LifePoint Church

One of the age old practices in our culture is that of presenting who we are as our vocation. We present our occupation title as a means to inform our new acquaintance of our function. In essence, we unknowingly begin to associate our vocations or contribution to society, as our worth. This may seem small, but in practice we often neglect places in our soul by living from these self-sustained vers...

Over time, almost imperceptibly, we can get stuck in the trance of constructing our role in the world, building our identity, and completely miss what God is doing around us. We can spend a lot of time and energy protecting this Self we’ve created at all costs. As counterintuitive as it may seem, it’s when we surrender this Self that we get what we were trying to build all along: our life. Support...

The twists and turns of life can sometimes feel like an assault on our confidence that God is good. Doubts can begin to surface, directing our attention away from God and negatively impacting our relationships with Jesus Christ and others. In these instances, we must actively and intentionally engage our hearts in loving the One who first loved us and surrendering to His will. In loving and surren...

Doesn’t it seem like the space between “what was” and “what’s next” makes us uncomfortable? Maybe that’s the reason we fill every empty or quiet moment with noise and activity—a glance at our phone between conversations, checking email between appointments, aimless activity between major life changes. The in-between quiet spaces of life create disquiet in us. However, our transition moments (the b...

Here’s a disturbing reality: we spend most of our lives indoors. We were meant for more than a plastic world with artificial light and re-breathed air. God can be found anywhere. But something special happens when we encounter God outside. Nature has the power to calm and quiet us. There is something restorative about an encounter with God under a canopy of stars or by the crashing waves of an oce...

There is often enormous pressure to keep up with the non-stop noise and activity of our modern world. Jesus offers us an alternative to this frantic pace but following Him and resisting the pressure around us will require a simple act: kindness toward ourselves. Support the show

Our immediate access to people and information through the use of technology has become a prevailing cultural norm. What has become the normal daily consumption of input can have a numbing effect on our soul and lead to our faith gradually growing thinner and thinner through neglect. Finding more of God and growing in our faith requires creating space for Him. Simple, intentional unplugging create...

God paints on a large canvas. His creativity is seen in the grandeur of the mountains, in the wildflowers on a rolling hillside, in classic masterpieces in an art gallery, or in the curious expression on the face of a child. Beauty is all around us. But seeing it means that we look up from our cell phones long enough to notice God’s intentional design. God’s brushstrokes of beauty are everywhere....

So much about the pace of life conspires against us. We might even be convinced that the faster we go and the busier we become, the more we’ll get done. But what does that kind of toxicity do to our souls? Could it be that God invites us to find Him through a different rhythm? What would happen if we built pauses into our day—benevolent detachment from the siren call of the fast and furious. Maybe...

Resilience is such a powerful concept. Some of our greatest heroes and inspirational characters in stories are defined as people of resilience. But what does it look like to have a resilient faith? Spoiler alert… it doesn’t mean that things are always going to go according to plan. We will discover how we can build resilience and find joy regardless of the circumstance. Support the show

When we fail to listen to God, it’s a hearing problem for us not a speaking problem for God. Most notably, God has spoken in His Son Jesus. In the fifth and final warning in the book of Hebrews, the author warns us that it’s a mistake to turn away from God and ignore what He is saying to us. As with the Israelites, the loss for the stubborn believer is real. And faithful listening and enduring is...

Even Christians can behave badly. And the Bible acknowledges that a believer can walk away from Jesus all together. To treat God with this kind of contempt is a terrible act of defiance. In the fourth of five warnings in the book of Hebrews, the author tells us about the dangers of willful sin and the consequences we can expect. We must diligently seek to draw near to God to prevent our turning aw...

Salvation is guaranteed the moment one believes Jesus for it. But becoming a Christian never guarantees that we’ll live like one. Spiritual maturity is not automatic. It requires diligent engagement with Jesus if we hope to change and grow. In the third of five warnings in Hebrews, the author reminds us that if we fail to mature and if we loosen our grip on Jesus, it’s only a matter of time before...

Even Christians can be people of unbelief. Given tempting circumstances, we might cave under pressure and cease to follow God wholeheartedly. This certainly was the case with the children of Israel who took a major detour of unbelief while on their journey to the land promised to them by God. Similarly, there is an inheritance that awaits the faithful Christian. God refers to this inheritance as r...

Like other people, there’s a chance you have entertained thoughts about returning to an easier, more comfortable way of life—one that pushes God aside. When the pressure is on, even Christians can become disillusioned with following Jesus. The book of Hebrews is written to warn believers not to drift away from Jesus. The possibility is real. The consequences are enormous. It would be foolish to ig...

Easter is the celebration of all celebrations! Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death and is raised to life. The resurrection of Jesus is not some legend that has been passed down through the ages meant to give us an excuse for another holiday. In Easter we see the bedrock of our hope—the event on which we base our faith and future. Put your faith in Jesus and because He lives, you too will live...

We are accountable for the words we choose to use. As believers who have put off the old self and put on the new self, we have to make a conscious effort to move from using corrupting words to using encouraging words. Although we have lots of words and scriptures to choose from, specifically choosing words that are meaningful and appropriate to the listener’s situation will aid in building others...

There’s a tension we may experience between truth and love: telling someone the truth doesn’t always seem loving, and sometimes loving people can feel as though it comes at the expense of telling the truth. It’s easy to embrace one while neglecting the other. Yet, Jesus navigates this tension masterfully. Following His example, we can learn to speak the truth in love to a world that desperately ne...

Most of us are desperate for hope—especially words of hope spoken to us by others. Hearing the right words can completely change our course in difficult or terrible circumstances. And here’s the thing about words of hope; they’re contagious. What if our eyes and attention were so focused on Jesus and His kingdom that our perspective about everything allowed us the freedom to encourage those around...

Words have power. Power to build up or power to destroy. Armed with any other weapon as strong as words, you might be required to be trained and certified. That’s not a bad idea. God’s word is filled with instructions about how to skillfully speak life into others while avoiding the destructive consequences of harmful speech. No wonder God says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Sup...

We live in a world that is more connected than ever before. This is something to be excited about, right? But what if the connection we are experiencing isn’t what God intended? What if we’ve been chasing something that isn’t what it seems to be? God offers us a connection that is lasting and meaningful. Support the show

Some of the secrets God keeps are meant to be revealed but only to His friends. And one secret, in particular, is meant for you and you alone. It’s an individual secret revealed to each overcomer—one who faithfully lives for Jesus. A secret prepared by God. A secret especially for you. The anticipation of this special secret can serve to motivate us to live in a way that pleases God now as we shar...

Sometimes God keeps secrets and sometimes He likes to reveal them. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is always true: God’s thoughts and ways are bigger and higher than our own. And He has a right to keep or disclose secrets as He chooses. But can we get to a place in our relationship with God where He generously shares His secrets with us? Is it possible that there is a secret to learning God’s...

Can you keep a secret? Maybe you can or maybe not. Secrets are mysterious, hidden, and concealed sometimes for good reason. But sometimes secrets are meant to eventually be revealed. Do you think God keeps secrets? Of course, He does. Some of God’s secrets we will never know even when we’re with Him forever. But some of God’s secrets we can discover now. But He doesn’t reveal them cheaply. Support...

From childhood, most of us have learned to love games. The excitement, the cheering, even the competition create a rush of adrenalin that’s hard to find anywhere else. And on the playing field of life—even life with God—we can find excitement too. But living your life for God and with God is not a game. The stakes are high. The consequences are enormous. And the outcome is anything but trivial. No...