Living The Message

We’ve heard that we’re children of God, but why is it so hard to live as a child of God? Why can that identity feel elusive? In this final conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric wrap up our series on Identity Traps and look to what's next for the podcast. They also address key questions from the sermon, including: Can you define orphan-heartedness again? (0:40) Question from the audience—Deborah asks: “I am an educational psychologist/therapist, and I can tell you 95% of the cases I see boil down to an identity issue. Even when we know this information in our head, why is it so difficult to get it in our hearts? Is it the conflicting messages of the world just so loud that it drowns out the truth? It just seems we have such trouble applying this spiritual reality in our lives.” (3:54) Have you known anyone who truly lives like a child of God? (17:15) Are there any practices that you would recommend for developing that “child of God heart”? (20:39) As we wrap up our series, what changes are we looking forward to in the future? (25:18) Sermon for this episode: https://youtu.be/uXJlc0k2gpU For more info about The Moody Church, visit https://www.moodychurch.org/im-new  

We all want happiness, but it always seems to be just around the corner. How can we ever find the satisfaction our hearts long for? In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss Solomon’s identity trap, seeking satisfaction through possessions. They address key questions from the sermon, including: What was King Solomon's identity trap? (1:10) David was preparing for the temple, so did that help with lead time for Solomon? Should we make a big deal about it taking so long? (2:24) Do you have to be wealthy to be consumed by your possessions? Or is this an identity trap that can apply to all economic demographics? (7:14) If you are wealthy, how should you steward that? How should Solomon have stewarded his wealth? (9:44) What does it look like to live with open hands? (15:20) Solomon seems to be making people into possessions. Can you comment on how we might commodify people today? (20:36) What resources in the gospel help us with this deep identity need for satisfaction? (24:16) Sermon video is available here: https://youtu.be/5YAN8W5X9bw  Questions for Living the Message can be sent to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org  

Are you a control freak? Is your greatest fear being out of control? In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss the identity trap of seeking satisfaction through power. They address key questions from the sermon, including: What is Naomi's core identity trap? (3:30) Are there other ways we look for satisfaction through power? (6:58) How do we know if we’ve fallen into this identity trap? (10:19) Question from the audience: How does Levirate marriage work in practice, and does the relationship between Ruth and Boaz follow that pattern? (14:21) What resources in the Gospel help us with this deep identity need for satisfaction? (23:10) Watch the sermon for this episode here: https://youtu.be/VV5A1MnwKl8 Questions for Living The Message can be sent to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org  

When will you be happy? We’re all looking for happiness, but where do we find it? In this episode, we explore a how to find a happiness that satisfies. In this conversation Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss the identity trap of the Samaritan woman at the well. They address key questions from the sermon, including: What was her identity trap? 0:39 Remarkably, the Samaritan woman seems glad that Jesus knows her past. Why does she respond with gladness to Jesus when her sins are exposed? 1:30 Are there other ways we look for satisfaction through people? 7:47 How do we know if we’ve fallen into this identity trap? 9:08 The disciples were probably caught off guard seeing Jesus talk to a woman alone, let alone a Samaritan woman! But v27 says they held back their questions, what do you think the trap they’re avoiding is? 12:48 What resources in the Gospel help us with our deep identity need for satisfaction? 16:00 What practical advice would you give someone who are struggling with finding satisfaction through people? 19:57 Sermon for this episode: https://youtu.be/MaEPHfIBbT0 Questions for Living the Message can be sent to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org  

Where do you turn when you’re in a bind? Naaman was a wealthy general who turned to his possessions to get him out of difficult situations. But in the end, he found that true security must be provided by God. In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss how we can fall into the identity trap of seeking security through possessions. They address key questions from the sermon, including: What is Naaman’s identity trap? (1:10) Are there other ways we look to possessions for security? (4:35) How do we know if we’ve fallen into this identity trap? (7:50) In Naaman’s story, God works in some very strange ways, some of which seem like amazing coincidences that work out perfectly. What should we make of this? (11:05) Why did Naaman want to buy-out his healing? (16:26) How can our hearts become resistant to grace? (21:49) What resources in the Gospel help us with our need for security? (25:36) Sermon for this episode: https://youtu.be/N9qLdSDDJRo Questions can be submitted to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org  

What security blankets are you holding onto? Stay tuned as we learn how to let go of our security blankets and take hold of our security in Jesus. In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss Gideon’s identity trap: seeking security through power. They address key questions from the sermon including: What is Gideon’s identity trap? (1:20) What common ways do we look to power for security? (5:40) How do we know if we’ve fallen into this identity trap? (11:35) How are the fleeces in Gideon's story about power? (14:20) What would you say to the person putting out fleeces to get an answer from God? (17:16) How do we get out of the trap? (21:45) What resources in the gospel help us with our deep identity need for security? (25:55) The sermon for this episode is available at: https://youtu.be/7WqutXKK6YY Questions for living the message can be emailed to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org.  

Do you struggle to be yourself around others? If so, you may have fallen into the identity of trap seeking security through people. In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss Esther’s identity trap. They address key questions from the sermon, including: What is Esther's identity trap? (3:58) Esther was looking to the king for security. Are there other common ways we look to people for security? (7:50) How do we know if we’ve fallen into this identity trap? (11:05) How do we get out of the trap? (15:25) What resources in the Gospel help us with our deep identity need for security? (19:45) The sermon for this episode is available at: https://youtu.be/cyauelwzMsI Questions for living the message can be emailed to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org  

In this episode, we discuss how Zacchaeus pursued significance through possessions. We addressed key questions from the sermon, including: What identity trap does Zacchaeus struggle with? What are the signs in our lives that possessions have a hold of us? What does this story say to those who have wealth and are pursuing generosity? Why are we prone to take God’s intimate knowledge of us for granted? What resources in the Gospel help us with our need for significance through possessions? The sermon for this episode can be found at https://youtu.be/eBlXsvO6IHs. Questions about Living the Message can be emailed to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org. 

Are you a control freak, or do you know one? In this episode, we discuss Jacob’s disposition to seeking significance through power. We addressed key questions from the sermon, including: What is Jacob’s identity trap? (0:40) How do we define power? (2:58) How does Jacob get out of this trap? (3:37) Are there other ways we can seek significance through power? (7:52) Is it OK to make things happen? How do we know if we’re falling into a power identity trap or if we’re just working hard to make a difference? (10:06) What are some practical ways to move out of the trap? (14:55) What resources in the gospel can we apply to this identity trap? (17:58) The sermon for this episode can be found at: https://youtu.be/Gz-UTb94qnc Questions for Living the Message can be sent to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org.  

Does approval from others give you a sense of importance? What are some practical ways we can avoid this identity trap? In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss the identity trap of finding significance through other people. They address key questions from the sermon, including: What is Joseph’s primary identity trap? (1:05) How does Joseph get out of the trap? (2:17) Is Joseph’s actions towards his brothers born out of sinfulness or shrewdness? (6:00) Why does Benjamin receive a greater share when Joseph knows his brothers are prone to jealousy? (11:11) What other ways can we seek significance and approval from others? (14:24) Our culture is dominated by platforms designed to pursue the approval of others. For those of us who struggle with this area of significance, how can we diagnose if we’ve fallen into this identity trap? (16:13) How do we get out of this identity trap? (18:46) What resources in the Gospel are helpful for us to apply? (22:04) What are some practical ways we can rid ourselves of things that get in the way of God’s approval? (25:35) The sermon for this episode is available here: https://youtu.be/8UZohML9_qo Questions for the podcast can be emailed to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org.

