First Assembly NLR Video Podcast

"...and He will give you the desires of your heart." One of the most quoted verses in the Bible...but what if it's also one of the most misunderstood?  In this sermon we will discover how we can apply this promise.  It could change your life!

God has a plan for each of us--including our kids. Whether or not you have children of your own, you likely have influence in the life of a child. Raising others to know and follow Jesus is an awesome privilege--and responsibility. In this message we will tackle a promise many parents cling to when their kids are far from God, but it's really a promise for all of us!

People have a lot of questions, doubts and misunderstanding about God. But, this is the biggest one of all. This is the question people who don't know Jesus wrestle with. And - to be honest, this is the question people who do know Jesus wrestle with. It's a tough one - "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

No matter what stage of life you're in, you have plans for your future--where you'll go, what you'll do, who you'll be with. But what if those plans don't work out? Or, what if your plans turn our to be no good at all? Thankfully God promised He has plans for you, too--and they are good!

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Jesus has promised to be our good shepherd.

We continue "God's Promises," by looking at an incredibly encouraging promise made by Jesus--you don't have to walk in darkness, but can walk in light. It's absolutely life-changing!

God promises that He has a plan for our future, and that includes the future of our nation. This weekend, we will look at one of God's promises that includes specific actions and behavior on our part, in order to see the nation strong and healthy. We will look to God's word to define the position of our hearts and guide our interactions with others. It's not a message you want to miss!

What began twelve months ago as a staff discussion about which of God's promises meant the most to us has turned into what could be the most encouraging year you've ever spent in church! This weekend, we start a year long series on God's promises. Get ready to be encouraged as we learn and memorize a new promise of God each weekend here at First NLR!

Why should you forgive, when the hurt may not even be your fault? Shouldn't the offending person make the first move? This weekend, we'll take a look at Scripture to determine why forgiveness is not only a good idea--but imperative for every believer. 

Forgiveness is a practice at the heart of our faith. This weekend, we'll start a new series on forgiveness by exploring what it means--and doesn't mean--to forgive.

As a church family, we understand that because every soul matters to God, every soul must matter to us. But, what does that look like in everyday life? This weekend, we'll look at practical ways of applying this guiding principle to your life.

"Every Soul Matters to God" is a phrase you hear a lot around here.  ESMTG. We print it on t-shirts, cups, pens--everything imaginable!  But, it's more than a catchy saying.  It is a core value.

In today's sermon, Pastor Rod recounts the story of the prophet Elijah at an incredibly low point in his life. It is a model for overcoming discouragement and depression.

Naaman's is the story of an unexpected miracle and an unexpected hero. Even if you have heard this story before, you might be surprised!

Pride comes at a high price. In this sermon we will study one of the most prideful men in the Old Testament - King Nebuchadnezzar.

Pastor Rod Loy sits down with missionaries Derek and Tammy Walker to discuss their important work in Africa.

Do you ever feel like God isn't making sense? In this message, we study the story of a man who obeyed God even when it didn't make sense.

Every family is different, and sadly, today we see a lot of families who have ongoing conflict! This weekend we study one of the most famous stories from the Bible surrounding conflict within the family, and learn how to end those family feuds. It's time to resolve conflict biblically and bring unity to the family.

In this new series called "Great Bible Stories", we look at Josiah, the youngest boy to rule Judah. It is an encouraging message that will remind us that we are never too young to be used by God.

We conclude our series "Teach Us To Pray" with the last line of the Lord's prayer. It is a powerful lesson on how to maintain a healthy God-dependence, recognizing that everything we have and everything we are comes from Him!

"and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..." In a society that normalizes sin, how do we recognize temptation? How do we prepare ourselves for battle and ask the lord to give us strength to stand against temptation? Today we look at the fifth line of the Lord's prayer as Pastor Rod breaks down how to pray this way.

Forgiveness isn't an easy subject, but it is an incredibly important one. In the fourth part of his Teach Us To Pray series, Pastor Rod will discuss the key components of one of the toughest lines of the Lord's prayer. "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors..."

We continue our series, Teach Us To Pray, by looking at the third line of the Lord's Prayer which asks us to depend upon God for our daily needs. Pastor Rod's message will challenge you to let go and fully depend upon God for the strength you need.

We continue our series, Teach Us To Pray, by looking at the second line of the Lord's Prayer. Pastor Rod will break down this powerful sentence, teaching what it means to seek after the will of God, allowing Him to be in control. #FirstNLR #RodLoy #TeachUsToPray #ESMTG

All followers of Christ should make the pursuit of the presence of God their first priority. Powerful blessings accompany Gods presence. In this message, Pastor Rod finishes our series on worship by talking about preparing for the presence of God.

