Own Your Faith
227 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 6 ratingsWe exist for "healing the wounded and building up the healed." (Re)-introducing the Father's love. Our focus is discipleship, restoring men and women & while championing them to leadership, fostering multi-cultural community and inspiring authentic worship through life-on-life mentoring and faithful biblical teaching.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Because I Still Can
December 09, 2020 05:23 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBEven while we face trials of all kinds one thing we do not lose is agency: our ability to do, to cause something to happen, to influence. As long as we have breath we have agency because it is God-given, God-sustained, God-affirmed, and God empowered.
A Political God
December 09, 2020 05:14 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBJesus was political. Many voices in the church have politicized Jesus to support their politics. The response is generally that Jesus was not political. This is not true. Jesus was political in the sense that he addressed the issues that affected all areas of individuals and the community's lives. Listen to this message about the politics of Jesus. Matt 25:34-40
Who I'm From
December 09, 2020 05:02 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBAs we begin this advent season anticipating celebrating the birth of Jesus we do so with a spirit of gratitude. We begin this series taking a look at the value of Jesus's genealogy in Matthew 1. It should cause us to reflect on our own heritage or family. We have something in common with Jesus here. We all, like Jesus, have a family line that has both great and deeply flawed people that make it up. The good news is God preserves (the greatness) and redeems (the sinful). | Matt 1
Can You Count It All Joy Pt. 1
December 09, 2020 04:55 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBHow do we follow the instructions found in the James 1:2-4 to "consider/count it (trials) all joy?" How do we at times like what we've all collectively experienced in 2020 still find joy in the midst of it? This message unpacks how that is at all possible.
Wrestle With God
November 15, 2020 07:32 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MBIn our lives, especially during times of transition and change, we may trust God, but it is perfectly ok if we wrestle with God in prayer. We would be following in line with Jacob in Genesis 32 when he wrestled with the man of God until he blessed him. We would be following in line with Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 where he kept praying for God to remove a "thorn" from his "flesh." We would be following the example of Jesus in Gethsemane where Jesus prayed in agony as he neared the suffering he h...
To Set A Table
November 05, 2020 18:27 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBAs we transition, and in fact in any season of our lives, we ought to adopt the concept of setting a table. This is the idea of hospitality that welcomes God (the vertical relationship) and others (horizontal relationship) to a sacred space of fellowship. Conversely, we must also be open to accepting the invitation to the table of others (God and our neighbor). We should not go through the uncertainties and challenges of changing seasons alone. It is at the table that we find encouragement, w...
Lessons From Holy Lament
November 01, 2020 06:16 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBDuring seasons of change when so much is uncertain and so much is lost, we get so focused on what's next we forget to grieve what is being left behind. Not only is this important for transition, it is also important in other times in our lives when we should know it is ok to lament, to grieve loss, pain, suffering, etc. Jesus modeled lament yet planted seeds of hope. | Matt 23:37-39
An Invitation To Activism
October 21, 2020 02:57 - 42 minutes - 38.5 MBJesus's encounter with the rich young ruler was more than a test of the young man's heart to see if he was willing to sell his possessions, give it all to the poor and follow Jesus. It was an invitation to activism. The instructions were not to sell his things for profit, but for philanthropy. Giving to the poor and vulnerable in the community, tending to their needs. Every season prepares us for the next season of out lives. Each season God invites us to is to live a life of activism like Je...
When You 'Want' the New Thing
October 18, 2020 10:33 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBIf we choose to follow Jesus it will require the willingness to sacrifice. It is in the willingness to give of one's self, entrusting one's life with Jesus, that we gain the fullness of life in this world and ultimately beyond. This message is about desire, sacrifice and risking all to live out our faith as culture-changing witnesses of Jesus.
