Christianityworks Official Podcast

Sometimes, to be honest, life can feel really dry. You look out across the landscape of your life and all you can see is dry bones. You know there's more out there, but right now you just can't see how it'll ever feel "alive" again.   Valley of Dry Bones Have you ever noticed that some people seem to go on with God in a really powerful and exciting way and other people who say, "well I'm a Christi...

Have you ever thought to yourself – "Well, things are a bit of a mess. I've made a hash of this or that and before I go to God with this, I'd better sort it out"? Well, we all do that sometimes. But it turns out that God's having a party – and it's come as you are.   The Faces we Wear God promises that when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, that He will give us an abundant life, abundant blessin...

Sowing and reaping. There is such a long gap, often between those too, have you noticed how long it takes to reap that harvest? And sometimes, frankly, we get sick of the wait. It's a bit like a farmer becoming impatient and walking off the land, the week before his crop springs out of the ground.   Seed Time and Harvest Over the last few weeks on Christianityworks we've been looking at "Reaping G...

When you think about it, sowing seed and then reaping a harvest is all about multiplication. You sow one seed, you reap a hundred. But the extent, the quantum of the multiplication factor, has an awful lot to do with the way that we sow the seed in the first place.   Lord of the Harvest Over the last few weeks we have been working our way through a series called, "Reaping God's Harvest in My Life"...

Everybody wants to reap a harvest in life. You do, I do. But sometimes, our lives feel a whole bunch more like a drought than a harvest. So exactly what is my drought about? What exactly is your drought about? Why is God letting this, this drought happen, to you and to me?   Another Drought This week on Christianityworks we are continuing with the series called, "Reaping God's Harvest in My Life."...

Let's face it – we all want to get the most out of life. We want to reap a harvest. And in fact, that's exactly what God wants for our lives, too. He promises us an abundant harvest. And yet so often, life feels more like a drought than anything else.  In those times, we're left asking ourselves … So, where's my harvest? Generational Sin Well, welcome to Christianityworks again this week and we ar...

We parents try to do all the things we can to help our children to grow up. We advise. We admonish. We even end up preaching at them sometimes. But it's not what we say, it's what we do, how we live – what they see our life to be, that has the greatest impact in shaping them as they grow up.   A Godly Example Well, this is the last message in a series that I have called, "Building a Godly Family"...

You know something – that old saying that blood is thicker than water, it's true. There's a special bond between members of a family. Our family really does matter.  And that – that's why it's time to start looking at what it means to build a godly family.   Family Matters It's great! Here we are again, another week continuing our series called, "Building a Godly Family" . And the reason we are do...

Peace is one of those things – well, who doesn't want peace in their lives. Freedom from conflict. But imagine, imagine what a blessing it must be, to have peace at home.  A family that thrives on peace instead of being lost in conflict.   What a Blessing If God offered you anything you wanted in this world, anything at all, what would you ask for? Tough question. It takes a bit of thinking about...

Of course, families are and always were, God's idea. Yet so often these days, families seem to be, well, let's be honest, just a tad dysfunctional. And as we each grapple with the realities of family life, all too often, we look around at all those apparently normal, balanced, near-perfect families out there and wonder to ourselves – what's wrong with my family? What's going on here?   The Dysfunc...

Over the last few weeks on the program, we've been discovering how it is that God speaks to us today and how we can get about hearing Him when He does speak. The question is – when it's something big or important – how can we make sure that we've heard Him right? Because the last thing we want to do, is to get it wrong, right?   The Counsel of Others It's great to be with you again today in this l...

God is a God who speaks to us. It's something He's been doing for centuries. Millennia in fact. And sometimes, sometimes he speaks to us in ways that we just don't expect. Right out of the blue. Question is – are we listening?   The Power of the Prophetic It's just fantastic to be with you again this week and yes, we are continuing this week with our look with how it is that God speaks to us today...

It's one thing to want to hear God speak. Lots of people do – How can I hear God speak to me is one of the most common questions I'm asked. But half the time, I wonder whether we're not wandering around with our ears shut and our eyes closed. Really!   The Providence of Preaching My enduring memory of being dragged to church when I was a child was the droning of the preacher. I can honestly say he...

