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Pursuing God in the Dark (Andrew Brunson – 1/8/21 – NCS New Canaan)

January 8, 2021 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With remarkable vulnerability, Andrew Brunson shares the extraordinary story of his wrongful imprisonment in a Turkish prison for two years and the faith journey that occurred in that dark place.

Brunson describes the loneliness, anxiety, doubts, desperation and despair that characterized his first year, pushing him to deteriorating health, inability to sleep, brushes with insanity and thoughts of suicide. It is the story of a missionary serving in Turkey for 23 years sharing the Gospel of Jesus and pursuing God’s presence who suddenly found himself being pushed toward Islam and unable to sense the presence of God.

Brunson explains that his first year was a process of being broken, and his second year was a process of rebuilding. He shares how he made the transition by deciding to keep pursuing God even in God’s apparent absence. Through daily surrender to God’s mysterious plan and through perseverance, Brunson began to understand the nature of his ordeal, the nature of God’s love, the preparation he was undergoing. Brunson describes how, through it, he discovered a profound new love for Jesus.

Brunson observed that the valley of faith testing is “full of skeletons”–every test of faith we encounter is enough to grow our faith or to knock us out of friendship with God, depending on how we respond. He was determined not to be another “skeleton”.

Brunson also explains why he believes that he was “on assignment” in that prison–being trained to encourage others. He relates his persecution to the changing climate in the United States toward Christianity. Brunson offers advice on how, as followers of Jesus, we can prepare themselves for increasing hostility, shaming, canceling and marginalization so that we are ready to stand firmly in faith against the threat–always turning to God in trust rather than turning away in fear

The talk is just over 30 minutes followed by an extensive Q&A.

Andrew Brunson and his wife Norine have started a new ministry called WaveStarters. More information can be found at https://www.wavestarters.org. Below is a video about their journey and WaveStarters.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Calling and Purpose, Career and Financial Disappointments and Transitions, Chapter Friday, Christianity-Theology, Crisis and Adversity, Cultural Change and Engagement, Dealing with Emotions, Evangelism, Faith, Fear and Worry, Friendship, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Healing, Health Challenges and Losses, Isolation-Loneliness-Depression, Marriage, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Speak Truth, Spiritual Warfare, Transparency and Authenticity, Worship the King

The Incomparable Value of Joy (Dr. Jorge Valdes – 12/4/20 – NCS New Canaan)

December 4, 2020 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With great transparency, Dr. Jorge Valdes shares the incredible journey that took him: (1) from being the son of a wealthy family in Cuba, (2) to experiencing poverty in the United States and concluding God was not real, (3) to pursuing an education to become a lawyer, (4) to shifting his career path and becoming the #1 cocaine trafficker in the United States, (5) to being tortured for 29 days by General Noriega’s soldiers in Panama, (6) to surrendering his life to Jesus because of a karate instructor who concluded Valdes was the devil incarnate, (7) because of his new-found faith, to choosing to admit his past crimes, which led to being sentenced to seven life sentences and losing all his wealth, (8) to having his mind transformed in prison through reading the Bible, (9) to seeing in prison the tragic division among “Christians” and coming to understand the importance of behavior over words in sharing our faith, (10) to being released and telling his story in the book “Coming Clean”, (11) to regaining wealth through a legitimate business and then walking away from it to invest into the hearts of his children. In telling his story, Valdes stresses that the life of drugs, money and sex is not “his story”–it is just part of his story.

One of the most poignant chapters in Jorge’s remarkable story is the impact of the karate instructor who knew Jesus. Valdes explains that over the course of three years with the instructor, he came to desire to know more about Jesus. Jorge described that it was not because of anything the instructor said–it was because of something he exhibited that Valdes didn’t have with all his money, mansions, planes, bodyguards and women–a joy he thought couldn’t be real.

With tremendous passion, Valdes urges listeners to be authenticate in their Christian walk by investing in people through loving them, regardless of their backgrounds, political views, beliefs. He shares his belief that the world needs more safe places, like NCS, where people can be transparent about their struggles and failings without fear of judgment–places where they can “come clean”, be liberated through the saving grace of Jesus and go on to make a difference in the world by sharing His love.

It is clear that the current chapter of Jorge’s story is one of trying authentically to live his life as a follower of Jesus–sharing God’s story in his life and being a witness through his actions more than his words by loving people, investing in their lives and living without fear in the knowledge that Jesus has already won.

