Sunshine Community Church's Podcast

Matthew 25:31-46 In the book of Matthew, Jesus shows us we will not only have to give an account of our own lives but also the deeds we have done for others. Jesus shows us that God's commissions are real and come in a body just as he did. We must follow Jesus by coming in the flesh to the world.

Guest Preacher - Josh Hendricks Revelation 20:11-15. Do you have any books you would recommend as must reads? In Revelation God shows us there are two books we should be intensely interested in: the book of our deed, and the book of life. It is important for us to recognize that this life is being recorded, in minute detail, including the motives of our hearts. What does it take to have your name found in the second book, the book of life?

Acts 2:42-47 This message concludes our "Music of the Spheres" series focusing on intentionally sharing our faith. We believe this will happen most consistently when we take the message out to our community and connections, and commit ourselves to seeing others for Christ.  

Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Acts 8:26-40 Not all of us travel regularly, but most of us will find ourselves on the road every now and then on a vacation or trip. Often, we check out and hide out, enjoying the rare opportunity to be anonymous or more self-focused. But what if God has other ideas about our vacation or business trip? What if we could enjoy a break from our normal routine, while also staying on mission for the Kingdom of God? People we meet when traveling along the way are never on our path accidentally; we must be ready to share on the fly!

Acts 18: 1-4; Ephesians 6:5-9 Christians often have a love-hate relationship with the workplace. Biblically, we see that work is created to be good, and that God made us to be fruitful and influence others with the work of our hands. The place where you work is fertile ground for outreach; it takes some discernment and planning, but the office holds a rich harvest!

Luke 20:45-47; Acts 17:16-21 A lot of life happens in the marketplace. We certainly shop in person less now, but we still have the option to use a human-operated check out late at the grocery store, get to know our barber/stylist, remember the name of that office administrator at our doctor's office, and ask about the kids of our mechanic. The truth is that when we shop, we sort of have a captive audience and the people we transact with need Jesus. We have a lot of influence in the marketplace, if we can just be more intentional about when, where, and how we shop!

Psalm 78:1-8; Joshua 24:14-24 The first sphere of influence is the womb, and the home comes shortly after! We need to protect and nurture life and faith in our own homes before we can be credible and effective in sharing into other spheres. Each household needs to have a clear sense of where its loyalties lie and who is the King and Head of the household. Jesus loves our families, and he desires that they be the first and best line of defense in passing on truth, protecting lives, and growing healthy human into adulthood. Let us protect and nurture faith our families!

Leviticus 19:9-19; 1 Peter 2:12 Neighboring well is one of the most essential outreach skills a Christian must cultivate. Of all the spheres in our lives, the neighborhood is most consistently available. It bookends our days as we rise, step up, return, rest, and sleep. It is a place where we must work out differences and forge lasting peace with people outside our family. It is a place where all our tools, resources, and spaces are most easily shared. Our neighborhood is a place where we can develop deep and lasting connections; we should be much more intentional about how we act in our cul-de-sacs!

2 Corinthians 10:13-18 Our Congregation's mission statement talks about each of us having a distinct "sphere of influence." But what does that really mean? This series will explore the various spaces in which we have an opportunity to share about Jesus. It will radically increase our effectiveness in pursuing and nourishing the spiritually hungry people in each of our lives! It takes some thinking and mapping to properly name one's sphere of influence.

Jeremiah 31:1-14 As we look to a new year, we would do well to take stock of all the promises God kept for us and all the ways he has proven that is love for us is based on his grace, not our performance. The more we think about it, the more we realize that all our blessings flow from the everlasting love with which he has loved us! The merriness and brightness we need is in the Lord's hand, not anywhere else! We can trust his promises to restore and rebuild us until his presence and power flow freely in our lives and we are home free in his kingdom.

1 John 4 Days that are merry and bright can only be had when we are filled up with love. We humans love so imperfectly, but always crave more; the world proves to us - again and again, that love can be scare and is often counterfeited. We desperately need someone to reset our definitions of love, truth, and even life! Jesus came at Christmas to do exactly that - he came to show us God's love and pour it into our hearts until they are full enough to spill over into others. The bottom line is that Christmas shows us what love looks like and proves it can be ours as a gift! 

Psalm 32 The merry and bright life we long for is often stopped by hidden guilt and deep dread of being unmasked as imposters. We often try to fool others (and ourselves) into thinking we are without flaws and that everything in our lives is just fabulous. These fears and falsehoods are the enemies of our joy; we can't be truly set free by the message of the Gospel until we have full victory over these false veneers and fake images we construct to cover over our sins and weaknesses. Christmas reveals God's generous plan to remove guilt and unleash amazing joy!

