Young Adults Messages

It's 2023! Yet our God never changes. In this episode our friend Savo helps us start the year right.

Take a hand. Have you ever had a mentorship? In this episode Crispy talks about how having a mentorship that is intentional can be so beneficial.

Don't yell at Starbucks baristas. Just a thought. Also in this episode Crispy continues our series on Soul care. He teaches us about original sin and how it has affected us. What can we do to help our soul?

"The great malady of the 20th century," he writes, "implicated in all of our troubles and affecting us individually and socially, is 'loss of soul. In this episode Pastor Crispy goes over he calls Soul care. He talks about how he was getting through his past in Bible school and one of the previous churches he worked at. At this church half of the members left and the church did not appropriately adjust on how to operate.

If you have watched The Chosen (or have read the Bible I guess that is good to) then you know of Mary Magdalene or Mary of Magdala was a woman who traveled with Jesus. In this episode our friend Dezmond is back to teach us about Gratitude with a story in the bible that might be about Mary. Grab your Fibles (pronounced like Bible but with an F) and let's jump into Luke.

In the book of 1st Samuel there was a girl named Hannah. Hannah wanted kids of their own and pleaded with God. This is the story that Savo (Savannah's nickname that she loves so much) teaches for us in this episode and it is about giving up things that we want the most.

STOP! We recommend first listening to the song Gratitude by Brandon Lake (lyrics below) before listening to the series. Sometimes you just have to eat a Snickers Bar and sometimes you have to deal with socks that just feel weird. In other words we have to do things that we do not want to do because we should feel thankful for the life we have. In this series Pastor Crispy will go over the song Gratitude. All my words fall short I got nothing new How could I express All my gratitude? I could sing these songs As I often do But every song must end And You never do So I throw up my hands And praise You again and again 'Cause all that I have is a hallelujah Hallelujah And I know it's not much But I've nothing else fit for a King Except for a heart singing hallelujah Hallelujah I've got one response I've got just one move With my arm stretched wide I will worship You So I throw up my hands And praise You again and again 'Cause all that I have is a hallelujah Hallelujah And I know it's not much But I've nothing else fit for a King Except for a heart singing hallelujah Hallelujah So come on, my soul Oh, don't you get shy on me Lift up your song 'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs Get up and praise the Lord Oh come on, my soul Oh, don't you get shy on me Lift up your song 'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs Get up and praise the Lord Come on, my soul Oh, don't you get shy on me Lift up your song 'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs Get up and praise the Lord, hey Praise the Lord Praise the Lord Praise the Lord So I throw up my hands Praise You again and again 'Cause all that I have is a hallelujah Hallelujah And I know it's not much But I've nothing else fit for a King Except for a heart singing hallelujah Hallelujah

Now, my mama always told me that miracles happen every day. Some people don't think so, but they do! - Forrest Gump. In this episode Pastor Crispy goes over what a Miracle of Provision is. What he describes here reminds me what Forrest said in the movie. These miracles are when God provides something to you. In the movie God does not turn Jenny into a bird, but he does provide a home away from her Father.

What is a Miracle? Oxford has a definition, you probably have one, and or Church has one to. This question is under asked. In this episode Crispy goes over what a miracle is, because many people have a misunderstanding what a miracle is.

Do you have a hole in your heart? Zach Moon did... but he filled it. As we continue our series From the Heart our friend Zach Moon talks about how he tried to fill his life with things of the world and not the word. I bet I sound like John. If you want to get close to God he recommends three things. Confession, Strengthen another and Draw Near.

Focus! On what? On Jesus of course. As we continue our series From the Heart our friend Calvin Larson takes us on a journey on how to keep our focus on Jesus. Make sure you pay attention to this lesson because Cal has some pointers on just on how to do that.

Why does God care about human behavior? As we explore the third part of Mere Christianity a friend is here to help answer this question, Megan Ready. Megan says that morality is what helps humans function and not God trying to make sure no one is having fun.

Back to Narnia! Oh wait this is just the Young Adult podcast. In this episode Crispy goes over Book 2. Things like other religions, free will, Jesus's claim to Divinity, and many more.

The Lion, The Witch and the Law of Nature. C.S. Lewis did not just create a fantastical fiction tale about a secret world inside of a wardrobe. He also authored many books on Christianity. The first chapter (or book as it's called) is on the Law of Nature. Pastor Crispy (John Crisp) goes into detail about the chapter and one of the best arguments for a God.

