The Ekklesia Gathering Sermon Cast: Recent Episodes
Ekklesia Bellingham
Thoughts about Jesus, life and how to be a person looking to co-work with God toward the restoration of all things.
Through Jesus's death and resurrection, he overcame Satan's efforts to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus brings the cosmic rule and reign of His Kingdom.
At the center of all that Jesus accomplished through his death on the cross, love is at the core. When we are able to receive the everlasting love God demonstrates through Jesus on the cross, it changes everything.
During Lent, we are learning how to deepen our dependence on God as we look at how Jesus responded when he was tested in the wilderness in Matthew 4. When we have everything we need, why do we need to depend on God?
During Lent, we are learning how to deepen our dependence on God as we look at how Jesus responded when he was tested in the wilderness in Matthew 4. When we have everything we need, why do we need to depend on God?
During Lent, we are learning how to deepen our dependence on God as we look at how Jesus responded when he was tested in the wilderness in Matthew 4. When we have everything we need, why do we need to depend on God?
Scripture says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God; yet at the same time, it seems contradictory when Scripture also says we are sinful at birth and no one is righteous. The "shadow" parts of ourselves are the good and beautiful places that are twisted toward darkness when they do not find their end in Jesus.
Scripture says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God; yet at the same time, it seems contradictory when Scripture also says we are sinful at birth and no one is rightheous. The "shadow" parts of ourselves are the good and beautiful places that are twisted toward darkness when they do not find their end in Jesus.
In the final chapter of Jonah, we see God's profound compassion and grace fully revealed. At the same time, Jonah continues to reveal our selfish and hypocritical human nature.
God takes Jonah's bare minimum faithfulness and uses it to bring redemption to all of the Ninevites. This helps us understand God's judgment as merciful, as he works to make all things right.
Jonah's prayer from inside the belly of the fish offers us a chance to examine our own prayer life, particularly when we are in the depths.
The story of Jonah acts as a mirror to our own lives. Jonah's disobedience invites us to examine the ways we may be running from God.
Where there is light, darkness tries to push through. During epiphany, we reflect on what it means that Jesus came for all people and we have hope in the light even where there is darkness.
Epiphany is a time where we reflect and contemplate on this moment's implications for our world. What does it mean that it was revealed that Jesus is the Son of God?
From our Advent series "With". As God's image bearers, we get to be a physical representation of God's presence to one another. As we are rooted in God with us, we can be God with us to others.
From our Advent series "With". Immanuel, God with us, means we have full access to God's presence. When we are still, we give God permission to be our strength in every situation, however big or small.
From our series "Division Over Peace". The Resurrection of Jesus justifies the exclusive claims that we have been looking at throughout this series and recontextualizes what it means to bring peace.
Jesus cannot simply be liked, we must crown Him King of our lives or we reject Him. Because Jesus is God, we can trust that as we follow him we will begin to experience the peace we long for.
From our series "Division Over Peace". Jesus lives out a self-emptying love that gives people access to his presence and the shalom of His Kingdom. We are invited to embody the same attitude of self-giving love.
From our series "Division Over Peace". Pastor Garret looks at Jesus claims in Luke 12 that he has come to bring not peace but division. The type of peace Jesus is bringing is divisive because it is exclusive; exclusively accessible through his life, death, and resurrection.
From our vision series "Dust". In Jesus's vision for justice, he desires us to overturn unjust systems and heal the human desire which created those systems in the first place.
From our vision series "Dust". Making disciples is much more than making converts, it's any movement toward Christlikeness no matter where you are on the spectrum.
From our vision series "Dust". Part of becoming like Jesus means naming the ways we are not. As we build a habit of confession and reconciliation, we are able to grow in Christlikeness.
From our vision series "Dust". We all have expectations of what church is supposed to "do" for us. How can we surrender those and embrace worshiping together as a purposeful act for a church body?
Following Jesus means we become like him in every way. Jesus's contemporaries had a phrase for this. They said they were to follow their teacher so closely they would be "covered in the dust of their rabbi." Meaning as they followed their teacher so closely that the dust of their feet would cover them.
Garret wraps up our two weeks series on what it looks like to transition into a new phase of life or what it means to stay and continue to press in where you are.
Molly introduces a two week series about what it looks like to transition into a new phase of life as we go through 1 Chronicles 16.
God exists in the midst of your doubt. Jesus on the cross shows that as God is dying, God is doubting God (Mt 27:46). God is bringing an unexpected, unforeseen, unimaginable and surprising new reality from out of the graveyard as you navigate your blindness.
Continuing to walk through the process of learning how to confront our blindness through the example of racial justice.
This week at Ekklesia we had a panel of guests share how they walked through this process of "blindness" around racial injustice. We can serve as an example for how we confront the events in our lives that challenge what we have always accepted as true, as we are following Jesus. Taylor tells us about the disorientation of being a BIPOC woman in world that consistently deconstructing her identity as a child of God. And Josh talks about what it means to come from the majority culture and learn about God's heart for racial reconciliation.
Continuing to walk through the process of learning how to confront our blindness through the example of sexual purity.
