Curwensville Alliance Church Podcasts

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 10/20/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. How is your prayer life? Do you struggle to pray? Pastor Steve discusses the importance about praying about everything. Why do Christians struggle to pray? Our ignorance. Our busyness. Our arrogance. Our confusion. We can look to Jesus for our example of times to pray. Jesus prayed at spiritual milestones. He prayed at His baptism. Jesus prayed in demanding moments. People flocked to see Him. He often withdrew to take time to pray. Jesus prayed before big steps. He prayed all night before choosing the twelve disciples. Jesus prayed when teaching vital concepts. Jesus prayed for a friend's faith to last. Jesus prayed when darkness descends. He prayed in the garden prior to His arrest. Jesus prayed in great stress. He prayed while He was on the cross. Jesus prayed when He was done. He prayed during His ascension. Jesus taught us to pray! Pray with a trusting heart. Pray with an amazed heart. Pray with a kingdom outlook. Pray with a confident mindset.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 10/13/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. The zeitgeist is the spirit of the age which is the pattern of this world. When you find yourself asking "What is wrong with people?" or "What is wrong with this world?" you'll likely find the answer by identifying the zeitgeist that is hiding and normalizing evil. We need to be aware of the zeitgeist. The zeitgeist appears to change- but does it? The spirit of the age is driven spiritually. It is important to recognize the spirit of the age. The zeitgeist turns people away from God and away from one another. We do things together to help one another remember ourselves and to remember our context. Together we help each other remember that we are Christ's, and to remember that we are aliens in this world. We do things together to be deeply rooted in the truth, and to help us through the storms that are ahead. We do things together to do the work of the ministry as demonstrated by Jesus in Matthew 16:24. What does doing everything together look like? Take the good and the bad honestly. Push one another! Work with one another. Never do a ministry alone that you can do with a friend. Learn together. Worship together.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 10/06/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. Listen as Pastor Steve continues his series on Personally Incorporating the Values of Jesus. Why is building men who love God important? Jesus did it. Our church does it. Do you do it? Why men? Their absence in the church is noticeable. Their influence is far reaching. The Bible shows in Job that it is their call. What is a man who loves God? Let's look at 2 Timothy 1:1-14 to see what a an who loves God looks like. A man of relationships. A man of faith. A man ready to serve. A man of courage. A man who seeks purity. A man who finishes well. How do we build men who love God? We pray for them. We connect them to other men who love God. We encourage them.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 9/29/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. The first value of Jesus that Pastor Steve will discuss in the series The Values of Jesus is bridge building. Why do we build bridges? Relationships are fundamental to Christianity. Relationships close the gap. Relationships are powerful. We have to be careful we do not burn bridges we have built. Bridges can be burned because of a bad reputation. Bridges can be burned when we are indifferent towards others. Bridges can be burned when we are arrogant. How do we build bridges like Jesus built bridges? Give of your time. Pay for the bridge work. Deliver the payload.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 9/22/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. Pastor Steve begins a new series on The Values of Jesus. Pastor Steve will discuss seven of the values of Jesus in the next few weeks. Jesus shows us His values when everything was on the line in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus valued connection with people. The twelve did everything together. Jesus valued wise investment in people. He built men who love God. Jesus valued prayer. He prayed about everything. Jesus valued doing things right. Excellence in all things. Jesus valued Godly influence. He was the consummate bridge builder. Jesus valued the Bible. He knew that the Bible had the answers for all of life's situations. Jesus valued forward thinking. He was willing to leave behind the familiar and comfortable. Pastor Steve will discuss each of these values of Jesus through the coming weeks.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 9/8/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. God puts us in places that require trust. There are times when God seems to test us. Our journey may be fraught with peril. You will encounter circumstances you cannot manage. Even when it appears you're alone trust Jesus. The real reason we fear is we lack understanding of who God is. We don't see that God IS love. Our hearts are hard. We struggle to trust Jesus. How can we overcome fear? Examine your own heart. Ask yourself these questions and be honest with yourself. Do you see any hardness toward others in your heart? Do you feel so sure of your heart's opinion that you feel certain that God must feel the same? Our own hard hearts prevent us from seeing the deep love of Jesus for others and in turn, for ourselves. Look for a fresh vision of God's love. He loves you, and He can calm the raging storm inside of you. Choose to trust as you choose to love. You can move from fear to faith.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 09/01/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. Partners have shared experiences. Those shared experiences are often life changing experiences. They could also be a point of reference for the future. Partners have shared values. Christians have the shared value of that which honors Christ as well as that which helps others find Christ. Partners have shared objectives. Partnerships help us grow in love. Partnerships help us grow in purity. Partnerships help us find meaning in living. Who are you partnering with?

