Team Faith Podcast

Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a season.”16 years on GNCC as your “Pit-Pastor.” It has been amazing - God has been so good. But there is more ahead, and it's time to turn the page. How do I know? Because God really does talk to his children! “My sheep hear my voice and I call them by name” (John 10:3)(Chuck announces this is his and Jessica's last GNCC as chaplain.)

The devastation across the Southeast is very sobering and our prayers go out to families affected. As we pulled the Team Faith rig into the John Penton GNCC, the remnants of Hurricane Helene were in force, though not nearly to the extent the southern states experienced. Afterwards, there was a calm, still breeze and a beautiful rainbow in the sky! Chapel on Saturday was on the Genesis 6 Flood and the mentions Jesus and Peter gave it regarding the End Times. There is only 1 door, and Jesus is The Way!  

Being persecuted for following Jesus doesn't always look like we think. As far back as the first martyrs, false accusations and made-up stories were the basis for arrest, interrogation, imprisonment and ultimately death.  As the old saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same!” How can we recognize the current signs? How do we prepare? We discuss this (and more) at the Mountaineer GNCC Chapel. 

Christ-less Conservatism will not save America. It's not the Elephant, not the Donkey, it's the Lamb! How should Christians be viewing the times, the culture (and the election) we're living in? God judged his Chosen Nation for the sin of child-sacrifice. Will He not judge us? We come into this election with a pro-abortion candidate vs one who no longer fights for the unborn. Does it really matter which of them gets the title? How should we be preparing? Beans and bullets? Lots of questions, but ultimate answers are found in God's Word. 

How do we know it's all true? Creation, The Flood, Jonah and the Whale. There's one KEY in the Bible. If it's true, then it's all true! The Resurrection! Paul said “If Christ was not raised from the dead then our preaching is in vain.” Chapel service from Snowshoe unpacks the debate for Ultimate Truth.

Andy Davis filled in at the Mason-Dixon GNCC with a great message! From Genesis to Revelation: God redeeming his special creation and will culminate with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It was a fascinating overview of the Bible - informative, practical and applicable. (Recorded live at a racetrack, so background noises are part of it. Worth the listen though!)

We've talked about Samson and Jephthah the last couple rounds. They both made terrible mistakes and seemed to be poor leaders. We used them as “bad examples!” However, they BOTH are listed in the Hebrews 11 “Hall of Faith” passage! Why? How? Maybe we should examine “what is faith?” That's what we did at the Powerline Park GNCC. This message was pre-recorded as I was not able to attend. Trevor Lemaster and Clayton Kawasaki represented Team Faith, set up the pits and hosted chapel. Give a listen and let's grow in our faith! 

“On Purpose, For a Purpose!” God outlined his plan for Samson's life, yet Samson never fully stepped into it. God's purposes prevailed, but Samson's life was full of drama and disappointment. What lessons can we learn from the strongest man who ever lived? This was our discussion at The Hoosier GNCC 2024. 

The Old Gray in Monterey, TN was the hometown GNCC race for Team Faith. Really cool to have Brian O'Rourke come out and share some stories - from botching the opening prayer at a jet ski race to winning gold at X-Games! There were some definite low points in between. We turn to Matthew 16 and look at what it means to “give up your life in order to gain it.” God's economy is backwards, inverted and so totally worth it!

How did the crowd miss that Jesus was The Messiah? They started out so good: “Hosannah!” But within a few days, “Crucify him!” Jesus came to fulfill a promise God made way back in Genesis, yet the people assumed he was there simply to defeat Rome. When we make up a god in our own image, culture will absolutely sway us. Look at the story of Jephthah in Judges 11. This is a most unusual Palm Sunday message! However, it makes the point that we need to stand on Truth found in God's Word. 

4 years ago, the world shut down. Churches too!  In hindsight sight, many pastors wished they hadn't shut down at all. And others, namely those who latched onto the out-of-context “love your neighbor” theme - have gone wholesale into deception/gay-affirmjng. Does God's Word have anything to say about how to stand firm in deceptive times? About how to discern truth from error?!You know it does! Give a listen from The General GNCC…

Last week during the “Not Ashamed” message, I made the statement that “Jesus came to set us free from the penalty of our sin AND the dominion of our sin.” Yet, so many times it seems that even as Christians, we are dominated by sin. How can that be? What do we do? Is there escape?! Of course! We turn to Luke 15 and James 4 for the answer at the Wild Boar GNCC…

Romans 1:16 says “I am not ashamed of the Gospel.” But what does that mean? Die for the Good News? Sure. But Paul also demonstrated in that passage how to stand for truth in a culture that denied Ultimate Truth. Welcome to Round 1 of the 2024 GNCC Season!

