Identity Archives | Saturate

by Jeff Vanderstelt 0

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DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentityMissionMissional Community

April 16, 2019

Gospel Advance in Russia

  It's super encouraging to read about how Christians are persevering in Russia under oppression - their boldness for the gospel and in prioritizing training for their missional communities in the face of violence and arrest. K.G. came to Soma…

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by Cassie Langford 0

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DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentity

April 11, 2019

Are We Naive?

  I would dare say we have cheerfully cast off many Christian stereotypes.  We have consigned our culottes and cut our hair (or grown it or colored it).  We have become the partiers instead of the buzzkills. We have set…

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by Brad Watson 0

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Everyday RhythmsIdentity

April 10, 2019

Episode 074: Everyday Intentionality: Eat

      In this episode of the Saturate Podcast, Brad and Mirela Watson talk about living everyday with intentional focus around meals. They share practical experience and their story of growing in this area as the front line of…

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by Georgia Lee 0

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Everyday RhythmsFamilyGospelMissional CommunityMissionaryServantSocial Justice

April 9, 2019

Doing Justice & Loving Mercy

  Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have…

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by Nathan Cedarland 0

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ChurchDiscipleshipFamilyGospelLeadershipPastoring

April 4, 2019

Why The Family of God Needs Visible Definition

  A Formal Agreement about Gospel Partnership Matters We’ve explored official church membership from a fresh angle and looked at a biblical precedent for the formal process of recognizing gospel partners. Now, let’s survey some of the key reasons this…

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by Ben Fort 0

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Arts & CultureCommunityCurrent EventsEveryday RhythmsFamilyMissionaryServant

April 2, 2019

What Do I Say?

  “Hey, I listened to your podcast.” My fictional podcast had been released for weeks, and I could count on my fingers how many local friends had listened to it. This had been a sensitive source of tears, anger, and…

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by Nathan Cedarland 0

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ChurchFamilyLeadershipPastoring

March 28, 2019

Is Formal vs. Family a False Paradigm?

  In part one, we evaluated some erroneous views of membership and aimed at a clear biblical definition. In this second segment, we'll explore the scriptural basis for a formal membership process and see how this fits within a family/missional…

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by Ben Fort 0

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Arts & CultureCommunityEveryday RhythmsFamilyGospelMissionMissional Community

March 26, 2019

Accepting Ordinary Invitations

  My wife Bethany and I are suckers for weird artsy puppet shows, so of course we were pumped to see that Fort Worth’s Amphibian Theater was producing just that with Geppetto: Extraordinary Extremities. We grabbed a few friends and…

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by Jeff Vanderstelt 0

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CoachingDiscipleshipFoundationsGospelLeadershipMissionarySpiritual Growth

March 19, 2019

Power for Salvation

  When people say they are saved, what do they mean? Think of this blog post as a vocabulary lesson. To become fluent in any language, you must develop your vocabulary. So let’s delve into the aspects of the gospel…

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by Charlie Meo 0

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Everyday RhythmsGospelIdentityMissionMissional CommunityPastoringSocial Justice

March 14, 2019

Where the Immigrant, Asylum Seeker, and the Refugee Belong

  Context The work of every pastor, no matter their context, is to faithfully shepherd God’s people, equipping them to be faithful to the biblical story. This article is the result of three pastors wrestling with the implications of the…

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by Jordan Elder 0

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Everyday RhythmsGospelIdentityMissionMissional Community

February 26, 2019

Seasons of Mission

  As Missional Communities are planted, it is important to understand mission as an ancient work empowered by the Holy Spirit. God has been doing this “work” throughout redemptive history and calls each new generation to join Him. Mission can be…

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by Madalaine Horky 0

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DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentityMissionMissional CommunitySocial Justice

February 19, 2019

Elevating the Poor

  Becoming a friend to the poor requires a recognition of the ways that Jesus invited us to sit with Him and be elevated with Him, even though we could never deserve it. Throughout the story of the Bible, it…

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by Rachel Swartley 0

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DiscipleshipGospelIdentityLife IssuesSpiritual Growth

January 15, 2019

He is Always Calling Us Back

  Read Part One Here. In no way is this meant to be a voice of condemnation, for I am the worst of us! However, I have personally come to a place of seeing my deep need for Jesus through…

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by Jeff Vanderstelt 0

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DiscipleshipEveryday RhythmsFamilyGospelHoly SpiritIdentityLife IssuesSpiritual Growth

January 10, 2019

Jesus is the True Friend

  Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:1, 24 In what…

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by Rachel Swartley 0

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Everyday RhythmsGospelGospel ShepherdingIdentityLife IssuesSpiritual Growth

January 8, 2019

Enduring Trials Well

  Measuring Suffering The aching desire for a spouse, the pain of losing a friend, the uncertainty of finding a job...these things all produce pain. Why is it, though, that we tend to compare our suffering to the next person,…

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by Nathan Cedarland 0

0

DiscipleshipEveryday RhythmsFoundationsGospelIdentity

January 3, 2019

Moving Forward by Looking Back

  Are you planning to skim this article as fast as you can so you can move onto the next thing? If so, then you are fairly normal. We live in a fast-paced, instant gratification, FOMO culture. Rushing from one…

