Church Is Messy: Galatians - Ragamuffins Church Is Messy podcast

27:35

Today Rick and Svea contrast works of the flesh with fruit of the Spirit. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 02:21 "Don't bite and devour each other..." 04:50 Defining ourselves by obeying rigid rules or religious structures invites comparison on who is and isn't achieving and breeds pride. 06:09 How might Jesus has told the parable of The Good Samaritan to Autumn Ridge Church? 08:16 If the Gospel stops messing with us, we're changing it; it's not changing us. 11:09 Paul was writing to believers, not unbelievers. Works of the flesh happen within church people. 13:38 We don't conquer works of the flesh by religious rule-keeping. Change happens by the Spirit growing Christ-like character in you. 17:04 Contrasting religious rule-keeping with living by the Spirit. 26:03 when we live by the Spirit, we can no longer stomach biting and devouring each other.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: Galatians - Cutting Remarks 35:04

10 days ago35:04

35:04

Today Rick and Svea look at the allure of certainty instead of clarity, creating environments where litmus tests are the norm vs being in Christ. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:46 Crawford Loritts was at Autumn Ridge Church. 03:31 Back into Galatians. Svea says it's a difficult book. 05:06 Gravitating toward environments and activities where we feel significant. 08:34 Getting into the shoes of a typical Galatian man. 11:29 Giving in to the allure of certainty instead of clarity. 13:25 Putting so much emphasis on circumcision. 15:55 Modern-day litmus tests to see if we're in the "in crowd." 16:43 We are people of the Gospel; being in Christ. 18:02 Being in Christ - can you lose your salvation? 22:06 Deconstruction. 31:08 Bad news. Good news.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: Galatians - Good News 39:53

24 days ago39:53

39:53

Welcome to episode 100! Today, as they discuss Galatians chapter 4, Rick and Svea dig into having everything in Christ but living as though we have nothing. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 00:38 Episode 100: Where did the name "Church Is Messy" come from? 03:15 Galatians 4, we've been given everything in Christ but it's so easy for us to live as though we have nothing. 06:33 A specific example of how we get it wrong: conflict. 17:21 Paul leans in on conflict. 18:43 Adoption: the irrevocable security we have in our standing with God.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: Galatians - Ragamuffins 39:53

4 weeks ago39:53

39:53

Today Rick and Svea acknowledge Galatians is a difficult book to understand, especially if we don't have an understanding of the Old Testament. They talk about tools to help gain understanding and spend some time discussing "the law". Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:32 Galatians is a hard book to get through and understand. Use tools like The Bible Project or The Message to help understand the deep content of Galatians. 09:05 Looking at Galatians 3, an understanding of the Promise, the law, and Jesus' role in them is crucial. 11:02 Understanding "the law." 13:29 Misconceptions about the law. 22:42 Galatians keeps driving us to stop trying to live by the structure of the law and following its rules but for our hearts to be so aligned with Jesus that he drives our behavior. 23:34 Ragamuffins. 27:21 Application of being one in Christ, recognizing our distinctions, and seeking to understand differing viewpoints.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: Bonus Episode - Answering Your Questions 36:52

5 weeks ago36:52

36:52

This episode is focused solely on answering your questions. We've received four very different questions and today we're putting out this bonus episode to answer them. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 00:50 Question 1 - In Galatians 2 Paul specifically says gentiles don't need to be circumcised after following Christ - but yet he directs Timothy to get circumcised (Acts 16). This seems like a double-standard. 10:29 Question 2 - Jesus became sin for us on the cross. How can God become sin when he's perfect and can't even look upon sin? 15:50 Question 3 - What is the difference between an Apostle (capital "A") and an apostle (lower-case "a")? 22:44 Question 4 - How do you stay united with someone with whom you have a deep idealogical disagreement?…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: Galatians - Fluency or Gibberish 36:59

