LW Church Podcast

This message dives into what Jesus really meant when He said in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Pastor Jason explains that mammon isn't just about money — it's a spiritual force that tries to convince us we can trust money to give us what only God can provide.He unpacks mammon as “that in which one trusts,” showing how it becomes a false god that promises security, identity, and happiness through wealth instead of through a relationship with God. Pastor Jason challenges us to see how subtle this can be — especially in a culture where chasing money is normal and even celebrated.The sermon highlights three serious dangers of pursuing mammon: it creates a constant cycle where enough is never enough, it drowns out God's voice in our lives, and it slowly pulls our hearts away from our first love — Jesus. In a money-driven culture like ours, this is a real and ongoing spiritual battle, where greed often hides behind words like ambition, success, or lifestyle.

This sermon explores the desire of King David to have his presence in the house of the Lord be the one thing he desired above all else. While the model of the temple worship no longer exists, the heart of being near to God, gathered with his people in the local church still remains a priority of God for all believers. There are a number of factors today that keep people from prioritizing church, but the reasons to stay connected with the Body of Christ are too great to ignore.This week also marks "Ownership Sunday", inviting everyone of participation at Living Water as an "owner" pursuing three commitments: to Grow- through large and small group interactions, to Serve- by letting God use you for His Purposes, to Give- by trusting God and stewarding every portion of your life including finances. 

In this sermon, Taylor Brown explores the story of Jesus healing the woman with the issue of bleeding from Luke 8, using it to teach about investing in people's lives. He emphasizes that true investment in others requires being willing to have our schedules interrupted, recognizing that people's problems matter, and understanding that every person has value regardless of their reputation or struggles. Through personal stories, including dealing with a troubled youth, Taylor illustrates how showing up for people in their darkest moments can plant seeds of faith, even when we don't see immediate results. The message challenges us to orient our lives around investing in the next generation and being available when others need us most.

Pastor Jason delivered a message about the danger of staying busy around Jesus rather than being close to Him, using the story of Mary and Martha from Luke 10. He emphasized that while Martha was distracted by many good things, Mary chose the one thing that mattered most - sitting at Jesus' feet and learning from Him. The sermon challenged listeners to examine whether anything in their lives gets more of them than Jesus does.

Pastor Mark addresses the question of whether God grades on a curve, exploring the difference between salvation by works versus salvation by faith. Using Galatians 3, he explains that we are made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ, not by keeping the law or doing good works. The message emphasizes that genuine faith expresses itself in action, specifically through baptism and putting on new spiritual clothes. He clarifies that while we are saved by faith alone, this faith naturally leads to transformation and obedience as expressions of gratitude, not attempts to earn salvation.

Pastor Jason teaches from John 9 about the blind man who was healed by Jesus, emphasizing that we often get so focused on 'how' things work that we lose sight of 'who' God is. The sermon addresses why many Christians (50% according to research) feel uncomfortable sharing their faith despite believing it's the greatest thing that happened to them. Using the analogy of hitting a 90 mph fastball - which is scientifically impossible but happens regularly - Pastor Jason illustrates how we shouldn't let unexplainable questions prevent us from sharing the undeniable truth of how Jesus has changed our lives.The blind man's simple testimony 'I was blind and now I see' becomes the model for sharing our faith. Rather than needing to be attorneys with all the answers, we're called to be witnesses who simply tell our story. The sermon concludes with practical tips for sharing faith and challenges everyone to write their three-part story: 'I was' (life before Jesus), 'then God' (encountering Jesus), and 'now' (life after Jesus).

Pastor Jason begins a new series called 'One Thing' focusing on how to keep God as the highest priority in life. Using Philippians 3:13-14 as the foundation, he teaches three key principles for maintaining spiritual focus: don't look back at past failures or successes, look ahead toward God's calling, and look around to choose the right influences. The message emphasizes that when we make God our top priority, He helps balance all other aspects of our lives. Paul's transformation from persecuting Christians to pursuing Christ demonstrates how God can redirect our passions for His kingdom rather than erasing them.

