the Church Podcast

Focus: Our Creator is not distant. He is a God who forms from dust and breathes in life. Notice the intimacy of God's design. We learn not just how we were made, but why. God comes near. He shapes us by His hands and gives us His breath-the breath of life. We are not machines or mistakes. We are beings made out of His stuff. We are made for communion with God, with others, and with creation itself...

Focus: We begin this new year by returning to the beginning, where a good and beautiful world is intentionally woven by a loving Creator. Life is not accidental, rushed, or random. We are created with purpose, formed for relationship, and invited into belonging with God and one another. We are reminded that our identity flows from God's design, not our performance. Our purpose is rooted in His goo...

Focus: Everything has a season, a time. Seeing things this way frees us to let go and to embrace new things. A new thing isn't necessarily a lifetime commitment, we can embrace it for a time, for its season. And we're free to let go of things, because it may be that their season has passed. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Focus: The light of the world has been born! We don't have to walk in darkness anymore. We can follow Jesus who is the light that leads to life. Embrace the light! Isaiah 9:2-7

Focus: God's people were waiting for things to change. They looked forward to a leader who would rescue them from their oppressors and lead them with strength into an era of peace and honor. The realized prophecy was not what they expected. Some would embrace and follow Jesus, and others would reject the change from what they expected. Micah 5:2-5

Focus: Letting go of how the world tells you to think and what to want is part of the transformation that God brings about in your life as He replaces the world's values with His own. It might seem strange to refer to God's Word as something new. And yet, as God transforms the way you think, your life and choices display something new for you that is different from your "old ways". Romans 12:1-2

Focus: Change isn't always easy. Change requires letting go of something. When God says He's going to do something that eclipses something that we've been wanting, it's an invitation to let go of what we've been focused on so we can embrace the new thing. Isaiah 43:14-21

Focus: Troubles and testing that we go through exercise and grow our endurance for the race of life. We can't schedule this exercise like we can schedule time at the gym, but we can consider it an opportunity to grow, and take great joy in that. James 1:2-4, 12-18

Focus: Imagine love without weight, without the burden, without the fear of disappointment. Our hope is in Christ. Our trust is in the Lord. And our love is ever hopeful because God will never let us down. We can love others with a love that doesn't give up, because God doesn't give up. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

At the Thanksgiving Eve service, people are given the opportunity to publicly share how they have been blessed and give God thanks and praise.

Focus: Obeying the law of Christ means loving even through challenges and continuing to try even when it's difficult. We love because He first loved us. We love with the tenacious, persevering love that comes from God. Galatians 6:1-10

Focus: God promises to strengthen, help, and uphold us. And in Jesus, all promises are confirmed and delivered! Fear melts in the grip of His hand. Even when life shakes us, His steady presence gives us the courage to keep stepping forward in faith. Isaiah 41:1-13

Focus: The Lord is our light and salvation; whom shall we fear? When shadows loom, faith settles in on our mighty and victorious God and reminds us that God's light is stronger than any darkness. Courage rises not from self-confidence but from resting in the Lord as our protector and guide. Psalm 27

Focus: God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and a sound mind. Fear may speak loudly, but it cannot define us. God equips us to move forward with clarity and love, even when fear tries to hold us back. 2 Timothy 1:1-12

Focus: Trying new things in faith will stretch us beyond our own limits. But in Christ, we find the strength to risk, to act, and to love boldly. His power makes the impossible possible when we dare to try. Philippians 4:10-19

Focus: Peter's step out of the boat shows us that real faith isn't about playing it safe. It's about fixing our eyes on Jesus, listening to His voice, and moving toward Him, even when the waves are high. Love calls us out of our comfort zone into impossible places where God shows His power. Matthew 14:22-33

Focus: Faith has always been about seeing what others cannot. The heroes of old stepped into the unknown, fueled by trust in a God they couldn't see but knew was faithful. Their witness calls us to try, to move, and to trust even when the path is hidden, and the result is unrealized. Hebrews 11:1-13

Focus: We don't muster up courage. Courage doesn't come from gritting our teeth; it flows from knowing we are loved and never alone. God calls us to remember His promise, lean into His presence, take the first step, and discover that His love makes us brave in the midst of our fear. Joshua 1:1-11

Focus: How often are we intentional about our conversations with friends and neighbors? How might those conversations look and feel different if we used our words to be gracious and build others up? Imagine conversations so good that you remember them like you remember the taste of your favorite meal. Colossians 4:2-6

Focus: Jesus didn't just do a "fly by." He came into the world and was with us, living, listening and really loving us. We are called to do the same, to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn, really loving neighbors in all they are going through just as Christ loves us. Romans 12:9-16

Focus: As Christians, our security and comfort come from God's love for us and the future God promises which is fulfilled in Jesus. God has already thought of us first, so we are free to humbly think of others first. In humility we don't drag ourselves down, we think more of others and lift them up. Philippians 2:1-4

Focus: Speaking up for the voiceless begins with listening to the unheard. Wisdom from the margins reshapes our assumptions and fuels our advocacy. To reflect God's justice, we must first mirror His attentiveness. Proverbs 31:8–9

Focus: A Canaanite woman pushes past silence, resistance, and cultural boundaries, not to prove a point, but to pursue healing for her daughter. Jesus' response at first blush is confusing and hard to understand. He ignores her. The disciples tell Jesus to send her away. But, she continues on "with all her begging." Awkward! Her persistence becomes a turning point. God speaks salvation through und...

Focus: As Christians, our security and comfort come from God's love for us and the future God promises which is fulfilled in Jesus. God has already thought of us first, so we are free to humbly think of others first. In humility we don't drag ourselves down, we think more of others and lift them up. Luke 7:36-50