Motion Church

This is the Motion Church Podcast. Thanks for joining us. If you'd like more information about Motion Church, you can always visit our website at motionchurch.com. If you'd like to contribute to what God is doing here at Motion, you can do that at motionchurch.com/give. We hope you enjoyed today's message. Hey, so we're kicking off a new... There we go. Kicking off a new series today called Rock and Soul. Rock and Soul. Did you know that that's an actual genre of music? There are people that have kind of tried to... There was an album. I forget who it was. It's like in the 70s or 80s, like Simon and Garfunkel or something, you know? Anybody feel me on that? And then they came out with an album and it was called Rock and Soul. Not what we're talking about at all. We're talking about... We're gonna shift gears a little bit from kind of the format of our last series. We were very localized in terms of, you know, timeline. We're just looking at some of the stories from the life and ministry of Jesus and stories that demonstrated incredible faith and really enjoyed working. One of my favorite things to do is just kind of taking a passage of Scripture and just working through it, right? Kind of what does it say? What does it mean? How does it apply to us? What are some details that we're inclined to miss? Because we read... Sometimes I do this. Sometimes I just read it to read it and I miss some stuff, right? So I love working through a passage of Scripture like we did each week in that series. This series, we're gonna be all over the place. We are gonna be in Matthew today. We'll probably be in the book of Psalms next week and maybe the book of Exodus the next week. So we're gonna be all over the place. And the point is what we're gonna be doing is looking at in Scripture some of the references to rocks and the imagery and the symbolism and kind of the analogies that rocks have in terms of a spiritual connection to what it is that we're trying to accomplish as followers of Jesus. Makes sense? How many of you like rocks? Rocks are fun. Now, all the dudes, I promise you if we walked outside and there was a pile of rocks, we would pick it up and we would have a target competition, right? We're gonna hit... First one to hit the light pole wins. And for 30 minutes, because all of our arms are trashed these days, right? And then tomorrow we'd wake up and be like, "I don't know what's wrong with..." So we're gonna look at one of the many, some of the many, a few of the many references and illustrations pertaining to rocks in Scripture. Here's what I believe. I believe that anything that is repeated in Scripture is important. If there's a pattern that is repeated, it's for a reason. You're a parent. You know you repeat things that are important because they didn't hear it the first time or the third time or the 300th time. So you just continue to repeat things that are important. I think if there are principles that are repeated, it's there for a reason. It's important. If there is symbolism that is repeated, it also is important. There's got to be something to it, right? And I think that is very true as it relates to rocks. Did you know this... So it's funny when I was writing out my notes, I wrote offhand... This is verbatim what I said. I said, "Offhand, I would venture to say that there are over a hundred references to rocks in Scripture." So then I was like, "Well, I better fact check myself because somebody will do it if I don't." Right? I know y'all. And is somebody gonna call me out because you were wrong past... So I Googled it. And it said that there are roughly between 99 and 136 references to rocks in Scripture, depending on which translation you use. And you know, maybe this is a looser analogy or whatever the case was. So about 100, okay? About 100. And we're only gonna look at a few. You can thank me later. For the next two years, we're gonna be doing a series called Rock and Soul. Got a hundred messages lined out. We're good to go. So we're gonna kick off this week. We're gonna look at an analogy that Jesus uses that highlights the importance of rocks. Here we go. Title for today's message is a firm foundation. A firm foundation. Y'all know this. This is gonna be fun. Sometimes, I think the expectation sometimes when we go to church is like we're expecting to hear something we've never heard before. And I'll be very honest with you. Sometimes we just need to hear what we've already heard and do what we've already... Right? This is for me, right? It's not that I need to learn something new. I need to do better doing what I already know. That's what needs to happen sometimes. So the title is a firm foundation. The first point is, we're gonna call this one construction 101. Construction 101. I know a lot of you guys, guys and girls are kind of in construction industries or construction adjacent injuries. You understand injuries. It's football season. I already think about injuries, right? The construction industry connected like you understand. And if you have it, you've seen houses being built. You understand kind of some of the basic components of construction. We all probably understand how important a good foundation is to whatever it is that you're building. And that's the point that Jesus makes in Matthew chapter 7 verses 24 through 27. It says this. So just before we dive into it, it's the two paths, right? It's the two ways that you can choose to live your life. I think we think sometimes that there's a lot of different paths. And the reality is it's like, yeah, those paths may look different, but it's still the same path, right? You can take this road or you can take this road. One ends well, one not so well. Therefore, if it says therefore, preacher joke, you got to see what it's there for. Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, this is Jesus talking, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain descended. The floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it did not fall for it was founded on the rock. Founded on the rock is another way of saying what the rock was its foundation. So it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain descended. The floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell and great was its fall. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to break down both of those paths, right? But what does it look like when you build your house on the rock? What does it look like when you build your house on the sand? What are kind of some of the things that go into that? And ultimately, what is the outcome of that? And really, I hope through contrast, we can see which is the better path for us as if you don't know this. But sometimes again, just important to be reminded of things that we know. So we're going to break it down. You ready? Break it down. I thought you were going to start dancing. Break it down. Break it down. This is the first thing that Jesus said. Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, whoever hears these sayings of mine, that's where for us, for those of us who aspire to be wise people who build their house on the rock, it starts with hearing these words of mine. Now, specifically in context, what is Jesus talking about? The words that he just said, right? So Matthew chapter five, Matthew chapter six, Matthew chapter seven, it's a sermon on the Mount. And in terms of a sermon, best sermon ever preached, ever hands down, bar none, nothing even close, right? Just maybe the modern way to say it would be bars, right? Just so good. Matthew chapter five starts with the beatitudes, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the me, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. And then I'll be honest with you, like the back half of Matthew chapter five is tough. It's tough because he's like, Hey, I know this is what you've been taught, but I actually expect more of you. Like I know this is what you think about adultery, but I'm also going to teach you about lust. I know this is what you think about murder, but this is what I'm going to tell you about anger, right? Not that any of us struggle with those sorts of things, right? Not an angry person at all. Okay. Right. And so he gets into some stuff and he's like, Oh, those enemies that you've got, I'm going to teach you how to forgive them. That, that, that thing that people asked you how to do, I'm going to teach you how to go another mile. I'm like, why did you have to put all that stuff in there? Jesus, right? So it's such good, but challenging stuff, which is kind of the point. And we'll go over this a little bit more in detail at the end. The point for us, those of us who are aspiring to build our house on the rock, y'all, we don't get to pick and choose which sayings of Jesus apply to us or which ones we, we want to fit into our lives. The point is not for us to fit the teachings of Jesus into our lives. It's to fit our lives into the teachings of Jesus. Okay. And I look at, and not easy. Nobody ever said that it was, but worthwhile. It's building your house on a rock and it's something that will last. So he's specifically talking about the words that he just said, Matthew chapter six. This is how you give. This is how you pray. This is how you fast. Also stop worrying about everything. Look at the birds of the air. I take care of them. Look at the flowers of the field. I take care of them. What can you add to your life by worrying about all the things that you be out here worrying about? Right? It's good stuff. And in Matthew chapter seven, he's like, uh, you know, the, the ask, seek, knock, and then also our, our favorite, the judge, not list, you be judged, right? And then the two different paths, Matthew chapter Matthew seven, 13 and 14. He's like, Hey, there's a Broadway and there's a narrow way. And it's like your mama said, if everybody else was jumping off the bridge, would you jump off the bridge also? Right. And then he finishes with, you know, if you hear my words and you do them, you'll be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. However, I think it's safe to expand this to the other teachings, the life of Jesus, the example of Jesus. So anything that Jesus said, anything that Jesus did, I think it is safe for us to assume that when we hear that, when we see that we should do that. Okay. Very good. All right. So that's the simplest takeaway is, is the idea for us, I think bottom line, we need to be hearing the words of Jesus. Like whoever hears these words of mine, we need to hear the words of Jesus. You know why that's so important? Because we hear everything else. We hear everything else. Like just all the chatter and all the talk and all the, the criticism and all the negativity. We hear everything else. We hear the news. We, we, we read the articles, right? We hear the reels. We see the shorts. We hear the opinions. We hear the criticisms and what you better have, what you have to have, if you want to make it, if you want to build your house on something that's going to last is you better build your house on the rock. You need to hear the words of Jesus to give you framework, to understand everything else that you're hearing. I'm hearing it, but is it true? And if I hear the words of Jesus, I know what truth is. So I know that that's not truth. So that doesn't get internalized into my life. If I hear the words of Jesus and I know what's good and right and, and just in those sorts of things, then all of the other things that I hear, they don't have the same effect on me. It just gives us a framework. We need to be hearing the words of Jesus. That means we get into his word. We read the scriptures like personally, like it's not, listen, and y'all know this, but it's not the church's job to feed you. Y'all, if you're eating one time a week, like you're in trouble, you are not getting the proper nutrition. You should be eating all the time. Just eat, eat, right? Sorry, another football reference. Just like we got to be, we have to be, we have to be hearing the words of Jesus on our own. Listen to sermons. Like you're not going to hurt my feelings. I know there are better preachers out there. I listen to them too, right? Listen to people who are preaching the word of God, hear the words of Jesus, be in, come to church. Like we're going to talk about it here too. And that's amazing, but that's once a week and we need to be hearing it more than just that. Get into some small groups where it's being talked about. Have some friendships where you can, you can like break it down. And man, this is what I think it means. And what do you think it means? I have no idea. Tell me what you're thinking, how you feel, and hear the words of Jesus. We just need to hear the words of Jesus. Have you ever known someone so well that you knew what, this happens to me a lot. Everybody thinks they know what I would do. And usually they're right. I'm kind of predictable, right? So there are so many times in my life, somebody's like, yeah, I know what you would have done. So I went ahead and did it. I'm like, all right, you got me. That's right. And so what's the point of that? It's like, you know someone so well that you know what they would do even if they're not there. Why? Because you've heard their heart. You've heard, if you hear the words of Jesus, you hear his heart and you know what you're supposed to do. So the person who hears these words of mine, and then the next part of that, and this is the challenging part of that, and does them, and does them. And I know you know this, but it is not enough to hear the words of Jesus. We need to do something with the words of Jesus. We got to, listen, it's got to get deep down. It's got to penetrate deep enough into your heart that it actually affects the way that you live your life. The point is never, ever just information. The point is transformation. Like information in and of itself is fine, but it's never enough. The point is to have the information that goes in and does a work on your soul that causes you to live differently. This is how it says it in the book of James, James chapter one, verses 22 through 25. One of my favorite passages of scripture, and I say that all the time, and I mean it. I got a bunch of, like some of y'all got a bunch of best friends, which is impossible because best means best. It's my favorite passage of scripture. Here we go. It says, "But be doers of the word and not hearers only." Deceiving yourselves. Isn't that kind of interesting? Because like I think what we do sometimes is we talk ourselves into not doing it because we know it, and that's kind of good enough, right? So we deceive ourselves because we're hearers and not doers also. And then it says, "For if anyone is," this is so good, listen to this, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror," checking yourself out, looking at all the angles. I know you snuck in that duck face selfie. I know you did. "Is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does." You know what I think that means? Again, when we hear the words of Jesus, we understand the heart of Jesus. When you hear the words of Jesus and you do them, you know who he is. Therefore, you know who you are. You can look in the mirror and you know who you are. And when you leave the mirror, you still know who you are because you've heard the words of Jesus and you've allowed them to get deep enough into your heart that you understand your identity. You're not going to leave and forget who you are just based on who you're with because that never happens. Like, what is it? A code switch? Is that what they call it when you get around different people and you act different? Thank you, trendy. Youth pastor, right? It keeps me in touch. It's not enough. It's not enough to be a theologian. And I think that's amazing that there are people who devote so much of their time and, you know, effort and stuff to learning more about scripture and learning about God. But listen, if you're a theologian and not a practitioner, you are wasting your time. Like, if you got all the knowledge in the world and there isn't any application of that knowledge, you are missing the point. You're missing the boat. You're wasting your time. And trust me when I say this is like, this is not an attack on knowledge. Knowledge, I think, is incredibly important. We should always be aspiring to attain a better understanding of the things of God, but never just for the sake of knowing, but for doing, right? I know it so that I know how to do it. Not just so I know it so that I know it because y'all got a lot of, there's plenty of those. You met the know-it-alls that never do anything. I'm like, that's amazing. You got all this information in