People's Church Arnold Podcast

Is there anything that you are living for that’s outside of yourself? Nothing in this world will console you deep inside. Not anything else; only Jesus can do that. He comes to the needy - those who realize that He is their only hope. Scripture Text: Luke 2:21-40

Who are the forgotten people of our world? The people who are behind the scenes making the essential everyday things happen. So many of these people are nameless and even forgotten, but they are crucial. Luke is the primary author of the Christmas story and he features stories about forgotten people. Scripture Text: Luke 2:8-20

John is in his late eighties or early 90’s and still has that gentleness in his spirit even though he has to say some hard things.  He is still the same John who wrote the fourth Gospel. Most likely he is the only apostle of Jesus still alive. The others have all been killed and they have attempted to kill John but failed. He is in Ephesus writing to the churches in that area. Later he will be ban...

The nation of Israel during their journey from Egypt to Canaan often found themselves in situations lacking food and water. On the occasion we will look at today they became so thirsty as they trekked through the desert as there was no water to be found so the people became not only anxious but angry. The critical point of the story is their inability to maintain self-control in tough times and tr...

One of the difficulties of cultivating gratitude is learning to trust God with the why questions. Sometimes we wonder what God is up to and why things are turning out they the way they are. Gratitude has a transformative power to change our attitude, outlook, and atmosphere. Scripture Text: Jeremiah 29:10-14

It's normal to struggle in the faith, but it's important to know that in the struggle we need to remind ourselves that God is always there for us. His promises are true, and He will bless us beyond our imagination if we make decisions to follow Him now.  Scripture Text: Psalm 73

Perspective can change everything. In this teaching we will see the difference between God’s perspective on worship and the people’s perspective.  Scripture Text: Isaiah 43:22-44:23  

The scene on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in John 21 is one of the most sacred scenes in the Bible. The disciples have eaten breakfast with the risen Christ who can eat with his resurrected body. They don’t speak because the moment is too holy. Then Christ engaged Peter in a conversation in front of the others. Christ's repeated questions affirm his love for Peter restored the fisherman’s...

Nothing in life messes with our priorities like shame. We feel like failures, and we lack the self-control to overcome them. In John 21 the Lord helps Peter deal with his shame that has been tormenting him. Jesus restores Peter’s confidence and takes away the painful confusion that never leaves his mind. Scripture Text: John 21:12-17

A great teacher aims to not just give information like a vending machine. He or she doesn’t just talk or give lectures but creates new ways for people to discover the truth and think of it as their own. Truth always has so much more power when we find it on our own than when someone tells us. There were times that Jesus did this by deliberately setting his disciples up so they would have to use ev...

It is hard to imagine what life had been like for the disciples.   They were heartbroken to learn that Jesus was leaving them. Then they realized that Jesus was going to die—even be crucified, which they had great difficulty accepting. Then it happened Jesus was mocked, beaten, and crucified, and they could not bear it. The world caved in, and they locked themselves behind closed doors in fear. Th...

Good Friday is a day that brought great sadness to the followers of Jesus because it was the day that Jesus died on the cross. The earth grew dark at midday. All but John had fled and after his death, the hours that followed were filled with confusion and hopelessness. But on Sunday morning that sadness changed to joy. Scripture Text: John 20:1-31

Listen to the conclusion of "The Crucifixion - Part 2." Scripture Text: John 19:23-30  

In Gethsemane, Christ contemplated what he was to undergo, he repeatedly threw himself to the ground in heartbreaking prayer and suffered so much emotional strain. Christ’s crucifixion was real and the agony was horrendous. The problem for us is that we are removed by 2000 years and we have become detached and desensitized from death by the common violence that occurs all around us every day. For...

The religious leaders were so obsessed with getting rid of Jesus that they were blinded by their hatred for him and did not see the apparent inconsistency in their own lives. These religious men were so corrupt that they preferred the release of an infamous murderer while demanding that Christ be crucified.   Scripture Text: John 19:1-16

Appearances can be very deceiving. It was that way for the Jews and even for Pilate. Jesus didn't look like a king, not any king they had seen or even imagined, so they dismissed any possibility of Jesus being anything other than an impostor.   Regardless of how things looked in the garden of Gethsemane, as Judas betrayed Jesus by a cohort of soldiers to arrest him, Jesus was in control. The...

John recorded the details of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion in John 18 -19. The imminent events are of ultimate importance because none of the wonderful things promised during Christ's ministry would be possible without them. The promise of eternal life, the sending of the Holy Spirit as Comforter, Jesus' return for his beloved, the preparation of a place for them, treasures of grace and...

Christ's prayer here in John 17 contains his final words to his disciples in the upper room. We should keep in mind that Gethsemane, the cross and the resurrection lay ahead. Understanding the time-line of events helps us grasp the full impact of what Christ said in this prayer. This is the kind of prayer that Jesus prays now in heaven for us. Christ made it clear that he was praying for his...

God wants his children to be in the world but not part of it. He doesn’t want them isolating from the world or assimilating to the world. He wants them to represent his son, Jesus Christ to the world. Scripture Text: John 17:11-19  

John 17 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible . It is the moment where  Christ's heart is bared to his father in his final public prayer before he went to the cross.  Christ's prayer divides into three sections.  ·      In verses 1-5 he prayed for himself.  ·      In verses 6-9 he prayed for his apostles.  ·      In verses 20-26 he prayed for the church in the world. In this teach...

The Holy Spirit Leads us to truth as we study his word. We come to understand the scripture as the Spirit makes them real to us. As we study a passage the truth becomes understandable. The Spirit helps us apply what we learn to our daily experience. In this way we grow and mature. Scripture Text: John 16:13-33   

The disciples had received some sobering news from Jesus—that they would face trials and even persecution. This would happen because they were his followers. But then he gave them some good news of the coming of the Holy Spirit who would be their advocate. First the Comforter’s ministry would be to them to comfort and guide them but at the same time he would minister to the world through them. It...

Jesus said in (John 15: 22-25) that the world hated him because he had exposed their sin. That has not changed today. It’s not that we go around judging the word; instead, our belief in God’s morality exposes their sin. Jesus  told us not to conform to the world’s way of thinking. If we think biblically, we will find our way through this maze of confusion, but we will encounter adversity and maybe...

Relationships are the source of satisfaction and fulfillment in life. The acquisition of things or wealth without meaningful relationships does not bring contentment. God made us to be connected and to stay connected to him and to others. There is however, many ways those connections break down and when that happens we lose the opportunity to enjoy life. As we remain or stay firm in Christ we will...

The vine is frequently used in the OT as a symbol of Israel, but it was often shown as inadequate or lacking in some way. God had originally planted Israel in the Promised Land to be a means of revealing His word to the world and for teaching all nations about His grace. Israel was to flourish as a living example of how obedience bears the fruit of righteousness. God promised to bless Israel over...