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November 2016 Spiritual Development

One of the best tools for personal discipleship that I use and that can be taken on the go wherever is podcasts.  Podcasts are essentially digital radio programs that you can subscribe to that address a variety of topics based on the theme of the podcast.  They can be downloaded on any smartphone or accessed on any computer and listened to as you drive to work, clean the house, take a shower, fix a meal, or simply set aside time to concentrate on listening.  Some are as short as five minutes and others can be over an hour.  For me, listening to podcasts is a way to make use of the “dead” time during my day.  That is why I want to recommend to you some of my favorite podcasts that have helped me grow in my knowledge and understanding of how to more faithfully live for Christ.

Apologetics

Reasonable Faith - William Lane Craig’s weekly podcast features conversations about timely apologetics topics and frequently brings on other apologists.  Set up in an interview style, each one ranges from 15 to about 25 minutes in length.

RZIM - Ravi Zacharias’ ministry offers two different apologetics podcasts.  Just Thinking is 15-minutes long and comes out each weekday, while Let My People Think is a half hour podcast which comes out once a week.  Each one features Ravi and his team
discussing life’s most important questions.

Christian Living

Truth in Love - This podcast put out by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) helps address everyday questions that Christians have about life and how to grow in holiness by the application of God’s Word to everyday life.

Adventures in Odyssey - These fictional, character-building dramas are created to teach biblical truth to children.  Sure, its for the kids but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it while they listen.

Signposts with Russell Moore - Listen in as Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, talks about the latest books, cultural conversations and pressing ethical questions that point us toward the kingdom of Christ.

Current Events & Politics

The Briefing - Put out each weekday by Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Briefing is an intelligent look at the top news stories as analyzed through the Christian worldview.  This is an excellent way to stay informed of current events and maintain a biblical outlook regarding our culture.

Breakpoint this Week - As you may have guessed, this is a weekly podcast put out by Breakpoint.  These 25-minute episodes hosted by John Stonestreet feature discussions of faith, politics, and culture.

Theology

Doctrine and Devotion - Doctrine and Devotion is a weekly podcast exploring Christian faith and practice from an experiential
perspective marked by the fun and humor that characterize real friendship.

Renewing Your Mind - Though many of these broadcasts are the sermons of R.C. Sproul, they provide enough deeply theological content to be put in the theology category vs. the list of preachers.

Short But Worthwhile

Ask Pastor John - Out each weekday, this podcast features daily interviews with John Piper where he answers tough theological and pastoral questions.

5 Minutes in Church History - 5 Minutes in Church History, hosted by Dr. Stephen Nichols, is a weekly podcast that provides an
informal and informative look at church history.  As you may have guessed, each one lasts 5 minutes.

For a more comprehensive list of other great Christian podcasts, check out this website: http://reasonabletheology.org/big-list-christian-podcasts/

November 2016 Kid's Happenings

Hello Church Family,
This month will be a preparation month for our church.  Preparing for our Upward League.  You may ask yourself, why is the church preparing for this?  Isn’t this a children’s ministry program?  If you are someone that has thought of this as a children’s ministry program then let me help you to see this differently.  When I think of Upward, I think of two things:  sports and Christ.  We use the sport of Basketball and Cheer to teach the gospel to those that don’t know and to those that need to know more.  The kids that are involved are an extension of their families.  We as a church are called to spread the good news.  What better opportunity then to do this through our Upward Ministry.  To reach more than the children, to reach parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors...

• The mission of Upward is “Promoting the Discovery of Jesus Through Sports”.
• The Opportunity to Serve within Upward “We believe that it is a privilege to serve others”. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:45 
• The Priority of Children “We believe that every child is a winner”. “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”  - Matthew 18:14 

Will you consider being on mission for our community?  Will you take the opportunity to serve within Upward?  Will you make children and their families a priority?  Make time to serve for the sake of others knowing Him!  We serve an awesome God, he did not place this ministry within our church walls for us to take it lightly.  He placed it within our church walls for us to take it seriously!  Sign up in the lobby to help be on mission with our church as we display Christ’s love and truth to our community and witness lives change through Upward Basketball and Cheer.  Thank you for the opportunity to love on your children.