There are few things more fundamental to the Christian life than reading the bible. So why does something so foundational often seem equally as challenging? Well, that’s where we hope to be some help!

Whether you’re a long-time student of the Scriptures, a first-time reader, or an I-can’t-remember-how-long-it’s-been-since-I-opened-my-bible kind of person, this series is for you. Over the course of five or six weeks, we’ll take a look at the basics of the bible, its overarching story and themes, different ways we can dig it into it, how we got it in the first place, and more!

Also, we’re doing a giveaway! If you send us a question or topic to touch on sometime during this series, you’ll be entered* to win a collection of bible resources recommended by each of our pastors! (Details on what those resources are will be made available soon!) To submit your question or topic about the bible, use this Google Form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yUROQS8t6o

Listen, watch, and enjoy the episode below!

*One entry per person!

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It took a pandemic to bring it back, but here's a fresh episode of the Formed & Sent Podcast! Matt, Michael, and Scott talk a bit about ecclesiology (the theology of the church), why it's so important right now, and how it's shaped our response and hopes for The Village in the midst of this national quarantine.

We’re recording some new episodes via Zoom, which brings with it a share of highs and lows. On the high side, you can now see our faces while we talk via a video recording (…or maybe that’s not a plus!). On the low side, the audio quality isn’t quite as crisp as it otherwise would be.

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At the end of July, Matt, Michael, Scott and their wives gathered with 1300 other folks for the Acts 29 Global Gathering. People from over 40 different countries came together to worship, commune, learn, invest, and rest as one diverse, global family of church-planting churches. It was an incredibly unique experience - one that not only matters to those who attended, but to their local churches, as well.

In this second-half of a two-part conversation (listen to part one here!), Matt, Michael, and Scott talk about Acts 29, the Global Gathering, and how our relationship with this global family shapes who we are, what we do, and how we do it. Enjoy!

Related Links:

• Acts 29

• Acts 29 2019 Annual Report

• US Midwest Network

• Church in Hard Places

• Rural Collective

• Islam Collaborative

• 1000 in for 1000

At the end of July, Matt, Michael, Scott and their wives gathered with 1300 other folks for the Acts 29 Global Gathering. People from over 40 different countries came together to worship, commune, learn, invest, and rest as one diverse, global family of church-planting churches. It was an incredibly unique experience - one that not only matters to those who attended, but to their local churches, as well.

In the next two episodes, Matt, Michael, and Scott talk about Acts 29, the Global Gathering, and how our relationship with this global family shapes who we are, what we do, and how we do it. Enjoy!

Related Links:

• Acts 29

• Acts 29 2019 Annual Report

• US Midwest Network

• Church in Hard Places

• Rural Collective

• Islam Collaborative

• 1000 in for 1000

We're closing out our two-part conversation about work and rest on this week's episode of the podcast! While the first part dealt largely with work, the second half will explores the nature of rest, it's significance, and what all this talk of toil and sabbath might look like in your life.

Although Matt couldn't join us for this whole conversation, Adam Hanauer took his seat at the table! Adam is a lay pastor here at The Village, and he brings a unique and valuable voice into this conversation as an elder who leads and labors in a traditional workplace. In fact, he kicked off our current sermon series, "Toil & Rest," just a few weeks ago by talking about God's good gift of work.

We're talking all about work and rest for the next two episodes of the podcast! Work is something that all of us - no matter your occupation, employment status, or paycheck - put our hands to every single day. But what actually is work in God's eyes? Is it a result of sin or is it a good gift? And would God really call us to rest? Doesn't it just get in the way of being productive? Should we really be working for the weekend?

Although Matt couldn't join us for this conversation, Adam Hanauer took his seat at the table! Adam is a lay pastor here at The Village, and he brings a unique and valuable voice into this conversation as an elder who leads and labors in a traditional workplace. In fact, he kicked off our current sermon series, "Toil & Rest," just a couple weeks ago by talking about God's good gift of work.

A couple of episodes ago episode, we talked to Pastor David Hackney about church planting, pastoring Cedar City Church, and what's in store for their gospel efforts in Lebanon, Ohio. While we shared what it was like to send a group of healthy, invested, committed members of The Village away from our community and into a new one, we didn't talk much about what it would be like to stay.

Matt, Michael, and Scott spend this episode - just like the last one! - talking about what it means to be sent by God to stay here. In part two of our conversation, we'll look back at how the last 10 years have prepared us for the next 10, what we hope is the same (and different!), and how we believe God wants to challenge the church (including ourselves!) right now. Enjoy!

In our last episode, we talked to Pastor David Hackney about church planting, pastoring Cedar City Church, and what's in store for their gospel efforts in Lebanon, Ohio. While we shared what it was like to send a group of healthy, invested, committed members of The Village away from our community and into a new one, we didn't talk much about what it would be like to stay.

