The Skinny with Jesus

In this episode we wrap up our series in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and continue to search this passage to answer the question, "How do we live with the treasure of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ inside of us?" One of our biggest takeaways yet... We fix our eyes on Jesus. What are we focused on? If our focus is on Christ and His Kingdom then our purpose in this life becomes so much more clear. Scripture for this episode: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Matthew 6:19-20 Hebrews 3:1 Philippians 3:18-20 Mark 8:34-35 John 16:33 2 Corinthians 11:23-29 2 Timothy 4:3-5

What good is treasure locked inside a treasure chest if no one ever gets to enjoy what's inside? Paul said, "I believe, therefore I have spoken." Living with the good news of the Gospel inside of us means that we will speak of the incredible hope that we have in Jesus. And thankfully, God didn't stop there! He's even promised that He'll give us exactly what to say. All we have to do is summon the courage to speak it. And in His great love and compassion for us, He helps with that part too. Scripture for this episode: 2 Corinthians 4:13-15 Luke 2:10 1 Peter 3:15 Matthew 10:19-20

As Christians, how are we supposed to respond to suffering? As we go through the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 4 we are looking at 5 tangible things this Scripture tells us about how to live with the treasure of the Gospel inside of us. In this episode we discuss number 3... SURRENDER. What does Godly surrender really look like and what are we really surrendering to? Join me in this episode to hear more about the Living Hope we have in Jesus in spite of the temporary trials we face and the eternal inheritance promised to all of God's children who persevere in faith. Scripture for this episode: 2 Corinthians 4: 6-12 Matthew 28:19-20 2 Corinthians 10: 5 Romans 5: 3-4 1 Peter 1: 3-7 Hebrews 2:14-15

God put the most valuable thing in the whole world inside of fragile clay pots! You and I are His beloved treasure chests. "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." So how do we live with this treasure inside of us? Over the next several episodes we will examine 5 tangible actions scripture points us toward in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4. Let's rise to the challenge of shining Light to a dark world - together! Scripture for this episode: 2 Corinthians 4:1-7 Matthew 8:27 2 Timothy 1:7

Reckless obedience to a holy, all powerful God leads to His awesome wonders. Yet so often we settle for ordinary when an extraordinary God longs to do awesome, transformative works in our lives. Join us in this episode as we round out our series and arrive outside the walls of Jericho. Round and round we will go... 7 times on the 7th day to be exact! God is able to do so much more than we can even imagine. What is possible for us when we surrender our plans and our agendas and simply start following His commands? God delivered Jericho into the hands of the Israelites just as He promised. And He is faithful to fulfill every promise He's ever made to us as well. Waters part. Chains break. Walls fall down. Scripture for this episode: Joshua 5: 13-15 Joshua 6 Isaiah 55:9 1 Corinthians 2:9

Often in scripture we see God build faith and trust in His children by asking for hard obedience. God uses these seasons of difficulty and trials to build our spiritual muscles. In His goodness, we also see that often times these seasons of hard obedience can be followed by great abundance. Join us as we travel one chapter closer to Jericho and get a taste of the "land flowing with milk and honey." Scripture for this episode: Joshua 5 Deuteronomy 31:8

Just as they did for Israel, our stones of remembrance should point us back to God. Our stones of remembrance should tell His story of redemption in our lives. Just like the Israelites, we often need to remember God's deliverance and we need to be reminded that what God did before He can do again! And most importantly, our stones and our stories should always point others to Him. Join me as we walk through the book of Joshua chapter 4 together. Scripture for this episode: Joshua 4 Galatians 5:25

When we are heading into unknown territory who are we following? In Joshua 3 we see one central theme over and over again, "God is out in front!" How do we learn to let Him lead? How do we intentionally prepare today for what God plans to do tomorrow? In this episode we will talk about 3 practical spiritual disciplines every Christian should be living into regularly. Scripture for this episode: Joshua 3

Jesus said that, "Blessed are those who believe without seeing." And this is exactly who Rahab was. Rahab risked it all for a God she barely knew. She had only heard of His awesome power and yet just hearing of His marvelous works on behalf of His people was enough for her to know she wanted more of Him. Rahab's act of courageous obedience saved her life and the lives of her entire family! We just never know what God has in store for us when we step out in bold faith and trust Him. How could walking with God change the trajectory of your life and the lives of those closest to you? Scripture for this episode: Joshua 2 John 20:29 Joshua 6:24-25 1 Corinthians 2:9 Matthew 1:5-6

