The Occasional - from Four Oaks East

In the episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle follows up on the last two Sunday sermons, discussing the hard realities of the process of waiting for God as he works out his redemptive purposes. He talks about turning toward or away from God in the midst of confusion, lament, and God's character and promise as our anchor in trouble.

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle sits down with Erin Kraeft to talk about how last week's sermon challenged them and how they are seeking to apply it. They talk about how to think about obedience when God's will doesnt seem as clear, and how faith often moves forward in the face of risk and vulnerability.

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle sits down with Pastor Greg to follow up on the sermon from the previous Sunday on Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush. They discuss God's self-existence and why it is good news for us who are needy and sinful.

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle sits down with Josh Hendricks to talk through some practical ways that we can process and pray the story of Exodus. They talk about things like zooming out and seeing ourselves in the story, but also how we can work to open ourselves to God through radical honesty and imaginative "letter writing" practices.

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle sits down with Pastor Josh and Funmi to discuss Funmi's last message on the book of James. They discuss things like the book's impact in general and how James ends with some practical notes on prayer.

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Josh and Kyle talk through this week's sermon from James. They talk about the way that James is working on them personally and how wrestling with these things over the years has proved helpful.

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle sits down with Pastor Josh (or does he?) to follow up on the sermon from Sunday. They discuss planning and presumption, and how to pray "prayers of intention."

In this episode, Pastors Kyle and Greg sit down to follow up with another conversation on fear, this time thinking through how it affects relationships and evangelism.

In this episode of Equipping, Pastors Kyle and Greg sit down to talk about the reality of fear, specifically introducing it in the categories scripture presents to us. We are called both to "fear not" and to "fear God." As they work through how scripture presents fearing the Lord, the picture becomes clear that it is actually really good news! This discussion has been influenced significantly by Michael Reeves's book: "Rejoice and Tremble" (highly recommended).

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle sits down with Pastor Andrew Axsom, a pastor at Four Oaks Killearn, to talk about how the wonder we celebrate at Advent: the coming of God in the incarnate Christ. They talk about how we show how our natural draw to wonder comes out in the Christmas season in our stories, traditions, and desires. Because of this, there is a great opportunity for us to revel in the mystery of the incarnation in our worship and witness.

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle sits down with Erin Petscher to discuss how parenting and maturity intersect in the Christian life. Erin shares honestly about challenges and graces, and how God has met her in the process over the years.

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle and Pastor Josh sit down to continue the conversation on Christian growth and maturity. This week, we double-click on meditation and contemplation, getting practical on how to "set our minds on things above."

In this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle sits down with Erin Kraeft to discuss some practical ways to think about the maturing process. They discuss things like what it looks like to apply the "put off" and "put on" imperatives and how the concept of the J-Curve is helpful for thinking about this process. Book Recommendation: J-Curve by Paul Millerhttps://www.amazon.com/J-Curve-Dying-Rising-Jesus-Everyday/dp/1433561565

In this episode, Pastor Kyle and Pastor Josh begin discussing the process of maturity in the life of the believer - We become like Christ as we behold him in contemplation:"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:17-18)

On this episode of Equipping East, Pastor Kyle, Josh, and Funmi sit down to begin a discussion on the character of Christian maturity. Recomended Books:Formed for the Glory of God: Kyle StrobelFormed for Fellowship: Kyle Worley

In this episode of Follow The Thread, Pastor Greg and Kyle talk about the "lived narrative" of The Fall and how its through lines continue to show up in our lives.

In this episode of Equipping East, Kyle and Garrett follow up on Garrett's apologetics teaching with the Four Oaks East student ministries. They discuss what "apologetics" is, its general place in life and evangelism, and some ways to orient around things like faith and reason.

In this episode, Kyle Kraeft and Pastor Josh Hughes double click on his introduction sermon on "A Confessing Church" sermon series, discussing why theology and doctrine matter.

In this Follow the Thread edition, Kyle Kraeft joins Pastor Greg Hutchins to continue considering how we can intertwine our stories with the story of Scripture. They specifically focus on creation and how being made in God's image impacts our understanding of dignity, our limitations, and more. Tune in!