This week at Ekklesia we are having a panel of guests share how they walked through this process of "blindness" around the idea of sexual purity and gender roles. The idea is that this can serve as an example for how we confront the events in our lives that challenge what we have always accepted as true, as we are following Jesus.
Embedded in the experience of loving God, following the Spirit, and pursuing the truth, you look at the "event" (cultural event, life event, new idea, personal realization) through the lens of the scriptures, the history of the church, your personal experience, and tradition/community with a pre-commitment to obey whatever you discover.
All of us go through moments of blindness. There is a way for God to lead you through it.
The kingdom Jesus is bringing is for the seemingly insignificant and it may shatter your expectations of how you think it should appear.
Defining the question: What is discipleship? "Halloween to Jesus". Discipleship is inviting others to join you on a personal journey towards Christlikeness.
You cannot serve both God and the "system". You can't live the freedom way of Jesus and get sucked into the overconsumption that is normal in our society. Jesus invites us to experience the tension of living in the world, but not of it. Practicing simplicity helps us discover that.
If we don't set aside time to be alone with God, our relationship with him will suffer. Distraction threatens our faith. The practice of silence & solitude creates space for us to find true rest and abide with God.
Creating a Rule of Life will help you practically take steps to build rhythms in your life that are modeled after the way of Jesus.
In order to find resolve in our need for hurry, we must radically change our way of living. In order to do that, we get to examine the way that Jesus lived - slowly, intentionally, restfully.
Our need for hurry causes great problems in our spiritual lives and is a barrier to true intimacy and connection with God.
A very different way to enter into the new year as we scrapped our original plan to begin our new series to address the issues that happened when protesters stormed the DC capitol. Follow along with us as we decided to press into the current state of our nation.
We see it foretold that in the baby Jesus we get the birth of the Son of Man, reminding us that he will be crushed but God will lift him high.
During the Christmas season we are reminded that God, in Jesus, is coming to reorder our world.
Being a follow of Jesus who embraces their differences is the equivalent to Christmas-themed sugar cookies. Listen to figure out why.
Looking at the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and how being a follower of Jesus means to be different (exiles).
What if there was a way for us to live the best life possible without having to ask the "what if's"?
How do we orient ourselves amidst a global pandemic that can cause anxiety and uproot instability? Where is God in all of this as we feel like we experience an existential exile?
At Ekklesia this week our intern Emily told us a great message about how our current ways of material wealth and possessions fail to give us the security that God wants for us.
Tune in as Molly talked about the parable of the wedding feast and the reasons why it is important to humble ourselves in God's Kingdom.
This week Grace gave a great message about the radical inclusion that Jesus' kingdom brings through examining the parable of The Good Samaritan
This week we got to listen to Jared, one of Ekklesia’s interns talk about how we can get justice from the Kingdom of God
This week we welcomed special guest Connor Takata as he talked to us about how to emulate the kind of prayer Jesus talks about in Luke 11.
This week Molly spoke on the parable of the lost sheep and the different ways we can become the lost sheep without realizing.
This week at Ekklesia we welcomed an old friend and guest Kramer Payne as he shared a message about how systems of the worlds aren't in line with God's value system
This week on the first night of Ekklesia Summer Sessions, Garret kicked us off with a message about what the coming of The Kingdom of God should look like.
Tonight, in the last Ekklesia of the school year, Garret talked to us about the way that God is going about restoring the world from evil and brokenness,
This week Molly preached about how the way that we be the change that we want to see in the world is by becoming more like Jesus in the spaces that we exist.
This week we are blessed to have our good friend and community group leader Angelo Fernandez speak to us! Angelo shared with us part of his personal journey and the lessons that God has taught him along the way.
At Ekklesia online this week Molly spoke on how we hear from God. Through first quieting the noise around us to give us space to listen and spending time reading scripture as our primary way of learning from God.
This week Garret spoke about how the Covid-19 pandemic is unveiling the ways that the church culture that we have built is unable to properly equip us to follow Jesus outside the event of going to church. He also asked us to examine how we view Jesus in our own lives and if we truly submit everything we are to him daily.
This week Josh walked us through the question of how our our lives can look different because we are following Jesus by examining the early church in Acts.
This week Molly talked to us about how in this season God can expose to us the idols we have made in our lives and how to respond.
This week during Ekklesia Online, Garret spoke about mourning and grief through the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead.
This week was our first week of online Ekklesia! Listen in as Garret talks about how we can sill experience unity with God and others through owning our spiritual journey by participating in a daily spiritual practices.
Wednesday night Josh talked to us about how the way to finding true rest is through giving up our 'something' for nothing and intentional silence.
This week we began a new series as Garret talked about giving up the things we ineffectively use to fill ourselves up with. To then let God fill us up to the point of overflowing.
Explicit Content Warning: This week during the sermon we talk about sexual assault and abuse.
Listen in to the final week of our Theology of Sex series where we welcomed a longtime friend of Garret, Melissa, to talk about forgiveness and redemption.
This week Garret talks about emotional and physical guidelines as a support system in dating to help us to properly remain in Jesus. All through the lens of John chapter 15.
Listen in as guest speaker Ryan Ervin talks about what it looks like to submit to God and how that plays out in the context of marriage.
