First Assembly NLR Audio Podcast

At one point in our lives, we were all slaves to sin.  When we found relationship with God through His Son, Jesus and decided to follow Him, we left all that behind.  But, we've all seen it happen:  for some reason, some people turn back to the life they left behind.  Why?

God saves us from our old life.  We find joy and peace in Him.  Why is it so tempting then, to return to our old ways?  If you feel that pull, or your life seems to be an endless series of ups and downs, back and forth, check out this series - we want to see you move forward!

Worship is an attitude, a mindset, and a way of life.  People worship a lot of things:  money, fun, power and position.  If you truly worship God, He is first in your life.  It's not about styles of music, or how we worship, it's THAT we worship!

Anyone can love those who love them.  Jesus presents a higher standard.  Love your enemies.  Treat them as forgiven friends.  Pray for them and love them.   Our love for each other is the evidence that we are followers of Jesus Christ.  If we do not love others, what does that say about us?

In fashion, you want to fit in.  In life fashion, you definitely do NOT want to fit in.

You should be able to spot a life-long follower of Jesus.  Someone who "dresses" with Jesus is different.  They stand out  - not by how they dress, but how they act and react.  You can tell the difference by what they do and don't do, what they say, and don't say, and by how they treat others.  If you are a Christian, can anyone tell?

What does is a Christian supposed to look like?  When you are clothed with Christ, it affects how you treat others.  What we "wear" can attract people to, or repel people from God.

Pastor Brian Dollar talks about labels.  We have a lot of labels for people, don't we?  We have a tendency to label others based not on who they are, but what we think they are.  How should we think about others?

Why do people like watching reality shows like "The Biggest Loser?"  Maybe because it's awesome to look back and see what someone was and now see what someone is - made over, changed, transformed.  Too many people want to put on Jesus, but they want to keep their old habits and attitudes.  It's time to be made over, changed, and transformed!

What does it mean to dress like Jesus?  No, it doesn't involve a robe and sandals!  The apostle Paul, writing to believers in Rome, said that Christians should "clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ."  How can we do that?

This part of the Lord's Prayer helps us keep our focus:  our goal should be to build His kingdom, not ours. 

With his simple prayer, Jesus reminds us what we all know too well.  Temptation is everywhere and we are all vulnerable.  What did He mean when He prayed "...lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."?

We hear a lot today about debt. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus wasn't talking about deficits, or credit cards. What does "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" mean?

How radically would it change your life if you recognized everything you have, and everything you receive as God's gift?  How much easier would it be to respond to His call to give to others if you recognized everything you had came from Him?  When we make requests of God in prayer, it's not just supposed to be about us.  We are asking Him to give to others, too.

We pray that we want God's will to be done in our lives, but what do we have to do to ensure that happens?  How can we get out of the way to allow God's perfect will to work in our lives?

How do we pray?   It's a wonderful question, one asked by the disciples of Jesus, and one many Christians ask today.  Jesus taught the disciples a pattern for prayer, and in this series, Rod Loy will walk us through the pattern and its importance in our prayer lives.

Our final post it note is also one of the final messages of the Bible.  Jesus is coming back soon.  Although people have tried for centuries to predict when that will be, the Bible says nobody knows.  What do we need to know about Christ's return?

Pastor Rod talks about the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship, and also at what makes relationships healthy.

Are there days you feel like quitting?  Everyone has those moments.  In fact, people quit all kinds of things, all the time.  Most of us understand, that bad days happen.  That's part of life.  Tomorrow is a new day.  Some things seem more serious, though.  What would God say to us about quitting?

The Bible says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  God wants to forgive! This song finished the message - it's a live recording featuring Pastor Brad Russell and the First NLR worship team.  Use it as a reminder that we are forgiven!

We recently spent time talking about forgiveness, and we heard that many people struggle not with forgiving others, but forgiving themselves.  They feel bad for something in their past and don't know how to move on.  How do you forgive yourself and move beyond your past?  What does God have to say to us about it?

In this message, Pastor Rod interviews Michael and Tiffany Richardson, missionaries from our church who are working with the DeToog people, a tribe in a remote region of Tanzania.  Even the most forgotten people in the most remote land are not forgotten by God!

Pastor Brad Russell continues the Post it Notes from God series with this message about God's crazy love for us.

We live in a busy, fast-tracked world.  Society considers multi-tasking a virtue.  But what would God say to us about our busy schedules?

When company is coming, you clean your house.  Before a date, you clean out your car.  When something is important to you, you keep it clean. But there is too much trash in our words, in our attitudes, and in our actions.  There's way too much trash in our lives.  It's time to take out the trash!