your head. How about you get out there and do something with your hands? That was good preaching. Sorry. You know what the difference in my opinion is between knowledge and wisdom? Again, knowledge is incredible. Knowledge is kind of, it's the doorway. It's the step in the right direction, but knowledge is simply information. It's having the information in your head. Wisdom is when you take that information and you apply it to your life. You're a hearer and a doer also. So that's the second part, right? So he hears the words of Jesus and he does them. And then Jesus said, this is like a wise man who built his house, which means, which is to say that then we get about the business of building our house built, which is kind of another way, a clever way of saying, an illustrative way of saying, go build your life on the principles of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, the ways of Jesus. Then go and build your life. Like we are called to be doers, not just in the sense that we're doing God's word, but doers in the sense that we are building something that matters and something that lasts. Our lives are significant. We're not just, you're not just floating through time. Like you're here for a reason. You have a purpose. Like God has called you to do something with your life. So get about building that house, right? I think someone who follows the teachings of Jesus, you feel deep in your soul that you're supposed to do something significant with your life. We use language like this, like something bigger than myself. You feel this sense of urgency to build something and be a part of something that is bigger than yourself. It's something that you can pass on to the generations to come. It's never just about you because you're building something that matters. We're called to be builders and makers, not just grifters and takers. That was a good line. You can say amen or owe me, right? We're called to be builders. We're called to be people who make things, like who creates. God is a creative God and we're made in his image. Therefore we should create. So we're called to be builders and makers, not just grifters and takers. The world and the church for that matter. We've got too many of those. We've got so many people that are always about what can you do for me? What can I get out of this? It's always this consumption thing. It's always, and you live your whole life like that and it even bleeds over into your spiritual pursuits where it's always about consumption. Here's a thought. What have you given? What have you built? What have you contributed? Make sure it's not that we don't consume. It's just also we do contribute as well. So let's get about the building part of this. We hear God's word. We do God's word and we build our lives on the rock. And when you build your life on the rock, it is good for your soul. Rock and soul. Okay, good. Now on the other hand, this I thought about calling this point shoddy craftsmanship. On the other hand, this is the person who Jesus said built his house on the sand. And I thought I was kind of working like why did Jesus choose to use sand as kind of the reference point, the imagery of the foundation of someone who is unwise, a foolish person. And we'll get there. I think there's obviously significance to that, but I think there are some other things that we should point out first. The first thing is it's interesting how the story is set up exactly the same. So he says the wise man, hears the words, does them, then he builds his house on the rock. The foolish man hears the words, doesn't do them. So it's kind of the same order. It's just a different outcome because of what he chose to do with the information that he had. So he hears them. He doesn't do them. And he builds his house on the sand. And you know what I think this, this is just maybe this is my opinion. Maybe I'm reading too much into this. You notice how Jesus directs. It seems to be a directed message at a specific audience. And I think the tendency is to think that this is a message for them. Y'all ever do that and be like, man, that's a good word preacher for my neighbor, right? My wife needed to hear that. My husband show needed to hear that, right? My kids, God bless them, they show needed to hear that. And I think this is a message because we hear that and we're like, oh yeah, yeah, they're not doing the words of Jesus. This is obviously, obviously for all those, those sinners and those pagans and those outsiders. But what does he say? He's like those who hear my words and don't do them. I think this is a message just as much for the insiders as it is for the outsiders. I think it's easy. This is the easy thing to do. It's so easy for us to look at the world and all of the craziness and all of the evil and cast dispersions and be like, oh yeah, the world. And that's fair. Like we're allowed to call things for what they are. We're beholden to truth and light so we can call evil what it is. But this specific analogy is for those who hear the words of Jesus and don't do them. And listen, that very well could be me and you. You can go to church and I hope you do. I mean, I think it's important, right? You can go to church and you can make claims that you follow Jesus, but if you hear it and don't do it, you're a person who's building your house, building your life on the sand. If you aren't doing what he said to do, then you are building your house on the sand. Okay, here's the other thing. This is another thing that's interesting about this passage. Jesus doesn't make any distinction between the fact that both groups are building, right? So one is building their house, building their life on the rock. The other is building their house, building their life on the sand, which is maybe another way to say, hey, they're busy too, right? They've got full plates too. They've got activities too. They've got crowded hearts too. It's not that they're not building something. It's not that they're not winning. It may just be that they're winning at the wrong things. I thought that was good, right? Because I think that's sometimes, sometimes the measure that we use to evaluate the success of somebody's life is like how active they are and how busy they are and how much they accomplish. And that's not the measure. The measure is, are you building your house on the rock? Are you building your house to last? Are you building your house on the foundation, the principles, the teachings, the hearings, the words of Jesus? Or are you just busy building a life that's absent of those things? And if you do, you may be building, but you're not building something that lasts. You're not building something that's going to be significant down the road. And so there's a difference between the choice and foundation, and that makes all the difference. And so here's what we do, the tendency again, because that's the way sometimes that we tend to measure things. We can win, but we can win at the wrong things. And here's what's scary about that is like, I can tell you as a fact, there's a lot of things that I cannot tell you for a fact. There are some things that I've got strong opinions on. There are some things that I've got like, you know, sometimes I make up things just to fill in the gaps. I know, you know, Shelley, when we first got married, Shelley was like, man, you just know everything. I'm like, yes, I do. And the truth is, this is before the internet was like ubiquitous. And the truth is, I just kind of made it up on a best guess, right? And it's like, and I was like, right ish a lot of times. So it just, it just happened to work out. But the truth is like, we don't, we don't know everything, right? But I can tell you this for a fact, like from personal experience, that this is a possibility of this, this building your life on the wrong foundation is a possibility for good church-going folk like me and you. I know you don't want to hear that. And I think, you know, I'm at church, I'm building my, yeah, listen, if you hear it and you don't do it, you're building your house on the sand. And that can happen to any one of us. It can happen to me. It's like there have been seasons in my life where I've been building stuff, but it's not been the right stuff, right? So this is, I'm so thankful to God for these necessary warnings along the way. We can never, we can't ever get to the end of our life and be mad at Jesus for not telling us. Because He told us on the front end, you're going to have these troubles. You're going to have these struggles. Make sure you build your life like all of the warnings that He gave us. I'm so thankful for them. And then, then we get to the foundation selection. So you've got the one who built his house on the rock and the other who built his house on the sand. What is the significance of the sand? You know how foolish that would be, right? To build your house. You've walked on sand. You've been to a beach. You know that sand gives way under pressure. You ever tried to run in the sand? You look like a slug, right? Again, in my mind, I still got it, right? There's still some athleticism there. And you get in the sand, you're like, nah, it's gone. It is gone, gone, gone. You know how foolish it would be to build your house on the sand? It's unstable. It's shifty. Does it sound like some people's lives? The instability gives weight under pressure, gives weight under pressure. There's not some stick-to-it-iveness to it. It's like shifting and moving. That's crazy. Which is exactly the point that Jesus was making, right? That's exactly the point. The people that don't follow His ways, this is what they're inclined to do. They're inclined to just shift, to just change. Just like whatever. There's no stability under pressure. So I'm just going to go on to the next thing. These are the types of people who are inclined to follow their heart. Follow their heart into the next thing, this thing, that thing, everything, whatever is the next shiny thing. There's always the volatility and the instability. And these are the types of people who are so quick to start one thing. And then when it doesn't go, how they think it should go, they're on to the next thing. And that doesn't exclude relationships. I know that's offensive. And Frank, listen, you know, I've decided at some point in my life, in the last few years, I am not going to apologize for sharing the truths about God's Word. Just not going to do it. Like if it offends you, and obviously I want to do that as lovingly, as kindly as possible, but I'm just not going to apologize for telling you what God's Word says. So these types of people, that's why we see, like, marriages dissolve so quickly. It's like, "Oh, well, it's not Cinderella. It's not a fairy tale like I thought it was going to be." So I'm out. Or you can build your house on the rock, where there's some stability and there's some persistence. What is a rock? It is resilience, right? There is some stability in that. And it's like, just because there's adversity and there's hardship doesn't mean that I'm going to dip set, which is, is that another trick? Oh, he's gone. Another trendy word, right? So here's what this starts to look like as you kind of play these two lifestyles out. The one who chooses to build his house on the rock, the one who chooses to build his house on the sand, you really start to see, over time, the difference, right? The contrast between the two. And it takes some time sometimes. I think if you have a small sample size in terms of time, you may not notice that much of a difference. But over the course of time, it will be very obvious that one person, the wise person, is living for something that matters. They're living with purpose. They're living for something bigger than themselves. They're living for something that's actually going to have some lasting value. On the other hand, you got the person who builds their life on the sand and they're just living for the next thing. They're living for the moment. They're living for the feels, right? And that is not, that is, I'm just going to help you out. That is not a way to live your life. Do you notice how, this is interesting, this is the last correlation we're going to make kind of between the two groups. And I think it's, it's one of the most important. Do you notice how each of the groups described, the wise man, the foolish man, both of them, the rains descended, the floods came, the wind blew and beat upon that house. Happened to the, the man who built his house on the, the firm foundation happened to the man who built his house on the sand, but there were two completely different outcomes. What does it say for the man who built this house on the rock? It says the rains came, the rains descended, the floods came, the wind blew and beat on his house. But because it was built on this firm foundation, because it was built on the rock, it stood. On the other hand, the one who built his house on the sand, what happened to him? The rains descended, the floods came, the winds blew and beat on his house and it fell. And it doesn't stop there. It doesn't say it just fell. And it says, and great was its fall. Here's my hope. This is my prayer for us as followers of Jesus, people that come to this church who, who as a community, we are aspiring to live a wise life and build our house on the rock. Just make, make all of these principles a routine, a staple in your life. Hear the words of Jesus, like whatever that looks like, man, if you've got a rhythm where, where you do devotionals and you get into God's word, man, that's amazing. Keep it up. If you don't, that is a great place to start. Be in environments where you're hearing the words of Jesus, but not just picking and choosing. I had an old pastor friend and he's like, some of y'all, not us, other people, other churches, other parts of the world. He was like, some of y'all are like Piccadilly Christians. And y'all don't, does anybody remember Piccadilly? Used to be in the Longview mall, like right when you walked into the right, but that was in the eighties. So disregard that reference, right? But it was a buffet. And what would you do with the buffet? You just go, Ooh, I want some of that. Do not want any of that. And I think that's kind of the tendency sometimes, isn't it? It's like, Oh, we love this Jesus that's meek and mild in this Jesus that's love and rainbows and light. But when Jesus starts telling us these hard teachings that then we have to change our life to fit into his words, not get his words to fit into our life. It gets a little more complicated, right? Build your, hear his words, hear his words, all of them and do them and do them, not just have the information, but experience transformation in your life and then get about building the life, man. Go do that thing. Go, go build your life, build your family, build your legacy, using the principles, the teachings, the words of Jesus, always as the foundation. And here's what's so beautiful about that. It is, it is transcend everything that you do. Every facet of your life should have these principles, these teaching teachings and these ways of Jesus. And that's what we should be about is building our life, building our house on the rock. It is a wise way to build your house, build your house on the rock. It is good for your soul. Amen. It's a good time to say like, Amen. Amen. Let me pray for us. Jesus, thank you so much for, this is not an easy teaching to be honest. I get scared to think that we can hear your words. We can know your words. We can be in church. We can know scripture and still be like the foolish person who builds our house on the sand. God, God helped that not to be any of us. God help us as the book of James says to be not hearers only, but doers also. Father, we don't want to just know your words that we have information. God, we desperately want to experience transformation. God, I want my life to be different because I hear your words. When I hear your words, I know your heart. And when I know your heart, I can't help but be changed. God, give me the wisdom to see the areas that I'm resistant, that I'm hesitant, that I try to make your words fit my life, not my life fit your words. Father, and give me the courage to change what needs to be changed. The humility got to break off whatever needs to be broken off. And Father, in your grace, I know that you'll do that. It says that if we ask, if we seek, if we knock, you're there, you're willing and you're able. So Father, we thank you so much for that this morning. Help us to be people who are wise, Jesus, who build our house on the rock and have this stability, this resilience in our soul. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

