUS! Some sinful experiences are like bungee jumping. The first step is the hardest to take (because God is trying to hold us back from falling) but once you taken the step, there's no turning back- and the only way to go back, is to keep falling until the abrupt stop at the end of the fall. Please pause and rethink about the ch...
I'm not Progressive
September 13, 2020 14:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBWell... I'm not, and I'm not conservative or liberal either. One thing I've observed that is present within Christianity is that there's plenty of- division. Division on what seems like an ENDLESS list of preferences, doctrines and even convictions. Is division God's ideal? And if it is, what camp do you belong to?