Life Issues Archives - Saturate

Discipleship Gospel Shepherding Life Issues Spiritual Growth

May 20, 2021

Living on Mission This Summer

School is wrapping up, the days are getting longer, and with COVID restrictions easing, we are looking forward to making the most of this summer! Plans are being made for vacations, weddings, camping trips, family reunions, and playing in…

Discipleship Gospel Shepherding Life Issues Spiritual Growth

May 6, 2021

A Call to Taste the Bread of Life

“Who will help me plant my seeds?” asked the Little Red Hen. “Not I,” said the dog. “Not I,” said the cat. “Not I,” said the duck. “Then, I will plant them myself,” said the Little Red Hen, and…

Kids Spiritual Growth

March 30, 2021

Treasuring Christ during Holy Week

Ever since my children were little, we have kept the tradition of making an Easter Mountain during Holy Week, an idea I took from Noel Piper’s Treasuring Christ in Our Traditions. We make a large lump of salt dough,…

Discipleship Spiritual Growth Women

March 9, 2021

The Way through the Wilderness

Last year when the Angel Soft and Lysol—along with staple foods like Ramen and Chef Boyardee—disappeared from our grocery shelves, I was strangely filled with a bit of anticipation. I thought it could be the wilderness that would teach…

Discipleship Missionary Spiritual Growth Uncategorized Women

February 9, 2021

His Endless Love

A few years ago a lady who had lost her first husband to brain cancer came to me before she married her second husband concerned for her daughters. She was worried that they would doubt her love for them…

by Alan Hirsch 0

Bible & Theology Church Community Discipleship Family Foundations Gospel Shepherding Mission Missionary

October 8, 2020

Don’t Be A Lone Ranger

(Enjoy this final post in Alan Hirsch's eleven-part series.) When the church gets its act together, it is the most potent force for the transformation of the world. One of the most profound ways to embody countercultural dissents against the…

by Alan Hirsch 0

Bible & Theology Community Domains of Society Foundations Mission Missionary Women

September 15, 2020

Our Neighborhoods Have Changed

(Post five in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read part four here) Whether we like it or not, we live in a world that is culturally fragmented and fragmenting. We are called to be a missional (move-out) people, and…

by Michael Sullivan 0

Bible & Theology Current Events Gospel Life Issues

July 6, 2020

How the Hope of Belonging to Jesus Shapes Our Politics

"Our most revolutionary political act is to hope." - James K.A. Smith Awaiting the King: Reforming Public Theology Introduction To Become a People Who Consider What to Say, How to Say It, and Are Quick to Listen and Be…

by Michael Lum 0

Current Events Discipleship Everyday Rhythms Gospel Life Issues

April 21, 2020

Rejoice Always

In a recent conversation with a sister in Christ, she told me, “Pastor, I find it incredibly hard to be happy in days like this. When I can’t know what God is doing and why he is doing it, I…

Current Events Discipleship Foundations Gospel Kids Spiritual Growth

April 3, 2020

Discipling Our Kids at Home

When I moved to Los Angeles, I never thought I would have over two months of parenting that looked so much like Swiss Family Robinson and Little House on the Prairie. But, here we are. We’re working at home, eating…

Apologetics Church Family Gospel Kids Mission

March 31, 2020

What’s the Point of the Resurrection?

We're about to embark on perhaps the strangest and best Easter of our lives. It will be an Easter without large brunches, egg hunts, and large worship services. In fact, it will be an Easter of sheltering in place, rising…

Current Events Discipleship Gospel Leadership Life Issues Spiritual Growth

March 24, 2020

The Power of Waiting and Remembering

There’s a time to create content and build a resource. And then there’s a time to stop, wait, feel, listen, and pray. As a team at Saturate, we’ve felt the need to go slow and not rush. We believe we…

by Duke Revard 0

Discipleship Foundations Gospel Gospel Shepherding

November 21, 2019

Our Father Comforts

The Soma Family of Churches lost a leader, friend, brother, husband, and devoted father last week. Randy Sheets’ impact for Jesus’s kingdom will never be fully known until we are together again in the new heavens and new earth.…

Discipleship Foundations Gospel Identity Kids Missional Community

September 23, 2019

Adopted Child of God

This post is an excerpt from a leader preparation article in Gospel Basics for Kids. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we…

by Rachel Swartley 0

Discipleship Gospel Identity Life Issues Spiritual 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…

by Rachel Swartley 0

Everyday Rhythms Gospel Gospel Shepherding Identity Life Issues Spiritual 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,…

Community Discipleship Gospel Leadership Mission Missionary Youth & 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…

by Nathan Cedarland 0

Discipleship Gospel Gospel Shepherding Identity Leadership Missional Community Pastoring Spiritual 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…

by Adam Breckenridge 0

Discipleship Foundations Gospel Gospel Shepherding Leadership Missional Community Spiritual Growth