We're closing out our Faith Stories series — stories from the life of Jesus where ordinary people show extraordinary faith. This week moves fast and packs in three of them, held together by one idea: faith is never isolated. Your faith should strengthen mine, and mine should strengthen yours. This week we're in Matthew 8 and Mark 5. And, Not If — In Matthew 8:1-3, a leper approaches Jesus in the middle of a crowd that parts like the Red Sea to get away from him. He was more than sick; he was considered unclean, unaccepted, untouchable. And he says something full of faith: "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." He already believes Jesus is able — he's only asking whether Jesus is willing. Then Jesus does the unthinkable: he reaches out and touches the untouchable, and says, "I am willing." That's the key that unlocks greater faith. It's easy to believe God is able — the Creator of the universe, the one who set the stars in place. The harder thing is to believe He's willing to intervene for you personally. But His willingness was never tied to what you deserve, what you've earned, or what you could repay. He does it because He's a good Father who cares. Not just able — and, not if. Wait Your Turn — In Mark 5:21-43, Jairus, a synagogue leader, falls at Jesus' feet begging him to come heal his dying daughter. Jesus goes with him — but on the way he stops, because a woman who'd been bleeding for twelve years reaches out and touches the hem of his robe, believing that even that would be enough. It is. "Daughter, your faith has healed you." And while Jesus is still speaking, word comes that Jairus's little girl has died. Imagine watching your miracle get "interrupted" so someone else can have theirs first. But Jairus doesn't throw a fit — he waits his turn, holding onto the faith that if Jesus could do it for her, he can do it for me. Jesus clears out the mockers, takes the girl by the hand, and says, "Talitha koum" — baby girl, get up — and she does. Then, so like Jesus, he tells them to give her something to eat. Two takeaways: God is not just able, but willing — He wants to participate personally in your life. And: be patient. It won't always happen when or how you expect, and sometimes it happens for someone else while you're still waiting. Have faith enough to believe that if He did it for them, He can do it for you — and celebrate their victory while you wait for yours. When you rejoice with those who rejoice, you position yourself to receive from God. Scripture: Matthew 8:1-3; Mark 5:21-43.

We're continuing our Faith Stories series, because faith never just affects the person who has it — it affects everyone around them. This week we're in Luke 18:35-43 with a blind man sitting by the road outside Jericho. When he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by, he starts shouting: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The crowd tells him to hush — and he cries out all the more. And Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified for the sins of the world, stands still. He stops his mission for one man's faith, calls him over, and asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" The man is healed, and immediately follows Jesus — and all the people, seeing it, give praise to God. A few things worth sitting with: Jesus stood still. He didn't have to stop. He was on his way to the cross. But persistent, unembarrassed faith got his full attention — and it still does. God closing the loop. Remember Jericho from Joshua 6 — the walls that came tumbling down? Where there was once rubble and ruin, here comes Jesus bringing redemption and restoration, near the end of his ministry, still loving and serving people on his way out. (Even the names rhyme: Joshua and Yeshua share the root meaning "Yahweh saves.") Ask the questions. "Son of David" is genealogy and prophecy fulfilled — and if that's ever confused you, you're in good company. There are no dumb questions when it comes to figuring out your faith. Ask them. The invitation: a persistent faith — one that won't quit, that isn't altered by the opinions of other people, that's anchored in God's character and track record. Position yourself around people who've walked through the fire, be strengthened by their faith, and then use your own story to serve, love, and inspire someone else's. Get up and follow Jesus. Scripture: Luke 18:35-43 (with a look back at Joshua 6).

We're kicking off a new series looking at stories from the life of Jesus where someone's faith inspired the people around them. Because that's what always happens — when people encounter Jesus, their faith is strengthened, and that faith becomes a catalyst for something miraculous.   This week we're in Mark 2:1-12. Jesus is back home in Capernaum, and the crowd is so packed there's no room left, not even outside the door. Four friends carry a paralyzed man to Jesus, and when they can't get through the crowd, they climb up, tear the roof off the house, and lower their friend down at Jesus' feet. And here's the line that matters: "When Jesus saw their faith" — not the paralyzed man's, but his friends' — he forgave the man's sins and told him to get up, pick up his mat, and walk.   There are two miracles in this story.   Jesus the Multitasker — The obvious one: Jesus heals a man who couldn't walk. But he's doing two things at once. To the religious skeptics muttering in their hearts that only God can forgive sins, Jesus proves the point — he heals the man so that they'll know the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. It's never just about the moment; it's always about the bigger picture. May we never forget what Jesus has done for us, where he brought us from, and the mats he's helped us walk away from.   Vandalizing Faith — The less obvious miracle: this man had four friends who cared enough and believed enough to do something radical and disruptive to get him to Jesus. At some point, faith has to stop being theoretical and start producing action. You will be down at some point, and when you are, you need friends who have faith when yours is weak — friends willing to press through the crowd, climb the stairs, and tear the roof off to carry you to Jesus. And if you want friends like that, you have to be a friend like that — the one who picks up his corner of somebody else's mat.   That's what church really is. You may not hear the greatest message every week, but every week you'll find some friends who will carry their corner of your mat — and a chance to carry someone else's.   Scripture: Mark 2:1-12 (with a nod to John 9).

Four men. Three fires. Two stories ages apart. One flame.   In this message, Cody Knight walks us from the courts of Babylon to the fiery furnace, where Daniel — and his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — refused to bow to the golden image and trade their God-given identity for the comfort of fitting in. The world is always trying to make us like it. So how do we stay standing when the heat is turned up?   This is a call to leave casual faith behind. Casual says "I'm a Christian" and still bows to the image. But when our faith meets the Father's faithfulness, there's a spark — and God is calling us to step into the fire and find Him right there in it.   If you've been facing your own fire, this one will strengthen you. And if you're facing your very first fire — believing in Jesus for the first time — know this: you can belong here before you believe.   Listen, share it with someone who needs it, and subscribe so you never miss a message from Motion Church.   Learn more at motionchurch.com  |  Give at motionchurch.com/give   #MotionChurch #MotionChurchPodcast #GoFourth #Faith #Daniel #FaithfulNotCasual

Warrior Poet Society — Week 4: How to Not Wreck Your Life In the season finale of Warrior Poet Society, we close out our study of David with a simple but honest question: how do you keep from wrecking your life? Looking at the sweep of David's story, one pattern stands out — when certain things were properly ordered, life went well; when they weren't, David wrecked it. This message walks through three things that made the difference, and they all happen to start with the same letter. Prayer — David led with prayer before he acted. "Should I go?" "Yes, go." Over and over he asked God first. When he prayed before he moved, things went well. When he didn't — Bathsheba, Uriah — he wrecked his life. Pray before you do, because if you do before you pray, you usually have to undo what you've done. It doesn't have to be eloquent. Sometimes it's just, "God, I don't know what to do." People — The right people may be the single greatest factor in what your life looks like five years from now. God sent David an unlikely crew — the troubled, the indebted, the discontented — along with voices like Abigail who kept him from doing something he'd regret. The right people accelerate your progress, protect you, tell you the truth, and carry you when you're running on fumes. Providence — David left room for God to do what only God could do. Time after time, "it just so happened." When you're down to nothing, God might be up to something. The place David escaped got a name: the Rock of Escape. Once we've prayed, gathered the right people, and done what we can, we trust God to make a way when there doesn't seem to be one. Scripture: 1 Samuel 19, 22, 23, 25, and 30.

Motion Church | Warrior Poet Society, Week 3: "The Downstream Effect of Sin" Happy Father's Day from Motion Church — "I think strong men are the backbone of any good society" — and then right into a tough but important topic in the David series: what happens after forgiveness. This week picks back up exactly where Nathan left off with David after the Bathsheba confrontation. Nathan didn't just say "you are that man" — he also told David what would follow. "The sword shall never depart from your house... I will raise up adversity against you from your own house." Translated: "Because you chose sin... because you despised me, there will be downstream consequences for those actions." Here's the tension the message sits in: God's forgiveness is instant and complete. "First John 1:9 says, if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us of those sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is that good. It is that true." But forgiveness doesn't erase consequences. "We can be forgiven immediately and instantaneously, but that doesn't mean that there won't be a wake." Like a muddy dog getting a bath — clean, but the tub still needs cleaning up. "Spiritually, we can be forgiven, but relationally, there may be much work to do." And David's family lived that out in devastating ways. His son Amnon assaults his half-sister Tamar. His son Absalom, consumed by two years of quiet rage, orchestrates Amnon's murder in revenge. Eventually Absalom turns against his own father, manipulating the people of Israel — "Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel" — and seizing part of the kingdom. "All of this is in David's house, and all of this is because of sin." It's Galatians 6:7 playing out in real time: "whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." Sow violence, reap violence. Sow scheming, reap scheming. There's a striking detail in Absalom's story too — he was famous for his flawless looks and his luscious hair, which he cut once a year, "200 shekels" worth. That same hair is what gets him caught in a tree branch while fleeing on his mule, leaving him dangling and vulnerable — and it's there that Joab kills him. "Absalom was hanging by the hair that was a key feature in his rise to power." The lesson: "What got him to a certain point was also what got him caught up in that point... what took you there is not enough to keep you there." Talent, charm, looks — gifts from God, genuinely — "will get you to certain places in life, but it will not sustain you in those places. Character is the only thing that will sustain you." A sobering reminder follows: none of us are exempt. "The cross is level. The ground at the foot of the cross is level." No one gets special privileges, and no one is above the standard just because of unique gifts or success. As one young man once put it in a moment of real wisdom: "but for the grace of God, that could have been any one of us." So what do you do with all this? Two things, plus one final word of hope. First, avoid sin and even its appearance wherever possible — "if it looks like sin, at all costs, if at all possible, just avoid it." Second, if you're already dealing with consequences of past sin, lean into mercy. "His mercy triumphs over judgment." Your future is greater than your past, and God doesn't waste even the hardest seasons — "he's going to use those things that you've gone through to help you and to help others."

