The ECC Podcast

How do we hold on to hope when the waiting is long or when what we hoped for didn't happen?In life, we face many experiences of deferred and disappointed hope. These are crucial moments in our faith journey because they test our ability to persevere in faith even when we are weary and we don't understand. Join Jim and Amy as they talk about the difference between faith and hope and how to cultivate resilient hope even in the hardest seasons.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman shares on the importance of holding fast to hope, even when the waiting is long.

We all know we should be thankful, but how do we cultivate a practice of thankfulness that actually changes our lives?We have a choice between thankfulness and discontentment. God clearly commands us to be people who practice thankfulness, no matter what we are facing. This takes intentionality. Otherwise, our worldview will be shaped by the negativity and complaining of the culture around us. How do we do that? Join Dan and Jim as they explore practical ways we can grow gratitude in our hearts and live with genuine thankfulness every day. 

Pastor Kevin Eshleman reminds us of the importance of living with thanksgiving in the midst of a critical and discontented culture.

How do you cultivate fellowship with the Holy Spirit in your life?In 2 Corinthians 13:14, Paul blessed his readers to experience the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, but what does that really mean? For many of us, the idea of building a relationship with the Holy Spirit may seem strange, but it's actually God's invitation to us to experience intimacy with him. Join Matt and David as they talk about practical ways we can cultivate a real and growing relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Valter Xhelili speaks on the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, reminding us of our need to fellowship with him.

What happens after you receive an impartation from the Lord?When we receive an impartation, God moves in our hearts in mighty ways. But when we leave that encounter, how do we steward what we've received so that we don't return to "life as usual" but begin taking steps of obedience toward God's call for our lives? Join Matt Swords and Chris Weber as they talk about how we can be diligent to cultivate what God's doing in our midst.

Mike Van't Hul speaks on radical obedience and power of surrendering our whole lives to the Lord.

Dr. Randy Clark speaks on the need to receive an impartation of the Holy Spirit.

Are you hungry for an impartation of the Holy Spirit?God wants to touch each one of us with an impartation of his Spirit. The question is, are we ready, and are we hungry? Join Jim Ehrman and Matt Swords as they talk about how we prepare our hearts and cultivate hunger for what God wants to do in us and through us.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman gives us four keys for how we can properly prepare our hearts to receive an impartation from the Lord.

What exactly is impartation, and why do you need it?Join Dan Gulnac and Matt Swords as they discuss the biblical principle of impartation and why each one of us needs it. Our lives in Christ aren't powered by our own human wisdom or effort, but by the Holy Spirit at work in us. Find out how impartation connects us to that reality and enables us to go deeper and farther for God's kingdom.  

Pastor Kevin Eshleman teaches on the value of impartation and the need we each have for more of the Holy Spirit.

Join Matt Swords and Heidi Zimmerman as they discuss this past weekend's message on the unique abilities God has given each one of us and the ways he wants to use our uniqueness for his glory. Too often, we think we don't really matter much to the kingdom, but the truth is: we are each essential to God's work on this earth. He created us to bring something to this world that only we can bring. As we partner with him, he empowers us to use the abilities he put within us for his kingdom. Tune in for Matt and Heidi's personal insights and strategies for how to do that.

Pastor Heidi Zimmerman speaks on the uniqueness God put inside each person and the way he wants to use our abilities for his kingdom.

Join Jim Ehrman and Cheryl Pfautz as they discuss this past weekend's message on our God-given personalities and how they interact with our calling and gifting. God made each one of us in a unique way so that we can uniquely reflect his nature, character, and glory. Understanding our personality is key to walking in our call to image Christ to this world. Tune in for Jim and Cheryl's personal insights and strategies for how we can best do this.

Pastor Jim Ehrman talks about God's design for personality and the way it impacts our calling and gifting.

Join Chris Weber and Dan Gulnac as they discuss this past weekend's message on God's ability to use and redeem our past experiences, whether good or bad. It's easy to discount and minimize our experiences even though they have shaped who we are today. God wants to use our worst defeats, our greatest victories, and our God encounters to impact people for his glory. Tune in for Chris and Dan's personal insights and strategies for how we can partner with this in our own lives.

Pastor Dan Gulnac reminds us that God can use our past experiences, whether good or bad, to bear fruit for his kingdom.

Join Matt Swords and Dan Gulnac as they discuss this past weekend's message about our work as worship. We so often think that the work we do during the week doesn't relate to our ministry and worship life, but the opposite is true. Everything we do is "unto the Lord," and God wants to use our faithfulness at our jobs to serve, bless, and impact others for the kingdom. Tune in for Matt and Dan's personal insights and strategies for how we can step into this in our own lives.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman teaches us to view our work as worship to the Lord.

Join Matt Swords and Barry Wissler as they discuss revival and what God's doing in the world. The enemy wants us to fear the darkness so much that we don't see how much the light is increasing. The truth is, God's kingdom is always growing, and light always triumphs over darkness. Tune in for Matt and Barry's insights on the global harvest and how we can be part of it.

Pastor Jim Ehrman reminds us that spiritual gifts aren't just for building up and serving the church--but also for reaching the world.

Join Matt Swords and Jim Ehrman as they discuss this past weekend's message about spiritual gifts and the call for all believers to discover their gifts and walk in them. The enemy wants us to believe that only certain people are ministers, but the truth is, we are all called to be ministers of the gospel wherever we live and work. Tune in for Matt and Jim's personal insights and strategies for how we can step into this in our own lives.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman shares a message on spiritual gifts and the call for all believers to be activated in their gifts.

