by Doug Hammack | Jan 8, 2012 | Individual Lesson, Message Audio
Scripture gives us mixed messages about God. On the one hand, it tells us stories of a God who is knowable and known. On the other, it tells us God is beyond our capacity to know, contain, or comprehend. For centuries, we Christians have given our focus to the...
by Doug Hammack | Dec 15, 2011 | Individual Lesson, Message Audio
We’ve had an influx of newcomers this year, so I’m spending a bit of time recounting the things that have made the experience of our community precious to us so we can continue to share those things together as more people become part of us. Have a...
by Doug Hammack | Dec 4, 2011 | Individual Lesson, Message Audio
This is such an important practice. I hope you have a listen. When our view of God changes, our view of prayer changes. Many simply stop praying… stop having a devotional habit. But that’s just not good for our souls. Better is to go back through...
by Doug Hammack | Nov 27, 2011 | Message Audio, Thanksgiving
Gratitude changes us. It makes us happier, healthier, and better people. In this lesson we cite both the ancient wisdom, and current double-blind studies. You’ll be convinced that gratitude will make your life better. However, it’s not easy work....
by Robin Camu | Nov 20, 2011 | Guest Speaker, Message Audio
A special message by Robin Camu Our personal stories influence how we interpret scripture. We need to get rid of our first (false) identity, good or bad. In fact, our “good identity” may be more detrimental because it takes us longer to get to the end of...
by Doug Hammack | Nov 13, 2011 | Message Audio, The Crazy-Making Power of Money
1 Timothy 6: 7-10 https://media.blubrry.com/north_raleigh_community_church/s3.amazonaws.com/nrccaudio/2011/11-13-11_Sermon.mp3Podcast: Play in new window |...
by Doug Hammack | Nov 6, 2011 | Message Audio, The Crazy-Making Power of Money
The third ancient practice that helps us defy the crazy-making power of money is community making. The link between community-making and being free of money’s crazy-making power is not immediately obvious, so it requires some background. This lesson may...
by Doug Hammack | Oct 29, 2011 | Message Audio, The Crazy-Making Power of Money
Giving as a means to receiving… Sounds like it misses the point, doesn’t it? But that’s what we’re saying in this lesson. The proscription of the ancients to be givers has a way of rewiring our instincts; breeding humility and...
by Doug Hammack | Oct 23, 2011 | Message Audio, The Crazy-Making Power of Money
I’ve heard sermons all my life about giving. It’s one of the better-known spiritual practices. However, I usually heard the sermon in pretty concrete terms. Give and you will receive… in kind. Give money, and you’ll see how God or the universe...
by Doug Hammack | Oct 16, 2011 | Message Audio, The Crazy-Making Power of Money
About 1000 years ago, the Christian Church split into the Eastern Orthodox church and the Western, Latin church. There were a lot of political squabbles behind the split (called The Great Schism), but the main reason had to do with two fundamentally different...
by Doug Hammack | Oct 9, 2011 | Message Audio, The Crazy-Making Power of Money
We’re still on the lesson “Defying the Crazy-Making Power of Money,” but we’re moving now to the practices the ancients have given us to defy that crazy-making power. Today we begin looking at the ancient discipline of “watchfulness of...
by Doug Hammack | Oct 2, 2011 | Message Audio, The Crazy-Making Power of Money
During these introductory lessons in our “Crazy-Money” lesson, we’ve seen sometimes amusing examples of how money-troubles are usually heart-troubles, and how money-obsessions are a portals into the condition of the soul. Today, we finish looking at...
by Doug Hammack | Sep 25, 2011 | Message Audio, The Crazy-Making Power of Money
We continue looking at how our quirky ways about money can act as a portals into an understanding of our hearts. For a long time our nation’s economic situation allowed us to satisfy our thing-obsessions when they came up. We didn’t call them...
by Doug Hammack | Sep 18, 2011 | Message Audio, The Crazy-Making Power of Money
We begin a new lesson today about how money makes us crazy… or how it reveals the crazy we already are. If you’ve been following the news, you realize that anxiety is in the air during these economically troubled times. We’re afraid. We’re...
by Doug Hammack | Sep 11, 2011 | Individual Lesson, Message Audio
Today, we revisit a lesson given 10 years ago, in the raw aftermath of the terrorist attacks on our nation. In it, we conclude that in a world of transience and trouble, the question before us is how we shall live. Nobly. Honestly. Graciously. From our Divine...
by Doug Hammack | Sep 4, 2011 | Individual Lesson, Message Audio
Words are more powerful than we often consider day to day. We use them, the ancient proverb teaches us, to bless, or to curse. In this lesson, we look at some of the ways our words can bless, and stir ourselves to use our words to better the lives of those around...
by Doug Hammack | Aug 28, 2011 | Individual Lesson, Message Audio
Christians use the term “born again” all the time. In this lesson we take a look at what it means. It’s pretty clear Nicodemus misunderstood Jesus when he used the term. In this lesson, I suggest that most of us Christians make the same mistake he...
by Doug Hammack | Aug 21, 2011 | Guest Speaker, Message Audio
This week we had a guest speaker at NRCC: David Williams. He is the new Intervarsity Christian Fellowship leader for NCSU and Meredith. Prison letters from our spiritual forefathers are often their most poignant writings. In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul...
by Doug Hammack | Aug 14, 2011 | Message Audio, The Other Side of Power
Eating together is a primal thing we human beings do. Jesus used this visceral element of our humanity to undercut the divisions between people. At supper he brought together people that the social and economic upheaval of his day were alienating from one another....
by Doug Hammack | Aug 7, 2011 | Message Audio, The Other Side of Power
We continue our lesson from last week on the importance of “meta-noia,” that Greek word on renewing our thinking. I give some practical examples of how often we get stuck in the old thinking, and also, how we break free. Have a listen, Doug ...