This week Molly looks at how everything we need can be found in a relationship with God.
This week, Garret looks at 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 as a means to see, that while there were significant differences between ancient Roman sexual culture and our present one, there are enough similarities that Paul's encouragement to the church community in Corinth applies to us presently. Our bodies, and how we do and don't have sex with those bodies, is a way for Christians to experience and proclaim that Jesus has been raised from the dead. And now everything in the world can be different.
Join us as we hear from Elizabeth the importance of acting on our trust in the lord through our obedience. Listen in if you missed this past week, it is fire and you surely don't wanna miss it.
Join us as we discuss questions texted in and conversations had in light of last weeks message.
Join us as we hear from Taylor as she walks us through what it would look like to trust God in the midst of our doubt. To allow Gods peace to empower us in the midst of our unsurety.
Join us as Julie walks us through looking at the journey of Abraham’s life and how we can learn what trusting God looks like from his story.
Join us this week as we discuss our transition from The Garden series into our new series, The Journey. We explain our heart behind the series' and the things we learned in our individual lives.
Join us this week as Taylor walks us through what it looks like to navigate a relationship with God, even in our brokenness and sin. If you weren’t able to make it Thursday night, we promise you don’t want to miss this!
This summer the interns have taken over! Join us as we answer questions from last weeks message and discuss Macy's bold move, on Taylors feed item. Grab a snack and get ready for some laughs!
Join us as we hear straight fire from our intern Elizabeth, as she shows us how valuable it is to create space to listen for what God is saying, instead of hiding from him. She walks us through what it could look like to take time to hear what he is saying to us in the midst of sin and shame.
This summer the interns have taken over! Join us as we get to know Taylor, Jordan and Elizabeth. Here they share their hopes for this summers after hours podcast, so that next week they can begin responding to questions texted in after Thursday nights service. This week you can expect laughter, authenticity and the beginning to a vivacious summer.
Join us as we hear from our intern Jordan about how important community is as we navigate sin and temptation in our lives.
Today’s episode is a special one as we say goodbye to Uriah Garay. Today the team recalls their favorite memories with him, he answers questions texted in by the community and we reminisce about all that God has done with and through Uriah in this community.
A man who has helped shape raw talent, provide guidance and help create space for worship volunteers to leave their pride and fear behind them as they step into the gifts that God has given them.
Uriah you are loved and known. You overflow with joy, wisdom, love and light. This community has been blessed by you beyond measure. We can not wait to see how God moves through you in your next adventure.
Join us as the team talks about inviting Jesus into our doubts, trusting others with our vulnerability and letting our community walk along side us through that journey, even before we have it all together.
“Tell God what it is about his kingdom that you don’t believe is good, and then invite Jesus into that doubt.”
Join us as we close our Power series with reflecting on who we are truly worshiping. Garret invites us into his doubts as he asks himself and our community the hard questions. Are we worshiping God or our idols? Do we often prefer our idols over Jesus?
We can activate our power by bringing in expectation and bringing faith into a space, so that God can fill it. Join us as Brian shows us how to activate God's power in all of us.
“Don’t sleep on life, don’t live a life of comfort. Go and live the life that God is calling you into. As tough and uncomfortable as it may be, it is better.” -Jaret Carlson Listen in as we answer any questions you've had from our Thursday night sermon and any texted in throughout the week.
Join us as we hear from one of our community group leaders, Jaret Carlson. This week Jaret continues taking us through Acts and leaves us with this, "don't sleep on life, don't live a life of comfort. Go and live the life that God is calling you into. As tough and uncomfortable it may be, it is better."
Join us as we answer questions from Thursday night and texted in throughout the week. From building community, to Ekklesia merch, what we think about the end times and so much more.
While we were still sinners Christ died for us. “The things we have done, the things that have been done to us, the brokenness we are currently perpetuating in the world does not keep us from being empowered by the Holy Spirit.” Join us as Molly sheds light on the ways we let our stories prevent us from believing we are empowered.
Join us as we ask ourselves what it would look like for God to move in power amongst his people, binding them together making them a force in the world as he did in the book of Acts.
Join us as we answer questions texted in after last weeks message, name our favorite avenger, and our hopes and passions for the Ekklesia community.
Jesus’ message is one that is continually reorienting and flipping the things that we think we believed and know to be true on their heads. Join us as Garret helps us ask some very important questions us as christ followers need to be asking ourselves.
Join us as Molly talks about what it looks like to let go of our guilt, shame and the many things we let disqualify us. Allowing us to step into the new promise God has made us, as he invites us to examine ourselves and come to the table as we are.
The team gets honest and real about their personal experiences with fasting. Join us as we discuss what it can look like in each of our lives, to make ourselves desperate in order to hear God’s voice more clearly.
Join us as we hear from Melissa as she helps us understand food fasting and what it looks like to enter an intentional time of making ourselves desperate to amplify God’s voice.
(Sadly, due to technical difficulties the message cut off before its end.)
Join us as we answer any questions you had during last weeks message as we kick off our series Amplifier. You won't want to miss as the team spills all the tea about "PreachersNSneakers".
Join us as Garret walks us through what it means to make space to hear God more clearly and what it means to be intentional during the season of Lent.
