Axiom Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
Axiom Church
Sunday talks as well as conversations about what Jesus is up to in our hearts, the community, and the world.
How do we honor the past and bless our future? This is the guiding question as we wade through the waters of our church’s history. While at times its feels as if we are still just a fledging community trying to find our way, we are called to stand firmly in the tradition of Christ and his love for neighbor and enemy. In this series we will look to the wisdom of our parents and our past so that we might make the most of tomorrow.
In the melting pot of community and the vigilance of inclusion a door was left opened at a modest church in the northwest valley and in walked an unlikely. It was there amongst a people (Copper Hills Church) that a dream was born out of the experience of Gods embrace in the wake of broken dreams. This week we explore how the church is to partner with one another in making disciples.
Real love is risky. It requires us to go beyond our comfort zone at times and other times to stay on the porch. Thankfully Jesus puts this kind of love on display and has gifted us with wonderful examples in our own past to help us see the love but also to receive it and give it too.
Turns out the goal of spiritual formation isn’t formation itself, it is a deeper intimacy with Jesus. This week Gavin will sit down with long time friend and guide Steve Riemer to discuss the role of spiritual formation and more specifically the journey of walking with Jesus and others.
Not always has the church understood the richness of the Kingdom. Often in histories past we have thought the Kingdom to be something we had to construct by military power and at other times it was thought to be exclusively a heavenly ideal. Thankfully our parent church held a deep affection for the King and His Kingdom in more ways then one. We were forced to rethink salvation, mission, prayer, and even the way we go about the mundane practices of our day. All of it matters to the King.
We have longed as a community since our conception to see and know more deeply the Spirit. Let us pray, “fill us with your Spirit”. This series we will take an in depth look at life in the Spirit and how that might shape and form the culture of our community. Can we be summoned out of passivity and into the activity of God?
We have longed as a community since our conception to see and know more deeply the Spirit. Let us pray, “fill us with your Spirit”. This series we will take an in depth look at life in the Spirit and how that might shape and form the culture of our community. Can we be summoned out of passivity and into the activity of God?
We have longed as a community since our conception to see and know more deeply the Spirit. Let us pray, “fill us with your Spirit”. This series we will take an in depth look at life in the Spirit and how that might shape and form the culture of our community. Can we be summoned out of passivity and into the activity of God?
Responding to a question submitted and discussing our current series "Fill Us With Your Spirit"
We have longed as a community since our conception to see and know more deeply the Spirit. Let us pray, “fill us with your Spirit”. This series we will take an in depth look at life in the Spirit and how that might shape and form the culture of our community. Can we be summoned out of passivity and into the activity of God?
We have longed as a community since our conception to see and know more deeply the Spirit. Let us pray, “fill us with your Spirit”. This series we will take an in depth look at life in the Spirit and how that might shape and form the culture of our community. Can we be summoned out of passivity and into the activity of God?
Convinced that he is doing the work of God, Paul is blindsided on his way to persecute the followers of the Way.
We sat down with our amazing friend Stacy Knapp who works for RYFO as a missionary/artist chaplain and talked about her story, history as a DJ, her heart for artists and debriefed a little on her sermon from Sunday. You can listen to her sermon by going back to the previously uploaded podcast episode!
Stacy talks about the space of honesty and doubt that Thomas finds himself in through encountering the risen Christ. We apologize for the mic cutting out a few times due to technical issues. Thanks!
Sometimes the really disorienting places are the very places where Jesus meets us. We just need a little bit of hospitality to the possibility of surprise.
Micah spent a few minutes talking with our friend Nick. He spent 5 years as a missionary in Japan before he came to be a part of our Axiom Church family and is an all around awesome guy!
We talk about this season we find ourselves in at Axiom, a little update on Wild Earth, and address some recent questions about "christian liberties".
The Great Commission as we know it needs to be reimagined in light the absence of discipleship in the church today. This Great Immersion is the inauguration of a Royal Embassy and a calling for all people into a revolution, wherever they are, as they go to practice the Way of Jesus.
No one expected Resurrection! Easter is our great celebration ringing in the announcement of victory over death in a way no one ever thought could happen.
We are joined by our friend from Axiom, George Trinafoff, in a conversation about the subject of orthodoxy.
Jesus invites us into the inevitable sorrow but with the assurance and promise that Joy will overcome all sorrow!