Romans 5:1-5; Philippians 4:6-7 Advent is a time of preparation marked by the beginning of the Christian liturgical year for millennia. It's important to remember the meekness and beauty of Jesus' first coming to earth, while also preparing our hearts for his second coming as the Mighty King and Victor! The purest hope we can have is that God will accept us into his heaven; the deepest peace comes when we abandon anxiety and accept God's care!

This message concludes our series on Esther- God makes a way for his people to celebrate a victory that points clearly to him; it's his story, but it spills over into our blessing. 

These chapters mark the turning of the tide in this great tale. The change in power, influence, and safety for Esther, Mordecai, and the Jews could not be more dramatic! They go from victims to victors in only a few short movements of the story. We can clearly see there that God not only thwarts the plans of the Enemy, he puts his people in places of influence to reverse the damage and heal harms. He not only protects us, he places us and uses us to help him change the world and impact our communities and neighborhoods!

Esther 5-6 In these chapters we see the drama start to escalate as Esther sets her plans in motion while the danger to the Jewish people continues to grow. Mordecai's life is in even greater danger, and Haman's plot to harm him is accelerating even faster than his plans for the other Jews. But God loves to show his genius and sovereignty by turning the tables on the Enemy. As things start to go wrong for Haman, the absurdity of evil begins to show and God's greater plans for justice are revealed as petit, inexorable, and decisive.

These chapters introduce us to the villan in the story - Haman. And man, is he a truly masty one. His hatred, selfish pride, and manipulative nature are downright unsettling. When we see how a single wicked person in the right place of power can destroy and hurt others, it can really be scary and sad! The truth is that Evil is always at work, and we will never know all the ways our Enemy is plotting to harm us. But the good news is that God wants to bless us and his people are strategically placed in just the right places to make a real difference! 

Esther 1-2 Esther is different from other Old Testament books. It is, in many ways, a Persian story about things that happened to Jews living in danger and outside their home country It is an account of the way a world intent on undervaluing them ended up revering and fearing them because of the Lord. This story probes that the world only looks and leers at the exterior; but, meanwhile, God is working to put people of substance in places of influence.

Psalm 24 Knowing why we give, who benefits, and who we are trying to please in the process all helps us profoundly in our giving. When the locker room empties back out for the second half, there is a fresh start; let's rededicate our efforts to the Lord and his glory!

Proverbs 31:10-31, John 6:1-14 Welcome to our stewardship series, Halftime, in which we study the concept of managing resources with a mindset like Jesus'! Our church is halfway through a two-year stewardship journey, and we are very excited to stop and take stock of all God has done so far. You see, in life as in sports, at halftime, it is really important to know the score. There is no real stewardship without intentionality and self-governance; we need to soberly assess the challenges before us, our limited resources and the greatness of our God, then take courageous action!

Psalm 61: 2 Timothy 1 We all try to be omnipresent; we are often using our technology to convince ourselves and our loved ones that we can be in all of the places with all of the people, all at once! But we really, really can't. In fact, it seems that the more we try to be omnipresent, the less present we actually are; we walk around like empty husks of men and women, brains sucked out by handheld devices and attentions spread way too thin. God's omnipresence is manifest in us as longing; we can never really be everywhere, but we can trust our hearts to the One who is.

James 1:2-18   God knows EVERYTHING! Wow. That is too much knowledge to even imagine. I don't think I could even absorb all the knowledge there is about a snail, let alone every fact there is to know in the whole universe. But...I WANT to know it all, anyway. Maybe you feel the same. We long for omniscience, and we look high and low for knowledge. But God has set things up so that we just can't have all the facts. God's omniscience is manifest in us as curiosity; we can't know everything, but we can learn at the feet of the One who does.

Romans 1:18-20, 1:16, John 14:13-14, 15:5, Luke 18:1-8, James 5:16b-18, Ephesians 6:10 God's omnipotence is manifest in us as prayer; we can't have all the power, but we can plead our case to the One who does.

Malachi 3 When something changes from its original form or nature, we say that it has mutated. If something can NEVER change from its original form or nature, we say that it is “immutable.” We are VERY mutable… We change all the time, for good reasons and bad. In fact, it is often said that the only constant with us IS change. Not so with God - he is perfectly consistent and never alters his nature or breaks his Word. God's immutability is manifest in us as perseverance; we can't avoid changing, but we can hold fast to the One who never does!

Isaiah 40   In this series, we will be looking at some of the ways God has limited our ability to reflect his image. We are like him in so many ways, and can become even more like him as we grow! But, at the same time, He has some things that make him totally unique and absolutely singular. We call these his "incommunicable attributes," meaning the parts of his nature we will never match or properly reflect. God's incommunicable attributes highlight where our abilities run out and his greatness extends infinitely beyond us. They are gifts that point us to him for satisfaction!

Psalm 119: 97-120   God gives understanding through his word. He preserves people in their difficulties. But those who see to avoid his laws by cunning fail.