Join us as we hear from Garret about the importance of Jethro in Moses’ life. We learn why we all need a person like Jethro to help steer us towards God and to be a steady voice of wisdom and truth in our lives.
It’s Spring Break! We are switching it up a little bit this week on the podcast. Join us as we contextualize our current series ‘Wilderness’ in our own personal lives.
Tonight we heard from Lem about what it is like to step into a new way of thinking as we trust God to walk us into the desert.
This week we started a new series in which we’ll be learning about the importance of the season of Lent. Tonight Garret taught us that, “God’s movements are sustained when God’s people cultivate habits of receiving and depending on God’s provision.”
You won’t want to miss this one!
Join us as we hear from Josh about the last section of John 17. Josh reminds us that experiencing the love of Jesus for us, others, and the world is the truest way to learn who God is and how we should live in the world.
This week Garret shares a beautiful message with us: “Christians being sent into the world living a joy-filled and unified mission is the validating evidence of Jesus’ presence in the world.”
We received some great questions this week! We dove into the significance of Jesus’ resurrection and how history can influence our faith.
And we’re back! We survived Snowmageddon! Listen in as we discuss some great questions from the last couple of weeks.
Join us as we discuss the beauty and intricacy of how Jesus calls us to participate in a relationship with Him, and how we are to interact with and love the community we live in.
Join us this week, as we talk about Thomas. Garret helps us to see how God can turn our doubt into wonder!
Join us as we discuss experiences of spiritual warfare and some other big questions sent in from the past couple of weeks.
Join us this week as Julie walks us through what it is like to be in close relationship with Jesus. She uses the story of Judas Iscariot as a prime example of how Jesus is continually welcoming us to the table, our job is to respond to that invitation.
Our first podcast of 2019! Join us as we answer questions sent in from the past month. We've got a lot to share this week!
This week Molly looks at the life of one of Jesus’ followers: Peter. We discover that Jesus invites us into a deep friendship no matter what… Even with all of our flaws and failings he wants to be close to us.
Welcome to our sermon podcast! If you missed last Thursday, or simply want to hear the message again, you can find it here.
Welcome to week six of the after hours podcast! This week the team discusses advent, the history behind The Bible, and Josh's ability to discuss movie titles before they're released.
As we enter the second week of our advent series, Molly talks about hope. We explore Elizabeth and Zechariah's story, looking at the hope they carried, and examining how we carry it in our own lives.
Join us as we begin our new series 'Witnesses' and discover what the advent season means. This week, Garret explores what it means to be truly joyful during the Christmas season.
This week the team discusses last weeks message, which kicked off our new series 'Witnesses'.
Welcome to week 4 of the After Hours podcast. This week the team looks at advocacy and privilege in our society. They also take a look at The Greatest Showman Reimagined, enneagram typing the characters of This Is Us, and WWU Volleyball.
This week Garret closed up our series on the book of Ruth. He discusses Boaz’s character and honorable act of advocacy for the powerless.
Welcome to week 3 of the After Hours podcast. This week the team discusses headship within the Bible, aggressive seals, and Ben’s ninth year of being on Facebook.
Listen in as Julie Burleson dives into the character Ruth during the second week of our new series, Common Rebels.
This week we discuss Justin Bieber eating a burrito, chick-fil-a, and much more. Listen in to hear the team talk about Thursday night and the heart behind this next series, Common Rebels.
This week we launched our new series “Common Rebels”. Garret dives into the book of Ruth and the central question that is revealed through Ruth’s narrative. The question is this: in the broad epic narrative of what God is doing in the world, does my life my even matter?
Ekklesia After Hours is back! Join us as the team explains the motivation behind the Kingdoms series, discusses whether or not Tom Holland and Kylie Jenner look alike, and learns more about Ben's movie making past.
The fourth and final week of the Kingdoms series leads us to further explore our relationship with God and the partnership in the building of His Kingdom. We hear from Julie Burleson about our own active participation in what God is doing right now.
Join us for week three of our Kingdoms series as we hear from Molly Martin about community groups. Tonight we’ll dive into how Jesus lived in a rhythm of work and rest surrounded by community as he lived on mission to unite kingdom of heaven and earth once again.
Join us for week two of the Kingdoms series as we discover how God’s solution to brokenness, evil, and division in the world is a church who abundantly, freely, and joyfully worship Jesus.
We are back and launching a 4 weeks series called Kingdoms. We will be addressing what our cultural values are here at Ekklesia. Join us this week as we dive into where Ekklesia fits in the broad story of God.
Welcome to our sixth episode of After Hours, Summer Sessions! After taking a brief break, we are back and joined by a special guest to discuss some insightful questions. We then finish with what might be our best edition of "The Feed." Thanks for listening!
Welcome to our fifth episode of After Hours, Summer Sessions! On this episode, Jenai is back to join us in diving into a very insightful question. We then wrap up with another edition of "The Feed". Thanks for listening!
Welcome to our fourth episode of After Hours, Summer Sessions! On this episode, we are sadly without Jenai, but we dive into a variety of questions concerning the book of Luke. We then wrap up with another edition of "The Feed". Thanks for listening!