Hamas attacks Israel. Israel responds. Protests erupt. Is this Biblical? Apocalyptic? How should a Christian view Israel? How should we respond? All good questions, but there is one “question behind the question” that must be answered: “Why did Jesus have to die?” Seems unrelated! Give a listen to the chapel service from the 2023 Ironman GNCC and find the connection!

Chapel from The Buckwheat 100. We talked about courage and looked at an obscure Old Testament king, Jehoshaphat. He's actually a model of what NOT to do! But there was a prophet who is part of his story, Micaiaha, who was bold without reservation and did not care what other people thought. That's who I want to be like!

“The Sound of Freedom” movie was released this past summer - it's the true story of Tim Ballard who quit his job with Dept of Homeland Security to pursue a sex trafficking ring in S. America. At the end of the movie, statistics were given stating that the USA is a top destination for child sex trafficking. How did we get here?! We were a nation founded on godly principals, but how far we've fallen! The question is, how do we stop it? How do we war against the culture? We looked to Genesis 4 for the answer. God told Cain, “Sin is crouching outside your door and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Let God do his work in our lives and allow that to spill over to our culture.

The earth's magnetic field is actually not at true north! Depending on where you are on the globe, it's off by a few degrees. Much like our culture, it also changes! (By about 50km/yr) As Christians, the Word of God is our True North - but there are things pulling at the compass needle that can put us off by a degree or two. In the short term, it's no big deal. But 1° off-course over 60 miles will put you an entire mile off target! How do we orient to True North? Give a listen from the Snowshoe GNCC Chapel...

“Purpose in the Pain” was the message for the Mason Dixon GNCC. It's a tough topic! Life is hard and often unfair. Where is God? Does He know? Does He care? I can assure that not only does He see our suffering but He USES it to bring us even closer in relationship with Him…if we let it! Tune in and hear about God's sovereignty in the life of Job. 

I'm a ”mistaker!” I do dumb things all the time! Will that keep me out of Heaven? Or is there something more? A young man asked Jesus a similar question. It's the story of “The Rich Young Ruler” in Matthew 20. We discussed at the (very muddy) John Penton GNCC.

The difference between Christianity and 40,000 other belief systems (religions) is that only Christianity can claim proof that it IS the way. And that is through a resurrected Savior - something only God could do! But how do we know the Resurrection happened? Couldn't it just be a myth, passed down from generations? Or a hoax? Or maybe grief-stricken people made a mistake? We tackle these questions at The Hoosier GNCC! There is a God who loves us and went to extreme lengths to prove it!

John 3:16 is probably the most recognized Scripture reference, although many people do not know what it actually says. Nonetheless, many athletes use the number 316 to point the way to Jesus, who gave his life so that none would perish. But did you know the context of the verse goes all the way back to the time of Moses? There's a story in the Old Testament about the Israelites being bitten by poisonous snakes! Jesus uses that story as he speaks the words of John 3:16. 

Ever since Genesis 3 there has been a Problem and a Promise! The problem is sin. And the promise is that the serpent's head would be crushed! The way God brought about the promise is fascinating. Detailed to the very day of the Crucifixion, Burial, Resurrection and…Triumphial Entry! This is a Palm Sunday (Monday) message that will make you think as well as appreciate the detail God gave thousands of years in advance! 

The General GNCC Chapel: Honoring God in the little things, or “Killing Lions!”

I Samuel 2:30 says, “I will honor those who honor me.” In context, there's a bit more to it. We dig in at the Wild Boar GNCC Chapel and learn about honoring God in the Old Testament and honoring God now. There are some real life examples of people who honored God, refused to compromise…and God honored (and used) them greatly! 