Psalm 119:41-64 God invites us into a relationship of promises made and promises kept; our greatest freedom is experienced in this relationship of faithfulness!

Ezekiel 20 This passage is actually absolutely unique in the whole Bible. It is an entirely "behind the scenes" look at how God saw the Exodus and it gives us information about his relationship to Israel that we wouldn't have without Ezekiel. In this chapter, we discover even more about how undeserved and grace-based God's relationship with Israel is, and how utterly unmerited their rescue was, right from the start. It shows us that the story God has been telling is one of undeserved restoration and forgiveness that points the nations to HIS glory and HIS goodness, alone!

Ezekiel 17-19 It might sound strange, but people used to want God to deal with them based on group identity, not individual relationship. They preferred to just think, "I'm safe because I'm an Israelite, and our God loves all of us - it doesn't matter what I do as an individual." The idea that God reckons righteousness on an individual basis is fair, but not everyone used to think so! True Justice says that each person shall live or die based on his or her own choices; we can't ride anyone's coattails. God's mercy is for evey individual, as well - He invites us to repent and live! 

Ezekiel 15-16 This passage is pretty hard to hear. It is God's point of view on his relationship with his covenant people. He shares the story of his journey with Israel, including their humble beginnings, all he did for them along the way, and how badly they violated and disdained his care for them. It is brutal to read, and God was clearly right to punish them. The truth is, though, that Christians are part of Israel now; the story of their corruption is our story, too. Our sinful rebellion made us twice cursed before God; sin made us so useless and faithless that only grace could save us!

Psalm 119:17-40 In an age when the talk is all about freedom, it can be hard to undestand why the biblical writers spoke of loving God's law. Law, we hear, restricts and forbids. Law is supposed to be the opposite of freedom. However, law and freedom are more connected than we think and rediscovering God's law holds a key we need today.

Ezekiel 13-14 We will look at a big temptation leaders face in tough times - the temptation of denial. When news is bad, nobody wants to be the one who shares it. The problem is that, sometimes, sorting through the bad news first is the only way to get to the good news! When we tell people only what they want to hear, we make peace and approval to our idols. This idolatry distorts leadership and prophecy to the point that things are rotten from the top down; leaders who lead astray will be severely judged by the Lord.

Ezekiel 8-10 The Lord shows Ezekiel the secret places of idolatry that existed inside the temple in Jerusalem. He then shows Ezekiel what he plans to do about it, and it's overwhelming to the prophet. Yet, even in this vision of richly-deserved consequences, God makes a plan to protect those who grieve over sin in the way that he does. It is the same, today - the Lord marks those who are truly repentant as his own; they are safe from the executioner and the day of destruction. We need to be marked for mercy in Jesus Christ on That Day!

Ezekiel 6-7 As you might guess after the warnings in Ezekiel's first five chapters, God wanted his people to be aware of impending judgment, pruning, and discipline from him. He didn't want them to mistake what was about to happen as a matter of chance, a victory of another nation, or a failure on his part - he wanted them to know he was still in control but that they had strayed from him! It's the same today. God has prepared a day for judgement and, when it comes, there is none but him who can deliver us from his hand. Praise Jesus for his gospel and saving grace!

Ezekiel 4-5 We will see Ezekiel's first assigned "sign act," in which he makes a model of Jerusalem and acts out God's refusal to help them because of their idolatry and rebellion. This message wasn't just meant to scare them - it was meant to convict them and lay the groundwork for their repentance. This is always the way it is with God. He warns of the consequences of sin, but he does so as a mercy; then, when we suffer, we have a chance to remember and repent. His goodness always preserves a remnant for undeserved restoration after his wrath.

Ezekiel 2-3 This passage from Ezekiel is truly striking! It shows how he got his commission from God, and what his calling as a prophet was all about. God showed Ezekiel that he would have to be bold and unflinching as he told people bad news they wouldn't like. But he also showed him that the Word of God is sweet - even when it is hard to hear - and that he sometimes hurts us in order to heal us. He also learned he was called to warn others. God lovingly sends his Word to rebellious and hard-hearted people; a believer's calling is to warn with clarity and compassion!

Ezekiel  This message series explores the book of Ezekiel, beginning with a little bit about the ancient Assyrian-Babylonian world and their symbolism. We will learn about what the ancient Israelites were going through as captives in the nation. Ezekiel starts off by assuring the captives that the glory and reign of Yahweh aren't limited to any region, era or season on Earth; His throne is mobile and his Name is over all. We can be with him no matter where we are!

1 Timothy 5:17-25 This message discusses the importance of giving honor to those who lead and teach. Those who keep the charge of leadership carry a significant burden; they ought never do it alone or withug proper honor. 