Motion Church | Warrior Poet Society, Week 2: "Lessons on the Lamb" Season two of the David series backtracks a bit this week — picking up not after the Bathsheba scandal, but earlier, when Saul is still king and wants David dead. "Not the kind of situation you want to find yourself in." Jealous and paranoid over David's growing popularity (there was literally a chorus about him: "Saul has slain his thousands, David his tens of thousands"), Saul starts hurling actual spears at him. So David goes "on the lamb" — on the run — which gives this message its title: Lessons on the Lamb. First lesson: strength doesn't always look like what we think it looks like. Even though David once stood fearlessly before Goliath, here he is running from a "washed up warrior." Why? Because David understood it wasn't his timing or his fight to pick. "There are battles in your life... that only God can fight." Sometimes the strongest thing a person can do isn't retaliate — it's walk away. "If I respond, it is not peace. It is debris, it is chaos, it is destruction, and I may feel right or think that it's right, but it doesn't make it right." Discernment — sometimes in the form of a spouse saying "babe" — matters. "Strength doesn't always look like you think that strength looks. It's a different kind of strength." Second lesson, and maybe the coolest full-circle moment in David's life: old swords, new battles. After defeating Goliath, David took the giant's own sword as a trophy. Years later, fleeing from Saul and desperate for a weapon, David arrives at the tabernacle in Nob, and the priest Ahimelech tells him there's only one sword available — Goliath's, wrapped in cloth, practically forgotten. David's response: "There is none like it. Give it to me." The lesson lands personally: "The battles from your past are the weapons for your future." Nothing you've gone through was wasted. "God does not waste anything in our lives." And the weapon isn't just for you — "it helps other people too." The final lesson is what gets called a "looney lesson." Fleeing into enemy territory — the city of Gath, ruled by King Achish — David realizes he's been recognized and is in real danger. So he does something wild: he pretends to be insane, scratching on the gate and drooling into his beard, until Achish dismisses him as a madman not worth the trouble. "Sometimes doing the right thing will make you look like a mad person." When you're doing what God has called you to do, "it's not always going to make sense to other people." And that's fine — "our purpose is more than to impress people. We are here to honor the sacrifice of Jesus' life on the cross." After all, the message of the cross itself looked like foolishness to the world — "the one who knew no sin became sin on my behalf... it's foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." Three lessons from a man on the run: a different kind of strength, old swords for new battles, and sometimes a little bit of "crazy" is exactly what faithfulness looks like.

Motion Church | Warrior Poet Society, Week 1: "You Are the Man" Season two of the David series is here — and it picks up right where the last one left off, 15 months later. "King David, to me, is one of the most fascinating people in scripture because, man, his life had everything — the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, a man who genuinely loved God and failed God simultaneously." Last time, Motion Church covered David's early life — Samuel choosing the shepherd boy no one saw coming, and the iconic showdown with Goliath, where the takeaway was simple: God wastes nothing. "David had been preparing his entire life for that moment." This time, the series picks up in the messy middle, right after Bishop Chris preached the part where David's story gets really complicated — the scandal with Bathsheba, the abuse of power, the betrayal, the cover-up, and the death of her husband Uriah. And yes, "if you like drama, we got it." The text is 2 Samuel 12. God, because he cares deeply for David, sends the prophet Nathan — not to confront him directly, but to tell him a story. A rich man with everything he could ever want. A poor man with one beloved little lamb, raised like a daughter. And when a guest comes to town, the rich man takes the poor man's lamb rather than giving from his own abundance. David's anger burns. He's furious. "Surely the man who has done this deserves to die." And then Nathan drops it: "You are the man." That's the title. And it lands harder than it sounds — because here was David, burning with righteous indignation about somebody else's sin, while his own was sitting right there in the room with him. "It's a lot easier to see somebody else's sin than my own. It just seems so much more obvious when you're doing dumb stuff than when I'm doing dumb stuff." A key note in God's rebuke hits differently too — right in the middle of calling David out, God says, "If that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these." "God doesn't owe us anything. We owe him everything. God doesn't have to provide for us. He chooses to provide for us." And had David understood that, maybe the whole thing could have been avoided. "At the end of the day, what we really need more of is Jesus — his grace, his peace, his kindness, his goodness, his mercy." Which leads to what Jesus would say about the whole situation — Matthew 7:1-5. Everyone loves verse one: "Do not judge, so that you will not be judged." But nobody wants verses two through five. "We love verse one. We hate verses 2 through 5." The fuller picture isn't don't see the speck in your brother's eye. It's first take the log out of your own. Two things Jesus is clearly saying: take your own sin seriously, and be consistent. "Don't be so consumed with what other people are doing and where they got it wrong... those are specs, and sometimes we've got logs." And what Jesus is not saying is that we ignore the sins of people we love. "The most loving thing that you could do is tell them the truth." Like Nathan did for David — not with rage or condemnation, but with love and wisdom, because "God cares so deeply for David" and wanted to restore him. Progress on sin isn't always clean or linear. As one pastoral conversation this week reminded: "Maybe you're not who you want to be yet, but at least you're not who you used to be. Maybe you're not where you want to be yet, but thank God you're not where you used to be." Sanctification is a lifetime process — for newbies and 26-year church veterans alike. The closing challenge: "I think we can make such a significant impact on our society, our culture, our community — if we just start with us." Because once we were lost and now we're found. Once we were blind and now we see. And because of that, we go help other people find what we've found.

Motion Church | Victor, Week 4: "I Get To" Closing out the Victor series, this week's message is delivered by Motion Church youth pastor Chris Johnson — "The Bishop" — and he's upfront from the jump: buckle up. "This is one of those sermons we are all gonna walk out here today with some hurt feet, myself included. My toes were stepped on consistently when I was writing this for the past two and a half weeks." After recapping the series — victims ask why, victors ask what; victims claim no control, victors control what they can and trust God with the rest; victims spend their lives surviving, victors invest their lives with purpose — week four lands on the final and perhaps most personal difference of all: language. "Before victim mindset shows up in your actions, it usually shows up in our words." The difference between a victim and a victor often comes down to two small words: have to versus get to. "We hear things like, I have to go to work. I have to go to church. I have to worship. I have to pray. And after a while, we stop sounding grateful and we start sounding burdened." The message draws from two scenes involving Mary and Martha. In Luke 10, Jesus visits their home. Mary sits at his feet. Martha is in the kitchen, distracted and frustrated — "must be nice to just sit at the feet of Jesus." The real diagnosis? "Your problem isn't the work. Your problem is your perspective." Martha and Mary were in the same house, with the same Jesus, at the same moment — but they experienced him completely differently. "Mary saw Jesus as privilege. Martha saw Jesus as an interruption." The warning is sharp: "Some of us have become Martha spiritually. Church became an obligation. Worship became routine. Prayer became duty." And here's what makes that dangerous — "the victim's mindset doesn't always look broken. Sometimes it looks productive." Then fast-forward to John 11, when Lazarus is dead and Martha confronts Jesus: "If you had been here, my brother would not have died." Victims identify with loss and push resurrection into the future — I will be healed one day. My marriage will be fixed one day. But victors understand that God is the God of the now. "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" Even in the middle of real grief, the issue isn't the pain — "the issue is what grief convinces us to believe." Victims eventually start identifying with the grave. "Eventually, we start decorating places God is calling us out of. But Jesus never called us to live in graves. He called us out of them." And when Jesus called Lazarus out, he didn't call him "the dead man." He called him by name. "It's not what they call you, but it's how I identify you." A personal story brings it home — Chris shares how his wife Tiffany, walking into a chemotherapy appointment, was smiling despite knowing what lay ahead. A nurse, seeing that smile, asked: "Is that real?" Tiffany's answer? "I can't change anything. But I'm here. I know who I serve." The nurse replied, "I know who you serve." That's what victory looks like. The message closes with a simple shift that changes everything: "No, you don't have to go to church. You get to enter the presence of God. You don't have to worship. You get to lift your voice after everything hell tried to throw at you. You don't have to pray. You get to approach boldly the throne of grace. You don't have to forgive. You get to let go of the things that have been poisoning your spirit." I get to. And then, in a moment that brought the house to its feet — after the message, Pastor Andy officially ordained Chris Johnson as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. "A little over a year ago, the Lord really put Chris on my heart." Recognizing the anointing on his life, his heart for the house, his love for God's Word, and his growth in the gift of pastor and teacher, the ordination was a stake in the ground — a marker for Chris to return to on the hard days. "We're driving the stake in the sand. Chris, from this day forward, you're ordained." The church prayed over him and his wife Tiffany, believing that "the call of God is on his life, and that God is gonna continue to use him in incredible ways."

Motion Church | Victor, Week 3: "Eat Your Own Bread" Week 3 of the Victor series adds another layer to the conversation — and fair warning, this one's a little offensive. In the best way possible. After recapping the first two weeks — victims ask why, victors ask what; victims believe they control nothing, victors control what they can and trust God with the rest — this message dives into a third major difference between the two groups: how they view their lives as a resource. The big idea: "Victors view their lives as a resource to be invested. Victims view their lives as a commodity to be spent." Everything you have — time, talent, gifts, experiences, even the hard stuff — is a resource to be intentionally invested into the lives of others and the kingdom of God. Victims, on the other hand, spend it however they want, whenever they want, and then wonder why they're running on empty. From there, the title gets renamed mid-message, courtesy of 2 Thessalonians 3 — one of the more "savage" passages in Paul's letters: "If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat either." The aspiration of a victor? "Work in a quiet fashion and eat your own bread." Stop worrying about everybody else's bread. "They spend more energy peeping the lives of others than they do working on their own." This naturally leads to Galatians 6:7 — "Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." Victors reap. Victims weep. And the reason is simple: "If you sow sparingly, you will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." That's not just about money — it's about love, kindness, friendship, and family. "If you want love in your life, you better sow love. If you want peace in your life, you better sow peace." As one very wise grandpa with a fifth-grade education once put it: "Are you being a good friend?" The message lands on Matthew 7 and the two gates: the wide road that leads to destruction and the narrow gate that leads to life. "What you find will determine the path that you go down." Victors find the right gate — because Jesus said, "I am the gate, I am the door, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life." "If you want to live a life of true victory, you know Jesus, you follow Jesus, and you honor Jesus. That's winning at things that actually matter." And here's the kicker about fairness: "God, who didn't have to, who didn't deserve to... willingly, gladly sacrificed and gave up his own life in our place." That's not fair. But it's the invitation we've been given. "Why don't we just be thankful for what we have been invited to?" Your life is a resource. Use it well. Sow bountifully. Eat your own bread.