Rick takes us through John 15:18-27 and Jesus's warning to His friends of the cost of following Him and His commands to love.
The spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to face temptations and face the darkness. What can we learn from the practices of Jesus that inspire the season of lent?
Every great migration eventually takes us back to where we began but this time we find ourselves truly there for the first time.
Along the way we realize that our migration has been all about the scenery. We have focused on the externals, the church, the leadership, the doctrine, and activity only to find that this longing to get home requires that we look deep inside. Now with the Guide we begin to look inward, questioning, doubting, barely holding on and often with a sense of falling apart. The hardest part of the journey has just begun.
Home is somewhere north but north is like half the planet. So, which road do we take? So much hope and possibilities in the beginning, so much luggage to take and so many maps willing to point the way. And yet with all these detours and dreams we are left feeling empty handed arriving at the same dead end again. This week we will learn the paradox that all roads are connected and yet all have their ends. What’s really needed is not another road but a guide.
Our bittersweet beginnings are the realization that we are not where we will be, but right where we have to be. Call it homesick. Having found ourselves in a distant land and awakened to a new sense of alienation our longings begin.
This is part 1 of our 2 part vision series for 2019. As we've followed Jesus's call into Old Town Peoria, we now take a look at what it means to fulfill our ministry where God has us as settlers and pioneers!
This is a Lectio Divina aka "divine reading" meditation formed by Jan Johnson's advent devotional book Taste & See and scored by Wild Earth's new version of the song "Silent Night." We hope this will bless you and enhance your experience of Christ in this season of Advent and Christmas. It is recommended to experience Lectio Divina somewhere comfortable and free from distractions. Merry Christmas!
Lectio Divina means "divine reading" and is an ancient form of reading scripture in contemplation and prayer. We highly recommend listening while in solitude or away from distractions. Content provided by Jan Johnson's book Taste And See. Reading by Leigh Older.
No more let sins and sorrow grow Nor thorns infest the ground He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found
Week 2 Advent Lectio Divina meditation. Content derived from Jan Johnson's advent devotion book "Taste & See". Read by Denise Dynes.
Joy to the Earth, The Saviour reigns; Let Men their Songs employ; While Fields & Floods, Rocks, Hills & Plains Repeat the sounding Joy.
Joy to the World; The Lord is come; Let Earth receive her King: Let every Heart prepare him Room, And Heaven and Nature sing.
We prepare room in our hearts to worship Jesus.
Gavin & Micah respond to 4 questions that were submitted on the "Question Everything" page on the Axiom App.
There are few stories more disturbing than this.... Jephthah, a social outcast from a broken home, is possessed by God’s Spirit and makes a brash promise to God. He proclaims that he will sacrifice a human being in order to gain a victory. In the end, Jephthah’s promise forces him into a position where he must sacrifice his only daughter in order to fulfill that promise. In the midst of this tragedy there is the character of Jephthah’s daughter, who willing submits to this brutal act. What’s worse: God allows the sacrifice to happen. Jesus says he is everywhere in scripture, so where is he in this? Although the story is tragic, we find in the person of Jephthah’s daughter the Spirit of Christ typified. In her willing surrender to death, we see Jesus himself revealed, the innocent one who dies for the sake of broken sinners...
In the erotic language of the Song of Solomon Christian commentators have often found a metaphor for the deep, intimate relationship between Jesus and the Church, or Jesus and individual believers (in fact, this is where the romantic language found in modern worship songs finds its precedence). In fact, Jesus repeatedly refers to himself as the “bridegroom”.... So, how do we find Jesus in this romance poem? Can we see Jesus as our lover?
We respond to the question asked "Does Axiom Do Alter Calls?" Submit your questions on the Axiom Church app!
Jacob is alone one evening, stressed by the prospect of having to confront his estranged brother. Wait, no. Really, he is terrified. Terrified that his brother Esau is on his way to try to kill him. As he waits by the river for his brother, a strange man comes to Jacob in the night and wrestles with him. In the end, Jacob gets things to a stalemate and ends up with the new name, Israel; or, “he who wrestles with God.” Jesus is the incarnate, or embodied presence of God in the world, so can this moment by the river help us affirm Jesus to be the God who allows human beings to wrestle with him and to doubt?
