The Acoma Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Acoma Podcast
Ben and Adam discuss the various groups ministry opportunities available to the people of Calvary Englewood. Join a group with us this fall!
Jessica is on the podcast! Jessica Evans, our co worker, our friend, and the very hub of the wheel of everything that happens at Calvary Englewood, is our guest on this week's episode with Ben. They discuss discerning the call to global mission as Jessica prepares to move to Nantes, France next year.
Ben and Adam apologize, provide some updates, and cast vision for future episodes and seasons. Then they offer some various updates one what they've been doing while not following through with recording more podcast episodes. We're back in the saddle and ready to roll!
How do we evaluate if we should pursue baptism? And how walk through the baptism evaluation process with our kids? Mark and Adam discuss 4 markers to look for in both adults and kids.
The idea of "living your truth" has become popular across many corners of culture. Mark, Ben, and Adam discuss that stance in comparison with the Bible's position on truth, as well as how to interact with people who hold this view.
December is upon us! As this season comes every year, it's an opportunity to ask ourselves not only what this season is about, but how our lives and hearts should respond. How should December look for Christians specifically?
Ben & Adam are back with a fun episode! Fun, stupid, informative, you be the judge. They discuss winter activities they're looking forward to now that the weather is getting colder.
The guys discuss Christian cliches this week, how they're true in part and false in part. How do we apply good doctrine to these and look at them with a truly Biblical lens? Are they all bad? Are the all good?
The guys talk about some secular cliches that seem like generally accepted wisdom. What do they look like in light of scripture? Thanks to Brent Phillip for the episode idea, and feel free to send your other topic ideas and questions to podcast@thecalvary.org.
Ben & Adam discuss the vision for Discipleship Nights, our newest ministry at Calvary Englewood. What are they, and why should you consider signing up? Spoiler, you should sign up.
We were made to serve others, yet sometimes we miss the needs of other people. How do we develop our own hearts and the hearts of people in our churches to proactively serve others? Mark and Ben talk through some practical ways we can grow in this.
The guys are joined by Kevin Hasenack, a pastor at Calvary Wellspring, to talk about global mission. The Bible is clear that people from every tribe, nation, and tongue will be in the fold of God, so what is our role in it all? Kevin and his wife were missionaries in North Africa, and shares some of his personal experiences, as well as how people in America can get involved even today.
Several resources are discussed in this episode, and here are some links to the ones mentioned.
thecalvary.org/residency
Joshua Project - https://joshuaproject.net
God's Heart For The Nations - https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Heart-Nations-Jeff-Lewis/dp/0989954528
https://pioneers.org/gods-heart-for-the-nations-jeff-lewis-videos
Let The Nations Be Glad - https://www.amazon.com/Let-Nations-Be-Glad-Supremacy/dp/0801036410
In part II of our Sharpen Our Arrows conversation, Mark, Amy, and Tim discuss some practical ways that people in our church can be a part of discipling kids in our church. It takes all of us to raise up the next generation of God's people, so we all need to know some practical steps on how we can be a part of it.
Tim, Calvary Englewood's Family Pastor, and Amy, our Children's Ministry Director join the podcast to talk about a new discipleship focus this summer at Calvary. In part I, they discuss the overall vision behind "Sharpen Our Arrows" and some practical ways for parents to help their kids engage in worship. The long term vision is huge here, and this episode is for everybody, not just parents! Whether you have kids or not, you are a big part of discipling kids at our church.
The Acoma podcast hits triple digits as the guys review the top 10 things they've learned in 100 episodes. Celebrate with us, and send us some topic ideas for the next 100 episodes!
Over the past year, the unity in local churches has been tested. Unity starts with individual Christians, so what should be in our hearts as we interact closely with people who view things differently than we do?
How should churches view other churches in their neighborhoods and cities? Are they allies for the Gospel? What if we don't agree doctrinally with them? Should we partner with them?
So many hot button and contentious issues and events have happened over the last 12-18 months, causing many to wonder: "to what degree should these be addressed in my local church?" The guys share their thoughts on how we handle that at Calvary Englewood.
The guys cover part II of their conversation about the Mysteries of God. They cover several verses in scripture, and talk about both doctrinal and personal mysteries and what to make of them.
Ben and Adam have some fun, because darn it, we all need some fun right now. They talk pet peeves, kick around some stories, and have some laughs. Enjoy!