A revival started in 1970 at Asbury College and swept across the USA! Ripple effects from that still affect our culture today. Is God doing it again?! How does that work? If we really are living in the End Times, won't there be a “Falling Away?” Could it be BOTH?! Chuck answers theses questions and more at the Big Buck GNCC. 

This is a follow up to a couple weeks ago when we discussed “Situational Awareness: Are you paying attention?” Here, at the Buckwheat 100 GNCC, we took a look at a current event and then discussed Jesus' teaching on End Times and persecution. “Hated by all nations.” A lot is happening in our world and in our country. We should be paying attention to the signs! 

There are so many end times prophecies unfolding before our eyes. One teacher called it “a convergence of the signs!” Although we can't foretell the future, we should be aware as things happen and it should strengthen our faith! We dug into it at the Burr Oak GNCC. 

“If it's true, it's worth dying for. If it's worth dying for, it's worth living for!”June 29, 2022 was the 1,956th anniversary of the Apostle Paul's execution by Emperor Nero. We took a closer look at The Mountaineer GNCC. 

Recorded atop Snowshoe Mountain at 4,848 feet, the question was, “Is God real?” With spectacular views, it seemed the answer was/is obvious! Yet, there are still many objections: “What about evil? Suffering? Atrocities committed in the name of Christ? So many Christians are hypocrites.” We dug into these and many more at the 2022 Snowshoe GNCC. 

Leading up to the Mason-Dixon GNCC, there were several shootings in the USA, including the Uvalde, TX tragedy. At the time of recording, gun control debates were raging in Congress, the media and social media. How do we live in this environment? Violence, distrust, opinions, overreach...does God's Word address modern issues? It can always be twisted to fit a narrative, but if it is actually applicable to our lives, how so? The Apostle Paul was in tumultuous times, could see the shipwreck about to happen, and yet remained mission focused. 

“Profane Fire” was the title of this weekend's message at the John Penton GNCC. Leading to baptism, we studied Leviticus chapter 10 – which might be unusual since baptism isn't mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament! However, Leviticus provides an example of how we don't get to come to God on our own terms. We don't get to make it up as we go! Baptism doesn't save us, but only Christians need baptized. Give a listen…

Palm Sunday message at the Camp Coker Bullet GNCC! During the week leading up to the crucifixion, Jesus was hungry, saw a fig tree, went to it for some figs but there were none. He said, “May no one ever eat of you again” and the tree died! Mark said it wasn't the season for figs. So what was Jesus doing?! As with everything - he was purposeful and intentional. The implications are as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago!

Seems the world is in a tailspin! The typical response is “Ain't got a chance!!” But there are a few people saying, “For such a time as this.” That term comes from the Book of Esther. She was put in a precarious situation that took courage and wisdom - very applicable to our lives today. We indeed are created ON PURPOSE, FOR A PURPOSE and we are here “for such a time as this.”

One of the COLDEST chapel services we've done! But people still came out! We discussed “The Armor of God” from Ephesians 6. Admittedly, my view of this passage has been skewed by cliché analogies. However, when digging in and REALLY looking at it - the Apostle Paul was brilliant!

This meassage was delivered March 5, 2022 as Russia was actively invading Ukraine. The news captivated (and continues to captivate, at the time of this posting) the world. As a Christian, a couple questions come to mind: 1) What do we know and 2) What do we DO? We certainly feel helpless, but God is in control, Satan will be defeated and we DO have an active role in expanding the Eternal Kingdom! 

Too often, we want to insert our lives into the Bible! Yet, the Word of God is living and active - it can speak for itself and is applicable to us. Therefore, we need to insert the Bible into our lives! We see the chaos and bad decisions around us. How should we live? Jeremiah lived in a time of chaos, confusion, blatant sin, hard hearts and poor leadership. There are several things we can pick up on that help us today in 2022.

The story of the wisemen has been embellished and expanded over the years. That's okay! The birth of the Savior is a story that should be told, retold and romanticized. But what is fact? What is fiction? And is there anything still to be learned? We are 1/2 way through the GNCC winter break and this is the Christmas Message! 

During the 2021 GNCC Race Season, we have studied a lot of prophecy! But how does it all look when the puzzle is put together? What can we learn? Join Chuck Lemaster at the Ironman GNCC race and find out how Dueteronomy 28 fits with Ezekiel 37, Daniel 9, Matthew 24 and more! Are current events depicted in ancient biblical prophecies? It's an interesting topic and has been an interesting studyin 2021! 

