The Valley Church Troy Podcast

Calling. It's an unclear term. The word has so many layers of meaning, even within Christianity. So what does it mean to be called by God? Is it hearing God's voice? Or does it mean traveling halfway around the world to be a missionary? Or can it be as simple as living intentionally at home or in the workplace? Check out this message by Pastor Mark to find out! Join us for service every Su...

Mediocrity isn’t just an issue we face individually. It can plague groups of people, including the church. We can be a happy, prosperous church, and still be spiritually mediocre. How do we work together to maintain a vibrant spiritual life that will make Jesus proud? Check out this message for some insights. Could this be your year to rise above a life of mediocrity? No one jumps out of bed and d...

Have you ever thought about the significance of where Jesus did most of His ministry? Not among the powerful and influential, but among the ones in need, oppressed, overlooked, sick. He came to bring life and hope, so He went to the ones looking for it. That’s where our spiritual battles are fought: where hopelessness and hope meet. And those battlelines are drawn throughout the spaces and relatio...

You did it! You took that next step! But it feels like something is holding you back… How do you keep going when change gets hard, when you get pushback from others, when you just don’t know if you’ve got what it takes? Check out this message for some tried and true ways to persevere. Could this be your year to rise above a life of mediocrity? No one jumps out of bed and declares “I hope my life i...

Is there something insurmountable in front of you that you know needs to be dealt with but you just can’t see a way out? Jonathan knew he had to overcome the Philistines, but how could he when he was one against thousands? Simply put, he knew God could do the impossible, and so he just took the next step without all the answers. Need some of that in your life? Check out this message! Could this be...

"Does it matter whether I read the Bible? I mean, I can find out so much about it from the internet, I don't even have to crack it open. It may even be more accurate info than what I would decipher." If you are wondering about whether it is worth reading the Bible yourself, Pastor Jess says, "Yes!" Find out why in this message! Join us for service every Sunday at 9:15am or...

Who is Jesus? No, really! A swirl of ideas, myths, and dogmatic beliefs surround the person of Jesus, so that sometimes it is hard to know who is the man and who is the myth. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus demonstrates God's love for the misfits when He invites Matthew the traitor to follow Him and become His disciple. People were shocked! Check it out! Join us for service every Sunday at 9:1...

Have you heard about the tabloid-worthy scandal of the Christmas Story? Joseph and Mary are engaged and chaste, but then Mary becomes pregnant. "Who is the father, Mary? God? Really? I know how this works."  In that time, this would have been an act worthy of capital punishment. Mary's story is true, but the fallout of obedience is costly. Check out this message for a perspective you...

Does talking about religious zeal and repentance leave a bad taste in your mouth and the beginnings of shame or anger in your gut? Us too. If you've been exposed to Christianity, you might have encountered various versions of passionate people who came across judgemental and harsh, but the truth is that the Gospel really is amazingly Good News! John the Baptizer, cousin of Jesus, understood th...

When we think of Jesus Christ, often we think about his being the guy everyone wants as their friend. He's perfect, right? The Son of God! But did you know that even Jesus had some sketchy parts of his human family tree? Murder, prostitution, dishonesty, scandal -- He knows a thing or two about family skeletons! And actually, that's really good news for each of us! Why? Check out this mess...

When I finally hit my goals, then I'll be happy!" "When I finally get out of this mess, then I'll be grateful!" "When God finally comes through for me, then I will praise Him!" Sound familiar? The hard truth is that authentic thankfulness comes only in the midst of trouble or not at all. So what can you be authentically thankful for when you're far from where y...

How are we to pray? If you have asked this question before, you are in good company. Jesus' disciples asked the same question. And Jesus' response was to lead them in what we call The Lord's Prayer. But what's so special about this prayer? Check out this message to find out! Welcome! We are glad you decided to join us! While we are happy to have you participating here, we want you...