Short answers to questions submitted by the community. This week's question was "What is the Mennonite Brethren and are we considered an evangelical church?" Submit more questions on the Axiom Church App or on our facebook page!
John 1 makes it clear, Jesus was there in the very beginning of all Creation. He was the Word by which all things were spoken into being. Here we find Jesus as present in the myriad workings of the world. He is the cosmic Christ, the eternally existent one. What can this moment in the OT affirm about his presence in the rest of scripture, and in our own lives?
It has been found that playing familiar music to individuals with advanced Alzheimer’s has the ability to suddenly awaken and reclaim their humanity and ability to connect with others. Yet on the other hand, studies on the sense of hearing refer to it as the “achille’s ear” due to its inferior ability in creating long term memories. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear...” Jesus repeats this phrase and many similar statements throughout the gospel narratives. Why the emphasis on hearing, on listening? As we curiously examine this sense and it’s spiritual implications, we can find grounding in the ambiguous phrase: “hearing God.”
We were asked what the relationship between Axiom Church and Driftwood Coffee was and why it wasn't just called Axiom. Micah & Gavin respond! Submit your questions on the Axiom Church app under "Question Everything" or on our social media pages!
The idea of using our feelings to experience God, seems to invite some polarization in the greater church community: one side engulfed in emotionally intense spiritual experiences and the other entirely stoic and cerebral. But when we look into God’s design of the human body’s somatosensory system—the sense of touch or feel—we are invited to see the role of our emotions in an exciting new way.
In this opening week of the Divine Senses we will make a case for experiencing God with our whole being not just through our thought life and intellect. We will explore questions like; if we trust our minds with God to begin a relationship through knowledge can we not begin to trust the process of our mind at work in our senses to experience God too?
In a world that's not sorry until it's confronted or caught, the church was designed to be the people who regularly begin with confession. It's time for the church to own it's stuff.
Why isn't the church the most hopeful people on the planet? When the world looks to us do they see hope? What's wrong with the gospel if it doesn't lead us to hope well?
Mike talks about his personal journey dealing with bitterness and anger and moving towards ownership.
One narrative says, “Christians are no different than the rest of the world”. The other narrative says, “Christians are peculiar”. What is true is that the bride of Christ is called to be an oddity in this world. Set apart so to speak. While this set apartness has often been described through virtues of love, honesty, peace etc….these are not exclusive terms for the bride. So what is the real difference? What makes us genuinely peculiar?
Jesus commands us to love our neighbor but why? It's not always easy, but somehow because of His love for us, we are able to somehow radically love others. Our BECAUSE series continues w/ Ross Bentley!
Who is Jesus to introduce a "new" commandment? We like to say "Jesus has all authority" but does he really in our lives? What does following Jesus look like in light of the new commandment he gives?
Micah & Gavin debrief on Axiom's event, Resonant. They answer some questions that were submitted and Gavin talks through the next part of Philippians 2:19-30.
The surprising roots of the first church in Europe provide an incredible witness to what community can be today. A story of a unified commitment no matter the cost for the sake of the gospel.
Its hard to find today those that are gifted in dealing with their problems and loving their enemies. We are so quick to judge and be suspicious of others. This week we will take a look at what it means to "adult" with our heart and words in response to Jesus’ command to love our enemies. What's going on at the heart level that is keeping us from our most primal practice of communication? Can we not rise above this? Yes! The struggle is real but its time to be different in how talk and resolve conflict.
Parenting is part of Gods design. It also happens to be the second command given in all of scripture. Today however, we find that people are parenting less and less. Whether giving up their kids, not having children, or choosing to let youtube raise them…we have have some parenting problems. Where did these problems come from? What does it look like to parent well and to enjoy it too?
Statistics would suggest we really like marriage. They would also suggest were not really good at it either. What is it about marriage that is so powerful? It draws us in and calls us to do some of the craziest things in love. In the world it often looks like; debt, moving in before were hitched, sex before dating and so on. That’s crazy! But the biblical model is crazy too, and even more powerful. This week we will look at just how crazy good, marriage can be when #adulting. (Unfortunately due to technical problems the first 5 minutes of this sermon were not recorded, we apologize for the error!)
Responsibility. Ironically, it’s the first thing we are called to be “responsible” to. It’s the first command of scripture and yet it’s the last one we like to follow. The beauty of this command though is that it is also the most fulfilling calling we have when #adulting.
