LW Church Podcast

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.

We're challenged to see ourselves as 'sent' Christians, carrying the extraordinary treasure of the gospel in our ordinary lives. The story of Peter and John healing the lame man at the temple gate in Acts 3 serves as a compelling reminder of our purpose beyond the walls of the church. 

Your faith grows best when you encourage others along in theirs. Discipling someone else doesn't have to be complicated; it is simply having relationships with Kingdom purpose.

We all have a story to tell. For those of us who are in Christ that story gets even better. We were not rescued so that we could stay saved and silent. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to continually share with a lost world the ongoing story of God at work in us and around us.

Someone or something is forming and shaping your life. What we are trying to do in this series is learn how our lives can be Formed by Jesus to honor him and impact the world. As we continue that learning today, we are focusing on how that formation happens through New Life.

Serving at Living Water lets you use your unique gifts, talents, and passions to make a real difference in the lives of those who attend our various ministry environments. It's also an opportunity to build meaningful relationships and witness firsthand how God is transforming lives.

Growth doesn't happen in rows, it happens in circles. We were created to be formed by Jesus in the context of community with others.

You are destined to be formed by Jesus and to become like him.

Often times we struggle to understand how faith works. We know it should look certain ways on the outside, but we aren't quite sure what is happening on the inside of us. This message explores some of what that process looks like as Christ works within us.

As we celebrate our Next Gen, we want to be mindful of the role God has given us to play in their spiritual development. We don't all have the same calling, but we all share an equal commitment.

From the beginning of Genesis, God has placed a direct deposit into every person's body. On top of that, every believer is given spiritual gifts by God to fulfill a purpose for their life. What are you doing with what you have been given?

As we start the New Year, our focus does not begin with what we do, but with what God has already done.

Our words matter. With them we carry the power of life or death.

Matthew's version of Christ coming to the World Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12-       Focus on the Magi and the journey they took to bring worship and honor to Jesus-       Contrast with the negative response of Herod when threatened  The decision we need to Make: -       Will you pursue the greater purpose Jesus has for your life?

In his sermon, Jason discusses how often our Christmas plans go awry and draws parallels to the unexpected circumstances surrounding Mary's miraculous pregnancy. He emphasizes that when God changes our plans, we can either embrace this change in faith or reject it in fear, highlighting the beauty of God's purpose over our expectations. Jason elaborates on how God's invitations often come at inconvenient times and may lead us to experience discomfort but ultimately guide us to something greater. He encourages us to trust in God's plan, noting that while our responsibility is to obey, the outcomes rest with Him.

The mystery of Christmas is not found primarily in the circumstances of the birth of Jesus, but in the identity of the baby in the manger. We must dare to ask, “Who is Jesus?” We must decide if we will reject him or revere Jesus. In this message on Philippians 2:5–11, we will learn:The Question We Need to Ask.The Baby We Need to See.The Decision We Need to Make.

The God of the universe became flesh and dwelled among us. He did this so that we could understand him, so that he could relate to us, and so that he could win us back!

Continue to study the book of Philemon as we explore additional methods and resources available for studying the Bible.