God Centered Life on Oneplace.com

We've been looking at the external influences of buildings, traditions, worship styles, and other elements. Can we miss the internal priorities while sorting out the externals? This study moves to the heart of the matter, literally. Mark 7:14-23 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You may have heard the rhyme, “Here's the church, here's the steeple….” Have you ever thought about the role of a building as a part of a dynamic gospel church? We'll look into the influence a building can have in this study. Mark 7:1-13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How important is tradition in authentic Christianity? “That's how we've always done it.” Does that statement carry weight? We'll explore the value of tradition in this study. Mark 7:1-13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do church attendance numbers matter? Is the success of a church related to how many people show up? Or is showing up important for other reasons? We'll look at the essence of worship in this study. Mark 7:5-7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the core of your worship? Given that core, is someone else's preference of worship better or worse? Does it matter? We'll explore the foundation of worship in this study. Mark 7:5-7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What image does the word “hero” bring to mind for you? Perhaps you've heard the meme that “not all heroes wear capes.” In this study we'll be looking at a quiet hero, one who presents a challenge for all of us. Ruth 2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're in the middle of defining what it means to be a Pharisee. At the same time, we're learning about what it means to be an authentic Christian. Our study explores human tendencies both in and out of the church. Mark 7:1-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pharisees, those are the bad guys, right? Easy to spot, easy to boo at. But is it possible there are some in our church? Might there be one who shows up every now and then in our mirror? We're going Pharisee hunting in this study. Mark 7:1-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While it's not always easy, loving those within the church certainly makes sense and is a worthy goal. In our study today, we're being reminded that loving those outside the church is also on our agenda. Hebrews 13:1-6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Love one another.” No problem, let's jump in and get that done. Or, if we're even the least bit honest, we will confess that love is hard to do. We'll look at the Biblical support for the how and why of love in this study. Hebrews 13:1-6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“That's not the kind of worship I like.” Can you make that statement honestly if you really understand the purpose of worship? We'll try to untangle this quandary in our study today. Hebrews 12:18-29 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“What's your story?” Perhaps you've been asked that question. But have you ever done a “story inventory”? Is your story in need of a context check? We'll look at an example of someone who needed to adjust their story in our study today. Ruth 2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Perhaps you know someone who will quickly “jump ship” should a challenge show up. Relationships get bumpy, and away they go. Pursuit of a career bogs down, and off they go in a different direction. What happens when that mindset shows up in the church? We'll explore that question today. Hebrews 12:18-29 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grace is a gift. We know this. So, why does this passage talk about the need to “obtain” grace? We'll explore this question today. Hebrews 12:12-17 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The experienced runner who knows the distance ahead and how to win at knows the required pace. There's a spiritual parallel that we'll explore in this study today. Hebrews 12:12-17 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How many photos would you guess are taken each day that fall into the category of “selfie?” It's potentially a very big number. Is the selfie mindset found in how we do church? We'll dissect this question today. Hebrews 12:3-11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're handed a map which leads to an incredible home that's waiting for you. You hop in the car, toss the map in the back seat without looking at it, and start driving aimlessly. Seems a bit of a waste. Do we do the same with plans God has for us? We'll explore His plan in this study. Hebrews 12:3-11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It can seem like racial division continues to simmer just below the point of eruption. This may feel like a recent challenge. But our study today will be based on ancient racial division and will show us much about grace, hope, and an outstanding figure in God's texture of unlikely heroes. Ruth 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's very convenient to “attend” church online. We learned all about how to do web church during the pandemic. Can this type of church serve the same purpose as attending together in person? We'll explore that question today. Hebrews 10:25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There seems to be no end to discouraging news. Why can it be so hard to find positive news? Why is encouragement less of a default mode? And why, given all we have as believers, is that same concern applicable within the church? We'll explore this vital question today. Hebrews 10:25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our history defines us. This is a common idea with a great deal of truth to it. But as a believer living this way, are we overlooking a far more powerful defining force, found when we look the other direction, toward the future? We'll explore this question today. Hebrews 10:23 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We like options. Traveling to a new destination by car introduces the chance for the GPS to offer alternate routes. Has that mindset slid into the idea of salvation? Do we pursue holiness via various routes? We'll look at these questions today. Hebrews 10:22 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever done a vocabulary check? If you were to compare the dialog you use when attending church versus your language outside the church, would there be a disparity? This study will look at the possibilities of being mired in “Christianeze.” Hebrews 10:22 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Show me a single believer who hasn't been told that the best place to meet that special someone is church! Go ahead. I'll wait… Very common advice, and not without a great deal of merit! But what happens if that's as far as we go with church? What happens when we stop short of supporting a Biblical definition of the church? We'll explore that question in this study. Judges 20:12 - 21:25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keeping the main thing the main thing is sometimes not that easy. Distractions abound. Is that possible in the church as well? Are believers at risk of losing track of the core reason we gather? We'll wrestle with that question in this study. Hebrews 10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So many options as to how to spend our time on a Sunday morning. Yes, we should go to church. That's what many of us have heard over and over again. But do we have a strong handle on the “why” of church participation? We'll explore that question in this study. Hebrews 10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is one of the unifying conditions amongst us all in this hyper-speed world. Burnout. Yes, our stressors may not be the same as Elijah's on Mt. Carmel, but they are still very real. What can we learn about renewal and provision from the exhausted prophet under a broom tree? We'll look at this question in our study. 