Shartel Church of God Podcast

We often say that being a Christian is about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. That is a very true statement. Sometimes, what we miss is that this relationship is not one where we come in and stay the same. Jesus doesn't call us into a relationship and desire us to be the same. He calls us to become a New Creation. He calls us to leave our life of flesh, to let the old things pass away, and to become new in Him. Have you embraced this New Creation that He is calling you to become, or are you clinging to your old things? Join us this Sunday as we see what it means to be "Living as a New Creation!"

This week's message focuses on what it means to be spiritually grounded, not in our accomplishments, performance, or outward success, but in the unchanging love of God.

The problem with most of our kids is US! The attitudes they have, the values they choose, the character they develop…most of it comes from what they've seen in their own home. Though ultimately our kids must choose for themselves, they absorb an awful lot from us. This message will look at how to address our own “stuff” so that our kids might not repeat the sins of their parents.

On this Mother's Day, we will be doing a Child Dedication. But what is OUR role? What is it that God wants US to do with these children? This message explores the purposes of parenting and the plan God had in mind when He created us to live in families.

Paul was religious but not victorious. He knew the scriptures but he couldn't live them out. He knew a lot about God but he didn't really know God. In Romans 7 he details his defeated life. Then he experienced the Resurrected Jesus. Paul discovered that he needed more than knowledge. He needed POWER. And that power comes from the Resurrected Christ living in us and through us. You can discover how to live a victorious life as well!

Have you ever been afraid? Sure you have. Fear has a paralyzing quality to it that can keep us from moving forward with our lives. Especially when that fear comes from failure. Peter experienced that. When Jesus needed Peter the most, Peter denied he even knew Him. Peter, gripped by fear, retreated and hid. But then came the Resurrection. And that fearful, cowering disciple became a powerful preacher. Peter found the strength to not only overcome his fears but to become the best version of himself. The Resurrection can renew courage in you as well!

When the disciples discovered that Jesus had risen from the dead, it was as though THEY came back to life, too! Their JOY was restored. Their BELIEF was renewed. And their souls were filled with HOPE. This Resurrection Sunday, we will look at how Jesus can be that same Living Hope for you. No matter how bleak your circumstances have been, there is a Resurrection waiting for YOU!

Have you ever lost faith? Most of us have, along the way. Disappointments, losses, and setbacks all have their way of taking the wind out of our spiritual sails and filling our minds with doubt. Thomas is a good example of that. He was a faithful follower until he saw Jesus arrested and crucified. Then, doubt took over. That is, until he experienced the Resurrection for himself. May God restore YOUR faith too!

Baptism is such a beautiful visual of the Resurrection. It reminds us that we can bury our past, bury our failures, and bury our shame. Just as Christ rose to a New Life, so can we! We not only come up out of the water with clean bodies, we come up with a clean slate upon which we can write a New Story. The Resurrection means that no matter how “dead” we may have been, we can live New Lives!

One of the names God revealed Himself by was “Jehovah Raphe, the God who heals us.” One of the primary ministries of Jesus was as a healer as well. So, too, as the Church, we are to be a safe place for people who are hurting. We are to open our doors and our arms to those who are wounded, those who are struggling, and those who society often casts aside. In a world filled with hurting people, we are a Hospital.

The church is more than an organization. It's an ORGANISM! It's a living, breathing extension of God Himself. Because of that, we only have life when we're connected to God. This message will explore how to “abide” in Christ and allow His love and strength to flow through us.

Christ came from heaven to earth with a mission: To bridge the gap between God and those far from Him. And then He gave that mission to US! Paul reminds us in this week's passage that we are ambassadors—agents of God's grace, emissaries of His love, and spreaders of His gospel. This week, we'll look at how we can carry out that role in our homes, schools, offices, and neighborhoods.

From the beginning of the Abrahamic covenant, God has called His People to be His Army on earth. As we pray, speak, and step up and step out, God's Spirit battles through us. This message will look at the armor that God gives us and the weapons that God gives us to fight the good fight of faith here on earth.

In His wisdom, God wanted His People to be more than just an organization. He wanted them to be a Family. A Family that looks out for each other. A Family that holds each other accountable. A Family that loves greatly, protects fiercely, and shares with each other generously. Anyone can join a club, but only God can make you a member of His Family!