Gavin follows up from Sundays sermon to address James 1:6-8 when it comes to struggling with doubt.
Keeping the faith alive for some is easy and for others it is hard. This is largely due to circumstantial reasons and how we are wired. Some people simply don’t need to question their faith and others do. The challenge and irony is; a faith not in question isn’t really a solid center. Think about it. For those that have locked in their reasons for their faith could be building on misguided constructs. There certainly is a level of bliss for such faith but it shouldn’t come at the price of “moveless” mountains. Good faith is tested and reliable even when we dare to doubt. It is small but powerful.
What is the Gospel? You've probably heard it stated different ways. Or maybe you've only ever heard it one way? Is the Gospel you've been sharing good news and has it transformed your life? We discuss this and more. Links: The Diving Conspiracy by Dallas Willard https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Conspiracy-Rediscovering-Hidden-Life-ebook/dp/B001RS8KRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520552070&sr=8-1&keywords=the+divine+conspiracy+by+dallas+willard Reunion by Bruxy Cavey https://www.amazon.com/Reunion-Jesus-Seekers-Saints-Sinners/dp/1513801392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520552122&sr=8-1&keywords=reunion+by+bruxy+cavey Ryne Norman and Wild Earth Concert 3/15 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ryne-norman-red-mountain-album-release-w-wild-earth-ike-ndolo-and-dogsyawn-tickets-42284513117?aff=es2 http://axiomchurchaz.com
Ross Bentley takes us into the next part of the story as Jesus is arrested and Peter denies Jesus. Listen along!
Sometimes the path of following Jesus takes us places we don't want to go. When we grow in our faith to trust and follow Him anyways we experience the power of faith!
Gavin and Micah discuss the story from chapter 14 of Mark where Jesus is arrested and all of a sudden...there's a naked guy running to hide!? There are many theories of what that's all about.
The culmination of a plot to kill, the faithfulness of Christ, the confusion the disciples and their final moments together with their king have arrived. The context is rich in conflict and abandon, none of which any but Jesus could stand to see coming.
The Axiom team discusses the theology of space with their friend and brilliant architect, Christoph Kaiser!
http://www.kaiserworks.com http://axiomchurchaz.com
The setting for worship couldnt be further from our minds when we think of worship. This is at a table amongst Jesus’ peers as they are celebrating Passover and here enters a women amongst men to do what her heart compels her to do. She has come at a great cost but it has not gone unnoticed by Jesus.
Our world is in trouble and communication is at the center of our struggle. Have you ever heard the phrase that everyone is talking but no one is saying anything? This week we will examine the tension of our want to speak and our need to listen and then explore the space that Jesus is present in. Our hope is that as we experience Jesus in the simplicity of silence we can face the noise with love.
It is always easier said then done, or so they say? Something is wrong with that statement. It is an acknowledgement of our non-freedom. Our stuff, our possessions, our schedules, or relationships…all of it seems to be controlling our lives to some degree. Can we not have freedom from our “stuff”, whatever it is? I believe we can.
Any attempt to quantify or measure the words of Jesus in predictions of His return should be likened to your own horoscope. The consistent theme is no one knows, so be faithful and always expectant. Christ will return, be alert!
Days of tribulation are ahead for his followers. Jesus crys out for them and warns them to run. Up to this point he has told them to stand their ground but now they must know when its time to run. The end is near, not the end of the world just their world.
What may impress us does not empress Jesus. In this text on the side of mountain Jesus responds to the allure of the Temple. He is not impressed. He speaks to its coming demise and in response, his followers ask for a sign. Jesus instead gives them something better, discernment. Then he tells them what is truly impressive.
The heart of Axiom is a heart to pioneer in ways of following Jesus and reaching those that are marginalized or disenchanted by religion. To see this through requires faithfulness to follow Jesus in community with others. Listen to a part of our talk from Vision Sunday!
Our relationship with pleasure is often one of enslavement. We will do whatever we have to do in order to come by it. But what if Heavens hobbies were just that, hobbies. Things we get to freely participate in that leave us pleased with the work and toil that lay before us. Pleasure, seems to never fully satisfy. It always leaves us chasing its tail and dangerously so. This week will look at how to place our pleasure as a practice of investing in Heaven now.
