The 180 Church Podcast with Dr. Sammy and Friends

Anger is dangerous. When we get angry, we may hurt others and damage relationships, whether it's through bitterness, passive aggressiveness, verbal abuse, or violence. We can't control our anger, but we can respond to it better. This starts from admitting that we are responsible for our anger, and that, as Paul warns us in Ephesians, anger can lead to sin. Then, after recognizing this as a concern...

This Sunday’s remote service continues the series on resilience by renowned Christian author and counselor John Eldredge. In this session, Eldredge defines resilience as the dividing line between those who overcome the challenges of a Christian life and those who do not. He describes the times we live in as dangerous, making it easy to feel discouraged. However, to build resilience, Jesus offers h...

This Sunday’s remote service welcomes renowned Christian author and counselor, John Eldredge. On the topic of resilience, John invites us to look to the parable of the ten bridesmaids so we can learn to develop a practice of tapping into a reserve of strength that comes only from the Father. In the relentless madness of our times, though we rally over and over, there may come a time when we hit a...

Many of us who grew up in the relative peace of 21st-century Western society are often naive and ill-prepared when faced with the realities of war. This is just as true when it comes to spiritual warfare. We become easily discouraged and fall into the trap of asking why, instead of donning the armor of God and fighting against the enemy's treachery with truth and faith. The reality is that there i...

Life is of battles and blessings. Whether you’re in either season, it may feel like no end is in sight. Psalm embraces some of David’s darkest emotions in his battles. Yet, as God was with David in his valley, He is with us. If we feel we’re in a valley this season, God is there, will walk with us, and will not leave us broken. It’s an opportunity to become more whole, in community, and under God’...

In the season of Pentecost, we commemorate the gift of the Holy Spirit descending upon the apostles. It was an event that the prophets, revered representatives of God to the people, had foretold centuries ago. That was, however, not all they had foretold, for there was also an invitation to call on the Lord to be saved. The Lord would be the one who triumphs over death and ascends to heaven, and i...

When we talk about sin, we can be quick to think about the blatant moral failures that are easy to spot. However, certain sins aren’t so behaviorally obvious, and often lie undetected beneath the surface of the lives of “good” people. Hubris, self-righteousness, and smugness can inflict untold damage to the relationships around us. But how can we fight against sin that goes unseen and without acco...

In the Gospel of John, Jesus imparts pivotal instructions on loving one another, emphasizing the necessity of mirroring his own love. Through encounters like that with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus courageously delves into sensitive topics, illustrating a love that surpasses societal barriers. Likewise, in the poignant story of the adulterous woman, Jesus combines truth-telling with forgi...

Most of us will never have monuments or legacies erected after us, and we will easily be forgotten. However, for the few who matter most to us, they will measure our life not by our greatness, but by our faithfulness—to them, to community, and to God. Galatians tells us not to grow weary of doing good, and that much is to be harvested as a result of our faithfulness. The harvest is found in servin...

After Jesus died, the disciples did not recognize that this was not the end. In fact, it was not until Jesus rose and appeared before them that the disciples realized this was just the beginning of an amazing story of redemption. In the same way, we too are part of that story, whether we recognize it or not. We have a supporting role in that story, and through our experiences, through triumph and...

“After Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas reacts with anger, demanding tangible proof of Jesus’ wounds before he believes. Feeling left out and skeptical, Thomas voices his frustration, but Jesus later appears and invites him to touch his wounds, resolving Thomas’ doubts. Through this encounter, Thomas realizes the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and acknowledges him as Lord. This narrative highlights the t...

Easter is the day in the Christian tradition by which the resurrection of Christ, after his crucifixion, marked the single defining event of the faith. Where in contemporary times Easter could appear to be a celebratory pronunciation of faith, this tradition didn’t begin with robust belief, but rather, incessant doubt. In fact, the Easter miracle was met with raised eyebrows and skepticism from th...

Palm Sunday, the day Jesus was celebrated upon arrival in Jerusalem, commences the most significant transition of Jesus' life: his journey to the cross. Unlike Jesus, we are not privy to the details of how our life's transitions will play out, and perhaps that is God's blessing. Throughout his life, Jesus knew of the suffering he would face on the cross, and he still chose to turn to the Father wi...

In our darkest times, how do we resist temptation and hold steadfast to God's will? Jesus offers us the answer. When Satan tempted him with food while he was starving, Jesus did not give in, but rather took courage from scripture. When Satan tempted him with glory on Earth, Jesus did not listen, but hearkened back to the prophets before him, who found greater glory in God. Similarly, when we are d...

Forty days of giving up an area of sinful reliance in Lent can save us our forty years in the desert. In Matthew 4, the Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness to be tested is the same test that the Israelites faced in their 40 years wandering the desert. Hebrews 3 reinforces this idea—Lent is to show the areas of resistance in our lives to God’s leadership. As Christians, we’re meant to live a t...

Throughout scripture, fasting is prevalently mentioned as a response to God’s call. Whether it is revelatory by nature, a call towards repentance, or a season of lament, we are often called to a time of fasting and prayer to declare our human frailty and express our dependence on God. The discipline of fasting is an invitation for the Father to move in our lives, to lay down our default modes and...

Fasting is a spiritual practice of temporarily giving something up to reconnect with God, following Jesus' example of sacrificing earthly pleasures to prioritize God's presence. Though fasting is challenging, the focus is not denying oneself but deepening reliance on God by replacing mundane activities with spiritual disciplines. Even our failures in fasting can draw us closer to Christ, as we rem...

Integrity is a lost value in today’s age of corruption. Our trust in authority and institutions are at an all-time low, with a growing suspicion of what truth really is. This doesn’t only occur in politics but in our daily lives. The Gospel is crucial, even refreshing, in a time where the standards of truth appear distorted. The Word tells us to own, confess, and turn from our sins and mistakes as...

Holiness, which means “set apart,” takes on deeper meaning as we progress over the experiences of various prophets throughout Scripture and ultimately through Jesus. In Exodus, Moses encounters a burning bush and experiences holiness as close proximity to God. Later, a vision of the seraphim given to Isaiah sets up the idea that God can transfer purity to man. This is then reinforced when Ezekiel...

Our culture emphasizes self-reliance which leads to unrealistic expectations and an unhealthy focus on perfection. The pressure to present an illusion of perfection is alleviated by the gospel, offering a safe space for human imperfection. Jesus encourages people who are weary from always presenting themselves at their best to find rest and embrace their humanity within a supportive community, emp...

Loss, coupled with trauma that we've experienced in our lives, can be a force powerful enough to unravel us. It’s in these periods when we feel lost and at a loss for words that we fall more readily into isolation, are broken by grief, and need community most - though it may not be what we want in the moment. The good news of the gospel is that even when we’re lost and unglued, God sends his commu...

While nostalgia is a natural byproduct of doing life with the people we love, it can hold us captive to the past and make us reluctant to adapt to changing circumstances. In our faith, longing too much for how things used to be can cause us to miss out on new opportunities to welcome others into God's community. In an inevitably and perpetually changing world, what remains constant is God and His...

In Jesus's encounter with the Samaritan woman, he influenced her so much that she did a complete 180, turning from her brokenness and proclaiming Jesus's message to everyone she subsequently met. We may similarly desire such profound life change, but we cannot engender such change alone; God must be the one to create the change. We can, however, pave the way for God, and equally important, create...