Three Creeks Church Podcast

God the Father shows Jesus-followers mercy, both now and forever, and it's from a place of having received mercy that Jesus-followers cannot help themselves but show mercy to others.

Jesus teaches us that those who hunger and thirst for right relationships will live the blessed life in his upside-down kingdom. Our desire for rightness in our relationships with God and each other honors him and moves us to take action to bring restoration into many different spaces in our life.

Jesus adds another one to his "string of blessings" we call the Beatitudes, and this one isn't any less confusing than the first two. Jesus, instead of advocating for aggression and a go-getter attitude, he tells his followers that meekness is one of the keys to a blessed life.

If Jesus didn't confuse them with the first Beatitude about being the happiness found in being poor in spirit, he really catches them off guard by telling them happiness is found in mourning! What does Jesus mean here? And what are we supposed to mourn about? Listen to find out more.

Sometimes, the story of Jesus, who He was, what He did, and what it means can be confusing. In this message, the good news of Jesus is plainly shared and an invitation is made to become a follower of Jesus.

Sometimes, the story of Jesus, who He was, what He did, and what it means can be confusing. In this message, the good news of Jesus is plainly shared and an invitation is made to become a follower of Jesus.

Jesus, at the end of his life, demonstrates complete trust in the Father. He puts it all in His hands. How are we to respond to this act of complete trust?

Jesus cried from the cross that God had forsaken him. He did this because something cosmic, something prophetic and something personal was happening on the cross. Listen to find out more.

Of the seven things Jesus said on the cross, this is the least well-known one. Jesus looks down at his mother, his mother's friends, and one of his disciples, and emphasizes the reality and importance of being in a spiritual family.

Jesus' humanity is on full display when he cries out from the cross, "I am thirsty." It proves that this was not an out-of-body experience for Jesus, but that he felt the whole thing. All for us.

Two criminals were crucified on either side of Jesus. They both had the same experience. But they each had completely different interactions with Jesus. What was the difference, and why does it matter? Listen to find out more.

Looking down at the people who literally hung him on the cross, Jesus prays that God the Father will forgive them. This is an incredible act of "enemy love" - which is what Jesus preached. What does this mean for us? What questions do we need to answer in response to this incredible story of forgiveness?

Many lessons on prayer can be learned from the mundane, in ministry, and in misery. These lessons and biblical truths can bring about a rich lifestyle of prayer.

What makes Three Creeks... Three Creeks? What does our church value the most? What kind of church do we want to be? Listen to find out more.

As we wrap up the book of Ruth, we find that the last five verses are a list of names that are hard to pronounce? Why is that in there, and why should we pay attention to it? Listen to find out more.

It might be easy to simply read the book of Ruth and remember it as a sweet story. But the deeper you look into it, the more you're able to see that the story of Ruth foreshadows the story of Jesus in a powerful way! Listen to find out more.

Ruth is single. Boaz is single. They both want a family. So, the obvious next step is... a late night chat on a threshing floor next to a pile of recently winnowed wheat? Interesting. Listen to find out more.

What is joy? How is it different than happiness? Do we have to go out and find joy? Or does it come to us? Listen to find out more.

Ruth, a lonely foreigner in Israel, gets up and gets after it. She finds herself looking for food in a field, and that field just happens to belong to a rich, good man named Boaz. And the rest is history...

Naomi, crushed by the circumstances of her life, chooses not to hide her pain but to express it. It's a deep, gut-level, indescribably pain she's living through. And yet, in the middle of that, she puts one foot in front of the other and returns all the way back to Bethlehem, symbolizing a repentance and return to God's plan for her life. She laments, and repents, and draws out the kindness of God through these simple, rare acts of faith.

In one of the loveliest short stories ever written, packed with literary art and theological insight, we meet Ruth a few verses into the first chapter of this book. Just after meeting Ruth, we read about one of the most decisive moments in world history. Ruth has a decision to make. Which way will she go? Listen to find out more.

God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him. If your story doesn't seem very good right now, Mary and Joseph can relate. But the story wasn't over for them and it isn't over for you. Take heart. The arrival of Jesus changes everything.

Paul starts and ends his letter to his spiritual son Timothy with the same word. Grace.

Life and ministry will be hard because people and the world are broken by sin. In spite of all the hardness, as Christians, we are never alone. The Lord stands by us. The power of the gospel cannot be thwarted by sinful humans.