When Seasons Change
October 05, 2020 21:57 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBDuring times of transition we must no only pray, but we must also take steps to participate in what we are praying for God to do. In this series we take a look following the steps and the teachings of Jesus as he began a transition toward his suffering and subsequent death and resurrection. We begin with Matt 16:21-23. Set your minds on the things of God during the uncertain and often scary seasons of transition.
That They Might Have LIfe
October 04, 2020 14:46 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBHere is God's will for the world: that they might have life and life in abundance. This was central to Jesus's mission. This was the reason why Jesus lived and died. This is also what should define our lives: that we be life-giving witnesses of Jesus. This is the will of God. | John 10:10
The Church: A Witness To The World
September 21, 2020 19:22 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBThe will of God for the church is to be a witness of solidarity to the world. Jesus commanded it and prayed for it; that we would be one, perfectly one as is the relationship between the Father, Son and the Spirit. This seems like an impossible task, the fulfillment of which will not be seen until Jesus returns. But we are called to be participants in that witness to the world. | John 17:20-23 | 1 Cor. 1:10-13
As For Me And My House
September 13, 2020 23:13 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBThe will of God for your family is that your family be defined by the will of God. What defines your family today will be what is passed on to your children and your children's children. When you frame what the will of God is for your family think about legacy. Joshua declared, "...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." His house was definitely his immediate family. But it could have also been his extended family or the generations of his "house" that were to come. | Joshua 24:14-15
God's Will For You (Is Bigger Than You)
September 13, 2020 07:58 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MBGod's will for our lives is that we be free. God's will is that we be free to contribute to God's will for humanity. God's will for us is bigger than us. We must decide if we want to each be consumers of God's will or re-creators of God's will.
Pray to Play
September 06, 2020 06:45 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBWhen we pray for God to cause something to happen we must be prepared to engage and participate in what God is doing to accomplish the very thing we prayed for. This participation is central to our witness. When we do the will of God it is, as Jesus said, "food." That means doing the will of God is essential to life, it gives us energy, and we ought to enjoy it. To engage in doing God's will is to enter into "play" with and for God. | John 4:32
Rest, Children!
September 06, 2020 06:24 - 47 minutes - 65.1 MBPossibly the most necessary step to healing individually and collectively is Sabbath rest. We must acknowledge the issue. We must name (diagnose) the issue so that we can properly treat the issue. Once we treat the issue we must then rehab and be strengthened. Whether it is a physical injury, a mental/emotional injury, a spiritual injury, or a social/communal injury, Sabbath rest is critical to our healing.
SEE Me
August 16, 2020 22:50 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBThe second issue that must be named in our personal and collective lives that we need to heal from is trauma. There is trauma imposed upon each of us by the violations or abandonment of others. There is the trauma we may have brought upon ourselves because of poor decisions. There is also the trauma we all face when we witness a murder such as George Floyd's. But we can learn from the trauma experienced by Mary, Jesus's mother, and the disciple whom Jesus loved after they witnessed the trauma...
Broken Hearts And Open Minds
August 10, 2020 23:16 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBThe third "step" in our journey to individual and collective healing is to decide on how to treat the personal/social sin. After we acknowledge that we are sick we then must name (diagnose) the sickness. Naming the issue/sin/virus informs what treatment is appropriate. In this message we name the issue as "ideology" that is the root of much of our personal and societal issues. The treatment is found in Romans 12:2 when Paul exhorts us to be "transformed by the renewal of our minds." A re-educ...
Call It By Its Name
August 03, 2020 01:15 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBThe first step to moving towards personal or communal healing is to acknowledge the issue/sickness/sin (see previous message). The second step discussed in this message is to name the issue/sickness/sin. This is where we diagnose the problem. Without the right diagnosis we won't figure out the proper treatment. Listen as we take a quick glance at how Jesus confronted and named the issues that caused the sickness in the first place. Mark 5:1-9 | Mark 9:14-29
Say Something
July 26, 2020 19:22 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBThe first step to individual and communal healing is to acknowledge that their is an issue. To ignore personal and social sins/isms is to welcome them and allow them to prevail. Let's learn from Achan, David, and Ezra why it is important to acknowledge what makes us sick so that we can move towards healing.
