Looking for the Real God

#121 Christianese Phrases - It’s All Part of God’s Plan (S6E20)

Today's Christianese phrases is, "It's all part of God's plan." Christy dives into the potential motivations behind why we use this phrases and points out that it's often once again a form of spiritual bypassing. We say something Christian to avoid dealing with questions, doubts, and negative emotions.
Digging into Scripture, Christy shows how we must hold the tension between God's goodness and power and the pain and trauma of our broken world. If we don't ask the hard questions and try to deal with the paradox we cannot really understand, our faith will be shallow.
Scriptures Referenced:
Jeremiah 32:17
Colossians 1:16
Isaiah 45:6-7
Psalm 115:3
Romans 11:33

#120 Christianese Phrases - Just Have Faith (S6E19)

Today Christy takes apart the Christianese phrase "just have faith." What do we mean when we tell people to "have faith?" What is the definition of faith? Can we really have enough faith to avoid sickness or poverty?
Christy digs into Scripture and once again discovers the tension and paradox of truth. She looks into whether faith is required for healing and asks what faith actually accomplishes in our lives.
Scriptures Referenced:
Matthew 9, Luke 13, Hebrews 11, 13.

#119 Christianese Phrases - ”God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Handle” (S6E18)

On today's episode Christy tackles the Christianese phrase, "God won't give you more than you can handle." Is this phrase biblical? Where did it come from? Why do people say it?
Christy explores spiritual bypassing -- the way we quickly bypass pain with a spiritual statement -- and dives into the life of the Apostle Paul. What if God sometimes chooses to give us more than we can handle because He is drawing us to Himself?
Scripture Referenced:
1 Corinthians 10:1-15
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

#118 Christianese Phrases - “Finding God’s Will” (S6E17)

Christy begins her next series on Christianese phrases talking about finding God's will for our lives. What if in our attempts to discover God's will we have actually over complicated it all? What if there is no formula? What if God has already told us His will? What if there is no big plan for our lives?
Christy breaks down our religious traditions, uses Scripture to remind us of truth, and suggests that God's will can be found in simple ways.
Scripture Mentioned:
Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah 17:7-10
Psalm 37:3-4
Ezekiel 36:26-27

#117 The Strangest Women’s Retreat (S6E16)

Christy introduces her next series about strange things Christians say and do, by telling the story of the weirdest women's retreat she ever attended. Not only was she given a princess tiara and told to ask God for a new name, there were men with large swords positioned strategically around the back of the room during every session. Fortunately her roommates were also not buying into the madness. Despite everything, the Holy Spirit was able to use the time away to encourage Christy during a difficult season of life.

#116 Seasons of Lament (S6E15)

Christy discusses Holy Saturday as she encourages her listeners to embrace the spiritual discipline of lament. Lament draws us into God's Presence even as we feel the deep pain of grief and loss, even as our hearts break over the brokenness in the world. In lament we feel every bit of our emotion, but we feel before our Heavenly Father as we choose to trust in His goodness and love.
Link to sign up for Christy's monthly newsletter called #Rethink:
https://christylynnewood.com/rethink-newsletter/

#115 Unexpected God - Passover (S6E14)

Christy concludes her mini-series on the Unexpected God with a look at the last Passover Jesus celebrated with His disciples. Jesus did not fit the Jews' idea of the Messiah even though the entire Passover meal pointed to Him. Where as humans seek for money, power, and fame, Jesus sought humility, obscurity, poverty, and servanthood.
He was not who we expected God to be. But because of Jesus life, death, and resurrection, a new Way has opened, a new Kingdom is at hand, and Restoration has begun!
Scripture Referenced:
Matthew 26:17-25
Mark 14:12-16
Luke 22:7-13

#114 Unexpected God - Anointing at Bethany (S6E13)

Christy continues the journey through Jesus' last week on earth by exploring the story of Mary anointing Jesus. She looks at two prominent characters in the story: Mary who sits at Jesus' feet, and Judas who would betray Him. Christy contemplates the way Jesus accepted and loved them both.
Scripture Referenced:
Matthew 26:6-13
Mark 14:3-9
John 12:1-8

#113 Unexpected God - Jesus Clears the Temple (S6E12)

Christy begins a series exploring some of Jesus' last days on earth. He was not the Messiah anyone expected, and He certainly didn't line up with the religious Jews' view of God. In this first episode Christy tells the story of Jesus cleansing the temple and driving out the people selling animals and exchanging money. She gives some background to the story and then makes connections between the religious system we deal with today.
Scripture Referenced:
Matthew 21:12-17

#112 Things that Keep Us from God - Unbelief (S6E11)

Christy finishes her series on things that keep us from God by talking about unbelief. She knows that this is a complicated topic and something that has been used to spiritually abuse people. But Christy also knows that without faith it is impossible to truly know God. She shares from her own life, from Scripture, and contemplates the church culture at large.
Scripture Referenced:
John 3:17-18
Hebrews 11:6
Jeremiah 29:12-14