Sometimes things have to go in a certain order. In a story, the beginning has to come before the end, in the alphabet A goes before Z, and when baking a cake the ingredients have to be mixed together before the cake can be put in the oven. In this episode, in our From the Heart series, our friend Megan teaches us that we need to work for God and love God. But which one comes first?

Can you be friends with someone who you have never talked to, never done anything with, or never met? How do we know God and how do we know God knows us? As we continue our series From The Heart our friend Dana talks about what it means to have a great friend, Jesus.

How do I know what God wants me to do? Pastor John Crisp (Crispy) continues our series From The Heart. He goes into how God has recently blessed him and how to figure out where God wants to put you.

In this episode, we get to listen to Dezmond Jones. Dezmond is one of our leaders and has a love for Jesus. Listen to him talk about how to live sacrificially and how many are confused about what this means.

We all know Thomas Edison, the man who did not invent the lightbulb, he once said while trying to improve the light bulb, "I have not failed. I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work." In this episode Pastor John Crisp talks about the mistakes he made in the past and how it not only benefited him but also God's plan for him.

How does someone forgive another? In this episode We listen to our friend Dana Calhoun. She is a recent graduate from Point Loma Nazarene University, a university in San Diego. We learn that forgiveness is more than suppressing our emotions and forgetting how other people sin against us or how we sin against others.

What is the negative label behind your name? In this episode we explore how many of us have lived for many years imprisoned by labels given to us by others or lies that we bought in to about who we are. When we belong to Christ we ARE a new creation! God gives us a new name, a new purpose, and a new future.

We end the series on Ruth by finding out that Boaz has secure the position as the kinsman redeemer and is therefore able redeem all that was lost at the death of Elimelech. More importantly, he is able to marry Ruth whom he loved. Their son is the relative of David, and ultimately part of the lineage of Jesus. This Moabite woman has a place in the story of redemption and so do you.

In this episode, we see the good character of Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi as each is coming to the realization that even though they are their own willing participants, God is also working behind the scenes to bring BIG blessings.

In this episode we see where Ruth meets Boaz by gleaning from his fields. Naomi wisely sees that God is at work even now. We continue to see more of God's providence and the ways that he works through natural events to bring about his supernatural purposes.

In this episode we kick of the new series by deep diving into Ruth chapter 1. With an emphasis on God's providence we look at the decisions of Elimelech, Naomi, and Ruth that ultimately resulted in Ruth a Moabite clinging to Naomi after the death of her own husband. All of this is a part of a bigger story of redemption. The question is, how big is this story of redemption?

In this short series about margin, last week we discussed the importance of creating margin in our schedules and that if we struggle to do so it might actually be a trust issue. This week, we talk about creating moral margin. Many addictions are fueled by relapse that happens because we haven't asked God how to create a safety buffer around those things that are bringing us face to face with our addictions or moral failures.

In a world where we are driven to the max in every aspect of our lives, how are we taking time to create margin in our lives? In this short series we are looking at creative ways to prioritize margin so that we can live our best life as an offering of worship.

In this special panel, John, Jack, and Jenna discuss their own experiences with dating while answering questions from the audience.

On the heals of a difficult conversation about conflict, in this episode, we pivot and focus on the quality of our love for each other. Whether, it's a friendship, family relationship, or a romantic relationship, as Jesus followers, we should always examine the quality of our love. This IS the mark of the Christian.

In this episode, we jump into a brand new series about relationships called Lost in Translation. The reality is that relationships, whether they are friendships, romance, or family, are really difficult and conflict is a pretty normal part of all of them. However, conflict needs to be handled in a way that is gracious and ultimately shows the world who we are.

In this episode we jump into the reality that at the end of the day, we still need to share our stories with Jesus. However, because we live in a post-Christian culture we should communicate our stories in a way that will be received instead of rejected. Paul understood this when he addressed the Areopagus and told the Athenians about the 'unknown god".

In this episode, guest speaker Jeremy Robinson explores the idea that all of our stories with Jesus involve other people. Just like Paul was a huge part of Timothy's story with Jesus, someone is a huge part of your story. To take it a step further, you are most likely going to be a Paul to someone else.