While the allure of joy may be one of the most impactful aspects of Jorge’s talk, one of his comments may be the most thought-provoking–that perhaps Christians should spend less time worrying about “putting Christ back in Christmas” and more time worrying about “putting Christ back in Christians”.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Uncategorized, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Career and Financial Disappointments and Transitions, Chapter Friday, Christianity-Theology, Crisis and Adversity, Cultural Change and Engagement, Evangelism, Faith, Father-Son, Fear and Worry, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Raising Children, Salvation, Speak Truth, Transparency and Authenticity, Worship the King

Hope . . . in what? (Dudley Hall – 4/3/20 – NCS New Canaan)

April 3, 2020 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

During the unsettling and uncertain time of this Covid-19 crisis, Dudley Hall shares where we can confidently find hope.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Chapter Friday, Christianity-Theology, Crisis and Adversity, Faith, Fear and Worry, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Worship the King

A Call to Virtuous Masculinity (Fr. Louis Leonelli – 11/8/19 – NCS New Canaan)

November 8, 2019 by NCS New Canaan 1 Comment

Father Louis Leonelli starts by sharing a bit of his life story, including his radical and miraculous conversion from a successful Wall Street businessman pursuing wealth, woman and a music career to a humble Franciscan friar serving the homeless in the South Bronx.

Father Louis then examines “masculinity”–real “toxic” masculinity, the normal masculinity that our politically correct culture has deceptively labeled “toxic”, and finally, the “virtuous” masculinity we are called to pursue as followers of Jesus. In exploring virtuous masculinity, he explains and stresses the virtues of temperance, sacrifice and humility. Father Louis ends by sharing what he believes to be the three most important priorities in the pursuit of virtuous masculinity: (1) develop and nurture a relationship with God, (2) develop and nurture relationships with the small circle of people whom we love and who love us and (3) in whatever our stations or callings in life, strive to be the very best version of ourself we can be, all to the glory of God.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Calling and Purpose, Christianity-Theology, Cultural Change and Engagement, Faith, Faithful Presence, Father-Son, Forgiveness, Friendship, Gods Purpose for Business, Going from Survival-Success to Significance, Gratitude, Live Pure, Marriage, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Relationships, Right Wrong, Serving Others, Sexual Habits and Addictions, Speak Truth, Worship the King

12 Ways To Make Work a Prayer

September 27, 2019 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

As a senior partner in a global consulting firm and a deacon in the Catholic Church, Gauthier Vincent is uniquely positioned to contemplate the intersections and integration of faith and work. He shares 12 ways he has found to ground his work in his faith, and explains how he applies these practically on a daily basis in his own life.

  1. Embrace the purpose of your work (remember all the people whose welfare our work contributes to)
  2. Realize your freedom (just follow Christ)
    Ideas 1 and 2 are about growing in gratitude and in spiritual freedom
  3. Practice a life of virtues at work (even work becomes a good habit, i.e., virtue and a school of selflessness)
  4. Do it right and make it beautiful (beauty always leads to contemplation)
  5. Always be cheerful (joy calls on Joy)
  6. Live the Gospel literally whenever you can (as you take the last seat and sub-optimize your work, you trust in the Lord)
  7. Welcome Christ in everyone (look at the Christ image in all, from the CEO to the janitor)
    Ideas 3-7 are about living the right way, as a child of God
  8. Cultivate the Presence of God during the day (turn your heart to the Lord with ejaculatory prayers, sweet words, e.g., as your watch beeps every hour)
  9. Practice the Examen (reflect on your day and look for how the Lord touched you through consolations and desolations)
  10. Begin and end your day in a contemplative mood (begin with a time for Scripture and Silence and the Silent Presence will stay with you during the day)
  11. Let the cross transform you (above age 25 one learns essentially through failures and suffering; there the Lord comes closer)
  12. Love the world and everyone in it (if you don’t work with love you deprive your co-workers, family, clients, etc.. of the real value of your work, i.e., the love with which you work)
    Ideas 8-12 are about the mystical life at work, the life of union with the Beloved

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Calling and Purpose, Career and Financial Disappointments and Transitions, Christianity-Theology, Crisis and Adversity, Faith, Faithful Presence, Gods Purpose for Business, Gratitude, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Integrating Work into Faith, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Relationships, Serving Others, Transparency and Authenticity, Worship the King

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Recent Posts

  • The Painful Path to Possibility (Phil Zaldatte – 1/22/21 – NCS New Canaan)
  • Pursuing God in the Dark (Andrew Brunson – 1/8/21 – NCS New Canaan)
  • Practicing Science While Believing and Acting Upon the Scriptures (Dr. James Tour – 12/18/20 – Joint Meeting NCS New Canaan – Austin – Houston – Sugar Land)
  • Confronting the 10 Giants (Phil Zaldatte – 12/9/20 – NCS New Canaan)

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