Vox Community Podcast

This week Mike addresses the commonly negatively held word "Judgement". As we extend our teaching on John 3:16 ...Shall Not Perish, it is important for us to examine how it that we would come to perish. Furthermore, how do we orient our posture toward God, neighbors, and enemies when we understand God's judgement is out of love, not out of anger. Story by Sunil Gaglani Sunil with us his journey through the difficult struggle of his fathers death. While Sunil has been raised as a Christian it wasn't until this trial that he began to examine the depth of his faith. Ultimately, leaving a church he had been so close to over 20 years. Hear the whole story in this this weeks podcast. Would love to see your comments and thoughts below! Learn more about VOX Community: www.voxoc.com Like VOX Community on Facebook: www.facebook.com/voxcommunity Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/voxcommunity Follow VOX Community on Instagram: www.instagram.com/voxcommunity Say Something! info@voxoc.com Join us Live on

Bonnie Lewis joins us again this week to bring a refreshing teaching on Matthew 16:19 that says, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will bed bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will bee loosed in heaven.” Her teaching brings clarity to how we approach this verse and what it means for us as we live our faith. Story by Greg Arcade Would love to see your comments and thoughts below! Learn more about VOX Community: www.voxoc.com Like VOX Community on Facebook: www.facebook.com/voxcommunity Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/voxcommunity Follow VOX Community on Instagram: www.instagram.com/voxcommunity Say Something! info@voxoc.com Join us Live on Sundays at 10am via LiveStream.com and App: https://livestream.com/accounts/19123468 VOX Community is a church expression of the VOX Podcast with Mike Erre that began in the late spring of 2016. You can participate beyond the VOX Community by listening, commenting, and sharing the conversation happeni

Mike Erre shares a unique perspective on the typical “pre-packaged and predictable” Christmas Story. He focused on the shepherds --- their tainted reputation, their culture, and their role in the birth of the Messiah. With a look at “Shepherd’s Hill” (near Bethlehem), we are provided insight into the selection and care of prime sacrificial lambs for the Passover. Striking similarities existed between the destiny of these lambs and the birth of the Savior. When the Angels appeared to the shepherds declaring the good news for all, we find God using these most unlikely ones to guide people to Jesus. In fact, we learn that throughout the Christmas account, God amazingly used those who were unlikely, scandalous, forgotten, and marginalized. Mike also took time to answer the following pre-texted messages from the community: 1.) If God is for “all nations”, how is the income from VOX Community fulfilling that role? 2.) If we don’t believe in Jesus, why would a loving God have us go to a place called Hell? 3.) Why

Mike explains our hope as Christians and the importance of waiting. He refers to the Bible’s beginning and ending emphasis to two trees: Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and before they could eat from the tree of life, they were cast out of the garden. In Revelation we read of a new earth with running river, and on each side stands the tree of life. Mankind waited for Jesus to come once and now we wait for His return. It’s often difficult to wait when we are experiencing hurt and grief. We’re not yet living in the new creation, so we must wait in our pain to be with Him in that glorious advent. We are, in a sense, living between the trees, but with a hope in His return. We must remember that His message is not about believing in Jesus so we can one day go to heaven. It was never about that. Instead, it’s about repenting now and reorienting our lives toward Jesus now because he has come. The reign of God is amidst the eras of the two trees where we wait with continual hope. Sund

As we continue to explore "Hell for Christmas", Mike expands on the Biblical story of Heaven and Earth to show how the story is relevant to you and I. The Jewish belief of Heaven and Earth was very linear; the Present Age and the Age to Come separated by the Day of Judgment. This is where the story gets interesting. Jesus interrupts this linear idea as described in 1 Corinthians 15:20-21. Paul compares Jesus to the first fruits of a harvest which were the very beginnings that served as a promise for what the harvest would become. In another example, Mike compares it to the long winters in Ohio when the one day of warmth in the middle of winter gives a taste of the spring to come. Jesus is the first fruits of the New Creation, before the New Creation is fully complete. Jesus offers us a grand invitation to join him now as first fruits. We do not have to wait for Heaven to be reunited with Earth to live in the New Creation. If we live in Jesus, we can begin to live in the light of what is to come; a just, equal

John 3:16 - ‘shall not perish’ The 21st century Christian typically believes, according to Genesis 1:1, God is pairing heaven and hell. In actuality, God has paired heaven and earth. The Biblical story is that is that heaven and earth belong together. Through multiple scriptures we learn heaven and earth are always mentioned together and heaven and hell are never paired. Through scriptures we can ascertain that instead of a commonly believed continuum of: Earth - Judgement - Resulting in heaven or hell, the continuum should be Creation of heaven and earth – The Fall – Separation of heaven and earth – Judgement – Reconciliation of heaven and earth. Separation of heaven and earth occurs due to man’s disobedience. Hell was not a part of God’s story, but when sin emerged, hell came into creation. Judgement occurs so that a cleansing of the earth happens, creating a new heaven and earth. Reconciliation results because of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. Revelation 21-5 explains that heaven comes down to ea