Welcome to our third episode of After Hours, Summer Sessions! On this episode, we only had one question sent in so we dive deep discussing science and faith and a variety of other topics. We then wrap up with a fantastic edition of "The Feed". Thanks for listening!
Welcome to our second episode of After Hours, Summer Sessions! On this episode, we start by introducing Nathan and diving right into questions we received from the previous week. We then wrap up with another edition of "The Feed'. Thanks for listening!
Welcome to the first edition of After Hours, Summer Sessions! On this episode, we provide a quick introduction of the interns on the podcast. We then discuss our hopes and dreams for the podcast during the summer. And finally, we wrap it all up by going through a juicy edition of "The Feed'. Thanks for listening!
Special guest Fred Hartsook explores how Jesus might feel about the way we treat him and what he really wants from us.
Brian gives his last sermon as Ekklesia Staff, exploring what Jesus means when he talks about truly living.
Garret closes the 'Water' portion of the On Earth Series with a story from Matthew 14. Maybe God wants to use more than just our faith. Maybe he wants to use our doubt too.
The crew discusses how God's sovereignty plays together with unreached people groups and our vocation to love our neighbors.
Things get spicy with this week's episode! The After Hours crew is answering not only questions from Thursday night, but also some follow-up questions from last week's episode.
Whether or not the Bible is true, apologizing for being white, and so much more is on this week's episode of After Hours. This is truly an episode to remember.
What does it look like to jump head-first into the work that the Sprit of God is doing? Our guest speaker, Steven Johnson explores how the momentum of God's work in the world builds in our lives.
If you like fancy theological terms like Preemptive Eschatological Imagination, then you'll love this week's podcast. The crew discusses the Christians vision of doing good and making heaven a more present reality today.
These week, Garret explores how the story of Jesus and the woman at the well shows us the nature of the Kingdom of God: both present and eternal, physical and transcendent.
This is week, the Ekklesia crew wants to take the time to talk about the On Earth campaign. Most importantly, we want YOU to show up this Thursday (4/5) for the campaign's launch!
The crew is tackling the tough topics this week, like questions surrounding pop culture in sermons, satanist Kanye, and the superiority of forks to spoons for everyday use.
Garret explores a passage in Mark, which forces us to consider: how is Jesus calling us to love him more extravagantly than we even feel comfortable?
The Ekklesia staff is taking this week's podcast to dive more in depth into what we'll be doing all spring quarter. You do NOT want to miss this.
After a couple weeks off due to scheduling conflicts, the whole crew is backatitagain! Let's make up for some lost time.
What is it that keeps us from participating in the radical generosity to which Christ calls the Church?
How can we combat the pervading reputation of Christian hypocrisy? Maybe it has less to do with trying harder and more to do with being honest about what it means to be in a relationship with Jesus.
Our special guest, Melissa Stava, speaks on the reputation Christians have for being too hard on themselves. If Christians want to combat this tendency, perhaps the best way to approach the feeling of guilt is to live generously.
Lame Christians, political involvement, ancient Greek grammar and (maybe?) multiverse theory are the topics of interest for this week. Also, Pope Francis is awesome.
How do Christians' political identities prevent them from actually seeing Jesus? Maybe a better Christian politic begins with acknowledging Jesus as Lord and defining ourselves primarily as Kingdom Citizens, rather than Americans.
The After Hours crew finally catches up to some long awaited questions, and boy are they juicy. You won't want to miss it.
Maybe a perfectly curated life does more to glorify ourselves, and less to glorify the God who enters into our messiness. Maybe by running away from vulnerability, we rob our friends of knowing our true selves and we prevent everyone from seeing the redemptive work that God is doing in us.
A torrent of questions all pertaining to judgement, gossip and missions. Will the staff survive?
Julie tackles the Christian reputation of being unsafe when trusted with the most precious parts one's life. How can we move forward as a people who safely care for those who are close to us?
This week Garret tackles the Christian reputation of being judgmental and what Jesus has to say about the whole thing. What happens when we obey Jesus and let God be Judge?
Ancient Israelite porn, necessary judgment, atheistic sermons, and a little ol' thing called absolute truth. All this and more on this week's episode of Ekklesia After Hours.
Ekklesia begins the winter sermon series asking this question: What if the culture's biggest critiques of Christianity are God's message for the Church?
What could be better than a couple of nerds giving their opinions on the new Star Wars movie?
WARNINGSPOILERS
How does following Jesus change the way we think about self-preservation and success? And what does all this have to do with waterbeds? Maybe nothing...
Brain caps off the series by revisiting Jeremiah 12:5 and taking another look at the type of race God wants us to run. God promises us greater potential than we would ever be able to achieve on our own.
We are still getting back into the swing of things since Thanksgiving break. So, here's a bonus episode where the crew discusses one particular question that was texted in a couple weeks ago.
Jeremiah chapter 31 gives hope for the nation of Israel to be a blessing for all people. Today, we have the opportunity to join in on sharing that blessing, and it starts with following Jesus.
When we feel like our life disqualifies us from what God wants to do in the world, what does God say to us. We take a look at Jeremiah 18 for answers.