Rick explores what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus, challenging common misconceptions about discipleship. He emphasizes that discipleship is not merely about behavior modification or avoiding hell, but about surrendering our personal filters and agendas to follow Jesus completely. He identifies four major filters through which people view discipleship: upbringing, theology, politics, and personality. These filters can hinder true discipleship when they become more important than Jesus' teachings. The message calls believers to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and filter their beliefs through Jesus' teachings rather than filtering Jesus' teachings through their own beliefs.

This sermon explores the true meaning of joy during the Christmas season, distinguishing it from temporary happiness. Taylor shares a personal story about trying to find acceptance through fake designer shoes, illustrating how we often seek joy in worldly things that ultimately disappoint. Using Luke 2:10-11, the message focuses on the angels' announcement to the shepherds about Jesus' birth as a 'rescuer.' The sermon presents three key aspects of joy: redeeming (God's plan to restore our broken relationship through Jesus), rare (the unique gift of salvation that requires no work on our part), and relentless (supernatural joy that persists through all circumstances). He emphasizes that God chose humble shepherds to receive this announcement, showing that this joy is for everyone regardless of social status. Taylor concludes with a powerful story from Thailand about orphaned children who, despite their trauma, worship Jesus with incredible joy, demonstrating that true joy comes from our relationship with Christ, not our circumstances.

This sermon explores the deep human longing for peace, particularly during the Christmas season. Pastor Jason contrasts the temporary, circumstantial peace we often seek with the lasting, soul-deep peace that comes through Jesus Christ. Using Ephesians 2 as the primary text, the message emphasizes that true peace begins with being reconciled to God vertically before we can experience peace horizontally with others. The sermon explains that Jesus didn't just bring peace - He IS our peace, and this peace comes through trusting God rather than trying to control our circumstances.

This message explores the concept of hope during the Advent season, contrasting human wish lists with God's deeper gifts. Pastor Mark examines Isaiah 8-9, showing how the Israelites faced hopelessness during the Assyrian invasion but received God's promise of a coming Messiah. He explains that while we live in uncertain times with unclear futures, true hope isn't found in human enlightenment but in Jesus Christ, the light of the world. The message emphasizes that hope in the Old Testament meant waiting for God under tension (kavah), while New Testament hope is a living hope through Christ's resurrection. Hope is described as the expectation of coming good because of Jesus' person and promises, becoming most powerful when all human options are exhausted.

This sermon concludes a 12-week journey through the book of Acts, highlighting how the Holy Spirit transformed a small group of uncertain disciples into world-changing messengers. Pastor Jason provides a flyby overview of Acts chapters 11-28, showing three key themes: the Gospel moves through ordinary people (like those in Antioch), presses through opposition (Paul's persecutions), and travels from back roads to world capitals (reaching Rome). The message emphasizes that Acts doesn't end with a conclusion but with a comma - the story continues through us today. The sermon transitions into introducing the church's Christmas Give partnership with Seed Company to translate Luke and Acts into the language of an unreached people group in Southeast Asia, challenging the congregation to participate in continuing the Acts story through Bible translation.

This sermon explores Acts 10, the story of Peter's vision and his encounter with Cornelius, a Roman centurion. The message reveals how God refuses to be confined to our expectations and boxes. Through three scenes - Cornelius receiving a vision, Peter's rooftop revelation about clean and unclean foods, and their eventual meeting - we see that God works in unexpected people and places before we arrive. The sermon emphasizes that before God works through us, He must work in us, breaking down internal barriers like pride, cultural bias, and comfort zones. Peter's transformation from seeing the vision as about food to understanding it was about people demonstrates how God challenges our assumptions about who He can save and use.