2 Timothy 4:1-8 is the crescendo of Paul's last words to his spiritual son Timothy. He stresses that that Timothy (and all of us) that we need to strive to do the work of an evangelist if we want to run the race well.

The Bible is not a book of duties we need to do for God; it is the story of God's love for us. It shouldn't cause us to think about all the things we need to do for God, but rather, it should make us pause, look up, and say, "Oh my God, look at what you've done for me!"

Rather than seeking new and improved, popular and widely-accepted theological ideas, Paul encourages Timothy to continue in the tried and true beliefs that he was raised up in. Listen to find out more.

In 1 Timothy 3:1-9 Paul warns Timothy to avoid those who claim to be followers of Jesus, but who are content to live in their sin and are unwilling to let His grace change or transform their lives. For the rest of us though, Christians who do want our lives to count for Christ, the reality is that if we run thoughtlessly through life, following the practices and advice of the world around us, however much we may desire to live for Him, our lives will ultimately look no different from those of the people Paul is warning Timothy about.

Jesus' last words emphasized the importance of disciple-making. Paul's letter to Timothy reiterates the same theme. What is disciple-making and why does it seem to matter so much to Jesus and Paul?

When a person is looking for a church to belong to, they're likely going to want to know what the worship is like, how well-organized the kids program is, and if the church is serving in their local community. Those are all important things, but none of them are quite as important to the health of a church than the church being led by a good pastor. Paul tells Timothy what a good pastor looks like. Listen to find out more.

Paul knew what was important for Timothy to know in order to finish his race well. Because of that, Paul took time out of his last days on earth to urge Timothy about what he should "always remember". What do we need to remember if we want to follow Paul and Timothy's examples?

After telling Timothy to be a good soldier, he brings up two more illustrations for Timothy to embody - that of an athlete and that of a farmer. What in the world is that all about? Listen to find out more.

Paul tells Timothy to be a good soldier. What exactly does that mean for Timothy? Good soldiers endure suffering, are single-minded, and obey quickly. Listen to find out more.

In 2 Timothy 1, Paul tells Timothy about some friends who have deserted him and some friends who have been helpful to him. It shows the incalculable value of a faithful friend. Do you have one of those? Are YOU one of those?

Paul's in jail when he writes this letter, and he gives Timothy the reason for his jailing. But Paul is not ashamed. He has no regrets. And he urges Timothy to live an unashamed life.

In Paul's letter to Timothy, he urges Timothy to "fan into flame the gift of God that is in him." What is this gift? Why does it need fanned into flame? Ultimately, why does it matter?

First-century missionary Paul's friend and protege was a young man named Timothy. The book of 2 Timothy is a letter written by Paul to Timothy, and early in the letter, Paul highlights that he may not be the most significant spiritual influence in Timothy's life. Someone else like was. Do you know who it was?

First-century missionary Paul's friend and protege was a young man named Timothy. The book of 2 Timothy is a letter written by Paul to Timothy, and early in the letter, Paul highlights that he may not be the most significant spiritual influence in Timothy's life. Someone else like was. Do you know who it was?

James encourages us that no matter the situation we face, we can go to God. We have a tool in prayer that is powerful and effective. As we respond to God, He responds to us.

Having personal wealth is not a sin in and of itself, but James (and the whole of Scripture) warns us against the effects of money on our hearts and minds.

Our inability to be single-minded toward God leads to external conflicts. How can we prevent the war inside us in order to live more peaceably with those around us?

What does it look like to have Godly wisdom? James 3:13-18 details Godly wisdom for us, showing us that it is active, humble, and peaceful.

What does communication look like for someone who follows God? James 3:1-12 dives into some wisdom of how we use our words as Christians. What your words do reveal what your heart is up to.

This is what genuine faith actually looks like. If someone says they have faith in God, but neglect people who are needy, this person's faith is dead. Their actions betray what they say they believe. Listen to dive in deeper to these passages in James!

Could a aingle sin really break all of God's Law? Yes, but there's good news.

James gives us some clear instructions about caring for those who are in need. Do you have a compassionate heart?

The Bible is pretty clear about the idea that God's way is the best way. But do we really believe that? And if we do, why is it so hard to do what God says?

Temptation is something everyone faces. Where does it come from? Is it impossible to resist temptation for the rest of our lives? What do we do if we've made a mistake and given into it? Listen to find out more.

If your desire is to be mature and complete, not lacking anything, James gives us the game plan to get there. But it's probably not what you were hoping it'd be. Listen to find out how we can grow into the men and women we want to be.