Journey RVA Podcast

It can be easy to see someone else self-destruct and think to ourselves, I would never do that. But truth be told, we're all capable of ending up where we don't want to be. Even Solomon's son—the heir to the throne of Israel—blatantly ignored a principle that we should all pay close attention to.

We can talk ourselves into anything. Our internal narratives justify our beliefs as well as our actions. But when those narratives are not true, they lead to destructive thoughts and behaviors. We can choose to carry around false but comfortable narratives—or we can look to destroy them.

We all face dilemmas in which circumstances point us in one direction, but our consciences point us in a different direction. At times, we ignore the tug of our consciences and sell ourselves on a questionable decision. King David found himself in such a position, and his example can help us navigate our own dilemmas.

Perhaps nothing characterized the life of Jesus more than his pursuit of people whose lives and lifestyles did not look like his. If we fail to listen to people who don't experience the world the way we do, we will never bear their burden.

How is your stress level these days? Are you on edge? Frustrated? Worn down? Anxious? Is your soul burned with cares? We've all been there. Some of us have sought the help of a counselor, psychiatrist, or doctor and have found a measure of relief from anxiety as a result. But even then, there are still things only God can alleviate.

You may not be able to avoid anxious thoughts from time to time, but you don't have to live in the prison of anxiety. In Philippians 4:8, the Apostle Paul gives us another powerful tool that, when used, will help us rid our hearts of perpetual anxiety.  

To this point in our study of Philippians 4:4-9, Paul has been assuring us of God's character: his sovereignty, mercy, and presence. In Philippians 4:6, the conversation shifts and now it is our turn to act on these realities.

Anxiety is nothing new. King David, Paul, and even Jesus experienced anxiety. While we live in a day when anxiety is on the rise, there are things we can do to lessen our anxiety. The Apostle Paul addressed this very issue and gave the church in Philippi instructions on how we can win.

We have hope that there is life beyond the grave. But it's not just that there is life beyond the grave. The misery of this world is not the end … there is something way better!

When you are in the middle of a crisis that continues to worsen, a flood of emotions come over you. Uncertainty. Fear. Anxiety. Despair. How do you move forward when there doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel?

When the world is chaotic, we wonder if God is still in control … if he really does have the whole world in his hands. But after a while, the burdens of a chaotic world are too much for us to carry and our thoughts quickly transition from the whole world to my world. Our burning question is, "Does he have me in his hands?"

When things aren't going well, we tend to feel alone and anxious. When times are uncertain and it seems that things may get worse before they get better, what do you do? How can you maintain hope?  

People are reeling from the COVID-19 health pandemic. Our nation is grinding to a halt. Schools closing. Sporting seasons cancelled. International travel bans implemented. Healthcare system strained. Healthcare providers bracing for the worst. The public paralyzed with fear. But why?

Falling in love is easy; staying in love is hard. What do you do when the intense emotions of the honeymoon are over? How do you navigate through the different seasons of challenge every marriage encounters? What do you do when you've "lost that loving feeling?"  

Every marriage will end in one of two ways: through divorce or through the death of a spouse. The end of a marriage is always heartbreaking. What do you do when a marriage ends? How do you deal with the shock? How do you cope with the pain? How do you move forward?

People have a lot of different ideas about sex and human sexuality. Sex is a source of great pleasure, but it can also be a source of great pain. How can we avoid that pain and regret? Knowing and living according to the truth about sex will help you avoid pain and regret.

On the wedding day you blissfully pledge to be married "till death do us part." But after a few months or years of marriage things aren't so blissful any more and one or both partners begin to have "buyer's remorse." What do you do then?

All of us have received in-depth training in relationships. We constantly learn from our families, friends, and even strangers. Perhaps the most pervasive training we've received is from our culture: movies, magazines, YouTube, Netflix, books, reality TV, and advertisements. This week's message identified our culture's popular recipe and contrasted it with God's recipe for lasting relationships. T...

You've accomplished a lot and had a lot of wonderful experiences. Why, then, does life sometimes seem so difficult and frustrating, even unsatisfying? Could the reason be that the "more" we are chasing doesn't fully satisfy is because we're striving in the wrong direction?