Have you ever experienced a moment when life suddenly stopped you in your tracks? Maybe it was an illness, a job loss, or a relationship that ended unexpectedly. In those moments, it's natural to wonder if God is punishing us or if we've done something wrong. Saul was living what appeared to be a successful religious life. He was educated, respected, and zealous for what he believed was right. Yet he was spiritually blind, missing the very God he claimed to serve. When Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus road with blinding light, it wasn't an act of cruelty but of kindness. Sometimes the most loving thing God can do is interrupt our lives when we're heading in the wrong direction. That painful moment, that unexpected detour, that humbling experience - it might not be punishment but prevention. God sees what we cannot see and knows what lies ahead if we continue on our current path. Not every difficult circumstance is a result of our disobedience, and not every blessing is a reward for our good behavior. Life is more complex than a simple cause-and-effect relationship. But we can trust that when God allows disruption in our lives, He has a purpose that goes beyond our immediate understanding. The same God who stopped Saul on the road to Damascus is the same God who sees your life today. If you're experiencing a season of difficulty, consider that God might be wounding you not to harm you, but to wake you up to something better He has in store.

This sermon explores Acts chapter 8, focusing on Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch on the desert road. The message emphasizes how God uses persecution and scattering to advance His mission, positioning ordinary believers like Philip to reach people in unexpected places. Philip, who started as a food pantry worker, becomes an evangelist through simple obedience to God's direction. The Ethiopian eunuch represents those searching for truth, traveling great distances to understand God but needing someone to explain the Gospel.The sermon divides the audience into two groups: the 'Phillips' (believers called to share their faith) and the 'eunuchs' (those still searching for Christ). For believers, the key lessons are to look for people when God positions them somewhere, remember there's common ground at the cross regardless of differences, and trust that small acts of obedience can lead to big kingdom impact. For seekers, the message encourages them to recognize their spiritual hunger, invite others into their search for understanding, and realize they might be the start of something significant in God's kingdom.

This sermon focuses on Stephen from Acts 6-8, using his life as an example of what it means to walk with God. When walk with God, we begin to look like Him, act like Him, and move like Him. Stephen's story demonstrates how a life in step with the Spirit results in God flowing through us, even in the face of persecution and death. The message challenges believers to examine who they are walking with spiritually, as we become like those we surround ourselves with. Through Stephen's example of grace under pressure, forgiveness toward his persecutors, and unwavering focus on Jesus even unto death, we see a model of authentic Christian living that impacts others and advances God's kingdom.

This sermon from Acts 6:1-7 explores how the early church handled a significant conflict regarding food distribution between Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews. The apostles demonstrated godly leadership by addressing the issue head-on, involving the entire congregation in finding a solution, and empowering others to take leadership roles. Remarkably, the predominantly Hebraic Jewish congregation chose seven Hellenistic Jews to lead this important ministry, showing extraordinary unity and justice. The passage teaches that healthy churches confront conflict biblically, pursue unity and justice as kingdom priorities, and recognize that effective ministry requires the participation of all believers. When the church handles conflict well and pursues justice, it becomes attractive to outsiders and leads to growth in discipleship.

This sermon from Acts 5 explores the story of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied about their offering to appear more generous than they were, resulting in their deaths. The message emphasizes that God values authenticity over appearance and that purity must come before power in the church. The apostles, despite being imprisoned and beaten for preaching about Jesus, continued to obey God rather than human authorities, demonstrating that Christ sets us free not to sit back, but to stand up. The sermon challenges believers to choose obedience over opposition and to stop pretending while starting to walk in truth.

The early church experienced explosive growth from 120 believers to potentially 20,000 in Jerusalem, demonstrating a movement that transformed lives. This growth wasn't built on programs or buildings, but on people hearing the message and choosing to believe. When Peter and John were questioned about their power, they pointed to Jesus as the only source of salvation. The religious leaders were astonished that these ordinary, unschooled men had such boldness, until they realized they had been with Jesus. God specializes in using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things when they surrender their lives to Him and step out in faith.

The spread of Christianity has always been fueled by personal stories of transformation. In Acts 3, Peter and John demonstrate this when they heal a lame beggar who then leaps with joy in the temple courts, drawing amazed crowds. Our testimonies become powerful when we show the change Jesus has made in our lives, give Him the credit, and invite others to experience the same transformation. Whether dramatic or simple, every story of faith matters because it's not about how dramatic our past was, but about how faithful our Savior is. As believers, we are all 'sent people' whose personal stories and relationships become the primary strategy for building God's Kingdom.