This week the team is missing their intrepid host. But they try to tackle questions from the last few 2 weeks of Ekklesia. We talk about the job description of the prophets, how to hold church structures accountable, and how do we discern voice of God.
God reveals through Jeremiah's story that combatting evil in the world does not first start with doing, but instead begins with resting in the fact that we are known by God.
This week the crew tackles understanding the uniqueness of God's plan and will for our lives.
Julie examines Jeremiah's life of hardship and perseverance in following God's will. She recounts her own experience in training for long distance running and encourages us to avoid taking the easy way out in life.
What’s the difference between Jeremiah and street preachers? Why does God test us? And how can we be disqualified from what God is doing in the world? The answers may be unexpected, but we’re sure you’ve seen Stranger Things.
How might God be using your struggles today to build you up for future work? The new series explores this question and envisions a life that's unrestrained by impossibility.
Tune in this week for a discussion on overcoming transactional culture, skirting moral obligation, and resting without becoming a home-body. It's about to get lit.
What happens when Christian service is understood as a privilege, rather than an obligation? Brian considers this possibility and its implications for Ekklesia.
This week we discuss walking on water, the Glory of God, why Thursday nights matter, and most importantly, pumpkins.
Brian takes over week three to talk about worship at Ekklesia and what it means to give everything to God.
Who do you have in your life that will do anything to get you to Jesus? This week Garret explores what it means to find home in a group of people that has your back.
Garret kicks off the series by taking a look at what a house party with Jesus really looks like. It's hopp'n, and it's happening right now, and everyone is invited.
Julie speaks to us about Goodness, which requires us to come alongside others and working to benefit them for the glory of God.
Jessica Papen talks to us about patience in the midst of a promise in process. Notice: Due to technical difficulties, recording skips to about 4 minutes into the message. We apologize for the inconvenience.
This week we had some technical issues so there is no podcast this week. So it was a one time only event. Sorry if you missed because it was awesome! See you on Thursday.
Ali Savage speaks to us about the way in which Jesus relays that joy is derived not from a lack of pain, but from the promise of hope that is found in the fact that something else is possible.
Ali Moore speaks about how love is rooted in the abiding relationships between Father God, Jesus and us as his children.
We hit the season finale! We reminisce about the year a bit and say goodbye to our intrepid host.
Jon is out and about, Sea Monsters, Gyros, the guiding of philosophy of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and as all ways all the questions from this week.
This week Brian helps us understand how we can learn to date well and become a person that is capable of being in a relationship.
This week Garret gives some things for people who are called to singleness to pursue and some guidelines/questions for people in relationships.
After some techincal difficulties last week, we get all of last weeks and this week's questions answered, fake news is dumb, and we've got some birthdays
We get our first round of questions from Theology of Sex, we realize we could've been rich in the early 2000's, and get a science lessons with Julie
A 6 week series on sex, dating, relationship and faith. This week we look at out the physical act of sex points to a broader and more expansive reality than the act itself.
We're joined by Mileah this week, who spoke last week on the expectations and expectancy of God. You're not gonna want to miss this. Also #ApriltheGiraffe, #nuggsforcarter, Floaty McFloat Face, a new Loud Harp album, and more WA weather complaining
A small review of our Roots series, a look at our Holy Week and Spring series (surprise, it's sex), and of course The Feed.
Second week of a miniseries out of Jeremiah 29. How to grow in a place even if you are just passing thought
We go over our roots in the Ekklesia community, Garret is still all about Kendrick Lamar's new stuff, and Julie found the craziest marathon you can do.
We go over some specifc prayers and feedback we got from the message last week, Garrett realizes he has a bunch of potential new sermon material, and we realize yoga pants are killing the oceans.
Julie pretty much says all the right words, Garrett's real excited about pi day, McBoatface makes a comeback, and cats.
Garret's back from baby leave but not for long, Jon's pretty much ready for kids right now, a personal island gets passed up, and we have our own Gilmore girl now.
We get a double header of questions for Brian and Julie, Garret's back from baby break, and Jon wants a payphone now.
Brian's gymnastic abilities, Jon's Mom helps him out, a bunch of crazy prayers to God, and Garrett and Julie's favorite parts of the Grammies
Facebook Comments, Things God has Rescued or is rescuing us from, Lego Burgers, #snowpocalypse, Patio Furniture, MC Hammer Covers, Skiing Alabama hill and more.
Who is far off and who is near, a look into scripture about what's happening in the world, and your favorite aardvark.
The real reason Brian preaches on things, escalators vs. elevators, and the Feed is still a thing.
We get a bit philosophical, realize we'll always have to introduce Taylor, and we find a way to talk about social media even more with our new segment The Feed. Oh, and the Collide Conference comes up.
Everyone realizes Julie's holidays are the coolest, Garret addresses the disruptions this week, and our bible choice is explained.
Brian speaks on Zechariah's reaction to God's promise to he and his wife -contrasting Zechariah's reaction to Mary's reaction.
We get into why it seems that everything is so political lately, and some of our favorite Christmas songs.
Garret spoke on Mary's song of praise after she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus Christ!
We talk about the space behind the A side and B side, darkness in the world, gyros and falafel, Jon's new band, and the Christmas songs we all really don't like.