Courage in us comes from God's presence with us. God's Spirit in us is what will help us to push past our fears into deeper waters and brave the storms of this life. We must trust the Holy Spirit to guide us, believing God's promise to Joshua is for us as well. "He will never leave us or forsake us!" Scripture for this episode: Joshua 1:9-18 Deuteronomy 2:31-34, 36 Deuteronomy 3:1-6 Joshua 1:5 Ezekiel 36:26 2 Timothy 1:7 Matthew 14:22-27 Luke 8:25 Romans 8:31

Join us as we walk the road to Jericho in the first 6 chapters of the book of Joshua. In this first episode we will be reminded that God wants us talking and thinking about Him and His Word constantly. He wants it to overflow from our hearts to our mouths and out to others. In the book of Joshua we see that the kind of success God promises us when we, "meditate on His Word day and night," is not a worldly version of success. It's so much more! If we know God's Word and we are thinking about it day and night we will have the wisdom we need to live this life and walk through our daily lives making choices that please God. We will be equipped for the battles that come our way. As Peter tells us in the book of 2 Peter, "We will have everything we need for life and godliness." This is God's version of success. Scripture for this episode: Joshua 1:1-9 Deuteronomy 6:5-9 2 Peter 1:3-4 James 1:22

Praying in the Spirit just might be one of the most mysterious wonders offered to us in all of scripture. For some it may seem natural and normal; for others who may believe in it, it still seems out of reach. So, how do we pray in the Spirit? Why do we pray in the Spirit? In this episode, we will examine Scripture to get a better understanding of who the Spirit is and what His role is in regards to prayer. The Spirit Himself helps us push past our reluctance to pray. Praying in the Spirit means praying powerful, transforming prayers. This type of prayer actually transforms our faith by teaching us to bow to our own will and surrender our agendas to Him, allowing Him to guide us in our prayers. Scripture for this episode: Jeremiah 29:13-14 Genesis 1:1-2 Matthew 3:16 Isaiah 43:1-2 Zechariah 12:10 1 Thessalonians 5:19 1 Corinthians 12:13 John 7:38-39 1 Corinthians 2:9-11 Romans 8:26-27 2 Corinthians 3:17 John 3:34

As we read verses in the Bible where Jesus Himself tells us that we can ask for anything in His name and we will receive it, deep down we sense that there's more to it than that. We read that we must also be asking and praying these prayers within God's will. God is not a magic genie for us to impress our desires upon to get whatever we want. So how do we begin to pray within the will of God? Tune into this episode as we dive in deeper to explore just that... praying within God's will and then learning more how to walk in confidence that God hears our prayers and answers them, even when those answers don't look like what we had imagined or come as fast as we had hoped. If the deepest desire of your heart is a prayer you've offered up to God for years, be encouraged; God is listening. Often times, within our prayers, He's actually at work in us, shaping the one who offers the prayer. Scripture for this message: Matthew 21:22 John 16:23 John 14:12-14 Psalm 40:8 Isaiah 51:7 John 14:6 Hebrews 4:12 John 15:7

This part of our prayer is really a request for protection. We approach God with an awareness that He is in charge of everything. He is completely in control of our circumstances. He never tempts us (James ch. 1) but He's in charge of what gets to us and what doesn't. So why does God ever even allow us to be brought to temptation? He knows when we need to be tested. He knows when we'll fail and when we'll triumph. He knows when failing a test will point us toward repentance, toward growth, toward change. He also knows when acing the test will be exactly what we need to find ourselves built up in Him, to claim His strength and victory over old temptations. Ultimately, He knows when our failure or our success will bring Him glory and point others to Him! We can be sure if temptation is allowed to cross our path God has provided the way to stand up under the weight of it. Scripture for this message: Matthew 6:9-13 James 1:13-15 Matthew 4:1-11 1 Peter 5:8 Job 1:6-12 Job 2:1-6 Romans 8:28 Luke 22:31-34 1 Corinthians 10:13 Ephesians 6: 10-20 John 10:10

