Rick and Svea kick-off a five-part series on the Mission, Vision, and Values of Autumn Ridge Church.

Topics discussed in this Episode:

• 0:00 Intro
• 02:47 Why does Autumn Ridge have a mission statement? Knowing why we say "Yes" and "No" to various opportunities.
• 04:02 Most of life's hurts happen when we live in contradiction to our purpose.
• 07:10 Our vision: communicating the kind of church we desire to be.
• 09:15 Why is it important we have a vision statement?
• 12:18 Digging in: Every single word in our MVV has been labored over and is important.
• 12:23 Our Mission - Disciple vs follower of Jesus...
• 16:06 Fully devoted...
• 17:35 Three aspects: authority, identity, activity.
• 20:00 Our Vision - We want to be a church...
• 20:42 Of all cultures...
• 24:15 Where Curious people...
• 25:32 Where Skeptical people...
• 26:43 And where Hurting people...
• 29:30 Love to attend.
• 30:19 Why is it important for our congregation to know and understand our mission and vision?

Rick and Svea discuss the three major goals of the summer's Holy Lit series.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:46 Holy Lit - three goals
• 03:05 Goal one: Uncomplicate our relationship with the Bible.
• 09:59 If you have a simplistic understanding of the Bible you're going to have a more complicated relationship with it.
• 12:01 Goal two: Energize our engagement with the Bible.
• 15:33 Goal three: Expand our ability to understand the Bible.
• 16:48 Series thesis: This is a backstory to the story of the Bible.
• 19:36 Why is this important? Aligning with truth.
• 24:46 The Bible is overwhelming, I don't even know where to start.
• 28:11 What's coming up in the Podcast.

Pastor Caleb Smith joins Rick and Svea to close the Loaded Questions series. They discuss success and failure and how society's framework for success is at odds with the Gospel's framework for success.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:57 Reflecting on the Loaded Questions series.
• 04:42 What was it like preparing to speak on failure?
• 06:20 Svea to Caleb: Did your definitions of success and failure change or grow as a part preparing for this message?
• 09:46 Embracing the tension of the gospel's framework of success and the inescapable realities of life.
• 17:17 The rich, young ruler: a case study in questioning the framework of success.
• 24:39 What does it look like if everything is stripped away and we're satisfied with only Jesus?
• 30:20 How do we develop into being satisfied with having nothing but Jesus?
• 36:39 Micah 6:8 - act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

Rick and Svea have a robust conversation about doubt. They talk about the connection with doubt, faith, and belief. Are there unsafe questions to ask? They also discuss the role of community in removing doubt.

Resources:
A. J. Swoboda's book, After Doubt

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:31 Summary of what Svea learned about herself, doubt, and Jesus in preparing for this message.
• 09:58 1 Corinthians 4: 20 - The kingdom of God isn't a matter of talk but of power.
• 12:38 What is doubt?
• 18:00 What do we mean when we talk about faith or belief?
• 23:40 Is it possible to experience doubt because we're putting expectations on Jesus he never promised?
• 29:53 How do I know if a question is a safe question to ask? There are no unsafe questions, there are unsafe people.
• 33:14 Recurring question after the services: how do I know I am saved? How can I have confidence in my salvation?
• 40:37 You HAVE to invite other people in. Don't struggle by yourself.
• 45:03 For those who struggle with intellectual doubts.

In this episode Svea is joined by pastors Otis Hall and Jodi Quinn as they look at faith and mental health.

Resources:
Jodi Quinn's email: care@autumnridge.church

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:21 The number of Americans dealing with mental health issues is staggering.
• 02:03 We seem to be afraid to talk about mental health.
• 04:37 Being real about mental health issues. Otis' struggles.
• 06:42 Prayer and following Jesus doesn't mean all our mental health issues will go away.
• 08:42 Svea to Otis: how have you felt Jesus support you in your own life.
• 10:38 Shouldn't I expect that if I believe Jesus I won't have to struggle with mental health?
• 12:48 The age-old question: why do bad things happen to good people?
• 14:10 What resources we have available for people who are struggling.
• 16:56 What would you say to someone who doesn't know Jesus or feels like Jesus has let them down?
• 18:58 Walking with Jesus isn't an instant cure, but he is a way through.
• 22:28 Breath prayer.
• 25:48 Some helpful application points from 1 Peter 5: be humble, cast your anxiety, be courageous.
• 34:42 Closing prayer.

