Many of us have tried really hard to change things in our life - patterns, relationships, personal goals, etc - only to discover that we just don’t have what it takes. It can be frustrating to want to be better or to figure out what this life is really for and feel like we're getting nowhere. Where can we find real help? In part one of "Come As You Are", Pastor Joe teaches us that no matter what our struggles are, and no matter what kind of experience we've had with church or with God, Jesus wants to help us in EVERY aspect of life. We are welcomed into a relationship with Him just as we are!
Church should always be a safe place for people to learn, heal, and connect with others. But what happens when people in the church cause others harm? What about when leaders in the church use their power to deeply hurt people? In the finale of "Scary Church", Pastor Joe tackles the sensitive topics of church hurt and spiritual abuse, and teaches us how we can prevent it, as well as find healing when it does occur.
Your thoughts are your own, but there are two outside "voices" that can offer help or harm in our head. How is that possible? And how do we know when the voices in our head aren't our own? In part three of "Scary Church", Pastor Jordan teaches us who else can influence our thought life, and how to protect our mind from spiritual attack.
When we open the Bible we see some pretty gruesome passages about animal sacrifice, drinking Jesus' blood, and eating His flesh... what are we supposed to DO with all that? Does God require things of that nature in order for us to be saved? In part two of "Scary Church", Pastor Joe tackles these often confusing topics to bring to light why blood is such an important part of Christian culture.
In a world with so many different religions, ideologies, and contradicting belief systems to choose from, how do we know which are helpful and which are harmful? How can we tell if we or our loved ones are involved in a cult? Could New Life be considered a cult? In part one of "Scary Church", Pastor Joe clearly defines what cults are and whether or not the Christian church falls into that category.
When we commit our life to Jesus by putting our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord, we automatically become influencers in this world. If every Christian influences others for Christ - either positively or negatively - how do we make sure we're on the positive side? In the finale of "Influencer", Pastor Joe teaches us how to live in response to God's love and grace so we can change the world around us.
We need to talk... literally! We're called to share the good news, so why does it feel so hard to do sometimes? Whether you're trying to "talk faith" with your friends, coworkers, siblings, parents - or strangers! - this episode will empower you with easy tips to have genuine and enjoyable conversations about Christ with everyone. Forget the scary, forced, and awkward conversations, and get ready to spread the good word, good vibes, and start meaningful conversations!
We may think that sharing the good news about Jesus is just for pastors or people in full time ministry. But if that were the case, many people would never hear the truth about God's love! So what part can WE play in being influencers to those around us? In part three of "Influencer", Pastor Joe teaches us that rather than waiting on God (or pastors) to influence people, ALL of us must say YES to His command to "go".
It's easy to assume that our circle of influence ends once we get a certain distance away from where we live. But what if God has actually called us to reach people on the other end of the earth? How can we make a difference there? In part two of "Influencer", guest speaker Dr. Ricardo Gomez and his wife Beth teach us how our influence doesn't have to end in our neighborhood, city, or country - we can influence people all over the world!
Influencers are people we recognize as having power over people in a certain way. We often think that it's only OTHER people who can do this - but what about US? Does what you do and say really impact those around you? Um... yeah! Discover the reach of YOUR influence in part one of our series "Influencer". Pastor Joe teaches us how we ALL have the power to influence others for good when we live out of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Whether or not we have children of our own, we should ALL be concerned about the next generation. Each of us holds a special role in influencing the kids, teens, and young adults in our lives, but what does that actually look like? How can we make a difference in their walk with Christ? In this special one-part message, Pastor Joe partners with Children's Ministries Director Stephanie Rogers and Teen Ministry Director Katie Foster to teach us the importance of pointing the next generation toward Jesus no matter what level of influence we have over them.
This world is filled with convenient systems that make instant gratification seem like the most important part of life. Fast food, one-click online ordering, endless scrolling through social media... we don't have to WAIT for anything! Do we really need to have self control? What happens if we don't? In the finale of "THRIVE - The Fruits of the Spirit", Pastor Derek teaches us how controlling our flesh will have a massive impact on our lives, as well as the lives of those around us.
When you think of the terms "gentle" and "meek" do you naturally view them as a weakness, or a strength? Although we may have our own opinions of those definitions, what is SPIRITUAL gentleness, and why does God ask us to live in it? In part nine of "THRIVE - The Fruits of the Spirit", Pastor Jordan teaches us the importance of true gentleness, and what it looks like by observing the life of Jesus.
Faithfulness may typically be a term we use while discussing commitment in serious relationships or marriage - but what about in our walk with God? Who or what are we most faithful to, and is it possible to be faithful when things don't go our way? In part eight of "THRIVE - The Fruits of the Spirit", Pastor Brandon teaches us that understanding and accepting God's great faithfulness to us allows us to be faithful to Him in return.
When we hear the word "good", it normally makes us think of things that are positive and happy - because goodness should always FEEL good, right? Well the answer may surprise you! In part seven of "THRIVE - The Fruits of the Spirit", Pastor Brigitte teaches us that although God's love is always good, sometimes His goodness means we must do or experience things that are difficult.
The topic of kindness may seem pretty straight forward... just 'don't be mean', right? But what if there's more to it than that? Where does kindness actually come from, and how do we make it our default setting toward others? In part six of "THRIVE - The Fruits of the Spirit", Pastor Jon teaches us that kindness is active, not passive - and that when we treat everyone with kindness, we reflect the very character of God to the world.
Every day is filled with opportunities for us to lose our patience when things don't go our way - including our relationships. Depending on how our heart, mind, and spirit are in each moment, we may respond in MANY different ways to frustrations and hurts that challenge us. How can we have a godly attitude when life tests us? In part five of "THRIVE - The Fruits of the Spirit", Pastor Jordan teaches us that responding with patience in all situations IS possible - but it has some spiritual prerequisites.
There are many "solutions" out there that offer us temporary peace when we feel overwhelmed and stressed from the chaos of life. But is there a way to have peace for longer than a few hours? Does deep, lasting peace come from the outside, from us, or from somewhere else? In part four of "THRIVE - The Fruits of the Spirit", Creative Director Heather Vestel teaches us that God promises a peace that surpasses ALL understanding to those who follow Him.
Joy and happiness are NOT the same thing. Happiness is a feeling we experience when circumstances go our way - but what happens when they don't? What is joy, and where does true, lasting joy come from? In part three of "THRIVE - The Fruits of the Spirit", Pastor Joe teaches us that there is only one never-ending source of joy - and it's not something that we can manufacture ourselves.
Love is one of those topics where everyone you meet could give you a different definition based on their personal feelings, experiences, and opinions. But how do we REALLY define love? And how do we know if we're doing it right? In part two of "THRIVE - The Fruits of the Spirit", Pastor Jon teaches us that we can only understand what love is when we look at God's character and live out of an overflow of His Holy Spirit in us.