We hear the phrase "embrace the mystery" often from other Christians. Sometimes it's helpful and true, other times it doesn't hit the mark of how we ought to be understanding God. How do we properly understand and participate in the mysteries of God? That's where we'll head for this first part of a two part episode.
Look at that title, the rarely seen, grammatically incorrect double colon! Our Get To Know: series kicks off with one of our Calvary pastors, one of the best people any of us know, the pride of Vermont, Mr. Steve Anderson.
We're back! Membership meetings are our topic today as Calvary Englewood prepares for a members meeting this Sunday. Why on earth are membership meetings important? Are they just another boring meeting to add to our already packed calendars? Short answer: Not at all! Long answer: Listen to the episode!
Merry Christmas gang! The guys are here this week to talk about "I Heard The Bells," the new Christmas song from Calvary Englewood.
Now that all three guys have their own personal experiences with covid, today's episode takes a look at the good things God has shown them through this pandemic year. Fresh out of quarantine, the podcast is back!
From our youngest years we sing song lyrics like "Jesus loves me, this I know." God's love for us individually is often something we know with our minds intellectually, but don't always believe with our hearts. So our questions for today, does God REALLY love me?
It's the day after the election, so now what? Many things seem up in the air, many questions remain unanswered, and tension still persists in our culture, yet Jesus is King and is on His throne today. The guys discuss how Christians should think and act in the wake of this memorable election season.
Mark & Ben discuss the characteristics of expository preaching and how it differs from other types of preaching. Why do we believe expository preaching is so crucial for Christians, particularly those at our church? How does the Bible drive this type of preaching?
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss the topic of steadiness amidst the storms of life. They use the song "Christ The Firm & Steady Anchor" as the outline for their conversation.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss an article by Jared Wilson about how best to remain a Christian amidst a contentious election season. You can find the full article here:
https://lifewayvoices.com/culture-current-events/3-ways-to-stay-christian-during-election-season/
Ben & Adam look ahead to the next 3 months, otherwise known as "the holiday season." What traditions await us? Are we in favor of these holidays, or do we look down our nose at them and scoff (spoiler alert, looking at you New Years Eve/Day)?
What is the church supposed to look like? What is God's plan and purpose for the church? Do we really need to attend a local church? The guys discuss several of these ecclesiological questions and zero in on 5 specific characteristics.
Mark, Ben, & Adam finish the series by talking through ways we can all grow in right fear of God. As with anything, growing in this area of our relationship with God will take time and work. The guys discuss several practical things we can each do to grow here.
The guys go deeper into the topic of the fear of God. Now that we understand more of what the fear of God is (addressed in Pt I), how then does it affect a person's life? How should our lives look different in light of properly fearing God?
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss the fear of God, a doctrine that tends to be misrepresented, misunderstood, and potentially all together absent in the minds of many Christians, and the teaching of many churches. This is part 1 of a multi week series on this crucial element of our understanding of God.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss difficult people. As Christians, we're called to love others, but that is always a particular difficult task when people are difficult to be around or deal with. But God doesn't let us off the hook, He asks us to love them and pursue them. The guys discuss the practicalities of what that looks like for Christians.
Ben & Adam discuss patriotism through the lens of Christianity. What does it mean to be rightly patriotic? What does it look like to be wrongly, sinfully patriotic? What should a Christian's relationship be to our country?
Over the past several months, Mark has been writing and recording a fun worship album for kids. It is energetic, scripture focused, and really really fun. The guys discuss how it came to be, and how Mark hopes people use it.
Mark, Ben & Adam discuss God's design for the outdoors. They talk through personal joys of being outside as well as the theology and revelation of God in creation.
As we at Calvary Englewood finish our sermon series through the letter of James, the guys do a retrospective of primary themes and practical lessons we can hold on to from this wonderful and ultra practical book of the Bible.
In attempt to bring some brief levity to these tense weeks, Ben & Adam talk road trips. More specifically, they draft road trip snacks.
Ben & Adam discuss Biblical wisdom, as it applies to modern issues that are not addressed in the Bible directly. The modern world presents us with countless issues and problems that the Bible doesn't seem to speak directly about. How do we seek out Godly wisdom for issues like this?
Mark, Ben, & Adam talk to fellow CFC pastor Ricardo Cardenas about the Christian response to racism. How does God's word guide us in navigating this topic? What should we do in response to all of this?