Philippians 2:12-30 The sermon highlights the book of Philippians, focusing on themes of joy and unity. It honors sacrifices made on Memorial Day and shares teachings of Jesus about love and service. Paul's imprisonment is discussed in relation to the Philippians, emphasizing joy and the importance of unity in the church. The roles of Timothy and Epaphroditus are explored, concluding with a call to engage with the community and a prayer for guidance in serving others.

Isaiah 43:1-13 We don't always think of honor as part of worldwide missions and outreach. But it is essential! First of all, we want all nations, tribes, and languages to praise and honor the Name of Jesus and know the freedom and hope that are ours in his gospel. Honor is also part of outreach in the sense that God is giving it to lost people by loving, pursuing, and cleansing them in Christ. All honor belongs to God, yet he shares it so generously with his people; we only have it when we surrender to him and his mission, sharing the good news with all people.

Matthew 15:1-28 This message celebrates Mother's Day and the many women sacrificing, giving strengths, efforts, and affections to help others flourish. Whether you have kids or not, you are a mother here when you lovingly nurture and grow others! This passage looks at the kind of honor Jesus commands and the price we pay to make it authentic.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 Celebrating HisAbility Sunday - Our differently-abled members and attenders help us experience God more deeply, worship him more passinoately, and learn about parts of his heart we might miss without them. Together, we learn that the Church is the unified body of Jesus Christ; when we protect one part, the whole body floursihes with it and shares in the honor! 

Malachi 4  A final message in our Where's Waldo? series. As the profit Malachi finishes his book, he gets to have the last word before 400 years of waiting between the minor profits and the Gospel of Matthew. These last words of the Old Testament point to the coming of John the Baptist and the healing of the Risen Lord! 

Psalm 16, Daniel 12:1-4 This message takes place on Ressurection Sunday! As we continue to look for evidence and testimony about Jesus in the Old Testament books (even on Easter), we discover that the empty tomb and victory over sin and death and hell are all there! In the Law and Prophets, we see that the Father promised to preserve the life and physical purity of Jesus, despite Death's attacks. More than that, he promises the same to all who believe in his Son!

Zechariah 9:9-13, John 12; 12-16 Even though the first Palm Sunday happened in New Testament times, it was predicted in the Old Testament and later recognized as a fulfillment of prophecy. Zechariah the prophet predicted a King humbly arriving to Jerusalem on a donkey; he also predicted that King would bring freedom and hope by a blood covenant and by rescuing prisoners back to safety.

Zechariah 3 We don't see it, but there is an invisible battle going on all around us. We are always being accused by our Enemy, the Devil. The worst part is, most of his accusations are accurate, since we are sinners who have disobeyed God and deserve punishment. However, his word isn't the last word - there is Another who gets to speaker in the courtroom. No matter what Satan says about us, God's Word supersedes it. Zechariah predicted the protective work of Jesus to rebuke our Accuser, cleanse us, and make us a priestly people serving Him!

Daniel 3 The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar shows us the kind of pressure and risk a believer can often face in this world where Satan seems to be temporarily in charge of things. Earthly systems can stack the deck against us and we are often threatened and told to compromise our faith. The pre-incarnate Jesus showed up for his faithful servants in Babylon and preserved them; he will show up for us, too!

Exodus 3:1-12; Deuteronomy 18:15-19   This message dives into some moments in the life of the greatest Old Testament leader in the nation of Israel: Moses. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and to the Promised Land; he gave them the Law and taught them about God's standards. Jesus called and equipped Moses to prefigure the Gospel and lay the groundwork for salvation. But Moses was aware of a greater prophet to come, who would take his mantle and go further; he predicted the True Prophet to come!

Genesis 16:1-13; 18:22; 22:11-18   Many have heard stories about the patriarch, Abraham, and his wife, Sarah. As we continue our search for Jesus in the Old Testament, we discover that he pops up quite a few times in the story of Abraham; you just have to know where to look. In these passages, we see that the pre-incarnate Jesus was intimately involved with Abraham's story and the people in his family; Jesus revealed his Gospel to the Father of our faith, who believed it and was deeply touched by it. Abraham was God's friend, and God wanted him to know about his best gift: Jesus!

Genesis 1:1-5, John 1:1-5, Genesis 3:14-15, 21 The oldest references to Jesus are in the book of Genesis; here we see his divinity, mission, and victory over sin and hell foretold! We also see the first substitutionary sacrifice and the institution of shedding blood to cover over the shame and exposure that come from sin. Jesus is on the very first page of the Bible!

Ecclesiastes 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 Statistics say we are living longer than ever before. Ironically, as our expectation of longevity increases, our stewardship of our lives actually seems to atrophy. Many people are living in denial of their mortality, simultaneously expecting more and risking less. It seems that somehow the longer we hope to live, the less we actually make of the days we are given. Christians are called to be so sure about the next life that we are set free to choose and live for the things which will most certainly cost us our lives!