FCC Etown Podcast

Jesus never promised an easy life, but He guaranteed that He would be with us no matter what. So, when the fear comes and we, like Peter, feel like we are drowning, all we need to do is look up and find His hand waiting to pull us up and onto firm footing.

When you've been hurt and there's bitterness and you want to hold a grudge, the way of Jesus is forgiveness. And when it wakes you up at night, the answer is forgiveness. Rest is found in forgiveness. Forgiving someone doesn't mean that you invite them back into your life. Forgiving someone doesn't mean you set yourself up to be hurt again. The whole point of Jesus's way is to move forward, not to keep looking over your shoulder at the past.

There are numerous evangelism styles: In your face style, life story style, serving style, intellectual style, relational style, invitational style. Which style are you? Remember you don't have to be who you are not. But he has made you who you are so that armed with the power of the Holy Spirit the you that you are will be a powerful witness for him in your Jerusalem.

“Go and do likewise.” Jesus didn't say to sit and think about what I've explained. He said Go and do. From the story of the Good Samaritan, we can take away this reality: Unleashing compassion is almost always inconvenient; it's almost always messy. See the need and serve. Go and do likewise.

The Person/sinner/Tax Collector Matthew was loved and connected to Jesus. Matthew was not an outsider by his own doing. His career path and actions had disconnected him from his own people. His nationality had disconnected him from a government that paid him. But Jesus made all the connections work in the life of the disconnected.

Timothy is part of the world changers. Paul's fingerprints are all over the first century, the first years of the church, and the New Testament. Timothy and his generation of leaders are why we're still talking about it all. Timothy imitated Paul, who imitated Jesus. But some people imitated Timothy, and people imitated them and imitated them. We get to continue this great tradition of the faith.

Maybe you've been following Jesus for a long time and you're exhausted from your fight or you're struggling with friends leaving you or what people have said about you or you're dealing with something that is beyond what you can bare, remember that Jesus died so He may be with you in your suffering, and remember that He rose again and will redeem your suffering.

Holy is not a simple word. It's a weighty word, a heavy word. Holy isn't just an adjective. Holy means “Set Apart.” When you live for the purposes of God, you are set apart. You may have all kinds of plates spinning and other things that fill your days, but they are all under the umbrella that you have been set apart—you have a holy purpose, one worth living and dying for. And Paul makes it clear. Holy is not something there because of something you are or did. It is all because of Him. God is the one who makes you holy because of Jesus.

Even when there is a separation between how we want to live and how we've been commanded to live, even when we disagree with truth, there is love that continues to draw us closer and closer to Jesus. Truth doesn't call for hatred of those who aren't following the truth. Truth is a standard set in motion for us to obey. When my kids don't obey me, I don't hate them. I love them. I hurt for them, and I may even hurt because of their disobedience, but I continue to speak the truth and believe that the truth is still what's best.

The ability to look like Jesus doesn't take a program or an organized event. We're provided with moments, little moments, non-headline moments, to serve others. We are on mission when our lives reflect Jesus. When we serve others like Jesus served others in the little things and in the details of life, we are on mission. FCC seeks to be a place that serves others.

The aroma of love can brush by the senses of the people in the world, and we are drawn to it. Most of all, it is who God wants us to be. We love because he first loved us, and we honor him when we love. That fragrance is not just attractive to the world around us, but it's pleasing to God. This is who we should be.

Why do we love God, Why do we gather to sing songs, learn from his Word, pray to him and worship him in everything we do? From the moment we ever knew him he has been all of these roles for us. He is savior from the moment he is also creator and teacher. Most importantly he loved us first.

What does it mean to be first? Were we first in town? Are we #1? Or is first about service, witness, and mimics of Jesus? Through Jesus' teachings on connection and humility, we begin to see who we truly are and why we truly are.

This world tries to offer us hope through a lot of broken avenues and they all, every one of them, come up short of providing us sustainable hope. God is saying, "I promise I have something WAY better than the stuff of this world! You can't see it, but trust me!" When we think about heaven and think about it, we see the world differently. We start living as citizens of heaven, living for eternity. Heaven is not only our destination but our inspiration, our motivation. 

You are already blessed with every spiritual blessing. This is the Christmas Bonus Jesus provided for us all year round. It's not that God will give you what you need, but He already has given you these things. He has already blessed you with every spiritual blessing and it brought Him great pleasure to do so. So, this week, when you look in the mirror, remember how God sees you. Because that is who you really are.

Stop complaining and start delegating. Start letting go. Start leaning into the things that matter and release those that don't. And in that, you will receive the riches of life. I love this quote by Ben Stein. He said: “I cannot tell you anything that, in a few minutes, will tell you how to be rich. But I can tell you how to feel rich, which is far better. Be grateful. Be grateful about everything, and you'll feel a lot richer than the billionaires I know who are always moaning about everything that happens. It's the only totally reliable get-rich-quick scheme."

