The Damascus Road Podcast

One and Only | Week 2 of Three in One

“We believe in one God,The Father, the Almighty,The maker of heaven and earth,Of all that is, seen and unseen.” Teacher: Tyler Stibrich Week 2 of Three in OneThere's a lot of confusion about God. Is there a god? Multiple gods? If so, who or what is god? Is god a he or she or it or a they? Is the tree in my yard god? Am I god? Is god a person or a force or a state of mind? What we think about God may be the most important thing about us because we become like what we worship. Lots of faiths believe a lot of things about god but what does our shared faith believe? The God that we worship is distinct and every other belief flows from this one. Who is God?

What's a Christian Anyway? | Week 1 of Three in One

"We believe ..." Teacher: Ryan Miller Week 1 of Three in One There’s a lot of confusion about what a Christian really is. It seems like simply following Jesus has been obscured by politics and ideology, hypocrisy and moral failure, and it’s hard to know who to trust. The Nicene Creed is the only confession that is affirmed by every stream of Christianity and describes the united center of the faith. While we may have distinctions as we move out from the center, it offers unity and clarity around Jesus.

Staying in Orbit | Week 3 of Gravity

Gravity is a complicated force. It is actually one of the weaker forces acting on us in the universe, yet it also holds us firmly to the ground. We experience it every moment of our lives, but scientists still cannot really explain it. And there is not just the physical gravity that affects us but a sort of spiritual gravity as well that holds us back. The Bible tells us we are all “fallen” beings. We have sinned, and our sin keeps us from the life we were made for - a life with God. Join Damascus Road for Gravity, as we explore what it takes to break free from the forces that hold us back.Week 3 of Gravity Teacher: Megan StibrichA space station orbiting earth is less exciting than a rocket launch, but orbit is a delicate balance. You are constantly falling down to earth, but you are also moving parallel to earth so fast that you keep missing it. An object in orbit cannot stay still. It is not enough just to break free of gravity, but it takes energy to stay there. Faith also requires constant momentum. We weren’t meant to be idle. Sin is constantly trying to pull us back down to earth. What does it mean to stay active in our faith? What are the dangers of idleness? How do we stay in orbit with God?

Mission Control | Week 2 of Gravity

Gravity is a complicated force. It is actually one of the weaker forces acting on us in the universe, yet it also holds us firmly to the ground. We experience it every moment of our lives, but scientists still cannot really explain it. And there is not just the physical gravity that affects us but a sort of spiritual gravity as well that holds us back. The Bible tells us we are all “fallen” beings. We have sinned, and our sin keeps us from the life we were made for - a life with God. Join Damascus Road for Gravity, as we explore what it takes to break free from the forces that hold us back.Week 2 of Gravity Teacher: Brad MillerIt takes more than a few pilots and astronauts to get off the ground. It takes a whole team. Mission Control offers the support and guidance necessary for getting into space. Faith is also not a solo journey, but one that requires community. In community we can find support when gravity is weighing us down, encouragement when our struggles are pulling us back, and love when we fall back down to earth. How can we support and celebrate one another as a community of faith? Who can we turn to when we have a problem? Who is our mission control?

Escape Velocity | Week 1 of Gravity

Gravity is a complicated force. It is actually one of the weaker forces acting on us in the universe, yet it also holds us firmly to the ground. We experience it every moment of our lives, but scientists still cannot really explain it. And there is not just the physical gravity that affects us but a sort of spiritual gravity as well that holds us back. The Bible tells us we are all “fallen” beings. We have sinned, and our sin keeps us from the life we were made for - a life with God. Join Damascus Road for Gravity, as we explore what it takes to break free from the forces that hold us back.Week 1 of Gravity Teacher: Tyler StibrichIt takes a tremendous amount of force to break free of gravity. Escape velocity describes the speed we need to go to escape from a planet’s gravity and make it into space. On earth, the escape velocity is over 25,000 mph. It can also be incredibly difficult to break free from the gravity of sin – our patterns of selfishness, fear, addiction and all that separates us from God and others – even as we respond to Jesus with faith. Newton’s laws tell us that if we want to go forward, we have to leave something behind. How do we leave behind these old lives for a new life with Christ? How do we hit escape velocity?