Counterculture
Courage in a Culture of Fear
September 5, 2021 • Stephen Putbrese • Matthew 10:24–31
Fear plays a major role in our lives, both at the individual and corporate level. Why is that? No one wants to be afraid, and yet it seems as though we can't help it. All of this is in spite of the fact that the world has become a much safer place in recent history. How can we live with courage instead? Jesus tells us that in order to not be afraid of everything else, a person must first and foremost fear God instead. In doing so, we also find that he cares immensely for us and we don't need to fear anything else.
Peace in an Outrage Culture
September 12, 2021 • Alonzo Khouaja • Philippians 4:2–9
Our culture is divided - politically, ideologically, and personally. As various forces continue to increase our outrage and hostility towards each other, it's becoming more and more clear that we no longer have anything to unify around. As a result, we have a great absence of peace and an overwhelming amount of cultural and individual anxiety instead. What is the way forward? How can we gain true peace in an outrage culture? In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul explains how we can deal with division and gain supernatural peace from God instead.
Forgiveness in a Cancel Culture
September 19, 2021 • Stephen Putbrese • Matthew 18:21–35
Cancel Culture has become a hot topic of conversation in the last couple of years. It describes a modern from of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles for a variety of reasons. Some people believe it's necessary in order to hold others responsible for their actions, while others feel it is an unfair way to shame or censure someone for any reason. Is there a better way? Yes. The Christian response to Cancel Culture is Jesus' teaching on forgiveness. In his Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus shows what mercy and forgiveness are meant to look like in the church. Only this approach can offer a true path to restoration while not ignoring or minimizing injustice.
Generosity in a Consumer Culture
September 26, 2021 • Stephen Putbrese • 2 Corinthians 8:1–15
Sometime in the early 1900s, we entered into what could be called a consumer culture. In this environment, corporations, marketers, and brands aim to extract every penny from the consumer through an endless stream of products. While this economy can provide an infinite number of goods and products, it can never provide actual contentment. How can we find contentment in relation to money and things? Paradoxically, the answer is to generously give it away. This teaching explores the paradox of generosity, the power for it, and the practice of it.
Grace in a Performance Culture
October 3, 2021 • Stephen Putbrese • Galatians 2:11–21
We live in a performance culture that can feel like a pressure-cooker. The demands placed on us through career, relationships, and life in general can feel unrelenting and unattainable. And because of the influence of social media, it can feel like everyone else is performing better than we are while simultaneously exerting much less effort. This kind of culture is exhausting and life-sucking. As Paul shows in Galatians, no one, no matter how perfect or righteous, will ever meet the high standard of performance demanded. A better way to live is the way of grace. Grace does not mean lowering the standards or giving ourselves a pass, but receiving a new power and motivation to live by as a free gift from God.
Repentance in a Culture of Regret
October 10, 2021 • Stephen Putbrese • 2 Corinthians 7:5–13
Everyone wants to change. We know we don't want to stay exactly how we are and often look back on our mistakes with a sense of regret. The self-help industry generates $10 billion a year, and yet, we still feel like we struggle to find ways to change. The reason is that true change doesn't come through self-improvement, but through repentance. As this text shows, repentance is not a negative word, but is meant to lead to a life without regrets. Whereas the culture can only lead to one regret after another, the path of repentance turns regret into redemption.