Motion Church | Victor, Week 2: "Control" Continuing the Victor series, this week zeroes in on one of the biggest differences between a victim mentality and a victor mentality: how each one thinks about control. The core truth up front: "Did you know that you can be the victim of a circumstance and still come out victorious?" The key is understanding what you do and don't have control over — and who holds the rest. Victims live as if they have no control over anything. And honestly? That's the easier way to operate. "If you're not in control of anything, then you can blame everybody else." No accountability required. Victors, on the other hand, understand something different — "they aren't in control of everything, but they do have some control, and it's just that subtle difference that makes all the difference." More importantly, victors "know the one who is in control, and they trust him." When things are genuinely out of your hands — circumstances that are just plain "above your pay grade" — a victor's response isn't denial or blame. It's trust. "God, I don't understand this, but I trust you. I trust your character. I trust your track record." This week digs into God's response to Job in chapters 37-39 — one of the most powerful passages in all of scripture on the subject of who's actually running things. "Who shut up the sea behind doors... This far you may come, and no further. Here is where your proud waves halt." The God who told the ocean where to stop, who laid the foundations of the earth, who stretched a measuring line across the universe — that's the one we're trusting when life is out of our control. "He is the one in all of his creative authority... and that's the one that I'm going to trust." And from all of that comes confidence — not the arrogant kind, but the kind that shows up when your faith is bigger than your circumstances. "Confidence doesn't mean that we are fully in control of everything, but we are trusting in the one who is." Like a son watching his dad jump off a river rock and then taking the leap himself — "He's already there. And so he just goes blank for a second... and he did it." That's the picture. "I don't know what it's going to feel like when I land. But somebody went before me. My father went before me. He's there waiting on me." The message lands here: "Control what you can control. Trust God in what you cannot control. I will control what I can control, and I will trust you with the rest. That's what it means to be a victor."

Motion Church | Victor, Week 1: "Victory Question" Kicking off a brand-new series called Victor, this message starts with an honoring of two longtime leaders — including Motion Church's very first youth pastor, who began serving "16 years ago" and is, as Pastor Andy puts it, "still serving with all his heart." It's Mother's Day too, and Shelly gets her well-earned shoutout. Then into the heart of it: life isn't a fairy tale. "If you don't know this by now, sweetheart, Cinderella, this ain't a fairy tale." Adversity is guaranteed for everyone — "the rain will come... at some point you're going to go through a storm." The real question isn't whether trouble comes, but how you respond to it. "I think that there are two basic mentalities that you can have. You can be a victim, or you can be a victor." Scripture doesn't leave us guessing about which one we're called to be: "We are more than conquerors through him... not through your effort, not through your talent." As Jesus said in John 16, "in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation... but take heart, I have overcome the world." The difference between a victim and a victor comes down to one thing: the question they ask. Victims ask "why" — why me, why now, why is this happening. Victors ask "what" — "God, what do you want me to see in this struggle?" Even David swung between the two in Psalm 22, moving from "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" to praising God in the very same psalm. Even Jesus, in Gethsemane, asked "let this cup pass from me" before landing on "nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." And here's the encouragement: it's okay to visit "Whyland" for a moment — "we can pass through, we can make a day trip, maybe, but that's not where we live... we're making our way to What land." The message closes with a powerful image: "Seeds don't grow unless you put them in the ground. Muscles don't grow unless they're torn." Nothing in your life is wasted — "we don't lose. We learn." So the question for Motion Church is simple: "Are we going to be victims or are we going to be victors?"

Motion Church | Walk, Week 4: "Meet in the Middle" Can you accept someone without approving of everything they do? This week's message — introduced through a "Name That Tune" country music bit — takes its title from an old 90s country song: "We meet in the middle of that old Georgia line... If we give a little, there's no road too long." The subtitle for today's message says it all: "understanding the difference between acceptance and approval." It's a two-layer conversation — how we, the church, interact with the world outside, and how we treat each other inside the body of Christ. On reaching outside: the Pharisees treated people as clean or unclean, but "their hands were clean, but their hearts were filthy." Jesus modeled something completely different — he called Matthew the tax collector and immediately "Jesus is hanging out at Matthew's house," reclining at the table with "tax collectors and sinners," before Matthew had cleaned up his life at all. With Zacchaeus, Jesus didn't wait for him to get it together either — "hurry and come down for today... not tomorrow after you get everything cleaned up." The takeaway: "we accept them, even if we don't approve of the way that they live." As one pastor put it, "people want to belong before they believe." On unity inside the church: "What it does not look like for a church to be in unity is to have all of the exact same thoughts, beliefs, ideas — that's not unity, that's robotic." Drawing from Ephesians 4 and Psalm 133, the call is to walk "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love." Too often, "we major on minors and minor on majors" — fighting over things like baptism methods while agreeing on everything that actually matters eternally. The challenge: "swallow our pride and strive for unity over spiritual superiority." The message lands on Jesus' prayer in John 17 — "that they may all be one... so that the world may believe that you have sent me." When the church chooses unity, it becomes the kind of place people actually want to be part of — instead of "a lateral move" that looks just like the dysfunction they're trying to leave behind. Walk outside with acceptance. Walk inside with unity. Meet in the middle.

Motion Church | Sisterhood: "Locally Grown" "Welcome to the sisterhood, where we are gonna fill your cup up." This special women's gathering kicks off with a theme of "locally grown" — and a celebration of how women grow together in community, in faith, and in friendship. Tonight's big idea: "how can we locally grow as women in Christ together in community"? The answer comes down to one thing — sharing our story, sharing our testimony. Shelly opens with a hilarious, heartfelt rundown of growing up in what she calls an "over saved home" — Bibles in every room, a "Jesus lamp" with eyes that followed you down the hallway, a cordless phone with a cord that didn't move past the school desk in the middle of the house, and a mom who insisted "if you do something wrong... God's gonna tell me." For years, Shelly didn't think she had a testimony because, as she puts it, "I just thought I had to go do a bunch of bad stuff and come back to Jesus to have a testimony." But her mom set her straight: "Your testimony is God's faithfulness in your life, protection in your life." From there, Shelly tells the story of her one (and only) homegrown bell pepper — the result of 45 days of watering, bug-checking, and effort — which she refused to share with anyone, even her own family. "I did not share what I watered, and what I grew with the people that I care about." But God used that moment to speak to her: "You share your story. And you share with others what I've done for you... We want everyone to taste the goodness of God." Drawing from Mark 5, the story of the man freed from demon possession who was sent home to "tell your family everything the Lord has done for you," the message lands on this truth: "Your personal testimony and your personal experiences mean more to people than any fact." And no matter how different each story is, "there's one thing that's the same in every story, is that we are all sinners in need of a savior. And that is what matters the most, and that's what brings us together." A night of laughter, honesty, and women sharing their own stories — because every story matters, and every story points back to him.

Motion Church | Walk, Week 3: "Walk This Way (Not Like an Egyptian)" When you're sandwiched between an army and the sea, what does it look like to walk the path God has called you to? Continuing the Walk series — yes, the title is a nod to that 80s classic — this week heads back to the Old Testament for the story of the Exodus, where the children of Israel find themselves trapped: "they're between an Egyptian army and a wet place." But God parts the Red Sea, and the Israelites walk through on dry ground while Pharaoh's army is swept away behind them. Here's the principle drawn from it: "When you walk the path that God has called you to, he will provide for you." And here's the detail easy to miss: "They walked from slavery to salvation on dry ground. They walk from bondage to freedom on dry ground, and the invitation stands for me and you to do the same thing." This isn't just an ancient story — it's personal. From the moment you take that first step toward God, "God starts to take care of things that you didn't even think about." Things you didn't think you could ever walk away from — habits, attitudes, relationships — start losing their grip. "You didn't think you'd ever be able to walk away from that situation, but look at you now." But there's an important distinction: "God will always provide for the needs that you have. That does not mean that he provides for the wants that you have." As Jesus said in Matthew 7, "how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?" And provision doesn't always come the way we expect — sometimes it comes through people. "When you are walking the right path, God will put the right people on your path." Some of them are dry ground when you're stumbling. Some are an umbrella in the storm. "We need each other to accomplish all of the things that God has called us to accomplish... you cannot do it alone." Also covered: a heartfelt moment of prayer and solidarity for the McAllister family, a longtime part of the Motion Church community, as the church walks together through "good, bad, ugly... whatever comes." Walk the path. He'll provide for the needs you have — and the people you need along the way.

Motion Church | Walk, Week 2: "Walk This Way... At a Different Pace" What does it look like to walk through life with both purpose and compassion — at the same time? Continuing the Walk series, this week picks up right where we left off with Jacob, who "wrestled with God and he didn't kill me." That encounter left him with a limp — and a completely different way of walking through life. "Jacob had an experience with God, and he walked differently after that experience." This week we dig into two seemingly opposite ideas: walking at a pace of purpose, and walking at a pace of compassion. Can you really hold both? Looking at Jesus and the woman with the issue of blood, the answer is yes — Jesus was fully on mission, yet "he was walking at a pace of compassion," stopping in the middle of a crowd for the one person who needed him. On purpose: "Your purpose is found in the person who was willing to give his life up for you on the cross and then expects you to go and do the same." Walking out that purpose isn't complicated — it's about living a life that honors God, as Romans 12 puts it, presenting your life as "a living and holy sacrifice... which is your spiritual service of worship." As Paul writes in Ephesians 4, we're called to "walk worthy of the calling with which you were called." On compassion: that limp Jacob carried wasn't for show — "he didn't limp because it was stylistic… he limped because he was hurt." And that's the point. Our own limp — our past, our pain, the moment God met us and changed everything — isn't meant to make us look down on people still walking where we used to walk. Instead, "your limp is a reminder of where you've been, and that you should have compassion for people who are walking like you used to walk." Also in this episode: a celebration of what God's been doing at Motion Church — Palm Sunday, Easter, and 23 baptisms in one week. "Can we never take that lightly?" So — let's walk this way: at a pace of passion, and a pace of purpose, simultaneously. "At the end of the day, people are our mission."

Motion Church | Walk — Week 1: "Walk This Way" One night. One wrestling match. One limp that changed everything. Motion Church kicks off a brand-new series called Walk — a multi-week journey through stories from Scripture that ask a simple but searching question: how are you walking? Not just with your feet, but with your life. "A walk doesn't just describe what you're doing. It describes who you are. It's the direction of your heart, your life, the way that you carry yourself — all of it is encompassed in this idea of a walk." Week 1 takes us all the way back to Genesis and one of the most fascinating encounters in all of Scripture. Jacob — son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham — was a man carrying the weight of a complicated past. On the eve of a terrifying reunion with his estranged brother Esau, alone in the dark, Jacob was suddenly wrestling with a stranger until daybreak. By morning, he had a new name and a permanent limp. And here's the point: "When God touched his hip, he walked differently. When he had an encounter with Jesus... he walked differently." The message for us is just as straightforward. "If you have an encounter with Jesus, if you give Jesus full reign of your heart and your life, there's something about your life after you come face to face with the Son of God that should be different." 2 Corinthians 5:17 says it plainly: if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come. So what does that different walk actually look like? It's not a rulebook. It's a set of principles — because your walk with God is going to look specific to you. But the first step is walking in different places. Different locations, different relationships, different habits on social media — anything pulling you away from the person God is calling you to be. "Jesus changed them. They didn't change him." That's a pretty big difference. And it's not just about what you're walking away from. Proverbs reminds us that a fool rushes toward folly, but a wise person walks away from it. The goal is to punch in a destination and head toward something better. Philippians 4:8 sets that address: "Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise — think about these things. Walk toward these things." As the series kicks off, three questions close the message: What about your life is different since you encountered Jesus? What are you walking away from? And what are you walking toward? "Set that as the direction, the coordinates. Punch that address in the GPS of your heart. Let's walk towards that."

