Intersections Podcast

Let's wrap up our “Duped” sermon series by focusing on what many believe to be a touchy subject - money. How are we to use our wealth? Is there a danger to wealth? How much is enough? Please don’t let the evil one dupe you into thinking this might be a good time to skip watching. :)

“God just wants you to be happy.” That sounds right, but is it true? Let's search the scriptures together.

We are kicking off a new sermon series entitled Duped. Over the next four weeks, we will be looking at a few of the lies our world is selling. One of the lies society hopes you will believe is that you only live once. One only needs to look at the empty tomb to know that is a bunch of hooey. There is life, a better life, after this one.

Mark 11:12-14, 20-21, “The next day they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And the disciples heard him say it. (20) In the morning, as they went along,...

Joseph acted with the utmost integrity. What did that get him? It landed him in a dungeon prison on a trumped-up attempted rape charge, a charge that he could not fight because he was just a lowly Hebrew slave with no voice or rights in the empire. However, instead of spending all of his time retelling the story of how he had been messed over, pleading his innocence, or wallowing in toxic emotions...

One thing you need to know about God is that He is all about reconciliation. His great desire is for people to be reconciled to Him and reconciled to one another. This is why Jesus, God in flesh, came. He defeated the evil one through his death to begin the restoration of the perfect harmony that existed in the garden. This work will come to full completion when Jesus returns to usher in the New H...

Joseph was no overnight success, but his life changed dramatically overnight. How did that happen? How did a Hebrew slave rise to such a prominent position in the Egyptian empire? His life changed overnight because he trusted the God who is powerful enough to move people into the positions and places He wants them to be. What God did in Joseph's life, He can do in yours. He can change your lif...

If anyone knew what it was to go through crises it was Joseph. He went from a favorite son in the house of his father Jacob to just another slave in a foreign household. Yet, he not only withstood the crises, he thrived in his new environment. All credit goes to God for Joseph’s success, but Joseph experienced God’s favor in large part because of how he handled the situation.

Knowing God has a dream for each one of us also gives us reason to be excited about life. To bounce instead of roll out of bed in the morning. Life can feel awfully mundane at times (just as I am sure it did for Joseph all those days he was out shepherding flocks), but it is never free of anticipation when you realize God is moving and working out his great dream/plan for your life.

One of the greatest gifts we can give future generations is to deal with and end family/societal dysfunction in whatever shape or form it comes in. When it comes to favoritism we may not all agree to what extent it exists in our family/country, but let’s show the courage and resolve to address whatever inequality is still present.

Embracing discomfort is key to spiritual growth, but it is hard for most of us to do. Whether we lean into pain by choice or force, the critical question is, what does the pain/discomfort have to teach us? Pain is critical to growth, but it does not guarantee growth. Today we will lean into the practice of spiritual disciplines and how to follow them to a deeper and stronger relationship with God.

A comprehensive study done not too many years ago of 1,000 churches revealed that one out of four church members felt stalled or dissatisfied with their lack of spiritual progress. One of the reasons many are not experiencing the type of growth they desire is because they are malnourished. The ugly truth is their diet consists of a whole lot of junk food – TV, social media, talk radio, YouTube, et...

What is it that fuels spiritual growth? Peter emphasizes the important role the word of God plays in spiritual growth. In 1 Peter 2:2, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow in your salvation.”

Jesus, Prince of Peace, calls us to partner with him as peacemakers who work hard to ensure the wholeness, flourishing, and well-being of all people. As we get ready to move into 2024 (a year that has the potential to be more divisive than ever) may these words of the ancient preacher be our marching orders - Hebrews 12:14 , “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone…” Join us for our last...

When was the last time you experienced a spiritual growth spurt? If there was a wall in the church with pencil marks and dates, would your line have moved in the last six months? To get an accurate read of our spiritual growth we need something far more reliable than our feelings. What we need is a spiritual measuring stick.

We will look at the amazing story of how Jesus calmed the sea but even more importantly is how he stayed so calm and even slept as the storm raged. How was he able to do that? We will then look at a couple of examples of how Godly people were able to stay calm while the storms raged.

Our Everlasting Father, who is mindful of us, is constantly at work so that we might flourish in our given role. Not only is God mindful of you, but He is crazy about you. God loves you deeply. If anything reminds us of this it is Christmas. Why did Jesus, the Everlasting Father, enter into this world as one of us? He came because we are loved profoundly by the Heavenly Father.

What makes Christmas such a special time of year is knowing that the birth of Jesus, our victorious warrior, started the countdown to the end of Satan and his work. God’s kingdom is here - not fully, nor has Satan's work fully ended - but make no mistake, God’s kingdom is present all around us.

Isaiah 9:6 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Let's learn about the first of these names.

Satan wants you to believe when you are going through hard times. God doesn’t love you. Let us remember that God meets us in our darkest night and fights with us and for us. He is our light in the dark of the night.

If gratitude is so good for us, why do we often fail to be grateful?

We live in a culture that hits us a thousand different times a day in a thousand ways that life is not good until we own, do, or become (you fill in the blank). We must push back against this false narrative! How? By “giving thanks in all circumstances.”

The last question in this Explore God sermon series is “Can I know God personally?” Jesus says, “Yes, you can! And it is in knowing God that there is full/abundant/eternal life.” He created us to know Him and be known by Him; to enjoy Him and be enjoyed by Him. He created us to be in a relationship with Him! More than anything else.

Every major denomination of Christianity affirms a similar commitment to the authority and inspiration of the Bible. They may do so with different words and emphases, but in the end, all Christians look to the Bible as a source of truth about God, themselves, and what they must do in order to be in a proper relationship with God. Is their trust in the Bible well-founded? Is the Bible reliable? Let...

According to recent studies, the majority of the world’s population believes in God or a universal deity. Of course, people describe God in very different ways: personal deity, transcendent divine, higher power, or universal spirit. Nonetheless, we believe something or someone is above humanity and the universe as we know it. So when a particular person professes to be God, it’s a big deal. And Je...