Through the Fire Podcast

In Matthew 7 Jesus says, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on the rock." This house is the one that wisdom built and is built on faith in Jesus Christ. This is a house that believes in the Lord Jesus and seeks to do his will. Are you that wise house? Listen to this excellent podcast by Pastor Russ to learn more about "The House that Faith Built."

Have you ever been confused about what to believe? Have you heard of something that sounds too good to be true but you are not sure? This is what the Galatians are experiencing after Paul is gone from them. The good Christians in the churches of Galatia have been told by Paul that all they need is faith in God and then some other folks in the congregation are now telling them all the things they need to do before they will be accepted by God. Don't be confused. Be sure of your faith in God and your acceptance by God.

Paul talks about the new covenant of Jesus Christ in this important podcast based on the 4th chapter of Galatians. As believers in Jesus Christ we are no longer bound by the old covenant of Moses that demanded obedience to the many and varied laws of the Jews. We are now bound to Jesus and are saved by the sacrifice he has made for us. Claim that free gift of grace today.

In this important podcast Paul tells us that all of us are chosen to be free in Christ – that we are all children of God through faith. It matters not if you are of a certain religion, gender, or anything else – we are all invited to come to a saving relationship with God through Christ. Pastor Russ discusses Galatians chapter 3 in this important podcast.

In this part of his message to the Galatians Paul asks us if we would prefer to live under the blessing of Jesus Christ or the curse of the law. Although we are saved by faith alone we still live by the law. One purpose of the law is to show us our total dependence on God for we cannot perfectly keep the law and be saved. The only one who has perfectly kept the law is Jesus and our salvation depends not on what we have done but what Jesus has done for us. Listen to this important podcast that shows you the way to salvation.

Paul continues his letter to the churches in Galatia by admonishing the congregation to live an honest and straight forward life. He accuses Peter of living like a Gentile while demanding that the Gentiles first convert to Judaism before they can become a follower of Jesus Christ. Paul says that we are saved by our faith in Jesus and not our obedience to the law of Moses. This podcast discusses how to live by faith alone.

Sometimes we need to let go. We may be following some bad advice or perhaps we have been deceived into following the rest of society down the path of destruction instead of the path to victory. Paul had taught the churches in the region of Galatia the true gospel of Jesus Christ but now he has found out that they have abandoned this gospel and have been following some bad advice. This podcast highlights the letter to these congregations in Galatians 1 verses 6 through 9.

This verse written by the beloved disciple John is probably the cornerstone of belief for most Christians. In 27 words, John states the penultimate hope of every believer. If we are just to have a good life here on earth while we eke out an existence for a few years and then, when we die, there is nothing else; Christians should be pitied more than any other people. The ultimate hope of every Christian is salvation – living forever in heaven with Jesus. The word for today is salvation and what that word means. The process is said very plainly by John – God loves, God gives, we believe, and we live.

Paul says in Colossians that we should encourage each other with “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”. This means that we need to use all kinds of music to encourage each other. In fact, the word for this day should be – encouragement. For the believer we should find encouragement in music, and this should lift our hearts and give us hope. Sometimes only music can adequately express what the soul feels.  

Joel tells us that one day this earth and our life on it will come to an end. On that day those who have hope in the Lord will be saved from judgment. No one knows when the end time will come so it is incumbent on each of us to decide while we still have breath in our bodies what we believe and in whom we place our hope. The word for this podcast should be “security”. For the believer we can be assured that we are safe in Christ.  

Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians that we can find hope through God's peace, God's presence, and God's purpose for us. When we contrast the hope of believers with the hope of unbelievers, we see how God gives us an inner peace that the world cannot provide. In this podcast Pastor Russ will show us how this hope can be received, renewed, and related to others.  

To have faith means to trust and obey. This is both a feeling and an action. Living our life as Christians means that we must follow the orders of our Commander in Chief – Jesus Christ who speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.  Listen to this vital podcast.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ focuses on the topic of sincerity. It is easy to spot a hypocrite so it is vital that Christians be real. Paul admonishes us to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and test things through the Bible. Listen to this important podcast and be ready to be real.

