Artisan Church Podcast

Lament is part of life, and for this Sunday, we turn to two monumental forms of lament, one Hebrew and one American. We will intersperse a moving set of blues music by Violet Mary with readings from the psalms of lament. And we will also hear stories from actual Artisans about the worst day of their lives. A powerful and moving Mixtape tradition! (Note: some content may not be appropriate for youn...

Our series kicks off with Danielle Ponder, one of Rochester’s most electrifying musicians and leader of the international touring band Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. What you might not know is that Ms. Ponder is a public defender by day, and so we are blessed to hear from her insight into the injustices of our legal system AND her deep well of musical soul! Speaker: Danielle Ponder Part...

An in-service example of our soon-to-be-launched midweek devotional gathering, which we are calling Studio. Part of the series “ Deep Waters: Scripture, Prayer, and Service ”

If scripture and prayer do not launch us out into service, we are what the Apostle Paul calls a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal . As we swim into the “Deep Waters” of the spiritual life, we need to use both arms: action and contemplation. Part of the series “ Deep Waters: Scripture, Prayer, and Service ”

We engage God in two main categories of devotional activity: prayer and studying the Bible. If scripture and prayer seem like “spiritual chores”, we will get nowhere, so it is important that we learn new practices and adjust old ones in order to develop a genuine, sustainable love for God. Part of the series “ Deep Waters: Scripture, Prayer, and Service ”

As we think specifically about whom to invite, it will be helpful to remember that we are inviting people to a way of life that is actually quite wonderful, and it will be important to to make our church very welcoming for people who accept the invitation. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Invitation & Welcome: Who is your +1? ”

As we consider inviting our friends into our faith journey we look at the examples of Paul, Silas, and Timothy who shared their faith by living among their Gentile friends. Speaker: Colleen Schneider Part of the series “ Invitation & Welcome: Who is your +1? ”

Guest speaker Pastor Torrance Jones joins us to share an inspiring message! Speaker: Pastor Torrance Jones Part of the series “ Journeying with John: Signs of Faith, Part Eight ”

Jesus emphatically states that anyone who sees him sees the Father, and anyone who believes in him believes in the Father. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Journeying with John: Signs of Faith, Part Eight ”

Jesus taught: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” As we celebrate baptisms, we remember that we are both buried raised with him! Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Journeying with John: Signs of Faith, Part Eight ”

Mary is scolded for an extravagant act of worship and adoration. And yet this act of anointing has an unexpected meaning that shows us the depth of Christ’s sacrificial love. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Journeying with John: Signs of Faith, Part Eight ”

Rabbi Kelly Levy from Temple B’rith Kodesh joins us for a conversation with Pastor Scott about the Jewish way of reading the Bible and how it compares with our Christian approach. Part of the series “ How to Read the Bible: (like a Christian) ”

Rather than press on with the intended topic for this day (reading the Bible like the Apostle Paul), we paused to offer a space for lament and grief following the mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando. Portions of this time are included in the podcast, but we edited out the personal sharing in order to keep our space as safe as possible. Part of the series “ How to Read the Bible: (like a...

Jesus’ teachings were soaked in the Hebrew scriptures, often taking the form of direct quotations that Jesus explained in a new way. If we are to read the Bible as his followers, we must follow his way of reading the Bible. Part of the series “ How to Read the Bible: (like a Christian) ”

We are all seeking love and acceptance because we are made for relationships, but sometimes our past experiences teach us unhealthy ways to pursue that love. Feeling guilt and shame, we hide our true selves, resulting in the opposite of the true connection we are seeking. Speaker: Carrie Starr Part of the series “ Early Summer Special: Two very special weeks ”

An Artisan tradition: the BBQ&A! During the sermon time, Pastor Scott will be answering questions from the congregation about our recent series, the life of the church, and anything else on our minds. An all church cookout will follow worship. Note! Only one service this day (at 10am)! Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Early Summer Special: Two very special weeks ”

The book of Acts tells the story of the early church and its growth under the ministry and direction of the Holy Spirit. In this book, we consistently see Christians being filled, directed, and challenged by the Spirit’s work. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ Pentecost: The rushing wind of the Spirit ”

An Artisan Church tradition: Pentecost readings from the Bible in many languages, plus devotional reflections from several different Artisan members! Part of the series “ Pentecost: The rushing wind of the Spirit ”

If God has always been like Jesus, how do we reconcile the violence he seems to condone (or even require) in the Old Testament? Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ A Christlike God: How God is like Jesus, and why it matters ”

In Jesus, we see that kenosis (self-emptying) is inherent to God’s nature. And if we are imitators of Christ, we will also empty ourselves, so that the whole world will know him through us! Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ A Christlike God: How God is like Jesus, and why it matters ”

In this “cover song” sermon, Pastor Scott uses a simple visual aid of two chairs to explain how our understanding of the gospel has often missed the point that God is like Jesus . Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ A Christlike God: How God is like Jesus, and why it matters ”

We conclude our series with one of the most powerful ideas of all: that the God of the universe calls us to participate with him as co-creators , bringing his beauty to the world around us! Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ A Beautiful Gospel: Glad tidings for Eastertide 2016 ”

In a message rich with visual imagery, we will explore the beauty of the gospel story using five stones from scripture, beginning with the stone rolled away from the tomb of Jesus. Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ A Beautiful Gospel: Glad tidings for Eastertide 2016 ”

When Jesus calls himself the “Good Shepherd”, he is identifying with a widely used scriptural image for God’s care for us. Yet the image becomes deeper and more beautiful when we realize that Jesus also identifies with the sheep— us! Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ A Beautiful Gospel: Glad tidings for Eastertide 2016 ”

The literal meaning of “gospel” is “message”. If a messenger arrived with news about how the world is different because of Jesus, would that news be good or bad? What kind of message do we carry? Speaker: Pastor Scott Austin Part of the series “ A Beautiful Gospel: Glad tidings for Eastertide 2016 ”