Formed by Simplicity
Gospel Simplicity E4
August 27, 2023 • Trey Van Camp • Mark 10:13–31
In https://biblia.com/bible/csb/mark%2010, Jesus interacts with a man who many of us can relate to — he’s wealthy, sincere, and desires to follow Jesus. But when he asks Jesus what else he can do to experience a joyful life in the Kingdom, Jesus responds by targeting the one thing he’s still clinging to: his wealth. Many of us struggle with the same issue today. We want to experience life and life in abundance, yet we’re unwilling to let go of what that life might cost us. And while the gospel isn’t about earning anything from God, it does require us giving up our idols and attachments that we’re seeking eternal life from instead. But like the rich young ruler, Jesus lovingly invites us to simplify our lives so we can trust our past, present, and future completely to him.
Relational Simplicity E3
August 20, 2023 • Trey Van Camp • James 3:1–6, Ephesians 4:17–32
When most of us think of simplicity, we think of digital minimalism, materialism, and wealth. But few of us would consider the practice of simplicity as something that involves our speech and relationships. And yet, when we examine how often we use sarcasm, exaggeration, and flattery to manipulate people and get what we want, we might be surprised to see that our speech is not simple or wholesome by default. Jesus himself says that our speech is an automatic result of what’s already in our hearts, and the apostle James warns us that our speech has the ability to stain our whole bodies. Left to our own, we can find ourselves trying to manipulate others, gain status and approval, or win arguments. To fight against these impulses we practice simplicity of speech; we speak honor in place of flattery and contempt, secrecy in place of gossip and exaggeration, and silence in the place of rage and manipulation.
Material Simplicity E2
August 13, 2023 • Trey Van Camp • Matthew 6:22–25, Luke 12:13–21
As Americans our identities are often shaped by the quantity and quality of the stuff we own. Security, stability, and satisfaction are only possible when we buy and accumulate more wealth. And while we’re really after deep contentment, we falsely believe that the very joy we’re searching for is still on the other side of the next purchase. Cue our endless cycle of buying more so we can desire less. But Jesus offers us a better way. He does this by confronting our attachment to our stuff and our lack of trust in him, and also by modelling a life of simplicity. When we study the Scriptures, we find a deeper truth than the lie we’re trained to believe — real contentment is actually found by limiting what we own and increasing what we give.
Digital Simplicity E1
August 6, 2023 • Trey Van Camp • Matthew 3:16–17, Matthew 4:1–2, Mark 4:1–20
We live in the age of the attention economy. From social media ads and online shopping to streaming and news, our hearts and minds are often cluttered and rewired for discontentment. We live chasing accumulation, or what Jesus calls “the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things.” And for most of us, this discontentment comes directly from our digital consumption. But the way of Jesus is an invitation to simplicity — learning to be content with less, not more. To start this practice, we must first train ourselves to curate our digital consumption. By limiting our digital intake, we can rewire our brains towards contentment and train ourselves to be more present and attentive to God and to those around us. For resources on simplicity, go to: https://formedbyjesus.com/simplicity TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Formation is happening whether you like it or not. 2:20 - Mark 4v1-20 7:48 - Nothing crowds our time and attention like the digital world. 19:05 - The Practice of Simplicity 20:53 - Our definition of simplicity 22:35 - Jesus practicing solitude 28:18 - The way OUT of the digital chokehold 36:32 - Don’t fear the desert.