by Jeff | Jan 3, 2016
On this episode
Jeff Strommen @jstrommen | Dave Wager @wagerdaw | Jason @kempster220 | Terra Kay @terrakfree
As we continue to break our life down to the studs in this series, Jeff and Dave discuss the importance of looking at what our belief system is. And how is a belief system different from a truth system? Every one of us has a belief system that we live out every day. You can’t get out of bed without faith, if you think about it. Every day, you have something worth getting up for. You believe, in big or small ways, something about yourself, your job, your teachers, your mode of transportation, etc,
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Show Notes
by Jeff | Dec 27, 2015
On this episode
Jeff Strommen @jstrommen | Dave Wager @wagerdaw | Jason @kempster220 | Terra Kay @terrakfree
‘Tis the season of giving. This podcast is available because of the generous support from people like you who want to share hope with the world. Make a tax-deductible donation to HopeNet 360 today.
I’ll Give!
When I think of the word, reframing, I think of a building or room that’s being restored. At one point, it was new and in great shape. After a while, especially if it’s been vacant for years, things begin to warp and sag. And sometimes, in order to get back to great physical shape, walls, doorframes, ceilings and stairs have to be stripped down and rebuilt.
I think the same is true for people, too. This week, we’re sitting down with Joshua, a 17-year-old refugee from Uganda and The Republic of Congo.
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Refugee Welcome Kit
Show Notes
Joshua, Jeff & Terra Kay
The Millennials have left the building | The Futures Company
by Jeff | Dec 20, 2015
On this episode
Jeff Strommen @jstrommen | Dave Wager @wagerdaw | Jason @kempster220
‘Tis the season of giving. This podcast is available because of the generous support from people like you who want to share hope with the world. Would you give to support the work of HopeNet Radio?
I’ll Give!
Merry!
Joy!
Peace!
Cheer!
Hope!
Fa-la-la-la-laaaa!
Everybody’s getting into the festive Christmas spirit, it seems. Well… everyone except a lot of people. Christmastime is different for many people. For many, it is a time of joy surrounded by the warmth of the love shared with those around them. It can also be a sharp reminder of incredible pain. The empty chairs at Christmastime is our way of talking about the things that bring the most pain around this year’s Christmas dinner table and how we can walk through the pain to reach the joy and hope that seems most foreign.
By the way, if you’re feeling especially burdened at this time of year, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our live coaches and talk about the pain.
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Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes, Stitcher and Tune In Radio! Make sure to leave a ★★★★★ review and consider a small gift.
Refugee Welcome Kit
Show Notes
The 5 Chairs Discussed:
- Loss by Death
- Sickness
- Estranged
- Abuse
- Hope
More reading
Emotional Survival Guide for the Holidays | WebMD
How to Cope with and Heal Grief During the Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years and all the Holidays | Grief.com
Dealing with Pain at Christmas | BibleTalk.TV
by Jeff | Dec 13, 2015
On this episode
Jeff Strommen @jstrommen | Dave Wager @wagerdaw | Jason @kempster220
‘Tis the season of giving. This podcast is available because of the generous support from people like you who want to share hope with the world. Would you give to support the work of HopeNet Radio?
I’ll Give!
This almost goes without saying – we have way too much fun on this show sometimes. Our entire goal in this week’s episode is to make you smile. Finals, long lines, mean drivers, impatient coworkers, political and depressing Facebook statuses and tweets… we’ve got tons of signs that this is anything but a merry time of year out there. And reading the headlines doesn’t help. So, we’re quitting the negativity this week and having fun with you.
Jeff Hollenbeck shares about the Perspectives Class coming to Green Bay in January. Dave and Jason square off in our “Know Your Christmas Carols” game. It’s crazy fun this week.
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Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes, Stitcher and Tune In Radio! Make sure to leave a ★★★★★ review and consider a small gift.
Refugee Welcome Kit
Show Notes
Steve Harvey’s recent interview with Rich & Dawnchere Wilkerson about love languages as based on Gary Chapman’s book
I don’t know how we got on this topic, initially, but the whole idea of showing love to someone at Christmas time might mean different things to different people. So, naturally, my mind went to a great book that talks about how people show love in a way that’s practical. Gary Chapman’s book “The 5 Love Languages” is really a great, simple read on this topic.
by Jeff | Dec 6, 2015
On this episode
Jeff Strommen @jstrommen | Dave Wager @wagerdaw | Jason @kempster220 | Terra Kay @terrakfree | Bill, Homeland Security
Holidays are hard enough to handle when a loved one isn’t a part of the traditions. This week, we’re continuing our discussion on the topic of refugees, but in a little different way. Refugees are guests in our country. How do we treat guests? How do we talk around guests? Does anybody actually care about how they’re perceiving what’s become abundantly clear from the headlines that “we’re not sure that we like you?”
Let’s move from behind the politics and look to the people who we allow at our family table around the holidays. And if there’s an empty chair around your table this year, take that sense of loss and sadness symbolized by the empty chair and include someone who needs joy and peace this Christmas season.
