The LVfirst Podcast

This Sunday, we talked about how we cannot grow alone in our faith journey, but need to be connected to Christ and to each other. 

This Sunday, we talked about the importance of making worship a regular part of our lives. Pastor Adam talked about the role of congregational worship in Christian living and about the impact that worshipping, not only alone but together, has on our lives.

This Sunday, we launched into our new series Open House! Pastor Adam guided us through our Jesus' call for us to be "Place Makers" who create a safe place for people to be their authentic selves and find their belonging in their church. As we kick off a new school year this week, let's remember that every day is an opportunity to prepare a place for someone to feel safe, accepted, and loved.

This Sunday, we talked about the importance of "dressing" ourselves with Christian virtues as we interact with others, particularly in the context of education and community support. Pastor Adam used Paul's letter to the Colossians to illustrate how we should clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and above all, love. These virtues are essential for creating a po...

This Sunday, Pastor Adam talked about how our minds are often cluttered with self-centered concerns, leaving little room for Jesus. By shifting our focus to Christ's preeminence in all things, as described in Colossians, we can find true fullness, purpose, and strength.

This Sunday, Rev. Natalie King lead us in a message that explored the importance of mentorship and community in Christian life, drawing from Paul's letter to the Colossians. She highlighted how Paul's mentorship model demonstrates the need for continual prayer, encouragement, and sharing of wisdom among believers to foster spiritual maturity and effective ministry.

This Sunday, Sarah invited us to navigate our 'ordinary time' in the Christian calendar by remembering that these are our days to put into practice the lessons we've learned about Christ's life and teachings. Our community can thrive when we each commit to living out the Spirit's fruit, creating a harvest of love, joy, and peace that impacts not just our church, but the world around us.

This Sunday, we talked about a deeper interpretation of salvation as a process of healing, requiring active cooperation with God's grace. By reframing salvation in this context, the sermon emphasizes the importance of personal growth, spiritual depth, and the ongoing journey of becoming more Christ-like.

This Sunday, we were challenged to consider: How are we allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives today? Are we open to breaking down the walls that divide us and embracing the beautiful diversity within God's family? The Pentecost story encourages us to step out of our comfort zones, to speak God's love in new 'languages,' and to build bridges in our communities.

This Sunday, we talked about how we're not just spectators in God's grand story; we're active participants. Like the disciples, we might feel overwhelmed or unprepared, but Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit's power. This 'dynamis' - the same Greek word from which we get 'dynamite' - is the transformative force that enables us to share God's love in ever-widening circles.

This Sunday we got to hear from Rev. Deanne Lynch as we continued our journey through the Book of James. This week, we talked about the gift of prayer that allows us to talk to God anytime and anywhere.

This Sunday, we explored the profound impact of our words, drawing from the book of James to illustrate how our speech can both bless and curse. We were challenged to be mindful of our words, recognizing them as a reflection of our hearts.

This Sunday we were reminded of the transformative power of knowing we are beloved by God. The book of James, written by Jesus' own brother, offers us practical wisdom on living out our faith. We're challenged to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger - qualities that stem from understanding our identity as God's beloved.

This Sunday we had the opportunity to celebrate Senior Sunday together. At our 9:30 and 11:00 services, we had the opportunity to be led by some of our graduating seniors and to pray a blessing over them as they take their next steps after high school. McKade Stewart led us in a message that reminded us that we always can return home. No matter how far we might wander, Jesus always welcomes us hom...

He is risen! 🌅🙌 This Sunday we celebrated a resurrected Christ that we can see moving right here and right now. The tomb is empty, so the Good Work continues!

This Sunday, we celebrated Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem - Palm Sunday. In today's service, we reflected on this key moment that starts our journey through Holy Week and ultimately to the cross and then to the empty tomb.

This Sunday, we had the privilege of hearing from Reverend Minho Chung as we continue our series Flip the Script. We talked about what it looks like to truly be content and what it takes to reach the level of contentment that Paul talks about in the Book of Philippians.

This Sunday we dug into Paul's call for us to strain forward to that which lays ahead. We talked about how we need to leave the past behind and LIVE for the future.

In Philippians 1, Paul says "to live is Christ." This Sunday, we dove into what life to the fullest really looks like, and we found that when we live and view our circumstances as FOR Christ instead of FROM Christ, we can live our best life.

This Sunday we had the chance to hear from our Director of Connections, Sarah Snyder, as we continued in our series, Flip the Script. Together, we dug into some key theological concepts relating to Jesus Christ and God the Father. We learned that we are called to have the same mind as Jesus in that we should take our advantages and power over others, lay them at the foot of the cross, and strive t...

This Sunday we kicked off our new series, Flip the Script. We started off in the Book of Philippians and talked about the importance of taking the long-view when it comes to our faith. Though we often want results now, it's important for us to remember that God is still working in all of our lives.

This Sunday we celebrated Confirmation at LVfirst as we welcomed 10 students into our church family! Confirmation Sunday is a huge "mountain-top" moment for these students as they take the next step in their faith journey. We talked about mountain top moments and how they help shape us and prepare us to not only recognize God on top of the mountain, but to still see God in the valleys.

This Sunday we wrapped up our series, Dear Theophilus, with a discussion around gratitude and how we can be more intentional about giving thanks to God.

This Sunday we're looking at the story of Jesus calming the sea and talking about how we can take back the control that fear has over our lives by trusting Jesus and finding faith IN the midst of our fears.

This Sunday we continued in our series, Dear Theophilus, by looking at the story of the friends who tore the roof off and lowered their friend so that Jesus could heal him. We're looking at their faith and how we can "tear the roof off" of our faith!