A Whale's Gratitude and How Paul Was Not an Escapist

Building a Dense Webb of Community

Today John and Charlotte share their thoughts on how Southwest has banned robots on flights as well as discuss how individualism has broken our social fabric and community life.  We are looking at the work of David Brooks today and are reflecting on the call to love our neighbors and invest ourselves deeply in our communities.

5.31.26 Putting into Practice

Today, Jesus finishes his most famous sermon by differentiating between people who hear his words and do not start to practice his teachings and those who do practice what he teaches.  Often we think to differentiate between people who agree with Him or call Him Messiah or not, but he does not do that here... here he emphasizes living differently and learning to live the life he calls us to.

A Whale's Gratitude and How Paul Was Not an Escapist

Today we introduce our Summer Podcast series, talk about a whale showing gratitude, and share how scripture teaches us that God comes here to renew us.  Too often Christianity is taught with an escapist view... that God will whisk us off this planet, so we talk about a proper and biblical view to replace this.  1. Tangled Whale story: Tangled Whale Gives His Rescuers The Best Thank You Ever - The Dodo [https://www.thedodo.com/tangled-whale-says-thank-you-1238266959.html] 2. More on Bede the Venerable: Venerable Bede [https://undeceptions.com/podcast/venerable-bede/] 3. CT Article: The Apostle Paul Was Not an Escapist - Christianity Today [https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/05/nijay-gupta-apostle-paul-for-the-world-theology-review-heaven/]

5.25.26 The Holy Spirit for Us

Today is Pentecost, and we discuss the teamwork within the Trinity as Jesus hands the baton off to the Holy Spirit and the church.  When the Holy Spirit falls, he doesn't just fall on one or a few, but he falls on all. This is instructive for us and the way we live our lives together on mission with Him.

5.17.26 Do I Know You?

In our passage today, folks are telling Jesus how much they've done for him, yet he rejects them as evil doers, because he doesn't know them.  It's easy to slip into thinking of our relationship with God in transactional terms; God's done this for me, so I need to do this for him.  But that is not what God is after.  He is after you and relationships WITH you.