Journey Church Amarillo

Pastor Howie dives in to his series on when God seems.

If fasting clears the noise and simplicity anchors the heart, prayer is the ongoing conversation that keeps us connected to the Vine. In the final part of our series, we are diving deep into the heartbeat of spiritual life: Prayer. We often think of prayer as a slot on our calendar, but it’s meant to be the atmosphere we breathe. In this episode, we talk about two powerful dimensions of communicat...

When God seems inattentive 

We live in a world that constantly tells us to consume more, do more, and be more. But what if the secret to a deeper spiritual life isn't adding anything at all? It’s clearing the clutter. In our latest episode, we dive into the beautiful, counter-cultural disciplines of Fasting and Simplicity: Fasting isn't just about giving something up; it’s the intentional removal of distractions so we can se...

What actually has dominion over your heart? Mark 12 presents a series of encounters and parables that cut straight to the core of that question. Like the tenants in Jesus' parable, we often want all the blessings of God without giving anything back to Him. We divide our hearts among our jobs, our status, our image, and our finances, leaving God a small corner we pull out when life gets hard. Jesus...

Ever notice how naturally we hype up the things we love? A good meal, a great movie, a sports team... we are literally hardwired to praise. We were made to worship. But when we substitute God for things that were never meant to carry the weight of our devotion, we end up empty. In this week's episode, we break down worship as a daily, life-giving spiritual discipline that centers our souls. #Spiri...

When Isaiah encountered God's glory in the temple, his immediate response was 'Here I am. Send me.' This powerful moment reveals that truly seeing God compels us to serve others. As believers in the priesthood of all believers, every Christian is called to ministry and empowered by the Holy Spirit for service. Service isn't optional volunteering - it's the natural lifestyle of a believer. We can s...

If your Bible reading feels like checking a box, you might be missing the point. There is a massive difference between reading the Word for information and meditating on the Word for transformation. One is a task; the other is a relationship. In this week's episode, we're breaking down the discipline of meditation. No gimmicks, no deep-breathing exercises—just pure focus on what God has already sa...

Research shows that reading the Bible at least four times per week creates a dramatic tipping point in spiritual growth, leading to significant decreases in negative behaviors and increases in positive spiritual activities. There are three powerful approaches to Scripture: reading for information using the FACT method, reading for application using the SOAP method, and reading for transformation u...

Somewhere along the way, we started dividing our lives into "spiritual" boxes and "worldly" boxes. In this episode, we tackle how church culture has actually driven this wedge deeper by sweeping tough subjects under the rug. When we refuse to talk about the messy, real parts of human existence, we imply that Christ doesn't belong there. But true faith isn't compartmentalized. We’re diving into why...

Many people approach God with the wrong questions, focusing on what they can get away with or what they must do to earn salvation. In Mark 10, both the Pharisees and the rich young ruler made this mistake, treating their relationship with God as a transaction rather than pursuing genuine intimacy. Jesus redirected them to God's original design and calling. Instead of asking rule-based questions, w...

What does it mean to pray constantly? I think there are two ways to think about praying constantly. First, understand what Paul is really saying. The second is to redeem our thoughts and take them captive. We can also just be quiet and see if God wants to speak.

Today marks 1,993 years since Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit birthed the church and solved humanity's two greatest problems. The Eden problem created separation from God through sin, which Jesus resolved through His birth, death, and resurrection. The Babel problem created separation between people through scattered languages and division, which the Holy Spirit solved at Pentecost by uniting all...

It’s easy to love people in theory. It’s a lot harder in practice. In Part Two of our new series, we’re looking at the three toughest arenas for love: Ourselves. (Do you actually treat yourself with kindness?) Our Enemies. (What does love look like when there’s no common ground?) Our Families. (Do the people under your roof get your best grace, or just your leftovers?) This week’s episode is a gut...

In Mark 9, Peter's response to Jesus' transfiguration reveals how we often interrupt holy moments by trying to control them instead of simply receiving them. When faced with God's overwhelming glory, Peter defaulted to familiar religious practices, missing the point that Jesus had already chosen to dwell with humanity permanently. We make similar mistakes when we answer questions nobody asked or t...

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind." We hear it all the time, but how often do we actually do it? Often, we give God our "leftover" heart or our "distracted" mind. In Part One of our new series, we’re diving deep into the Greatest Commandment. It’s the foundation for everything else we do. If the vertical relationship isn't right, the horizontal ones usually struggle, too....

Two mothers in 2 Kings chapter 4 faced desperate situations that revealed powerful truths about faith. A widow facing financial ruin and potential loss of her children followed God's unusual instructions and experienced miraculous provision. A Shunammite mother who lost her son refused to waste emotional energy on anyone except God's prophet and saw her child restored to life. Their stories show t...

Everything happens for a reason. What do you mean when you say that?

In Mark 8, Jesus asks His disciples the most important question ever posed: "Who do you say that I am?" This pivotal moment marks a shift from public ministry to intimate discipleship preparation. Through three powerful miracles - feeding 4,000 people, healing a blind man in stages, and the profound questioning at Caesarea Philippi - Jesus reveals His sufficiency for all people and challenges part...

We all tend toward extremes, just like the Pharisees who started with good intentions but became hypocritical in their pursuit of righteousness. In Mark 7, Jesus confronted their focus on tradition over love, showing us a better way. While the Pharisees separated themselves from others, Jesus expanded the table and welcomed everyone. He demonstrated how to balance truth and grace, naming sin witho...

In Mark 6, when faced with feeding 5,000 people, Jesus told His disciples to use what they had - just five loaves and two fish. Instead of waiting for perfect conditions or more resources, God calls us to serve with what we have right now. Like an apple containing seeds for an entire orchard, our seemingly small offerings can have extraordinary kingdom impact when placed in God's hands. Whether se...

Life rarely follows our carefully laid plans, but interruptions aren't always inconveniences - they might be divine interventions. In Mark 5, Jesus encounters a demon-possessed man, heals a woman who had suffered for twelve years, and raises Jairus's daughter from the dead. Each situation involved unexpected interruptions that seemed to derail plans but actually revealed God's power and timing. Th...

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was not a random event but the fulfillment of God's eternal plan written in advance through Old Testament prophecies. From Psalm 22's victory after suffering to Isaiah 53's justification through sacrifice, Scripture pointed to this moment. Unlike other biblical resurrections that were temporary, Christ's resurrection was permanent—a new creation that conquered deat...

Palm Sunday reveals how God's plans often unfold differently than our expectations. When Jesus entered Jerusalem as king, the crowds expected a warrior who would overthrow Rome, but He came humbly on a donkey as the Prince of Peace. The people missed what God was actually doing because they focused on external political freedom rather than the deeper spiritual bondage to sin and death that Jesus c...

Jesus taught in parables because stories stick with us, reveal spiritual truths, and require faith to understand. In Mark 4, He shares four interconnected parables about the Kingdom of God: the sower and seed shows not everyone receives the gospel, the light under a basket calls believers to shine in dark places, the growing seed demonstrates that kingdom growth takes time, and the mustard seed re...