I'm Not Ok
June 03, 2020 08:40 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBI'm not ok. We are not ok. In light of the murder of George Floyd--another in the long list of black bodies killed at the hands of racism whether by law enforcement or civilians--this is an honest message about where I am as a black man, a Christian, and a pastor. A look at Cain and Abel and the words of Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?" in response to God asking, "Where is your brother?" This is a reminder and a challenge that we are our brothers' and sisters' keeper in the fight against rac...
I'm Not Ok.WAV
June 03, 2020 08:40 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBI'm not ok. We are not ok. In light of the murder of George Floyd--another in the long list of black bodies killed at the hands of racism whether by law enforcement or civilians--this is an honest message about where I am as a black man, a Christian, and a pastor. A look at Cain and Abel and the words of Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?" in response to God asking, "Where is your brother?" This is a reminder and a challenge that we are our brothers' and sisters' keeper in the fight against rac...
Prayer In Uncertain Times
March 08, 2020 19:32 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBJesus continues to show us how to pray in times of uncertainty or transition. He prays these critical prayers for His disciples. He prays for unity, for joy, and for protection. This is how we ought to pray for each other. | John 17:11-19
Pray For The Rest Of Us
March 08, 2020 03:32 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBWhen Jesus prayed this prayer in John 17, known as the true Lord's Prayer or the High Priestly Prayer, he didn't just pray for himself, he prayed for his disciples as well. He models for us an extended list of prayers for those closest to him. This is how we ought to pray daily, but especially during times of transition or uncertainty. | John 17:6-10
Prayers For Such a Time as This
February 28, 2020 23:16 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBJesus's prayer in John 17 was a prayer that occurred in a time of transition. Jesus was about to be betrayed and beaten and executed in order to fulfill the prophecy and call on his life. He begins this prayer praying for himself in a time of uncertainty, but yet confidence that God the Father was with him. He teaches us how we ought to pray during uncertain times. John 17:1-5
You've Been On This Mountain Long Enough (Monique Robinson)
February 22, 2020 10:14 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBMoses told the people of God "you've been on this mountain long enough." There are times when God moves us from the place we've been wandering or stagnant for quite some time. There comes a time when transition is necessary to accomplish what God is calling the people of God to do. Deuteronomy 1:3,6
When Temptation Preys
February 22, 2020 10:07 - 34 minutes - 63.7 MBWe ought to be praying because temptation preys on us. Jesus exhorted his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane to pray so that they do not enter into temptation. Our strength comes from our time in prayer before we get into temptation. Luke 11:4
Be Debt - Free
February 09, 2020 07:45 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBPart of how Jesus taught the disciples to pray included praying for forgiveness while acknowledging they forgive others. Forgiving people recognize they are forgiven people. Forgiveness is cancelling the debt that someone owes you because of their offense towards you. Being debt-free is not just about paying off your own debt, sometimes it is not holding onto the debt of others.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread (Cindy Marston)
February 02, 2020 07:57 - 41 minutes - 38 MBCindy ministers to us about praying for and being content with the daily provisions(bread) that God blesses us with each day. Jesus calls himself the "bread of life." There is something fundamentally sustaining about bread in a literal sense and in a spiritual/theological sense. Listen as Cindy teaches us the importance of praying for "our daily bread."
The Perfect Prayer?
January 22, 2020 16:25 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBIs there such a thing as the perfect prayer? Jesus prayed the most God-honoring prayer he could pray (in my opinion) when he said, "Not my will, your will be done." (Luke 22:42) The willingness to surrender our will no matter how hard it is, no matter how much we desire a thing in order for God's will to be done just might be characteristics of the perfect prayer. The Holy Spirit prays the will of God (Romans 8:27). God considers the counsel of God's own will before acting (Ephesians 1:11). S...
