28: 2020 – Why Do Bad Things Happen?
Aric and Lance close out 2020 with a question most of us wonder about at times: why do bad things happen?
068: God With Us
How is it possible that a baby in a manger is the God who creates, saves, and reigns? Why does God’s presence with us even matter? Rachel Chester sits down with Jenna Kraft, Tiffany Ravedutti, and Mandy Turner to talk about our God who rules all and dwells among us, and why this changes everything.
Resources:
27: David & Goliath
A fight between an armored warrior and a shepherd boy with a hiking stick and sling doesn’t seem fair. But what if we’ve been focused on the wrong details in this Old Testament story? What if the story of David and Goliath is really a story about Saul? Find out more in this episode of Who’s in the Bible.
067: A Very COVID Christmas
For many people, this Christmas season is very different because 2020 gave us the gift of a global pandemic and all the trappings something like that comes with. In addition to the normal challenges and distractions of the holiday season many are facing isolation, job insecurity, mental health, and marriage issues. While this will be a very different Christmas, there is a silver lining. On this episode Ryan Lehtinen, Aaron Lutz, and Lance Lawson discuss the unique challenges that many people are facing this Christmas season, and how we can have hope even when things aren’t the way they normally are. They also reveal their favorite Christmas cookie, least favorite movie, and whether they’ve actually kissed someone under mistletoe.
Resources:
Christmas Eve Service Times & Locations
26: Saul
Israel finally gets a king! Will King Saul lead the people to follow God or will he lead his own way? Find out in this episode of Who’s in the Bible.
066: Stories of Generosity
Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is coming. It’s officially the holiday season. And with that comes lots of talk about gift giving and generosity. But what is biblical generosity and what does it look like? Is it something special we do this time of the year? Is it simply tithing? Or is it something even more? On this episode, Jon Coffey sits down with two representatives from Clear Creek’s Generosity Team, Matthew Horne and Nicole Daniel, to talk about the concept of Whole-Life Generosity, and hear real stories of people from Clear Creek Community Church putting it into action in order to reflect the generosity God first showed to us.
Resources:
God and Money by Gregory Baumer and John Cortines
22 Ways to Live Whole-life Generosity During Tough Times (article)
065: Post-Election Unity
However you view the results of this election, there is no question that we are a divided country. But through it all, Jesus calls us to unity in his church. How can we be passionate about politics, true to our values, and still love those who disagree with us? On this episode, Rachel Chester sits down with Yancey Arrington to discuss how we can move forward as followers of Jesus.
Resources:
5 Reflections on Life After an Election by Ryan Lehtinen
5 Tips for Keeping the Peace Through the Holidays by Stormy Lungaro
Pride and Unity by Rachel Chester
The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Conflict by Ken Sande
051: Christianity and Politics (Podcast)
25: Samuel
On this episode of Who’s in the Bible? we meet a boy named Samuel, a man named Eli, and we learn God’s name.
If you haven’t listened to episode 23 (Judges), you may want to go back and hear that part of the story before you listen to this one.
064: When Only God Knows – The Jon Black Story
In the Clear Creek message series Unstoppable we learned that God, his gospel, and his church are an unstoppable force for good in the world. But sometimes, even though we know we should trust God, it’s hard to believe that he’s working things out in the here and now. On this episode, Clear Creek Story Team writer Jon Coffey sits down with Jon Black to talk about his checkered history with church, his years of wandering, and his battle with addiction. Through Jon Black’s story, whether we’re confronted with a tumultuous season of life like COVID-19, or a person who just can’t seem to get it right, we learn that God is always at work, even when we can’t see it.
RESOURCES:
24: Ruth
The Old Testament book of Ruth tells a beautiful love story. Join Aric, Lance, and a special guest to learn more and see how Ruth’s story is connected to the story of Jesus.