The Source Houston

Brandi reminds us that it's not Christmas yet - and that part of Christmas is about waiting. And through the Old Testaments, as the prophets waited for the Messiah, the waiting was much harder. Isaiah predicts the Messiah, but he also says "where are you, God?" It is a story of being the darkness and waiting for the light. thesourcehouston.org

This episode’s question comes from Ben’s mom, who wants to know what to do when you pray for a very long time for something that’s in God’s will, such as a family member coming to faith – and yet it never happens. Ask your own question – reach us at any time at FMHouston.com/AMA. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Anxiety, Stress, and Fear are real things that live in the same family. God has a desire that we release our cares and anxiety on Him - the worst thing you can do is allow the enemy to convince you you are alone. We have a call to pray, supplicate, and give thanks to God when we see these things rear up in our lives, in order to enter into the peace of God only He can provide. Philippians 4:4-9 FM...

Last week’s letter-writer, James, follows up with further queries, and after boiling them down to a few simple questions – “does the Church have a moral imperative in regards to homosexuality? Is it really a choice between following the law and loving people?” and “are we being deliberately wishy-washy so as not to offend certain groups?” Then, the crew tries to take them on. Plus, in honor of Tha...

We are charged as citizens of Heaven to work in the effort of bringing Heaven to Earth. But the self is a strong thing, without the help of God, there is absolutely no way we can defeat it. Anthony shows us what it is that’s most essential when we meet Jesus face to face and, and how to live a life as a citizen of Heaven. https://www.thesourcehouston.org/

Brandi looks at the things of this world that are instant, and how they don't measure up to the things that are built to last. She explains that Paul is telling the Philippians that a faith that is properly fleshed out is a faith that brings real joy - real joy has to come from real faith. The depth of our faith - what kind of strong, healthy roots it has - measures what kind of fruit it will prov...

The crew responds to a question with a ton of layers to it, covering Old Testament law, divorce, homosexuality, and about half a dozen more things. It’s a conversation about how to talk about religious beliefs when you’re not in lock step, and what Christian debate should look like. Ask us a question! You can reach us anytime at fmhouston.com/ama. thesourcehouston.org

Anthony shows us how God is the master of taking mundane things and giving them a new purpose. What we view as regular “That’s just the way it is,” God continues to show us the way he can make it. God takes us as we are, and give us significant purpose beyond what we thought possible. thesourcehouston.org

We kick off our series on the Book of Philippians with a look into all the ways the world is getting better - and all the ways we feel worse about it. Brandi looks into Paul's relationship with the church at Philippi, and how it echoes the message we focus on this month - becoming centered on being grateful. FMHouston.com

The group is back together! Andy, Brandi, Kaitlyn, and Ben break down a couple different questions from listeners - first, they deal with the context of what "he who does not work shall not eat" means, and Brandi throws out some Greek translation off the top of her head. Then, someone who can't make it to church on Sundays because of work asks what to do about their predicament - where should thei...

This week, Kaitlyn and Ben are joined by First Methodist Houston's own [Dr. Ashley Sanford], to sit down to discuss the often-ignored importance of mental health in our lives, and to discuss the stigmas behind mental health and our faith. Ask us a question! We can be reached at any time at FMHouston.com/AMA [link to: fmhouston.com/ama]

Ken and Anthony return! We get a question about the Holy Spirit – when it shows up, does everybody get it, and what everybody’s experience with it is. It turns out, what the United Methodist church thinks about it might just surprise you. Ask us a question! We can be reached at any time at FMHouston.com/AMA. [link to: fmhouston.com/ama] thesourcehouston.org

This week, Ken walks through the book of Ruth chapter by chapter, to explore what it means to face hard change in our lives - and how God is working in the background to redeem the hardships we face. https://www.thesourcehouston.org/

The gang is back together and answering questions again! On this episode, the group talks about the pluses and minuses of the greet-your-neighbor part of church, and how being an introvert changes one’s perspective on the matter. Then, responding to someone’s concern, they talk about what happens to our souls when we die, and how we handle parts of scripture written in metaphor. You can respond or...

When God calls us to go to the ends of the earth, he isn't calling the people with "big faith." As Brandi explains, it's the "little faith ones." It's the works in progress. It's for us. Matthew 28: 16-20 fmhouston.com

Kathrin comes by the podcast to talk about how a German woman ended up leading a Hispanic ministry in Port Houston, how a ministry like that has to operate, and how the people in that community are dealing with a difficult political time. You can reach us any time to ask questions at fmhouston.com/ama.

Kaitlyn returns to the stage to talk about living with passion, and becoming the answer to other people's prayers. https://www.thesourcehouston.org/

This week, Bill Allen and Alexis McCarty swing by to talk about Lifeline, the homeless ministry of our church, and tell stories about the people they've met and relationships they've made. Ask us a question anytime: FMHouston.com/AMA

Visiting missionary Peter Swann tells us stories of how God had nudged him to share the Gospel, both in villages in South Sudan - and with people he bumped into in a Houston mall. fmhouston.com

This week, Loren Trujillo, our Refugee Ministry Coordinator, joins us to talk about the refugee community in Houston, the huge opportunity we have with our West Campus, and the way our church has been able to make connections with the nearby refugee communites. Ask us a question anytime: FMHouston.com/AMA

Ken talks about Matthew 4 where Jesus calls the first disciples. To try and illustrate how we are all commissioned, Ken has an unusual object lesson that he tries out, showing us that it’s our job to tell people about God’s invitation - and to show them love and servanthood. thesourcehouston.org

As we launch into our new series, "Commissioned," (focusing on the Great Commision, naturally) Anthony talks about what it mean for us to tell our story and spread the word of God. Matthew 28:16-20 thesourcehouston.org

Anthony asked us to talk about the new Colin Kaepernick Nike ad, so we talk about it from every angle, from the Biblical understanding of being a prophet, to American consumerism, to turning a blind eye to things we don't want to see, and everything else that jumps out at us. Then, someone writes in to ask if they're a heretic or not, and we try and figure that out. Ask us a question, or respond b...

After a listener responded in frustration and disappointment to our answer about the United Methodist Church's struggle to find a solution to gay marriage within the church, Andy, Brandi, and Kaitlyn go back to reconsider their answers. Plus, book recommendations! Here's a list of the books mentioned: Andy: "The Sacred Enneagram" by Christopher L. Heuertz "The Righteous Mind" by Jonathan Haidt Kai...

Ann Spears joins the podcast as three pastors who have battled with talking about our relationship to the Pharisees from the stage gather to talk about what makes this subject tough to talk about, and why hypocrisy is so easy. Plus, we're joined - noisily at first, but gradually much more calmly - by Brandi's one-year-old daughter, and we talk about the Enneagram WITHOUT KAITLYN EVEN BEING THERE,...