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 8/25/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. Listen as Pastor Steve discusses how the local church is a family as seen in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18. In the New Testament you see the local church as a family again and again. The family bond comes down to two things - a shared love for Jesus and their proximity to one another. We also see in this passage three warnings. Beware of unproductive idleness. If you do not concern yourself with what God gives you to do, you'll likely concern yourself with things that don't concern you. Beware of disruptiveness and dissension. Beware of drift or straying from the Truth. What are the steps we can take in order to beware of these things? Look for ways to contribute. Accept the differences. Don't let them disrupt what the Spirit is doing. Stay the course.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 08/18/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. This isn't just for students going back to a school building. This message is for everyone! Listen as Pastor Steve speaks on Luke 10:25-37. There are 3 essentials we all need as we live our lives. Love, integrity and self control are seen in the story of the Good Samaritan. Loving your neighbor as yourself means choosing to love whoever God puts in your path. If you chose to love whoever God puts in front of you, how would that change your heart? Integrity is making reality conform to your words. Integrity is the opposite of hypocrisy. Integrity comes with being near Christ. Self control gives you powerful influence. Self control gives you the ability to love. To make the rugged choice to do the right thing.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 08/11/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. Listen as Pastor Steve goes through 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5 and discusses the essentials for the Christian journey. The essentials for the Christian journey are a serious commitment to the truth that transforms life, a sincere covenant that encourages your heart, a sustaining community that carries the Gospel, a spiritual concern for one another and a shared confidence that God is good.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 08/04/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. Listen as Pastor Steve leads us through the passage in 2 Thessalonians about the return of Christ. Christ's return is yet to come; so, don't let false teachers confuse you. There will be clear indicators of the day of the Lord. The deceivers will be in high gear. There will be rebellion with the world turning away from light to all that is dark. The man of lawlessness will come. BUT, God is in control! Evil is subject to God's control. It is limited by God. Evil is overthrown by God's power. We rely on the certainty of the return of Christ. These are the reasons Christians can keep there cool. There is God. Do you have Him?

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 07/21/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. Listen as Pastor Steve speaks on how we can shine through suffering. We shine more and more as we grow in Christ. We shine more and more as we press on. We shine more and more as we prove God right. Suffering can be difficult. Suffering is unfair. God is going to make a radical adjustment. Shining is a journey. There is something about suffering and staying the course that brings a blessing that nothing else can. Suffering is a time to shine for your own benefit. We should pray for one another. Pray that we would shine in suffering.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 07/07/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. Respect is a key to healthy ministry. Leaders must respect those they lead. Respect means we recognize their service. Acknowledge everyone's hard work. Recognize that spiritual leaders carry burdens that others do not understand. Hold spiritual leaders in high esteem with loving regard. Respect means to prioritize peace. Keep the main thing the main thing. Keep the good news of Christ central in all you do. Contribute to a nurturing atmosphere. Respect means to personalize application. Focus on God's goodness. Make it personal. Look for God to speak to you. Yield to God's transformative presence.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 06/30/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. God gives us tools for overcoming anxiety. God gives you knowledge. The knowledge that God is in control. The knowledge that God is faithful. God gives you an identity. You are a child of the Light. To live your new identity as a child of God, you give attention to what's important and trust God's faithfulness, love and hope. God gives you belonging. You belong to Jesus. You have everything you need if you are trusting in Christ. We will be together with Jesus.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 06/23/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. What happens to believers when they die? They follow the pattern set by Jesus. They are given special priority during the rapture, Their bodies are resurrected. They will be reunited with loved ones. They will be in the presence of Jesus. The future brings us present comfort. The destiny of the believing is the hope we long for in Christ. In Christ there is an abundance of hope. Christians grieve, but we grieve with hope.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 6/16/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. Listen as Pastor Steve speaks on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 and the beauty of values. The beauty of values are they are beliefs that you own. Values are beliefs that cannot be forced. Values are beliefs that can be adopted. Values are beliefs that steer our life. Some values belong to Christ followers. We value personal growth. We value the Word of God. We value being set apart. We value God's gifts. We value respectability and respectfulness. We own these values more and more. Living them out will become more and more natural. Being set apart will become warmly familiar. Cherishing God's good gifts will become non-negotiable.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 06/09/24 by Pastor Steve Shields Do you have a lot of friends? Close ones? Do you find your relationships satisfying? Listen as Pastor Steve speaks on 1 Thessalonians 2 :17-3:13 on how to live meaningful friendships.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 06/02/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. To have a life of meaning you need to live intentionally, undauntedly, authentically, compassionately, responsibly, encouragingly and earnestly. Listen as Pastor Steve speaks on 1 Thessalonians 2 on how to live a life of meaning in the everyday.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 05/26/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. There are three marks of salvation in 1 Thessalonians. They are a deep conviction, a significant change and a notable influence. Listen as Pastor Steve goes into detail on these three marks of salvation.

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 05/19/24 by Pastor Steve Shields. How do we respond to the world's evil? We can respond emotionally. We can respond rationally. But, we need to respond from the right place. How do you respond from the right place? Remember what kind of person you are. You are a church person. You are an important person. Jesus would have come and died for you even if you were the only person. You are an inspired and inspiring person. When you choose to live in hope, you risk disappointment. When you choose to give into despair, you guarantee it. Remember the kind of God you worship. A God who loves you. A God who chose you. A God who is transforming you.