Artisan Church Podcast

We draw from the well of history, hearing the stories of three saints of the church, each of whom offers us an example of God working through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary work. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ All the Saints ”

The words saved and salvation are used so often in the vocabulary of Christianity that they may have lost some meaning for us. What are we saved from ? And perhaps more importantly, what are we saved for ? Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Reclaiming Christianity: Out with the new, in with the old ”

The act of confessing one’s sins has a long history within the Church. And the requirement to confess has also been part of many acts of spiritual manipulation and abuse. Let’s look for a way to reclaim this ancient discipline without all the painful baggage it carries with it in the modern era. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Reclaiming Christianity: Out with the new, in with th...

It’s been a heavy couple of weeks to start out this series! Let’s pause and debrief with a question and response session. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Reclaiming Christianity: Out with the new, in with the old ”

The Bible is often treated like a rule book, an instruction manual, or the answer sheet for a spiritual test. But it was never intended to be read in these ways. Reclaiming the Bible means finding inspiration and deep meaning in our sacred text without resorting to easy literalism or simplistic interpretations. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Reclaiming Christianity: Out with the...

At the very center of the Christian story is the cross: a beautiful symbol of the surrender of power, of sacrifice, and of love. Yet the cross has come to symbolize a violent, angry, abusive god who looks nothing like the God who Jesus revealed in his teaching, death, and resurrection. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Reclaiming Christianity: Out with the new, in with the old ”

The problem with all this change is that it’s hard or even impossible to cope with while we still operate under our old way of thinking. In order to move forward boldly with God in this new reality, we may need to change our entire concept of what is true. The good news is that we would be far from the first people of God to have this experience. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ T...

Maybe a new day or even a new season aren’t enough of a change. In this “new normal”, it may be that what is required is something more drastic: a reordering of our entire lives. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ The New Normal*: *is neither new nor normal ”

With each passing season, we are given an opportunity to think about what we have experienced, what is coming next, and how we can live intentionally in each moment. Our current moment calls for this kind of reflection and intention. People of God, what will our next season be about? Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ The New Normal*: *is neither new nor normal ”

In the scriptures, the dawning of a new day is something to wait for, to hope for. It is a moment when things have changed, when the long night has ended. What new day awaits us? We wait in joyful expectation. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ The New Normal*: *is neither new nor normal ”

We are always in the presence of God, and we can cultivate an awareness of that presence through simple practices and the ordinary moments of life. Speaker: Matt Nightingale Part of the series “ Embrace the Ordinary: A summer series through Ordinary Time ”

From the most famous of all the Psalms to Jesus having compassion on a crowd, the scriptures are full of shepherding language. But it’s not always idyllic and peaceful. We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus reveals a God who is closest to us in our time of deepest need. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Embrace the Ordinary: A summer series through Ordinary Time ”

The opening paragraph of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is rich with poetic language about the blessings of God. Adoption, redemption, forgiveness, inheritance, riches, and more! Each reader will resonate more deeply with certain parts than others—and this is part of the beauty of Christian community! Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Embrace the Ordinary: A summer series through O...

In the midst of grief and pain, it is natural to ask the big question: WHY? And as people of faith, we want to know where God fits in all of it. The book of Lamentations offers us no tidy answers for our pain, but it does point us toward Love. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Embrace the Ordinary: A summer series through Ordinary Time ”

The story of Jesus calming the storm while on a boat with his disciples is famous for his declaration to the wind and the waves: “Peace! Be Still!”. Yet there are four questions in this short passage, and these also hold much meaning for us. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Embrace the Ordinary: A summer series through Ordinary Time ”

The readings this week contain spiritual teachings using agricultural metaphors. Any gardener can affirm Paul’s claim that “we walk by faith, not by sight”—and Jesus’s hopeful reminder that “the earth produces of itself”. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Embrace the Ordinary: A summer series through Ordinary Time ”

The readings this week contain a prophet’s warning against earthly kings and Jesus’ apparent rejection of his earthly family. Are these the natural result of Paul’s observation that “what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal”, or is there something else going on? Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Embrace the Ordinary: A summer series through Ordinary Time ”

We are privileged to hear a story from Ville Anttila, our friend in Finland who was drawn to our community because of our desire to open our doors to all people. Speaker: Ville Anttila Part of the series “ Open Doors: God’s ever-widening welcome ”

After all we’ve read from the book of Acts in the past six weeks, it is fitting to return to how the story began: with the Spirit descending on the apostles. This dramatic moment was the fulfillment of Jesus’s promise, and the promises of God given through the prophets long before. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Open Doors: God’s ever-widening welcome ”

Following the movement of God into unknown territory can be an isolating experience when the people you know and trust are not willing to come with you. Yet God calls us to move on with boldness, to speak the truth of love—and promises that we will never be alone. Lord, help us find your people! Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Open Doors: God’s ever-widening welcome ”

In a strange new city, the Apostle Paul preached both in the synagogue and in the marketplace, helping to connect the people's wide-ranging religious openness to God's open doors in Jesus. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Open Doors: God’s ever-widening welcome ”

When it became clear that this movement of Spirit was not an isolated incident, the Church convened a formal council to determine how to proceed. In the end, they decided they should not make it difficult for those who were turning to God. We welcome guest preacher Judy Howard Peterson for an inspiring sermon! Speaker: Judy Howard Peterson Part of the series “ Open Doors: God’s ever-widening welco...

Earlier in Acts, Philip had a Spirit-led encounter with a person who must have seemed an entirely unlikely potential convert: a foreigner of different ethnicity and ambiguous gender. And yet the Spirit moved, and Philip could not stand in the way! Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Open Doors: God’s ever-widening welcome ”

When Peter gave his report of God's welcome of the Gentiles, the religious leaders first were silent, and then they rejoiced. Any other response to God's open doors is a hindrance to the gospel. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Open Doors: God’s ever-widening welcome ”

Through a bizarre dream and an encounter with a Gentile named Cornelius, the Apostle Peter learned that he was not permitted to overrule God's decisions about who was welcome, and on what terms. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Open Doors: God’s ever-widening welcome ”