Commonfolk

Episode 52: Shepherding Joy & Gratitude

We are called to have joy and gratitude. But we often view those as circumstantial, as things that "happen" to us. But what if we actually choose to have joy and gratitude even when our circumstances stink, even when they don't just happen to us? Choosing joy and gratitude requires intentionality. It requires stewardship. We must shepherd joy and gratitude - actively pursue them, keep them, and protect them, for them to be persistent in our lives. Otherwise, joy and gratitude will be fleeting. 

Episode 51: How Quickly We Forget

All through the Gospels, we see Jesus repeating himself over and over to the crowds and even the disciples. Further, every one of Jesus' miracles was followed by a story of the people lacking faith. It seems crazy that the disciples could lack faith after witnessing what they did, but they were humans, just like us. We do the same thing today. We see Jesus come through time and again, yet we quickly forget what He did. We go through situations that seem insurmountable at the time, and then we quickly forget that He came through for us. Remembering is such an important part of living out our faith.  

Episode 50: When We Don't Have Enough

"Not having enough." That statement seems to have a negative connotation. But should it? When we're feeling like the tank is so empty that we've got nothing left, nothing to give, and no solutions to offer, we may be in the best position to be blessed by God.  

Episode 49: When We're Overwhelmed

Hey! You may have noticed - we took a little break from recording. In the meantime, we found an episode we forgot to post! Better late than never, right? This conversation took place between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and even though we're well past the holidays, this conversation is just as good for now as ever. Is it bad to be overwhelmed? Not always. But how can we quiet the storms of life during times of being overwhelmed? It may start with sacrificial living. 

Episode 48: The Blessing of Burdens

Burdens can bog us down. Nearly everyone we interact with is carrying burdens. Many people make it a primary ambition to avoid burdens. But there are all different kinds of burdens, and God has a lot to say about them. It is not wrong for us to have burdens, but God wants us to hand them to Him. Today we talk about the various kinds of burdens and how we can manage them. 

Episode 47: Beauty in Harmony

There is a wide spectrum of beliefs, opinions, and feelings on a variety things that concern humanity, and the probability of two people agreeing on everything is close to zero. This dichotomy thrives in politics and religion, and a major presidential election may be its most prominent display. As the church, what is our role; our responsibility? The answer to that question may be controversial on its own. So, what does scripture say? Today we'll focus on a word that we're clearly instructed to pursue - harmony.     

Episode 46: Joy is the Barometer

We all need a figurative "barometer" in our life. Something that tests and indicates the "atmosphere" in our life. For Christ followers, joy is a barometer. We are given joy as a gift, and instructed to maintain it and protect it. The presence of joy does not mean that everything is going our way, but rather that we have proper perspective in life. A lack of joy does not mean that things are going poorly in life, but rather that we may have gotten priorities misaligned. Regardless of our life situation, we can and should pursue joy. When we experience it, we can know we are likely on the right track. 

Episode 45: Mechanics of the Little Things

Many of us are familiar with Jesus' words "those who can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much." But do we believe those words enough to adopt that mentality in our faith and life? Many of our struggles are a result of being focused on big things and ignoring the little things. We want to make a big impact or fix the big problem. But Jesus clearly teaches us to place a higher value on the little things. A baseball player who is in a hitting slump does not break out of the slump by trying to hit home runs, but rather by revisiting the "mechanics" of his swing - the little things. Similarly, Christians who are in a funk, struggling with relationships, or dealing with the consequences of poor choices can experience breakthrough not by focusing on the problem, but by revising the mechanics of the little things.   

Episode 44: Taking Possession

We are allured by possessions. We fix our thoughts on what we want, what we deserve, what we strive for, what we can gain, and what we can potentially lose. We take control and make it our sole focus in life. Like the Israelites on the outskirts of the promised land, we become distracted and prideful and lose sight of God's plan for us. Like the Israelites, we learn the hard way that striving gets us nowhere, and we are left tired and weary. The good news: this doesn't have to be. Yes, God has great things for us, and all we need to do to possess it is trust Him and accept it.    

Episode 43: Comfort & Contentment

Let's talk about contentment. It's a God-honoring attribute, right? That depends. Often "contentment" is used flippantly and interchangeably with "comfort." We are comfortable where we are, so we say we're content. But that's not true contentement. The decision to stay in our comfort zone often signifies a lack of faith - much like the Israelites were content sticking with the outskirts of the promised land. Their fear of the unknown caused them to miss out on what God had for them. There's no telling how often we replay this very scenario in our own lives. Today we discuss what it means to stretch beyond our comfort zones to allow God to reveal all that He has in store for us.