Godly Talks and Devil's Advocates GTADA

Evangelism This week we discuss evangelism.

2016 Election Reactions We are back from the summer hiatus again!  This week we discuss the results of the 2016 and some of our reaction.

American Imperialism!  Exciting. We are back from the summer hiatus!  This week we discuss American Imperialism- American foreign policy- and the justification (or not) of war, support, and global aide. The majority of the discussion stemmed from the results of this survey.  Feel free to take the survey and see how you compare with us!  Also, here is a link to the google doc with the full breakdown of research. Based on Micah 6:8: “With what shall I come before the Lord,     and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,     with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,     with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,     the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 8 He has told you, O man, what is good;     and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,     and to walk humbly with your God? Aversion to “politics” stops us from discussing controversial issues in the church and with Christians and puts up a protective security cloak between our government and us.   Being an American Christian, typically means supporting aggressive U.S. foreign policies for some inexplicable reason. Most both Democrats and Republican candidates accept the “special” role of the United States in world foreign policy typically without question.   The assumption that the safety and security of U.S citizens is more important than the security of others is a dangerous one.  Are Americans worth more to God then other people? U.S. Christians are mostly ignorant of the havoc that our Government and our now Global Corporations wreak on the rest of the world.  In order to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God, we must take an interest outside of our own borders and do whatever little thing we can to stop the suffering to which we contribute.

GTADA ep9: Self-Actualization To what extent should a Christian follow their own dreams and passions, as opposed to always seeking to supplant them with Christ's dreams and passions for our lives and our world? Here are the links to the videos we watch at the beginning of the podcast:      Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCzth7Vz_bM      Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvtxOzO6OAE Carl Rogers defined self-Actualization as "the curative force in psychotherapy – man's tendency to actualize himself, to become his potentialities... to express and activate all the capacities of the organism." Thought for the evening: To what extent should a Christian follow their own dreams and passions, as opposed to always seeking to supplant them with Christ's dreams and passions for our lives and our world? There are many stunning examples today of men and women who have chased self-actualization - the pursuit unto realization of your dreams and goals.  We have all been given, in some way, the American dream - that through hard work and relentless pursuit we can achieve our dreams and goals in life.  Who doesn’t admire the small business owner, the self made man, the entrepreneur? But then where is hope in Christ?  Is it possible to work relentlessly and tirelessly for your dreams, and yet consider it “garbage” compared to knowing Christ?  To what extent should we even try to change our position in this world, which is wearing out like a garment?  Is there any place in the Christians life for earthly ambition?   Philippians 3  7But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith ina Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 1 Corinthians 7 29What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

Group Notes - May 5, 2016 National Day of Prayer The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for our nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Since its inception, this day has continually united Americans from all socio-economic, political, and ethnic backgrounds in prayer while also encouraging personal repentance and righteousness in the culture. The National Day of Prayer belongs to all Americans and is a day that transcends differences, bringing together citizens to celebrate our most beloved freedom; the freedom to humbly come before God and seek His guidance in prayer. At this crucial time for our nation, we can do nothing more important than pray. Our theme for 2016 is Wake Up America, emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to return to the God of our Fathers in reverence for His Holy Name. To further highlight our theme, we’ve chosen Isaiah 58:1a as our Scripture for this year:  “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet.” Excerpts and prayer from: http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/ National Prayer Dear heavenly Father, we come to You today as a humble people desperate for Your supernatural intervention on behalf of our beloved nation.  First, we thank You for all the blessings You have bestowed on our land, blessings that have allowed us to bring so much good and benefit to not only our own citizens but also to the rest of the world. The very ideals upon which this country was founded were based on biblical truths, no matter how some try to rewrite history to deny that very fact today. This is why our hearts are so broken over how You continue to be marginalized and dismissed by both our people and our institutions. We are also saddened by the fact that Your people have contributed greatly to the spiritual apathy that now engulfs us. Our satisfaction in remaining religious without being fully committed to living out the truths of Your Word has caused us to become co-conspirators with the forces of evil that are destroying us as a society. It is for this reason that we personally and collectively repent of our carnality and recommit ourselves to becoming visible and verbal disciples of Jesus Christ. Enable us, by Your Spirit, to no longer be secret agent Christians but rather to publicly declare and live out Your truth in a spirit of love so that You feel welcome in our country once again. Thank You for Your promise to hear our prayers when we call to You with hearts of repentance and obedience, which is how we are appealing to You today, Father. On behalf of Your church, we affirm afresh the priority You are to us that You would fill every dimension of our lives as we seek to bring You glory through the advancement of Your kingdom in our personal lives, our family lives, and in the lives of our churches and our government leaders. We confidently invite heaven’s intervention into all the affairs of our nation and we praise You in advance for Your answer. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Knowledge What is knowledge “The Bible is clear that the knowledge of God is the most valuable knowledge a human being can possess. But it is also clear that simply being aware of God’s existence is not sufficient; the knowledge of God must encompass the deep appreciation for and relationship with Him.” http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-knowledge.html Deut 8:3, Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Why is it important A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.Proverbs 24:3‭-‬5 NLT The words of the wise are like cattle prods—p

The Meaning of Jesus' Death and Resurrection For those of us who have heard the gospel- the good news- of Jesus' death and resurrection on our behalf, the meaning behind his sacrifice is life-changing and profound.   We discuss what this means for us in our day to day lives and dive into some practical applications of what it means to be a Christian who has accepted what Jesus did for us on the cross. We launch the talk from Hebrews chapter 2: A Warning against Drifting Away 1So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.2For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose. Jesus, the Man 5And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6For in one place the Scriptures say, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him? 7Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 8You gave them authority over all things.” Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. 10God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. 11So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12For he said to God, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.” 13He also said, “I will put my trust in him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.” 14Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. 16We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.18Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 60188. All rights reserved.