Exploring Faith, Pursuing Grace

E76: The ”Office” of an Elder - Dr. Patrick Mead

"1Ti 3:1 ¶ This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work."
Church governance has taken different forms across different denominations and religious groups. Within the Churches of Christ, church government is managed and overseen by Elders and Deacons. This arrangement can often lead to disagreements over the 'qualifications' of Elders, and whether or not a man meets those qualifications to serve as an Elder. 
Dr. Patrick Mead, former pulpit minister of the 4th Avenue Church of Christ and co-founder and Senior Pastor of Our Safe Harbor Church joins Kevin and Lee for a conversation about his life, his ministry through the years, and the so-called 'office' of an Elder and how it can be approached in a very different yet still Biblical manner today.
More of Dr. Mead's work, including sermons and his "Who Told You..." series can be found on their YouTube Channel and Our Safe Harbor Church's podcast channel.
If you'd like to reach Kevin and Lee, email us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
 
Thanks for listening!

Holiday Special: Christmas

Christmas is arguably the largest, most celebrated holiday in the world. Widely celebrated as the birth of Christ, when December rolls around on the calendar many Christians get excited and eagerly look forward to the festive season, while other Christians view the season as an opportunity to decry Christmas as a man-made, pagan tradition that Christians should take no part in. 
Much like the previous Holiday Special on Halloween, Kevin and Lee examine Christmas and discuss the following questions;
Does Christmas find it's origin in paganism? Who first celebrated Christmas and why? How did December 25th come to be regarded as Jesus' birthday (we didn't get into the Eastern Orthodox view of Jan 6)? Is it possible to celebrate Christmas in a secular sense?
These questions and more are discussed in this episode. 
Have other questions or comments? Shoot us an email at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
Thank you for listening!

E75: Coping with the Betrayal of Pornography Addiction - Lyschel Burket

In episodes 29 and 30, Brandon Johnson joined us for a discussion about pornography addiction. Since then, we've received multiple questions and requests concerning resources for wives of husbands who have experienced their own trauma that arises from their husband's addiction to pornography. 
Joining us in this episode is Lyschel Burket with Hope Redefined, a not-for-profit ministry that helps wives manage and work through the betrayal trauma that comes from porn addiction.
If you have questions, comments, or requests of your own, reach out to us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
www.hoperedefined.org is the webpage for Lyschel's ministry, and is an invaluable resource for any wife dealing with betrayal trauma.
Thanks for listening!

E74: Interfaith Dialogue - Imam Jamal Rahman, Pastor Donald McKenzie

The three branches of the Abrahamic religious tree are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each of these monotheistic faith systems have many differences, but they also have much in common. On this episode, Kevin and Lee are joined by Muslim Imam Jamal Rahman and Pastor Donald McKenzie. Jamal and Donald are two of the three members of the 'Interfaith Amigos', and along with Rabbi Ted Falcon (who unfortunately was unable to join us in our conversation) have worked for 20 years to increase interfaith dialogue between adherents of all religions.
This was a fun and profitable conversation, and we think you'll enjoy it!
For more info on the Interfaith Amigos, check out their website www.interfaithamigos.com
We'd love to hear from you! Email us at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!
 
 

Q&A 10: Will Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus be Lost?

After our episode discussing the parable of the Good Samaritan, we received several questions from you guys about the ramifications of what Kevin stated in that episode; does the parable of the Good Samaritan teach that there's a possibility that those who have never heard about Jesus could find redemption? Kevin believes that may well be, but Lee isn't quite sure about that prospect.
We received enough questions from our listeners along those lines to warrant this Q and A episode, and we hope you enjoy it!
Reach out to us with your questions and comments at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
 
Thanks for listening!

E73: Coping with Grief During the Holidays - Joy Gaertner

Everyone faces loss and grief in their lives. Losing a loved one, the end of a relationship, or even a transition from one stage of life to another can cause feelings of grief. How do we deal with those feelings effectively, especially around the holidays?
Kevin and Lee are joined by Joy Gaertner, a certified, licensed grief counselor who has helped thousands of clients address their grief in a way that honors their grief and allows them to process the complex emotions that often accompany grief through the Grief Recovery Method, a peer-reviewed and evidence-based system of therapeutically recovering from grief and loss.
More information about Joy and her work in grief recovery can be found at www.walkingwithjoy.com
 
Need to reach out to us? Shoot us a message at exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
 
Thanks for listening!
 

E72: Rethinking ”Disfellowship” - Brandon Johnson

Brandon Johnson returns to the podcast for a conversation about a heavy, often painful topic; the withdrawing of fellowship from a fellow believer.
The topic of disfellowship (excommunication in some circles) is a heavy topic for many. The practice of disfellowshiping fellow believers happens far too often, many times for trivial reasons. Families, churches, and communities have been torn apart as a result of needless and flippant withdrawal of fellowship between Christians. While there is a time and place for withdrawing fellowship from a fellow believer, this practice is one that should never be considered lightly and should only be utilized as a measure of last resort. 
In this episode, Kevin, Brandon, and Lee discuss their experience with this practice in terms of being on both the 'giving' and 'receiving' end of disfellowship, what the Bible says about this practice, and how Christians can and should do better.
Questions? Comments? Email us! exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!

E71: Contextualizing Luke 9:23

"If anyone would come after me, let him take up his cross daily, and follow me". 
These words spoken by Jesus in Luke's gospel are powerful indeed, and yet the meaning and force behind these words has been diluted over time and across generations. For many, 'taking up one's cross' is relegated to bearing with the annoyances of the day, or is a statement made by many to justify remaining in toxic, dangerous, or abusive situations.
What did Jesus mean when he uttered these words? How can we apply them in our day and time? Kevin and Lee discuss this passage in this episode.Email us with your questions or comments! We love hearing from you. exploringfaithpursuinggrace@gmail.com
Thanks for listening!