This we we certainly live up to "church is messy." If time allows, we would encourage you to watch the sermon before listening to this podcast. We're also providing a number of resources on the topic of sexuality.

Resources:

• Sermon Video URL: https://youtu.be/DidFo1xj9ow
• Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender (https://www.centerforfaith.com)
• Greg Coles
• Preston Sprinkle
• Rebecca McLaughlin
• Christopher Yuan
• Sam Allberry
• Jackie Hill Perry
• Mark Yarhouse

Three sermons by Jon Tyson:

• The Controversial Jesus | Jesus and the Gay Community – Jon Tyson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqF0MwqjuBU&t=37s
• The Controversial Jesus | Jesus, Gender, and the Trans Community – Jon Tyson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS2oIkfYNwc
• The Controversial Jesus | Sexual Formation – Jon Tyson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTGrYxeEZ9U&list=PL8vSjHOSaE12d8ZPujJfxFzcyNlYBActf&index=3

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:26 Watch the sermon, and avail yourself of the resources we suggest.
• 06:33 Helpful points from the message
• 08:53 How can we be welcoming without being affirming?
• 10:57 It's not the job of a Christian to call out non-Christians. If you have a relationship with a fellow believer then ask "what does it mean to follow Jesus in this area of your life" and have a conversation based on truth and grace.
• 15:34 How do I love someone well, communicate with my children, and be an ambassador for Christ regarding this topic?
• 18:31 Pronouns, names, wedding attendance.
• 22:13 What's wrong with a same-sex relationship that's filled with love? Practicing discernment, truth, and grace.
• 27:23 Series Thesis: Faith doesn't hide from questions, fear does. What fears are associated with this topic?
• 31:10 How do we live with courage and engage with people or at work without posturing?
• 39:23 Why did Rick skip over the topic of incest in 1 Corinthians 5 but address some other issues?

Rick and Svea answer your questions about truth.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:58 Loaded Questions takes on a different format from other messages
• 06:38 Why does truth matter?
• 10:51 Is it possible for Christianity to be true and other religions to be true?
• 15:05 How can we know Scripture is true?
• 19:06 In Scripture is it possible the authors were biased?
• 22:48 What do I need God for?
• 24:43 How can you discern if what you're hearing is from God or the devil?
• 26:48 Do you obtain knowledge at all? How do the disciples know they saw Jesus?
• 31:49 How do we know what denominations are teaching truth when they have different beliefs but are still using the Bible as the source of that belief?
• 35:41 The Apocrypha: Is it true and how is it distinguished from Scripture?
• 37:23 Jesus' mother, Mary.
• 39:38 I'm not a Christian for the perks, I'm a Christian because I'm convinced it's true.

Rick and Svea finish off the series on Galatians mostly focusing on burdens, loads, and pride.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• 00:00 Intro
• 03:26 A LOT of diverse topics to cover is Galatians 6.
• 04:44 What resonated with Svea that she wasn't able to cover in this passage?
• 05:41 Carrying our own load and bearing each other's burdens.
• 11:40 God isn't calling you to fix the people who sinned against you.
• 17:21 I'm responsible for what I contribute, now necessarily how other people respond.
• 20:01 How do you tell the difference between someone caught in sin and someone doing something you don't like?
• 22:00 Presenting pride in the affirmative vs being the root of all sin (the pride Jesus died to forgive vs the pride commended in this passage).
• 29:14 Swinging on the pendulum of feelings of inferiority and superiority.
• 34:49 As Christians how do we engage with people and ideas that offer insight into human nature but are deeply hostile to the gospel?