Garret speaks to us about God's promise to the Israelites of hope found in the Messiah.
We got one question this week. One. So we try to stretch it before having a scare at the end.
Brian finishes out The Mountaintop series by speaking about what Jesus has to say about building our lives on a solid foundation.
A week after the election, we try to get to the bottom of everything that's going on. Do we? We're not sure.
Garret talks about how Jesus is not afraid of our questions, and invites us to come to him with all that we have to ask. God's answer to humanity's questions is his own presence in Jesus Christ.
Garret and Julie get some affirmation (sorry Brian), and we don't talk about the election.
Garret speaks on the repercussions of judging others and the ways in which judgement displays out lack of trust in God as judge.
Garret's back, Brian and Julie give some clarification on anxiety and depression, and Jon's love of cats comes out.
Brian speaks on what Jesus has to say about worrying. He relays to us that the kind of worry Jesus is referencing is caused by a lack of faith in God, that by worrying like this we are believing that our plan is better than God's plan for our lives.
Brian gets into hearing God speak to him, his favorite N'Sync member, and Jon wants to change his name apparently.
Brian talks to us about what it means to live like we really believe that Earth isn't our final resting place. He talks about storing up our treasures in heaven -where they can't be taken.
Todd King speaks about the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6. He discusses historical context that gives a deeper understanding of what Jesus was teaching people to pray about. He also teaches on how to apply this specific passage into our daily lives.
This week we get into why Garret doesn't have theological women crushes, turning the other cheek in today's culture, and how we view this week's passage and the Old Testament.
Garret speaks about what happens when we start loving like Jesus does and how that plays into our daily lives. He teaches what Jesus has to say about creating a table, rather than a ladder, that includes everyone -even our enemies.
This week we talk about Brian being scared for his life, the need for earplugs, and why we do Thursdays the way we do.
Brian Behrends speaks on what it means to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He points us to how the text tells us WHO we are, rather than what we are supposed to DO. Ekklesia is not, nor will it be, a place that teaches us how to behave so that you can fit into a box that is presentable before Jesus. Our goal is to boldly proclaim the name of Jesus and talks about who we are in the light of who He is. If you believe Jesus is your savior, you ARE the salt and the light.
This is our first Episode of something new we are trying. Every week we going to ask you all to text in questions about what was happening at the Ekklesia Gathering. If you disagree with a point or you are wondering what a certain song lyric means. Or you just want to tell Brian how funny he is ... This is where we field those questions. This week we talk about Parks and Rec, N.T. Wright, Kendrick Lamar, Garret's top 4 theological man crushes, is the gospel of Jesus for vampires, 27 Dresses and Elton John. It is 15 minutes of fun....
Garret speaks on the organization of the upside-down Kingdom that Jesus brought into this world. He examines the Beatitudes that Jesus shares, the blessings that people receive when they turn toward Jesus as their personal Savior. Jesus did not come to create a religious ladder for his followers to climb, instead he came to create a level table, where every single person who calls on him has a seat.Special Thanks Goes out to Aaron Loy out at Mosaic Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska from whom Garret drew heavily for this message. Check out his message here (https://youtu.be/Ii4OfL4QU9A) Also... check out the "Divine Conspiracy" by Dallas Willard where Garret got all those quotes.
Julie and Garret are wrapping up with the sixth and final episode of a special run of podcasts for Ekklesia's series on Race and Gender Roles called "Walls Torn Down." This week Julie and Garret tackle the questions that came up: Why do different cultures have different "kinds of church"? What are other points we would want to address in the future around these two topics. What would we do differently during this series in the future. Things that we learned personally during this series. What was the overall experience for the speakers during this series.
Julie and Garret are back this week in the fifth episode of a special run of podcasts for Ekklesia's series on Race and Gender Roles called "Walls Torn Down." This week Julie and Garret tackle the questions that came up: Why being “Color Blind” to people's racial identity is not a biblical nor wise strategy for addressing racial injustice. Even though we are not qualified to comment what-so-ever it doesn't stop us from giving some practical advice for addressing systematic injustice in education. How people with racial privilege can simultaneously can be the primary perpetuator and the most effective change agent of racial injustice. Why the emoji waterfall crying emoji is the best way to say you are upset with a message.
Julie and Garret are back this week with our special guest from last week Fred Hartsook in the fourth episode of a special run of podcasts for Ekklesia's series on Race and Gender Roles called "Walls Torn Down." This week Julie, Garret and Fred tackle the questions that came up: What does a vulnerability hang over feel like? How does it feel that a history with pain born out of racial difference is encouraging people? What is the main thing that Fred would want a person of color who doesn't follow Jesus to know about race and what the church is trying to do to address racial justice. Is there ever an appropriate time or a deep enough friendship that it is OK for a person with privilege to tell racial jokes, make fun of someones ethnic heritage or appearance?
Fred continues our series on race and gender roles called "Walls Torn Down." He tell about his experience as a person of color in predominatley white church contexts.
Julie and Garret are back this week in the third episode of a special run of podcasts for Ekklesia's series on Race and Gender Roles called "Walls Torn Down." This week Garret and Julie tackle the questions that came up: How do men support women in ministry? How does what we established help us address gender inequality outside the church? Why were all the disciples men (we actually get to it finally)? Why the "humaness" of the bible doesn't take away from its "God breathedness"? How does someone live out their feminism in a way that looks like Jesus? Intersectionality (again)....
