Journey of Faith Messages Podcast

What’s the difference between how followers of Jesus live and the way the rest of the world operates? Should there be a difference? How can people see God’s love through the way Christians think and act? This week we’ll explore different aspects of how our daily lives can reflect Jesus. We’ll look at key ways we can explain a Christian life to people that may be interested in pursui...

What is the Church? What does it really mean to be part of a church like Journey of Faith? Are we defined by the buildings we meet in, the songs we sing, or the pastors that lead us? Or is the real definition of the Church something more, something bigger, something more vital? How can we have a better understanding of what the Church really is to help the people in our lives who have never experi...

For Christians, the Bible is the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the Good Book. We believe it’s fully inspired by God and ultimate authority for the way what we believe and how we act. But how can we explain that to someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus? How can we capture the beauty and importance of the Bible to someone who is spiritually interested, but has no faith background? This week we’ll w...

When we talk to people about God we are talking to people who may have personal skepticism, questions, and doubt.  It is so important for us to recognize about how we have conversations with people in our lives about God!  Over the next four weeks, then, we’re going to learn about and practice that skill together.  Starting this week we will find motivation to have spiritual convers...

When is the last time you received a letter that encouraged you… or challenged you?  A powerful letter from an important person can have an amazing impact on what we believe and how we live!  This is why much of the New Testament is made up of spiritual correspondence from Christian leaders to everyday people like us! This week, as we finish our series the genres of the Bible,...

What can we do when we see suffering and injustice in the world?  In ancient times, God chose special messengers called “prophets” to call people to live with compassion and fairness.  This week, we’ll explore the genre of biblical prophecy and see how it guides us to remember what God has said, repent from sin, and ready ourselves for God’s good future with Jesus! God Speaks Truth Group...

Great poetry awakens the imagination and appeals to our emotions. Simple artistic writing and imagery can surprise us with life changing wisdom. God is the creator of all things beautiful and speaks to us through Psalms, Proverbs, and other “wisdom books.” This week, we’ll learn how to read these genres of the Bible and how can help us express ourselves to God and wisely follow Jesus. God Makes Al...

What keeps the world from spiraling out of control? Laws! From the laws of nature to the laws we create, the purpose of law is to help us live well in God’s good world. As we begin our series looking at different genres of the Bible, we start where the Bible starts. God gave a specific set of laws to the Jewish people to help them live in a unique way. We’ll see how the laws God gave them encourag...

What keeps the world from spiraling out of control? Laws! From the laws of nature to the laws we create, the purpose of law is to help us live well in God’s good world. As we begin our series looking at different genres of the Bible, we start where the Bible starts. God gave a specific set of laws to the Jewish people to help them live in a unique way. We’ll see how the laws God gave them encourag...

Whenever we go the doctor, they check our vitals to see if we’re healthy. What are the vital signs of a healthy spiritual life?  This weekend, we’ll look at four teachings of Jesus that can help us check our spiritual vitals so we can have a healthy and growing faith! God’s Heart for the Spiritual Life Group Discussion Guide To see the leader guide for this week CLICK HERE Introduction...

Constructing or reconstructing our faith is not a solo project. We must connect with and rely on each other for input and encouragement. This week we’ll look at a biblical example of how people on the journey of faith can form a solid team that keeps them stay motivated, disciplined, and focused on the goal of building a strong faith. Your Local Faith-Building Club Group Discussion Guide To see th...

The challenge of constructing or reconstructing our faith can seem daunting. We could find ourselves stuck, with no idea how to get started or keep moving. Thankfully, the process of building faith comes with a clear guide: God’s truth in the Bible. Learning to read the Bible and understand who God is through it is the ultimate way to build the kind of faith that overcomes even the most difficult...

One of the most pivotal acts of faith construction is learning to ask great questions. Questions engage our curiosity, help us find truth, and put us in the humble and important role of a learner. But are there questions that are too dangerous to ask God, or questions that are off limits? How does God feel about us when we ask the questions that are truly on our heart? This week we’ll explore...

What’s the best way to navigate the journey of faith? How do we best go about constructing our faith for the first time, or reconstructing some well-worn area of belief that needs revisiting? During our new four-week series Faith Under Construction , we’ll focus on what it takes to tackle the challenge of putting together a faith that lasts. We’ll begin by putting our focus on the f...

Life is not about us—it’s about Jesus’ mission of love and forgiveness. Instead of making life about us, Jesus invites us into a healthy spirituality. As we finish our series on the Christian holiday of Palm Sunday, we will look at the story of when Jesus’ entered the gates of Jerusalem with people celebrating him as their King! We’ll be invited to take practical steps to welcome Je...

We do not have endless time and energy. Building our lives around the world’s constant demands will lead us to exhaustion, broken relationships, and a disconnection from our own soul. Instead of living without limits, Jesus invites us into a healthy spirituality. In this message we’ll look at how Jesus ordered his life around healthy spiritual rhythms which helped keep hi...

There are times in life when we just “hit a wall.” It could be the loss of a relationship, a personal failure, a mental health crisis, an unexpected diagnosis, or an unbearable season of feeling disconnected from God. Instead of denying our real feelings or spiritualizing them away, Jesus invites us into a healthy spirituality. In this message we’ll look at an event in the life of Elijah...

In our desire to move ahead in life we sometimes ignore, suppress or minimize the influence of our past—especially the more difficult parts. But Jesus invites us into a healthy spirituality that includes our past! This weekend Pastor Alex Grahmann looks at the story of Joseph, an ancient Hebrew leader, to see God how God’s loving presence, even in the most painful times in our past, can help...

What defines your identity: your performance, your possessions, your popularity… your passions? Instead of letting these define our identity, we get our identity from who God created us to be! In this message, we begin our journey into healthy spirituality. We will see how Adam and Eve opened themselves to false versions of themselves, but Jesus invites us to live the authentic live...

Our friendships can help us move toward God or away from God. As we finish our series on Friendship Essentials, will explore the topic of alignment. The closer our friends, the more they should help us move toward God’s great mission of love and forgiveness. Value Alignment Group Discussion Guide To see the leader guide for this week, CLICK HERE Introduction Spend a few minutes disc...

Every friendship will eventually face tension. Sometimes that tension will be the beginning of the end, as friendships fizzle and fade. But what if there was another option? This week we’ll look at Jesus‘ example of using the power of forgiveness to reinvigorate even the most challenging friendships. Experience Forgiveness Group Discussion Guide To see the leader guide for this week CLIC...

Friendships should be fun and easy! At least, that is what many of us are prone to believe. But, this belief will limit our friendships when other emotions are necessary. This week we’ll look at the friendship essential of emotional connection. Learning from the Book of Proverbs and seeing examples from Jesus’ own friendships, we will discover how a deeper understanding of our own e...

Many of our friendships center around shared interests; we have the same hobbies and interests or spend time together doing activities that we both enjoy. But what if our friendships had the shared value of helping each other be and become better versions of ourselves? This week, we’ll look at the friendship essential to mutual growth. Coming from the great wisdom of the Book of Pro...

Recent studies have revealed a growing epidemic in the realm of friendships: people are reporting having fewer friends or even no friends and feeling less satisfied with the friendships they do have. Is there anything we can do to reverse this trend? A great place to start would be to realize that Jesus called his followers his “friends” and lived a life defined by great friendships. As a Jewish m...

For the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring some of the beautiful and powerful names for God used in the Bible. But if we asked God directly, what would he say his name is? This week we’ll explore a story from the Old Testament in which a famous hero of faith asks God that very question and gets a surprising answer. We’ll learn how, by understanding God’s name, we ca...