Family Fest Speaker Podcast

Testimony by Lynn and Gino Giovannelli at Summer Splash.

In Christ we have been given every spiritual blessing - Ephesians 1. God wants us to mold us and shape us to be more like him, In Christ.

We are his masterpiece, created In Christ - Ephesians 2.  Jesus has a purpose, he came so that we may live. We are saved by grace through faith In Christ.

God is One. We are called to keep the unity that Jesus died to establish. Who are we called to be in his church? What is the result of stepping in to unity with persistence.

We are called to get rid of bitterness, rage, anger and all forms of malice. We are called to be kind, compassionate, forgiving, to be imitators of God.

Spiritual conflict is everywhere. We are given spiritual tools to use to fight the battle against Satan. We are given the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the shoes of peace to stand firm in the Lord.

We are given more tools in the battle for Christ, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit. We have everything we need and nothing to fear because God has already won.

God invites us to get to know him in an intimate way. One of the greatest ways we can honor him is to share a meal with others and be in communion with others. The table that Jesus sets is one of reconciliation and one of vindication. God want's us to love our enemies and forgive them just as David won over his enemies. He wants God to be vindicated.

Pete Larson shares tips to keep your marriage strong and fun.

What we believe about God doesn’t determine who he is, but what we believe about God determines who we are.

Insecurity is our desire/need for approval from others. Byron shows how Saul's insecurity shows up in three stages as told in 1st Samuel. Without Christ as our identity, we do whatever it takes to get others to approve of us which can lead us to believe in Satan's lies. By getting to know Jesus better every day we can overcome our insecurities and use our gifts to bring God glory.

We wonder what God wants us to do in service but it starts with the question – Who does God want us to be?  God wants us to serve others as a way to show love for Jesus and to highlight Christ's love for us. 

God wants us to have a great marriage. For a married couple to remain in love for a lifetime we must have a close relationship with Jesus, be selfless and be intentional. Ephesians 5:21 – Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

If we choose to give God control, we must daily reaffirm our surrender to His Spirit filling us and guiding us. This is the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Commit to daily disciplines of letting Jesus be LORD of our lives.  L=Learn to know God and His Word, O=Obey God in every area, R=Rely on the Holy Spirit's power, D=Discover God's plan for your life every day.

Kyle takes a look at Jacob and Esau and their relationship with God as told in Genesis. God spoke to Jacob and in his dreams. God speaks to us in our dreams. In today's busy and chaotic world, It is sometimes the only time God is able to get our attention.

God will tell us in our dreams who needs to be cared for. Our responsibility for an abundant life is to take care of each other.

The Samaritan helps the man on the side of the road like Jesus serves all of us; with extravagant, outrageous, overflowing generosity. We all the ability to look outside of ourselves to be what someone else needs at that time. We are called to go out of our way to help others.

God is speaking to each of us in Psalm 139. The best relationships are ones of authenticity. Don't be afraid to be authentic with God. He knows everything about you, so give him your everything.

The Holy Spirit brings us together. During the crucifixion, the Holy Spirit is unleashed when Jesus gives us his humanity. The Holy Spirit is the voice you hear assuring you that everything will be okay. We are called to be the light of the world and to spread God's love to others.

How do you picture God? David pictured himself as a sheep and God as a Shepherd. Just as a shepherd watches over his flock, so God watches over us. We have no where to run where we can escape the presence of God.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures" God wants us to rest, as he did, on the 7th day. We need to step back and note what we've created. Rest is important, especially when we don't want to. We can not receive what God's wants to give if we don't stop, relax and be open to His will.

"He leads me on Paths of Righteousness" Why does God lead us? He leads us for his namesake. If the shepherd is not strong, the sheep are not safe. We all go through difficult times but we must trust that God is leading us in the right way.

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Evil is real and powerful but God promises he will walk with us. Shadows are simply representations or reflections of evil. God has hardwired us for a relationship with him and is beside us when we are in the darkness of the valley.

We're made in the image and likeness of God. God speaks to us through his creations, but if the knowledge in our head doesn't get to our hearts, then that knowledge is never going to make any difference in our life. Without good communication, this Holy, creative, miraculous, mysterious collaboration that we have, falls apart. And when it falls apart, we never realize who we are made to be. Script...