Port City Community Church Podcast

Discipleship is really about two simple things: showing up and paying attention. When we participate with purpose and presence, we learn to trust, belong, and join God's work in the world. When we reflect on our experiences, we create space to see how love received becomes love expressed. Jesus modeled this perfectly—he took his disciples into real situations and then helped them process what...

At its heart, discipleship is about learning to be friends with Jesus and letting Him teach us how to love well. It's not about having all the answers or getting everything right—it's about showing up with an open heart and curious mind. We practice preparing ourselves to meet with God, not by checking off spiritual to-do lists, but by simply getting ready to receive whatever He wants to g...

Discipleship invites us into the beautiful reality of being both friend and follower of Jesus, where we discover ourselves being gently trained and empowered by Him to love more fully. This journey isn't about perfecting spiritual techniques or earning our way to being "good Christians" through disciplined practice. Instead, spiritual disciplines serve as pathways that orient our hea...

What does it really mean to be a disciple of Jesus? This year, our church picked a corporate One Word: Disciple. In this episode, our Wilmington Campus Pastor, Clay Everett, sat down with our Senior Pastor, Mike Ashcraft, to discuss what it looks like to be a true "friend and follower of Jesus being trained and empowered by Him to love." Check out this episode to consider how discipleshi...

We're called to step beyond ourselves and engage with the world around us, carrying love and hope to others. At the heart of this calling is the journey of becoming a follower who is continually shaped by divine love and empowered to share it. Our lives are meant to be dwelling places for God's presence, bringing a unique kind of peace that transforms us from the inside out. This transform...

Imagine thriving alongside others who share your journey with God—this is "life with God TOGETHER for the world." God's love flows through relationships, creating spaces where we give ourselves freely and discover our worth together. When we choose cooperation over competition, we see how our growth connects to everyone's flourishing. In community, belonging and becoming intersec...

The Story of the Bible could be bookended by the simple phrase: "Take and eat!"—from the original temptation in the garden to the sweeping invitation as Jesus proclaims, "It is finished," on the cross. God's vision for His people has always centered around a table where humans gather and belong, sharing meals that serve as leveling spaces where we experience what we have in...

When Daniel found himself in the glittering culture of Babylon, he discovered something remarkable: exile wasn't God's punishment—it was God's assignment. Like Daniel, followers of Jesus today live as "Kingdom exiles," called to flourish right where we are, even when the world around us operates by different values. We don't conform to get ahead or stay quiet to keep the...

Life has a way of blindsiding us when we least expect it. Job understood this reality—in a single day, he lost everything, leaving him to ask the same question we all face: "Why is this happening to me?" Suffering catches us off guard because it violates our basic sense of how life should work. Sometimes our pain comes from our own mistakes or others' harmful choices. Other times, it...

When God chose David to be king, He passed over the tall, strong, impressive brothers and picked the overlooked shepherd boy in the field. Why? Because God sees differently than we do. His idea of a king—and a kingdom—isn’t based on appearance, power, or performance, but on the heart. Just like David, Jesus came as the unexpected King of an upside-down kingdom—one marked not by status, but by sacr...

We all know what it feels like to need somewhere to belong. Ruth's story shows us that real family isn't just about who you're born to—it's about people who choose to stick with you and communities that welcome you in. When Ruth lost everything and followed Naomi to a foreign place, she discovered something beautiful: she wasn't truly an outsider anymore. Through God's love...

Imagine having access to the most valuable treasure in existence—one that offers peace in chaos, healing in brokenness, and transformation in the midst of life's messiest moments. According to scripture, this treasure is God's presence, and it's freely available to each of us, even when we've turned our backs on Him or feel unworthy of His love. The catch? We can't experience i...

Life's biggest breakthroughs often require our biggest leaps of trust. Just like Abraham, we're sometimes called to step into the unknown, letting go of our need to control everything and instead trusting in something greater than ourselves. This kind of trust isn't easy—it feels vulnerable and uncertain. We naturally want to hedge our bets, keep one foot in our comfort zone, or bail o...

The Bible isn't primarily a rule book—it's a love story about broken trust and relentless pursuit. In the garden, humanity's first choice wasn't simply rule-breaking; it was choosing to trust their own judgment over God's heart. That moment shattered the intimate relationship God intended, touching every life with the pain of separation. But here's the beautiful truth: when...

We believe that real change starts with real relationships. Our mission is simple: to reach people and help them walk with God, creating a life together that makes a difference in the world. This happens when we choose to work alongside each other in ways that bring healing and hope—not through grand gestures, but through everyday acts of love, trust, and genuine care. In a world that often feels...

What if your true calling isn't just about what you do from 9 to 5? Most of us tie our identity to our job titles, and while there's nothing wrong with finding meaning in our work, there's so much more to discover. Your vocation—your true calling—is about who you're becoming, not just what you're producing. It's about bringing beauty and nourishment into the world through t...

We're all on a journey to build relationships that stand on solid ground. When Christ's love becomes our guiding light, it creates a shared identity that brings us together, encouraging us to show up authentically. While our faith journey is deeply personal, it ripples outward into our communities. The grace we've received comes with responsibility—we're called to share it freely w...

In the depths of our restless souls, we constantly seek a foundation that can withstand life's turbulent storms. True inner peace is not found in temporary substitutes or external achievements, but in the transformative grace of divine forgiveness. When we surrender our struggles and embrace God's unconditional love, we discover a profound sense of freedom that transcends mere relief. This...

There's a profound peace available that many of us overlook. When we understand that being at peace with God forms the foundation for all other peace in our lives, everything begins to shift. It's unbelievably good to rest in this relationship—not constantly striving to earn forgiveness, but simply accepting it as the gift it is. This isn't about maintaining a perfect record or making...

The Gospel invites us into a remarkable story—not of easy comfort, but profound transformation. Through Jesus Christ, we discover a hope that mends our broken relationship with God and offers healing for everything else. Rather than retreating into our isolated circles when challenges arise, we're called to live differently. Together, we can create flourishing communities through cooperation r...

What if the sorrow and brokenness we've come to accept as reality are actually being undone? At Easter, we find the ultimate pivot point in human history. The cross—once a symbol of defeat and shame—has been transformed into a beacon of hope. The empty tomb whispers a revolutionary truth: death itself has been overcome. In Jesus's sacrifice and resurrection, we discover not just a spiritua...

God's original design for humanity was a life of close relationship with Him. When we chose to pursue life apart from God, we experienced what Scripture calls "the fall." Yet God's love never wavered. Through Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, we see God's true nature—loving, self-giving, and transformative. Jesus didn't just demonstrate God's love; He dismantled t...

In Jesus, we discover what it truly means to be human. He invites us not into a religion of rules, but into a relationship of love. At the center of this invitation stands the cross—a powerful symbol of both sacrifice and victory. Through His suffering, Jesus broke the chains of sin and death, proving that love is stronger than any darkness we face. When we follow Him, we begin to see ourselves an...

In Christ, we find the freedom of being fully known yet fully loved. His sacrifice wasn't just another religious ritual—it was the ultimate game-changer that ended our endless striving for God's approval. Jesus invites us from rule-following into relationship-building. We don't want mere tolerance; we crave genuine connection. That's what Christ accomplished—not just forgiveness bu...

Have you ever noticed how life seems to unravel when we try to control everything ourselves? In Christ, all things are held together, but when we pull away, things gradually fall apart. At its core, sin isn't just about breaking rules—it's about trust and authority. We struggle to believe God knows best, so we take matters into our own hands. When things go wrong, our instinct is to hide,...