In this sermon, Pastor explores Acts 2, focusing on Peter's Spirit-filled sermon at Pentecost. After the disciples began speaking in different languages, some onlookers accused them of being drunk. Peter stands up and explains that this is not drunkenness but the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy about God pouring out His Spirit on all people in the last days. Peter then presents four pieces of evidence about Jesus: His miraculous works that many witnessed, His crucifixion according to God's plan, His resurrection that fulfilled David's prophecy, and His exaltation to God's right hand. This powerful presentation of truth led 3,000 people to repent and be baptized, marking the birth of the early church. The sermon emphasizes that the Holy Spirit empowers believers to both speak truth boldly and receive truth that transforms their lives.

The Holy Spirit's arrival at Pentecost marked a pivotal moment in history, transforming how believers relate to God. This divine presence works through powerful symbols like wind (representing life-giving power) and fire (signifying purification and passion). The Spirit fills believers continuously, empowering them with spiritual gifts to glorify God and fulfill Jesus' mission. Rather than trying to control or manipulate the Spirit's work, believers are called to hunger for His genuine presence, allowing Him to bring unity, draw people to God, and transform lives from within. Through the Holy Spirit, God provides power, love, and self-discipline to accomplish His purposes in the world.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus started a movement to bring God's kingdom to earth, and today, we continue that work. After Jesus ascended, the disciples faced uncertainty and danger, yet they responded by gathering in an 'upper room' to pray together with one mind and passion. Prayer is essential for aligning ourselves with God's plans and preparing the way for His movement. By practicing the PRAY method (Pause, Rejoice, Ask, Yield) and moving from internal to external prayer, we can become an 'upper room' church that prioritizes seeking God's presence over the many demands of life. Prayer doesn't just change circumstances—it changes us and the world around us.

The Book of Acts, written by Luke, chronicles how a small group of fearful believers transformed into a movement that continues to impact the world 2,000 years later. It reveals Jesus continuing His work through the Holy Spirit-empowered church after His ascension. The disciples were instructed to wait for the Holy Spirit's power before beginning their mission, emphasizing that ordinary people need supernatural empowerment. Acts 1:8 outlines their mission to be witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, showing how God uses everyday people to share their personal experiences with Jesus. This story continues today through all believers.

Walking with the Lion of Judah requires a relentless pursuit of new life in Christ that goes beyond comfortable worship of Jesus as the Lamb. This pursuit isn't a scheduled activity but an attitude influencing our entire life. Many Christians struggle with following the powerful, challenging Lion because it takes us out of our comfort zones and requires submission. True power in the Christian life comes not through control or accomplishment but through submission to God and others in love. By stopping our self-definition through weaknesses and embracing submission as the pathway to power, we can experience the fullness of new life in Christ.

Living a relevant Christian life means sharing God's truth in ways that connect with today's world without compromising the message. It requires moving beyond religious rule-following to authentic relationship with God, willingly entering messy situations where people are hurting, avoiding getting stuck in outdated methods, and staying synchronized with the Holy Spirit's leading. Jesus demonstrated this perfectly by meeting people at their point of need while maintaining truth. Relevance isn't about being cool or trendy—it's about impact and effective communication that makes faith matter in people's real lives. By focusing on relationship over religion, entering life's messes, embracing new methods while preserving the message, and staying in sync with God's Spirit, Christians can live lives that truly matter.

This message unpacks what it means to be real in our faith—choosing authenticity over appearances and letting God's grace shine through our weaknesses. When we embrace authenticity, God not only transforms our lives but also uses our vulnerability to impact those around us.

Pastor Nicolas from Agua Viva explores the life of David to discover how God is preparing each of us on the mountain of life.

Brandon and Hallie Henson share their journey of fostering and adoption as we explore the potential of a new ministry at Living Water Dalton.