In this Follow the Thread edition, Kyle Kraeft joins Pastor Greg Hutchins as they begin to answer the question, "How do I begin to see my story in light of the story of Scripture, practically speaking?" After a few introductory comments, they begin with the story of creation and some implications of creation on how we understand ourselves and our stories.

In this Sneak a Peek edition, Kyle Kraeft joins Pastor Greg Hutchins to preview Care Groups, one of our Fall Discipleship Pathways. Do you want to better understand how your story impacts your relationship with God? Do you want help in making sense of your everyday experience? If so, Care Groups could be for you. Tune in!

In this Sneak a Peek edition, Pastor Greg and Kyle Kraeft give a glimpse into Community Groups. They describe what a participant might experience in a community group, the role they play in discipleship, and more. Tune in!

Katherine Folkert joins Pastor Greg Hutchins as they preview one of our Fall Discipleship Pathways, Men's and Women's Discipleship. They discuss: -What is it? -Who is it for? -Why 1 Samuel? And more. Tune in and sign up! Church Center (for Apple) Church Center (for Android)

Pastor Greg closes our series on being a maturing congregation by considering church planting as a fruit of congregational maturity. He grounds the practice of church planting in the story of Scripture, then gives some details about our upcoming church plant, Four Oaks South.

In this Pop the Trunk episode, Kyle Kraeft joins Pastor Greg to answer the questions, "What is the secret rapture?" and "Why don't we agree with that teaching?" They also provide a perspective on understanding the end times (aka eschatology) that aligns more with with Scripture teaches. Additional Resources: Nine Reasons Christians Won't Be Raptured (blog article) The Rapture and the Return of Christ (blog article) Disproving Pre-Tribulation Rapture: With Dr. Craig Keener (podcast) Mind+Heart: Rapture (podcast) The Return of the Kingdom (book)

In this Sunday Night Church teaching, Pastor Funmi begins by informing us about the new policies being put in place as Four Oaks East matures and grows as a congregation. Then, Pastor Josh speaks about the various discipleship pathways for this fall, as well as how to get involved. **The audio for this might be a bit rough at times. Sorry! We are working on this.

In this Sunday Night Church teaching, Pastor Josh Hughes answers the question, "What is a mature disciple of Jesus?" He describes the importance of answering this question, then takes some time to define some characteristics of maturity and pathways for cultivating maturity.

In this Follow the Thread edition, Pastor Greg Hutchins and Kyle Kraeft discuss how the Bible progressively reveals the person and work of the Holy Spirit. They talk about some of the roles of the Holy Spirit, the Trinity in the Old Testament, and more. Tune in! Resources: The Holy Spirit: An Introduction by Fred Sanders (easier) Rediscovering the Holy Spirit by Michael Horton (medium) The Holy Spirit by Sinclair Ferguson (challenging)

In this Pop the Trunk edition, Pastor Josh and Pastor Greg follow up on Pastor Josh's sermon about forgiveness. They talk about some of the complexities around how to forgive in hard circumstances, the relationship between forgiveness and reconciliation, and more. And there's a book giveaway! Additional Resource: Unpacking Forgiveness by Chris Brauns

In this first Know the Story edition, Pastor Josh and Pastor Greg discuss the value of learning church history broadly and reading Christian biography specifically. Additional Resources (from accessible to challenging): 5 Minutes in Church History 131 Christians Everyone Should Know From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya A Multitude of Peoples The Rise of Christianity The Story of Christianity

Don't let the big word discourage you! In this Follow the Thread edition, Pastor Greg Hutchins and Kyle Kraeft discuss how to view the Bible's storyline with the end in mind, as well as how it impacts our understanding of temptation. *We used a different recording platform for this podcast, so the audio might seem a bit weird. Sorry about that! We're working to resolve it.

