Church for Normies

Jesus the Christ made the world this promise: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." How does that meaningful life happen. It happens at multiple levels and has various attachment point, but in the end it is quite simple: He wants to restore what our ancestors abdicated, what we rebelled against, and what the devil lies a...

Singers get famous for it. Movies are made about it. Books become best sellers about it. They say that it makes the world go 'round. But you can't see it, taste it, touch it, or quantify it ... but you know it's there! We're talking about LOVE!  But what the world says is love is very different from what God says about it - and only He knows it's true definition, power, and character. In fact...

Building on the message in a series called "Grow Up", Rick and Sean discuss Rick's third message on HOPE. Hope is far more important and far different from wishful thinking - it is the reality of God's promises that he makes in our lives. How do you know you've matured in hope?  Listen to Rick's important message, and then come back and gain a bit more perspective on HOPE! 🔔 - Listen to the...

WELCOME TO SEASON 4! It's been our pleasure to bring to you the Living Your Dash Podcast and we appreciate you taking the time to check out what we're laying down! It's our intention to add value to your life by helping you connect the dots of discipleship so that you can more clearly find and completely fulfill God's purpose for your life! As we start Season 4, we're talking about Rick's lastest...

It has been said that you know you're an adult when you get excited about a new cleaning sponge at the kitchen sink. (I know! It's awesome, right?!) 🤩 🥳 But truthfully, we sometimes think of the disciple's life as a free-for-all - that it doesn't matter about measing growth as long as your growing. But Jesus had different ideas:"A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been f...

God says in 2 Cor 3:17 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." For the disciple of Jesus, we know it is not the freedom to do what we want, but liberation to pursue God winsomely and unencumbered by the nagging voices of "you should" or "you have to" in order to please God! That's the beauty of a RELATIONSHIP and SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION. In this podcas...

You've heard about the Ten Commandments ... maybe the Four Spiritual Laws ... but how about the Galatian Laws?  No? Never heard about them?  Well, you probably have, but on thing is for certain: you need to be crystal clear on how they apply to your life. And it's not hard ... but it is important! Check out Sean and Barry Anderson's discussion in this week's podcast as well as hear Rick...

As Americans, we love liberty - we sing about it, have gargantuan statues memorialized for it, and even name space craft after it. Our common thought is that liberty is the right to do what we want. But that's not true. Philosopher Dallas Willard clarified that "to do what you want can be the greatest prison you can be in. It all depends on what you want. And the way out, of course, is to realize...

In New York, a Mr. H. Smithers purchased a car on payments and paid faithfully for it ... even after he had paid it in full! In fact, he would not have even know he had finished paying were it not for the fact that he was transferring the title over to his daughter.  The bank ended up owing him more than the car was worth due to intrest! "What a stupid bank!" we might cluck our tongues and sa...

It's been said that "good" moms let you lick the beaters; Great moms turn off the mixer first. Can't argue with that.  Know what else you can't argue with? The importance of having the right "spiritual mother." Oh, it's not what you think ... or maybe it is?  One thing you need to do is listen to Rick's amazing message, then come back to the discussion in this week's Living Your Dash Pod...

That humorous but indecorous rascal Woody Allen once quipped: "Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television." If he only knew how bad it could get in the coming years!  BUT the one thing we humans are really good at, it's making a mess out of something!  The Apostle Paul had to have a few hard words for his Galatian brothers, and pastor Kevin Price talked about on Sunday. But tod...

The Gospel - literally meaning: good news - promises that God loves us and has provided the means for us to be forgiven, purchased, and even adopted as sons and daughters because of the vicarious death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. This makes us light and joyful and happy! But there is a stern, sober side: not only is there the constant insistence of the sinful nature to draw us back...

Some have accused the Church of using the Bible as a means of promoting prejudice. They point to exclusion, patriarchy, and even oppression. While it's true that any tool intended for good can be used for evil purposes, are they right?  This is where even a simple, brief overview of the Bible makes it clear that God love justice, hates oppression, and that Christ came to uplift and give voice...

Simon, son of Jonas (not to be confused with the other Jonas brothers), aka: The Apostle Peter, was recorded in Acts as being instrumental in leading the Church of Jesus into an important relationship that God wanted with the world: that they were highly prized and desired by him.  In his letter, he made it clear the kind of attitude the Body of Christ should reserve: "You ought to live holy...

Nineteenth century English pastor Charles Spurgeon observed keenly: "Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in. He attaches far more importance to godly intercourse than we do. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation." Christian unity is not a nice thing to have - it i...

"KEEP OFF!" That's usually a sign we see on golf courses, missile ranges, and private hunting ranges. At first blush, it might feel like someone is paranoid, miserly, or doesn't trust anyone. But think on this: if you were going to surgery, would you care if the surgeon wore sterile gowns, gloves and washed his hands and arms? How about a restaurant: would you want the waiter to test the food for...

The word Gospel means "Good News". It wasn't originally a particular religious word back in the day, but after the coming of Jesus and what he did for mankind, there is no other connotation. In fact, some people will align a statement as truly truthful by adding, "That's the 'gospel' truth!" But has western culture, particuarly American culture, shaded what the Gospel is, why it is so costly, why...

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’S holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your...

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? —Romans 10:14 The witness of a disciple is the most important offering we make in this world. Is that controversial? Maybe. But why else are disciples on earth except to bring glory to God and be the objective proof of his love a...

We all know we should be people of integrity: people who live by values and wouldn't dream of being inflexible with them. But as the famous philosopher Woody Allen once said, "Life doesn't imitate art; it imitates bad television." And have you seen reality TV? 🤢 But the Kingdom of God is made up of people who desire integrity more than anything. One could say, it is the essense of discipleship: b...

If someone were to tell you that the Bible guarantees your success as a family, would you believe them? No? Maybe? It depends?  Believe it or not, there are assurances that, yes, you can expect great things from God when you align your plans with His plans, your ways with His ways. "You've got to be kidding me!"  Not at all! Grab your Bible, read Psalm 127, then listen to Pastor Alan Ged...

“Some jobs pay better," said Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe, "and some jobs smell better, and some jobs have no business being treated like careers. But work is never the enemy, regardless of the wage. Because somewhere between the job and the paycheck, there's still a thing called opportunity, and that's what people need to pursue.” Work is made up of four letters, but it's not a "four letter word" - it w...

"Attitude," wrote business consultant Zig Ziglar, "not aptitude, is what determines your altitude." What does it mean to have a winning or transformative attitude?  The Apostle Paul knew because the Holy Spirit gave him instructions to teach the Church how to have a truly undeafetable and powerfully positive attitude. It's not for the "elite" or "super-spiritual" - it's readily accessible for...

The name "singularity" is given by physicists describe a place in the universe where our laws of physics simply break down. Black holes , in particular, are given this description because it is theorized that its enormous mass is squeezed down into a point so infinately small that its gravity far exceeds anything imaginable. Anything - mass, even light and time - are swallowed up. Impossible? No -...

When America was barely 50 years old, Danish theologian and philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard lamented: "Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it." I think we'd all agree that with all the progress and pleasures weve created, not much has been learned. It might surprise you to learn that God is very interested in your rest.  In fact, it's such a big deal, he ma...