This week Pastor Russ talks about another important aspect of our Christian walk – being thankful in all situations. Pastor Russ continues our summer series called “Be Ready” based on chapter 5 of the book of 1 Thessalonians. Listen to Pastor Russ and be thankful.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ focuses on the importance of prayer. Paul calls us to be in a state of prayer at all times. Prayer is that spiritual discipline that we must engage in every day in order to make it a part of our daily routine. Check this podcast out today.

We often hear the words “joy” and “happiness” used interchangeably but, for the Christian, they mean two different things. Paul calls on us to seek pure joy and not worry as much about happiness. Joy is permanent whereas happiness is temporary and often fleeting. Be ready to be elated today as you listen to this podcast by Pastor Russ.  

When we become a believer in Jesus Christ we are incorporated into God's family. We have new brothers and sisters in Christ. In today's message Pastor Russ echoes Paul's plea to be thoughtful of those in God's family. Listen to this vital podcast.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ focuses on the topic of respecting our leaders. As the body of Christ, we ultimately must respect our “head” – Jesus Christ. Paul even tells us to have the mind of Christ. Listen to this important podcast and be ready to be respectful.

This week Pastor Russ talks about another important aspect of our Christian walk – being ready for any situation. Pastor Russ leads us in a new summer series called “Be Ready” based on chapter 5 of the book of 1 Thessalonians. Listen to Pastor Russ and be alert.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ focuses on our freedoms. Not just the freedom we enjoy as Americans but, more importantly, our freedoms as Christians. Paul tells us that we are free from certain things, and we are free to do certain things. Check this podcast out today.

When we go into spiritual battle we do not go alone. The Holy Spirit and God's angels go with us in the fight. This podcast tells the listener how to be connected and stay connected with God's team and God's army. We will never defeat the forces of evil alone but need God's help to assure us victory. Listen to this vital podcast.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ focuses more on the battle armor of war. We will discuss the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes to carry the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Holy Spirit. Listen to this important podcast and be prepared for the fight.

This week Pastor Russ talks about another important aspect of preparing for battle – knowing who your enemy is -- how to identify your enemy. In chapter 6 of Ephesians Paul tells us that our enemy is not flesh and blood but that we are at war with forces of powers of the dark world and the spiritual forces of evil. Listen to Pastor Russ and be prepared.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ continues a series on spiritual warfare. One aspect of preparation for battle is to know the strength of your armor. Paul talks about this in the sixth chapter of Ephesians as he describes wearing the full armor of God. Listen to this powerful message to help you get prepare to go into battle.

There is a spiritual battle taking place every day and most people don't even know it. Paul describes this spiritual warfare to the church at Ephesus.  Listen to this important podcast and learn how to be prepared for this battle for your soul.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ gives us a warning that to be the church that God intends us to be we need to be on fire – on fire with the Holy Spirit. See how our modern church was started many years ago with a timely sermon by Peter.

This week Pastor Russ talks about the resurrection and the promises of the empty cross, the empty tomb, and the empty clothes. These promises all give us the glorious hope of new life with Christ as our savior.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ discusses the new covenant promised by God to Jeremiah. This covenant will not be written on paper but will be written on our hearts. Join Pastor Russ as we read about the promise of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

This week's podcast is all about the covenant between God and Moses. Moses will lead God's people through the wilderness into the promised land where God will fulfill his promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob years earlier. God is the ultimate promise keeper.

God's ultimate plan is to save humanity through the lineage of one man – Abraham. This week Pastor Russ discusses the sacred agreement between God and Abraham. Our savior – Jesus Christ – comes from the family of Abraham. Listen to this important podcast.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ discusses God's plan to start over with humanity. Noah and his family are selected as the most righteous of all humans on earth at the time and God instructs him to build an ark which saves him. God wants to save all of us as well.

This week Pastor Russ talks about the sacred agreement between God and Adam – who represents all of humanity. God's original intention is that we be in charge of the earth and all that lives on it. When Adam failed to uphold his end of the agreement humanity was thrust into sin and lost the deed to the world.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ discusses how a crown, a cross, and a tomb have become to symbolize the power and hope that Jesus Christ can offer to us. Listen as you gain appreciation for the sacrifice of Christ and find hope for your own future.