Join Matt Swords and Dan Gulnac as they discuss this past weekend's message and the call to trust the Lord to illuminate the next step of our journey with him. We probably won't see the whole path of our calling in him all at once, but we can know the next step he's calling us to take. Tune in for Matt and Dan's personal insights and strategies for how we can walk this out.

Pastor Matt Swords speaks on the importance of trusting the Lord to illuminate the next step of our journey with him.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman teaches on the biblical and church history of revival and the way God comes to awaken us when we need him most.

Join Matt Swords and Jim Ehrman as they look at the biblical value of continually taking one step in our relationship with Christ. Growth is normal for believers, and we grow by taking one step after another. What step is God inviting you to take this Fall in your growth with him and in community with others?

Join David Burr and Dan Gulnac as they discuss this past weekend's message and the call to partner with what God is doing in the world by discipling nations. The questions we must ask ourselves are: 1. What is God doing? 2. Where is he going? 3. Am I going with him? Tune in for David and Dan's personal insights and strategies for how we can walk this out.

Barry Wissler reminds us of the call to disciple nations and shares stories of what God is doing around the world.

Join Jim Ehrman and David Burr as they discuss the messages shared this past weekend and the call for all of us to find our part in expanding the gospel throughout the world. We are not all called to go, but we are all called to pray and to get involved. God is doing incredible things throughout the world, even in places often considered hard to reach, and he's calling us to partner with him for a global outpouring. Tune in for Jim and David's personal insights and strategies for how we can walk this out.

Guest speaker Andy Byrd shares stories of what God is doing around the world and invites us to consider our part.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman teaches on the call for all of us to participate in sharing the gospel throughout the world.

Join Matt Swords and Jim Ehrman as they discuss this weekend's message. Jesus demonstrated the ability to look past what was on the outside and to minister straight to the hearts of people. As his disciples, we so often fall short of this standard, but we are called and empowered to see people the way Jesus does. Tune in for Matt and Jim's personal insights and strategies for how we can walk in this every day.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman reminds us of the call to get outside of our own perspectives and begin to see people the way Jesus does.

Join Wes Siegrist and David Burr as they discuss this weekend's message. God wants us to care about what he cares about and to share the good news with those who live without him. We so easily go through our days without considering the lost, but we each have a responsibility to reflect the nature and character of Christ to the world. Tune in for Wes and David's personal insights and strategies for how to walk this out.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman calls us to care about what God cares about and to share the good news with those who live without him.

Join Jim Ehrman and Wes Siegrist as they discuss this weekend's message on how to avoid favoritism and elitism and instead live with love and mercy toward others. We so easily slip into attitudes of judgment toward others, but Christ calls us to view people the way he does, to treat them according to their innate value, potential, and calling in Christ, and to give them the grace and mercy we all need. Tune in for Jim and Wes' personal insights and strategies for how to walk this out.

Pastor Wes Siegrist reminds us of the call to see others as Christ does, rather than allowing favoritism to creep into our hearts, so that we will live with mercy rather than judgment.

Join Matt Swords and Jim Ehrman as they discuss this weekend's message on how we can navigate hardships with joy and the reward of doing so. Hardship is part of life on this earth, and how we respond to it matters to our own growth and to the work of the kingdom. Tune in for Matt and Jim's personal insights and strategies for how we walk this out in our daily lives.

Pastor Jim Ehrman shares how we can navigate hardships with joy--and the reward of doing so.

Join Jim Ehrman and Dan Gulnac as they discuss this weekend's message on the call to read James with Jesus. We need to understand that James called us to live righteously knowing we cannot do it on our own. Rather, James pointed us to the reality that Jesus, through his death and resurrection, has empowered us to live righteously as we depend on him. Tune in for Jim and Dan's personal insights and strategies for how we walk this out in our daily lives.

Pastor Dan Gulnac teaches on the importance of reading the book of James with the understanding of Christ's empowerment in our lives for righteous living.

Join Dan Gulnac and Kevin Eshleman as they discuss this weekend's message on the power of our words. The way we speak can greatly impact others, and it can change the way we think about ourselves. We get to choose whether we will use our tongues for complaint and criticism or for thanksgiving and encouragement. Tune in for Dan and Kevin's personal insights and strategies for how we live out the call to use our words for kingdom purpose.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman reminds us of the power of our words and calls us to think before we speak. 

Join Matt Swords and David Burr as they discuss this weekend's message on the importance of both faith and works to the Christian life. We receive salvation by faith, as a gift from God, not by works, but then we are called to do good works for the kingdom. Thus, as James says, our faith is evident in the works we do. Tune in for Matt and David's personal insights and strategies for how we live out a faith that works.

Pastor Kevin Eshleman reminds us of the importance of both faith and works and shows us what dynamic faith looks like.

Join Matt Swords and David Burr as they discuss this weekend's message on the call to love and unity within the church, even when we don't agree. It's so easy to let our disagreements divide us, but God calls us to put relational connection above agreement, as evidenced in the book of James and the story of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Tune in for Matt and David's personal insights and strategies for how we can walk this out in our daily lives.

Pastor Jim Ehrman teaches on the call to love and unity within the church, even when we don't agree.

Join Dan Gulnac and Jim Ehrman as they discuss this weekend's message on the priority of the word of God and its power to change our lives. Tune in for their personal insights on how we can keep the Bible set apart from all other information and give it a place of priority and authority within our daily rhythms.