Deeper

Can anything good come from Gary, Indiana?

Friendship CRC — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:55:08 +0000

No mater how far we find ourselves from the centers of power and influence in our nation, we always find ways to "other" people who we see as backwards or uneducated. What does Jesus' treatment of the region of Galilee tell us about how we are supposed to treat people in parts of the country we don't like?

Power and Provision

Friendship CRC — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:02:41 +0000

How should we go about adjusting our expectations for what it means to make it through a challenge in life? How do we ensure we aren’t using the power we have fairly attained in ways that don’t follow God’s plans?

Balance

Friendship CRC — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:49:21 +0000

We are constantly trying to balance our goals and missions with Christ. It can be easy to get out of balance, and begin valuing Christ's ministry more than Christ Himself.

The Sin of Efficiency

Friendship CRC — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:14:32 +0000

We often think of Efficiency as a good thing, something to be aspired towards. How can it also become a temptation, or a problem?

Guardian Angels and the Need for Advocates

Friendship CRC — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:21:01 +0000

The Holy Spirit fills many roles, but we understand very little of it. Does it fill the role of a guardian angel, or is that something else? And why do we need it to advocate for us when the Father already knows everything?

Re-packing the Tent

Friendship CRC — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:17:34 +0000

Have you ever tried to re-pack a tent after camping, and no matter how you fold it you can't get to fit the way it used to fit? That's almost what this week's sermon felt like, as we had so much more to unpack from teh scripture we could hardly fit it in the sermon. Dan and Austin take some time to break down some creedal differences and envision a world where we are more incarnate than we may tend to be.

Who is the Son?

Friendship CRC — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:21:50 +0000

The Nicene creed spends a LOT of time talking about the Son. Why did they spend so much time on Jesus compared to the rest of the creed? What did people think about Jesus? And are we returning to the ancient heresy the authors of the creed set out to stop?

One God Almighty

Friendship CRC — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:31:24 +0000

As we get going on our series of the Nicene Creed, we started talking about what it means to serve One God Almighty. What does it mean to worship One God in our modern context? What does God's Almighty power mean for how we exercise power?

Where in the World is Nicea, Byzantium?

Friendship CRC — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:00:00 +0000

As we start our series on the Nicean Creed, Dan and Austin take some time to examine the historical, cultural and practical context of that important gathering 1701 years ago.

Living in the Moment!

Friendship CRC — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:50:37 +0000

One common New Year's Resolution is to "live more in the moment". This is an incredibly important thing, one that we are told to do well in scripture. But how exactly DOES someone live in the moment? What does it mean to be fully present during seasons of struggle as well as joy?

Believers and Seekers

Friendship CRC — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 21:44:57 +0000

We are called to make room for both those who already believe, as well as those who may be seeking Christ. But what does it actually mean to make room? What does it mean to listen well?

In Our Hearts

Friendship CRC — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:09:39 +0000

At the start of this Advent season, we take some time to see what areas we can "Make Room" for various people and practices in our lives. Today, Dan and Austin talk about the immediate importance of making room for Jesus in our hearts, regardless of what stage our lives are in.

An Example to Aspire To

Friendship CRC — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:54:00 +0000

In this double-episode, Dan and Austin go through the historical context of Boaz, the landowner that is cited as an example for us to aspire to. How far beyond what the law requires are we supposed to go to care for people in need? Pretty darn far, it turns out.

Making Plans

Friendship CRC — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 17:00:00 +0000

It's hard for us to give up our plans. What does it mean to have healthy, God-guided planning?

Show-And-Tell Faith

Friendship CRC — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Faith without works is dead, which means that we really need to be involved with living our our biblical commands to love our neighbor and care for those in need around us. But what does that actually mean? Pastor Dan and Austin address all this and more.

Playing Favorites

Friendship CRC — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 18:22:23 +0000

With some of our first listener submitted questions today, Dan and Austin dive right in to examine how we subconsiously play favorites, how we can avoid that and how we can accurately judge- when do we use worldly standards?

Human Anger vs God's Justice

Friendship CRC — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:51:31 +0000

Our human anger will never be able to bring about God's Justice. That doesn't mean there's nothing that should make us angry, but it DOES mean that we have to be mindful how we let it motivate and guide us. Dan and Austin also spend some time today examining the relationship between our callings to care both about personal holiness and social responsibility.