In this episode we will be discussing forgiveness. Jesus teaches that the kind of forgiveness He's looking for in us is 2 fold... The forgiveness of others and the repentance of our own sins are tied together. Once we truly grasp just how far God has gone to forgive us we realize we are in no place to withhold forgiveness from others. Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. We rarely FEEL like forgiving those who have wronged us. But so often our biggest issue with forgiving others is not really an issue of forgiveness at all but rather and issue of justice. So often it's hard for us to forgive because we feel like it's letting others "off the hook," for what they've done. When we choose to forgive we are trusting God to deliver justice on our behalf. Our God is a lover of justice and His justice is eternal! We can trust Him with it! Scripture for this message: Matthew 6:9-12, 14 Leviticus 5:5-10 Matthew 5:23 Psalm 119:42 Psalm 99:4 Romans 5:8 Ephesians 2 1 Corinthians 13:5

Just like the Israelites, thousands of years ago, wandering in the desert and waiting for manna from heaven to feed them each day, we must learn to trust God more and more everyday. We must trust Him to provide for our physical needs and our spiritual needs. Jesus tells us in John 6 that He is living bread and anyone who eats of it will live FOREVER! Tune in and we'll unpack this together. Lord, give us this day, our daily bread. Scripture for this message: Matthew 6:9-11 Exodus 16 Proverbs 30:8-9 Matthew 6:19-20 Matthew 6:25-34 John 6:47-51 James 1:17 Jeremiah 29:13-14

Over and over again we see Jesus surrender His will to the Father's will. This example He sets for us in prayer should lead us to a posture of surrender in our everyday lives as well. Christ's prayer for, "Your kingdom come," should stir within us a deep knowing that this world, as it is now, is not our home. Christ will return and set up His perfect kingdom here. In the meantime, are we praying daily for God's work in this world? Join me on this journey through the Lord's Prayer as we examine in this episode what it looks like to approach God from a posture of surrender. ...not my will, but Your will, Lord. Scripture for this message: Matthew 6:9-10 Matthew 26:36-47

Prayer is a lot more about what's in our hearts than what comes out of our mouths. In this episode we are unpacking the first verse of the Lord's Prayer, given to Christ's disciples by Jesus Himself in Matthew Ch. 6. How should we approach a holy God when we come before Him in prayer? Jesus tells us, "Hallowed be Thy Name." God's name is to be kept holy. Before we bring Him anything else, we must first bring Him an offering of praise for Who He is, remembering all He's done. Scripture for this message: Matthew 6:9-13 Nehemiah 1:5-7 Psalm 100:4 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Hebrews 4:14-16

In this episode we examine part of Matthew chapter 6 where Jesus tells us about the heart God desires in each of us as we approach Him in prayer. God's greatest desire is for us to desire Him above all things. We see this contrast between the men Jesus describes in Matthew and in the psalmist's words in Psalm 84, who prays to God, "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand days elsewhere." This psalm teaches us that as we approach God with our prayers our heart's desire above all things, should be to draw near to Him, to enter into His presence. Better is one day in the presence of God, than thousands of empty days living for this world. Lord, teach us how to pray! Scripture for this message: Luke 11:1 Matthew 6: 5-8 Psalm 84: 8, 10-11

It was the one request the disciples made for instruction from Jesus, "Lord, teach us how to pray." Prayer is simply talking to God. We can't mess it up. He loves us and desires relationship with us. And yet there's a complexity to prayer that can sometimes leave us feeling like we've fallen short or missed the mark. Why do we pray the way we do? Do we really believe prayer accomplishes anything? These are just a couple of the questions we will tackle in this series. Jesus often retreated to quiet places to pray. He also prayed out loud with large groups. Paul tells us in Ephesians to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." We'll be diving deeper into God's Word and unpacking Christ's answer to His disciples' request, which resulted in what is now more commonly known as "The Lord's Prayer." Lord, teach us how to pray! Scripture for this message: Luke 11:1-4 Romans 12:2 Ephesians 6:8