Ezekiel 38 is a little bit like reading a weather report. Imagine getting the bulletin, looking to the horizon and seeing the storm clouds you just read about! We don't know everything, but there is enough in this passage that we should take heed and pay attention to the coming “Gog Magog War.” Chuck wasn't able to make it the Buckwheat 100 GNCC, so this was recorded from home and is one more piece of the Prophecy Puzzle the church at GNCC has been studying all year. 

Pre-trib, post-trib, mid-trib…all these weird names for when the rapture MIGHT happen! And what is the rapture, anyway? And “Tribulation?!” Lots to cover! Chuck puts all this in its proper, Biblical context at the Burr Oak GNCC Chapel service. The discussion revolves around what we do know and concludes with some interesting observations. 

Christians have been persecuted and killed since the 1st Century. Why? “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.” Doesn't seem too threatening! Yet, at the core, God's principals are so counter-cultural they are indeed revolutionary! His Word - The Bible, has shaped and changed my perspective, outlook and ultimately my life. We go through a few examples at The Mountaineer GNCC in Beckley, WV. 

Jesus warned that in the last days, there would be a falling away. We are certainnly seeing that in modern times. But what makes a person who professes Jesus is Lord to NOT maintain that core belief? That is the question we walked through atop beautiful Snowshoe Mountain in June, 2021. 

Sometimes it is the backstory that makes the mainstory so incredible! Samuel was the greatest judge and prophet to ever guide ancient Israel. But he should not have been! His backstory should have ruined him. Yet God...God had a plan and a purpose! Samuel's mother obediently delivered him into that purpose and the rest is history. This service was the very first GNCC Church Baby Dedication. 

John the Baptizer came on the scene baptising people for "repentance and forgiveness of sins." Then Jesus came along and wanted John to baptize him. Yet, Jesus had never sinned! So why did he need to be baptized? Afterward, he was led into thee wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Is there a correlation? We discuss these very questions in this chapel service; recorded live at the John Penton GNCC. A baptism follows! 

Jesus talked about the  End Times, Abomination of Desolation, putting oil in the lamp...unusual subjects! Yet, there is meaning and we are seeing "signs of the times" today. We should understand what He was talking about - and so this episode digs into Matthew 24 and Luke 21. Chuck shares his personal thoughts on the subjects and closes out with undisputable, irrefutable Truth. 

During this season, we’ve been studying some prophecies in the Old Testament and seeing how they came true. But what about future things yet to happen? When will the end actually come? Jesus’ disciples asked that very question. Although Matthew 24 can be confusing (some signs were related to AD70), there is ONE sign Jesus pointed out that has never happened but is happening now! This was an interesting discussion from the Tiger Run GNCC 2021.

"And he said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, "O LORD God, you know.'" ~Ezekiel 37:3We looked at this passage at the Camp Coker Bullet GNCC. It's a fascinating passage! Even more so when you understand the context, what it means and how it came true! There is only one true God and he proves it time and again...

Chapel service from Washington, GA - The General GNCC. What do King Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan and the Civil War have in common? Tune in and find out! God has been faithful through the ages and His purposes prevail!

America is not Israel. However, Malachi explains, "I the LORD do not change." We can see how God worked in the past and have a greater understanding for what He is doing now. In Old Testament times, God gave warnings and signs before sending judgement. Likewise, He's given indications in modern times as well. America isn't paying attention, but as Christians, we need to know the signs of the times. And take heart! God's purposes always prevail!

2021 GNCC Chapel Round 1 Times are changing but God isn't! Malachi states, "I the LORD do not change." What God did in history gives us a clue for what he is doing now. This is Part 1 of a two part series: "The demise of Israel/The demise of America." The Old Testament is HUGELY relevant to modern times. God loves us enough to plainly state the truth! Tune in and take heart.

Speaking live at the Camp Coker GNCC on May 30, 2020, Team Faith's Chuck Lemaster expounds on the topic of "Heaven." There are many questions that the Bible does't directly address, but many answers, as well - especially when placed in the context of WHO God is and WHAT His purpose is. We knnow for certain that heaven is wonderful and that God has a purpose while we are here!