Fractured Hypocrites

Friendship CRC — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:06:45 +0000

In this incredibly timely episode, Pastor Dan and Austin explore what to do when people's speech and actions fall short of the faith they profess. What is our responsibility when someone who shares our faith acts differently than they should? How do we make sure we are receptive to correction ourselves, and what does it mean to go through trials with hope?

F.R.I.E.N.D.(s)

Friendship CRC — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:34:43 +0000

In our first ever video recording of the Deeper Podcast, Austin and Dan talk about the future of the podcast and practical ways to live out our FRIEND acronym.

We're in the Thick of It

Friendship CRC — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000

We've officially wrapped up our series on being Clothed. How do we find encouragement with the vision of the future given to us in Revelation while still being in the thick of struggles

Luv is a Verb

Friendship CRC — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Love is far more than just the emotion we think of so often, it's a call to action. Though the ways we "do" love can different, the calling of "who" and "what" are very clear. Dan and Austin look at our calling to love, and specifically what it can mean to Love with our finances.

Uncleanliness and Crowds

Friendship CRC — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000

We are back from summer vacation, and ready to dive back into things! Today, Dan and Austin talk about the ways we may find ourselves in the role of the Crowds that surround Jesus, instead of being the "main characters" that we often think of ourselves as. They also discuss the similarities of this story with the stories both preceding and following in Mark 5.

The Chicago Way

Friendship CRC — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:31:33 +0000

Dan is on vacation this week, so we will be hearing instead from Skye Jethani- an author, pastor and commentator on themes we've discussed here in the Deeper podcast. Skye breaks down ways that we as Christians are tempted to take worldly tools to accomplish God's goals, how that's not biblical, and what our calling is instead.

We will be back with new episodes of Deeper on August 6th! Enjoy your summer break, and we will see you next month!

Episode 89: Clothed

Friendship CRC — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0000

As we roll into our summer series, Dan and Austin talk about what we do about inserting ourselves into God's plan- When do we act? When do we trust and obey? And how do we know if we've put our plans in the position God's plans should be?

Diversity After Pentecost

Friendship CRC — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Our view on diversity is broken. The "Babel" mindset that we have as sinful humans is so persistent, but we are called to live with a more "Pentecost" perspective. Dan and Austin discuss diversity and how being made in the Image of God changes our attitude towards different people.

Blessings

Friendship CRC — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 20:28:39 +0000

The word "Blessing" is a fairly common one we hear in church circles. But what does it actually mean to be a blessing, or to receive one?

Bowling Alone

Friendship CRC — Wed, 28 May 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Our society is one that is increasingly more individualistic and isolated, and lonliness is rampant in our society. How are we as believers supposed to combat that trend?

Qualitatively New

Friendship CRC — Wed, 21 May 2025 16:00:00 +0000

We have hope that there will be a total renewal of our decaying world. But what does renewal look like, and how can we cling to that hope before it comes to be?

The Anti-Zombie Apocalypse

Friendship CRC — Wed, 14 May 2025 19:14:03 +0000

While our modern society imagines the dead coming back to life as a very brutal, violent affair - which we see throughout our media in the Zombie context - our faith views the resurrection of the body to be entirely different. Our new lives are supposed to be life-giving, rather than life-taking. What does that mean for our advocacy or the people we dislike?

Made to Serve

Friendship CRC — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:10:40 +0000

We all are made to serve our community. From our local church to all of those made in the image of God, we've got a calling to be active and engaged in acts of service. But what if we aren't gifted to serve in the areas that we see immediately around us? Is there any difference between serving financally or with our time? And when do we say "no" to service?

New Reality

Friendship CRC — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Because of Easter, and Christ's ressurection specifically, we are living in a new reality that totally upends the old ways of interacting with God, our neighbors and even ourselves. How do we live wisely in this new reality?

The Warhorse and the Donkey

Friendship CRC — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000

As leaders, we are supposed to emulate Jesus' form of leadership- one that embraces peace, gentle subversion and service as a model instead of the Alexandrian domineering, powerful, iron-fist model. However, the latter seems to be the only type of leadership we see around us, especially in the public sphere. How do we navigate our call to humility when that's not the way society does things?