If we are going to be successful in this Christian life we must BUILD OUR FAITH. Jude points us to prayer and pleads with us to keep ourselves in God's love by staying close to Christ. He reminds us to be merciful to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are wrestling with doubt or unbelief and tells us to be ready to speak truth into the lives of those we love when they are being pulled into sin and temptation. Jude cautions us not to be drawn into sin by those who have chosen sin and chosen the desires of their flesh over relationship with God. Jude wraps his letter up much like he began... with Jesus! He reminds us Whose we are. He points us to Christ. He worships the One Who is able to keep us from falling. Scripture for this episode: Jude 1, 17-25 Ephesians 6:18 John 3:16 Matthew 18:12 Luke 15:4

Jude reminds us to remember the warnings of Christ's apostles - Peter, Paul, John - all warn us that false teachers will attempt to drag us away from the truth of the Gospel. They promise freedom they cannot deliver. They are shepherds who feed only themselves. Only Jesus, our Good Shepherd, promises that when we come to Him we will NEVER go hungry! Scripture for this message: Jude 12-19 2 Peter 2:1-3 2 Peter 3:17 2 Peter 2:19 John 10:11, 14-15, 17 John 6:35 2 Timothy 4:3-5 1 John 4:1 Luke 6:43-44 Matthew 7:20 Galatians 5:22-23

Jude teaches us to remember our God, Who is both perfectly gracious and perfectly just. He pleads with us to remember His rescue AND His wrath! Jude challenges us not to just rely on our instincts and do whatever feels good but rather to remember that we have been called to a higher purpose - Defend the faith that's been entrusted to you! And he warns us that the sexual immorality this world is selling will actually leave us empty and broken. The "whatever feels good, do it," mentality will actually destroy us. But when we are steeped in doubt or temptation, Jude also gives us hope. He points us to a Savior. To our Deliverer. When we cry out to Him, He meets us in the middle of it. Scripture for this message: Jude 3-11 Romans 1:24-26 Isaiah 55:8-9 Jeremiah 29:12-13

One of the main threads through the book of Jude is that as followers of Christ we must reject falsehood and immorality. We must learn to hold everything we're told to believe up to the Light of scripture. What does it look like to clothe ourselves with Christ and put on the armor of Light? Don't buy into the darkness this world is selling. We must live as children of Light! Scripture for this episode: Jude 4 John 12:35-36 Romans 13:12-14 Ephesians 5: 6, 8-9

Jude teaches us that we will defend with all our might what is most precious to us. How do we, "contend for the faith that's been entrusted to us?" Jude gives us 3 specific challenges: 1) Reject falsehood and immorality. 2) Remember God's rescue AND His wrath. 3) Remember the warnings of the apostles. Scripture for this message: Jude 1-3 Proverbs 4:23 Philippians 4:7 Ephesians 6:12-18

The book of Jude is one powerhouse, packed little book in the New Testament. In this series Jude will teach us to be on guard against false teaching, remind us that the Gospel has been entrusted to us, and show us how to fight our spiritual battles by staying close to Christ. In this message, we will discover that this letter was in fact written to US!! It was meant for every believer who claims Christ as Lord, then and now. We have been called, we are loved, and we are kept. Tune in to get the SKINNY on this first, imperative message from Jude. Scripture for this message: Jude 1-2 Ephesians 2:10 John 3:16 1 John 3:16 1 John 4:19 1 Peter 5:8 John 10:14

There will always be so many things vying for our time and attention. Solitude is not a popular concept these days but even Jesus "withdrew to lonely places," to pray. He knew where His strength came from and He CHOSE to spend time alone with God in prayer, plugged into His power source. Tune in to hear more about what it looks like to "Keep Choosing Him," by living with "Surrendered Time." Scripture for this message: Luke 4:42 Luke 5:15-16 Hebrews 12:2 Psalm 46:10

In God's economy surrendered treasure will always result in more than what we had! If we're not careful, rather than owning stuff, our stuff will own us. We must ask ourselves, "What is my greatest treasure?" Is it Christ? We must check our hearts. Material blessings are not necessarily bad. But whatever we treasure most owns our heart and with privilege comes responsibility. Scripture for this message: Matthew 6:24 Revelation 3:15-18 Luke 12:15-21, 33-34 Matthew 19:16-22