Why doesn't God answer my prayer? Am I not doing it right? Am I not good enough? If you're like us, sometimes our prayers don't get answered, and we begin to wonder if it's even worth it. Pastor Jeff Stark offers some encouragement and new perspective to grappling with unanswered prayers. Check it out Prayer changes everything. Do you need to see some type of breakthrough in your l...

Did you know there are a number of myths surrounding Christian prayer? Pastor Alan dispels several of them before taking us through Scripture to learn what prayer really means, and the power it really holds. Want to discover for yourself what prayer is? Check out this message! Prayer changes everything. Do you need to see some type of breakthrough in your life? Prayer changes everything. Are you h...

Who do you want people to remember you as? What do want your legacy to be? Joshua stood before Israel and old man. He'd seen it all, and now he had just a few things that weighed heavy on him, things that Israel needed to remember. His example wholehearted commitment to God stands as an example for us too. Not only that, but when we confess our sin and receive the forgiveness of Christ and all...

God's promises often require our participation to bring them to fulfillment. Not because God couldn't do it all on His own, but because He wants us to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility. Caleb knew God had promised to give him an inheritance in the Promised Land. Though he had to wait 45 years for it to be fulfilled, Caleb held onto that promise; and when Joshua led the people in...

Who loves change? Anyone? Anyone? Yeah, most of us avoid the pain of change for as long as we can. But God's promises often require us to change something in order to embrace the promise. Change our habits, change our language, change our expectations, change our occupations -- and following through on those changes is obedience. And obedience requires dependence on your Heavenly Father, who i...

What is courage? In Joshua chapter 1, God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. As the stories of Joshua unfold, the concept of courage begins to take shape: it's about hearing the summons of God and taking action, even when you're scared, even when the odds seem insurmountable. Why? because God is trustworthy. Not sure you believe that? Check out this message to see Pastor Mark reveal...

Are you facing incredible odds and feel like there's no way through? The People of Israel held onto the promise that God would give them the land of Canaan to possess, but before them is a raging river, impossible to ford. Yet because God was with them, they went on to cross on dry land! How? Check out the message to find out! We all want to experience victory in our life and overcome the sin,...

In this bonus episode, we get to listen in on a conversation between two friends. Pastor Jess and Tess marvel at all Jesus has done in Tess's life, from how she knew at a young age that Jesus loved her to how He faithfully pursued her down the dark paths of addiction and loneliness. We hope her story inspires you to never give up on your own lost loved ones and that it reminds you just how muc...

Friendship is one of the hardest things to include in our fast-paced, hyper-individual lives. But not having close friends is killing us. How can you become the kind of friend others need? Where do you find the close friendships you long for? Take a listen and find out! Most of us know what it’s like to long for a new start or a do-over. But here’s the thing…new beginnings often require us to let...

To take advantage of a new beginning and make it stick, there are some new habits and ways of living we have to embrace. If last week we talked about the ways we become a part of the community of faith, then this week we look into the ways we become change agents in our world. Ready to make this new beginning stick? Check out this message! Most of us know what it’s like to long for a new start or...

Your New Beginnings will succeed more often when they have a community to plug into. This is true of the gym, a writer's guild, a AA group, a finance accountability program. It is especially true of any spiritual new beginning. Thankfully, Jesus gave us the global body we call the Church, including its local expressions, like The Valley Church. The truth is that the Church needs you just like...

We all have those moments in our lives where all we want is a new beginning, a chance to start over. Maybe because of mistakes we made or because of what someone else has done to us. Maybe because what we thought would happen didn't. God is in the business giving us new beginnings, but in order to move forward, we have to let go of our baggage and background. You ready to let go and move into...

We are very excited to offer this bonus episode this month! Pastor Lindsey Murphy has been with The Valley Church for several years now, and we wanted to give her a chance to share part of her story here with you. So turn up the volume or pop your earbuds in and give your full attention to Pastor Lindsey as she shares how she came to know Jesus personally. Join us for service every Sunday at 9:15a...