Fairy Dust

Friendship CRC — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

While we work to prepare our spiritual gardens, we often fall into the pitfall of assuming things have to be fully done ourselves- or, on the other side, that we don't have to do anything and our spiritual gardens will grow just using "Fairy Dust". How do we build a helathy dependence on the Lord while also putting in a healthy amount of effort on our own?

God's Boundaries

Friendship CRC — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

God set some pretty clear boundaries for us in scripture. What do we do when we can't agree on what those are?

Fasting and Lent

Friendship CRC — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:00:00 +0000

After closing up our series on prayer, we move into the season of Lent. Fasting is a common practice during this time, but not one we are often familiar with. How do we fast well? How do we remain accountable without "going public"? And how do we know what we should fast from?

Practicing Prayer

Friendship CRC — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 19:44:42 +0000

We've talked a lot about WHY we pray. But when the rubber meets the road, practicing prayer is really important. How does practicing prayer resemble working out at a gym? And what can we do to de-center ourselves in prayer? Dan and Austin discuss this and more in this week's podcast.

Elevated (Amplify)

Friendship CRC — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

In this special episode of Deeper, Dan and Austin talk about the brand new "branch" of the Deeper podcast- a segment we will be calling Elevated. In the Elevated podcast series, Dan and Austin will bring a birds-eye view of important theological concepts, church history, and answer some of the "why does the church do this" questions that we, and all of you, may have.

(September 2025 Edit: The new branch will be a return to our original "Amplify" podcast format, featuring long form interviews local and global leaders of the faith)

Understanding Prayer

Friendship CRC — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Now that we know WHY we should pray.... what even is prayer? How does the Trinity complicate (or simplify) our prayers? There's a lot of mind-bending questions to ask, so buckle in and enjoy!

Desiring Prayer

Friendship CRC — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Often, we find ourselves wanting to want to pray- or rather, we know we should desire prayer, but can't bring ourselves to do that. How can we cultivate a healthy desire for prayer?

Broken Conduits

Friendship CRC — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

We all are very broken people, and often are not equipped to be healthy conduits of Christ's love and grace. How can we make sure that Christ is on the throne of our lives, and that we are acting as His conduit instead of our own?

Orthodoxy vs. Orthopraxy

Friendship CRC — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

We get so caught up in having orthodox theology that sometimes we lose sight of how we are supposed to practice our faith. What can we learn from the church of Laodicea in regards to our "Orthopraxy"? When do we get to "Spit out" a fellow believer? And what actually happened to all of these churches after they got the letters?

Complacency

Friendship CRC — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 20:21:10 +0000

Complacency is one of the biggest challenges that the church in America faces right now. We After centuries of Christian dominance in government and culture, our influence (Like the church in Sardis) is declining. What are ways we may still be a little complacent? How do we grow out of that? And how do we influence our culture when our culture doesn't want to listen to us anymore?

The Power of the King

Friendship CRC — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:38:00 +0000

We as humans have an absolutely corrupt view of power. We want it, fear it, don't know how to use it. How can we recognize when we are living in fear of it? How do we know if we are using our power poorly? And what role does empathy have in our need to combat fear in ourselves and others?

The Prince of Peace

Friendship CRC — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, what does that mean for our interaction in the world? How do we deal with the chaos of the world and still keep our heads on our shoulders? And what on earth can we do during a Christmas season with no snow?

The Good Shepherd

Friendship CRC — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

We are a part of a global flock following our Good Shepherd. How do we make sure we keep ourselves safe from division and discord?

The Light at the End of the Mid-life Crisis

Friendship CRC — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Christ says He is the light, and helps illuminate the paths we are supposed to take. Sometimes it can be tricky to see what it is we are actually supposed to do, though. As we start our Advent season, Dan and Austin look at the importance of waiting and trusting God, even when we have no idea what we are supposed to be doing with our lives.

Going to the Spiritual Gym

Friendship CRC — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Self-control in our spiritual lives is very similar to that necessary when starting a workout routine. How do we start good spiritual disciplines in a way that helps us sustain it long-term?

