FCC Etown Podcast

This world tries to offer us hope through a lot of broken avenues and they all, every one of them, come up short of providing us sustainable hope. God is saying, "I promise I have something WAY better than the stuff of this world! You can't see it, but trust me!" When we think about heaven and think about it, we see the world differently. We start living as citizens of heaven, living for eternity....

You are already blessed with every spiritual blessing. This is the Christmas Bonus Jesus provided for us all year round. It's not that God will give you what you need, but He already has given you these things. He has already blessed you with every spiritual blessing and it brought Him great pleasure to do so. So, this week, when you look in the mirror, remember how God sees you. Because that is w...

Stop complaining and start delegating. Start letting go. Start leaning into the things that matter and release those that don’t. And in that, you will receive the riches of life. I love this quote by Ben Stein. He said: “I cannot tell you anything that, in a few minutes, will tell you how to be rich. But I can tell you how to feel rich, which is far better. Be grateful. Be grateful about everythin...

Who is that person who encouraged, supported, challenged, or lifted you up? If you were to sit down and write a closing to a letter and you wanted to pay tribute and honor to those who you are so grateful for, people who have brought great meaning to your life, who would they be? Think about it. Who would you thank God for? Is there someone out there who would write your name down?

The Word of God is not a burden or a task. When the seed falls on your life, does it take root and grow in you? When you spend time in God's Word -Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control, start to show up in your life. That's the goal. It's not about a quota of chapters or finishing the pages in a certain number of days. It's about letting the see...

Ponder the achievement of God. He doesn’t condone our sin, nor does he compromise his standard. He doesn’t ignore our rebellion, nor does he relax his demands. Rather than dismiss our sin, he assumes our sin and, incredibly, sentences himself. God’s holiness is honored. Our sin is punished… and we are redeemed. God does what we cannot do so we can be what we dare not dream: perfect before God. -Ma...

Baptism is the culmination of unwavering trust in Jesus. It is going all in with Jesus. After all he's done for you, it is your commitment and unwavering trust in him. This is not just a ceremony or some optional event. This is how Jesus asked us to express our belief in him.

Does forgiveness mean that you step right back into a hurtful relationship? No. Does forgiveness mean that you just forget what you learned from an experience? No. But you forgive because it was modeled for you and you forgive because forgiveness will set you free.

May we live uncommon lives filled with joy that exceeds our current circumstances. May we live uncommon lives filled with peace amid great uncertainty? May we live uncommon lives that cling to hope in the midst of fear? May we live uncommon lives for God's sake to draw a watching world to the hope we've found.

Men and women just like Peter who failed, had flaws and sins, and were shaky on their own, that God started and built his church. So many people just like Peter started to make sure people heard about Jesus, and all these years later, it's because of Peter and people just like Peter who were used by Jesus that the news of Jesus' grace has reached your ears right here at First Christian Church.

Faith in Jesus doesn’t erase hardships. We still cry, we mourn at loss, and we are still saddened by our fallen world. But you can remind yourself that it will be okay. You will still be hurt. You will still be wounded. But we know that one day, our wounds will be healed because, as Isaiah 53 says, “by his wounds, we are healed.” Peter explains that an unshakable faith praises God, has a firm hope...

To be obedient to God’s calling in our lives, it is essential we allow the big stones, the most important things, to go on our calendar first. Those things are spending time in God’s Word, taking time to pray, being connected in community (Life Group), sharing with others by participating financially, and finally, serving and giving your greatest commodity, your time.

The story of Ruth is a beautiful story that could be an entire series in and of itself. But specifically, the story as it pertains to Boaz's role in her life and her pursuit of that relationship, gets very close to each of us. In the family of God, not only are we accepted, but through Jesus, we are redeemed. What Boaz did in marrying Ruth was more than just a moment of romance. It was a moment of...

Solomon’s wisdom is the same wisdom and growth available in our lives. Just like Solomon, we have the opportunity to seek God’s wisdom and allow it to shape every aspect of our lives. Wisdom is not a “static trait,” although it is dynamic in shaping our decisions, relationships, and perspectives. By pursuing wisdom, we too can experience a transformation that impacts not only our personal lives bu...

The four-fold strategy for FCC and how we're going to do anything we're going to do is we're going to pray first, rely on the power of God, Keep our Eyes on Jesus, and Praise. How about that for you? Can you do it? Can you learn from this guy who was in a battle he never chose? Instead of panic, fear, or worry, will you pray first, rely on God's power, keep your eyes on Jesus even when you don't k...