Noah Stepro

12-21-14 (Advent)ure: The Last Battle

When we know the end of the story fear, anxiety, compromise and indecision leave us; we know the final outcome of God’s great saga…we are called to live in the light of Christ’s victory.

Embracing Grieving and Loss

I’ve been trying to do something that is incredibly uncomfortable for me lately…being ok with not being ok. I typically power through hard times, I like to play the hero. In the moment this can look great…but I become pressurized from never processing pain and eventually it comes out in irrational rage at small things and the occasional bout of ugly-crying.

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Sunda…

12-14-14 – (Advent)ure: Timelines

Our hope lies not within the past but in the possibilities of the future. God is all about dramatic acts of redemption and courage that alter the course of human history

“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” ― Rick Warren

“People are all over the world telling their one dramatic story and how their…

Interstellar: The Burden of Vision

Last week I got to see interstellar… I still haven’t made up my mind about what I think… But I definitely think something.

Besides weirding me out and giving me that “don’t think about the space time continuum/ flux capacitor/cluster flub” – the film stirred up al kinds of thoughts about leadership.

Interstellar spoiler

The most frustrating thing about watching interstellar was watching someone…

12-7-14 – (Advet)ure: Training

God doesn’t always give us what we want, but what we need. Times of “silence” are often times of preparation & training we fail to recognize

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, “ GOD has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? GOD…

11-16-14 Trauma and Healing w/Toby Darrington

Trauma comes from unprocessed pain and life altering experiences. As we coop with trauma we can put up defenses and hide from vulnerability…this often keeps us from trusting God and trusting others. We are called to trust God and enter his presence with confidence…we are called to heal from the trauma in our lives.

10-19-14 #WhyChurch: Divine Truth

In a world of relativism the church is to be grounded in the Spirit on Scripture…pointing us to Jesus the Perfect Word of God

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Until we are discontent with the things of this world we will never find contentment with God.

“Restlessness is discontent — and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied…

We Want What We Don’t Need…And We Like It!

“What you want is not what your need”

I testify to this maxim with some many parts of my life:

Diet: I need to be healthy and fit…I want Animal Style Fires

Purchases: I need retirement and a savings account…I want a trip to Paris

Knowledge: I need to learn more about the Greenback party (for the class I teach)…I want to read more about the latest political scandal

Time: I need to finish painting…

8-31-14 #WhyChurch: A Sign of the Kingdom of God

When the church is a sign of the Kingdom of God, we warn of danger, are clear to read, guide to true destinations and are easily seen in and around the community

When the church fails to point towards the Kingdom of God in all it does, we mislead people, distract seekers from Jesus and obscure the truth #WhyChurch

8-24-14 #WhyChurch: The Problem

If we want to be dynamic, New Testament followers of Jesus, we need a dynamic community of faith that will equip, challenge and encourage us into the life of Christ.

If our understanding of Kingdom doesn’t have Church at the center, we will inevitably lose the King at the center too

Michael Brown, Reconstruction and The Great War

Police make me nervous. Seriously. I realized most of the people I know don’t share this sentiment. When I’m at the park playing basketball or barbecuing and I see a patrol car come through I just assume they are going to harass me. Now I am a law abiding, middle-class, Anglo, family man…I don’t get harassed by the police nor do I give them cause to harass me. I didn’t give them cause as a child…

8-3-14 Abandoned or Adopted

As we are adopted into a new life, a new family with God, we are called to bring others into our family.

“It is not imitation that makes sons. It is sonship that make imitators.” ― Martin Luther

“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” -Jesus

7-27-14: Enid: A Faith Beyond Your Means

We cannot have faith unless without being called outside of our comfort zones