This goes beyond the need to halt the hurry. We need to learn to hush the headache too. Sabbath isn’t a matter of luxury it a necessity for Heaven now. We have lost our respect for the Law of God and His affection for our well-being. Salvaging the Sabbath is a rescue mission for every corner of our life. Without Sabbath we can not experience today the glorious power and riches of Jesus Christ.
When we invest in a shipwreck, we’re forced to hold on to the driftwood. Its not easy letting go of the only things we think are keeping us a float. However, we were created to float. The challenge of Heaven is to let go of the temporary in exchange for the eternal. Jesus provides away out of our desperation and anxiety and into his Peace and eternal pleasure.
We are called to follow. That is really hard sometimes. God has gifted us with abilities and talents, of strengths and weaknesses, we are created in his image, aren't we? Yes, but it isn't "us", it is "God through us". It is so easy to get caught up in what we can do for ourselves, even through what God has gifted us in. But what we lose sight of is what we are capable of. We are called to follow Him, just as the early disciples were. They learned and grew while watching his every move, every word, and every decision. Looking back at stories from the OT we see Joshua and Moses following God. The situations that they were in would have been impossible on their own, even with their talents and abilities. However, knowing that through God they are capable of much more, we see them triumph in miraculous ways. We are called to spread the light, to reflect the light, to share the light, not to be the light. Our own pride can creep in and cloud this truth. We need to stay steadfast in our pursuit of God, and then, we will be able to live in the Kingdom, where we can the life we are capable of, through Him.
We've identified a few idols that can creep into the church. What now? How do we stay aware of idols that can be found all throughout our lives? What do our idols do to avoid being discovered? If God truly is our King and only source of fulfillment and love are we willing to do the hard and sometimes painful work of identifying and starving what gets in the way?
Perhaps we can be blind to the idolization of our own preferences and comfort. We're willing to experience others only until it feels a bit awkward, uncomfortable or even wrong. John unpacks Peter's experience in Acts 10 where God broke down his cultural walls of preference to allow him to see what God sees. It's time to tip the sacred cow of culture preference and be open to the ways God might desire to change us when we open ourselves up to the "other".
Its odd, I know but we love sin. Have you ever noticed its easier to see the sin of others than it is to see it in yourself? Why is that? Perhaps its hiding behind something we think is good but deep down is corrupt. The devastation of sin is not simply an offense of cause and effect it is its ability to manipulate your mind. We take aim at the act while the heart goes unnoticed and for some time. We sow for ourselves habits of the heart while we keep the exteriors polished. But the shinier they become the harder it is to surrender as any idol is.
Gavin and Micah discuss what's come up while searching their hearts in how to respond to the intense and important current events.
http://axiomchurchaz.com Music by WILD EARTH http://wildearthmusic.com
The way that we love God is through worship. The way that we get others to love us is through performance. Here We find that Jesus desires to free us from our critiques in exchange for His acceptance. He reminds us that our salvation is not from being approved but by His grace.
Short answer, yep! Sure have, sure did. Who hasn’t? At first glance this questions seems unfair. But what if the aim of this question isn’t to illuminate your weak points but to highlight His strength? Perhaps us doubters need to focus on these very things.
On the surface this seems like a silly question. Of coarse people wanted to be healed. That being said, its important to know that Jesus asked questions for different reasons than we do. He is not after the obvious answer. Instead he desires to cause us to pause and reflect. To be true to ourselves. In this passage we find a man in need of help but he needs much for then that. Sometimes we think we just need this one thing fixed or maybe two when in fact what we need is something different all together.
Jesus ends his most famous sermon on this very teaching. A question of Lordship and obedience. Jesus leaves this work with us reflecting on our foundation; specifically what have we built our faith on?
Most teachers had many answers and no questions. Jesus had many questions and few answers. In fact, with his questions he was not looking for answers but something else all together. Turns out, all of Jesus teaching and ministry was passionately pursuing something else all together. This week will talk all about it.
You are not far from the Kingdom of God would be chilling and exciting words to hear from Jesus. After a long line of battles with different religious leaders one more leader steps forward. This mystery Scribe “affirms” Jesus after hearing him verbally take his friends to school. Interestingly it took just one to agree to silence the rest of the opposition. Now Jesus begins to teach unhendered by the other leaders in the room.