When to Whip

Friendship CRC — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Gentleness is a super important filter for all our actions, but it's not one we like to use. Our culture tells us that gentleness is weakness, but Jesus talks often about the subversive power of gentle words and actions. Has gentleness ever solved systemic injustices? Is there ever a time to use a "whip" (metaphorically or literally) in defense of the faith or in an effort to bring Christ's kingdom?

Reliability

Friendship CRC — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 19:42:55 +0000

Reliability (or Faithfulness, depending on what term you want to use) is easily lost and difficult to gain. How can we recover lost reliability?

Healthy Christian Voting

Friendship CRC — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 18:52:14 +0000

In what feels like an especially charged election season, it can be very easy to get caught up in our politics and forget that we are Christ-followers first and foremost. So, in this special episode, Dan and Austin talk about the mindset to bring into our research on candidates, Christlike responses to our candidates of choice winning and loosing the elections, where we can find hope when politics let us down, and how we should treat people who vote differently than we do.

Brief apology: There were some errors during production that resulted in some inconsistent audio speeds. Though we did our best to rectify, there's only so much we can do short of re-recording the whole episode. Hopefully it is a minor distraction at worst.

When Apologizing Hurts

Friendship CRC — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Sometimes we get so caught up in our defense of the faith that we can do more harm than good. How do we know when to engage our apologetic mind? And how can we tell if our generosity is really self serving?

Make EVERY Effort

Friendship CRC — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

When we are told to make every effort to live at peace, it means CONSTANTLY be making every effort. ANd not just with people we like, but with people we dislike and disagree with. What can we do to make sure we are relying on the Peace of God more than the peace this world offers?

Yellow Flowers

Friendship CRC — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 19:14:00 +0000

Joy is so much more than mere happiness, it's a whole lifestyle and attitude. What can we do if we are struggling to find joy? How do we recover if we've lost all our hope?

Love, Freedom and Reconciliation

Friendship CRC — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 19:38:39 +0000

Pastor Eric Everhart sat down with Austin and Dan for his first ever Deeper podcast, where we asked him about freedom, uncomfortable love and botany (briefly).

Double Feature - Camels, Needles, and the Highway to the Danger Zone

Friendship CRC — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000

On this special "double feature" episode, Austin and Dan talk about the last two weeks' sermons! They discuss dangers to salvation and the challenge of underestimating our spiritual resumes, and then turn to our "Danger Zones" and ways we can identify dangeorus situations before we find ourselves caught up in them.

The Four Seasons of the Ark

Friendship CRC — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

When we go through big challenges, we often find ourselves in similar seasons as Noah did - seasons of darkness, hope, planning for the future and an arrived destination. Though we aren't at our final destination as believers, we are given tools to navigate these seasons better. What are they and how can we use them well?

Genres

Friendship CRC — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

If you watch a movie like "Fight Club" for the first time and expect it to be a comedy, you'll be very confused and come away with probably a different message than the writer intended. Similarly, if we read scripture without knowledge of the genre it is, we may misinterpret or misunderstand what God tried to teach us. How do we learn about biblical genres and ancient historical contexts? And, more importantly, should Dan and Austin try and race their normal cars the speed that professional drag racers can achieve?

The Faith of Sampson's Parents

Friendship CRC — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

There are few examples of people actively running from God's plan as clearly as Sampson. Yet, God still used him- and his parents- as examples of faithfulness and support. What can we learn from the parents of a child who avoided his calling like the plague?

"Snakes... Why'd it have to be snakes?!"

Friendship CRC — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Snakes are commonly used symbols in the Old Testament, but often in conflicting ways. They can be Good - like Aaron's staff or the Bronze Serpent from Numbers 21 - or Bad, like the Serpent in the Garden from Genesis. What do we do with these conflicting symbols?

The "In" Group

Friendship CRC — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000

We spend so much time trying to determine who is "in" when it comes to faith matters that we often end up driving people away. Today, Dan and Austin talk about our tendency to divide instead of unifying and ask questions about what it means to care well for people who might not be fully on board with "All that Jesus stuff".

In the Weeds of Prayer

Friendship CRC — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Armed with a slew of gardening and gym metaphors, Dan and Austin explore more about prayer. How can we actually, genuinely pray for our enemies without our natural ulterior motives? They take a stab at that while also addressing habits, challenges and practical steps for improving our prayer lives.

