Port City Community Church Podcast

What do you hope defines the Church you call home? What would be the prayer you utter for your community? What do you wish the people of your town would say when talking about your Church? Is it something like, "Oh yeah... that's the community who's reliant on prayer, focused on serving, making a difference in hurting places, welcoming everyone, or displaying love through their actions."  A r...

Every day, all around us, we are confronted with brokenness. We see needs in our neighborhood, our city, and our world. We may even feel a nudge to get involved, do something and take action, but fear, doubt, and inadequacy win out. Some of us allow our convenience, comfort, and complacency to justify our inactivity. We shrink back, turn away, and hope someone else will rise to the occasion. But,...

This week's time inside Psalm 67 has challenged us to look outside ourselves by setting our sights on the world around us. The author pours his soul out to God in prayer, not for personal blessings, but for a day when all nations will praise God's name. In that gap between the prayer and its culmination, we reside and play a part in its fulfillment. Today, we want to consider how our message to th...

The seven short verses of Psalm 67 pack quite a punch, jolting us from our tendency to think of faith through an individualistic lens. Rather than a consumer or critic, it invites us to be a contributor to the work God is actively doing. Instead of pondering what the Church can do for us, it challenges us to consider how we can be the Church in the places we call home as well as to our hurting and...

In our divided and jaded world, Psalm 67 brings us hope while giving us responsibility for its restoration. Amid our selfish, me-focused culture, the beautiful liturgy that is Psalm 67 challenges us to take our attention off ourselves and set our focus outward. These words sung for centuries among different faith traditions and various languages across the globe are a melody of mission, a tune for...

This Sunday, July 31st , our church will practice a “ SABBATH SUNDAY .” On this day, we will not gather together at our church building . Instead, we will use this time to intentionally rest and practice what we have learned through our Summer Sabbath series. Our hope is that “Sabbath Sunday” will be a day for our church to collectively take a deep breath, cease striving, and rest in God’s provisi...

The words of Psalm 63, this prayer from David, contains both moments of praise and meditations. We can appreciate its contents and insight by reading it. However, we can experience and unlock its powerful truths when we pray along with it, and that’s what we want to do today.  This episode will be intentionally different in its format and flow. As we read a portion of Psalm 63 together (verse...

For the last few days, the words of David captured in Psalm 63 have brought us comfort and insight on quenching our spiritual thirst, the power of worship, and the art of dependency. A common theme thread through each verse is the power that comes through a mind centered on God. We want to delve deeper into this topic today and recognize that our minds shape our hearts, direct our eyes, and guide...

As we continue our journey through Psalm 63, we witness worship erupt in the wilderness. While on the run as others attempt to take his life, David directs his praise to the One who created his life. Like David, God wired us to worship. It is part of our DNA to give our affections and attention to something greater than ourselves

There were numerous, justifiable reasons for David to be dismayed as he looked around at the desolate wasteland he now called home while writing Psalm 63. Yet, David didn’t give in to discouragement; He fought against those feelings by leaning on past experiences where God displayed His love, protection, and provision to him.

How we fill ourselves amid adversity is critical to how we recover. We need to create space for recovery. By tending to our hearts, we learn how to respond with courage declaring, like David, our need for God. Amid those dry places, David recognized his spiritual thirst in Psalm 63. By strengthening our faith, we activate a sustaining source that we can rely on no matter what comes our way.

When we hear the word “sabbath”, our minds naturally gravitate toward a picture where it’s quiet and we’re alone. There’s no one else around except for God while we rest and recharge. And even though this is a critical and needed spiritual practice, togetherness should play a part in our ability to rest. The invitation to follow Jesus is an invitation to a family, and family makes time for family....

A jaded heart is unusable to God. A prideful heart doesn't believe it needs God in the first place. A fearful heart will never come out of hiding. But, a broken and contrite heart - that is one God not only welcomes and accepts but is eager to capture and transform. We display a broken spirit and contrite heart when we come humbly before God, acknowledging our sin and proclaiming God’s goodness. B...