Motion Church | Easter: "Does the Offer Still Stand?" What happens when you show up with an expired coupon? You already know the answer — and so does God. This Easter at Motion Church, we're looking at the Easter story through a slightly different lens: redemption. What does it really mean to be redeemed? And is the offer of salvation — purchased at the highest price imaginable — still available to you today? The answer is a resounding yes. The Bible defines redemption as "the act of God buying back or rescuing humanity from slavery to sin and death through the costly sacrifice of Jesus Christ." Romans 3 makes it clear: every one of us has sinned and fallen short, leaving us with a debt we can never repay on our own. But God, unwilling to leave his prize creation in that condition, set a plan in motion — sending his own Son to satisfy that debt once and for all. Jesus didn't just come to show us what it means to be human. "Jesus, from the moment that he entered into humanity, had a purpose, and that purpose was to redeem humanity." The cross was the cost. The empty tomb is the guarantee. As the disciples discovered on the road to Emmaus, the resurrection isn't just a miracle — it's the proof that the offer holds. "The resurrection guarantees your redemption. The offer still stands." And here's the thing about this offer: it doesn't come with an expiration date. God doesn't go out of business. "He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end… the offer stands from generation to generation." The coupon never expires — but you and I do. "It's a tailor-made offer that's just for you that doesn't expire, but you do." So the question isn't whether the offer is still good. It is. The question is: what are you waiting for? "Redemption offers freedom. Redemption offers peace. Redemption offers belonging, purpose, healing for the hurting, and being made whole to those who are broken. Redemption offers eternal life." Don't let your coupon go unredeemed.

White Flag Series | Week 4: All Out of Options — Motion Church Podcast This is it — the final week of the White Flag series, and it closes with perhaps the most relatable expression of surrender yet. Over the past four weeks we've looked at surrender from every angle. Week one: surrender costs something — namely, your rights. Week two: surrender gives something — rest for your soul. Week three: the hard question — have you actually surrendered, or are you just looking the part? And now, week four brings it all home with this: surrender is when you're all out of options. The image is simple. Think about two armies in battle. One side reaches the moment where they realize — there's nothing left. No ammunition. No strategy. No path forward. And the only option left is to wave the white flag. Not because they want to. But because they finally understand there's no better choice. That's the version of surrender that tends to hit closest to home. The message anchors in John 6, where many of Jesus' own followers walked away after hearing hard truths. Jesus turned to the twelve and asked, "You don't want to leave too, do you?" And Peter — impulsive, complicated, human Peter — said something that still rings with power today: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." That's someone who has run out of options and found the best one. The story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10 adds the contrast — a man who came to Jesus asking the right questions, checked all the religious boxes, and still walked away sorrowful because he wasn't willing to let go of the one thing Jesus put his finger on. He thought his options were good enough. He refused to surrender. And he left empty. The message is also deeply personal — not every road to surrender looks like rock bottom. Sometimes it's quieter than that. Sometimes it's just the slow realization that everything you were told would make you happy, satisfied, and full... didn't. You checked the boxes. Hit the benchmarks. Achieved the status. And still felt empty. That emptiness isn't a dead end. It's an invitation. Because when you're out of options, you're actually eligible for the best option. And from a 7-year-old boy named John Mark in Haiti with almost nothing, to someone in America with every option available — two completely different people, two completely different paths — both found the same answer. "If you feel like you're out of options, you're really just opening yourself up to the best option."

White Flag Series | Week 3: White Flag or White Lie? — Motion Church Podcast This week in the White Flag series, we pause for the hardest question of the entire series. Not what surrender costs. Not what surrender gives. But something far more uncomfortable: Have you actually done it? This message, delivered by Pastor CJ, lands right in the middle of the series with a challenge most of us aren't ready for. It's easy to love the idea of surrender. It's easy to raise your hands in worship, know the right songs, say the right things, and show up on Sunday. But as Pastor CJ puts it — our hands are raised in worship while our hearts are still on the weapons. There is a massive difference between inviting Jesus into your life and giving Jesus your life. The title says it all: White Flag or White Lie. Because if we're being honest, most of us don't surrender to God — we negotiate. We bargain. We manage our relationship with God in a way that quietly keeps control in our own hands. And some of us have gotten so good at looking surrendered that we've convinced ourselves we actually are. Grounded in Matthew 16:24-25 and Galatians 2:20, this message walks through what it truly means to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. It unpacks the dangerous illusion of control — the calendars we fill, the timelines we set, the futures we map out — all while holding a steering wheel that doesn't control the road. Life, eventually, exposes the illusion. But the most powerful moment comes from the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus himself showed us what real surrender looks like — honest enough to say "Father, take this cup from me" and surrendered enough to follow it with "nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done." Church, surrender begins when preference ends. This is a message for anyone who has been doing it their own way for too long. Anyone chasing success but feeling no peace. Anyone climbing ladders while their soul still feels empty. Because God doesn't bless the life we build for ourselves — he blesses the life we surrender to him. God is not looking for perfect people. He's looking for surrendered ones.

White Flag Series | Week 2: Get Yoked — Motion Church Podcast What if surrender isn't as hard as you've been making it? Week 2 of the White Flag series digs into what may be the most clear and freeing picture of surrender in all of Scripture — and the word "surrender" isn't even mentioned in the passage. Found in Matthew chapter 11, Jesus extends one of the most well-known invitations ever spoken: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." But before diving in, the message tackles something we all do — we overcomplicate it. We do the "Jesus plus" thing, holding onto habits and patterns that don't line up while still claiming the name. We play the "if God will, then I will" game, making deals we never intend to keep. Or we just keep telling ourselves when I'm ready, then I'll surrender. Sound familiar? Jesus basically says — even a child can figure this out. Don't let your adult mind talk you out of it. Going line by line through Matthew 11:28-30, this message unpacks three powerful truths: Come to me. Surrender begins with a single step toward Jesus — not a cleaned-up, polished version of yourself, but exactly as you are. Broken, burdened, and all. This is where life actually begins. Take my yoke upon you. In Jesus' day, a rabbi's "yoke" was his set of teachings and principles that his followers lived by. Taking Jesus' yoke means patterning your life after his. And here's the thing about a yoke — you are never pulling the load alone. You are yoked to an all-sufficient Savior. The work, as Jesus declared from the cross, is already finished. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. If your life as a Christian feels impossibly heavy and hard, there's a good chance you're relying too much on yourself. Because surrendered living isn't burdensome. It doesn't mean there are no problems — Scripture is full of trouble. But it also promises an ever-present help, a way of escape, grace that is sufficient, and a Savior who has already overcome the world. You trade your limited ability for his unlimited one. You give up $37.22 for an inheritance. That's not a bad deal. The question at the end of this message is a simple one: What are you waiting for?

White Flag Series | Week 1: The Right Flag — Motion Church Podcast What does it actually mean to surrender? Most of us know the image — a white flag waved in defeat. But in Christianity, surrender isn't about losing. It's about finally, truly living. This week at Motion Church, we're kicking off a brand new series called White Flag, and it starts with one of the most countercultural ideas in the Christian faith: giving up your rights. The message is direct and a little uncomfortable — intentionally so. As a follower of Jesus, there are things you can do that you probably shouldn't do. And the gap between those two things? That's where a lot of us are losing the battle. This week unpacks three rights we're called to surrender: The right to say whatever we want. Scripture is clear — life and death are in the power of the tongue. James 3 paints the picture vividly: your mouth is the rudder that steers the ship of your life. You could say it. But should you? A simple filter — is it helpful, encouraging, truthful, and necessary? — might change everything about the way you communicate. The right to do what feels good. Here's the hard truth: your feelings are running a psyop on your mind, actively convincing you they're more important than what you know to be true. Feelings are volatile, deceptive, and unreliable. Living by them isn't freedom — it's chaos. Real freedom comes from doing what is right in God's estimation, not what feels right in the moment. The right to be right. This one might sting the most. The message walks through one of the most powerful scenes in Scripture — Jesus and the woman caught in adultery — where he had every right to make a point, and instead chose to make a difference. One by one, her accusers walked away. And her life was never the same. The question for all of us: Are you going to make a point, or are you going to make a difference? What you give up will never compare to what you gain. You are not surrendering your life to an enemy — you're placing it into the hands of a God who knows you by name, loves you completely, and has better plans for you than you could ever dream up on your own. Wave the white flag. It's not defeat. It's the beginning of everything.

Last week's experience was skipped due to an electrical outtage so no upload was available for it.  FYP Series | Week 2: Creativity — Motion Church Podcast What if the church had a "For You Page"? Not one designed to give you what you want — but one curated to give you what you need? That's the heart behind the FYP series at Motion Church. Building on the foundation laid in the Motion Is series — to lead people to live, move, and have their being in Jesus Christ — this week's message zooms in on one of the three core values that drives everything Motion Church does: creativity. It might be the last thing you'd expect to hear a sermon about. But it just might be the most important one. Starting in Genesis 1, this message unpacks a profound truth: the very first thing Scripture tells us about God is that he created. And since we are made in the image of a Creator God, creativity isn't just for artists and musicians — it's woven into the DNA of every single person in the room. Three big ideas shape this message: Be Original. The church — and you personally — are called to be exactly who God designed you to be, not a copy of someone else's success. As the message puts it: "You are the only you, and only you can do what you can do, so you better do what God has called you to do." Your sphere of influence is uniquely yours. You can reach people that no one else can reach. Be Innovative. Creativity isn't just making something out of nothing. Innovation — taking what exists and making it better — is creativity too. Motion Church's commitment is simple: use whatever methods are necessary to communicate the greatest message of all time as clearly and compellingly as possible to as many people as possible. Be Excellent. Excellence isn't perfection. It's giving God the effort he deserves. And when you do, it honors him — and it opens doors. "That excellence will honor God, it'll inspire people, and that inspiration will give you access and influence into people's lives that you may not have had otherwise." Whether you've always seen yourself as a creative person or you've never once thought that word applied to you, this message has something in it for you.

Motion Is… | Week 4: "Be" — Finding Your Identity in Christ The Motion Church Podcast In the final week of the Motion Is series, we wrap up our deep dive into the mission of Motion Church — to lead people to live and move and have their being in Jesus Christ. This week, we land on the most personal piece of it all: what does it mean to "be"? The answer starts with one question: Who are you? In a world full of voices — marketers, social media, culture — all competing to tell you who you are so they can commoditize, control, or exploit you, knowing your true identity has never been more important. This message unpacks what it looks like to anchor your identity in Christ and why, as one historical observation notes, people who know who they are simply cannot be controlled. We also walk through the story of Peter — a fisherman, a knucklehead, a denier — and how Jesus, rather than writing him off, sat down with him over breakfast and restored him. Because identity isn't a one-time revelation. It's something you come back to, again and again. And once a community of people starts winning the identity battle? Something powerful happens. They stop waiting for one person to do all the work and start becoming what the church was always meant to be: people caring for people. This message is for anyone who has ever asked am I enough?, anyone looking for a community that wants something for you — not from you, and anyone ready to simply be who God created them to be.

