First, a big announcement regarding the future of A Better Conversation. Then, Gus Simpson and Aaron Couch are back in Shaping Faith looking at the importance of understanding and coming to terms with one’s identity. Also, check out talentresearch.org for more information on John Samuel’s “Zones.”
025: Holy Week — Easter
Marty Solomon joins Gus and Aaron for Holy Week to talk about celebrating Easter well amidst cultural tensions.
024: Circle Up — Priorities & Time
How you spend your time reveals a lot about your priorities. This week, Aaron Couch and Gus Simpson talk about the importance of prioritizing relationships with others as we follow Christ.
023: Circle Up — Boundaries
Aaron Couch and Gus Simpson look at Jesus’s life as a model for how to set appropriate boundaries in relationships, and the role boundaries play in a healthy community.
Resource:
022: Circle Up — Forgiveness
Continuing in our Shaping Faith series, Aaron Couch and Gus Simpson tackle forgiveness: what it is, what it isn’t, and practical ways to keep from unnecessarily taking up an offense.
021: An Intermission
We’re taking a short break from our regularly scheduled Shaping Faith programming this week. Make sure to join us at Real Life on Thursday or Sunday for a special message from Charlie Couch. We’ll return to our supplementary Shaping Faith content with next week’s episode.
020: Circle Up — Ownership
Aaron Couch makes a biblical case for relationship as he and Gus Simpson talk about the importance of owning our place in the community we are a part of.
019: The Core 4 — Fasting
Wrapping up the Core 4, Aaron Couch and Gus Simpson talk about why fasting is such a crucial — yet misunderstood — discipline in our church culture, and give some practical tips to build a healthy fasting practice.
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018: The Core 4 — Worship
Continuing alongside Real Life’s Shaping Faith series, Aaron and Gus talk about Aaron’s personal growth in worship as a spiritual discipline, and take a look at some of the biblical ideas surrounding worship.
017: The Core 4 — Text
Aaron Couch and Gus Simpson talk about the Bible and some practical ways to build a discipline centered around the Text.
016: The Core 4 — Prayer
For the next few months, A Better Conversation will be in parallel with Shaping Faith, our current sermon series at Real Life exploring Christian disciplines. Today, Aaron and Gus take a look at prayer — what it is, why we practice it, and how it changes our hearts and minds.
015: God and Science with Dr. Dusty Van Hofwegen
Aaron and Gus sit down for an interview with our old friend Dr. Dusty Van Hofwegen, a working scientist and microbiologist, about the real and perceived divisions between the Church and the scientific community.
Resources:
014: An Affirmation of Marriage
Aaron Couch and Gus Simpson take a look at the biblical view of marriage, some misconceptions about marriage, and practical tools for becoming a better partner and spouse.
Resources:
013: Abuse with Peter and Claire Roise, Part 2
Aaron Couch sits down with Peter and Claire Roise, advocates for abuse awareness, to shed some light on the many forms relational and spiritual abuse can take, and how the Church can help bring awareness and healing.
For more information on the Roises and their advocacy work, check out:
012: Abuse with Peter and Claire Roise, Part 1
Aaron Couch sits down with Peter and Claire Roise, advocates for abuse awareness, to shed some light on the many forms relational and spiritual abuse can take, and how the Church can help bring awareness and healing.
For more information on the Roises and their advocacy work, check out:
011: What Is Discipleship?
For the uninitiated, Aaron Couch and Gus Simpson provide a look at what discipleship is, how it works, and why Christians are called to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples.
010: Literary Genres of the Bible
Aaron Couch and Gus Simpson take a deeper look at eight of the literary genres we find in the Bible and how we should approach them.
009: Cultivating Healthy Relationships
With the holidays upon us, many of us are spending extra time with friends and family, and might be feeling just a bit strained in those relationships. We figured this is a good time to talk about some of the components of healthy relationships. Whether you’re struggling with your spouse, your kids, or your mother-in-law, here are some things to keep in mind. Merry Christmas!
008: Church Planting with Paule Patterson
Last year, Real Life helped plant Mission Ridge Church in Missoula, Montana. In today’s episode, we talk to Paule Patterson, lead pastor of Mission Ridge, about the ups and downs of starting a new church in a new town.
007: Why Context Matters, Part 2
Aaron Couch and Gus Simpson continue their look at why it’s important to study the Bible in context, and the different lenses we can use to do so.
Websites:
Authors:
Brad Gray
Doug Greenwold
Ray Vander Laan
Lois Tverberg
Dwight Pryor
David Fohrman
D. Thomas Lancaster
David Stern
Pete Enns
Books:
Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus
Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus
Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus
The Gospel According to Moses
Jewish Commentary of the New Testament