Impact Church

When we allow our past to define us, then we will always limit our potential. But when we define ourselves with who God says we are, then we can live to our fullest potential. www.impactchurchmd.com

Some of us have past we do not like. Whether it is because of circumstances beyond our control or our own decisions, our past has made us who we are. How can we allow God to shape our future through our past? www.impactchurchmd.com

The longer we are in church, the easier it is to get stuck inside our traditions. When does a good tradition go from following truth to overtaking truth? How do we prevent ourselves from placing traditions over truths? www.impactchurchmd.com

Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for the past. Many of us think back to our past with fond memories, but sometimes our nostalgia becomes our idol. What place does our nostalgia have in our lives? www.impactchurchmd.com

There are many fears that come into play when it comes to being a neighbor. If we plan on living out the great commission, then you must be willing to love the people God has placed around you, no matter what you fear.  www.impactchurchmd.com

Love is spelled T-I-M-E. If we want to take the Great Commandment seriously, we need to invest our time. But how do we, busy people, find time to be a good neighbor? www.impactchurchmd.com

The Great Commandment is very simple: We are to love God and love our neighbors. But if it is that simple, how come most of us don’t actually do it? If we want to make a difference in our community, it is time to actually be serious about loving our neighbors. www.impactchurchmd.com

Ever felt dead in your faith? Sometimes we feel dead in our doubts, dead in our discouragement, and dead in the delay. But when we feel dead, Jesus can give us life because He is the resurrection and the life.  www.impactchurchmd.com

When things aren't connected to source of their power, they lose all strength. When we stay connected, we produce fruit. But when we don't, we produce nothing. How do we stay connected to the source of our strength?  www.impactchurchmd.com

When it is too dark to see, a light helps us find our way. Where the law reveals our guilt and the love reveals our grace, the light reveals our hope. Because He is the light of the world, we always have a second chance.  www.impactchurchmd.com

Sheep are reference often in the Bible, and Jesus describes us as sheep. Even though sheep constantly lose their way, cannot defend themselves, are stubborn, and dirty, the Good Shepherd still guides them, provides for them, corrects them, and protects them. www.impactchurchmd.com

Life isn’t always easy. In fact, God promised us it wouldn’t be. What do we do when we are going through pain in life? In the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we learn how to persevere when we are thrown into the fires of life. www.impactchurchmd.com

Our culture has made church all about themselves. We only go if it fits our needs. But is this what God had in mind when the church began, to be all about us? In 1 Samuel, we see the Israelites thinking they know better than God, and we can learn a lot from their example. www.impactchurchmd.com

Being generous is hard to do, but nowhere in the Bible does God tell us giving is an option. In fact, giving is a requirement for following. How do we readjust our priorities so that we can obey God with our giving? www.impactchurchmd.com

Jesus did not die on a cross to save us from our sins so that we could trap ourselves by them again. Jesus tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him. What does that look like in our lives? www.impactchurchmd.com

Happy couples decide they owe each other everything but are owed nothing in return. But that requires effort. Every married person makes a choice every day. That choice feels more like a reaction, so most people don’t think they have a choice at all. But they do. Happy couples make the happy choice. www.impactchurchmd.com

As long as you think your spouse owes you, your marriage will be all about keeping score. That destroys intimacy. It destroys love. But what are we supposed to do about our hopes, dreams, and desires? www.impactchurchmd.com

We had some technical difficulties this week, so please excuse the audio quality. We should be back to normal for Part 3 next week. We all enter into marriage with hopes, dreams, and desires. They create expectations. But when you put those expectations onto your spouse, it turns your marriage into a debt/debtor relationship. Your relationship becomes marked by the belief that your spouse owes you...

A great marriage doesn’t happen by accident. It requires care and regular maintenance. But sometimes we don’t want to make the effort. As long as it’s not broken, do we really need to talk about it? www.impactchurchmd.com

Our Respect for Life should extend to all humans created by God from conception to natural death, but in recent decades the lines have become blurred. What does God’s word really say about the issue of abortion and how should the church respond to women in need? www.impactchurchmd.com

God calls us to love. Not just love people that are easy to love, but to love even the hard to love people. How do we love someone we consider difficult? How do we love someone we completely disagree with?  www.impactchurchmd.com