Welcome to the Motion Church Podcast. This week, we continue our series Motion Is, and we're stepping into a truth that has the power to redefine everything. Because at the end of the day, “one leads to death, one leads to life. We just want to lead people to life.” This message reminds us that following Jesus isn't just about information — it's about transformation. It's about recognizing “the way that you've changed me, the way that you've helped me see things differently.” It's understanding that “we are saved by grace, and grace is literally a gift,” and realizing that Jesus didn't just come to improve parts of our lives — He came to redeem all of it. Our “sin, my shame, my suffering,” every broken place, every hidden wound. Because when you surrender, everything changes. “Jesus is now the Lord of my life. He is the leader of my life. He's changing the way that I love, the way that I interact with people.” And here's the truth that echoes through this entire message: “His love for you is ridiculous.” A love that pursues you. A love that restores you. A love that proves your life is not your own — it's part of something bigger. So today, let this message sink in. “Let this change the way that we live.” This is Motion Church. This is Motion Is — Week 3.

What you see on Sundays doesn't happen by accident. As shared in this conversation, “there's a lot that happens that people never see,” and “it takes more than just what happens on the stage.” Behind the scenes is where preparation meets purpose. It's where “teams show up early,” where “people serve faithfully,” and where “every detail matters.” Not for perfection — but because “we want to remove distractions so people can encounter God.” This is about the heart of the church. It's about “people using their gifts,” “serving where they're called,” and understanding that “every role matters.” From production to hospitality, from setup to teardown, “this is how we create space for God to move.” So today, we pull back the curtain and share the why behind the what. This is Motion Church — Behind the Scenes.

“This is the Motion Church podcast. Thanks for joining us.” Motion Nights are about moving faith from idea to action. As shared in this gathering, “this morning, Pastor Chris really dove into what it means spiritually and biblically to live in Christ, right?” But tonight, the focus shifts to something practical. “So tonight what we want to do is we want to talk about tangibly. How do we do that at Motion?” Not just what we believe — but “how can I get plugged in where I can live in Christ here at Motion personally, right?” This conversation is about connection, growth, and next steps. As explained, “how we're going to be doing that is something called connect groups.” Because as the church grows — “our church has exploded, right? I'm sure you guys have noticed, it is exploding” — the heart remains the same: helping people live out their faith together. Wherever you're listening from, we invite you to lean in and take that next step. This is Motion Nights — Week 2.

Tonight marks the beginning of something intentional and powerful. As we kick off Motion Nights, we're reminded that “this isn't just another service, this is a moment.” A moment to slow down, lean in, and allow God to move in a deeper way. As it was shared, “we didn't come here to play church,” and “we didn't gather just to go through the motions.” Motion Nights were created because “sometimes you need space,” space to worship freely, to listen closely, and to respond honestly. This night is about posture. It's about saying, “God, whatever you want to do, do it here.” Because when we make room, “God always shows up.” So whether you're listening in your car, at home, or replaying this message later, we invite you to lean in and expect something real. This is Motion Nights — Week 1.

In this series, we're taking time to clearly answer a question that matters—who we are and why we exist. As shared in this message, “one of the most, if not, the most important series that we've ever done as a church,” especially because “we've had tremendous growth in the last, year, year and a half.” With new people and new families joining the story, “we just want everybody to know what we are, what we're about, where you fit in, where we're headed.” That's the heart behind this series. As it's said so simply in this message, “that is just understand the mission of Motion Church. And that's what Motion Is.” Our mission is rooted in Scripture—“we stole it from Acts, Acts chapter 17, verse 28, that says, ‘in Him, we live, and we move, and we have our being.'” So today, we continue breaking down what that mission really means for our church and for your life. Let's jump into Week 2 of Motion Is.

Welcome to the Motion Church Podcast — and welcome to a brand-new year. We're kicking off 2026 with a powerful new series called “Motion Is.” As Pastor Chris shared, “We're kicking off a new series this week called Motion is.” But this series isn't just a theme — it's a reminder of who we are, where we've been, and where God is taking us. This church didn't start by accident. “So when we started the church… 2011, we started a church.” And like many God-breathed beginnings, it started with faith, vision, and a lot of learning along the way. “One of the things that we learned along the way is that you have to have like a mission, vision, values… before you ever start a church.” This series exists to bring us back to that foundation — to the heart behind Motion Church. Because Motion has never been about a building. It's always been about people. It's always been about movement. Pastor said it best when he reflected, “Have you ever been at a point in your life where you thought you knew everything… in hindsight, you knew nothing?” That humility — that willingness to grow — is what has shaped Motion from the beginning. This church was built on stepping forward when it would've been easier to stand still. Built on learning, adjusting, and trusting God even when the path wasn't clear. “So of course, we did.” And now, more than a decade later, Motion Church is still doing what it's always done — moving forward with purpose. Motion Is, is a series about our mission, our vision, and our values. It's about remembering why we exist and recommitting to who God has called us to be. So whether you've been here since 2011 or you just walked through our doors, this series is for you. Welcome to Motion Church. Welcome to a new year. Welcome to Motion Is.

“Three Questions” Welcome to the Motion Church Podcast! Today we're leaning into a powerful message titled “Three Questions.” In this teaching, we're reminded that God often meets us — not with condemnation or threat — but with invitation. As the message says, God comes to us “to present us with questions, not commands, not threats, not condemnation, but questions.” And just as He did in the garden, God still asks us the same three questions today — questions that shape our faith, our identity, and our future. Because, as we hear in the message, “How we answer these three questions” deeply impacts how we walk with Him. So wherever you're listening from — lean in, open your heart, and allow God to speak. This is “Three Questions” — from Motion Church.

Motion Church Podcast Introduction “A Christmas Story” — Christmas Eve Service Welcome to the Motion Church Podcast — and Merry Christmas! Tonight we gather for a very special Christmas Eve service titled “A Christmas Story.” In the middle of the busy holiday season, we pause to remember the story that changed everything — the story of God stepping into our world in the most unexpected and beautiful way. Christmas is not just about lights, gifts, or tradition — it is about hope arriving, peace being offered, and love taking on flesh in the person of Jesus. The baby born in Bethlehem is still the Savior who brings light into darkness and joy into weary hearts. So whether you're with family, traveling, or listening quietly on your own, we invite you to lean in, reflect, and celebrate the greatest gift ever given. This is “A Christmas Story” — our Christmas Eve service at Motion Church.

Welcome back to the Motion Church Podcast! Today we're wrapping up our series called “The Great Joy Heist.” As Pastor shares in the message, “I believe that joy is a treasure. I believe that it is a valuable, valuable thing.” This series has reminded us that while life can sometimes distract, discourage, and even try to rob us of joy, God invites us to return to the source. As you'll hear today, “The joy of the Lord is not based on circumstance… it's based on truth.” And as we step into a new year together, Pastor also reminds us that clarity matters for who we are and where we're headed: “You've got to know who you are. If you don't know who you are, you're setting yourself up for trouble.” So lean in today as we talk about guarding our hearts, protecting our joy, and walking in the fullness of God's purpose. Let's jump into Week 3 of The Great Joy Heist.

Welcome to Week 2 of The Great Joy Heist at Motion Church. Last week, we began uncovering a truth we all feel but don't always name—joy is constantly under threat. As we continue this series, we're reminded that joy isn't just a feeling, it's a gift. “Joy is a treasure,” and it's something God never intended for us to lose. In this week's message, we take a closer look at what quietly steals our joy and why protecting it matters so deeply. Because “the joy that Jesus alone was intended to provide for us” can't be replaced by circumstances, success, or control. Week 2 challenges us to recognize the distractions, resist the thieves, and guard what God has already placed in our lives. Joy isn't accidental—and it isn't fragile when it's rooted in Christ. Let's lean in and continue The Great Joy Heist.

Welcome to the Motion Church Podcast — and welcome to the launch of a brand-new series we're calling “The Great Joy Heist.” This week, we open with a striking story — a real heist, carried out in the dead of night, around three o'clock in the morning, when a team slipped in and stole nearly a hundred million dollars without anyone noticing. It's shocking, bold, and almost unbelievable… and yet, it's the perfect picture of what happens spiritually every day. In this series, we're confronting a reality most of us don't slow down long enough to recognize: There is a thief. He is active. And his target isn't your bank account — it's your joy. Just like the heist in the opening story, the enemy doesn't always break down the door. He often works quietly… subtly… slipping into the cracks of our schedule, our thoughts, our emotions, our disappointments. Before we even realize it, something precious has been taken. The captions from today's message paint this truth clearly — that joy isn't lost all at once. It's stolen, bit by bit, moment by moment, through distraction, discouragement, comparison, and the lies we start believing about ourselves and about God. But here's the good news of this series: Joy is not optional. Joy is not fragile. Joy is not out of reach. And joy can be reclaimed. This week, as we begin The Great Joy Heist, we'll learn how to identify the schemes designed to drain us, how to guard what God has given us, and how to take back the joy that was never meant to be taken from us in the first place. So wherever you are listening today — in your car, at home, on a walk, or starting your morning — lean in. Something powerful is coming. Something liberating. Something that will help you live with strength, clarity, and joy that actually lasts. This is Week 1 of “The Great Joy Heist.” Let's dive into the message.

Welcome back to the Motion Church Podcast. Today we step into Week 5 of our series Double-Minded, and this week brings something special — a powerful and timely word from Guest Speaker Chris Johnson. In today's message, Chris steps onto the stage not just to preach, but to wake us up to a reality many of us quietly wrestle with: the pull between trusting God fully… and holding on to the thoughts, habits, and fears that keep us divided. With humility, humor, and a bold clarity, he challenges us to examine the places where our minds drift, where our focus fractures, and where our faith wavers. From the very beginning, Chris brings us into the tension — that tension between God's truth and the lies we've allowed to live rent-free in our heads. He speaks to the struggle of wanting to move forward while still chained to old patterns… the inner conflict of believing in God's power yet doubting His timing… the battle between the mind that God is renewing and the mindset we've grown comfortable with. His message calls us to something deeper: • a mind anchored instead of anxious, • a heart steady instead of scattered, • a faith single, focused, and fully surrendered. In this week's word, you'll hear encouragement, conviction, laughter, and truth — but more importantly, you'll hear the reminder that God does not leave us to fight the double-minded life on our own. He strengthens. He restores. He renews the mind from the inside out. So wherever you are right now — driving, working, unwinding, or searching for clarity — lean in. Let this message speak to the places you've kept divided. Let it steady your thoughts, realign your heart, and remind you who holds your future. This is Double-Minded, Week 5 with Guest Speaker Chris Johnson. Let's get into the word.