Mark & Adam interview Michael Morgan, Academic Dean of William Tennent School Of Theology, a new school that has been birthed from within the Calvary Family of Churches. They discuss what Tennent is aiming to do and some of the characteristics that make it unique and compelling to both lay people and people in vocational ministry.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss voices that have been influential in shaping our spiritual lives. We'd recommend these people, and their resources to anyone and everyone.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss the voices and mindset that shapes how we form our own opinions and think critically about various topics.
Mark, Ben, & Adam continue last week's discussion of prayer. This week they zoom in on some of the reasons we don't pray, and practical ways we can foster better prayer lives.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss prayer. What is prayer? Why should we pray? This is part 1 of a 2 part series digging deeper into thoughts and practicalities of how to grow as praying people.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss focussing on others, especially in this virus season when it's so easy to get lost in our own thoughts and worries for ourselves. They talk through heart posture, thoughtfulness, and practical ways that we can be serving and thinking of others around us, both inside and outside of our homes.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss the "Golden Chain," a 5 part theological sequence drawn from Romans 8. Romans 8:29-30 (The Golden Chain) is a sequence of scripture where Paul displays how God saves His people. The guys talk through each "link" in the chain and what we can learn about God amidst it all.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss the resurrection of Jesus as we enter Holy Week. We can never spend too much time meditating on the Gospel, and in this episode they talk about the depth and magnitude of the resurrection, and the specific work Christ accomplished through it.
Geniuses or idiots? You be the judge. One thing we can all agree on: cereal is great. Mark, Ben, & Adam rank their favorite cereals in effort to bring some levity to the week. Enjoy!
Mark, Ben, & Adam cast some vision on what we're going to be doing over the next several weeks as a church amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. They talk through several practical things we're inviting our people into as a church, as it looks like we'll be primarily online for the next few weeks.
Ben & Adam attempt to see some of the silver lining in the fact that we all have to stay in our homes for the next several weeks. What does this allow us to do? How do we steward this time well? What the heck is the actual best recipe for popcorn? These questions are discussed, and Adam's popcorn recipe is below.
For best popcorn:
1/2 cup popcorn (yellow or white)
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
fine ground sea salt
Place both in pot/jiffypop at the same time and cook on high. Keep kernels in motion until they begin to pop. Pour into bowl, salt moderately, shake bowl to disperse salt, then re-apply moderate layer of salt a second time. Enjoy.
Ben & Adam discuss 4 common views of the creation or beginning of the world. They zero in on chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis, and talk through ways that we can hold various views while still being firmly devoted to scripture.
Ben & Adam do a miniature Bible study, looking at Jesus' words from Matthew 6, and tracing the connections between our treasures and our anxieties. How are they connected? Jesus shows us in this section of scripture.
Ben is joined by Mxolisi & Erica Myeni, a couple in our church who spend their life doing ministry in Swaziland/ Eswatini, a small country in south east Africa. They discuss what it looks like to do Gospel ministry in a completely different context from the US; the similarities, differences, challenges, and unique opportunities that exist there. You can visit their website at https://www.wetsembekile.org. Please also join us in praying for them and the work that they're doing!
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss the Old Testament, why we should all study it frequently, and the various ways we can grow as we read it.
Mark, Ben, & Adam are back for 2020. They look at Christian writer Brett McCracken's Wisdom Pyramid, discussing ways we can build what he calls "healthy habits of knowledge intake." They work their way through each level of the pyramid, which you can find in the link below.
https://www.brettmccracken.com/blog/2017/8/3/the-wisdom-pyramid
Put the Yule log on, warm up some cocoa, and get ready to talk Christmas. Mark & Adam try to help Ben chase down some holiday cheer by sharing Christmas traditions. Movies, music, food, and trees are all discussed.
Mark and Ben talk about what it means to be a warm person. What are the characteristics and specifics of being warm? How does it look in our lives and affect the people around us?
Mark, Ben, & Adam talk about what it means to be a warm person. What are the characteristics and specifics of being warm? How does it affect other people around us?
Ben & Adam discuss various thoughts on Thanksgiving. What does it look like to be thankful to the Lord for our salvation? For the many gifts He's blessed us with? For the fact that we're even breathing right now? All of the above is discussed, as well as some controversial Thanksgiving food opinions.