The Crown

Friendship CRC — Wed, 29 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Crowns display a person's importance, role in cociety, job, and family lineage. Though we might not have actual crowns, we all have roles in society and in our families that are worth celebrating. How do we balance those crowns with our "crown" of salvation? What takes precedence?

Shields and T-Shirts

Friendship CRC — Wed, 22 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000

For quite a while, it was very "in" fashion to wear punny t-shirts identifying us as believers. Is that a good practice, or do we run the risk of being performative? Dan and Austin ask that question as well as others about encouraging others with our faith, ways we can get more battle-ready when the enemy finds a crack in our faith, and how to tell if we are using our faith as a bartering tool with God.

American Gods and a Shalom Mindset

Friendship CRC — Wed, 15 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000

After debuting a new, "fun" segment of the podcast, Austin and Dan dive again into the concept of Shalom peace- a mindset and goal as opposed to our common understanding. They then discuss the prevalance of modern day idols and ways we can be more intentional with our self-reflections.

Righteousness

Friendship CRC — Wed, 08 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Righteousness is a big topic... what does it mean to live righteously? What roles do gratitude and justice have in our desires to live in a righteous manner? And is Deeper officially a sponsored podcast (spoilers: we are not, despite it maybe looking like it)

Truth

Friendship CRC — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Christians believe that the Bible is our main source of truth... so what do we do when people disagree on interpretations? Dan and Austin discuss the challenge of living by a standard the world doesn't need to hold itself to, as well as the issues around interpersonal disagreements about truth.

The Full Armor

Friendship CRC — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

After a few weeks spring break, Deeper is back and more ready than ever! Austin and Dan today delve into what it means to wear the full armor of God, as compared to the partial armor of God. We also talk about the lack of spirituality in the American Church, and prepare for the upcoming sermon series.

Corporate Lament

Friendship CRC — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 19:21:10 +0000

What does it mean to grieve as a church? What about as a country? We are very familiar with grief, how do we give space for other people to grieve something that we just genuinely don't feel as strongly about? Important questions to be asked, and Austin and Dan attempt to give some answers.

Reformation

Friendship CRC — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 19:58:05 +0000

When is reformation ok? How do we reform well? And is it important to read "apocryphal" texts? Dan and Austin address these questions and more on this episode of Deeper!

Fight or Flight

Friendship CRC — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 21:57:47 +0000

It's natural to want to fight or flee when we are faced with challenges. Neither response is christlike, though. What can we do when we fear that people are working against God's plan?

We don't fight OR flee.

We Trust.

Deeper with Tim

Friendship CRC — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Pastor Tim is finishing up his time as one of the pastors here at Friendship. This week, Austin asked him about the upcoming transition, expected highs and lows of the new experience, and ways that we can continue to support Tim and his family through this new season.

Also, we noticed during editing that Austin's mic sounds very harsh and fuzzy. That should be addressed by next week, but until then we appreciate your patience!

The Vulnerability of Questions

Friendship CRC — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Shame is a pervasive element of our lives as humans. How do we balance our desire to be better with the identity-crushing weight of shame? Is there an amount of shame that is healthy? And how on earth do we practice submission and vulnerability in real life?

The Welcoming Committee

Friendship CRC — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:55:28 +0000

When you're on a committee, it tends to be the case that everyone has a different idea for what needs to be done and how to do it. We as believers are on the welcoming committee for Jesus' return... so what does that actually mean we need to do? How can we prepare ourselves and the world for His return? Dan, Tim and Austin ask all these questions and more on this episode of Deeper.

Accepting Help

Friendship CRC — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 17:00:00 +0000

What does it mean to sing through anxiety? Can we focus on being gentle if gentleness doesn't "win" people for Jesus as fast as we would like? And how can we get better at accepting help when we need it?

"By Faith Austin, Tim and Dan recorded a podcast episode"

Friendship CRC — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000

The Hall of Faith is a well known concept in the Christian faith. What would it look like if your name appeared in this list? What would you want it to say? Austin, Dan and Tim wrestle with faith and its place in our changing world.

Experiencing the Presence of God

Friendship CRC — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Today, Dan and Austin delve into the presence of God. What are some ways we can experience the presence that we don't normally think about? Do we need to reframe what it means to be a church community in order to help other people experience this presence? And how do we know what's worth "surrendering" when it comes to how we worship comunally? All this on more on this episode of the Deeper podcast!

