Eternal Church Podcast

"If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties." - Sir Francis Bacon (a science guy, not a BBQ guy...)  In today’s culture, certainty is often seen as a sign of arrogance and uncertainty is praised as true humility. Is certainty something we should strive for? Is it arrogant to claim to know "the truth"? As...

When the angel of the Lord stood before the shepherds, he proclaimed good news of great joy, “For All the People”. Luke 2:8-15   This Sunday, we will be focusing our attention on that phrase. What does it mean that Jesus, the Savior, is “For All the People”? Key to understanding those words is Jesus title of “Christ” in the New Testament and “Messiah” in the Old Testament. We are going to step bac...

At the time of Jesus' birth, the world was under the rule of Pax Romana, a system that promised order but could never deliver true peace. The birth of Jesus was a direct challenge to that system. Why is the birth of Jesus "good news"? Perhaps the answer lies in the kingdom He brings.  Join us this Sunday as we look at three different announcements of the birth of this baby king. 

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." Proverb 9:10 "Fear not..." ~ the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2 So are we supposed to fear God, or not be afraid of God? What gives? Shepherds. Angels. Fear. Advent week #2 has it all.

And just when you thought political conflict is past, we read the Christmas story. It’s not about happy trees and shiny tinsel. Not presents, parties and nostalgia. Not Santa and sweets. It’s about Regime Change, the coming of a king whose reign of grace and truth confronts, and displaces, every pathetic counterfeit that masquerades as the hope of the world. This Sunday we launch an advent series...

David was no stranger to grief. The Psalms are full of his accounts of grief, sorrow, and lament. This is to be expected of a man who lived the kind of life that David did. But what about the people of God today? How are we to respond to hurt in our lives? How are we to respond when people who have hurt us experience their own hurt, pain, or even death? As we prepare to close the book on this jour...

This weekend we return to the story of Saul, the first king of Israel. Chapter 28 invites us into the final hours of Saul's life and one final act that will ultimately define Saul's legacy. This is a strange story that includes an overwhelming army, a desperate journey into sorcery, and a theological conundrum about forgiveness, repentance, and rejection. 

"Then David said in his heart…" These opening words of 1 Samuel 27 introduce a time in David's life when he relied on his own wisdom and chose a path that seemed right to him, but it led him further away from the identity God had given him. Only through God's relentless grace will David be reminded of who he truly is and the purpose God has for his life. As we prepare to dive into God’s Word, take...

This week in I Samuel 25, the narrative takes a break from the Saul-David conflict and instead describes an interaction between David and some of the people of Israel he has been anointed to lead, including a wealthy kinsman of David’s, Nabal, and Nabal’s wife, Abigail. Each of them will take on an identity in one of the most compelling relationship triangles in all of the Bible.

In the past several weeks we've seen David on the defensive. This week is different. He literally catches Saul with his pants down, and he has a choice to make: Does my enemy live or die? How would you respond to such an opportunity? Given Saul's wicked conduct the previous few chapters, it might seem like an obvious choice. But David isn't your average guy. He is seeking God's will and God's hear...

This week in 1 Samuel 23, David hears back from Yahweh (unlike Saul). Some of what he hears is comforting…but there’s also confusion. Just because God speaks, it doesn't mean that David necessarily understands it or agrees with it. The same could be said for us. Do you hear from God? What does He say? How can you know His will for your life? On Sunday we’ll see what David depended on to hear from...

When we read 1 Samuel, it might be tempting for us to reduce Saul and David to two-dimensional characters;  Saul = bad guy; David = good guy.  Don’t be like Saul. Be like David.  But humans are a lot more complex and complicated than that. Although history and geography may lead us to feel distant from David’s life, this week we'll see some similarities (and not great ones) between David’s choices...

As we prepare to gather and worship Jesus this Sunday, I encourage you to read 1 Samuel 18-20, paying careful attention to how God works to accomplish His purposes. While we plan to cover a lot of ground, I believe we will discover one overarching story of God's provision overcoming human intentions. And yes, we will discuss the "evil spirits" sent by Yahweh!

Goliath has fallen, the people of God are saved, and a young shepherd from the hill country of Judah becomes an overnight celebrity: the messiah of Israel! Yet creeping through the shouts of celebration is an enemy far greater than any giant on a battlefield. As the hearts of Israel turn towards David, the heart of Saul turns against him. As we approach 1 Samuel 18 this weekend, I invite you to re...

"With courage like David, you too can face Goliath!"  Sound familiar? For many, the story of David and Goliath has been reduced to a children's Sunday school lesson or a metaphor for sports and personal challenges. While we love a good underdog story, when it comes to facing the 'giants' in our lives, we often seek more than slings and stones to solve Goliath-sized problems. But what if this story...

This week we renew our 1 Samuel series “The Problem with Crowns,” picking up the story where we left off; Saul is out as Israel’s king, and God says he has found Himself a new and better version. He sends Samuel on a dangerous mission to identify and anoint a new king, even while the old king is still on the throne. Samuel thinks he’s found the right guy, but God tells him not to trust his eyes. H...

Paul concludes his letter to the church in Philippi sharing the state of his contentment. Where and how does Paul have this kind of contentment? He’s been laying a foundation through the entire letter. This week our pastoral team provides a discussion reviewing Paul’s letter and we’ll share what we think Paul means when it comes to true contentment. He ends with gratitude to the church in Philippi...

Last week we saw Paul look back at his past, B.C. (Before Christ). This week we look at his life, post conversion, in the present, A.D. (After the road to Damascus). But his secret to living in the present is by focusing on the future. “For to me to live (present) is Christ and to die (future) is gain." Philippians 3 is all about Paul's past, present and future. And it's true for us, too. Come and...

As we come to the halfway point of Paul's letter to the Philippian church, we are interrupted with what seems like a couple of travelogues. Timothy's future plans, Paul's hopes, and instructions about welcoming home the otherwise unknown Epaphroditus. While personal updates and instructions aren't abnormal in Pauline epistles, it is a little strange that Paul places them right in the middle of thi...

This week we continue chapter 2 in Philippians and consider how The Gospel is…Witness. Funny thing about this title…witness is not mentioned in last week’s scripture, nor in this week’s passage. Christians often talk about the trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). But the word “trinity” isn’t found in the Bible. The concept is present even when the word is absent. The same is true about the word wit...

This week we begin chapter 2 in Philippians and consider how The Gospel is…Humility. I have followed Jesus for over half my life. I like to think that I understand the concept of humility. I like to think that I demonstrate it regularly. I read this week, “Humility is one of those things that if you think you have it, you don’t.” Ouch. Spoiler Alert:  We all need it more than we think we do. Not j...

“Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, it is the presence of God.” - Sam Storms The themes of joy and rejoicing are ever present in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This joy is not based on Paul’s current situation, but on his hope in what he knows, what he expects, and what he longs to see.  The Gospel is… Worth It

One day, a group of unassuming travelers entered a city with a simple mission: to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. After several days, two miracles, and a few salvations, the travelers left at the request of the city officials. What they left behind would go on to have an impact on the future church movement across all of Europe and beyond. What was left behind? The Church of Philippi. Join us t...