Living With Power

Today’s topic might be a sensitive one but a necessary call to pay attention to what kind of messages we expose ourselves to and discern if and when it’s our responsibility to speak up and how to do it God’s way.

In today’s podcast I’ll address a politically oriented question in the hopes that it would shift our focus to the main message and mission of the church rather than political debate, and that it would prompt unity among believers rather than polarization.

As usual, in this podcast I invite you to think biblically about discipleship and challenge you to become a Christ follower who makes disciples no matter the context.

In today’s #DearLina podcast series I’ll address another difficult topic that I believe will challenge us to assess if our values and behaviors are influenced by our cultural stance or the biblical model. The Bible has a lot to say about Christians living in societies where unjust treatment is to be expected and how to handle hostility in a way worthy of God’s kingdom and testimony. 

While all of us might approach this subject with already formed opinions, I peaceably invite you to listen to this podcast where I answer this question from three perspectives that I believe will help and give clarity to anyone who is trying to do the right thing amidst the Covid vaccine controversy: From a medical and scientific perspective From a spiritual point of view related to signs of the end-times  From a common-sense perspective in decision making 

Politics can put a powerful wedge between people and it’s troublesome to see how Christians engage in political discourse today with the same vitriol and contempt as the rest of the world. In this #DearLina episode I’ll give you three ideas to help frame how to have political discussions characterized by biblical values.

We’re living in a climate that is not very friendly to Jesus and Christianity. Our culture is verbal, angry, attacking, judging, and strongly opinionated, and it has become a challenge to know how to share the gospel with our neighbors. Take a listen to today’s podcast where I will address this relevant question from a listener.

In this podcast Lina will answer a question from a listener that will help you at the start of a new year! Dear Lina, as the new year begins, I feel cynical about setting Bible reading goals because I always fail very quickly into the year. What are some ways I can grow spiritually in the coming year, and do they have to include a regular Bible reading plan?

I know this Christmas season can be an extraordinarily busy time packed with last minute preparations and shopping but let me encourage you to take a moment and listen to a brief Christmas message based on Luke 2 that will remind us why we always have a reason to rejoice.

Many things could have stolen Mary’s and Joseph’s peace when entrusted with the birth of Jesus. Uncertainty, fear, misunderstanding, confusion, shame, were all emotions they must have felt. And yet, when we read their story, we find two people completely at peace in the midst of uncanny circumstances. What was it that allowed them to experience such peace and how can we too have this kind of peace no matter the circumstances?

Much of the Christmas story is the story of longing, of waiting on God, of crying out to Him to come and fulfill His promises. But waiting can challenge our faith, question if we heard God clearly, and make us wonder whether our longings are too lofty and far-fetched. In today’s podcast come with me to Luke 1:5-24 and encounter a God who can bring life out of the most barren places. This is session one in a 3-week Advent series called Come Alive This Christmas. Take a listen. It’s time to come alive in your expectations!

Is there anything in your life right now that is so difficult that you're thinking about quitting? Friend, no matter what painful circumstances you might be facing, today I’m here to tell you “Don’t quit!” Listen to this sermon I recently gave at my church on Mark 5:21–43, about the story of the woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. As we look into this passage, we will discover four reasons why you should never quit.

One of the factors that lead to deconstruction is the discrepancy we often see between what people profess to believe and what they actually practice. In today’s podcast I invite you to listen to a conversation with Jeff Lockyer, Lead Pastor of Southridge Community Church, about how to reclaim the way of Jesus in our personal lives and in the life of our local churches, so that people would run to Him instead of from Him. DON’T MISS this one!

As we’ve been having conversations around deconstruction, church hurt, and disillusionment in the Christian walk, it became evident that deconstruction does not have to lead to a turning away from God, faith, or the church. God is still at work in all our stories, healing the wounded, restoring the broken, and rebuilding community. Today, tune in to hear some hopeful words from Ron Zappia, pastor of Highpoint Church, for the believer, the church, and for you who might have left or are considering leaving the Christian faith.

Today is a real treat for anyone who needs some hope in their journey of finding healing from woundedness by the hands of other Christians. Karl Clauson, pastor at 180 Chicago Church and Host at Karl & Crew Mornings, understands all about church pain as he himself went through a devastating experience with a church he was pastoring. The story of God's faithfulness, restoration, and continued provision will encourage you to lean on the Lord and believe Him to lead you into all His purposes for your life, including a supporting and genuine community of believers. 

In today’s podcast you are going to meet one of my good old friends, Connie Koo. As a former member of a mega church that went through a public scandal, we reflect on her faith journey throughout her experience and how it affected her current relationship with the church.

In today’s Fractured Faith Book Launch series, we’re going to look at deconstruction from a different perspective. Questioning beliefs or practices that are popular but not necessarily biblical can lead to a deconstruction that, although painful, can bring about a faith that is grounded in what Jesus taught rather than Western Christianity and a faith that reflects His character more. Don't miss today's podcast with my friend Carlos Rodríguez, founder of The Happy NPO.

Today’s conversation in our Fractured Faith Book Launch series is with my friend Wendy Alsup, author of Companions in Suffering and Practical Theology for Women. As the former Women’s Ministry Director at Mars Hill, Wendy has lived through church hurt and disillusionment with church leadership but has also come to the confidence that Scripture can be trusted, that God is a God of justice, and that we can reengage with a healthy community of believers.

In this podcast conversation with Dr. Wade Mullen we’ll address some questions many of us have been asking lately about church and corrupt leadership: What are the signs of oppressive individuals and organizations? How do these systems end up enabling perpetrators while silencing victims? How do so many of us let it happen? How do we trust leadership again? What is the hope for becoming an increasingly safer and holier church?

In this conversation with professor, author, and speaker Karen Swallow Prior, you will hear us talk about: The top issues that lead to deconstruction and abandoning of faith Why Christians get carried away by personalities and don’t discern wrong behaviors or false teachings How to equip ourselves with objective biblical truth so that we differentiate between right and wrong when we see it Why and how we should confront wrong when it happens in a truthful way How to counterbalance the virtues of trusting, loving, and forgiving with wisdom, discernment, accountability, and a proper understanding of what love really is What does hope look like for the church in this era