Who are you, and where do you get your identity? In this episode, we’ll find where we can get the greatest identity we can ever have.    In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss how to diagnose our own identity traps by mapping our hearts. We’ll discover a way to determine who we are, how we’re wired, and how we can stay on track with our God-given identity.    They address key questions from the sermon, including:    1) How would you define identity?  (1:39)   2) Why is talking about an identity important? Can't we just repent, believe, and move on? (4:30)   3) Is it wrong to want significance, security, and satisfaction? (9:50)    4) What is the right way to pursue them? (11:45)   5) Is there hope for getting these three things in the right way while on earth? (15:23)   6) What’s the first step we can take for moving towards our true identity? (21:05)   A graphic map of our hearts used in the sermon is available at: https://moodyaudiobucket.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/audios/2023/01/05143926/Mapping-Our-Hearts-scaled.jpg   To watch the sermon for this episode, visit https://youtu.be/brEuXtdLO4I   Questions for Living the Message can be emailed to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org. 

Away from the manger...our little Lord fled. The Christmas holiday holds such incredible beauty, but the original story is also filled with deep brokenness. How can we reconcile these two competing themes?   In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt and how that event can help us deal with post-Christmas letdown. They address key questions from the sermon, including:    1) What does Jesus’ exile to Egypt teach us today? (5:11)   2) How should this truth affect us who may live a life of relative ease? (9:13)   3) Jesus was despised. How we think of family and friends who think we're backwards and simple for being a Christian? (15:20)   4) How does this passage help us to cope with Christmas letdown? (20:14)   Questions for Living the Message can be emailed to: livingthemessage@moodychurch.org   For more information about The Moody Church, visit: https://www.moodychurch.org/im-new

Who are the wise men, and how do we seek and follow God without a star to guide us? In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss the lessons of the three kings from Matthew 2. We also discuss important questions from the sermon including: Why is cultural context so important? (1:45) Is God still working today like that He was in the prophecies of the Old Testament? (8:45) How should we be seeking an invisible God today? (12:50) How should we follow God’s leading in our lives? (17:14) How do we live a life of listening, welcoming, and seeking? (22:30) For people who are seeking God, what does it mean if God appears to remain hidden to them? (26:00) Is Jesus seeking the lost, even if He knows their hearts aren't open? (28:47) How should God's character—knowable, findable, receivable—impact how we approach evangelism? (30:40) Watch the sermon for this episode at: https://youtu.be/99Zj1iI6nLA Questions for Living the Message can be emailed to: livingthemessage@moodychurch.org  

When your dreams are shattered, how do you pick them up and give them to God? Joseph is a Bible character that doesn’t get a lot of attention in the Christmas story, but his courageous choices deserve high honor. In this conversation, we discuss how Joseph and Mary gave God their shattered dreams and found new hope for their future. We also discuss questions from the sermon, including: How would Joseph have understood the reference to the Holy Spirit in verse 20? (3:57) How do we give God our mess? (7:32) What’s the difference between trust, apathy, and avoidance? (11:30) How would Mary and Joseph been treated by their community? (16:10) What steps should someone take if their dreams are shattered? How do we give God our unknowns? (20:58) Watch the sermon for this episode at: https://youtu.be/Cj7wsdHaefw Questions for Living the Message can be emailed to: livingthemessage@moodychurch.org For more information about The Moody Church, visit: https://www.moodychurch.org/im-new

What do Taylor Swift, Herod, Spider Man, and the genealogy of Jesus all have in common? In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss Matthew's genealogy of Jesus and how to live out lessons from this unique historical time line. They address key questions from the sermon, including: How accurate is the genealogy timeline? Were any generations skipped over? (2:52) Who is your favorite super hero? And why do we love super heroes so much? (8:29) We all want to be the hero in our story, but always come up short of expectations. What should we do when we realize that we're not super heroes? (12:00) Why does our culture root for the anti-hero? (15:55) In an anti-hero culture, how do we help people to see the beauty of a real hero? (20:25) Would Jesus be a better hero if he didn’t have to die? (25:10) Watch the sermon for this episode at: https://youtu.be/D9hXivAT_j8 Questions for Living the Message can be emailed to: livingthemessage@moodychurch.org For more information about The Moody Church, visit: https://www.moodychurch.org/im-new