Take Off Your Shoes
January 15, 2020 20:25 - 37 minutes - 34 MBWhen we consider prayer, we must think about how we approach God in prayer. When we pray we are approaching God. We are entering into a sacred space rather than talking to a God that is far away. When must see God as holy and approach with reverence and respect. We should be courteous (having manners fitting for royalty or a royal court) and comfortable (feel safe, at peace). Luke 11:2 | Exodus 3:1-6
Faith With Roots
January 07, 2020 18:44 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBThis message initiates our theme for the year of 2020, which is centered on prayer. I do not know how we live out our faith effectively without a strong prayer life. We endure, we change, we grow, we discern, and we love (among other things the faith requires of us) as we pray passionately and consistently to the Lord. This message is about being rooted in our faith through a solid prayer life. Luke 11:1-2 | 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Presents In His Presence
December 22, 2019 22:08 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBAs we near the day designated to celebrate the birth of the Messiah we have gone through a journey of anticipating the king, preparing for the king, waiting for the king, and now being in the presence of the king. How do we respond when God makes God's self known? Do we respond in fear or shame? How about defiance or rebellion? Or maybe worship and obedience? God/the King deserves reverence and honor. Matt 2:1-18 | Luke 2:
Just Wait (Monique Robinson)
December 18, 2019 20:35 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBGod operates on eternity. God is not restricted by time like we are. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is wait on God/the King to show up in our circumstances. Israel was waiting for a long time for the Messiah to come. He showed up in the form of a baby named Jesus. Are we patient enough to wait for God, even when we know that God is already present everywhere all the time. Can we wait to God to manifest that presence profoundly.
Our Mothers of Faith (Bobby Harrison)
December 11, 2019 08:25 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBListen as Bobby Harrison unpacks the impact that the "mothers of the faith" have on what it means to anticipate and prepare for the arrival of the King. He describes to us how these women and women of faith can exhibit the mother heart of God. "Mothers can see things we can't. They behold before we do." | Luke 1:39-45
The King Is Here
December 02, 2019 06:15 - 42 minutes - 38.5 MBAs we enter Advent season nearing the day designated to celebrate Jesus' birth we begin with prophetic hope. The prophet Isaiah gives a word to Ahaz the king of Judah in Isaiah 7 about a son being born to a virgin whose name will be Immanuel, God with us. As it has relevance and meaning for Ahaz at that time, the prophecy would also later become relevant in the NT as it is applied to the birth of Jesus. Anticipating the coming of the King requires (prophetic) vision of the "not yet." Vision f...
The Gift Of Gratitude (Byron Davis)
December 01, 2019 07:17 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBListen to Byron Davis close out this two-part series on Gratitude. Gratitude is a discipline we must practice. It's an attitude we must exhibit. It is a gift that is a blessing in and of itself to our lives. As you listen, reflect on all that God has done in our your life...and give thanks!
Remember When?
November 19, 2019 23:29 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBWhen Jesus healed the ten lepers, of the ten only one (the Samaritan) returned to honor him and show outward gratitude. Only one remembered who and where the source of his healing came from. Gratitude is central to what it means to be faithful. Gratitude is the child of memory and praise. Remember when God did that? Luke 17:11-19
A Case For Temple Care (Byron Davis)
November 15, 2019 23:15 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBListen as Byron Davis closes out our series on Temple Care. While he focuses on the importance of taking care of our bodies, he reminds us that our mind, body, and soul are interconnected. God desires that our whole selves be whole and healthy. Be inspired to prioritize taking care of your temple as God desires that we do.
A Case For Temple Care
November 15, 2019 23:15 - 46 minutesListen as Byron Davis closes out our series on Temple Care. While he focuses on the importance of taking care of our bodies, he reminds us that our mind, body, and soul are interconnected. God desires that our whole selves be whole and healthy. Be inspired to prioritize taking care of your temple as God desires that we do.
