God Centered Life

We’re in the middle of defining what it means to be a Pharisee. At the same time, we’re learning about what it means to be an authentic Christian. Our study explores human tendencies both in and out of the church. Mark 7:1-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pharisees, those are the bad guys, right? Easy to spot, easy to boo at. But is it possible there are some in our church? Might there be one who shows up every now and then in our mirror? We’re going Pharisee hunting in this study. Mark 7:1-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While it’s not always easy, loving those within the church certainly makes sense and is a worthy goal. In our study today, we’re being reminded that loving those outside the church is also on our agenda. Hebrews 13:1-6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Love one another.” No problem, let’s jump in and get that done. Or, if we’re even the least bit honest, we will confess that love is hard to do. We’ll look at the Biblical support for the how and why of love in this study. Hebrews 13:1-6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“That’s not the kind of worship I like.” Can you make that statement honestly if you really understand the purpose of worship? We’ll try to untangle this quandary in our study today. Hebrews 12:18-29 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“What’s your story?” Perhaps you’ve been asked that question. But have you ever done a “story inventory”? Is your story in need of a context check? We’ll look at an example of someone who needed to adjust their story in our study today. Ruth 2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Perhaps you know someone who will quickly “jump ship” should a challenge show up. Relationships get bumpy, and away they go. Pursuit of a career bogs down, and off they go in a different direction. What happens when that mindset shows up in the church? We’ll explore that question today. Hebrews 12:18-29 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grace is a gift. We know this. So, why does this passage talk about the need to “obtain” grace? We’ll explore this question today. Hebrews 12:12-17 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The experienced runner who knows the distance ahead and how to win at it knows the required pace. There’s a spiritual parallel that we’ll explore in this study today. Hebrews 12:12-17 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How many photos would you guess are taken each day that fall into the category of “selfie?” It’s potentially a very big number. Is the selfie mindset found in how we do church? We’ll dissect this question today. Hebrews 12:3-11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’re handed a map which leads to an incredible home that’s waiting for you. You hop in the car, toss the map in the back seat without looking at it, and start driving aimlessly. Seems a bit of a waste. Do we do the same with plans God has for us? We’ll explore His plan in this study. Hebrews 12:3-11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It can seem like racial division continues to simmer just below the point of eruption. This may feel like a recent challenge. But our study today will be based on ancient racial division and will show us much about grace, hope, and an outstanding figure in God's texture of unlikely heroes. Ruth 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s very convenient to “attend” church online. We learned all about how to do web church during the pandemic. Can this type of church serve the same purpose as attending together in person? We’ll explore that question today. Hebrews 10:25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There seems to be no end to discouraging news. Why can it be so hard to find positive news? Why is encouragement less of a default mode? And why, given all we have as believers, is that same concern applicable within the church? We’ll explore this vital question today. Hebrews 10:25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our history defines us. This is a common idea with a great deal of truth to it. But as a believer living this way, are we overlooking a far more powerful defining force, found when we look the other direction, toward the future? We’ll explore this question today. Hebrews 10:23 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We like options. Traveling to a new destination by car introduces the chance for the GPS to offer alternate routes. Has that mindset slid into the idea of salvation? Do we pursue holiness via various routes? We’ll look at these questions today. Hebrews 10:22 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever done a vocabulary check? If you were to compare the dialog you use when attending church versus your language outside the church, would there be a disparity? This study will look at the possibilities of being mired in “Christianeze.” Hebrews 10:22 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Show me a single believer who hasn’t been told that the best place to meet that special someone is church! Go ahead. I’ll wait… Very common advice, and not without a great deal of merit! But what happens if that’s as far as we go with church? What happens when we stop short of supporting a Biblical definition of the church? We’ll explore that question in this study. Judges 20:12 - 21:25 Learn more...

Keeping the main thing the main thing is sometimes not that easy. Distractions abound. Is that possible in the church as well? Are believers at risk of losing track of the core reason we gather? We’ll wrestle with that question in this study. Hebrews 10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So many options as to how to spend our time on a Sunday morning. Yes, we should go to church. That’s what many of us have heard over and over again. But do we have a strong handle on the “why” of church participation? We’ll explore that question in this study. Hebrews 10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is one of the unifying conditions amongst us all in this hyper-speed world. Burnout. Yes, our stressors may not be the same as Elijah’s on Mt. Carmel, but they are still very real. What can we learn about renewal and provision from the exhausted prophet under a broom tree? We’ll look at this question in our study. 1 Kings 19:1-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...

“I love tests!” said no one ever. Tests can be stressful, but as we’ll see in our study today, they can also be pivotal points in our faith journey. Daniel 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unity shines out in a divided community. This is true. But is the horizontal the only plane on which unity is important? An important question is asked in this study. Philippians Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Faith is an individual walk. Salvation is an interaction between one person and the Holy God. That being the case, what is the role of church? How important is the process of gathering together? We’ll explore that question in this study. Judges 20:12 - 21:25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It makes sense that a unified church will make an impact on those looking in from the outside. The theoretical power of unity is easy to see. The practical application of this idea though, that’s a completely different story. After being told to be unified, we need to look for the power to do so, and we’ll do that in this study. Philippians Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co...