Untangled: Recent Episodes
Loren Rosser
Burned out? Frustrated? Constantly battling guilt and shame? The answer isn't found in trying harder but in dumping all the extra baggage religion has heaped on us and returning to Jesus our first love. Hosts Loren Rosser & David Fredrickson along with various guests focus on returning to three foundational truths many believers have lost: God is love, our liberty in Christ, and loving one another. Let's cut the nonsense and get back to the One who matters.
In our culture and mainstream Christianity there is such a drive to do stuff. We are so prone to get our identities from what we're doing. And often, all we're doing is spinning our wheels and not really accomplishing anything of value. Yet, the truth is when you're living loved by your heavenly Father you are producing fruit through your connection with Him. We have to realize in ourselves we can do nothing. Only through Him does anything of lasting value happen.
Loren and David discuss an article by Jonathan Hollingsworth titled, "What Not to Say to Someone Who Has Been Hurt by Church." When church is mutated from being who we are to an "it" the doors are flung wide open for all kinds of terrible things to happen.
Loren and David discuss the odd and troubling phenomena that presidential candidate Donald Trump is resonating with 20 to 30 percent of Evangelical Christians. A recent article exposes why this is probably the case. Both Trump and many Evangelical Christians are quite narcissistic so they find themselves on common ground. It is a troubling thing when people who claim to follow Christ act in ways that are directly in contradiction to everything for which Jesus stood.
When things aren’t going “our way” it’s easy to feel like God let us down. But as Loren’s guest, Richard Broadbent points out, God’s goal is not our moment by moment happiness. Rather, His desire is that we know in the core of our being just how much He loves us. Often this involves us facing discomfort and even pain in order for the dross that blinds us to His affection for us to be removed. We believers constantly speak about God’s love but we so lack revelation of just how deep and wide His fondness for us truly is. Join Loren and Richard has they share some glimpses of Father’s heart.
Loren sharing about his difficult week due to tensions in relationships and dealing with his own humanity sparks a good conversation with David about the troubles we face in this world. Jesus did say we will have trouble in this world. That’s a verse we usually would prefer to skim over but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s reality. David and Loren discuss the propensity of us humans to look for what we or others have done to deserve the hardships of life. In spite of Jesus’ words on the matter, we often still hold to a view in line with the Old Covenant that God operates in a system in which we earn blessings and deserve curses.
We often are reminded of Jesus' words to be like children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. People have used that scripture to come against Bible scholarship or to perpetuate spiritual immaturity. But Jesus didn't say "be CHILDISH" rather He said to be "CHILD LIKE." This is what Loren and David discuss in this podcast.
In what is probably Loren's most controversial podcast, he examines the two faced god of love and hate, peace and violence that is embraced by American evangelical Christianity and contrasts that with the God Jesus revealed to us.
Many times when strong words are spoken against the status quo people respond by saying, "Can't we all get along?" Correction is viewed as being unchrist like and bad PR for the church. Loren and David discuss that this is actually a very unhealthy view of God. God being a loving Father corrects. For Him not to do so would be to not love. But we live in such a relationally dysfunctional society that many can't see the heart behind Father's correction and don't understand that love will not turn a blind eye to things that are dangerous or damaging.
Religion teaches people to despise their humanity. Yet, Jesus fully embraced his humanity. He showed us what it is to be fully human - who we were meant to be from the beginning. Of course this caused him to be hated by the religious crowd. Some things never change. We were created as humans because God delights in our humanity. This is what Loren and David discuss in this freeing episode.
Jesus invites us to live in his rest, free of heavy burdens and that which doesn't fit us. Sadly, few find the narrow road that leads to the broad place of freedom. In this podcast Loren talks about how the church is alive and well as she is listening to the voice of her shepherd. He also discusses various sufferings many are facing right now on their journey and offers words of encouragement to carry on.
What happens when you believe in an all powerful God who strips you of your identity, motivates you by fear and threats of eternal torture, and then spares you? You end up with Christian Stockholm Syndrome. You become a captive who develops positive feelings for your captor because his lack of abuse is perceived as an act of kindness. Any moron can tell you a relationship based in fear is anything but healthy. Do we really think the author of relationships utilizes fear to win our affections? This is what David and Loren discuss in this controversial podcast.
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." said Inigo Montoya in the movie The Princess Bride. There are several common words and phrases used often by Christians but the meanings attached to them are a far cry from the New Covenant. This has resulted in paralysis and damage to the Body of Christ. Loren discusses how phrases like, "the presence of God," and "compel them to come in," and words like "church," "fellowship," and "worship," are scriptural but now have meanings attached to them in the minds of most Christians that cause them to miss the boat big time!
Much damage has been done to the body of Christ because of the establishment of man-made authority structures that determine who is "worthy" to minister and who isn't. Believers often find themselves jumping through hoops and having to please people in positions of authority in order to be able function in the church. Loren and David discuss how this is a far cry from the way the body of Christ was meant to function.