November 29, 2018

What to Expect from People in DNA Groups

Expectations for being in a DNA Group Deep discipleship and transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. Rather, deep growth occurs in the soil of trusting relationships, where we can be known and loved, challenged and encouraged. This is the purpose…

Discipleship Foundations Gospel Identity Kids Resources

November 27, 2018

The Whole Gospel

This is an excerpt from the Adult Leader's Preparation for the first lesson of Gospel Basics for Kids. Each week of Gospel Basics has reflections and readings to help the teacher prepare to engage kids on the same topic.…

by Liz.Pearse 0

Discipleship Everyday Rhythms Foundations Gospel Identity Kids

November 22, 2018

Why Teach the Basics of the Gospel to Kids?

Why should we teach the basics of the gospel to our kids? For no other reason than we are in a battle: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against…

Kids Missional Community Saturate Podcast

November 21, 2018

New Resource Now Available!

We have a new resource for kids, families, communities, and churches. I'm very excited about it. This children's resource began as a simple guide for missional communities at Bread&Wine, a Soma Church in Portland, Oregon in 2009, during my first year…

by Mirela Watson 0

Discipleship Foundations Gospel Identity Kids

November 20, 2018

Speaking the Gospel with Children

Sometimes I think she understands, and I always wonder how amazed she will be when she fully comprehends the depth of the justice and righteousness Jesus brings to our lives, both here and in eternity. We are on the…

by Jeff Vanderstelt 0

Discipleship Foundations Gospel Gospel Shepherding Pastoring

November 16, 2018

Give Them Jesus

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, states: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body…

by James Grout 0

Church Everyday Rhythms Foundations Mission Missional Community Youth & Teens

November 6, 2018

From One Generation to the Next

A Shaky Foundation Several years into my career as a youth pastor I had a crisis of purpose. I loved what I was doing and believed developing people and programs to support teenagers in their faith journey was one…

Discipleship Gospel Leadership Mission Youth & Teens

October 23, 2018

It Must Be Connected

If you haven’t read the prior articles in this series, it might be helpful to review to give you some context. This is a continuation flushing out the E.P.I.C. generation acronym. (Experiential, Participatory, Image-rich, Connected). The goal is to…

by Charlie Meo 0

Community Current Events Discipleship Domains of Society Gospel Gospel Shepherding Pastoring

October 4, 2018

The Disciple and Trauma

As Americans watch the unfolding drama of the Supreme Court hearings, you can almost hear the nation collectively sigh in frustration, sadness, and disbelief. In many ways, these hearings are a culmination of many cultural currents: partisan politics, Trump…

by Jeff Vanderstelt 0

Discipleship Foundations Gospel Identity Kids

September 27, 2018

Gospel Parenting

Train up a Child Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. PROVERBS 22:6 This verse could be literally translated as “Train a child according to his…

Discipleship Foundations Gospel Gospel Shepherding Holy Spirit Spiritual Growth

September 25, 2018

All of Life is Worship

We were made to worship. We were made to adore, to long for, to delight in, to desire. We were made to have the deepest longings of our hearts met by someone or something outside of ourselves. Always Worshiping…

by James Grout 0

Church Discipleship Foundations Gospel Identity Mission Pastoring Youth & Teens

September 13, 2018

Teenagers Are Not The Future of The Church

If the kingdom of heaven belongs to children and adolescents, then the church must believe and behave as if their presence matters. Regrettable Words When I was in full-time youth ministry I felt part of my job was to…

Everyday Rhythms Gospel Leadership Mission Missionary Multiplication Youth & Teens

August 23, 2018

Saturating our College Campuses

Saturate's vision is to see a gospel saturation movement happen in North America and beyond. We want to partner with God, like-minded churches, organizations, and individuals as He brings about the vision of seeing every man, woman, and child…

Discipleship Foundations Gospel Gospel Shepherding Missional Community Resources Spiritual Growth

August 21, 2018

Discipling Each Other

The most meaningful relationships in life are symbiotic: the people involved mutually benefit, encourage, and foster growth in each other. Growing as a disciple requires this kind of relationship by the power of the Holy Spirit and through the…

Discipleship Gospel Leadership Life Issues Missional Community Youth & Teens

July 24, 2018

It Must Be Image Rich

If you haven’t read the prior articles in this series, it might be helpful to review to give you some context. This is a continuation flushing out the E.P.I.C. generation acronym. (Experiential, Participatory, Image-rich, Connected). The goal is to…

Everyday Rhythms Gospel Leadership Mission Youth & Teens

June 1, 2018

It Must Be Participatory

If you haven’t read the first or second part of this series, it might be helpful to review to give you some context of this series. This is a continuation diving into the E.P.I.C. acronym. (Experiential, Participatory, Image-rich, Connected). …