5 weeks ago36:59

36:59

In this episode Rick and Svea dig really deep into gospel fluency vs gospel gibberish. The gospel isn't just trusting Jesus for salvation, it's trusting Jesus for and with the rest of your life. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 00:57 Garrison Keillor and fake spring. 02:29 "You foolish Galatians..." 04:49 The Christian life is NOT trusting Jesus for salvation and then living the rest of your life doing things on your own and following rules. 10:40 The problem with trusting in something or someone other than the Holy Spirit to fill the various "holes" in our lives. 14:52 Digging in: The gospel isn't just for salvation, it's for the rest of your life. 20:56 Series Thesis: The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Antithesis: The only thing that counts is self-reliance expressed through law. 24:32 Self-esteem: If you are in Christ you are fully-delighted in by God. Until you believe it, it's going to ring hollow and you won't experience the freedom Paul is talking about in Galatians. 30:52 The will power approach to life vs believing the gospel.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: Galatians - Undivided 38:42

7 weeks ago38:42

38:42

In week two of our Galatians study Rick and Svea discuss conflict, the freedom we have in Jesus, and gospel fluency. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:40 Answering your questions: Does Galatians give a hierarchy of how we should relate to other people? 07:16 Galatians chapter 2. 09:33 Addressing conflict with other Jesus followers. 15:53 The intersection of conflict, freedom in Christ and gospel fluency. 18:52 The framework of gospel fluency. 20:13 A summary of the gospel. 24:05 Practical hand-holds to gospel fluency. 27:35 Accepting and loving people vs endorsing practices contrary to the gospel. 30:54 Explaining behaviors and lifestyles contrary to the gospel to your kids.…

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Church Is Messy: Galatians - Make It Count 37:44

7 weeks ago37:44

37:44

As we kick of our new series on the book of Galatians, Rick and Svea discuss false gospels and answer a listener question. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 03:23 Whose approval are you seeking? 06:37 An example of appropriate and missing the gospel. 10:03 The specific problems the Galatian church faced - adding to the gospel. 14:10 We're all trying to reflect Jesus, not each other. 17:41 How do we discern legalistic practices vs healthy practices in our own life? 22:03 The progressive gospel and the regressive gospel: current, deadly false gospels. 28:06 Listener question: How do we balance loving people without accepting all the choices people make? 34:43 Upcoming themes in Galatians.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: The Lion's Share - Why Is our Church so Expensive? 30:10

9 weeks ago30:10

30:10

We're putting a bow on The Lion's Share series. Today we scrutinize our own church and discuss our ministry method. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:06 Turning the focus on how Autumn Ridge handles money. Being transparent. 03:29 Where is the organization: more than enough, just enough, less than enough? Our strategy. 10:58 Year-end giving. 12:46 Why this timing (January) on a series about finances? 14:54 Our ministry method - the hub model. 25:26 The kind of church we aspire to be. 27:22 The upcoming Galatians series and a "Thank You."…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: The Lion's Share - Faithful and Generous 26:37

10 weeks ago26:37

26:37

Today Rick and Svea talk about their own struggles with greed and simplicity and the New Testament framework of faithful giving and generous giving. Bible passages referenced in today's episode: 1 Timothy 6:17-19; 1 Corinthians 9:13-14; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:13 This message pushed Rick to wrestle down his own contentment. 03:56 Simplicity: a corollary to contentment. 05:16 Svea fell back into the trap of not practicing simplicity this past week. 07:16 Rick confronting greed as he's excited about his new hobby of hunting. 08:34 The practice of generosity - a tangible expression of love. 09:28 It's not about the amount it's about the heart. 13:19 Generosity binds us together. 14:20 How can I approach generous giving - some guidelines. 14:55 (1) Diagnose your reality. 15:30 (2) What do you want your reality to be. 15:42 (3) Make a plan to close the gap. 17:01 What about tithing? 18:50 Prioritize giving to the local church - faithful giving - and then giving to others - generous giving - (see the 1 & 2 Corinthian references, above). 23:38 The joy of aligning all we are with who Christ is. 24:49 This series has helped to connect the dots on why Jesus spoke about money so much.…

Church is Messy

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Church is Messy: The Lion's Share - the False Promise of the Prosperity Gospel 41:34

