GDLC Audio

This week, we explore how God desires to renew our perspective. I love the quote, "We don’t just read the Word of God; the Word of God reads us." When we listen to and obey Jesus’ teachings, we build our lives on a solid foundation to withstand life’s storms. Ignoring His words is like building on sand, vulnerable to being crushed. This week reminds us that God’s Word renews our minds and perspect...

We’ll explore how God’s love shows up in surprising and extraordinary ways, often when we least expect it. Just like the first Christmas story—a humble manger, shepherds in the fields, and a King wrapped in swaddling clothes—God continues to work in ways that defy our expectations. This special service will be a time to reflect on the beauty of God’s unexpected gifts, the joy of His presence among...

We’ll explore how God’s love shows up in surprising and extraordinary ways, often when we least expect it. Just like the first Christmas story—a humble manger, shepherds in the fields, and a King wrapped in swaddling clothes—God continues to work in ways that defy our expectations. This special service will be a time to reflect on the beauty of God’s unexpected gifts, the joy of His presence among...

This week, we tie together the presence of the star with the wise men from the east who came to find this new king of Israel. Since the Israelite captivity in Babylon, the wise men of the east had access to Hebrew Scriptures. From the scriptures, they learn of a new king that is to be born and they were skilled in reading the stars. God intertwines these two realities to guide these men to the hou...

This week, we tie together the presence of the star with the wise men from the east who came to find this new king of Israel. Since the Israelite captivity in Babylon, the wise men of the east had access to Hebrew Scriptures. From the scriptures, they learn of a new king that is to be born and they were skilled in reading the stars. God intertwines these two realities to guide these men to the hou...

This week, we look at this peculiar and unexpected appearance of a star that pointed the wise men to Jesus. On the weekend, we will dive deeper into the wise men, but for this midweek service, we stay focused on this common Christmas image of the Bethlehem star. There is much mystery and lore that surrounds this cosmological phenomenon, but we know that God created the heavens to point to His eter...

This week, we look at the unexpected messengers in the angels and shepherds. Being a shepherd was a very blue-collar sort of occupation, yet a bunch of shepherds were chosen to hear the news of the birth of Jesus in a very unexpected way. After the unexpected messengers depart, the shepherds become messengers of their own. They carry the message of the birth of Jesus as God shows us; He can use an...

This week, we look at the unexpected messengers in the angels and shepherds. Being a shepherd was a very blue-collar sort of occupation, yet a bunch of shepherds were chosen to hear the news of the birth of Jesus in a very unexpected way. After the unexpected messengers depart, the shepherds become messengers of their own. They carry the message of the birth of Jesus as God shows us; He can use an...

This week, we will focus on Joseph and all the unexpected events that swirled around this man’s life. His life went from a simple engagement to the news that his fiancé was pregnant. Joseph is then faced with how to handle this unexpected situation to bring the least amount of shame on himself and Mary. In the middle of this contemplation, he then is given a very unexpected dream that changed the...

This week, we will focus on Joseph and all the unexpected events that swirled around this man’s life. His life went from a simple engagement to the news that his fiancé was pregnant. Joseph is then faced with how to handle this unexpected situation to bring the least amount of shame on himself and Mary. In the middle of this contemplation, he then is given a very unexpected dream that changed the...

Our midweek service will focus on this interaction when the pregnant Mary unexpectedly visits her aunt Elizabeth's house. Both women are experiencing unexpected pregnancies, but it isn’t the presence of Mary that is the most remarkable visitor when John the Baptist and Jesus meet for the first time. Even in the womb John was jumping for joy that the Savior was in the world!      

We begin our Advent journey by looking at the unexpected appearance of the angel with Mary. Mary is a young Jewish girl who lives in a poorer part of the region, but her life has been unexpectedly turned upside down. Not only was the angel unexpected, but the message this messenger brought was beyond unexpected. I know how I react when unexpected news comes my way, and it is definitely not like th...

We begin our Advent journey by looking at the unexpected appearance of the angel with Mary. Mary is a young Jewish girl who lives in a poorer part of the region, but her life has been unexpectedly turned upside down. Not only was the angel unexpected, but the message this messenger brought was beyond unexpected. I know how I react when unexpected news comes my way, and it is definitely not like th...

This week, we are looking at the very heart, the key, of living thankful, and that is the power of prayer in our lives. I heard it said that prayer is when we come before God to let Him figure us out. Prayer is the ultimate power of perspective as we make ourselves available for God to speak to us, empower us, clarify us, and motivate us to continue to believe and live faithfully and thankfully. J...

This week, we are looking at the very heart, the key, of living thankful, and that is the power of prayer in our lives. I heard it said that prayer is when we come before God to let Him figure us out. Prayer is the ultimate power of perspective as we make ourselves available for God to speak to us, empower us, clarify us, and motivate us to continue to believe and live faithfully and thankfully. J...