One of the beautiful descriptions that Paul gives of the church is that we are the body of Christ. We all have different functions. We all have different gifts and talents. Only as we work together do we function as a “body.” This message will challenge each person to identify and step into their part in the Body.

You can't microwave a love relationship with God. It takes time to get to know God and how He works in our lives. Continuous. Daily. Constant. These are the words that describe the journey that leads to growth and intimacy with God. This message will focus on what it takes to cultivate a relationship with God that lasts a lifetime.

Doubt. Fear. Insecurity. Disappointment. Shame. These are many of the emotions that sabotage our relationships. Including our relationship with God. Just like we need to have occasional “hard talks” with those we are close to, the same is true of God. God wants to hear our hearts—even when our hearts are troubled and confused. We can't be close to a God we're not honest with.

There's an elephant in the room. Ever heard that expression? It means there's something that's a problem that no one is talking about. It happens with God. We can't draw close to God while we're flirting with the Devil. James says drawing near to God also involves resisting the Enemy. This message will focus on getting rid of the things that are keeping us from God.

While many ways of hearing God can be confusing, one way is clear: the Word of God! God's Word is His most direct way of speaking to our hearts, giving us strength for our journey, and helping us understand how to live. This message will look at how we can utilize the Bible to hear God's voice and draw closer to Him in our daily walk.

How often do we find ourselves in proximity to people we say we love, but we're not really listening to them? You can't be close to people you don't know, and you can't get to know others without listening to them. Same with God. This message will focus on the significance of listening to God—especially the importance of listening to God through His Word.

What are your fears about the New Year? What worries weigh you down? Jesus came to give us a place to lay our burdens down. He came to free us from the anxiety that plagues so many. This message will focus on giving over our cares and concerns to the Prince of Peace. He never promised us exemption from the struggles of life. But He did promise VICTORY!

Christmas reminds us that though we drifted away from God, He has never left us. In fact, He seeks to be NEAR. The same Jesus that was born among us, walked among us, and ministered among us, is STILL with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. This Christmas Eve we will celebrate the God who is HERE.

The angels' declaration has never been more significant than today. In a world filled with bad news, Christ has come to proclaim Good News! Our God is for us. Our God is with us. Our God promises His Presence and His Power every step of the way. No matter how heavy our hearts have been, Christmas brings the promise of JOY!

Christmas is the reminder that in God we always have HOPE! This world can be a dark place. But the light of God shines and can guide us through. Life can be hard and filled with setbacks, struggles, and losses. But God is the source of our strength and in Him we hold onto HOPE!

Christmas reminds us that God loves us—fully, completely, unconditionally, and eternally. In a world where the love of people seems to easily come and go, God's love has come and stayed. His love is not only beyond that which any human can give us, it is the love our hearts are longing for.

As we enter the Christmas season, let's remind ourselves of the name of our God. Before God became flesh and was named Jesus, He went by the name YAHWEH. What does the name YAHWEH tell us about God's character? Join us as we explore that thought.

Why do we give thanks? There are physical and emotional health reasons as to why we ought to give thanks. Those are great, but are they the only reasons why we should be thankful? Join us as we learn why the Psalmists says we give thanks.

Good choices are windows we open for God's blessing. They impact not only our lives but also the lives of those around us and those who come after us. This message will look at what we can do to make the best possible choices—choices that will allow us to live the abundant lives Jesus wants us to live!

530591

Mankind's gift at creation was the power to choose. Right or wrong, good or bad, life or death. It was an endowment by God to allow us to rule this world with Him. And one we've not always used wisely. This message will examine how powerful this gift is and why God gave it to us.

As the number two ruler in all of Egypt, Joseph's dream has finally come true. When his brothers come to get food from Egypt, Joseph could have had full revenge for how they treated him. But Joseph realized that his brothers didn't control his destiny. God does. Resting in that, Joseph gave a gift to his brothers and himself. Forgiveness.

When Joseph was forgotten in prison by the two men he helped, he had to feel overlooked. But he wasn't, at least not by God. God was waiting for the perfect moment to have Joseph released from prison so that He could put him in the ideal position to carry out His will. God's timing is PERFECT, even when it's much slower than ours!

Once again, Joseph finds himself in a pit. This time, the pit is a prison. But Joseph discovered that he wasn't alone. Even when life works against us, our God is WITH us! Even in the lowest of places, God blessed Joseph and caused him to prosper. God will have His Hand upon us in our dark places, too!