“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” (Ezek. 16:49 NIV)Hey! That's not what I was taught was the sin of Sodom! That scripture hits way too close to home! David once again joins Loren and the two discuss a hard hitting blog David wrote that boldly confronts the complacency and misdirection of the church in America today.
Loren continues his discussion with Dr. Steve Crosby about his fantastic new book, “The New Testament Prophet: Understanding the Mind, Temperament, and Calling." What are the struggles and frustrations New Testament prophets deal with? How does God prepare prophets to live and function effectively? Steve points out it's not about one member in the body being better than another, but integration in the body of Christ for the benefit of one another and the world. You can pick up Dr. Crosby's book at www.stevecrosby.com
What is a New Covenant Prophet? Is there such a thing? Some have been taught that prophets don't exist anymore or that prophecy is the same as teaching. Others have encountered all kinds manipulative, controlling, and cultic practices that have been presented as being prophetic. Loren interviews Dr. Stephen Crosby about his fantastic new book, "The New Testament Prophet: Understanding the Mind, Temperament, and Calling." His book lays out a grace-based and new covenant perspective regarding the function of prophetic ministry in the New Testament era. This isn't a “how to” or “predicting the future” book. Rather, it's about relational wellness and integration AS prophetic people, WITH prophetic people, and AMONG the diversely gifted and configured body of Christ. You can pick up Dr. Crosby's book at www.stevecrosby.com
When people leave systems of religious obligation they often marvel at the rapid spiritual growth that follows. Loren found the explanation of why this is the case from an unlikely place - a video about economic growth. Loren examines how attempts to avoid surprises in the body of Christ stunts spiritual growth and stops creative thinking.
Many of us who truly have a revelation of the truth that God is love find ourselves being accused of "trying to make God more appealing to people." Yet, if that is indeed the case, why are so many Christians repulsed by a God of love? Could it be that what is at the heart of the matter is religious people hate seeing the outcasts and sinners freely loved and placed on equal standing with them? This is what Loren and David discuss in the "must hear" episode of Untangled.
Friendship was clearly a big deal to Jesus. He even called his disciples friends. Today words like "family" and "friends" are constantly tossed around the body of Christ, yet sadly, many discover after belonging to a congregation for years they really don't have any true friends. Activities, programs, expectations, and performance end up proving not to be the building blocks for genuine friendship. Why is that the case? What can we do to make friends with others? This is what David and Loren discuss on this episode.
We're back! Believers often measure their effectiveness in the Kingdom of God based on the results they see with their own eyes. People look for things they can measure to determine whether or not they are doing God's work. They look for large crowds, numerous books being sold, popularity, and so forth. But is this what Jesus was talking about when He said that His followers would bear fruit? This is what David and Loren discuss in this episode of Untangled.
What is worship? Is worship an event we attend? Is it something we do on Sundays to get our "God fix" so we can make it through another week? Is worship how we usher in God's presence? In this podcast Loren and David discuss the beauty and lies surrounding worship.
"You're just a worthless sinner!" is the way the gospel is often shared. Is that true? How does God view us? How much value does He place on us? And just how finished was Jesus work on the cross when He said, "It is finished!" David and Loren discuss in this podcast God's perspective of us and the only real labor that remains for us to do: to believe Him.
What should be the Christian response to persecution such as that we've seen dealt out by ISIS? Should Christians take up the sword and fight back? Is America a Christian nation? Should Christians strive to gain political power in nations to steer them in a "Christian" direction? These hot topics are discussed by David and Loren in this timely podcast. You'll want to listen to this one all the way to the end, if you can handle it. We knock over a lot of sacred cows in this one, but not to stir up controversy. In order for the church to grow up, we must embrace the Kingdom of God, not this world.
We were created for community. We have within us a God-given desire to connect with others. Many have found that Sunday Morning services don't meet that need. What is genuine community? How do we find it? These are some of the things David and Loren discuss in this podcast.
You can hear preachers of very religious groups talk about how "unreligious" they are. Other people will talk about how loving they are while they live in callousness, pride, and arrogance. These people are spiritually blind. They can't see their own condition yet they love to go around pointing out the flaws in others. How do we avoid falling into this trap? This is what Loren and David discuss in this podcast.
David and Loren respond to a question they received in an email from a listener about 2 Timothy 2:15. In that verse Paul seems to be telling us to study the Bible so that we handle it correctly and can answer any question and win any argument...OR IS HE??? I think you'll be surprised at what Paul is actually saying to Timothy in that verse.
