Island ECC Podcast

Following Christ demands our life and our all. He calls us to be fully surrendered to Him, but we hesitate. We make our own plans and try to control our destinies. Today we will see how we can be open to God by releasing the grip on our lives.

In an increasingly intolerant and screaming world, the church has a great opportunity to be a refuge for those weary of the tension. By being teachable, we exhibit an awareness of who we are in Christ, able to take on new input and ideas without being threatened or diminished.

If we sense a lack in our lives, we are tempted to create alternate systems (idols) to fill in the gaps, but this never works. Living in our completeness is the only way to live a life without striving and insecurity.

Control is a chameleon idol. It’s sometimes hard to spot. It can be particularly deceptive when it comes to ministry or actions with a spiritual purpose. When we learn to be secure in Christ, we can let go and let God be in control.

Our lives are short. Many of us spend our whole lives seeking approval from the society or people around us, not knowing that we are already approved by God and ready to do great things. How can we live our lives so that when we look back, we will not regret?

Often the word power comes with negative connotations, and understandably so. However, a look at how God uses and intended power to be used will give us a hopeful framework to not miss the gift that it is.

The idol of comfort plagues all of us as it is a desire to be without pain. However is that the life that God has called us to live? If not, what is the calling that He has placed on us and how should we pursue it?

Few of us would say we struggle with idolatry: bowing down to another god isn’t likely your greatest temptation. But if you view idolatry as more subtle – as replacing God with other greater loves – then maybe idolatry is a temptation after all.

Jesus commended people for being able to predict the weather. But in stark contrast, He points out that they are incompetent in predicting the greater things of life.

Spiritual dryness can occur even when our outward circumstances look just fine; but how do we climb out of a spiritual drought?

We all experience certain “not-so-wild fires” in our lives that God uses to refine our souls; but how exactly do they show up? Through the story of Jacob, we learn about what the discipline of God can look like and how we should respond.

Life can be confusing. Surprisingly, sometimes life with God can be confusing too. Still, there are some keys in knowing how to navigate life when the way forward is unclear.

In our lives, we will encounter all kinds of weather. Most of us look forward to the sunny days and clear skies because those are the days where we find the most enjoyment. But just like the weather, life is unpredictable and sometimes frustrating – as the author of Ecclesiastes points out. Today we’re going to explore this perplexing book to find the key to happiness in our days “under the sun.”

Bad weather, storms, and hardships happen! What can we do to prepare for these? This sermon uses the lens of weather to show two foundational spiritual principles that can be applied to all types of storms in your life.

We each bring a vibe to every situation we’re in. People often adapt to your very presence. They become more at ease, more uptight, more nervous, more joyful. Knowing your vibe, and managing it, can be a great blessing to every circle you enter.

Enoch is a character that has scant biblical presence. We know very little about him, but what we do know is noteworthy: He walked with God.

Humility is easier said than done. Sometimes our pride creeps in subconsciously and we don’t even know it. How can we rethink the concept of humility in a way that would be attainable and practical? This message explores the idea of “walking humbly” by breaking down the text of Micah 6:8.

You can’t love something you are not familiar with. So when we are told that we are to “love mercy”, we need to make sure we are well-acquainted with it in our own lives.

As we continue in our What’s Good series from Micah 6:8, we’ll continue to build our foundation by complimenting our growing understanding of justice with a fresh look at mercy. What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than by celebrating the Father of mercies.

The prophet Micah reminds us succinctly what the natural response should be to a God who has been gracious and kind: a life that is purposed on justice, mercy, and walking with God.

Micah 6:8 is an inspirational verse about justice and mercy. It inspired a mellow, folksy worship song in the 80’s. But the actual tone is more of a kick in the butt: don’t pretend to be ignorant of injustice around us. Justice matters to God and therefore it should matter to us.

Greed creeps. Studies show that the more we have, the more we want to keep. We become enslaved to worldly wealth unless we choose to be shrewdly generous

Sometimes before we can find contentment and joy, we must become aware of our flimsy approaches to life.

Sun Tse famously said, “Know your enemy.” Jesus would agree. The key to standing strong in your faith is knowing how your enemy is plotting your destruction.

We continue to look into insights from the book of Ephesians about our identity as Christ-followers. This message turns to Chapter 5 with an emphasis on how God has gifted us, as His beloved children, to be light in the midst of darkness.