Forefront Podcast

HOW WE GOT HERE | ”Why God?”

How we got God and the holy trinity. In the second sermon of our "How We Got Here" series, Jonathan Williams tackles the big question: How we got God. God is largely a construct made up of time, place, and culture. So why are we here? Why church? Why even bother communing with God? Deep down we know that God is something greater. In finding out how God came to be, perhaps we find out that God is actually living in us.

HOW WE GOT HERE | ”Organization”

Sarah Ngu starts off our new series: How We Got Here. It begins with a closer historical look at the organizational structures of the church. Sarah touches on the commissioning of deacons in the book of Acts and shares her personal story as a queer person growing up in the conservative church and what it means for them to be appointed as a deacon for the first time as an openly queer person.

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT | ”Peace”

What does it mean to make peace in divisive times? In this final sermon in our Fruits of the Spirit series, Jonathan Williams speaks about peace. Peacekeeping is the ultimate form of gaslighting. It does nothing to address injustice and does everything to make sure that the status quo remains just that, the status quo.

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT | ”Self-control”

Self-control: the meta-fruit empowering all Fruits Sarah Ngu makes the case that self-control is kind of a meta-fruit: it helps you do all the other Fruits well. To be able to ensure that when you are exhibiting the other Fruits of the Spirit you are doing so in a way that is rooted from within and carried out by the power of the Spirit. In Christianity, at the core of self-control is actually surrendering to the Spirit. The gift of self-control: We focus on what we can control especially in the midst of oppressive systems.

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT | ”Gentleness”

Gentleness is power under control. In this 4th sermon in the Fruit of the Spirit series, Jonathan Williams delves in to the superpower of Gentleness. We are a powerful people with potential to harm our enemies or to break down harmful systems with great care. What if being gentle is not a personality but rather a perspective?

Forefront Conversations with Daryl Davis

"How can you hate me if you don't even know me?" That's the question that drives Daryl Davis' life's work and it's the genesis of the question and the pursuit of its answer that is the focus of the documentary, "Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America." To answer this question, Daryl goes straight to the source: the people that hate him. Daryl has dedicated the last few decades of his life to befriending white supremacists and Klan members in an attempt to break through their racist worldview by extending them courtesy and showing them that there is an individual human on the other side of the conversation. His work is controversial, drawing criticism, ire, and hostility from all races and even the Southern Poverty Law Center. "I've been called every name under the sun except my own," Daryl says. But undeterred, he continues his anti-racist work. ABOUT DARYL Daryl experienced most of his childhood overseas. As the son of a diplomat, he was used to being surrounded by racial diversity and it wasn't until his return to America that he experienced a moment that opened his eyes to the realities of racism. It was during his journeys as a jazz musician that he sat down with his first Klan member and the journey since has been documented in film, books, and on tour. To learn more about Daryl and his work, visit daryldavis.com. "Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America" is available for free to subscribers of Kanopy or Prime Video or is an otherwise inexpensive on iTunes and Amazon.

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT | ”Love”

Speaking truth to love. The vitriol and divided discourse is at an all time high. We've lost the art of speaking truth to one another. What if speaking truth means having empathy for the pain and fear of others before anything else? Would it change our country? In this third sermon in our Fruit of the Spirit series, Jonathan Williams talks about love, the greatest fruit of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 13 1: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT | ”Success”

What does it mean to be successful? In the book of Galatians 5:22-23, Paul writes, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Many of us measure success by the actions and accomplishments in our lives. However, it is what lies behind these, or even lies far away from these things. It is one's character. Success is really about how well you live out the fruit of the Spirit. If you consider what people would say about you at your funeral, do they speak of your character? Is what you are doing today in line with what you find is truly important? In this confronting and intense sermon, Jonathan Williams delves into these questions and in so doing celebrates the immense opportunities that lie ahead for us all.

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT | WEEK 1 ”Renewal”

The renewal of all things. What's the first thing you think of when you think of God? Is that word "pleasure?" Yeah, probably not. But what if that's exactly who God is? God is a pleasure hound. God is not angry, wrathful, filled with rage, but rather taking pleasure in the way that we work to bring restoration to all things and to tell stories of renewal. Pastor Jonathan Williams talks of restoration and renewal in this first sermon of our "Fruits of the Spirit" series.

WORK & CAPITALISM | WEEK 4 ”Poverty”

Is poverty inevitable? Sarah Ngu leads our fourth and final sermon in our Work & Capitalism Series. Reflecting on Matthew 25 and 26, Sarah brings theological light to the struggles more and more of us face these days with debt, eviction, homelessness and poverty. Sadly, capitalism enables these injustices to exist. Jesus says the poor are always with you because you have made it so. Why do we insist on spending a billion dollars a year on shelters rather than placing our families in affordable housing?