King David made a big mistake when he tried to bring the arc of the covenant to Jerusalem the first time, and he learned a hard lesson. Pastor Rod teaches us how we can learn about effective worship through Kind David's second try. David got it right that time, and we can too.

King David, on a mission to bring the Arc of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, made a mistake in judgement that separated him and his people from the presence of God. In this message, Pastor Rod teaches how David's mistake and later his realization is a lesson to all of us about the great value of staying in the presence of God.

If you grew up in church, you probably were taught about the story of The Good Samaritan. What was Jesus really trying to teach us from this parable? What does "love your neighbor" mean to a follower of Jesus?

Watching the way we live, it appears we believe "My life consists of what I have -- my stuff."  Jesus warns us about the dangers of a life consumed by greed in a parable that you may not have heard before.

One of the most confusing stories Jesus told was the parable of the talents.  In this message Pastor Rod reveals how Jesus's story illustrates God's approach to his resources and our responsibilities.

From one of Jesus' parables we learn that God loves everyone and heaven celebrates when someone makes the decision to follow Jesus. From another story, we learn that God seeks after those who are lost.

There is a seat at the table for you! You are welcome to be a part of God's family. Pastor Rod looks at an incredible story Jesus told and what it means for you.

Have you ever looked down on people who don’t have “as much of God" as you? Maybe you've seen someone who is new to faith and struggling with addiction and thought, “They just need to clean themselves up.” Pastor Brian teaches what to do if you struggle with spiritual pride.

One missing piece can ruin things.  A nine-thousand piece puzzle with one missing piece is worthless.  Sports teams, businesses, and relationships routinely fail because of some vital, missing element.  In this Easter message, Pastor Rod discusses the importance of finding that important, missing piece in our lives.

Missionaries Sam and Lisa Paris share their incredible stories from Vanuatu. You will be amazed at the incredible things God is doing on the islands. #missions #esmtg #firstnlr If you would like to give to these projects to further the ministry in Vanuatu, click the link below and enter your amount in the line "Vanuatu-NLR": https://app.securegive.com/firstnlr/north-little-rock/donate/category

What is the "right" way to be healed? Do miracles only happen if you follow a formula? Who has to pray if you want to be healed? Pastor Rod Loy walks through these questions and more.

Looking at stories from the Bible, Pastor Rod shares practical ways to care for someone battling long-term illness and things to remember if you are battling a long-term illness.

Pastor Rod begins our new series looking at stories from the Bible when people were miraculously healed by Jesus.

We finish our series on The Fruit of the Spirit with the final fruit, one that seems to be increasingly rare in our angry, out-of-control society: self-control.

Society doesn't often reward the gentle over the harsh or the humble over the judgmental.  It has even become common for Christians to match the world's harsh injustice with a kind of "righteous" harshness.  In this eighth lesson on the fruit of the Spirit, we explore the gentle attitude that Jesus expects of his followers.

What does faithfulness look like for the follower of Jesus? What is the evidence of a life of faithfulness? Join us today as Pastor Rod answers those questions in our series, Fruit of the Spirit!

The word "good" might be the most overused word in the English language.  We use it to describe our children's behavior, our food, even our dog.  To be "good" has come to mean "not bad", but in the scripture, good means much more.  In this message on the sixth Fruit of the Spirit, we learn what the Bible teaches about goodness.

One of the most difficult fruit of the spirit to develop is patience. As members of an instant society, it can be difficult to tolerate the the aspects of life that develop more slowly. In today's lesson we explore why patience is such an important fruit for followers of Christ to produce, and how we might cultivate patience in our lives.

In today's world peace can be a rarity - It doesn't have to be though! God wants us to experience the peace He can provide on a daily basis. Learn how you can have peace regardless of your circumstances. Share and Invite your friends who need peace.

We continue our study of the Fruit of the Spirit with a look at Joy. The Apostle Paul tells us that followers of Christ should be filled with the Joy of the Lord. How can we find and live a life full of joy?

This weekend, we start a brand new series "The Fruit of the Spirit." Each week, we will look in depth at one of the Fruits of the Spirit, and be challenged to grow. We kick off our study with the dominant theme in Paul's letters... love.

God created the church and it belongs to Him. Our goal is to please Him in who we are and what we do. Your quest and mine should be for a biblically functioning community - a healthy church that fulfills the purposes of a church as laid out in Scripture.

When starting a new goal, like running a marathon, losing twenty pounds, or writing a book, there are two important components - starting and finishing. Both are critical to success. How can we ensure that our goals for 2019 are successful?

Do you struggle with unhealthy relationships? Pastor Rod Loy concludes "Come to the Table" with some keys for recognizing harmful relationships.

Pastor Rod continues our series Come to the Table with a powerful message on God's Grace.