Welcome back to the Motion Church Podcast. Today we step into Week 4 of our series Double-Minded — a journey that challenges us to confront the tension between who we say we are and who we actually are becoming. In this week's message, we're invited to look deeply at the moments where our faith wavers, not because we don't believe God can move, but because our hearts are pulled between two worlds — two loyalties, two desires, two identities. The Scriptures remind us that a double-minded person becomes unstable not overnight, but slowly… choice by choice… thought by thought. And yet, God continues to call us back to clarity, to wholeness, to a singleness of devotion. You'll hear teaching that cuts straight to the core: • about the inner conflict between spirit and flesh, • about the danger of living with divided priorities, • and about the freedom God offers when we surrender every competing voice in our heads and hearts. Through stories, scripture, and raw honesty, this week challenges us to stop living split lives — one version of ourselves for God and another shaped by fear, ego, or habit. It's an invitation to alignment. To focus. To transformation. So wherever you are — driving, working, resting, or needing a reset — take a breath, lean in, and let this message anchor you. Because God is not asking you to be perfect… He is asking you to be undivided. This is Double-Minded, Week 4. Let's get into the message.

Welcome back to the Motion Church Podcast. In this third week of our Double Minded series, the message takes us straight to the heart of the fight that every believer faces — not just the battle around us, but the battle within us. This week's captions open with a clear truth: your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts. What you let in… what you meditate on… what you replay in your mind over and over — it's shaping the person you're becoming. And Scripture warns us that the double-minded person lives unstable, pulled in two directions, never fully stepping into the peace or purpose God intends. Week 3 presses into this tension: Why does the mind wander? Why does the heart feel divided? Why do we know the truth — yet drift toward lies that drain our confidence? The message reveals that the battle isn't won by accident. It's won through intentional focus, through capturing thoughts, through refusing to let toxic thinking write the story of your life. The captions echo this again and again: you cannot live a God-centered life with a self-centered thought pattern. This week reminds us that spiritual victory begins with mental clarity — choosing what we feed, what we filter, and what we refuse to entertain. The teaching points back to the power God has given us: the power to renew our minds… the power to silence the lies… the power to let the Spirit shape every corner of our thinking. Week 3 isn't just a continuation — it's a turning point. A moment to declare: no more divided thoughts, no more double lives, no more drifting between two worlds. A moment to step into a mind anchored by truth. So wherever you're listening from — your car, your home, your job, your quiet place — settle your thoughts, quiet your heart, and lean in. Welcome to Motion Church. Welcome to Week Three of “Double Minded.” Let's step into the message.

Welcome back to the Motion Church Podcast. Last week, we uncovered the quiet war inside the human mind — that tension between faith and fear… conviction and compromise… the fractured pull of being double minded. But this week, we go even deeper. Because the battle doesn't end with awareness — it continues in the choices we make, the patterns we repeat, and the thoughts we allow to take root. In the caption file for this week's message, we hear a steady reminder: Your mind is shaping your life more than you realize. And the enemy knows that if he can divide your thoughts, he can derail your purpose. The teaching begins with a challenge: stop giving the wrong voices authority in your life. Stop letting the loudest opinion set the direction of your faith. Stop letting yesterday's pain make today's decisions. Every divided thought, every wavering commitment, every moment spent going back and forth — it costs something. It steals clarity. It steals peace. It steals momentum. But God does not leave us in that chaos. The message this week clarifies that spiritual stability begins with mental surrender — bringing every thought under Christ, aligning the heart with truth, and refusing to serve two masters. Throughout the teaching, we're reminded that: A double-minded life leads to double-minded results. You cannot walk in confidence while feeding your doubt. And you cannot expect the fruit of faith while planting the seeds of fear. This week is a call — a strong, unmistakable call — to realign your mind. To choose one voice. One truth. One direction. One God. So settle in, open your heart, and let the Word steady you. This is the journey toward wholeness, toward clarity, toward spiritual stability. Welcome to Motion Church. Welcome to Week Two of “Double Minded.” Let's dive into the message.

In a world full of noise and pressure — a world where our thoughts pull us in a dozen directions at once — Jesus invites us into something deeper. Something clearer. Something whole. But every one of us knows the battle inside the mind. That tension between faith and fear… between conviction and comfort… between who God calls us to be and who we sometimes settle for. Scripture describes this inner conflict with a striking phrase: “a double-minded person, unstable in all their ways.” And instability doesn't always roar — sometimes it whispers. It shows up in hesitation… in divided loyalties… in that quiet war between belief and doubt. We want to trust, but we worry. We want to obey, but we negotiate. We want to walk forward, but our past still grabs us by the ankle. Yet even in that struggle, there is hope — because Jesus never exposes weakness without offering a way to strength. He calls us into a life of clarity. A life of integrity. A life where our mind, heart, and spirit move in the same direction. In Week 1 of our series, we step right into this tension. We explore the battle beneath the surface. We confront the places where we've been torn in two. And we discover how God can transform fractured thoughts into focused faith. This is the beginning of a journey — a journey toward single-minded devotion… toward spiritual stability… and toward a life anchored in the truth of Christ. Welcome to Motion Church. Welcome to Week One: Double Minded. Let's step into the Word — and let God steady our minds.

It's one thing to hear the words of Jesus… It's another to face them. This week, we come to the hardest part yet — the words that don't just challenge what we believe, but what we want to believe. He said the path is narrow. He said not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter. He said we'd be hated because of His name. These aren't soft sayings. They're sharp — cutting through comfort, slicing open the illusion that faith is easy. But inside the fear… there's a strange kind of freedom. Because when the words of Jesus strip everything away, what's left is truth — and truth never flinches. This is Week Four of Scary Things Jesus Said. Welcome to Motion Church. Where the brave listen.      

It began on a quiet hillside — a crowd gathered, expecting comfort. Instead, they heard words that made the air go still. “Unless you take up your cross…” “Unless you forgive…” “Unless you lose your life…” The people looked at each other — wondering if following Him was worth it. Centuries later, we're still wondering. Because the words of Jesus were never meant to soothe the surface — they were meant to cut deep, to reveal what's real. This is Week Three of Scary Things Jesus Said. Where we wrestle with the hard edges of His message, and discover that sometimes, the scariest words are the ones that lead us home. Welcome… to Motion Church. Where the brave listen.

Week 2: “Nearly Scary” (Matthew 15:1–8) This week we continue our series Scary Things Jesus Said—the kind of red-letter moments we usually skim past or get defensive about. Last week we sat with Jesus' warning that we'll be judged for every careless word, and it stretched us. This week's message is called “Nearly Scary.” Why “nearly”? Because Jesus names a danger that can look almost right: lips that praise Him while hearts drift far away. Starting in Matthew 15:1–8, Jesus confronts people who prized tradition over truth—more concerned with appearing clean than being clean. It's a sobering mirror for any of us who love the show of faith but resist the substance of it. Pastor unpacks four simple, heart-level practices that keep us near to God so our worship isn't just words: Know to be near — Consistent time in Scripture forms our heart and reveals God's. Pray close, stay close — Prayer is access; it moves truth from information to transformation. Be near, O God — Worship removes the distance we've created and invites real impartation. Near together — Community both draws us closer to God and reveals whether we're actually getting closer (because love for God shows up as love for people). If you've ever felt the tension of saying the right things while struggling to become the right person, this conversation is for you. Let's trade performative religion for a sincere heart—grace and truth in Jesus. Listen in, lean in, and let's grow together. Share this with a friend who's hungry for the real thing, and tag us with what God is highlighting to you this week. Reflection prompts: Where am I tempted to value appearance over authenticity? Which rhythm (Word, prayer, worship, community) needs fresh attention in my week? How is my love for people evidencing my nearness to Jesus?

Welcome back to the Motion Church Podcast. Today, we step into a brand-new series — “Scary Things Jesus Said.” Because sometimes… what He said wasn't soft. It wasn't safe. It was sharp. Real. Confronting. See, we've grown comfortable with a Jesus who makes us feel good, who wraps us in grace and warmth and mercy. But what about the Jesus who speaks hard truth? The one who loves us enough to challenge us— to tell us the things we don't want to hear, but need to. In this opening week, we remember that Jesus was not divided— He was full of grace and truth. Grace that saves us. Truth that shapes us. Both flowing from the same heart of a Father who dared to plunder heaven for us. So lean in. Let your heart be open, your spirit be ready. Because the words of Jesus might sound scary… but they just might set you free.

“Welcome to the Motion Church Podcast. Today's message is something a little different—because this week, we're stepping off the usual three points and a closing thought, and instead we're leaning into Tales from the Trail. For the past three weeks, we've been traveling down Ol' Dusty Trail, exploring what it means to follow Christ in the rough and rugged places of life. And today, woven into the message, we pause to celebrate a milestone—our 14th birthday as a church family. What began as a step of faith has now become fourteen years of God's goodness, faithfulness, and provision. In a world where so many church plants don't make it past their early years, we stand here today as living testimony to His grace. And so, we celebrate—not just survival, but the thriving of a community knit together in Christ. So join us as we share tales from the trail, as we give thanks for the road behind us, and as we look forward with hope to the journey ahead. This is Week Three of Ol' Dusty Trail. This is Motion Church's 14th birthday. And this is only the beginning.”

There comes a moment… when the dust rises behind you, the horizon stretches before you, and you hear that quiet whisper: It's time to move. The old dusty trail. It isn't just a phrase from Westerns or a cowboy's farewell. It's a picture of life — raw, rugged, and real. It's the road of faith, carved by those who've walked before us, marked by both struggle and hope. And now, it's our turn. To step out. To walk where the path is not always clear, where the ground is uneven, and where every step forward requires trust. Because following Jesus has never been about standing still. It's motion. It's risk. It's obedience in the face of the unknown. It's a journey that costs us something — but leads us to everything. So today, as we begin Week One of The Ol' Dusty Trail, I invite you to imagine the weight of your boots on that dirt road, the sun setting low, the Spirit calling you onward. This is no ordinary trail — this is the path of discipleship. A trail that demands faith, courage, and a heart willing to follow. The question is simple… Will you take the first step? This is week 1 of the Ol Dusty Trail Series, Titled Ol' Dusty Trial. 

Welcome to the Motion Church Podcast. Today, we gather around a message that isn't easy to hear — but one that carries the power of truth, healing, and redemption. Our guest pastor Chris Johnson begins with honesty: not every word in Scripture is lighthearted or easy. Sometimes God calls us into the deep places — the places of pain, loss, and struggle. And today, that call is clear: the topic is Broken. What does it mean to live in brokenness, and yet discover that God is still present? How do we face the parts of our lives that feel shattered, and trust that the pieces are not wasted in His hands? This is not a comfortable conversation, but it is a necessary one — because in the breaking, God often begins His greatest work of restoration. So lean in with us today. May you find that even in the hard truths, there is hope. May you hear the voice of God calling you beyond comfort, and into transformation. This is the Motion Church Podcast — and here is today's message: Broken.

Welcome to the Motion Church podcast. Today, we arrive at the close of a journey—our final week in the series Signing Off. Each week, we've explored what it means to finish well: not just ending conversations, but completing seasons of life with grace, courage, and clarity. And now, in this last chapter, we lean into the ultimate question—what do we say when it's truly time to sign off? From everyday goodbyes to the weight of final words, we are reminded that endings are not just conclusions—they are opportunities to leave a legacy, to speak life, and to anchor hope in Christ. So lean in, open your heart, and let God speak through this moment of closing. Because while this may be a sign-off, it is also a reminder that in Him… every ending is the beginning of something eternal. This is Signing Off: Week Four.