In this Follow the Thread edition, Kyle Kraeft and Pastor Greg continue their conversation on the theme of covenant, focusing on the new covenant. Tune in! Additional Resources: 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith (Modern English option) The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson Covenants Made Simple by Jonty Rhodes The Mystery of Christ, His Covenant, and His Kingdom by Sam Renihan

In this Follow the Thread edition, Kyle Kraeft and Pastor Greg consider the biblical theology of covenant. After defining what a biblical covenant is, they explore various covenants in Scripture, particularly the Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants. Additional Resources: The Mystery of Christ, His Covenant, His Kingdom by Samuel Renihan Covenants Made Simple by Jonty Rhodes

In this Follow the Thread edition, Pastor Josh joins Kyle and Pastor Greg as they consider the storyline of kingdom in Scripture. After talking about the practice of biblical theology, they trace the unfolding story of God's Kingdom, then end with some practical application. Additional Resources: Gospel and Kingdom The Divine Conspiracy The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross

In this Tell Me More edition, Pastor Greg Hutchins and Abena Ojetayo expand on the Sunday Night Church teaching on hospitality. Using Abena's experience practicing hospitality, they explore the challenges and rewards of practicing hospitality. Additional Resources: The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield

In this Sunday Night Church teaching, Pastor Greg Hutchins concludes the series on spiritual practices by explaining the practice of hospitality, encouraging people to cultivate both welcoming homes and welcoming hearts. Additional Resources: The Gospel Comes with a House Key

In this Tell Me More edition, Pastor Josh and Pastor Greg are joined by Chase Cohee to talk more about how to practice simplicity, expanding on Pastor Josh's teaching from Sunday Night Church (which you can listen to here). Additional Resources: Abundant Simplicity The Freedom of Simplicity

In this Sunday Night Church teaching, Pastor Josh defines the practice of simplicity, describes it from scripture, and directs us in some ways to pursue simplicity in several areas of life.

In this episode, Pastor Josh interviews very special guest David Hughes (his dad), inviting him to reflect on a lifetime of lessons concerning the practice of generosity.

In this edition of Equipping East, we have our Sunday Night Church teaching from Pastor Funmi about the spiritual discipline of generosity.

In this Follow the Thread edition, Pastor Greg Hutchins and Kyle Kraeft explain the biblical theology of the temple. They define the temple and then reflect on the story of Scripture showing how God makes a way to dwell with us. Additional Resources: God Dwells Among Us The Temple and the Church's Mission

In this Follow the Thread edition, Pastor Greg Hutchins and Kyle Kraeft discuss examples of biblical theology in Scripture and then summarize the Bible's overarching story. Throughout the episode, they discuss how understanding the Bible's storyline helps us speak to others about Jesus. Additional Resources The Story of Scripture The True Story of the Whole World

In this Follow the Thread episode, Pastor Greg Hutchins and Kyle Kraeft introduce us to biblical theology. After looking at some instances in Scripture, Greg and Kyle define what biblical theology is and its usefulness for faith and practice. Resources: God's Big Picture Biblical Theology Short Studies in Biblical Theology

Pastor Funmi, Stacey, and Pastor Greg give you a peek into our Men's and Women's Discipleship program. They talk about what it is, how it relates to some of our other pathways, logistics, and what to expect. Tune in for more information!

In this Tell Me More episode, Stacey, Pastor Funmi, and Kyle follow up on Funmi's SNC teaching on Community. They talk about the nature and difficulty of relationships in and out of the church and how we can think and live differently in light of the truth.

In this Sunday Night Church Teaching, Pastor Funmi explains how community is God's antidote to the modern epidemic of loneliness, and provides direction for meaningful engagement in community

In this Tell Me More episode, Stacey, Pastor Greg, and Kyle have a conversation that builds on Greg's teaching on the spiritual practice of Scripture intake, which you can find here. They talk about balancing study and meditation, as well as the practice of lectio divina. Additional Resources: Lectio Divina: Engaging the Scriptures for Spiritual Transformation (article) A Still and Quiet Mind by Esther Smith Meeting God in Scripture by Jan Johnson Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation by Robert J. Morgan

In this Sunday Night Church teaching. Pastor Greg helps us engage with scripture in a way that facilitates relationship with God and participation in the world He frames for us in His word. **This audio picks up in the middle of Pastor Greg's opening words. We're sorry about that!

In this Tell Me More edition of Equipping East, Stacey, Pastor Josh, and Greg follow up on Josh's Sunday Night Church teaching on solitude, which you can find here. They talk about practicing solitude in tough life circumstances, along with other hindrances and helps for practicing solitude. Enjoy! Resources: Solitude: A Practical Guide (article) Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

Pastor Josh lead us in a consideration of the practice of solitude helping us to see how it is a biblical, life-giving, and necessary practice for every Christian.