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by Brad Watson 1

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 25, 2018

Arrival of Enough

    A few years ago, I ran a 5K on Thanksgiving with my whole family - three kids and two strollers. As we crossed the finish line the announcer said, “Welcome the stroller team!” The race was through the…

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by Brad Watson 0

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DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 24, 2018

Gospel Feast

    Our Advent traditions have become numerous: we cut down our tree at the Beck family farm in the shadow of Mt. Hood; we make cinnamon rolls for our neighbors; we go ice skating at the mall; I take…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 23, 2018

Lasting Redeeming Love

      On these last days of Advent, we turn our gaze to the love embodied in the crib. The incarnation carries into our world not just hope, peace, and joy, but Christ brings with Him a love of…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 22, 2018

Loved from the Beginning

    One of my favorite Christmas memories came five years ago when Mirela told me she was pregnant with our second child. I was overjoyed, amazed, and humbled. When that daughter was born we named her “Maitê,” which means…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 21, 2018

Future Victory and Present Joy

    We find ourselves between two arrivals - the first in Jesus in Bethlehem and the second as He comes again. We stand between resurrection and restoration.  That’s precisely why this season is so important; it locates our hope,…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 20, 2018

The True Light

    I haven’t found a suburban light show, a boat parade light show, or the lights in a fancy mall in Los Angeles to compare the Christmas lights of Lisbon, Portugal. My home city truly rises to the occasion…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 19, 2018

Emmanuel

    Christmas is one of those strange times you sing a lot. It’s also a time when you oddly sing words in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and all sorts of languages. A favorite, I think, is the song “O Come,…

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by Cassie Langford 0

0

DiscipleshipGospelHoly SpiritIdentityMissional CommunitySpiritual Growth

December 18, 2018

From Jaded to Jeweled

  A guy who has hung around on the outskirts of our missional community sent a message asking for gas money this week.  He said he missed us, but he has been going to another local church. My gut reaction…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 18, 2018

Good Times Have Come, So Go Tell it On the Mountain

    We tell the stories that matter most to us and our world. The stories you tell at parties, over dinner, and even in small talk have two overlapping qualities: you like them and you think the people around…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 17, 2018

Joy to the World, Good News!

      I’ll never forget where I was when I first heard the news: LeBron James was coming to Los Angeles to play for our Lakers. King James was going to come! After years of trying to read between…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentityMissionSaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 16, 2018

The Meaning of Joy

    This Advent season has been a delight for me as we’ve walked through hope and peace. Now we turn our gaze toward joy. Our modern dictionaries define joy as a feeling of great happiness. It’s essentially pleasure plus,…

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by Nathan Cedarland 0

0

ChurchDiscipleshipEveryday RhythmsGospelIdentityMissional Community

December 13, 2018

Better than Christmas

  At heart, I’m a nostalgic sentimentalist. Growing up, It’s a Wonderful Life was not only my favorite Christmas movie but my favorite movie in general. Seriously. Almost any holiday song by Nat King Cole or Bing Crosby still fills…

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by Tim Parlier 0

0

CommunityDiscipleshipGospelLeadershipMissionMissionaryYouth & Teens

December 11, 2018

Sent Where the Sin Is

As we at Saturate seek to commission disciple-makers of students (or anyone for that matter), we are confronted with circumstances and beliefs that seems to be stopping many from starting a new work or shifting their current ministry functions. There…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentityMissionSaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 8, 2018

Mourning with Hope in a Tragic World

    Christmas can be a time of lights, trees, parties, and decadent food, but it is definitely a season of grief and sadness. For some, it’s the grief of a lost childhood; the holidays remind us of all the…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentityMissionSaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 7, 2018

A Humble Baby?

    “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,     though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me     one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old,     from ancient times.” Therefore Israel…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 6, 2018

Responding to the King’s Arrival

  Go on up to a high mountain,     O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength,     O Jerusalem, herald of good news;     lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah,     “Behold your God!”  Behold,…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentityMissionSaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 5, 2018

Life from a Stump

    As I mentioned previously, our family always cuts down a Christmas tree. Each year, we leave a stump in the ground—something that was once growing is now dead. Stumps in Oregon are a part of life. In fact…

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by Nathan Cedarland 0

0

DiscipleshipGospelGospel ShepherdingIdentityLeadershipMissional CommunityPastoringSpiritual Growth

December 4, 2018

We Need “Good Shepherd” Theology

  During our family meal last week, my five-year-old son Caleb perched attentively on the arm of the padded chair in which I sat––my Bible sprawled open on the coffee table in front of us. “What does it mean for…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipGospelIdentityMissionSaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 4, 2018

Jesus Came into the World

    “Jesus came into Galilee” is offered as hope, the first hope. After centuries of silence, of struggle, and continued sin, the resignation of the people was, “No one is coming.” And yet, Jesus came into Galilee. “No-one-is-coming” is…

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by Brad Watson 0

0

DiscipleshipFoundationsGospelIdentitySaturate PodcastSpiritual Growth

December 3, 2018

The True Story of Hope

    On a December morning in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, children and teachers were likely gearing up for a day filled with gluing cotton balls onto Santa beards when a 20-year-old man came into the school shooting and killing…

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