This podcast centers on the greatest parade in history on that first Palm Sunday. What is sad is that many of those who were cheering on Sunday were jeering the next Friday. Celebrate the entrance of the king with this special podcast by Pastor Russ.

More commonly called the parable of the prodigal son Pastor Russ explains in this podcast of the great love that our Father has for us as mirrored in this story of the loving father. It matters not what you may have done or what has happened because God loves you and wants you to come home. Listen to this heartwarming podcast.

There are a few passages of the Bible that are hard to understand and even harder to apply to our lives. The story of Jesus cursing the barren fig tree is one of those passages. Listen to Pastor Russ' Biblical interpretation and practical application for us in this excellent podcast.

Many of us get tested in life without even trying very hard. Things are going along without any difficulty and then we fall to temptation or circumstances beyond our control change things in a hurry. The question isn't if we will be tested but how we respond when we are tested. Jesus shows us the way in this week's podcast.

Peter experienced something that few people did. He saw the true glory of God and lived to tell the tale. God's glory is so bright that there will be no need for the sun in heaven. Listen to Pastor Russ describe the glory of God.

Forgiving and praying for those who abuse us is probably the most difficult thing anyone can do. For some people it seems like doing the impossible. Even Jesus prayed for the Roman soldiers while on the cross. We are called to do nothing less. Listen to the encouraging words of Pastor Russ as he helps us to do the impossible.

Is there a difference between a person who believes in Jesus and a person who acts on that belief? To be a true prophet – one who is a witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ – one must be willing to go all the way with Jesus. Listen to Pastor Russ to discover if you are a true prophet of God.

In this season of Epiphany Jesus reveals himself as the one to forgive sin and save us. We are called to bring people to Christ so, that, what we experienced others can as well. Pastor Russ bring us a message of expectancy in this week's podcast.

While in his hometown of Nazareth Jesus read scripture and spoke to those who knew him best. He was not accepted as the proclaimed Messiah but was rejected and run out of town. What does this mean for us? Listen to Pastor Russ preach on the choices we must make and the consequences of those decisions.

It has been a year since Jesus was near his hometown of Nazareth and he was invited to come to speak at the synagogue. He had performed wonders and miracles at many towns around Nazareth but does not perform any at this time. Listen to Pastor Russ preach on Luke 14

Jesus is best known for performing miracles. His first public miracle occurred in the small town of Cana. He did what only God could do. Pastor Russ preaches on this based on John 2:1-11

Before beginning any important task or journey it is good to start with an affirmation from someone we respect. Jesus receives his affirmation from God in this podcast based on the third chapter of Luke.

The Christmas season will soon be over, and the New Year has begun. Now is a good time to step back and review our purpose in life. For what has God chosen you? Jesus was chosen by God as well. Pastor Russ discusses this in a podcast based on Matthew chapter 12.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ preaches about the flight of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus to Egypt after the visit of the Wise Men to their home in Bethlehem. Matthew chapter 2 is the context of the podcast. Come and learn about the proof that Jesus really is the promised Messiah.

In this week's podcast Pastor Russ discusses the role that the father of Jesus -- Joseph -- played in the bringing of the Messiah into the world. Joseph gives us the example of a Godly person. Pastor Russ preaches from Matthew Chapter 1 verses 18-25.

In this podcast John the Baptist is in prison and sends his disciples to find out if Jesus really is the promised Messiah or not. In Matthew 11 Jesus tells John's disciples that he is indeed the Christ. Even today's Christians can sometimes be confused as to exactly who Jesus is and why he came to earth.

In Matthew Chapter 3 we learn about the cousin of Jesus, John, who cries out for people to repent of their sins. John was the forerunner of the one who would save people from their sins -- the messiah.

Traditionally, the first Sunday of Advent is looking forward to celebrating the coming of the baby Jesus to save the world. In today's podcast Pastor Russ looks forward to the second coming of the adult Jesus as the warrior king to rule the nations and judge all of creation. Based on Mark 13:28-37 Jesus describes what it will be like when he comes to earth again.