11 weeks ago41:34

41:34

Today Rick and Svea dig deep into the essence of the prosperity gospel, it falsehoods, and the various expressions of the prosperity gospel. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:47 Intro to the prosperity gospel. 02:50 The real essence of the prosperity gospel. 03:42 Live Q&A after most Saturday services (when Rick preaches). 04:22 From the Q&A session last weekend: what is the fallout of the prosperity gospel? 06:01 The year was 2013. 14:48 The ditch: manipulation vs. grace. 17:55 Why do we obey God? 20:07 Different expressions of the prosperity gospel. 20:41 Health and Healing prosperity gospel, 26:13 The inverse: the poverty gospel, 28:24 The purity, sex, and marriage prosperity gospel, 31:17 The parenting prosperity gospel, 32:38 The country and culture prosperity gospel. 36:42 The error of the prosperity gospel: our actions force God's hand. 37:38 The hope of trusting God IN our circumstances not FOR our circumstances.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: The Lion's Share - More than Enough 32:54

12 weeks ago32:54

32:54

In the first half of the episode Rick and Svea share where their vulnerabilities lie regarding money. In the second half they dig into contentment. Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:12 Rick's history with Football. 04:25 Rick and Svea wrestle through how calendars and money demonstrate who or what has our hearts. 07:05 Svea talks about being vulnerable to finding security in money. 11:32 Rick talks about his primary vulnerability comes through the satisfaction and significance money can bring. 13:48 This series reveals deep soul issues and the opportunity we have to invite God into those spaces. 14:52 Svea and her husband, Steve, are taking a serious look at intentionally redistributing any surplus funds. 18:49 A danger of jumping straight from greed into generosity without first learning contentment. 20:13 Digging into contentment. 23:47 Lasting contentment. 28:23 Watch out and be on guard - the dangers of moving up and to the right (the dangers of more than enough). 30:54 Next week: the prosperity gospel. It's a bigger problem, and has infected, more than we realize.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: The Lion's Share - Just Enough 38:34

13 weeks ago38:34

38:34

In this episode, Rick and Svea unpack some of the ideas behind "Just Enough." Topics Discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 00:27 Review of 2024 04:45 The Lion's Share. 07:37 The tension and awkwardness of a money message series. 08:20 Wanting for people not from people. 12:53 Resisting the temptation to sit the series out. 15:00 The topics this series will cover. 16:07 Just enough. 18:23 Do I find significance, security, or satisfaction in what I have or who I have? 23:06 The challenge: what is "just enough"? 33:41 The emphasis Jesus put on the motivations of our heart.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: Jonah Week 6 - Unrelenting Grace 33:55

22 weeks ago33:55

33:55

Rick and Svea close out Jonah talking about traps, windows and mirrors, God's judgement in the Old Testament, and how we can apply the themes of Jonah to life after elections (this episode was recorded on Election Day, 2024). Ultimately, it boils down to this week's sermon topic: Unrelenting Grace. Topics discussed in this Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:22 Election Day banter. 02:46 A pastoral encouragement about election anxiety. 05:09 Keep looking up - keep your eyes fixed on God. 07:06 The early Church. 09:53 Like Jonah, we all have traps we fall into when we find our security, significance, or satisfaction in something other than Jesus. 11:21 Do we see Jonah as a window or as a mirror? Perhaps the book is a window and the man is a mirror. 13:25 What do we fixate on when an idol is being messed with? For Rick it's organizing shoes, for Svea it's organizing closets. Instead, what needs to happen is to get honest with God and tell him how we're feeling. 18:17 What about...judgement in the Old Testament. 21:19 Jonah doesn't want God to be good toward other people, only to his people. 22:37 What can we apply from Jonah as we move into the weeks and months following the elections? 27:40 Jonah doesn't have a completely satisfying ending. There's no closure. But that's part of its genius. 30:45 A prayer.…

Church is Messy

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Church Is Messy: Jonah Week 5 - God's Compassionate Love 30:40

23 weeks ago30:40