This message will encourage us to reflect deeply on God's love. It's easy to say, but do we truly believe it—especially when we face difficult situations? This is our faith—the belief that God's goodness remains constant, even when circumstances don't make sense.

We welcome Kevin Dugay, Campus Pastor at Mid-America Christian University!

When Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph, he shunned her advances, even though it could have been personally and financially prosperous for him. Integrity and commitment to God were more important to Joseph than favor with another person or financial gain. Joseph paid the high price of integrity and discovered that it was worth it all to be rewarded by God.

Everywhere Joseph went, he had success. That's because he gave himself fully to what was at hand, believing God was with him. Achieving our divine destinies doesn't usually come in huge, single leaps. They are successes built upon successes. To do that, we must commit to being the best we can be, WHEREVER we are. Treating every opportunity as a gift from God allows Him to open door after door for us.

When Joseph got thrown into the pit and then sold into slavery, I doubt that he had any idea that God was using these things to get him to where he needed to be. The way WE think our path should be and the path God takes us on is often very different. This message will look at trusting God, not just with the dream, but with the PROCESS of achieving that dream.

Is there any pain greater than being betrayed by someone you trusted? But even betrayal can't stop us from achieving our divine destiny. This message will look at how we deal with betrayal and grieve the loss but let it become a stepping stone instead of a stumbling block.

Most of the problems we encounter in life are problems we create for ourselves! Bad attitudes. Stupid decisions. Pride. Joseph was no different. Joseph alienated his brothers by telling them he would rule over them one day. His pride and jumping the gun in God's design for his life caused him serious problems. This message will examine how we handle God's blessings and how not to let ourselves get in the way of what God wants to do through us.

God has amazing plans for us! We too often settle for a life of meaningless activity and low goals. But God has a dream for us! He has plans for us to make our lives meaningful and impactful. We may be young or old, but as long as we're breathing, God's not done with us!

In Matthew 20, Jesus shares the parable of the vineyard workers. In this parable, we see that the landowner is generous and pays the workers evenly. We also see how the workers respond. This Sunday, we will look at this parable and how we can relate it to our lives.

In Psalm 39, David reminds us how fleeting life is. Many of us struggle with procrastination, but there are some things that we shouldn't put off. In this week's message, we will look at some facts about life & time and things that we shouldn't put off.

Guest Speaker, Stephanie Greenwald will walk us through Psalm 23 and how we can apply it to our lives.

If you were before Jesus and he asked, "What do you want me to do?" How would you answer? How you answer this question reveals a lot about the state of your soul. Join us as we see how one man answered this question and how we can respond as well.

David's last words to Solomon were a reminder to be faithful to the Lord. David had experienced both the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. His words of wisdom to Solomon are a wonderful reminder that life goes better when we listen to the Lord! This message will challenge us to live and people after God's heart so that we, too, can experience the joy and blessing of obedience.

The immortal words that Jesus spoke are incredibly powerful. Having accomplished the work God the Father sent Him to do, He spoke His last words and died. Those words give us hope and life and set us free. This weekend, as we celebrate freedom in our country, we will look at the freedom that is ours through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God made a promise to Joseph when he was young. It took 25 years and a lot of ups and downs, but God finally fulfilled that promise. As Joseph dies, he reminds his brothers and family that God will help them just as God helped him throughout his life. And that's God's promise to us!

The Israelites had been up and down and back and forth with God. Joshua witnessed it firsthand as they wandered through the desert and fought into the Promised Land. Now, as he prepares for his death, he challenges them to leave their weak-faith lives and commit wholeheartedly to the Lord. Joshua challenges them and us to live lives of intentional, resilient faithfulness.

On this Father's Day, we'll look at how to use our positions and power in a God-honoring way. In a world where many seek to flex their muscles and control those around them, Jesus calls us to serve, lift, and empower. One of the most attractive traits of those we want to draw near to is feeling safe with them. They are approachable, tender, and gentle.

If there is one relational principle we get backward, it's this one. When someone hurts our feelings or does something offensive to us, we do everything but the one thing Jesus tells us to do: Go to them. This message will look at recalibrating our dysfunctional ways of handling hurts. We'll explore how to have hard, honest conversations with those who have wounded us.