Looking at this passage in scripture, Jesus responds to 3 different men regarding their lack of surrendered hearts. He says following Him means 3 crucial things: 1) Follow me into uncertainty 2) Follow me now 3) Follow me without looking back Scripture for this message: Luke 9:57-62 Romans 6:21 Revelation 3:15-16 Luke 9:23

What has God made you to be good at? What are your personality traits, talents, passions? Do we approach Him with open hands, willing to serve Him with all He's given us and made us to be or do we stand before Him with closed fists? God doesn't ask us for what He hasn't given us and He won't waste any part of us that's surrendered to His will. Scripture: John 6: 1-15

God's mercy for us is new every single morning. One of the ways He reveals His faithfulness to us, as His children, is actually through His unending mercy. Whatever you've done... Whatever you're going to do in the future... Whatever you're struggling with... God already has a plan to redeem it. Long before we even make the mistake, God is setting things into motion to give us another opportunity to choose Him in the future. Scripture for this message: Matthew 26:31-35 Luke 22: 54-62 Matthew 16: 13-19 Lamentations 3:22-23 1 Peter 1:3

The time for us to make the decision for obedience often happens long before the request to obey. Is our desire to be obedient greater than our desire to understand what is being asked of us and why it's being asked? Scripture for this episode: Acts 9:1-19 Acts 8:1

Sometimes the things Jesus taught were unsettling. His teaching pushes us toward change and convicts us to live His way. In this message we will be tackling some BIG scripture - Are we willing to risk the approval of others, some who may even be really close to us, when we choose to follow Jesus? Scripture for this message: Luke 12:49-53 Revelation 3:16 Luke 12:48 Matthew 13:54-58

We are looking at some of the very first people on earth who chose Jesus right after He was born. Are we telling others around us about our Savior? Do we walk into a room bringing "Good News of great joy?" Scripture for this message: Luke 2:7-20 Matthew 10:19-20 1 Peter 3:15

What does it look like to be, "salt and light," in this dark world? If it doesn't challenge us, it doesn't change us!! Tune in to this message for 3 tangilble ways that we can build our spiritual muscles and, "Keep Choosing Him." Scripture for this message: Matthew 5:13-16 1 Peter 3:15 Acts 19:4-5

For this message we will be in the book of Luke, looking at some of the very first followers of Christ who made the brave choice to leave all that felt safe and comfortable in exchange for the adventure of their lifetime. One choice really can change EVERYTHING! Scripture for this message: Luke 5:1-11

What does it look like to choose to live for Jesus? Every single day? How do we keep choosing Him, even when it's hard? Scripture for this message: Mark 8:34-35 2 Corinthians 4:8 2 Corinithians 4:16-18

Providence vs. Coincidence - last lesson in this series... Do we trust God to deal with our enemies? Do we believe that He's perfectly fair and just? All the time? If our hearts are truly His and our desire is to obey Him and follow His commands, His word promises that when our enemies rise up, they will be defeated. Do not fret! Scripture for this message: Esther 3:1-6 Deuteronomy 25:17-19 1 Samuel 15:1-3, 7-9 Psalm 37:5-7 Deuteronomy 28:7, 28;1 Joshua 21:43-45

Our God is a God of completion and perfection. He never does anything just part of the way. God doesn't leave things half-way done. He takes everything He does to full completion and He's always working on behalf of His children. ...and His timing is always perfect! Scripture for this lesson: Esther 3:5-7, 13 Esther 8:3-9 Exodus 12 2 Thessalonians 1:11 Psalm 16:5

Coincidence implies that the things happening to us or around us are just random. God's providence over our lives though is ANYTHING BUT RANDOM. It's intentional. His providence over our lives is the protective care of God. Scripture for this message: Esther 9:1 Esther 3:12-14 Genesis 50:20 Deuteronomy 31:6 Quote from message: "The Lord may not definitely have planned that this should overtake me, but He has most certainly permitted it. Therefore, though it were an attack of the enemy, by the time it reaches me, it has the Lord's permission, and therefore all is well. He will make it work together with all of life's experiences for good." C.H. Welch

What the world calls coincidence, God calls Providence. Verses for this message: Ephesians 3:20-21 Psalm 5:3 Ephesians 4:4-6