Just like Jonah, God has sent you to your city. How do you share the heart of God for your city? In this conversation, Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric discuss big takeaways from the Book of Jonah. The core message of Jonah is about cultivating a heart for people who are far from God. God showed Jonah His love for the city of Nineveh, and he wanted Jonah to have a heart like that too. There are six major takeaways (3 Do's and 3 Don'ts) for us to develop a heart for our own city: Don’t run the other way. (5:40) Don’t call down condemnation. (10:16) Don’t make it “Us vs Them.” (16:04) Do serve with sacrificial love. (19:54) Do speak grace and truth. (23:35) Do keep the Gospel central. (26:43) Watch the sermon for this episode at: https://youtu.be/WRNPG5CW0BU Questions for Living the Message can be emailed to: livingthemessage@moodychurch.org For more information about The Moody Church, visit: https://www.moodychurch.org/im-new

Nineveh greatly needed God’s forgiveness. What if we’re more like Nineveh than we realize? In this conversation, Pastors Philip and Eric discuss Jonah 3 and the topic of repentance. They answer important questions from the sermon, including: In what ways are we like Nineveh? (2:45) What’s the difference between repentance, sorrow, and fear? (9:02) Why would the king of Nineveh have herds/beasts also wear sackcloth and fast? Is it because the image of such creatures also represented their other (false) gods? (13:48) What’s the difference between an individual’s and a community’s repentance? (17:34) What lies do we tell ourselves that keep us from repenting? (27:10) Watch the sermon for this episode at: https://youtu.be/2WMJengDPoQ Questions for Living the Message can be emailed to: livingthemessage@moodychurch.org

Have you ever felt far from God, distressed and overwhelmed? The story of Jonah teaches us how we can find our way back to God. In this conversation, Pastors Philip and Eric relate Jonah's distress in the belly of the fish to our need for redemption today. Key questions include: How can distress feed our faith? (1:42) How does scripture help us anchor our soul? (5:23) Why does Jonah say that he expect to see God in the temple? (8:38) How do we make idols out of good things? (12:22) How do we know if we’ve put our idols above God? (18:12) How can we pray, like Jonah, that "Thanksgiving, sacrifice, and salvation belongs to the Lord"? (20:10) If we've been running away from God, how do we yield and rededicate ourselves to the Lord? (22:44) Watch the sermon for this episode at: https://youtu.be/MWJ89RtNgGA Questions for Living the Message can be emailed to: livingthemessage@moodychurch.org For more information about The Moody Church, visit: https://www.moodychurch.org/im-new

Like Jonah, we all experience storms in our lives. How do we know if the storm is God trying to get our attention? In this conversation, Pastors Philip and Eric continue the discussion of our series through the Book of Jonah. We'll see that grace is holding out hope in God's call to come home. They cover key questions from the most recent sermon, including: Why was Jonah sleeping in the boat during the storm? (1:00) How do we know if we are ignoring God like Jonah did in this passage? (4:03) How do we know if a storm is intended to get our attention, or if it’s just a part of normal life? (7:18) How do we avoid a karma-like mindset? (10:30) What if the sin in your life doesn’t lead to a storm? (13:53) How do you help others see the storm in their lives? (19:56) Watch the sermon for this episode at: https://youtu.be/_5Z8p7kYvMQ Questions for Living the Message can be emailed to: livingthemessage@moodychurch.org For more information about The Moody Church, visit: https://www.moodychurch.org/im-new

Thousands of years ago, the prophet Jonah was sent by God to a a nation that didn't deserve a second chance. Jonah is a story that is often misunderstood and misread, but it holds some incredible truths for our lives today. In this conversation, Pastors Philip and Eric discuss our new series, Relentless, where we explore God's unrelenting grace for undeserving people. They address some important questions from the sermon, including: Why would God send Jonah to Nineveh? And why then? (1:45) Is the culture today irredeemable? (5:45) How can we grow in awareness of our prejudices? (9:35) Jonah’s a prophet. How did he think he could run from God? Do we do this and not realize it? (13:30) How do we know if God is calling us to something and we're running away? (20:33) Watch the sermon for this episode: https://youtu.be/0vPeiNRNv6Q For more information about The Moody Church visit, https://www.moodychurch.org/im-new. Questions for Living the Message can be sent to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org.