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” is the most memorized verse in the Bible. Today’s lesson focuses on the words “eternal life”. During the Old Testament, people did not live by the same time pressures expected of us today, but through markers of time. Greeks thought eternity was a never-ending cycle in which people were stuck. The goal was to transcend this cycle and the constraints of time. If our view of eternity is a cycle of events that we are unable to get out of, no matter how hard we try, we are missing God. When in reality, we have the privilege of living with a God that is holding things up and moves us forward. When living with him, we are not living a cyclical life, but a part of what he is doing. John 17:3 states, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” With this in mind, the invitation to eternal life is not a moment outsid

Today’s episode we present a breadth of creativity and passion from two special guests. @MicahBournes provided “Spoken Word Poetry,” which is poetry written to be performed. Micah’s three selections focused on the ambiguity of being “normal,” earthly relationships versus heavenly relationships, and the effects of peer pressure. His artistic presentation was thought-provoking, dramatic, and tinged with humor. Our guest speaker, Megan Fate Marshman, Director of Women’s Ministry at Hume Lake Camps, shared the “Good News” of Christ in an animated and engaging manner. She presented the traditional “Roman’s Road to Salvation” verses (Romans 3-12) in reverse order. She did this via the story of her quirky 94 year-old grandmother, who she chose to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Megan emphasized how these verses from the book of Romans start with God’s love and His plan for mankind, and they progress to the invitation of mankind into His plan. She clearly explained how anyone, regardless of weaknesses and short-c

The teaching today consisted of responses to audience-generated questions. Mike's responses were as follows: 1. While some of the rules in the Old Testament may seem excessive, harsh, and just plain weird, God was embedding his principles into the cultural norms of the day to effectively reach his people. 2. There's no clear answer as to whether Adam and Eve were really the first people on earth, but Mike's view is that they were simultaneously real people and archetypes (e.g., Adam represented humanity). 3. While the Christian view is to long for Christ's return generally, a desire to delay that return so that loved ones may know Him embodies the heart of God as well. 4. When God does not answer prayers, the only solution is to continue asking; God is not offended by chutzpah. An unanswered prayer is not a sign of a lack of faith. 5. A lot of Christians may have begun their journeys with a self-interested desire for healing, but just as children (hopefully) grow to love and respect their parents, so t

This week we take a close look at what it means to believe in regards to the passage in John 3:16. While many of us get bogged down by the rules that are seemingly placed in our modern culture about what it means to be a Christian, we learn that covenant love paints a much different picture about what it means to follow Jesus, who's love goes beyond many of the boundaries we face in our church cultures. Story by Alex Crisostomo Alex shares a riveting and compelling story about his journey through child abuse, drug abuse, gang life, and becoming a follower of Jesus. He reminds us of the purpose and pursuit that God has in mind for us, and that often our story to find him is often messy and unexpected. Check out the whole story on the podacst! Would love to see your comments and thoughts below! Learn more about VOX Community: www.voxoc.com Like VOX Community on Facebook: www.facebook.com/voxcommunity Follow VOX Community on Instagram: www.instagram.com/voxcommunity Say Something! info@voxoc.com Join

In John 3:16 God says “that whoever believes in Him has everlasting life.” Who is included in that? Jesus’s entire ministry can be summed up by the word “whoever.” He made himself available to everyone, including the outcasts. To begin, Matthew 8:1-10 describes a leper who asked Jesus to make him clean. Back then, the only class of people lower than the lepers were Gentiles or tax collectors! Lepers were ostracized and those who associated with them were automatically deemed unclean. Yet Jesus reached out and touched the leper…regardless of the fact that He would be considered unclean for doing so. Later on we read about the centurian—a Gentile instrument of social terrorism—who comes to Jesus to request healing for his servant. Once again Jesus displays love and compassion. Another good example is in Luke 19:1-10. Zacchaeus was a complete pariah…the worst lowlife of all. He betrayed his own Jewish people by collecting their taxes on behalf of the Romans. Jesus was passing through his town, already plannin

John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son.” God did not give his only son out of being vengeful for a fallen world. He gave his only son because He loved us so much. The story of Abraham and Isaac, in Genesis 18-22, demonstrates the kind of love God has for us. God told Abraham that He would be the father of many nations. However, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, only had a son because of God’s miraculous intervention when Abraham was 100 years old. Years after their son, Isaac, was born God asked Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt sacrifice to test Abraham. God’s testing is not pass/fail it is about arranging circumstances to show what is already in a person’s heart. God knew Abraham would honor His request. With this, Abraham took Isaac, along with two servants, and a donkey, to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham bound Isaac (Scholars consider that Isaac was likely in his 30's, not a child as we often assume.), laid him on the newly built alter, ready to honor God’s reques

Genesis 12 explains the historical backdrop to the phrase from John 3:16, “that he gave”, with the story of Abraham and Sarah. God promised Abraham ‘a great reward of land and descendants’. Abraham, in turn, was to promise that he and his descendants would remain blameless before God. God then called Abraham to perform a blood covenant, an Old Testament custom of slaughtering five animals lengthwise and laying the halves across from each other in a ditch where the blood pooled. The greater and lesser of the covenant parties walked the blood path, demonstrating that if either broke the covenant, this was their outcome. Abraham was terrified to be part of this covenant, knowing that being blameless before God would be impossible. At dark God walked the blood path as smoke and then again as a blazing firepot, signaling that Jesus will die a bloody death in fulfillment of the covenant. Over many years the Jews recreated this ceremony in the temple until the time of Jesus’s death. When Jesus called out tha

We all know John 3:16: “For God so loved the world…” But what is our definition of the world ? It may be the order of this universe, or the people who dwell here, or the organized system of human civilization. Christians often assign a negative connotation. We often hear “I am IN this world, but not OF it.” 1 John 2:15 admonishes us NOT to love the world. But how can this be when Jesus loves it so much? World values are not God’s values. The former seeks power and fame, while the latter rewards weakness and forgiveness. Of course we don’t want to align with world values, but must we label everything as godly or ungodly? Although some things are clearly good or bad, some are neutral. Romans 12:2 can shed light on the issue. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” This would suggest that we should hate the pattern of this world—not the labels or things i

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” is the most memorized verse in the Bible. Do the people who quote this verse really know what it means when they say, “For God SO LOVED...?” The English language often limits us from truly understanding the word, “love.” Some say they love football, music or a spouse. However, these do not represent God’s love. He has the highest form and most sacrificial kind of love. The “D” in the word “loved” speaks about a love outside of the time it’s trying to capture, but still reverberates true today. With this in mind, it is important to understand that God loved us before we existed. In fact, Ephesians 1:3-4 makes clear that God loved us before the creation of the world. We did nothing to deserve this love. Furthermore, in Jeremiah 31:3, it tells us that God loved us with an everlasting love. He does not stop loving us no matter what we do. God is like the shepherd who l

This week we revisit and extend the teaching on John 3:16 with For God...part 2. We take the time to pay close attention to the significance of God giving himself a name to know Him by. Furthermore, as those who follow Jesus, we become those you carry the name of Jesus at the forefront of our identity. When this is taken seriously, our lives should look much different than we suspect and witness in our modern day version of Christianity. While it may be seen as simple to change our attitudes when we drive around with the "Jesus Fish" Sticker on our car, many of us would agree it manifests deeper than changing our behavior. Rather, it would point us to becoming a people of reconciliation, forgiveness, peace, and justice in our day and age. Would love to see your comments and thoughts below! Learn more about VOX Community: www.voxoc.com Like VOX Community on Facebook: www.facebook.com/voxcommunity Follow VOX Community on Instagram: www.instagram.com/voxcommunity Say Something! info@voxoc.com VOX Co

John 3:16, one of the most famous verses in the Christian church, is often one of the first verses memorized. Many Christians think that they understand the verse, but often is held and quoted lacking it's depth and radical meaning. Beginning with the first two words of John 3:16, For God, we seek understanding of the word God. In Greek this word translates to Theos, a generic title. God has many titles, but John chooses to use the word Theos. However, a name in the Scriptures designates character and deity. In Exodus 3:13-16, God dialogs with Moses. He questions God, “What is his name?” Moses is wondering how to identify God to the Israelites. God answers, “I am who I am.” God then gives him a name, Yahweh (YHVH), meaning breathing. Moving to Matthew, the origin of the name Jesus is discussed. The name Jesus (Yeshua [Hebrew]) means Yahweh Saves, identifying Jesus as the one who will save the people from the world. Jesus wants us to call him LORD and forge a personal relationship with him by n

Does anger have a place in Christianity? Although the answer to the question is yes, many Christians have displaced anger or it looks militarized. The real question is, “What is righteous anger?” Mark 3:1-6 tells a story about Jesus healing a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath, which was culturally considered a sin, unless it was a life-threatening situation. The religious leaders were silenced when Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil?” This story is an example of Jesus' anger when the religious people did not show mercy and created rules that were more important than the people they served. Another story about Jesus’ anger is found in Mark 10:13-16. People were bringing children to Jesus and the disciples rebuked them. The disciples were judging who was worthy of seeing Jesus. Jesus was indignant because even His own disciples did not understand that everyone is welcome to be at God’s gate. Another example is found in Luke 19:45-48, which tells about a time Jesu

If you had better things to do, Jesus wouldn't coerce you into following him during his time. No one is ever nagged into Jesus' movement, but simply invited. Learn more about VOX Community: http://www.voxoc.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/VOXCommunity Instagram: www.instagram.com/VOXCommunity

As we wrap up the Insulted Series where we've spent the last few months examining how the many insults thrown at Jesus by his peers became the very things that made His mission beautiful, we take a final look at his final steps to the cross where he faced his final insult; King of the Jews. The book of Mark paints an unexpected picture of the procession to the cross as it looks incredibly familiar to the Roman's version of crowning a Caesar. "Strange, I don't anyone at the time thought, we should name a salad after this guy." - Mike Erre Original song "Still Hope" performed and written by @IzziRay