What does it mean to be in the world but not of it? Many Christians seem to place all the emphasis on not being of this world. They set down laws and set out on quests for holiness to keep themselves separate from the world. But is separation from the world something to which we aspire and achieve or something that Christ has already done in our hearts? It's also interesting that many believers place all the emphasis on not being a part of the world and seem to miss the part about being IN THE WORLD. One only has to look at Jesus to see that we're supposed to be immersed in our culture, loving those around us. This is what David Fredrickson and Loren Rosser discuss in this extra special podcast. It's extra special because instead of the usual Skype conversation, David joins Loren in his home in Dallas, TX.
Is church a building with a cross on it? A service we attend? A group of people that meets together? It's interesting that when we speak of the universal church we easily state that the church is everybody who follows Jesus. But for some reason when it comes to the local church we tend to feel a need to make it more than that...to organize something, to build something. You may be surprised to find church is far less complicated than you've been led to believe. This is what David and Loren discuss in this podcast.
"Yip, yap, yip, yap, debate, debate..." Do you ever get the feeling we're doing a whole lot of talking about love but not much doing it? We can talk about love all we want but that means nothing. Jesus didn't say, "They'll know you're my disciples by your philosophy about love." He said it's by our love they'll know we're His. When Jesus spoke of loving our neighbors He told the story of the Good Samaritan to make the point. Love is an action not a theory! It's so crucial that we know we're loved by Father. But love can't stay dormant. The evidence of Father's love in our lives is eventually seen through our actions and not in merely being nice to people, but in laying down our lives for others. The world will not see Jesus through our endless yapping and Bible studies. He's seen when we love others with no agenda. That means no seeking to build our thing, market our group, or gain anything at all from them. This is what Loren and David discuss this week.
This podcast is one you must hear! Author Wayne Jacobsen (He Loves Me, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore, and collaborator on The Shack) joins David and Loren to discuss his fantastic new book, Finding Church. David and Loren agree that this is one of the best books (if not the best) written on the topic of the reality of the church in the world today. This is straight talk from a man who has sought authentic New Testament community for more than fifty years and who has discovered it in the most unlikely places. Now Wayne wants to help you find this incredible bride Jesus is shaping by looking at the church as God sees her and by recognizing her as she takes shape around you. What if the church Jesus is building looks more like wildflowers strewn across an alpine meadow than a walled garden with manicured hedges? Get ready to see church through a new set of eyes!
Please forgive the poor audio quality. We had a bad Skype connection while recording. It is well worth pushing past it to hear this one!
To order a copy of Finding Church go to http://www.lifestream.org/content/finding-church
There is such a drive in our old nature for fame and recognition. This often creeps into our lives as believers and causes us to view our actions and life in Christ as insignificant unless we're doing big things that are noticed by multitudes of people. Yet, more often than not God meets us and impacts the world around us in the small things of our daily lives that often seem insignificant. Real freedom and joy is found in Him when we're free from the drive to do big things to be noticed. This freedom usually comes with the price of suffering so that we're free from the pride of our old nature and can embrace what Father is doing no matter how small and how little we'll be noticed. In Him, there actually is peace, joy, and rest in that place. This is what David Fredrickson and Loren Rosser discuss in this episode of Untangled.
There is so much injustice, mudslinging, political corruption, and religious obligation in the world today that we often find ourselves driven by anger, arrogance, or self-righteousness to take up a cause. Though some of these causes may appear to be good, many times they are merely distractions to get us to spend our time, energy, and emotions on something other than abiding in God's love and loving others. It is so easy to fall into the trap of placing our identities in something other than Christ. This is what David and Loren discuss in this podcast.
We are usually taught by this world to keep up an image of strength even when we are weak. This is how many are trained to minister to others. But interestingly, Paul spoke of glorying in his weaknesses. These things are often skimmed over as we read the Bible as if they're merely nice little poetic sayings or Paul being modest. Yet, the truth is Father truly is glorified in our weaknesses because He loves us right in the middle of them. It is often in our weaknesses that others are touched because there is less of us and more of Him. When we don't live in denial of our struggles we are less prone to become pharisees and are better able to genuinely connect with others.
In and out. Night and Day. Love and Judgement. Did you know that love and judgement for us humans are polar opposites? We weren't created to judge, that place is reserved for God alone. But thanks to partaking of the fruit from the of Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil we thrust ourselves into a position for which we weren't created. We were create to abide in the love of our Father not to be experts on good and evil. The root of that knowledge is actually the desire to live independent of God. We cannot abide in love and judge others at the same time. We either eat of the Tree of Life or The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is what Loren Rosser and David Fredrickson discuss in this podcast.
Christians today are very good at majoring in the minors. Singing, sermons, and Sunday School can all be nice but these are minors. What are the majors? What is it that is most important to Jesus Christ, the Head of the church? Believe it or not, it's no mystery. Jesus made it crystal clear what should be our entire focus as His people. This is what Loren discusses in this podcast. (In this episode Loren mentions Johnny and Kate Brooks and the work they're doing in Kenya. If you want more information go to http://www.purechristianity.blogs.com/)
Movie Man Bob joins Loren again for another edition of Movie Monday. This week they discuss movies that impacted them spiritually and launch into a deep conversation about the power of God that’s found in relationships. “Relationships transition us from pride to humility,” points out Bob, “…and God gives grace to the humble.”