When life feels chaotic and our hearts are overwhelmed, where do we turn? In this message, Sara Taylor walks us through John 14:27, where Jesus offers His disciples a powerful and lasting gift: peace. Not the kind of peace the world gives—temporary and fragile—but His own personal, enduring peace. With honesty, humor, and relatable stories from everyday life, Sara explores what it means to receive Jesus' peace, trust His words, and actively guard our hearts from fear and anxiety. This message is an invitation to remember that we are not alone—and to take Jesus at His word, even when life feels anything but peaceful.

Often, like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we are drawn to the forbidden instead of appreciating the abundance God has given us. The scripture from Genesis 3 highlights this through the story of the Fall, where distrust led to shame and separation. The essence of this message is recognizing that God has set us up for success, offering us everything we need for life, yet He gives us the freedom to choose. This choice is at the heart of our faith journey. By choosing to trust God, we are invited into a life that transcends mere existence and propels us into thriving under His care. 

In this session of Open Mic, we're challenged to reconsider our understanding of salvation and our role in it. Drawing from Philippians 2:12-13, we explore the paradox of 'working out our salvation' while acknowledging that 'it is God who works in us.' This tension isn't meant to be resolved, but rather lived in.

Even when it doesn't seem like it, God is always at work. In our second week of Open Mic messages, we learn how to position ourselves to allow God to be at work on us and through us.

As Christians, we're called to a radical love that extends even to those who oppose us. This isn't just a suggestion – it's a fundamental aspect of following Christ. As we reflect on this, we're encouraged to align our hearts with God's, seeing every person as worthy of love and respect. This perspective shift can transform our relationships and our world. It's a call to break free from the 'us vs. them' mentality and embrace a more inclusive, Christ-like approach to all people.

In the final temptation of Jesus we see the pull to find a shortcut to get what we really want. Even though the end result might be the same, how you get there is important. Don't let compromise convince you to trade what is important for what is immediate.

One of the more subtle temptations that we face, especially if we have been around church for a while, is to fall into the habit of trying to assume what God should or should not do for our sake. In the second temptation of Jesus we learn that God doesn't have to prove himself to us and we don't get to use Him for our own benefit.

When Jesus faced his first temptation from Satan, the issue at hand was about a lot more than just getting something to eat. The stakes of the encounter tempted Jesus to undermine his faith that God can be trusted. The same is true for us whenever we try to meet a real need the wrong way.

Behind every temptation is a reality of what is really at stake and one main question. By learning to understand the root objective of temptation, we can be empowered to resist it.

As far as God is concerned the words that we speak have great power. The right word, spoken at the right time, can change someone's life for the good.  And the wrong word, spoken at the wrong time, can crush someone's spirit. Words can start a fight, words can start a war and yet words can reconcile and heal relationships.  Our words have disproportionate power.

This sermon explores the concept of "broken soundtracks" - negative, untrue thoughts that play repeatedly in our minds. Jason emphasizes the importance of identifying these harmful thought patterns and replacing them with truth from God's Word. We must actively engage in renewing our minds through reading Scripture, speaking declarations of truth, and singing praises to God. The ultimate goal is to align one's thoughts with God's truth and live out a life that reflects this renewed mindset.

Guest Speaker Larry Walkemeyer shares 5 characteristics of a river Christian.

As we celebrate Easter we learn that God placed us in the story to reveal His love demonstrated on our behalf.

A look at the cross of Christ through the lens of Mary Magdalene reveals a deep resilience in character that exceeds doubts, disappointments, and distractions.

Have you ever made a decision because of someone else? Wanted to do one thing but did something else because of others? As we continue our series Cross Examined, Jason teaches us about people pleasing by examining the life of Pontius Pilate, a people pleasing politician.

Have you ever been betrayed before? Betrayal hurts deeply. As we start our new series, Cross Examined, Rick teaches us about the worst betrayal of all time as we cross examine the life of Judas.

The heart of God is characterized by generosity. When we give Jesus access to our life, we give him access to our resources.