Enter the Sadducees, a new breed of religious leaders. For them they found the Pharisees teachings to be at best strange innovations and Jesus teaching to be outright heresy. For the Sadducees they have rejected all others including the rabbinic traditions. They believe in neither angels nor resurrection and so what they have been hearing about Jesus cant be true. Pause. We might have something in common with them. They are skeptical of the biggest claims. The challenge they have to overcome is are they still asking the question or are their questions aimed at disproving and making those that believe in such things feel stupid. This week we will take a closer look at the resurrection ourselves.
A desperate attempt to trap Jesus with his own words proves to be foolish. While the Pharisees set out with intention to do so, the intention isn’t necessarily required for all to fall short themselves. We play the game in or own ways, with our own stuff, and for our own purposes. This malice move proves to be revealing of their hearts & motives. This text ought to at minimum leave us peering into the motive of our own hearts and at most marveled with what God is doing within us. This passage and the last seem to be picking up a common theme of conflict between man and God as relates to what belongs to who.
Have you ever known someone who was a “sore loser” ha, this is precisely the predicament the religious leaders find themselves. They have long lost their intended calling and Jesus has now come as the truly qualified one. This is good news for those that are listening in, “marvelous in our eyes”. The rejection that Jesus foreshadows is on the shoulders of the leaders not those they were supposed to be carrying for. Now with a new leader, how will we respond? Or will we ourselves aim low for something less then what God intends.
Simeon shares what Jesus has been doing in his heart and how that relates with his and our mission.
The previous Sunday we "Debriefed" our The Show Must Go On series w/ a panel of leaders in open dialogue and live feed questions. Naturally there wasn't enough time to acknowledge all of the comments and questions from our community so Lance and Micah spent some time revisiting them.
At the close God Epic Told…The Show Must Go On. We see here that the centuries of Gods work in history has not been for nothing. It has been for what it started out to be, peace on earth. The heavens have been joined once and for all with a renewed earth and there is no shame.
From the earliest days of the church until today we see the movement of God leap forward and back. Its seems to be a perplexing apologetic of the church. Here we are and yet there are now new challenges and new struggles that are different than before. How is it that Gods story is continuing in the midst of so much confusion? It’s easy to throw our hands up in disbelief but our invitation is to stick to the story of God. To find him in the midst of the growing pains.
A movement is stirred up amongst the followers of Jesus. Upon Jesus ascension the church is released to bless the world and bring about the kingdom. This chapter we will look at the early formation of this community.
The wait is over. God takes center stage once again in this chapter of rescue. He comes as a child after 400 years of silence and anticipation. God comes to dwell amongst us in the person of Jesus. He shows the way of love, announces the arrival of His Kingdom and conquers death by resurrection. On this Easter morning we will look at how Jesus life, death & resurrection change our story. Religion is not life (Matt 22:35-40), death is not the end (John 12:27-33) and hope is not lost (Matthew 28:16-20).
During this part of our story Israel continues in their slavery, its not just with the Assyria and Babylon but with their idols and actions. A King has proven to be less then adequate for restoration to be profitable. Truth be told we don’t profit on kings but on our King in heaven.
We discuss the part of God's narrative where "Kingdoms" are established. The only problem is that these kingdoms were not part of his original intent as he wants his kingdom to be established on earth as it is in heaven over the kingdoms of our world. What does it mean to acknowledge our misplaced trust and hope in these different kingdoms vs. the Kingdom of Jesus?
What's true in history past is still true today. God has made himself available to us and yet we still rely on religion and government to accommodate ourselves. Our Father's story gives us an opportunity to think alternatively. Both religion and government can be a good thing of course unless they take precedence over the true authority that has our best in mind; intimacy with God.
We like to think circumstances are everything. “If I can just make this happen all will be good.” That is usually the loudest voice on the mental committee anyways. This voice comes as a result likely of a good desire! The desire to restore our brokenness with God. Problem is we need more than good circumstances, good intentions or good strategies. For “good” to be again, we need Gods help. Grace is sufficient but unfortunately for this season of our story we exchanged the gift of grace for the struggle! We choose to get up and struggle again and again with a God who loves us.
What does clothing and death have in common? Strange question right. Yeah, turns out they go hand in hand. In this second chapter of The Show Must Go On we see how our realization of our flesh is the birthing point of our death. Plot Twist! This divine judgment comes by our own volition with a little help from a surprise character not previously mentioned in our story.
When you look at this world what do you see? In the beginning God made this world and reflected that it was “good”. From then to now is a long time. But it is possible and perhaps necessary for us to see what God saw on that day if we hope at all to be apart of something good. Lets be honest there is a lot of bad and it’s easy to see. Some fresh perspective on humanities first story might be good for us.
Brent Thomas was an early shaper of Axiom. Brent has a gift of articulating the story of God and it's intersection with our lives in the flow of Gospel, Mission, and Community.
Gavin and Micah answer some questions from "debrief sunday" a few weeks back from their hotel room while in Fresno for the Multiply Conference!
The disciples notice that the fig tree Jesus cursed is withered and Jesus teaches about faith.
Gavin and a few Axiom leaders have an open Q&A discussion to unpack the "Elevating Christ" series!
What would it mean for Christ to actually shepherd us in our daily life as "the good shepherd" He says He is? Gavin talks about elevating Christ as Shepherd.
"the Son of Man came eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners". Gavin discusses how we see and elevate Jesus as a friend of sinners aka, a friend to us.
Gavin expresses excitement for the new series beginning called "elevating christ" which leads to a further discussion on the role of the sermon and more.
Take some time with your friends, family or alone to listen to this reflection Lance Linderman put together. We invite you to get comfortable, write down the questions and any thoughts that you have. Hopefully this is a blessing to help focus this day on Jesus.
I wonder if what really makes the "3 wise men" wise is that their only pursuit in the scriptures was Jesus. What's amazing is that when they find him in all the "wrong ways" for a king to found they worship him and give up their wealth for him. When Herod had self interest the wise men had authentic interest in the true King.
Gavin talks through Jesus's descent into Jerusalem. His plans don't align with his disciples. We ask the question "What does it mean for you to follow Jesus?"
Gavin discusses Mark's passage where Jesus speaks about divorce and the hardness of hearts
Denise Dynes and Kendall Linderman join us to discuss the topic of women in church and offer some first-hand perspective. http://axiomchurchaz.com http://theliturgists.com podcast episode "Woman" referenced in this episode
God is the only context in which our being makes since. Its here that the incarnation begins to do its formative work. The profound irony here is that discovering our self is a process of following a God who is self sacrificing. The makeover we so long for is actually who we were really made to be. Nothing else will be sufficiently fulfilling. This is not “self-fulfillment” of coarse as many teach but the discovering of our true self in Christ alongside the discovery of God.
We discuss the church's role in the cosmic war in light of Jesus and his behavior towards Satan and the demonic.
Everything Jesus did was an act of war against the principalities of darkness. What does Jesus have to say about the spiritual battle and his victory over it?
The activity and origin of Satan is one of strange proportion. He certainly does not stand alone in opposition to God but he does at least “standout” as the chief adversary. As the one who cheerleads evil, where does that leave God in relationship to Satan and the well being of His creation? Job 1 gives us our clearest picture of the relationship between the two and what kind of garden they seek to grow. Its hear in this series that we hope to discuss the problem of evil, the plans of Satan, and a God who opposes this.
Discussions of nature, the bible and biblicism, our newest series about spiritual warfare, as well as highlights of upcoming shows and music from Royaltides and Micah Bentley
Like it or not, there is a cosmic battle at play beneath the surface of our material world. This is the biblical backdrop all through scripture.
Gavin shares for Axiom's 3rd birthday about the celebratory good news of Jesus affecting the present space
The Axiom Staff talks about their thoughts and encounters recently with prayer, politics, and pioneering. They also highlight some recent events and things to come in the community!
Music heard
Table Top Joe http://tabletopjoe.bandcamp.com
Wild Earth http://wildearthmusic.com
An original reflection, song and guided prayer exercise focused on the character of Christ
Gavin talks about how prayer is the way we have relationship with God and where we begin to go about it. James 5:13, Proverbs 4:23, 1 Thess 5:16-17, Matt 11:28-30
Brad Klassen, pastor of Copper Hills Church, blessed and encouraged us reading through 1 Corinthians 15:1-10
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Micah and Gavin met up with long time friend, mentor and pastor at Lighthouse Community Church in Long Island, NY and had a conversation in Central Park!
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Gavin asks Butch and Micah some hard questions regarding function of worship teams and more
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