Ready for a podcast that's all peaches and cream and is sure to tickle your ears? Don't listen to this one! Loren discusses leadership in the church. For many, this discussion will be rather shocking (although that's not the goal). This is not another "Obey your Pastor" message. It's an unraveling of a whole lot of dogma that has kept many in the church paralyzed, weak, and ineffective for decades. What is leadership? What is it not? For the church to truly walk in love, liberty, and maturity a few sacred cows have to be tipped over (or maybe a few herds) so that believers are free to love Christ and one another without hindrance.
You're a pastor and out of the desire to live in the reality of being the church you just gave up your title and salary and you and your congregation shut down all programs, sold the building and walked away - WHAT NOW? Loren is joined for a second week by David Fredrickson to find out what happened after he and his congregation did just that. It's an incredible journey that may just leave you pondering what it really means to be the church.
You can read David's incredible and thought provoking story in his book When the Church Leaves the Building. It's available at www.familyroommedia.com or at Amazon.
Loren is joined by his good friend David Fredrickson who shares his incredible story of how after 30 years of serving as a pastor he and his congregation called it quits, abandoned their titles, sold their building, and walked away from the traditional Sunday morning scene because they yearned to live in the reality of what it means to BE the church. You can also read about David's journey in his book When the Church Leaves the Building. It's available on Amazon or www.familyroommedia.com
Movie Man Bob joins Loren again to give their reviews of Godzilla and X-Men Days of Future Past. This leads them into a deep look at how movie trends at times are a reflection of things happening in the Spirit at the times they were made. People, whether following Christ or not, are influenced by spiritual forces that can't be seen. Sometimes a piece of what is true in the Spirit ends up being displayed on the screen, but you have to have spiritual eyes to see it.
A podcast about fellowship? Oh this is a nice fluffy and boring one. WRONG! Fellowship is one of those words in Christianity that has been wrongly defined and misapplied for so long that many people think they know what it is but in reality they don't. Verses like Hebrews 10:25 about not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together are horribly misinterpreted and the beauty contained in them is completely missed. Get ready to go sacred cow tipping with Loren on this addition of Untangled.
Did you know that God speaks to YOU? He loves you and like any loving parent, He desires to have a relationship with you. And guess what? Communication is key in any healthy relationship. Jesus said His sheep know His voice. What are some of the ways Father speaks to us? This is what Loren discusses in this podcast.
Almost everybody has heard the line, "Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship." However, amidst all the programs, expectations, and requirements it's pretty obvious to most people looking in it's a religion. We've lost sight of the most basic truth that God our Father created us for the sole purpose of relationship. That being the case, we believers should be the most relational people on the planet - and the fact is, in many cases, we're not. This is what Loren discusses in this podcast.
It's the second Monday of the month. Do you know what that means? It's time to talk about movies! Loren is joined by his buddy Movie Man Bob to talk about super hero movies, the upcoming X-Men movie (Days of Future Past), the Lone Ranger, and J.J. Abrams' last Star Trek movie (Into Darkness) and the much anticipated Star Wars Episode 7.
Did you know the desires of your heart are good? When Christ came into your life and gave you a new heart He also placed within that good heart the desires that He wants you to have. That's not to say every desire you have is of God. But the desires of your new heart are. God most often speaks to us through our hearts. That's why it is so important to listen to our hearts. The challenge is that following Christ by listening to His voice within our hearts we'll often be lead on roads that won't allow us to conform to the agendas of others. Loren is once again joined by author Jim Robbins to discuss this topic which is also found in Jim's book Recover Your Good Heart: Living free from religious guilt and the shame of not good-enough.
You can order Jim's book or Solo Piano CD here:http://www.robbinswritings.com/
The "gospel" many are preaching today looks more like the Old Testament way of relating to God than the new way Jesus intended. We pressure Christians to be good and ignore what the Scriptures say about their restored hearts. Pressure to be a good Christian only produces shame and guilt. But what does the Bible really say about your heart?
In this podcast, host Loren Rosser is joined by author Jim Robbins to discuss the freeing and foundational truths unpacked in Jim's book Recover Your Good Heart: Living free from religious guilt and the shame of not good-enough.
To order your copy of Jim's book visit http://www.robbinswritings.com
Many people have a wrong picture of who God is. Did you know God is love? Sure we talk about God being love but few live in the reality of that. God is not the demanding, angry, arrogant being that has been presented to the world by so many. This episode is all about getting untangled from the lies we've been told about God's heart for us.