The 180 Church Podcast with Dr. Sammy and Friends

Our world undergoes perpetual and inevitable change — there is no clearer example of that than the new norm established by the global pandemic. But why the church exists and does what it does remains the same in spite of all the external change brought on by the pandemic, and everyone — whether a pastor or a mere member of the community — still has an equal responsibility to spread the good news t...

In today’s episode, Pastor Lydia and Joe navigate how we can examine the state of our faith: whether it is bristling with vibrancy and expectation of the power of God, or stale and indifferent towards it. It is important for the community of believers to take a temperature check and examine the state of staleness In our faiths because God is always at work in our lives, and in the state of our unb...

In today’s podcast, Pastor Lydia and Joe talk about how they were encouraged by this week’s message to continue fighting for the sake of the gospel. The foundation of the Christian faith is predicated on the prolific event of Jesus’ life and resurrection - a watershed moment that ultimately changed the fabric of reality and made its mark on history. It is by this truth and for this reason that bel...

Because evil exists, we will inevitably face adversity in striving for our goals and in our fight for God's values. The story of the apostles in Acts 5 teaches us that though they faced imprisonment and persecution, their community was the bedrock from which they drew the strength to persevere against adversity. Precisely because the apostles were able to bounce back from hardship to fight for God...

Today’s episode features a conversation between Pastor Lydia and Joe focused on the purpose of the fellowship of believers. The reason why the fellowship exists is because evil exists, but in contrast to the early church in the Book of Acts, the urgency regarding the conflict of good and evil is not reflected as strongly in this day and age, though it is the universal reality. Oftentimes, pettines...

In today’s podcast, Pastor Lydia and Joe discuss the grave reality and implications of flirting with sin. The temptations we encounter through our lives are tantalizing and often appear innocuous and harmless in the moment, but in downplaying the severity of sin, we risk the danger of eroding our souls and a life of purpose and flourishing with Christ. It is a dangerous game we play, and often our...

In the juxtaposition of a weekend that marks our country’s independence and a charged socio-political climate we currently reside in, we are reminded of the higher credence of intrinsic value amongst all people. In representing the gospel and upholding the truths we find as self-evident, it is relatively easy to say what we believe and value, but it is another matter to stand for these truths in t...

In today’s episode, Pastor Lydia and Joe discuss the prophetic calling God has set in motion for each and every one of us. It seems obvious that the systems of power set in our societies have ultimately fallen short, and for many of us, it can appear daunting to rise to the call to affect any kind of change, hope, or healing in the name of Jesus.  However, the truth is that God uses the weak to sh...

Today’s podcast features a conversation with Pastor Lydia and Joe Lyu about why from 2 millennia ago to today, Jesus is the hope and the answer for this world. In a trying time of racial strife and injustice amid an unprecedented pandemic, how can we address a means for true change and healing in our upturned societies and broken systems? It is in the name of Christ, the one who came to make all t...

With light being shed on the state of systemic racism in our society, how can we as believers wrestle with our role and responsibility to be a community that makes a difference? In moving from complicity in silence to courage in the face of injustice, we all are capable of doing something — no matter how small — by attending and attuning ourselves to our spheres of influence in the name of Christ....

As we are witnessing the ripples of social and racial unrest, how is the community of God called to bring healing and the ministry of reconciliation in such a fractured and divisive state? In today’s podcast, Joe and Pastor Lydia talk about how this hope is rooted in Jesus. By modeling Christ-like humility, and thoroughly examining our sins and self-interest, each of us are positioned to heed the...

In today’s Podcast, Joe and Pastor a Lydia discuss the ways in which we can observe and experience the fruits of the spirit by examining the changes that take place within us and around us. Many times we may witness spiritual work around us but how can we distinguish and discern whether it’s of a contrarian spirit or the Holy Spirit? What we do know, is that if we trace the branches to the vine, C...

For followers of Christ, what differentiates the filling of the Holy Spirit from other experiences is not the good feeling we get, but rather the result of God affecting life change through our actions and conversations with others. Though we may resist the Spirit during the process, it convicts us of our need for God and His grace. Thus, when the spiritual exercise of our filling, our repentance,...