The Spark, The Tool, The Gift (Tamisha Tyler)
November 04, 2019 06:58 - 31 minutes - 28.4 MBTamisha Tyler brings a powerful message on how to understand and express our emotions in healthy ways. She takes us to Jesus' interaction with Martha and Mary when Lazarus died and Jesus would raise him from the tomb. Emotions tell us that there is something IN us responding to something OUTSIDE of us. We honor our emotions by offering them our attention. God cares about are emotional wellbeing. John 11:17-44
Broken Thinking (Inés Velasquez-McBryde
October 29, 2019 01:15 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBInés McBryde preaches a powerful message about centering messages and competing messages. She juxtaposes the baptism of Jesus and the centering (affirming) message of "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," with the competing messages that the devil used to tempt Jesus to get him to sin. We live in this tension as well. In this message we learn the significance of be re-centered with the messages of truth that affirm who we really are. Wellness, includes the health of our minds...
I/Eye Witness
October 21, 2019 05:20 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBThe final two commandments examined in this message are "You shall not steal" and "You shall not bear false witness of your neighbor." These Commandments are necessary because they are destructive acts to the community. But we also zoom out and look at the Ten Commandments and their collective purpose, which is not simply to restrict us, but to preserve our faithfulness to God and to preserve the shalom of the community. Exodus 20:15,16
The Key to Faithfulness
October 14, 2019 18:56 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBYHWH makes it clear that lusting after and being intimate with another person's spouse is prohibited. The same is true for desiring and taking what possessions rightfully belong to another. Adultery in Scripture in the natural is linked to idolatry in the spiritual realm. The key to faithfully honoring a covenant relationship is the contentment Paul talks about in Philippians 4:10-13. This is what he means by "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He means that he can manage...
The Image Deserving Of Dignity
October 09, 2019 02:42 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBThe Image Deserving Of Dignity by Phil Allen, Jr.
Heavy Love
September 30, 2019 22:15 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBThe second section of the Ten Commandments that focus on the way we ought to relate to your neighbor begins with "Honor your father and your mother." Ideally, our parents are the first parents we meet in this world. They are also the first collective image of the wholeness of God. In them we ought to see the masculine and feminine, the maternal and paternal aspects of God. Our parents influence how we relate to God, if at all. God places great weight on the role that parents play and we ought...
Sabbath: Sacred Space
September 26, 2019 16:03 - 50 minutes - 46 MBRest is built into creation. We live in a global culture of hustle and working tirelessly (the grind) to produce. All the while we are slowly killing ourselves chasing many things that are temporary. Yet, God calls us to life and to be life-giving. The Sabbath is central, not only to our faith, but to our health and well being. It is central to our faithfulness to God and our love toward neighbor. Exodus 20:12
The Weight Of God's Name
September 17, 2019 16:47 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBGod's says in the Ten Commandments, "You shall not take the Lord's name in vain." What does that mean? Is it just about using profanity? Is it just about flippantly saying God's name for no reason at all? Those are correct perspectives. But it is also about not living in such a way that as God's people we associate God's name with anything less than holiness. Exodus 20:7
A Monogamous God
September 10, 2019 22:56 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBGod makes it plain and simple for the Israelites that God desires exclusivity and fidelity in God's relationship them. "You shall have no other gods before me." Framing this verse in terms of relationships or marriage, God is a monogamous God. The same demand applies to us as well. We are called to be faithful to God reserving our worship and reverence to God alone. Exodus 20:2-5
Is God Enough?
September 02, 2019 23:58 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBWe begin an 8-week study of the Ten Commandments, literally translated the Ten Words, on what it means to be faithful to the Lord. In this message God re-introduces God's self to the Israel before giving the foundational list of instructions that the Israelites ought to follow so that they all experience shalom. We ought to take the same cues today. We must being by asking and answering the question, is God enough? Exodus 20:1-2