First Assembly NLR Audio Podcast

Closed, locked doors do not stop God!  Pastor Rod finishes our missions series with more stories about the Gospel reaching into impossible places, and how one 5 year old boy made a difference in a distant country.

There are countries all over the planet that are closed to the Gospel. But closed and locked doors don't stop God!   

Doors can be used to let people in, but they can also be used to keep people out.  Or keep people in.  We're not talking about literal doors in this series, but figurative ones. People and people groups, and in some cases, entire countries that are closed to the Gospel.

Have you ever been in a situation where your supply was just not enough?  Have you ever totaled your expenses and your income just didn't cut it?  Pastor Brian Dollar looks at one of Jesus' most unusual miracles, which reminds us that God knows our needs.

Maybe you feel like your situation is hopeless - like you don't have a chance - that all hope is gone?  Maybe you just feel like giving up.  It's a horrible feeling.  But with Jesus, even in our darkest moments, it's never too late!

Your biggest crises reveal your best friends: the people you can always count on, someone you can trust.  Sometimes, we need someone to lean on.  We give up on people who reject us and move on.  But not Jesus.  He comes back over and over. He wants relationship with you.    

There is likely something in your life that is out of control.   It didn't start that way, you didn't plan on losing control, but you have.    Regardless of what has you trapped, you can be free.

We have been taught that faith is a formula.  If we'll just pray the right prayer, do the right things, give in the right offering, or go to the right church, God will heal and bless us.   But is that the case?  How much is up to you, and how much is up to God?  

In our culture, we've devalued the word "miracle."  But a real miracle is not something that people can do, it's something only God can do.  You may think that you or something in your life is too far gone.  It's too late to change. But your opinion of when it is over and too far gone is not necessarily right.  

After Jesus physically left the earth, His disciples accomplished amazing things!   The reason was not their ability or accomplishments.  It was through the power of the Holy Spirit -- the Helper who worked in them and through them.  The Holy Spirit still works in and through us today!

This world is not our home.  Not our permanent one, anyway.  We are citizens of Heaven!   

What does peace mean to you?  A lot of people think of peace as an absence of trouble, but life isn't like that very often.  When Jesus talked about peace, what did He mean?

Jesus said "I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly."  What does that mean?  What are things that keep us from having abundant lives today?

Why did God send His Son, Jesus, to earth?  What was so important that Jesus would leave Heaven and all its perfect wonder to come to flawed, me

In life, you are going to experience conflict.  It's inevitable.  How we deal with conflict makes the difference.  Jesus had another radical idea about go through your conflicts.  In this message, Pastor Randy Jumper examines how Jesus said we should restore broken relationships.

This is one of Jesus' most challenging statements.  But we can't avoid it.   We must deal with it, because for many people, this is the single biggest issue in their lives.  It's an issue that keeps people locked in the past - in a cycle of bitterness, anger, hurt, and regret.

We say it often, Every Soul Matters to God.  But do we really believe that?  Did Jesus really die for all people?  Or, are there some people who are just too bad, even for God? It is possible to disqualify yourself from His love and forgiveness?  

Jesus said we are supposed to love our enemies and do good to those who curse us. What in the world?  How are we supposed to do that?  In this message, Rod Loy examines one of Jesus' most counter-cultural statements.    

Worry isn't a new problem, and these days there is never any shortage of things to worry about.  Thankfully, Jesus was not silent on the subject.  He knew our struggles and offered a solution - a completely different way to approach daily concerns.

Our world tells us it's all about ME.  But Jesus has a different take on things. In this message, Pastor Brian Dollar talks about another of Jesus's teachings that seem so out of step with our world.

In life, it can sometimes seem like we are stuck in impossible situations.  Our human minds struggle to understand because a lot of things are impossible, or seem impossible, but the Bible tells us over and over, that nothing is impossible with God.

In this series, we are looking at bold, counter-cultural teachings of Jesus that have changed the way people view life, circumstances, relationships, and problems.  In this message, Pastor Rod Loy looks at Jesus' teachings on money.  Jesus said we should be more concerned with treasures in Heaven than on earth.  What does that mean?  How should we do that?

Are you a doubter?  You can read so many crazy stories, hoaxes, and conspiracies on the Internet these days, it's hard to believe if anything is the truth anymore.   Thomas, one of Jesus's disciples, had a hard time believing that Jesus had actually risen from the grave.  The way Jesus showed him the truth is the same way He helps us when we doubt.  

We are studying Jesus' encounters with unlikely people. In this message, we look at a lifetime loser with multiple failures.  Life was empty, she couldn't find fulfillment.  Then, in an instant, everything changed.

In the short time Jesus was in active ministry on earth, you'd think He would choose the best and the brightest to be his disciples, but that wasn't the case.  In some cases, he chose people you'd never think would make good followers.   But He saw the potential in people like Matthew, and He sees the potential in you, too.