1 Kings 19:1-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“I love tests!” said no one ever. Tests can be stressful, but as we'll see in our study today, they can also be pivotal points in our faith journey. Daniel 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unity shines out in a divided community. This is true. But is the horizontal the only plane on which unity is important? An important question is asked in this study. Philippians Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Faith is an individual walk. Salvation is an interaction between one person and the Holy God. That being the case, what is the role of church? How important is the process of gathering together? We'll explore that question in this study. Judges 20:12 - 21:25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It makes sense that a unified church will make an impact on those looking in from the outside. The theoretical power of unity is easy to see. The practical application of this idea though, that's a completely different story. After being told to be unified, we need to look for the power to do so, and we'll do that in this study. Philippians Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes, you just get tired of people telling you to “be happy.” Often times, not matter how hard you try, joy can seem so elusive. So, when the Bible tells us to be joyful, what's the formula that makes that possible? We'll look at this question today. Philippians 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“I work hard!” Fantastic! Have you ever stopped long enough to ask if your schedule is perhaps a bit too important to you? Another honest look inward in this study. Nehemiah 13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We love a good hero story—just at the right time a sacrificial act saves the day. The problem is, even our greatest heroes can also have really bad days. Our study today reminds us that even our greatest heroes need to be looked at honestly, so that we remember the ultimate source of good in our lives. Nehemiah 13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If a carpenter knows all the best practices for construction, but never actually builds anything, is he still a carpenter? If we possess all kinds of knowledge about being a Christian, but there is no change in our lives, what does that say about the reality of our faith? We'll pursue the practical application of God's Word in today's study. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're asked to identify the root problem that has made our communities less safe, what is your de-facto response? Politics, poverty, racial division, lack of resources… all leading candidates in the answer category. Our study today suggests a different core issue for our current lack of safety. Judges 19:1 - 20:11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it NOT mean to be a Christian? Ever asked yourself these basic questions? We'll head that direction in our study today. Nehemiah 10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“You should study the Bible.” You've likely heard that. But is study of the Bible the highest form of spiritual discipline? Or is there a deeper objective that should be in front of us? And how can that higher objective lead to joy? We'll look at these questions in this study. Nehemiah 8-9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the focal point of your church? What's the center? What's the driving energy? Seems like a simple question. Our study today highlights the importance of understanding what should be at the core of any assembly. Nehemiah 8-9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're constantly worried about how or what to pray, do you really understand prayer, or God? Is there a right and a wrong way to pray? We'll explore this very important question in this study. Nehemiah 4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you adamantly claimed the integrity of a footbridge across a ravine, but never used that bridge, would your faith in it be creditable? In the spiritual realm, does our faith really come to the forefront when we face challenges? Our study explores this question. Nehemiah 4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when you get rid of the king? Or any other authority figure? There's a lot of energy behind that idea these days. In today's study, we'll look at an example of what happens when authority is done away with. Judges 19:1 - 20:11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Confusion about what's possible is easy to understand. You may at times say, “I can do anything.” The reality is you can't. Or perhaps you say, “How could I possibly make a difference in this situation?” Have you limited yourself? Our study explores the difference between our potential and our potential with God. Nehemiah 1-2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's sad but true. Humanity, every single one of us, have moments of desperation. We don't anticipate it. We don't want it. But we all experience it. Our study today reflects on how an Old Testament prophet dealt with an unexpected and desperate situation. Nehemiah 1-2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you want to get a message across to someone you care about, do you find yourself repeating that message? That's what Paul is doing here as he wraps up his letter to the church in Galatia, and by extension, to us. Galatians 6:11-18 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Using all caps in messages today is considered shouting. If this passage were shouting, we might consider that motivated by the importance of what's being said. But could it perhaps be more about compassion? We'll look at the conclusion to Paul's letter in this study. Galatians 6:11-18 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever been given a house plant? If you think about it, you're also being given a task. Put a plant on the kitchen table and ignore it, and rather soon, the plant will expire. It needs occasional water. We've been talking about sowing. In this study, we'll get a bit more insight into what's involved in that sowing. Galatians 6:6-10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Conform. Ever heard that? Have you ever been told that conformity is how we keep the peace, especially in a church setting? While each situation is different, our study today looks at a character who embodies the complete opposite of conformity. And a character used by God. Judges 15:1-20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“You reap what you sow.” A familiar phrase, and one perhaps associated more commonly with bad seed or wild oats. Now that we've celebrated the work of faith alone in our salvation, Paul now circles back to address the place of sowing in our Christian walk. Galatians 6:6-10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The selfie… a photo, or a hint at one of the challenges of maintaining a vibrant church community? The Apostle Paul sets an agenda for a grace-filled church, and we'll explore that agenda in this study. Galatians 6:1-5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We evaluate peoples' character in numerous ways. One factor with strong influence is whether or not an individual follows through on promises made. If someone says they're going to provide, and then fails to provide, our opinion of them is affected. Today's study explores the danger of that skepticism leaking into our spiritual life. Galatians 5:19-26 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices