Showcase: Assorted Treats

  • Where do I Find Myself? +

    All I Can Do Is Be Me -Whoever That IsBob Dylan Who are we? Do we follow the motivations of Read More
  • Forgiveness: Desmond Tutu +

    Nobel Peace Prize Winner Desmond Tutu explains how love and forgiveness kept post-apartheid South Africa from tumbling into anarchy. Read More
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Audio & Video

Being Church-Dallas Willard, part 3

Dallas-WillardBelow are notes from Dallas Willard's talk at Tree of Life Community in Orange, CA. A video of the teaching is at the end of these notes.

Conversation / Q & A with the pastors:

Question: "What is the primary barrier to being a disciple of Jesus?"

Answer: The default system of thinking that you can be a Christian without being a disciple. This belief is rooted in the current reigning understanding among Evangelicals of what it means to be saved. Too many think salvation is only about a guarantee of going to heaven when we die. This understanding really requires nothing of believers. We only expect to have to profess certain things and perhaps associate with certain people. Discipleship then feels like a "bait and switch" in this understanding of the gospel. It wasn't part of the original invitation.

Read more: Being Church-Dallas Willard, part 3

Being Church--Dallas Willard, part 1

Dallas-WillardWhat does it mean to be a church? For Willard, it begins with Christ, and our fixing our thoughts, our minds on him. Willard uses  the Lord's prayer, especially, "hallowed by thy name" to keep Christ's identity front and center in his thoughts throughout the day. Below are  some more thoughts from this talk of Willard, delivered at the Tree of Life Community in Orange, CA. This is part 1 of 3  parts of the teaching.Part one of the video follows the notes.

Ephesians 1:15-23

Do we make the mistake of thinking that because Paul prays for us in his letter to the Ephesians that it means there is nothing for us to do?

Question: What do we do to live in the reality of the scriptures?

Read more: Being Church--Dallas Willard, part 1

Reflections to Consider

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Publications

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Music

  • River of Love

    There's a river of love that runs through all timeBut there's a river of grief that floods through our livesIt Read More
  • I Am Nothing

    I stutter when I tryTo speak the language of lifeI want to shout out loudBut I just cry insideSometimes it Read More
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Audio & Video

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Favorites

  • Transforming this World: The Hope of Glory by NT Wright +

    Wright confronts the perspective that this world doesn’t matter, and that we live only to be in heaven. He shows Read More
  • What is Good in a World that Defies Hope: a talk by NT Wright +

    This is the second part of three talks by NT Wright at Harvard University in November, 2008 on the topic Read More
  • The Stream, the Lake and the River: NT Wright +

      Acts 2.1-21; John 7.37-39; a sermon at the Eucharist on the Feast of Pentecost, 11 May 2008, by the Read More
  • Jesus in the Perfect Storm by NT Wright +

    Zechariah 9.9-17; Luke 19.28-48; A sermon for Palm Sunday, April 17, 2011, In the University Chapel of St Salvator, St Read More
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Hidden Blessings

  • Christ is a Great Savior: a review of the movie Amazing Grace +

    Amazing Grace is a historical drama about William Wilberforce who was elected to British Parliament at the age of 21 Read More
  • Wilberforce, Hollywood's Amazing Grace, Charlotte Allen +

    William Wilberforce's relentless campaign eventually led the British Parliament to ban the slave trade, in 1807, and to pass a Read More
  • Making Beauty out of Ugly Things: Grace by U2 +

    Grace, she takes the blame She covers the shame Removes the stain It could be her name Grace, she carries Read More
  • The True Nature of Grace and Love: a movie review of the Soloist +

    The 2009 movie The Soloist is based on a book by the same name, written by Los Angeles Times columnist Read More
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