the Church Podcast

Focus: We don't listen just for information. We listen for wisdom and direction so that we can follow and obey. Isaiah 50:4-7

Focus: Even in the midst of difficulty, hurt and pain, God calls us to be ready to listen first. In contrast, we should be slow to get angry, and instead humbly accept God's Word. James 1:19-25

Focus: When God speaks, are we listening? Really listening? Do we know His voice? Are we ready to hear and obey? 1 Samuel 3:1-10

Focus: True insight often lies beyond the spotlight. Those who listen with humility and seek understanding from the margins become conduits of God's wisdom because the Spirit speaks through unexpected voices. Proverbs 18:15

Focus: Listening well means paying attention to what others already sense but haven't yet named. When we respect unfamiliar voices and unknown altars, we create space to speak the gospel with clarity, grace, and resonance. Acts 17:22-23

Focus: To hear the heartbeat of our community, we must dwell with intention, planting ourselves not as outsiders looking in, but as participants living among. True listening happens not through observation alone, but through shared rhythms, rooted presence, and a posture of peace-seeking within the everyday realities of our neighbors. Jeremiah 29:4-7

Focus: Before we can hear the heartbeat of our neighbors, we must learn to recognize the still, small voice of God, especially when conflict, weariness, and isolation cloud our calling. In the quiet, God re-centers us, not just with comfort, but with renewed direction. 1 Kings 19:9-16

Focus: As we live reconciled with each other we're called to live to the unity God made in us. We're called to clothe ourselves with the fruit of the spirit, and above all to clothe ourselves with love, because love binds us all together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:11-14

Focus: As we experience reconciliation in Christ we are called to share the message with others. That God in Christ is no longer counting people's sins against them. So He calls us to "Come back to God" and to share the invitation with everyone. As we walk the bridge we invite everyone to join us on the bridge and experience life reconnected to God and each other. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Focus: If a son or daughter of a King needed something, many would jump to action at the chance to help, knowing that they were helping the King's family. How fully do we believe that other people are brothers and sisters of Christ? Matthew 25:31-46

Focus: Faith in action includes using our God-given gifts with confidence and purpose, that is, confidence in God and in His purpose for the gifts He has given us. All Glory to Him! 1 Peter 4:8-11

Focus: As we seek to be part of bridging differences we first deal with the truth that Jesus destroyed the differences that were based on the law. In Him all believers are brothers and sisters, all are forgiven sinners, and all of us are at peace with God, and so also at peace with each other. So we first walk the bridge and experience life Christ gives us, without those divisions. Ephesians 2:14-...

Focus: What treasures did the wealthy man forfeit when he turned away from Jesus with a heavy heart? What blessings do we forfeit when we prioritize our possessions over our relationship with Him? What burdens do we bear when we exalt the fleeting pleasures of this world above the eternal riches of Jesus' Kingdom? Matthew 19:16-26

Focus: Mob mentality is strong. God's promise is stronger. The pull to come up short in the face of the enemy is relentless. God's will is stronger still. And, He is with us! Numbers 13:17-14:9

Focus: When asked by His disciples to teach them how to pray, Jesus gave us perhaps the most familiar prayer of all time. In Christian worship services every week, spanning the denominations; in funeral homes, bedsides, and family gatherings you will hear, "Our Father who art in heaven…" And yet, there is much more going on here with Jesus' teaching about prayer than meets the eye! Matthew 6:5-15

Focus: Steadfast love and righteousness are the hallmarks of our God! We can pray believing. We can pray with confidence. He listens. He delivers. Psalm 5

Focus: As disciples follow Jesus we learn to Love from Love incarnate. As we Obey Christ, we learn how to obey God. We learn our Purpose as we follow Christ's mission and He sends us out. And as Christ gathers us together and sends us out together with that common purpose we experience being part of Christ's Team. The result is that disciples are Visible Reflections of Jesus. Matthew 7:24 "Everyon...

Focus: When we love only those who are easy to love, what are we reflecting? God is love, and He loved us even when we were enemies. Love comes from Him, and He is the reason we love others, whether they are easy to love or not. Everyone is important to God, and so, everyone is important to those who love God. 1 John 4:7-21

Focus: We see Jesus' love in big and small ways as He lives with and teaches the disciples. Jesus loves His disciples as the Father has loved Him. And He is explicit in this, disciples are to love as Jesus has loved them. I am to love others as Jesus loves me. John 15:9-17

Focus: Obedience to God's commands leads to a deeper relationship with Him, filling us with His love and complete joy. This passage encourages believers to see obedience not as a burden but as a pathway to experiencing the fullness of joy in Christ. Loving God and others is intrinsically linked to obeying His commands, which are not burdensome but are given out of love. This perspective helps beli...

Focus: Representing Jesus in the world begins with God's gracious intervention. God speaks. He invites. We respond. This is the way to a become a visible reflection of Jesus. Think of it as "prompt-response." Acts 8:26-40

Focus: When we receive a command from God to go and represent, how do we move from weight and obligation to wonder and anticipation? The answer is more simple than we think. And, it is way more fun, too. Luke 10:1-24

Focus: Good works, like giving the food and clothing that someone needs, speak louder than words. We confess our faith together with words, but evidence of our faith is seen in our actions. James 2:14-17

Focus: Joshua was given a purpose and the encouragement to see it through. Our God-given purpose is to glorify God and make disciples. Since we have this God-given purpose, what can stand in the way? Joshua 1:1-9

Focus: Having a purpose without intentionally living toward it is like having a bow and arrow, and a target, but not ever firing toward it. So, how are we doing what we are made, blessed, and sent to do? 1 Corinthians 9:19-27