Anxiety

Friendship CRC — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Anxiety is everywhere - so what do we do about it? Austin and Dan talk about the many people in the bible with anxiety, how we can recognize if our lives are anxiety-driven rather than anxiety-informed, and how we can interact with "threats" to our historic way of doing things.

Listen to the Amplify episode with Michele Phoenix here: https://bit.ly/48HCCOy

Stolen Divinity

Friendship CRC — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:00:00 +0000

When we try and steal the divinity of Jesus and live as though we have His authority, we get into trouble very quickly. Is that what's happening with people who claim that living according to the sermon on the mount is "ineffective"? Dan and Austin look at the Humanity of Jesus, our appropriation of His divinity and our false assumptions about people who come from Columbus.

Ancestry and Lineage

Friendship CRC — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 18:56:02 +0000

To many of us, our ancestry is a fascinating bit of history. We often search to see when and where we immigrated, what notable feats and what notable names show up in our history. Sometimes, though, we uncover troubling facts, things that do not reflect well on our family name. How do we study our spiritual ancestry? What do we do when we uncover troubling faith-family history?

Apocalyptic Literature

Friendship CRC — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

When we talk about the apocalypse we often think of the literal end of days. However, the biblical genre of apocalyptic literature is very different, offering encouragement to oppressed and marganilized believers more than offering a game plan for the end times. What is apocalyptic literature, why (and when) is it useful, and does context matter? Spoiler alert: it super does.

Pastors, Covenants and UnChristlike Christians

Friendship CRC — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Much like Pastor Tim's old pickup truck, the old covenant needed to be remade into something that actually worked. Austin, Dan and Tim talk about what we can scavenge from the old covenant, the role of ordained pastors under the new covenant and what to do about christians who don't live up to their name.

Idols

Friendship CRC — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 19:32:25 +0000

When we hear the word Idol, we often think either of ancient statues or celebrity singers. What role did idols play in the daily life of people in the Ancient Near East? Austin and Dan talk about the importance of recognizing our intangible idols today, how we can guard against them, and how to balance things that are "good" with our God that is Great.

A Divided Kingdom

Friendship CRC — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

What can we do when we are in the middle of chaos and cannot see yet how God is providing for us? This question keeps being more and more significant as tragedies seem to abound. Dan and Austin talk about the importance of praying for wisdom and for the impossible, discuss the frequency of immediate callings, and the continued significance of women in scripture as examples to follow. Also, Austin and Dan take a moment away from the traditional content to wrestle with the conflict in Palestine and Israel, and what our response as normal people and as Christ followers should be.

Passing on the Torch

Friendship CRC — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:00:00 +0000

There are many, many examples of leaders in scripture "passing on the torch" to someone better equipped to finish their ministry. Today we look at David and Solomon, and the ways that David's warlike personality disqualified him from temple building. We examine the ways that we might need to re-evaluate how we look at people in need around us; and glance again at prophecies we misappropriate.

The Lastborn Advantage

Friendship CRC — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000

In so many cultures, people have given arbatrary value to people based on their gender, family, race or age. That's super clear to see in the Hebrew inheritance system and culture. Firstborn men were given all the inheritance, social benefit, and status- so why does God so often pick leaders who were NOT firstborn? How can we learn from the people God puts in front of us as leaders? And how can we tell if a leader is actually "annointed" or if we are simply following someone because we like what they look like or say?

Deeper into Dagon

Friendship CRC — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000

On the 26th episode of Deeper we dive deeper into the local gods of the Ancient Near East. What is the significance of the god Dagon, and what is the connection he has to Sampson's punishments? How does Sampson's story give us hope for deconstructed friends and family? And will Austin ever correctly remember what episode we are on? (Spoiler: he will not)

Enfolding vs. the Purity Death Spiral

Friendship CRC — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000

After a week away due to illness, Dan and Austin are back in the studio to talk about Rahab. There's so much to learn from her boldness, her faith and her humility. How can we, with our priviliged lives, emulate her faith? Austin asks about the Purity Death Spiral and how it effects the practice of enfolding. Can we be too stringent on less meaningful things to a point that excludes people from finding God? Find out here on today's episode of Deeper.