In this new series Eyewitness, we are doing a deep dive into the real meaning and power of our testimonies. In week 1 we tried to unlearn some of the misconceptions about our testimonies. This week, we got to hear Savannah, our Garage Next Gen Ministries Intern, share a powerful story about her own experiences with Jesus while also working toward a clearer understanding of what a testimony really IS.

In this episode we jump into a brand new series called Eyewitness. Its all about your testimony, your story with Jesus. God is continuing to share his story of redemption, his gospel, though our lives and our stories. In week 1 we unlearn some of the misconceptions that we thought were true about our testimony. Maybe you have believed and felt that your testimony isn't all that interesting since you grew up in the church. Or maybe you are concerned about sharing your testimony because it wasn't that long ago that you were involved in things that your not proud of. Both are misconceptions about your testimony, your story with Jesus.

In this episode, we get to hear Dana Calhoun, guest speaker and ministry student, share about why it matters and why we should think deeply about the fact that God is with us.

In this episode we discuss how Jesus' sovereignty as "Lord" was established by God, not humankind and we must respond. Some choose to reject Jesus. Some choose to be partially devoted, and others choose total surrender, to live lives of complete devotion. What does it truly mean for Christians in todays culture to make Jesus our LORD.

In this episode we explore how often times how we feel does not connect with some of the carols we sing. Case in point, the carol O Come All Ye Faithful. The holiday season can make it pretty hard to feel faithful, joyful, and triumphant. Luckily, the object of our faith, Jesus Christ helps us to be more faithful, more joyful, and more triumphant.

In this episode we dive into the history of the Christmas carol O Holy Night by focusing on the stanza "The thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn." We see a poem that captures the transformation that a day with Jesus brings as the church looks toward a new hope and a new morning.

In this episode we contrast how the author of Hebrews 12:1-2 instruct us to run the race of faith and life by fixing our eyes on Jesus with the ways that Saul, the first king of Israel, got distracted by focusing on David's success. We ask, what is my life's mission? What is the difference between passion and purpose? Lastly, are we accomplishing our mission as a christian community?

In this episode, we look at how God's response to Habakkuk was probably not what he expected. Habakkuk realized that since he wasn't seeing the big picture, he needed to stop and listen by intentionally positioning himself to hear from God.

In this episode, Pastor John Crisp explores how in real life, sometime the tension just doesn't get resolved in the end as it does with movies and sitcoms. Habakkuk was frustrated and struggled with what God was doing with his corrupt but chosen people in the southern Kingdom of Judah.

In this raw and authentic episode, John and Jessa Crisp share about their dating experience. Their time of singleness prepared them for what it means to put Christ ahead of everything else, including romance. It's hard but it's worth it because doing so enables a more authentic dating experience.

In this episode we discuss the analogical nature of language regarding spiritual things such as God, heaven and hell. We also develop the position that a perfectly just and perfectly merciful God necessitates heaven and hell.

Jesus rebuked the crowds for being able to predict the weather but failing to understand the times in which they lived. Its important that we engage with the culture of today and the only way we can is if we understand our culture. Join us each week as we endeavor together to understand more fully what it means to engage our culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In this episode we explore what evil is and where it comes from. We also jump into the argument posed as a challenge to theism that God cannot be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent while evil exists in this world.

What if the universe is godless? Nitzche illustrates this inquiry in his Parable of the Madman and raises some really important issues. In this episode we explore the intense philosophical issues that arise in a godless universe. In addition we briefly consider the cosmological argument and the argument from design.

This is the last week of the Selfless series. In this episode we look at the story of Nehemiah and how God used him to help those in need in Jerusalem after Babylon attacked.

This week we look at how John the Baptist sets a fantastic example for us as the church and as individual believers when he says about Jesus "He must become greater, I must become less."

Guest speaker, Tim Carmickle, looks at the history of God's relationship with humans and the Greatest Commandment in order to explore whether or not we have mistakingly made church more about ourselves instead of about Jesus.

In this episode we continue to look at the overarching theme of prayer when fighting battles on the battlefield of the mind. Also, we learn that we can choose to activate the prefrontal cortex and bring logic into the irrational thoughts of fear and panic produced when the amygdala senses danger. Both approaches go a long way in the battle against anxiety.

In this episode we explore the benefit of examining our own cognitive biases and reframing situations in order to see them differently. Paul, as he is on house arrest in Rome, shows the power of reframing difficult situations and seeing how God might be working through them.