People's Church Arnold Podcast

Everything in the Bible is in your favor, it’s meant to help you, build your character, strengthen you, encourage you. Though at times things may seem difficult, you feel like God is distant, you feel like you are losing at life or even your faith feels boring. It's in those times that we should press into our faith even more because in Christ there is: Favor Joy Power Victory Healing More Sc...

Fathers influence us positively and negatively all our lives even long after they are gone. The influence of a father on the lives of his children is enormous. Everything begins with the foundation and it’s the same with the family. Unless Christ is your most prized possession you won’t survive the trials that come your way. As a father, it’s your love of Christ that gives you the authority to lea...

In John 14 Jesus told his disciples he was going to prepare a place for them where they would with him forever. That brought comfort to their troubled hearts. However, Jesus continued to encourage his disciples by talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit and what his work would be.  Jesus told his disciples that he was not going to leave them as orphans but that the Holy Spirit would come and b...

The disciples were troubled men. They were dismayed and troubled in their hearts, so Jesus spoke to their fear and anxiety. Then he announced that one of his own disciples would betray him and another would deny him. For the last few days, Life had been a roller coaster ride with Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Knowing their anguish, Jesus spoke his famous words “Do not let your hear...

The setting is the upper room. Love is the theme—authentic love. Jesus had just washed his disciples’ feet in humble service, and now he would demonstrate radical love to even a greater degree. When Jesus washed his disciple’s feet, it demonstrated his amazing love. However, as the night continued, Jesus’ love reached out to two failing disciples Judas and Peter. Scripture Text: John 13:18-38 

A person’s last words are powerful.   In John 13:17 Jesus said, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." In other words, Jesus was saying if you want to be my servant, then just do the things I do. If you want God’s blessings on your life, then do what I have modeled for you. Jesus lived out humility, and he demonstrated it is possible for us to overcome prid...

Jesus presented himself as a new kind of King, one who rules by a principle - selfless sacrifice and love and not by selfish brutal force. The crowd was waiting for a king that would lead a revolution against Rome. Jesus had come to lead a revolution, but it was one against sin. The principles that that Jesus gave us he lived out. These are the same principles that truly transform life for us. Scr...

Mother’s day is an opportunity to stand up for the family. Today the family is under attack. The influence of a mom is indispensable in a child’s life and yet our society is trying to diminish that influence. Tender and strong mothers are needed today more than ever. Scripture Text: 2 Timothy 1:1-7 

Many these days are living without joy. Life has become too mundane because of lack of joy and problems weigh heavy on people's hearts. In a world where sadness is all around us, it is hard to see past all the gloom. God sees the gloom and sadness of our world. He sees our blindness caused by the darkness we have become accustomed to in this messed up world. Here in the words of Isaiah, God g...

We would have been speechless if you or I had been present when Lazarus was raised from the dead. Seeing the joy and excitement of Martha and Mary unwrapping their brother, who had moments before been as lifeless as a stone, would have brought us exuberance. But to Jesus’ enemies, they were already looking for a way to kill him. The real problem was that Jesus was creating an acceptance by the mas...

In the story of Lazarus' death and resurrection in John 11, we encounter the problem of perspectives. We see the perspective of Mary and Martha and the divine perspective of Jesus. This story is so indicative of the life we all live. Life brings us trouble—unexpected trouble. The way Jesus dealt with this family and their problems help us to understand how he deals with each of us. Perspectiv...

It was Passover, an anticipated time for everyone. Only the day before, Lazarus had been raised from the dead by Jesus so the air was electric. This of course had the opposite effect on Caiaphas and the other Jewish leaders who were committed to taking Jesus out and now they had added Lazarus to the list. At the same time, swarms of people were coming to see Jesus. The situation was explosive. Thi...

In our study of the first part of John 10, we looked at the beautiful image of the Good Shepherd and his sheep. It is a picture of our intimate relationship with Jesus. It captures the intimate protection and provision that the shepherd gives us. It’s a picture of our contentment. In order to appreciate what Christ was saying, we need to consider Psalm 23, the most unforgettable of all the Psalms....

Jesus uses the illustration of a real shepherd and real sheep to communicate truths to us about who he is and what he does for us.  Jesus is the source of the life we want—a full life. It is the purpose and meaning of life and it comes through our relationship with the Good Shepherd! Scripture Text: John 10:1-18  

John chronicles a conflict between Christ and the religious leaders of Judaism. That confrontation intensified in chapter 8 and continues in John 9.  As we begin our study of chapter nine, the theme of light and darkness continues.  John sets the stage by telling us the story of a blind man's physical and spiritual healing. Scripture Text: John 9:1-41

Knowing and loving God is the most important relationship you can have. It enhances every other relationship and makes them have meaning. Without God, we become users, and we blindly go through life. When our brains are connected to God, we see the universe from the creator’s position. Scripture Text: John 8:37-41

The entire chapter of John eight is about Christs’ confrontation with the Jewish leaders. Jesus had previously proclaimed to be the living bread and the living water and that He is the light of the world. He had gone so far as to describe a future separation for them from Himself and his father. Now Jesus questioned whether or not they were living in bondage, the bondage of their own sin. Scriptur...

The ultimate remedy is the cross. It is believing and accepting that Jesus’ death brings the forgiveness of our sins and allows us to truly know God. That happens when we repent and turn away from our sin. The ultimate remedy for the final separation is the cross. Scripture Text: John 8:21-30

Jesus said in John 8, "I am the light of the world." Living in this dark world, we need to keep this truth at the forefront of our thinking. If we are going to follow the light we do it by following Jesus. Scripture Text: John 8:12-20

The writer of the book of Hebrews gives us a list of some of the most incredible feats of faith ever recorded. He goes down the list naming people and events. One of the people named is Joshua, and the event is the battle for Jericho. The people will walk around this city seven days in a row and on the cue of Joshua they will all give a shout and the walls will crumble before their eyes. This batt...

At dawn Jesus began his teaching in the temple. The jealousy and envy of the Jewish Leaders was now an obsession. They had to put a stop to the success of this man. They could see the people being influenced and listening to his every word. Their minds never stopped thinking of  ways to trap him so he could be silenced. We know something fundamental about this story that the scribes and Pharisees...

The mention of Christ brings division to life. Talking about religious matters is acceptable if you speak about them dispassionately, but talking about them personally is not allowed. Today's standard view is that your religious view should remain private and should not be allowed in the public marketplace of ideas. Nothing further from the truth exists. For those who have followed Christ, He...

When Jesus made the statement, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink," it was an open invitation to anyone who thirst.  To receive this divine gift is to receive spiritual help.  We need to know the one who is giving us the living water, and when we do, we will be irresistibly drawn to him.   John 7:1-39

People often hit a brick wall in life—that is, they conclude that life has been very disappointing for them. What they expected to happen did not happen. Their mistakes loom large, and their opportunities seem to have vanished like mirages in the desert. God does not want anyone to come to the end of his life, knowing it has been all futility and mistakes. In John 6 we see that Jesus is the bread...

The disciples found themselves battling the storm, wondering if they would make it to shore alive. The squall was raging with immense waves crashing over the boat. Water was rising inside and out of their battered boat. "Has the Lord forgotten us?" They asked themselves. But Jesus had not forsaken them, even though it looked as if he had. Jesus "saw" them and He sees you and I....