Who is that person who encouraged, supported, challenged, or lifted you up? If you were to sit down and write a closing to a letter and you wanted to pay tribute and honor to those who you are so grateful for, people who have brought great meaning to your life, who would they be? Think about it. Who would you thank God for? Is there someone out there who would write your name down?

The Word of God is not a burden or a task. When the seed falls on your life, does it take root and grow in you? When you spend time in God's Word -Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control, start to show up in your life. That's the goal. It's not about a quota of chapters or finishing the pages in a certain number of days. It's about letting the seed take root in you, even if it's just for a moment each day.

Ponder the achievement of God. He doesn't condone our sin, nor does he compromise his standard. He doesn't ignore our rebellion, nor does he relax his demands. Rather than dismiss our sin, he assumes our sin and, incredibly, sentences himself. God's holiness is honored. Our sin is punished… and we are redeemed. God does what we cannot do so we can be what we dare not dream: perfect before God. -Max Lucado

Baptism is the culmination of unwavering trust in Jesus. It is going all in with Jesus. After all he's done for you, it is your commitment and unwavering trust in him. This is not just a ceremony or some optional event. This is how Jesus asked us to express our belief in him.

Does forgiveness mean that you step right back into a hurtful relationship? No. Does forgiveness mean that you just forget what you learned from an experience? No. But you forgive because it was modeled for you and you forgive because forgiveness will set you free.

May we live uncommon lives filled with joy that exceeds our current circumstances. May we live uncommon lives filled with peace amid great uncertainty? May we live uncommon lives that cling to hope in the midst of fear? May we live uncommon lives for God's sake to draw a watching world to the hope we've found.

Men and women just like Peter who failed, had flaws and sins, and were shaky on their own, that God started and built his church. So many people just like Peter started to make sure people heard about Jesus, and all these years later, it's because of Peter and people just like Peter who were used by Jesus that the news of Jesus' grace has reached your ears right here at First Christian Church.

Faith in Jesus doesn't erase hardships. We still cry, we mourn at loss, and we are still saddened by our fallen world. But you can remind yourself that it will be okay. You will still be hurt. You will still be wounded. But we know that one day, our wounds will be healed because, as Isaiah 53 says, “by his wounds, we are healed.” Peter explains that an unshakable faith praises God, has a firm hope, and rejoices no matter what.

To be obedient to God's calling in our lives, it is essential we allow the big stones, the most important things, to go on our calendar first. Those things are spending time in God's Word, taking time to pray, being connected in community (Life Group), sharing with others by participating financially, and finally, serving and giving your greatest commodity, your time.

The story of Ruth is a beautiful story that could be an entire series in and of itself. But specifically, the story as it pertains to Boaz's role in her life and her pursuit of that relationship, gets very close to each of us. In the family of God, not only are we accepted, but through Jesus, we are redeemed. What Boaz did in marrying Ruth was more than just a moment of romance. It was a moment of grace.

Solomon's wisdom is the same wisdom and growth available in our lives. Just like Solomon, we have the opportunity to seek God's wisdom and allow it to shape every aspect of our lives. Wisdom is not a “static trait,” although it is dynamic in shaping our decisions, relationships, and perspectives. By pursuing wisdom, we too can experience a transformation that impacts not only our personal lives but also those around us.

The four-fold strategy for FCC and how we're going to do anything we're going to do is we're going to pray first, rely on the power of God, Keep our Eyes on Jesus, and Praise. How about that for you? Can you do it? Can you learn from this guy who was in a battle he never chose? Instead of panic, fear, or worry, will you pray first, rely on God's power, keep your eyes on Jesus even when you don't know what to do, and praise him for all he has done?

Liz Curtis Higgs wrote, “If God can turn a harlot into a holy vessel, entrusting her with the very genes that would one day produce the King of kings, surely those of us with a past can leave our shame in the rubble and walk away, fixing our eyes on the One who washes us white as snow.”

Human nature says I will do everything necessary to keep my hands on the wheel because I know what's best for me. But if we can get to a place where we recognize that we don't know best, God knows best, that would be a huge win. You may have to let him dislocate some things and quit pretending about who you are. He will take the real you, who you can be when you take your hands off the wheel and choose His way. He will take you who you are and bless you.  

Only you know your complete story; right now, it may seem like you're headed uphill. You may have something that feels like a no-win situation. Or you're in a wait-and-see moment where it is completely out of your control. You can't see or understand, but learn from Abraham-Faith never runs out of time.

Solomon wrote, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” (Proverbs 4:23-24) The more often we recognize how unevenly weighted our words are and how heavy our words are to my kids, the better we can avoid saying what we don't mean to say or letting our intent get lost. Mark Batterson writes in his new book, Please, Sorry, Thanks, “Your words create worlds.” However, we get to determine what those worlds look like.  

When we fall into old temptations, our natural inclination is isolation. We hide our mess. We cover our failure, but when we share the secret, the secret loses its power. Is it a risk to share your vulnerability with someone else? Absolutely. Is it even more risky to keep it hidden and let it grow? Absolutely. But this isn't about sharing your secrets with just anyone. It's about trusting people with whom you are in community.