First Assembly NLR Audio Podcast

Do you have talent?  We see it in the media every day, and everyone is good at something. You've got a choice.  You can use the talents God gave you for personal gain, or you can live according to God's priorities.  It's not a meaningless choice.  The way you live on earth determines where you live forever! (This podcast also includes Pastor Brad Russell's spur of the moment instant Mother's Day s...

Have you ever been afraid to share a difficult truth?  Paul asks, "Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?".  Telling the truth can cause divison, it can make enemies, and if we make truth-tellers our enemies then we become blind to the truth.  How can we be brave enough to tell the truth and strong enough to hear it? 

When we find ourselves in a low valley--when we've spectacularly failed--we often ask questions like: "Why me? How could I fail like this? How did I ever let myself get to this place?  What went wrong?"  Whether you have been there, or will someday, this message will be an eye-opener.  Are you trying to live your life through your strength, or God's?

With so many messages bombarding us every day, who do we listen to?  How can we really please God?  What does it mean to follow Jesus? 

Sometimes, we find ourselves in traps:  addiction, pornography, and many other things can keep us trapped in sin.  Like a mouse attracted to cheese, there was initially something appealing in the trap.  What looked good, easy, and fun at first didn't stay that way.  It was a trap. All you want to do is get out, but you can't get yourself out of a trap.  You need a Rescuer.

What do you do when you are  facing a big challenge, a huge test, or a devastating disappointment?  It can be frightening, uncertain, emotional, and unsettling.  Jesus faced what you are facing.  He experienced the same emotions and thoughts. In this message, Rod Loy looks at how the Bible gives us an inside look into how Jesus prepared Himself for the biggest battle of His life.

People pick a church for a variety of reasons, but what really matters in a church is whether it is healthy or not.  What is a healthy church?  What are the core values of a church that is striving for health?

We voted on one more scripture to include in the Ten for Life series, and chose Romans 8:38,39. As a culture, we like love stories and love songs, but there's a love that is bigger than all that.  There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God!    

Many religions claim to know the way to Heaven, but Jesus has a pretty specific and very counter cultural statement: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Ever had a bad day?  How about bad times that last a little longer than a day?  What should our attitude be in difficult times?

Every day, you make decisions based on priorities.  And every day you send a message with those decisions. Where do we spend most of our time?  How should we spend our time?    

Have you ever been in a place where the world seemed to be closing in on you?  You may have felt overwhelmed and overloaded, like there was just no way you could handle anything else. In this message, Pastor Brian Dollar talks about Philippians 4:13: "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."  This passage of scripture was written by the Apostle Paul to people who were suffering.  Th...

In Matthew  22,  the Pharisees ask Jesus, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  His answer was clear and simple for them, and for us.  If you wan to know how to be a life-long follower of Jesus Christ, this is the starting place.

In this message, Rod Loy looks at the signs of an unhealthy relationship.  This is an important message for anyone, from students to adults!

The fifth message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith. In this message, Pastor Rod looks at Joshua 1:9.  If we are to live the lives God has for us, we have to be courageous!

The fourth message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith. We don't try to run our cars for very long on empty, so why do we run our lives that way?  In this message, Rod Loy looks at the cure for burnout. Is. 40:31 "…those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not gro...

The third message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith. This week:  2 Chronicles 7:14 - "...if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

The second message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith. This week: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

The first message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith.  This week: Proverbs 3:5,6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will keep your paths straight."

What does being content mean to you?  What makes you discontent?  In today's society, marketers play on our tendency to want the newest, best, and shiniest. In the final message from the Gift series, Pastor Rod Loy unpacks another of God's gifts to us: contentment.

A lot of our destructive behaviors, inappropriate actions, and a lot of negative circumstances are because we are searching.  We don't have peace.  Peace is not something we need every once in awhile.  We need it every single day.  Everyone needs peace.  How can you find peace?

Pastor Brad Russell wrote a special song, "Stay Right Here," for our message about peace.  The song is available for download here.  For lyrics, go to http://www.firstnlr.com/peacesong

What is joy?  It is an inner feeling of contentment that is far greater than a temporary happiness.  It's a life outlook -- a different perspective.  It's hard to explain, but easy to spot in others. True joy is a gift from God!  But how do you get joy?  Can you maintain it?

How do you know what something is worth?  You know what it's worth by what people are willing to pay for it.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for us.  What does that tell you about our worth to Him?

You can't buy it, you can't earn it, but you can have it. In this message, Pastor Rod talks about wisdom.