In today’s podcast, Joe and Pastor Lydia discuss the nature of spiritual gifts and how they are given to us for very practical purposes. Oftentimes, gifts from the Holy Spirit can prove to be mystical anomalies, but their true purpose seeks to make a compelling case for Christ through us all. From us and to the world, by being filled by the Holy Spirit daily, we can be empowered to deliver plausib...

In today’s podcast, Joe and Pastor Lydia talk about the importance of identifying the competing subplots in our lives so that believers could live a life empowered by the Spirit. Evidently, laying down our subplots to make room for the next phase of mission is a critical step in our discipleship journey that brings us to reflect, triple check our motivations and adhere to the teachings of the grea...

For many of us, we might find ourselves in a place where we are beginning to want to have candid conversations about Christ with our circle of friends and areas of influence, but perhaps we are left with the question, “where do I begin?” In today’s episode, Joe and Pastor Lydia delve into that very question of how, who,  and where we can get started with introducing Christ right from our room to a...

In today's episode, Joe and Pastor Lydia have a conversation about the importance of evangelism in the Christian life during our first virtual broadcast! As Christians, the great commission issued by Christ on his departure was left in the hands of his disciples, and has been evidently passed down to us over generations of believers. However, many of us trying to live out our faiths may find certa...

Memories of loved ones, things we enjoy, and nostalgic times serve as an important tool to remind us of things to look forward to once again. We place our hope in better times because we yearn for moments that remind us of home, those moments filled with immense love. But when we revisit those sacred places founded on Jesus's place in our lives, we not only remember, but rediscover the power of th...

Easter marks a day of celebration despite these strange and unprecedented times. Hope can seem absent in the face of uncertainties, doubts, and fears in a world that feels like it is closing in on us. But on Easter, the climax of the gospel narrative, God closes the human story and unfolds a divine one: one of grace, a true hero, promises delivered, and death conquered. The resurrection of Christ...

Fear tends to lead us on a trajectory that we are often not proud of, or even end up regretting. The feeling of fear overtakes any rationale or reason, accuses and blames for self-preservation's sake, and highlights some of our worst moments. But we aren't bound to a life of giving into fear; we are more than the worst parts of ourselves. Through love, we have the potential to combat our fear and...

Fear is not one-size-fits-all, as Dr. Sammy says in this week's remote service. It’s been three weeks since we’ve transitioned into a socially distanced life, and many of us may be experiencing fear in a variety of different forms, whether technical or adaptive. But, how do we move from fear to faith during this unprecedented time? In this week's podcast, Pastor Lydia and Joe converse about how we...

COVID-19, for many of us, has become a major source of fear and panic that seemed to occur almost overnight. In this weeks podcast, Joe and Pastor Lydia discuss how difficult times, such as this pandemic, emphasize our need for a savior, the real hero in our stories, and the supply of our strength and hope when we feel our resolve running low. It’s when all measures fail, and we fall short that lo...

When something like the coronavirus pandemic threatens our sense of control and autonomy, it can reveal our true character. We are capable of being generous in plenty, but what happens when we're vulnerable during a time of fear? The lesson of the third temptation was that in spite of how bad his circumstances were, Jesus trusted in God and stayed true to his values. The temptation of hostile self...

In todays podcast, we are continuing our discussions on the season of Lent by observing the second temptation that Jesus overcame during his 40 day fast: spiritual entitlement. It’s not always easy to come to terms with the fact that we may feel entitled to certain rewards and favorable reciprocation from God for our good deeds and behaviors, but its certainly the case that many of us carry these...

In this weeks episode of the podcast, Joe and Pastor Lydia talk about how materialism, in very subtle ways, takes hold of our hearts and how Lent, fasting and prayer, makes us available to Gods presence and dreams. Materialism tends to be coupled with luxury, extravagance and lavishness, but materialism can also look like the things we take comfort in knowing it helps us get through our days, and...