Local Church St. Pete Podcast

When it comes to their identity as followers of Jesus, the apostle Paul warns the Philippian Christians about putting their confidence in the wrong things. Whether it’s “good” works, religious activities or personal achievement, Philippians 3 reminds us that our confidence is to be rooted in something else altogether. The result is not only a renewed perspective filled with joy, but a deep resolve...

Local stories are stories of God's grace at work in the lives of those who are a part of Local Church St. Pete. We want to highlight his activity and celebrate his grace.

Family is the environment where our personality and personhood are cultivated. No man is an island, and the people we do life with are part of what shapes us. This is not just true of our families of origin, but also true in our gospel communities. The church is not an event, it is a family. Gospel family is where gospel fruit is cultivated. 

How are we supposed to respond to the breath-taking rescue accomplished through Jesus’ humility and obedience? Philippians 2:12-18 challenges us to be empowered and completely transformed by it. The temptation will be to compartmentalize it, to push it into some “religious” corner of our lives. Instead, we’re told to work it out (walk it out, live it out), here and now. To allow the truth of who J...

Human nature is to climb the ladder. We strive to accumulate power, control and influence, and never let go. Jesus descended the ladder by coming to earth, living a servant’s life, and dying on a criminal’s cross. He had everything, and yet He let go. The story of Jesus is not a story about empire; it is a story about a kingdom. And this is the defining story of our lives.

We live in an age of skepticism, cynicism and disunity. How many times have we been let down by people who say one thing but do another? It seems every direction we look individuals are taking sides and writing off those who don’t agree with them. As a result our culture has turned radically inward. But the way of Jesus leads to authentic, unafraid and unified lives. At the heart of it all is an o...

Local stories are stories of God's grace at work in the lives of those who are a part of Local Church St. Pete. We want to highlight his activity and celebrate his grace. 

An ordinary and unlikely person receives an extraordinary invitation that changes the course of their life forever. Unable to keep this news to themselves, an enormous party is thrown and all their friends are invited. As they feast together, a staggering truth is revealed with implications reaching far beyond the people in that room.

What if the thing you desire most in life was able to be accomplished regardless of circumstances? The result would be an incredibly hope-filled perspective. Obstacles would become platforms and preferences could be laid aside. Fear and cynicism wouldn’t have an atmosphere to thrive in and joy would be the defining characteristic of your life.

Imagine sitting down to write a letter to a group of friends you haven’t seen for a long time. These are people that stood by your side, people you love dearly. That is the type of letter the apostle Paul writes to a group of Jesus followers in the ancient city of Philippi. Joy fills his heart as he remembers what they share together. Affection fills his prayers as he asks for their love to grow a...

We long for wrongs to be made right. We long for the innocent to be protected. We celebrate the orphan adopted, the sex-trafficked rescued. We applaud the efforts of those who have courage to step into dark places, willing to sacrifice comfort and safety to help others. When tragedies like war, earthquakes or a pandemic hit we may wonder, “Where is God in this broken world? Is God indifferent, unw...

Every so often it’s good to pause and ask ourselves what following Jesus is all about. As we come to the end of the book of Acts, that’s exactly what it⁠ answers. What is this all about? Who is this for? And what are we supposed to do about it? With refreshing honesty Acts 28 recenters us on what matters most and boldly⁠ reminds us that we were never meant to be merely spectators of this story.⁠

When all hope is lost and there’s no fight left within you, when the circumstance you’re facing go from bad to worse, what will you do? In Acts 27-28 we find the apostle Paul out at sea, in the midst of a fierce storm that threatens his life and the lives of everyone with him. His words of assurance when all hope was abandoned, his expressed faith when shipwreck was certain will help us face storm...

Followers of Jesus have been misunderstood from the start - sometimes due to poor decisions of those who say they follow Jesus, sometimes due to misrepresentation of those set against them. In Acts 25-26 we enter an extraordinary courtroom scene that gets to the heart of what faith in Jesus is all about. The apostle Paul is before the king and given an opportunity to set the record straight. Some...

 What will you do when circumstances threaten to hijack what you believe is God’s plan for your life? When you find yourself in the midst of crisis, wondering what’s next, not at all sure how it’s all going to play out? In Acts 23-24 the apostle Paul is given comfort in the midst of crisis. A comfort that doesn’t give him all the answers to his every question, it doesn’t promise convenience, but i...

Local stories are stories of God's grace at work in the lives of those who are a part of Local Church St. Pete. We want to highlight his activity and celebrate his grace. 

When light hits an object, it creates a shadow, a dark copy of the original. If you only ever saw the shadow of an object but not the object itself, it would be incomplete and misleading. This is the way spirituality and religion are if they are void of Christ. To be a “Christian” but not know Christ, or to be spiritual without the Spirit is to miss something. Christ is the source of our Christian...

I’m sure you’ve experienced the joy of a meaningful conversation with someone who loves you. One where you pulled away from the noise, even if for a few minutes, to share your heart and focus on theirs. There’s a kind of energy and renewal that comes into a relationship when that happens. Prayer is intended to bring that kind of energy and renewal into your life. Jesus invites his followers into a...

There are times in our life when we know exactly what God wants us to do, but it’s incredibly hard to do it. Staying resolute in these moments, when opposition comes from every side, is a real test. If we cling to the gospel of Jesus, it will make all the difference.

“Disciples who make disciples” is not just a great slogan; it is what the church has always been about. From the very beginning, Jesus’ first followers made disciples who made disciples. We desire that discipleship be the legacy of Local Church and the legacy of our lives. The first followers had their time. Now it is our time. 

Imagine someone you love is in bondage, held captive to something they voluntarily submit to again and again. They think it’s the answer to their fears and anxieties. It brings a sense of power and control. It could be drugs, sex, the influence of a person or belief system – but it’s ruining their lives. Acts 19 is the story of magical, religious and cultural powers ruining people’s lives and what...

Are you physically, emotionally or spiritually exhausted? Where will you find the strength to stay? To endure? To continue speaking about Jesus and living for Jesus when loneliness, discouragement and weariness is your present experience? Acts 18 is the story of finding strength to stay – right there, in the midst of the craze. Right there, in the midst of the loneliness, discouragement and wearin...

Why are you here? Do you love where God has placed you? Does it show in your life? The prophet Jeremiah reminds us of the call of God as “exiles and sojourners” in the places where we live and work. God has put you where you are, when you are, “into exile” for a reason.   Join us this Sunday as we hear from special guest Jeff Toomer of Leader’s Collective.

Where do you start when “God” is a generic word and truth is determined by the individual? When it seems like people have heard it all before? In Acts 17 the apostle Paul is in Athens, the cultural and philosophical center of his day. He’s surrounded by the greatest artists, thinkers and philosophers – but also by thousands upon thousands of idols that are deeply troubling to him. He knows they ar...