Tag Archives: Christianity
Episodes One through Five
You may have noticed some short interruptions our podcast episodes that we call “Acting Out.” No, we are not misbehaving. Acting Out is the segment of our show when we look to the book of Acts in the Bible and find lessons from the early church. In this brief segment, we ask ourselves, If the 1st century church turned the world upside down then, what could the church today do equally well in the 21st century?
Since these episodes of Acting Out are very short, we have combined them into a series with five episodes in each download. We look forward to producing more episodes to include in our normal “Keep It Simple” podcast. Enjoy!
Acting Out Chapters 1-5
Leave a comment | tags: Acts, Bible, Christianity, Church, House Church, Keep It Simple Podcast, Micro Church, Organic Church, Simple Church | posted in Podcast
A few months ago, a controversial document was created by certain evangelicals warning of the potential pitfalls of the modern social justice movement. These evangelicals warn that an increasing emphasis on social justice issues may be drawing our attention away from the heart of the gospel of the salvation of Jesus Christ and that we are putting too much emphasis on temporary issues at the expense of emphasizing the eternal aspects of the gospel. Opponents of this statement claim that social justice is a huge part of what it is to be a Christian in a fallen world. Listen as Gavin and Tom weigh in on the discussion.
To read the original statement, click here:
https://statementonsocialjustice.com/
To read some responses from the Christian Community about the Statement on Social Justice, click here:
https://churchleaders.com/news/333559-russell-moore-on-social-justice-statement-on-social-justice.html
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/september-web-only/john-macarthur-statement-social-justice-gospel-thabiti.html
Leave a comment | tags: Christianity, Church, Evangelical, House Church, Jesus Christ, John MacArthur, Micro Church, Organic Church, Religion, Simple Church, Social Justice | posted in Podcast
Why do Christians worry? What are we anxious about? What are we trying so very hard to achieve? Is our effort in vain? Are we worried for nothing? Listen as Gavin and Tom discuss our anxieties.
Leave a comment | tags: Anxiety, Christ, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Grace, House Church, Jesus Christ, Micro Church, Organic Church, Podcast, Rest, Simple Church, Worry | posted in Podcast
As Gavin reviews the recent Simple Church Conference, he brings up one of the topics: How Do We Know That God Really Loves Us? Tom and Gavin weigh in on this topic. Does God love us only when we obey Him? Is His love really unconditional? How do we know and experience His love?
Leave a comment | tags: Assurance, Christ, Christianity, Church, Conference, House Church, Jesus Christ, Love, Micro Church, Obedience, Organic Church, Simple Church, Unconditional Love | posted in Podcast
You can tell a lot about a church by what it values or holds dear. Today, Gavin and Tom talk about what they consider to be the strongest values of any church. This is part two of a two part series.
Leave a comment | tags: Christianity, Church, House Church, Micro Church, Missions, Organic Church, Podcast, Simple Church, Values | posted in Podcast
This week Tom had the opportunity to meet with Richard Jacobson, of the Unchurching podcast and author of the book by the same name. While the name of the book may be provocative, Richard assures us that he is not anti-church. Through his writing, speaking and art, he articulates his love for the church. He advocates for a genuine expression of the ecclesia as described in the scriptures –where the church is not just a place that people gather, but IS the people who gather.
To see Richard’s website, click here:
http://www.unchurching.com/
Leave a comment | tags: Christianity, Church, Disclipleship, Ecclesia, House Church, Jesus Christ, Micro Church, Organic Church, Podcast, Simple Church, UnChurching | posted in Podcast
Today, Gavin and Tom – The Simple Guys – take a few minutes to remind our listeners why we produce this podcast. Hint: it’s not to make money! Seriously, we do this podcast to promote healthy churches through simple, organic and family-like structures. Listen to hear what exactly that means.
Leave a comment | tags: Christianity, Church, Church Planting, Discipleship, House Church, Micro Church, Organic Church, Podcast, Simple Church | posted in Podcast
How can a Simple Church contribute to discipling the nations? Are we so small that we have no impact for Christ at the “Ends of the Earth?” What are some specific ways a small Simple Church can get involved in missions in a meaningful way? Listen as Tom, Gavin and special guest Luke discuss.
Leave a comment | tags: Christianity, Church, Church Planting, Discipleship, House Church, International Students, Jesus Christ, Micro Church, Missions, Organic Church, Refugees, Simple Church | posted in Podcast
Today, Gavin and Tom interview Luke, who is currently working in the Middle East among refugees. Luke has worked with Simple Church groups in the past and is applying those principles to groups of refugees in the Middle East. Let’s hear how God is working.
Here are links to some ministries mentioned in the show:
http://www.perspectives.org/
https://www.elam.com/
Leave a comment | tags: Christianity, Church, Church Planting, Discipleship, House Church, Jesus Christ, Micro Church, Organic Church, Refugees, Simple Church | posted in Podcast
A recent Wall Street Journal article* extolls the virtues of hierarchical structures in an increasingly networked society. Tom and Gavin examine this article in the context of church. Is hierarchy good or harmful when applied to ecclesiology? How much hierarchy is needed for a church to function? How much does it take to become toxic? How do we find the right balance?
*In Praise of Hierarchy, by Niall Ferguson https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-praise-of-hierarchy-1515175338
Leave a comment | tags: Christ, Christianity, Church, Hierarchy, House Church, Leadership, Micro Church, Networking, Organic Church, Relationship, Religion, Simple Church | posted in Podcast
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Tom and Gavin: Thanks for finding and sharing the video from Chan. He really does get it! Another brother who…