Phillip Owens & Thomas Cogdell - Work (Foundations of Community #10)

We conclude the Foundations of Community with this, the 10th teaching of our series. It also completes the second half of the series, which focuses on the commitments to action. The fifth and final commitment is to Work.

Phillip Owens imparts to us his high value and immense capacity for work, explaining that it comes from God and is for God. Thomas wraps up by grounding our understanding of work in Jesus' report to his Father, John 17:4.

Teaching recorded for the retreat at Christ the Reconciler on 10 May 2022.

If you prefer to watch the teaching, and follow along with scripture slides, it’s also on YouTube:

Diane & John Michael Wall - Hospitality (Foundations of Community #9)

We conclude the Foundations of Community with this, the 10th teaching of our series. It also completes the second half of the series, which focuses on the commitments to action. The fifth and final commitment is to Work.

Phillip Owens imparts to us his high value and immense capacity for work, explaining that it comes from God and is for God. Thomas wraps up by grounding our understanding of work in Jesus' report to his Father, John 17:4.

Teaching recorded for the retreat at Christ the Reconciler on 10 May 2022.

If you prefer to watch the teaching, and follow along with scripture slides, it’s also on YouTube:

Amy & Thomas Cogdell - Formation (Foundations of Community #8)

In the 8th teaching of our Foundations of Community series, we continue the second half of the series, which focuses on the commitments to action.

The third commitment is to Formation. After a brief intro by Thomas, Amy talks about why we need formation, how formation works, and what we should do as a community regarding formation.

Teaching recorded for the retreat at Christ the Reconciler on 12 February 2022.

Or, if you prefer to watch so you can follow along with the points and scriptures referenced:

Thomas Cogdell - Reconciliation (Foundations of Community #7)

In the 7th teaching of our Foundations of Community series, we continue the second half of the series, which focuses on the commitments to action. The second commitment is Reconciliation. Thomas talks about keys to reconciliation, and how we live out John 17 through reconciliation at CTR.

Teaching recorded for the retreat at Christ the Reconciler on 12 November 2021.

Or, if you prefer video, here you go:

Thomas Cogdell - Prayer (Foundations of Community #6)

The first five teachings of the Foundations of Community series give insight into our renunciations as a community. This teaching begins the second half of the series, which focuses on what we are committing to. The first commitment is to Prayer.

Teaching given by Thomas Cogdell for the CTR Retreat (via Zoom) on 18 September 2021.

It’s a fairly complex teaching, so watching it on video is helpful, because the slides show the points that Thomas is making … even though unfortunately the top of Thomas’ head was cut off by the camera!

Amy Cogdell - Forgiveness (Foundations of Community, #5)

In the 5th teaching of our Foundations of Community series, Amy follows on Merisha’s teachings on repentance and confession, with a teaching on forgiveness. How does forgiveness work in God’s court of justice, in heaven? How do we “justify the wicked” and “condemn the righteous”, without realizing it?

Teaching given at the Christ the Reconciler retreat on 21 August 2021, which was held at Hope Chapel.

After she spoke, Rose Watson sang a beautiful spontaneous song over all who were gathered … and over you who are listening now online!

If you prefer video, the teaching is also available on YouTube:

Merisha Janke - The Gift of Repentance

Merisha Janke was invited by Pastor John McComb to give the sermon on Palm Sunday 2021 (March 28). She was asked to speak on the topic of "Repentance and Forgiveness." Merisha invited Thomas Cogdell to give a brief testimony at the end, about both personal and identificational repentance.

If you are on Facebook and prefer to watch a video, it is available by clicking on the image below. Note that the video is of the entire service, the sermon starts at about 0:50 minutes in.

Merisha Janke - Living in the Light

The fourth in our Foundation of Community series is, like the third, brought to us by Merisha Janke, our friend from Help for All Nations. Merisha speaks from her experience growing up in the Lüdenscheid community in Germany. She focuses on confession one to another as a crucial part of living in the light, and the power of the cross to deliver us from all hidden sin.

Teaching given on June 19, 2021, at Christ the Reconciler.

We also have the teaching on video, if you prefer to watch it … Merisha is wonderfully expressive! However, the audio is not quite as good, and the video recording ended about ten minutes before the end of the talk.

Amy Cogdell & Caroline Owens - The Advocate Vs. The Accuser

The 2nd teaching in the “Foundations of Reconciliation” series, following Caroline’s teaching on The Accuser of the Brethren.

Amy & Caroline work together to further unpack the ways in which we invite the Accuser into our minds, our lives, and the church - and how to instead welcome the Advocate, the Holy Spirit! Teaching given at Christ the Reconciler on 15 May 2021.

We also have the teaching on video, if you prefer to watch it.

Caroline Owens - The Accuser of the Brethren (1 Year Later)

This profound teaching was given one year ago. It is good to revisit it.

Caroline Owens is on the leadership team of Christ the Reconciler, a community of followers of Jesus seeking to live out John 17. She prepared this teaching for the first retreat back at CTR after a year-long pause because of the coronavirus. The teaching was given on April 17, 2021.

Caroline has been married to her husband Phillip for over 30 years. They have six children. Caroline is a Roman Catholic who has taken vows as a lay Dominican - the "Order of Preachers." Preach it, Caroline!

We don’t typically record community teachings on video. But we had a sense of the prophetic importance of this teaching, so if you prefer to watch while you listen, and see the Scriptures that Caroline references, we encourage you to use the Youtube video below.

Amy & Thomas Cogdell - Formation (Foundations of Community #8)

In the 8th teaching of our Foundations of Community series, we continue the second half of the series, which focuses on the commitments to action.

The third commitment is to Formation. After a brief intro by Thomas, Amy talks about why we need formation, how formation works, and what we should do as a community regarding formation.

Teaching recorded for the retreat at Christ the Reconciler on 12 February 2022.

Or, if you prefer to watch so you can follow along with the points and scriptures referenced:

Angelina Gamper & Thomas Cogdell - The Fast That God Has Chosen

Angelina and Thomas co-taught as guest speakers at Midtown Church in Austin on February 6, 2022. They were invited to speak on the topic of fasting, as Midtown was preparing for their annual 21-day churchwide fast.

Thomas provides an overview, including some of the benefits and dangers of fasting. Then Angelina speaks about the heart of fasting that God desires.

Or, here’s the link to the Midtown podcast of the teaching … and if you prefer video, Midtown put it up on their Youtube channel:

Thomas Cogdell - Reconciliation (Foundations of Community #7)

In the 7th teaching of our Foundations of Community series, we continue the second half of the series, which focuses on the commitments to action. The second commitment is Reconciliation. Thomas talks about keys to reconciliation, and how we live out John 17 through reconciliation at CTR.

Teaching recorded for the retreat at Christ the Reconciler on 12 November 2021.

Or, if you prefer video, here you go:

Bob Garrett & Dan Almeter - Introduction to Alleluia Community

On the Monday morning of Bob & Dan’s visit to CTR, we held a Zoom call with a few remote participants, in which Bob & Dan introduced Alleluia Community to them, and fielded questions. This provides a very good introduction to Alleluia, and shows well some of the ways in which they have been walking similar paths to CTR, only decades ahead. (Of course, in other ways CTR is very different.)