Julie and Garret are back this week in the second episode of a special run of podcasts for Ekklesia's series on Race and Gender Roles. This week Garret and Julie tackle the questions that came up: Where does the idea that Women can’t be pastors or speak in church come from? Can a women be a lead pastors? Why Julie didn’t deal with passages like 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 14 that seem to prohibit women from speaking in a church setting? Does drawing attention the sex of the speaker take away from God being the center of attention? Are you welcome if you don’t agree with what is being presented? How do you deal with people who don’t think that social justice is something christians should be concerned with?
This is the first in a temporary run of podcasts for our series on Race and Gender Roles. This week Garret and Julie tackle the questions that came up: Why this message used simultaneously too much scripture and not enough. Why it caused people to be simultaneously thankful and angry. Why Garret actually preached two messages in one and seems to have a pathological inability to speak with his 35 min self imposed time limit. Why this message said to much about privilege and got people lost but also not enough. Why we are not going to be touching on intersectionality, historic injustices in church history, economic privilege and national privilege.
Brian takes us deeper into our series in Psalm 100, by first helping us understand the joy that comes from the Gospel.
Kevin continues our series in the Psalms this summer by teaching us what it really means to 'Taste and see that the Lord is good'.
Garret continues our series on the Psalms this summer as he takes us into Psalm 40 this week.
Brian takes us through what it means to be fully honest with God in order to experience being fully known and fully loved, as revealed by David in Psalm 142.
Julie shows us how we can respond when good things happen to bad people, based on Psalm 37.
Listen as Garret talks about Jesus predicting his death for the third time with his disciples.
Mark takes us through the interaction of Jesus and the rich young man in Mark 10:17-31 and what it means to give up everything to and for Jesus.
Garret concludes of the 5 week series on the story of the two brothers. We look at Karl Barth's interpretation of this story and how that tells we like Jesus go into the far country to bring back all the wandering sons back into the loving embrace of the father.
Derek takes us through what it means to be a prodigal church based off of the Parable of the Two Lost Sons from Luke 15:11-32
Brian discusses the character of The Wandering Son in relation to the extravagant love of the Father that always welcomes us home.
Listen as Garret dives into the character of The Brother in the Parable of the Two Sons from Luke 15:11-32.
Garret kicks off our 6-week series, PROD[ek]GAL, by diving into the character the Loving Father from the Parable of the Two Lost Sons in Luke 11:15-32.
Garret discusses the meaning and implications of Jesus' last supper as told in Mark 14:12-25 as Holy Week begins.
Brian takes us through what the Bible has to say about divorce, reconciliation, and redemption.
Series speakers answer the questions that were texted in during our 5 week Theology of Sex series.
Why does the Bible put boundaries around sex? What are some practical boundaries for people who call themselves Jesus followers?
Why do Christians get married? What is the point of a marriage? What if you are called to be single? Why do Christians believe it is important to only have one partner?
Why do relationships exist? What does this have to do with the Trinity? What are the elements of a holistic relationship?
Molly Martin explores what it means to live in the presence of a Living God, and how to serve in light of that knowledge.
Fred Hartsook walks us through the story of Jesus healing a possessed boy, the faith of a father, and the importance of approaching the Lord in a posture of humble prayer.
Todd King explores the implications of Jesus' transfiguration on the importance of listening to Jesus, surrendering our ways to His, and understanding Him as the central figure of our faith.
Brian Behrends takes a look at a familiar Christmas story and helps us see that an experience with Jesus causes us to respond in joyous praise, like the angels, and contemplation, like Mary.
Garret Shelsta talks about how the birth of Jesus' birth shows us how to have joy in the midst of political turmoil, darkness and broken politics. The way of following Jesus is different from following the rulers of this world.
Julie Burleson gets us to the end of Mark 8. She walks us through what it means in the midst of our doubts and concerns to take up our cross and follow Jesus.
Brian takes a look at healing story which happens in stages and helps us see our experience with Jesus is a process and helps us see that our view of who God is must get expanded.
Garret talks about Jesus' warning to the disciples about the Pharisee's and Herod's misunderstanding of the Kingdom that Jesus is inaugurating. The conversation ends with a question. What is the misconception you have about Jesus that needs to be replaced.
Garret Shelsta shared on Jesus feeding the four thousand, how He takes your not enough and turns it into enough, and how he is using the church to confront the things that break Jesus' heart.
Brian Behrends talks about how transforming encounters with the Jesus naturally cause a response to tell others about what just happened.
This week Garret Shelsta talks about Mark 7:24-30 and how Jesus’ message is offensive to religious people because it brings outsiders into an active life with God. Also the text points out that if our spiritual life seems to be stagnant maybe the missing piece is being on mission with God.
Garret Shelsta talks about how being part of the Christian Culture is not enough to Heal a heart that is Sick. Only Jesus can do that.
Ekklesia Sermon 9/25: Garret Shelsta taught about how Acts 2 invites all of Creation to co-work with God to restore all things back to God.