[typography font=”Asap” size=”12″ size_format=”px”](Note: We are not advocating that everyone invite a refugee or complete stranger over to your house as that doesn’t work for everyone. But do look for ways to reach out to people who may live near you and do something small that communicates hope and joy and peace.)[/typography]
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Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes, Stitcher and Tune In Radio! Make sure to leave a ★★★★★ review and consider a small gift.
Refugee Welcome Kit
Show Notes
Check out last week’s notes.
While the issue has been highly politicized lately, refugees continue to be among the most vulnerable people in our society. They may not celebrate Christmas or quite understand why we have certain customs. That’s OK. Refugees are guests in our country. How do we treat guests? How do we talk around guests? Does anybody actually care about how they’re perceiving what’s become abundantly clear from the headlines that “we’re not sure that we like you?”
Man Thanks Officer for DUI Arrest – (WAGA) Nov 16, 2015
A Georgia man thanked a Tyrone Police Officer for arresting him in July.
According to the police report, the man was driving on Highway 74 and while in a turn lane, instead of making a right onto the street, the driver went straight running off the road. Sgt. Jacob Collins arrested the man for DUI.
Monday, Tyrone Police Chief Brandon Perkins received a letter from the man, thanking Sgt. Collins for arresting him. The letter reads “I was severely intoxicated. He saved my life and the lives of others and I truly appreciate his actions and his efforts.”
[Tweet “As a Christian, two of our greatest tensions to wrestle with is mercy and grace. #HNRTB”]
As a Christian, two of our greatest tensions to wrestle with is mercy and grace. Mercy in that we don’t get what we deserve (hell) and grace in that we’ve been given something we don’t deserve (Jesus & eternal life in heaven). Don’t forget to show the most vulnerable ones mercy and grace this Christmas.
by Jeff | Nov 29, 2015
On this episode
Jeff Strommen @jstrommen | Dave Wager @wagerdaw | Jason @kempster220 | Terra Kay @terrakfree | Bill, Homeland Security
Could it be that the way to change a generation plagued by narcissism, consumerism and apathy is dependent on our response to refugees coming to America?
In the recent months, there has been growing discussion in news media and on social media around refugees coming to America from nations like Syria, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East. After the attack that happened in Paris, there has been growing concern that refugees with violent ulterior motives will be coming to America. Not only that, but there are many refugees who have been resettled in neighborhoods in the US. So, what are Christians to do? Who are these refugees and how are we to respond to them?
As Christians are torn on this issue, Jeff and Dave welcome a a couple of guests with distinguished views on the issue of refugee resettlement to shed some light on the tension we face. One thing is certain – this next generation needs to care about
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Guests on this episode
Terra Kay, World Relief Fox Valley
Come hear about ways you can volunteer and serve refugees in Northeast Wisconsin at an upcoming Volunteer Information Night!
Terra is the Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator at World Relief Fox Valley. Their office has resettled over 130 refugees this year and is looking for ways to get Christians and the Church to reach out to some of the most vulnerable people of our society.
Bill, Homeland Security
People are exploiting gaps in the vetting process of refugees that makes it difficult to ensure that everyone coming in as a refugee is safe to resettle in our local communities. There is a lot going on behind the scenes surrounding the types of people coming as refugees that concern our national security.
The Big Idea
The vast majority of refugees coming to America get some support up front, but many times go forgotten because it’s assumed that they’ve adjusted to American way of life. But this is often not the case. And it’s the Church’s job to care for the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society, including refugees. Or simply put:
This is a different kind of topic for us to cover because there is so much media attention around the issue of resettling refugees. It’s complex, yet simple. In its purest form, a refugee is someone who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
While some would exploit the process to cause harm to Americans, the vast majority of refugees who have come through the process over the last 70 years have come to seek refuge from the storms of life and perils of evil. Some move thousands of miles away from “home” to find safety and security. Imagine for a moment that you were one of them.
Something to consider
Sodom’s Destruction as explained in Ezekiel
Ezekiel 16:48 // As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters. Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel
Sodom’s chief sin had been pride and self-exaltation. This stemmed from her abundant materialism (food), given to her from God (Gen 13:10), which had resulted in false security, apathy, a luxurious life of ease, and the corollary disdain and neglect of the poor and needy (v.49). This material ease fostered sexual perversion (Gen 13:13; 18:20; 19:4–5). This passage stands as both an exhortation and a warning against such wickedness and life styles today. As evil as Sodom was, she did not begin to do evil like Jerusalem. (Jeremiah described how the prophets of Jerusalem committed adultery, lied, and encouraged evildoers so that none turned from their wickedness, just like Sodom [Jer 23:14; cf. 2 Kings 15:37; 16:6; 24:2; 2 Chronicles 28:18–19; Isa 3:9; Ezek 22:15].)
In light of this passage, what is the Christian’s responsibility to refugees? Could the same words said about Jerusalem be synonymous to life in America? Is America not hospitable enough to care for the most vulnerable in our society? Can Christians do more for refugees?
Helpful Links & Infographs
Refugee Mental Health | This is a really eye-opening slideshow outlining the realities faced by refugees.
Christian Response to Refugees (Jesus Creed Blog)
Carson says Syrian refugees don’t want to come to US (FoxNews.com)
More than half the nation’s governors say Syrian refugees not welcome (CNN.com)
Infograph via worldreliefresponds.com