Ben & Adam discuss how we say what we say, otherwise known as tone. Why does tone matter? How does it affect others around us, and how we should think about our use of tone as Christians?
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss the new Kanye West album "Jesus Is King." How should we respond to celebrities becoming Christians? How should we view the music itself?
As Halloween approaches, Ben & Adam discuss the wonderful world of candy. They discuss their favorites, their least favorites, and share some observations and constructive criticism as to how varies candies are marketed.
Ben & Adam review some of Ben's key points from his sermon on evangelism. We're so often motivated by shame and guilt when it comes to evangelism, and those motivations are not from God. But what do Godly motivations look like?
Mark & Ben talk about Acts 29, a ministry network that Calvary Englewood is a part of. They discuss the characteristics of Acts 29, as well as why we as a church want to be a part this specific network.
Mark, Ben, & Steve discuss reasons why people might not be connecting in the church. Steve walks us through seven specific roadblocks that people tend to struggle with.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss how we're to handle issues that are complex and involve disagreement with other people. How can we be Godly and gracious amidst disagreements with other people?
Mark is back! He, Ben, and Adam discuss what passionate worship of God looks like, both in the context of the church, and in all of life.
Ben & Adam discuss the Community Group ministry at Calvary Englewood. They talk through the purposes and benefits of the groups, specific rhythms and characteristics of Calvary Englewood community groups, and what people can expect when they show up to a group.
Ben & Adam talk to Hannah Cassidy about physical fitness and how it relates to the Christian life. Hannah sheds light on good stewardship, heart posture, personal goals, and missional living, all through the lens of physical fitness.
We don't always get the answers we want from God, and sometimes may feel like we don't get any answers at all. Ben & Adam discuss the ways those moments test our faith, and what our posture towards God should be in those seasons of life.
Sooner or later in our lives all of us walk through seasons of deep suffering. No matter the cause of the suffering, we all need our brothers and sisters in Christ to walk through it with us. Ben & Adam talk through ways to walk with people as they go through low seasons in life.
To send more questions in to the podcast, email us at podcast@thecalvary.org
Ben & Adam discuss right and wrong thinking and motivations in obedience. Is Christianity all about just following the rules, or is it rooted in something deeper?
Ben & Adam attempt to give fashion advice. The quality of the advice is questionable, but the confidence in the delivery of the advice is unquestionable.
Ben & Adam dip into some listener mailbag questions and discuss how Christians should think about caring for the environment.
Ben & Adam discuss how leaders can protect and humble themselves away from pride. They also discuss stewardship of platforms, no matter how big or small.
Ben & Adam discuss celebrity church culture, the problems with it, how to protect ourselves from it, and how to not worship large platforms.
Ben, Adam, and Jeff discuss the recent Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, as well as various aspects of our denomination itself.
Ben & Adam talk about the phrase "be in the world, not of the world." They discuss some places from scripture that the phrase is sourced from, and the overall idea itself.
Ben & Adam discuss various ways to seek good counsel, from the Lord and from others. They talk through why we tend to be hesitant or even opposed to seeking counsel, how to properly view seeking counsel, and how to provide good counsel to others.
Mark, Ben, & Adam talk through some of their favorite books, what they learned from them, and how they were changed by them. God uses great books to teach us about Himself, and we'd recommend these books to anyone.
Ben Atonement & Justification- https://www.amazon.com/Romans-Exposition-3-20-4-25-Atonement-Justification/dp/0851510345 The Cross Of Christ- https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Christ-J-Stott/dp/0851106749/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= You Can Change- https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Change-Transforming-Behavior/dp/1433512319 Adam The Pleasures Of God- https://www.amazon.com/Pleasures-God-Meditations-Delight-Being/dp/160142289X How We Got The Bible- https://www.amazon.com/How-Got-Bible-Neil-Lightfoot/dp/0801072611 Knowing God- https://www.amazon.com/Knowing-God-J-I-Packer/dp/083081650X Mark The Holiness Of God- https://www.amazon.com/Holiness-God-R-C-Sproul/dp/1414326769/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= The Valley Of Vision- https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Vision-Collection-Puritan-Devotions/dp/0851512283 Trusting God- https://www.amazon.com/Trusting-God-Jerry-Bridges/dp/1631467921
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss the attributes of scripture and how God uses it to speak to us.
