Real Life Church Podcast

Matthew records parallel stories of Jesus and Peter in his Gospel. Jesus prepares and Peter ignores. Jesus succeeds and Peter fails. But what Matthew is trying to show us in real time is why he and we needed Jesus to die, why remorse wasn't good enough and how Jesus turns failure around on the road to redemption.

Easter Sunday is a time of joy and triumph, but many of us enter the season with doubts and fears that feel inconsistent with the celebration. But instead of being angry with us, we learn that Jesus fiercely and tenderly meets us in our doubt in order to transform our hearts and lives.

It's amazing the incredible events that have been set in motion by seemingly simple incidents, like the first domino that falls and sets the whole run in motion. Jesus has this moment when some Greeks come to speak with Him - this simple event sets in motion Jesus greatest sacrifice. And instead of evading it, Jesus embraces it. Can you see purpose in your pain like Jesus did?

The first two stories about Jesus in John's Jesus Biography parallel two events: Jesus invited to a wedding and Jesus crashing worship. There are huge similarities here but the bottom line is that Jesus displays first love for others and then love for God. He begins His ministry displaying in real-time the highest two ethics of the Kingdom He was ushering in.

Jesus didn't just have to die, He willingly chose to die. Sometimes the plans of God don't seem that appealing to us, but we can't accomplish the will of God through the ways of man. Jesus was obedient to God's will and God's ways and because of it, He purchased our salvation

We often consider the creation story the story of how we got here, but it's much more a story of how we got here... in this state, looking more like beasts than image bearers of God. Genesis 3:1-7

Lifer Alan Funk brings a message about recognizing and appreciating your blessings even when they don't initially seem like blessings - it will bless you! (so you can add it to your blessings list!)

Our friend Terry Deaver brings a message about starting well - it will bless you!

In the marriage (and all male/female relationships) it's not good to always agree, we need opposition to make the best decisions... God knew this and built it into our existence. We HAVE to work together to be God's image bearers.

When it comes to relationships every one of them is complicated; married, single, just pick your complicated. Some people want to make everything a choice between salvation and satan - but that's not the case. Paul's encouragement is still good - be you, being Jesus. Focus on that.

Humpback whales and magnifying glasses help us talk about relationships, sex and marriage.

Once we figure out that the creation story isn't a primer on creation but a poem about creation we're able to ask, why did God make this the first thing He tells Moses to write down? Well, because we learn two very important things from this poem - that God created everything to be good and that includes us, whose worth is not tied to our work.

When you read the creation days in Genesis 1 you're left with more questions than answers. We get some important information about God and creation but we also find things that just don't make sense. We need to come to grips with the idea that Genesis 1 is not a primer on creation but a poem about creation. And when you understand that you can discover the treasure God hid in the middle.

In the first 3 verses of our Genesis story we discover some profound truths about God that are gonna lead us to some profound truths about us. We discover that God was and then created everything and when the story begins with God, it's gonna be good.

If the birth of Jesus was announced first to the outcast shepherds... the most important Good News in the history of the world that would bring the kind of peace that sets your heart at ease.... if the shepherds were the first to hear about it from the angels that worship in the very throne room of God, there is no one too dirty... too sinful... too outcast... too far removed from society to join...

Simeon's song is offered 40 days after Jesus birth as Joseph and Mary were just beginning to settle into their new normal. Simeon is a stranger to them but takes Jesus and pronounces an amazing blessing for the whole world and remind these young parents that they are not alone in God's story.

For thousands of years the people of Israel had been waiting for God to speak, to show up, to fulfill His promises. But for 400 years God had been silent until He wasn't. Imagine, everything you had hoped for finally happening - God is faithful and can be trusted, can we? Luke 1:67-79

When Mary finds out she is going to carry the Son of God she is faced with uncertainty about her situation but certainty about God's faithfulness, power and mercy. Mary magnifies these traits of God and minimizes her fears.

There are two main mentalities present in our lives when it comes to money, scarcity and generosity. Scarcity causes us to hold tight to what we have, while generosity causes us to let go of what we have. A Christian who lives in the scarcity mentality isn't trusting God's generosity or obeying God's command to be generous with others. While being generous is a the heart of Jesus example life.

We all know that where our treasure is, there our heart is... but what does that really mean? What do I really treasure? Who is my master? How do I treasure the right things? Here's a question, what brings you the most pleasure? Start there. Matthew 6:19-24

Our motive for giving is actually more important than our gift. Money is a manipulator that often manipulates us into thinking that our greed is really generosity. Trusting God's provision helps us give without expectation so that our gift is seen by God not others.

As the Nation of Israel was preparing to inherit the Promised Land God laid out the rules for how the nation and people were to live. The people of God must be different from the nations around them and generosity was one way they were to be set apart. Deuteronomy 15:1-11

There was a misconception by the religious elite of Jesus' day that as long as they looked religious on the outside they could remain selfish on the inside. Jesus blows this thought up and shows that our outward behavior and our inward beliefs should be in balance. Luke 11:37-42,45-46; James 1:22-27

History is full of the impossible being not only possible but probable! We'll look at several such events and find faith to see that even now God is ABLE to speak into existence things that do not (yet) exist.

In a world with so many voices we must make sure we're listening to the truth - that requires us to confirm all things with God's Word and make sure that we're conforming to His Word not trying to confirm our will through His Word.