The many months of hiding his sin left David spiritually stagnant. David longs for a sense of intimacy and connection. We cannot lose our salvation, but our struggles possess the power to rob our joy and the connection we feel with God as we distance ourselves from Him. An immense and inexpressible joy is available to us; we tap into it when we are honest about our hearts, and express gratitude fo...

What’s taking place on the inside is bound to show on the outside. Even though cleaning our hearts on the outside might fix our problems for a moment and perhaps draw the admiration of others for a bit, it doesn't address the root issue. David didn't need a well-groomed version of the heart he already had but an entirely new heart from God.  And so do we.

No matter how much he tried, David couldn't flee the constant reminders of his sin and the consequences that came with it. When it comes to our hidden sins and struggles, the ones we keep to ourselves deep inside, we act in much the same way as David. We avoid and attempt to escape it. We numb, medicate and distract ourselves. We try to ignore it and go about our business. None of these shortsight...

Psalm 51 opens up with an anguished plea, "Have mercy on me, O God." Gone are the justifications and denials, replaced by an apologetic and remorseful spirit. David's once hardened heart has not only softened; its contriteness is on full display, laid bare before God. David saw the depth of his struggles, but he also caught a glimpse of the depth of God's unfailing love and great compassion.

At times, life can feel chaotic. Everything and everyone demands our time and attention. We’re all busy, and some of us are burned out. We move from one thing to the next, and if we’re not careful, we miss moments to recognize God working around us, speaking to us, and inviting us to pay attention. Yet, it is possible for us in the middle of chaos to experience sabbath moments of rest by looking f...

This week's time spent in Psalm 46 has reaffirmed our trust in God as our refuge, strength, and ever-present help while realigning our hearts with His ways. Recognizing His greatness, faithfulness, and protection invites us to stop striving and, instead, depend on Him in every circumstance. Rather than rush past this powerful insight, Scripture, specifically the book of Psalms, invites us to engag...

Today, we turn our attention to Psalm 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God." At first glance, this beloved verse seems tailor-made for a summer centered on rest, especially when it falls on a Thursday - near the end of a busy and demanding week. But, what if our interpretation and understanding of this passage can be a worthwhile spiritual practice while at the same time taking it entirely out...

God's provision and peace are not only constant; they're also abundant. Unfortunately, over the years, some have hijacked, distorted, and twisted the meaning of abundance to the point where it looks nowhere close to God's original intent. Abundance has nothing to do with our wealth, prosperity, or personal well-being. It's about God and uplifting others.

Regardless of whether our hearts are heavy or jumping for joy, His presence and help are beside us. In the bad and the good, His Spirit is there to guide, encourage, and inspire us. The God we worship isn't detached, distracted, or distant. During our most significant times of need, He isn't sort-of there or halfway paying attention. Neither is He bothered or annoyed by our pleading, conversation,...

Psalm 46 runs similar to many other poems inside the book of Psalms. The author finds themselves in some uncertain circumstances with chaos unfolding around them. But, rather than begin with words of distress, Psalm 46 opens up with a declaration - God is our refuge, strength, and ever-present help. We find safety, security, and rest for our weary souls in God. A fortress might not change the dire...

Sabbath isn’t just a day to not work; it’s a day to delight. We pull away from the pressure to perform and achieve to delight in what God has already done and the faithfulness and love He will continue to show. We delight in the things around us that reconnect us to God and breathe life into our souls and spark joy in our hearts.

Before we head into the weekend, we want to reflect one last time on Psalm 42 and how its author dealt with a downcast soul. So far, we've witnessed him engage in different habits that uplifted his spirits - recognizing his spiritual thirst, bringing his doubts and questions to God, preaching to himself, and acknowledging God's love by recalling His past faithfulness. These practices cause somethi...