Journey RVA Podcast

How do you get from where you are to where you wish you were... or even where God wishes you were? Even the thought of pursuing the life God wants for you can be scary. It can stir a fight-or-flight response in you. That's because the greatest obstacle to getting to where God wishes you were is how you see you. You see the problems of your past. But God sees the potential for your future.

Whether blowing out candles or throwing a coin in a fountain, we've all made wishes. They seem like fantasies, but some small part of us holds out hope that they could come true. Some of our wishes are silly and frivolous. But some of them are huge. Sometimes we feel stuck in life. We know where we are, but wish we were somewhere else. How do you turn those big wishes into reality? How do you get...

God promised us that "we would face trials of many kinds", but he also promised us that, "He would be an ever present help in our time of trouble". We were not promised perfect circumstances, or a perfect world. We were promised an imperfect world with imperfect circumstances and a God who would remain perfect to us in those circumstances. God is who he says he is. He isn't less God when things ar...

So you've been redeemed. Now what? To answer that question we have to explore the dual intent of Jesus' grace: Redemption & Transformation. Jesus didn't come to harm us. He came to save us. God's grace is an extraordinary intervention to anyone's story. When we don't allow him to use our redeemed story for the potential benefit of someone else then there is a loss. So what role does God want to yo...

We are all born with dreams and endless potential. Then life happens and our stories become less simple, more dynamic. When it feels like not every day has purpose and not every year produces progress, it's not uncommon to begin to wonder: does my life really matter, how many times can I fall and still get back up, does my story still have a chance to be a great one? In this message, you'll be rem...

When it comes to finances, it's normal to go into debt so deep that you can't see the way out. But there's a better way. If you want to live with financial peace you have to flip the script to your financial story.

What is the wise thing to do? That simple question is very powerful in every aspect of life - even in the area of finances. When it comes to financial decisions, what if you were to simply ask, "Is this the wise thing to do financially?" And how would you know if it were? You might be surprised to know that the best financial wisdom comes from the Bible.

Our financial stress, worry, and obsession is less about our external experiences and more about what is going on inside of us. Is it possible that a shift in internal perspective would greatly reduce – or eliminate – our worry and stress?

Money strikes an emotional response in everyone and plays a significant role in our lives, in our nation, and in every government around the world. In fact, nations have gone to war over it. In our own lives we've stressed about it, fought about it, and obsessed over it. Imagine what it would be like to never worry about it again, never fight about it, and have a sense of peace in this area of you...

Jesus has been dividing people since the days of his ministry. His claim to be the Son of God and to be "the only way" to the Father was and still is startling. Interestingly enough, 42% of the Gospel of the John focuses on Jesus' last week of his ministry; before the crucifiction. John provides vivid detail of Jesus' last days. Why, because Jesus was predicting his own death and resurrection. And...

Jesus was a rabbi, but he was different than the rabbis of his day. During his ministry, Jesuswas available to people and was very approachable. The culture of his day avoided peoplethey deemed "unclean" - people who had diseases, despised tax collectors, sinners, andGentiles in general. Jesus broke down barriers and gave free access to all those who wouldcome to him.

Jesus talked a lot about love and forgiveness, but his message was more bold than what people think. He was an equal opportunity offender that challenged the actions of every group during his ministry. And we learn through the scriptures that anytime the Kingdom of God clashes with the kingdoms of this world it is dangerous and costly.

The best way to predict your future is to pay attention to where you're headed. But sometimes it's easy to get distracted by what's on the path. The appeal of money, acceptance, or security can lower your defenses and lead you away from the path you want to be on. So is there a way back? How do we change course when we realize that we've chosen a path that leads us to what's appealing instead of w...

We all start out life with great intentions. But our intentions aren't good indicators of our destinations. In fact, our direction trumps our intention every time. That's why we all need to follow someone we trust. Someone who can make our lives better and make us better at life. So we all have a decision to make. If not Jesus, then who? And if not Christianity, then what?

Nobody gets lost on purpose. But we often find ourselves in places we never intended. If there's a disconnect between what you hope to be true in the future and the direction you're headed now, maybe it's time to take a closer look at your path. Our direction, not our intention, will determine our destination.

We're all going to end up somewhere in life, but often there's a disconnect between where we want to end up and the path we choose. So how can we avoid choosing a path that's guaranteed to get us where we don't want to be?

Many who have had a near death experience (NDE) calm to have had a "life review." Although these "life reviews" aren't the final judgment, they certainly foreshadow what we may experience on the Day of Judgment that comes to all. So, what do the Scriptures say about the final Day of Judgment. You may be surprised! At the conclusion of this message across all of our services, 71 people placed their...

The research back in the early 1970's seemed to suggest that all NDEs were positive experiences. As a result, people began to think that everyone went to Heaven. As the research continued over the years, people began coming forward with negative, "hellish" NDE reports. As the plumb line for all of these matters, what do the the Scriptures say?

People from around the globe who have experienced an NDE talk about all the beauty, wonder, colors, mountains, valleys, loving reunions with family and friends … but those things aren't their most profound experience. Consistently they say that the highlight of Heaven is a being of light and of love. Who is this being of light and love?

Perhaps the most common theme from NDEs is experiencing a beauty that fills the soul and is difficult to put into words. People who get a glimpse of the afterlife encounter a majesty that is beyond their ability to comprehend. Surprisingly, this "heavenly world" looks very much like the one the Scriptures have been describing for thousands of years.

When I die, will I still be myself? Will I have a body or will I be some kind of angel or spirit? Will I see the people I know and love and will we recognize each other? Will I get along with everyone in the afterlife? Many NDEs reveal a lot about relationships in the afterlife, and so does Scripture. You might be surprised how they compliment each other.

Most people want Heaven to be real but struggle to imagine what it will be like. And if Heaven is real, does it have a place for me? It's a human question because there's a human longing to know — what happens when I die? How you think about Heaven should affect everything in your life.

Now is a powerful moment. Think about it: you can only enjoy things now. You can only love people now. The past is gone and the future isn't promised. All you have is this moment right now. If you want to experience the full life Jesus wants for you, you have to learn to be fully present in your life - fully present in this moment. So what keeps you from this moment and how can you maximize every...

One of the biggest obstacles of embracing the Wonderlife is that we often feel a sense of embarrassment over what we like, love and care about. We start doing things that we are "supposed" to do rather than things we really like. Sure we fit in, but we totally lose out. But what are your passions, your interests? At what are you really good and not so good? God gives you your passions, gifts, tale...