A Comfortable God

Friendship CRC — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Everyone we know has a tendency to make God comfortable, to change His personality to something that fits how they want him to look. That probably means we are guilty of the same thing! Today, Austin and Dan continue to revisit the ways we make God in our own image; and learn how to healthily confront people who may have done the same.

Learning from the Least Of These

Friendship CRC — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000

We often find ourselves in a cultural soup, where it can be tricky to discern what is cultural and what is scriptural. Tim, Dan and Austin talk about ways to discern what is biblical and what is cultural, and the different ways we can "see outside of our own soup". They also talk about the promises of the old testament and how to tell if we are interpreting through our own lenses rather than that of the time.

Main Character Syndrome

Friendship CRC — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

It seems like we all have a habit of thinking we are the main characters in the world, and sometimes even in scripture. But we aren't the main characters in the world's story, God is. How can we cure ourselves from our main character syndrome?

Community Engagement and Prosperity Gospel

Friendship CRC — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, Dan and Austin delve into community engagement. What is our role as believers when we lack the power to fix big issues in society? Also, Austin has some strong opinions on Prosperity Gospel and Dan talks about how to "recover" from teaching or living bad theology.

Justice and Equality

Friendship CRC — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000

There's a lot of discussion about equality and justice in the world today, but often we only care about it when it effects us personally. In today's episode, Dan and Austin look into ways to expand our framework of justice to include more people and perspectives while remaining faithful to scripture.

Cults of Personality

Friendship CRC — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 18:15:00 +0000

With the rise of social media and the easy access to a wide variety of leaders, it's become ever easier to fall into a cult of personality. How do we recognize if our leaders have taken the place that Jesus should have in our life? What does it mean to be humble, and how is it different from being humiliated? Hear some discussion on these questions and more in this week's episode of Deeper!

Listen to last week's sermon here: https://episodes.castos.com/61f01524104198-81913680/1540270/Fathers-and-teachers.mp3

Mr. Christian, Tear Down This Wall!

Friendship CRC — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000

As believers, our calling is to tear down walls- not build them. Dan and Austin spend time today looking at what it means to have internal "walls" that allow us to categorize people as "us" or "them". We examine our personal walls, our strategies for seeing the image of God in people we are different from, and our need to just listen to people we differ with.

Pride, Anger and the Humility to Listen

Friendship CRC — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000

What traits do a successful businessman and an exiled king share? In today's episode, we look at David's pride and Nabol's greed; and the ways we might accidentally emulate them in our modern context. We examine social media fights, our responsibilities as a wealthy society and the humbling challenge of learning from our enemies. Also, we spend some time admiring Abigail's strength, wisdom and diplomacy, and see what we can learn from her boldness.

The sermon we are discussing can be found here: https://bit.ly/3QbnZgg

Tunnel Vision

Friendship CRC — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000

It's so easy to get caught up in tunnel vision in our faith walk, but also in "real life". How can we recognize tunnel vision in ourselves? When is it ok to hyperfocus on something? And are we ever excused from helping people in need simply because they have already been helped? Join Austin, Pastor Dan and Pastor Tim in our 16th episode of Deeper!

Link to previous sermon: https://bit.ly/3OhGRsL

Breakfast on the Beach

Friendship CRC — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:57:00 +0000

It's officially summer, and to celebrate it well Austin, Dan and Tim talk about the way food really brings people together. We discuss the importance of listening and asking questions, how to handle challenges in our career and how much we appreciate getting to see apostles get flustered.

Triumphalism, Chaos and Vulnerability

Friendship CRC — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000

On this episode of Deeper, Dan, Tim and Austin look into the nature of days of chaos. How can we find joy when everything is falling apart? What are the "anchor" moments that we find security in? And has our triumphalism caused us to neglect vulnerability in church contexts?

Repentance and Reconciliation

Friendship CRC — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000

What does it mean to repent on behalf of other people? Is that even possible? And how should we teach repentance? Dan and Austin dive in to the complicated issue of corporate repentance and reconcilation.

Leadership - Who has it and what to do when we abuse it?

Friendship CRC — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 18:38:36 +0000

In this episode, Austin and Dan break into spiritual leadership. How do we know if we have that gift? How do we discern who to follow? And what do we do when we make mistakes as leaders?