Let me ask you a question – is God still speaking to us here and now? Today? And if so – how? Well – what are the answers? If God is indeed still speaking, shouldn't we be listening? Imagine what a difference it could make, to know His will for our lives.   Is God Still Speaking? Now, here ... here is a question that these days, pretty much divides the church down the middle. Are you ready? Here i...

When we have a need – a real need – something we can't do or fix or resolve for ourselves – what we need, is a helping hand. And if we get that helping hand – the person who's attached to that hand, well, they go up in our estimation. They earn the right to say things that others can't to us.  Funny thing happens through a helping hand.   Healing with our Hands Well, welcome to the programme this...

Anyone who believes in Jesus – is also meant to be an Ambassador of Christ. Now – that's not an easy role. Sometimes being Ambassador requires some tough talk. Other times it's about diplomacy – the question is, knowing when to call a spade a spade, and when to be more … circumspect.   It's Not a Shouting Match One of the most embarrassing things I've ever seen as a Christian – and I've seen it a...

Everyone – everyone who believes in Jesus is called to be His ambassador. An Ambassador of Christ. That involves a change of heart, it involves a change in our actions and it involves – well, going. Ambassadors don't stay, they go. That's why being Christ's Ambassadors ain't easy sometimes.   Christ on the Inside Now, one of the things that you and I know is that we are what we eat. If what I do i...

Life just seems to happen doesn't it? We get up, do pretty much the same thing as yesterday, over and over. And as someone who believes in Jesus it can be easy for us to lose sight of what God wants us to do with our lives. And it turns out – that in His eyes, you and I – we're Ambassadors of Christ. That's quite a calling.   First a Citizen, Then an Ambassador Right about now, depending on how yo...

Jesus promised us His complete and perfect and abundant joy. Problem is – there are so many things that want to rob us of that joy.   A Man of Sorrows I'm not sure what you're doing today or what you have planned for the next half hour or so, but right now I want to encourage you to spend some time with me because this week on the programme we are going to look at what it is to live a life of joy....

Joy is a wonderful thing. And it turns out that Jesus died in order that we might have His joy. True. But sometimes, sometimes we squander that joy – what an incredible waste.   Paint the Picture Over these last few weeks we've been taking a look at joy, especially God's heart for us to have His joy in our lives – a complete and overflowing sense of joy. I don't know anyone who doesn't want joy in...

We tend to think of joy and sorrow as being opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. But God – God has this thing where He wants to pour His joy, into our sorrow..   A Letter of Some Friends Last week on the programme we began a new series called, "It's Time to Start Enjoying My Life". Look around, the joy in this world seems to be in such very short supply and yet "joy" is something that Jesus, s...

It's such a simple word. Three letters. Just one syllable.  So why is joy so elusive?  We try so hard to find it –but, you know…   Why is Joy in Such Short Supply? Well, it's great to be with you again this week and we are starting a new series on the programme called, "It's Time to Start Enjoying My Life". I really am looking forward to this series because "joy" is such a big issue in life. It's...

The only faith the Bible talks about, the only sort of Faith Jesus talked about was the sort of faith that moves mountains. The sort of faith that conquers the world! The sort that has powerful results.   Conquering Faith There are times in our lives when we have to overcome obstacles. Now not every obstacle is there for overcoming, let me say. Sometimes they're meant to be there at least for a wh...

You know, I wish I could tell you that God is primarily concerned about our comfort and convenience, but that's just not true. He's much more interested in our character and maturity and so He often calls us into radical, uncomfortable faith.   Radical faith Have you ever felt God asking you to do something that is so radical so counter-intuitive that you felt that you were going mad? I have on mo...

Christians are always talking about faith. My faith walk. Faith this, faith that. So what is faith? Not the theory? But what does it look like when you live it? The sort of faith that pleases God.   What Is Faith? It's really quite amazing, but over a thousand weekly editions of this program, Christianityworks, have gone to air since it launched way back in 2004.  It's been quite a walk of faith w...