Mark, Ben, and Adam discuss how and why we should work to encourage the people around us. They also discuss why we shrink away from encouraging others, and why it's so needed in our lives and relationships.
Mark, Ben, and Adam discuss some characteristics we should all be looking for in the churches we attend, as well as how to help our own churches grow in these same areas.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss how theology should look in our real lives, from our head, to heart, to hands, to habitat. Each one is crucial, but doesn't work without being properly balanced by the others.
Ben & Adam serve their fellow man by talking through not 1, not 2, but 26 restaurant suggestions in the greater Denver area. They discuss various price tiers of suggested restaurants, and gently rebuke brothers and sisters who are far too easily pleased with mediocre cuisine.
Watercourse Foods- https://www.watercoursefoods.com Shake Shack-
https://www.shakeshack.com/location/highlands-ranch-co/ Crown Burger- http://www.crownburgers.org Bud’s Bar- https://www.yelp.com/biz/buds-cafe-and-bar-sedalia-2 Adelitas- http://www.adelitasco.com Uno Mas- https://unomastaqueria.com Mama Sol Cocina- https://www.yelp.com/biz/mama-sol-cocina-littleton Roaming Buffalo BBQ- http://www.roamingbuffalobbq.com The Bagel Deli- http://www.bageldeli.com The Old Fashioned Italian Deli- http://oldfashioneditaliandeli.com Mckinners- http://www.mckinners.com Blue Pan Pizza- https://bluepandenver.com Fat Sully’s- https://fatsullys.com Luciles- https://www.luciles.com Urban Egg- https://www.urbaneggeatery.com Rhein Haus- http://www.rheinhausdenver.com Sushi Katsu- https://denver-sushi.com Osaka Ramen- http://www.osakaramendenver.com Sukiya Ramen- http://www.sukiyaramen.com Acres- http://www.acrescolorado.com Sushi Den- https://www.sushiden.net Izakaya Den- https://izakayaden.net Ototo Den- https://ototoden.com Cafe Terracotta- http://www.cafe-terracotta.com/menu Quality Italian- https://www.qualityitalian.com/denver-menu/ Beatrice & Woodsley- https://beatriceandwoodsley.com
Mark, Ben, & Adam talk through practical ways to identify and avoid false teachers, as well as how to help others do the same. Tendencies, characteristics, and misconceptions are all discussed.
Mark, Ben, and Adam discuss false teachers, mainly drawing from 2 Peter, currently being preached through at Calvary Englewood. Markers of false teachers, the implications of their teaching, and various clarifications on definitions are all discussed.
Mark, Ben, & Adam discuss perseverance in a long road of faith, particularly with those in mind who have walked away from faith. They talk through practical ways to feed our faith, as well as various ways to know a tree by its fruit.
Ben & Adam discuss the components of successful small groups. Core values, attitudes, and goals are discussed, as well as some specifics of groups that are used at Calvary Englewood.
Ben & Adam discuss God's sovereignty and multiple questions and implications stemming from it. Are multiple truths in conflict with each other? How much can mortal men really know and understand?
Mark, Ben, & Adam pine for summer amidst a dreary winter in Denver, Colorado. They rank their favorite seasons, and talk through things to look forward to when the weather warms up.
Mark, Ben, & Adam talk through strategies, and right mindsets when trying to get connected in a church. They also discuss different definitions of what "being connected" means.
Ben & Adam discuss the amazing truth that God loves us. They talk through what we do when our hearts don't believe that God loves us, as well as how we should think about God's love for us.
Ben & Adam talk to Tim Nielson and Reed Larson about technology, particularly parenting and leading families in using technology well. In part 2, they discuss practical questions and strategies for parents to consider.
Ben & Adam talk to Tim Nielson and Reed Larson about technology, particularly parenting and leading families in using technology well. In part 1, they discuss many of the positive and negative effects of technology, as well as how to think rightly about it.
If you'd like to know more about this topic, Tim and Reed are leading a 3 week class also called Flourishing With Technology. Week 2 begins next week at Calvary Englewood during the 10am service, and all are welcome!
Ben & Adam do a deeper dive into a section of one of Ben's recent sermons on 1 Peter 5:6-7, particularly what it has to say about control and anxiety.
Ben & Ben discuss the subject of travel; past experiences, travel tips, and lessons God has taught through seeing other people and cultures in far away places.