Matt, Michael, and Scott are spending this episode - and the next one! - talking about what it means to be sent by God to stay here. In part one of our conversation, we'll talk a bit about the state of The Village, as well as the state of our own hearts. We'll also discuss where we're hoping to steer the church by God's grace and under his leadership. Enjoy!

[Note: Sorry about the audio quality on this one, folks! It appears as if the built-in laptop mic was capturing the audio instead of our nicer stand-alone microphone. Sorry for the inconvenience!]

For the last 18 months, Pastor David Hackney has been our Church Planting Resident as he, his family, and a core group of people from The Village planned to plant a brand new local church in Lebanon, Ohio. This past Sunday, we officially sent them out from under our wings and onto their new adventure on their own. Thankfully, they're not too far away!

So this week, Matt, Michael and Scott brought David to the table to talk about his journey into church planting, what the process so far has been like, and where they are now. Likewise, we get to share what it was like from our perspective and lessons we've learned along the way. Hope you enjoy!

When Matt and Michael were away in Guatemala, Scott invited Aaron Debbink to talk about the intersection of Faith & Science. Aaron led a four-part series during last year's Truth + Culture that dove deep into the questions, considerations, and (perceived) conflicts when we try to bring science and the scriptures together.

This episode is the second of two we recorded over the course of one evening. In Part One, we talked about the source of the tensions we might sometimes feel between faith and science before discussing the bible's particular role when it comes to conversations about science. In Part Two, we zoom in on the topic of the origins of material and biological life, and we consider the theological implications of discovering life on a planet that's not our own.

While Matt and Michael are away in Guatemala, Scott invited Aaron Debbink to talk about the intersection of Faith & Science. Aaron led a four-part series during last year's Truth + Culture that dove deep into the questions, considerations, and (perceived) conflicts when we try to bring science and the scriptures together.

This episode is the first of two we recorded over the course of one evening. In Part One, we talk about the source of the tensions we might sometimes feel between faith and science before discussing the bible's particular role when it comes to conversations about science. In Part Two, we zoom in on the topic of the origins of material and biological life, and we consider the theological implications of discovering life on a planet that's not our own.

It's been a minute, but we're back to wrap up this series that explores the relationship between God's sovereignty and the various aspects of Christian theology and practice. In this final episode of the series, we're considering prayer. If God already knows what we want and need, why should we pray? Does prayer actually change God's mind? Why doesn't God seem to answer every prayer, even when we're asking for something good? We dig into these questions and more!

We're keeping our current series, "God and ____", going as we talk about the tension between His sovereignty and our charge to share the gospel. If God's sovereign over everything, why do we even have to tell people about Jesus? If whoever he chooses to save is going to get saved, then what's the point of evangelism or missions? Those are reasonable questions that call into question the necessity of the Great Commission and the urgency to obey it. So what do we think? Matt, Michael, and Scott talk about that and more on this week's episode!

Our next episode in our "God and ____" series takes us to a conversation about God and salvation. There's a LOT to say about this, and while we merely skimmed the surface, we hope we were able to hit on some helpful things for you. If God chooses who is saved, doesn't that mean he also chooses who isn't? How is that fair? How can God call us to repent and believe if it's ultimately up to God anyways? Did Jesus die for everybody or only those he saves? All that and more on this week's podcast!

We continue our series of "God and ___" today by discussing the problem of evil and suffering. If God's all-powerful and good, how can he let bad things happen? Is he not all powerful? Is he not all good? And if he's neither of those things, then how is he God at all? These are questions that people from all walks of life have asked across the ages, be they scholars, theologians, or philosophers or simply those who have endured suffering and evil in this life. This week, Matt, Michael, and Scott merely try to frame these questions within a biblical worldview - which sometimes complicates things even more!

When it comes to common tensions within Christian theology, many of them have ties to one doctrine in particular: the sovereignty of God. In this new series, we'll try to alleviate some tension, make room for mystery, and clear up misunderstandings as we discuss how God's sovereignty relates to things like evangelism, prayer, salvation, suffering, and evil. But to kick things off, we're tackling one of the biggest questions that comes to folks minds: How can I have free will if God is sovereign over everything? That and more on this week's episode!

What in the world is Lent? Many of us may have never practiced it before, let alone heard of it. And some of us may have been part of a faith tradition that celebrated it regularly. Whether we merely know it from afar or have personal experiences participating in it, you probably don't know what Lent means to The Village.

As we gear up to recognize the season during our Sunday gatherings, we wanted to paint a picture of what it is, where it comes from, and some healthy ways to go about participating (or not participating!) in Lent this year. We hope our conversation's helpful!

• Village Season Setup: Lent (PDF)

(NOTE: Sorry for the audio quality on this episode! It peaks a bit when our antics escalate.)