Claim OwnershipCarpenter's Way Messages
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© Carpenter's Way Fellowship
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"Belong by Grace. Free by Truth. A community following Jesus together." Weekly messages from Carpenter's Way Fellowship in Groves, Texas. Pastored by Jesse Lofton.
57 Episodes
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Why do you do what you do? What if God cares less about what you accomplish and more about why you do it?We fill our lives with good things like work, family and even ministry, but it’s easy to drift from the reason we started. God looks deeper than results; He looks at the heart.The question of why is not about guilt but about realignment. It’s about remembering what motivated us in the beginning: love, gratitude, and obedience and letting that guide us again.Jesus warned us not to practice righteousness to be seen, but to serve from love. He called us to give quietly, pray sincerely and live with a heart centered on the Father.When we remember why we follow Him, our work, our worship and even our ordinary days become worship.Because God doesn’t just want our actions. He wants our hearts.
What kind of life are you chasing? What if eternal life is not about someday but about knowing and experiencing God right now?We all chase promises of life like success, comfort, and security, only to find they never deliver what we hoped. Jesus offers something different. He prays that we would know the Father and the Son, not just know about them but experience their life, their peace, their joy.Eternal life is not a ticket for later. It is a depth of life that starts today. Jesus invites you to move from hearing about Him to living with Him, to experience the kind of peace and purpose that holds when everything else breaks.
What really happens when we die? What does the Bible say about heaven, new bodies, and eternity with God?From childhood questions like “who created God?” to deep fears about death, we all wrestle with what comes next. Do our loved ones see us after they die? Will we recognize one another in heaven? What about pets, do they have a place in eternity? And what will our new bodies actually be like?Our imaginations are shaped by cartoons, traditions, and rumors, but Scripture invites us into a truer vision. Let the Scripture gives us imagination.
Why do we push back against authority even when we crave it? What if learning to submit is actually the key to freedom?From driver’s education lessons to governments and church leaders, authority can feel frustrating and even unfair. Yet deep down, we long for justice, truth, and order. The Bible does not shy away from our tension. It names it and points us back to God as the true source of authority.What does the Bible really say about being competitive? Can we trust the scriptures we hold in our hands? How do we know the words of Jesus are reliable? And what about the Pope, does his voice carry authority for all Christians?You will not find shallow answers here. Instead, you will hear scripture speak into the places where we wrestle most with our pride, our doubts, and our need to know who is really in charge.Authority is not about control. It is about trust. And the Bible shows us a better way forward, anchored in Christ.
Is God really in control even when life feels like chaos? What if asking that question is exactly where faith begins?Most of us were taught not to ask too many questions. Especially in church. But what if the deeper, harder questions like who’s really running this or does my effort even matter are the ones that can lead us closer to God, not further from Him?Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Does free will even exist if God already knows the outcome? Where’s the line between trusting God and avoiding action?You won’t find easy answers here. But you will find Scripture that holds the weight of both mystery and meaning, and a Savior who invites your full honesty.So don’t shy away from the hard stuff. Your questions matter. And Jesus isn’t intimidated by them.
What if your doubts aren’t pulling you away from faith but drawing you toward it? What if the most spiritual thing you can do today is ask an honest question?Somewhere along the way, we were told to quiet our curiosity. To avoid the deeper “why.” But real faith isn’t afraid of questions. It’s built to hold them. Jesus doesn’t dismiss our wonder or our wrestling. He welcomes it.Think dinosaurs, science, and the siblings of Jesus. And somehow, all of it leads us back to one place: the resurrection. Because if that moment is true, then everything changes.So go ahead. Ask anything. Your faith isn’t fragile. And neither is your Savior.►► Subscribe Now! ► https://www.carpentersway.com/subscribeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@carpentersway?sub_confirmation=1WEB: https://www.carpentersway.com/FB: https://www.facebook.com/carpentersway/IG: https://www.instagram.com/carpentersway/
What if the thing that feels right in the moment is actually leading you into regret? What if slowing down, submitting to God and seeking wisdom could spare you years of heartache?We’ve all felt the pressure to act fast. Make the deal. Say yes. Chase approval. But Proverbs teaches us something radically different: pause. Think. Seek God’s direction before you commit. Because not every good opportunity is God’s invitation.Social approval, anxiety, relationships, money, and even sexuality are shaped by deep forces we often don’t notice until the consequences show up. Proverbs exposes those traps and invites us to trade quick fixes for quiet wisdom. A better way is possible.
What if the very plans you're trusting are quietly wrecking your future? What if stubborn self-reliance and ignoring God's wisdom leads you straight into the storm you swore you'd avoid?The good news? Jesus offers more than just comfort in chaos. He offers wisdom for how to build your life on a foundation that lasts. Because in the floodplains of life, it’s not about building higher. It’s about building on Him.
What if you could wreck your financial future in just three easy steps? What if the way you treat money right now is quietly shaping a life of stress, debt, and regret?Proverbs are not just about financial advice but function as a mirror. Because mismanaging money doesn’t start with math, it starts with misplaced trust. Proverbs warns us that if we rely on money to solve every problem, borrow from our future, and never learn contentment, we’ll end up enslaved to what was meant to serve us.
What if the blueprint for wrecking your life is easier and more common than you think? What if the way you speak, the people you choose, and the chaos you feed are quietly sabotaging every relationship you have? But Jesus offers another way. He chose words that healed instead of harmed. He walked with people from every corner of life. He confronted chaos with peace. And He moved at the speed of people, never too busy to stop for the one in front of Him.
What if the interruptions in your life aren’t getting in the way of ministry, but are the way? What if God is already at work in your everyday moments and He’s just inviting you to join Him?
What if ministry isn’t a church role, but the everyday overflow of who you are in Christ? What if your job, your home, your daily conversations are all sacred ground, because you carry the Spirit of God into them?Ministry isn’t reserved for pastors or the extroverted. It doesn’t require a mic, a title or a perfect track record. Ministry is what happens when your identity in Jesus spills into how you parent, how you lead, how you serve and how you forgive.Follow us on social media and make sure you subscribe for more content:WEB: https://www.carpentersway.com/FB: https://www.facebook.com/carpentersway/IG: https://www.instagram.com/carpentersway/
What if ministry isn’t a job for a select few, but an invitation for every believer? What if the sacred work of God happens most in ordinary places, through overlooked people, doing unnoticed things?Ministry isn’t about a title, a church role or a larger-than-life personality. It’s what flows out of who you are in Christ. Whether you’re a teacher prepping a classroom, a tradesman giving fair quotes or a student choosing kindness at lunch, this is ministry.
What if ministry isn’t reserved for seminary-educated leaders but meant for every believer? What if the same call that stopped Saul in his tracks still invites you into everyday impact today?We often think ministry happens only on stage, by pastors, deacons or small-group leaders, but the Bible shows it is far greater than a Sunday morning role. Ministry is the quiet acts done behind the scenes, known only to God, yet vital to His purposes.
Have you heard these before? God will not give you more than you can handle; people will never change and you just need to find yourself.Using Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians that we were burdened beyond our strength so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead, we discover it is Christ’s power not our grit that carries us through the impossible.
What if the moments that feel chaotic are actually the most precise? What if God’s faithfulness only looks like a mess when we’re too close to see the whole map?Paul’s plans get blocked, rerouted, and delayed. What looked like dead ends turned out to be divine setups. God says no to Asia and sends him to a river in Philippi, where a woman named Lydia is waiting. She becomes the first European convert.Then comes a slave girl with a spirit, then a jail cell, then an earthquake and suddenly a Roman jailer is asking, “What must I do to be saved?”None of it was planned. All of it mattered.
What if the peace you’re desperate for is already being brokered behind the scenes? There are moments when we feel like powerless bystanders in our own story. Chaos moves all around us, and we wonder who, if anyone, is working behind the scenes for our good. That’s when we are introduced to Melchizedek, a quiet, unexpected figure who steps into the tension with bread, wine and blessing. No title. No backstory. Just peace in the middle of a fight.And then we learn he was pointing us to something greater. Jesus is our high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Not confined by death or tradition. Not limited by what we see. He still goes into the places we can’t. He brokers peace. He speaks for us. He anchors our soul.You don’t need to pretend you’re stronger than you are. You don’t need to fight your way out. Jesus has already gone ahead of you.
What if God's provision looks nothing like you expected? What if what you’ve overlooked is exactly where He plans to show up?In 1 Kings 17, we find a woman down to her last meal, preparing for death. Yet through a simple act of trust, she becomes the means of provision for a prophet and herself. Behind enemy lines, in the heartland of Baal worship, God shows that His power isn’t bound by place or circumstance. He uses ravens. He uses widows. He uses whoever is willing to say yes.This story isn’t about spiritual giants. It’s about unlikely people trusting a faithful God, one simple act at a time.
What if your breakthrough is just one decision away? What if your life is one decisive action of faith from redemption, no matter how far you feel you’ve gone?Rahab’s story teaches us that it's never too late to make a choice that aligns with God's purpose, even when we feel like we've built our lives on the wrong foundation. Despite her past, Rahab took a bold step of faith, risking everything to trust in the God of Israel. This life-altering decision didn’t just change her, it changed the course of her entire family’s future.
What if clarity doesn’t come from knowing more but from walking closer? Peace isn't found in escaping trouble but in knowing Jesus is near, especially in it. We all want the map. The steps. The formula. But Jesus doesn’t offer a shortcut. He offers Himself. In John 16, He reminds us that we will face pressure, uncertainty and even moments when we scatter. But He also gives a promise: in Him we can have peace.
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