Podcasts about god message

Episode 1 of the series "Summer Strong in the Word of God"Message from Lakeside Bible Chapel worship June 7, 2026

“Put Your Hope in God” Message by Loyd Flaherty  MESSAGE NOTES  Psalm 42:5  The post 2026.4.19 Sunday JP-EN bilingual service first appeared on Kobe Bible Fellowship 神戸バイブルフェローシップ.

In this final message of the This Is My Story series, we're reminded that every testimony ultimately points to one unshakable truth: God really loves us. From 1 John 4, this sermon highlights the realness of God's love—its origin, its sacrifice, and its power to transform every story it touches.

Welcome to the Faith First Podcast. I'm Jonathan Gouthier, your host and a Pastor here at First Church in Torrington, Connecticut. In Christian circles, you may come across the concept of the Glory of God. We use it in our speech and in our worship, but what does it really mean? Well, today's the day it gets uncovered through a message by our Lead Pastor, Steve Darr. Let's listen in…In this episode, you'll discover:What is the glory of GodHow do we see the glory of God as a transformed lifeWhy is the glory of God a glimpse of the divineHow do we see the glory of God in the transfiguration storyGod's glory is not a relic of the past but a living, vibrant reality that speaks to us today. Whether on the mountain top or embodied in the sacrifice of the cross, the glory of God calls us to worship, to remember, and to live the light of His eternal love. If you've been listening to the Faith First Podcast for a while, we thank you. If this is your first time, we invite you to click the subscribe button below. This will send you a notification of when the next episode is launched. And until then, may our hearts remember the glory of God faith first.

“We are members of the household of God” Message by Pastor Eddy. 

What does it look like to answer the call of God? In this message from Jeremiah 1, we're reminded that God knows us, sets us apart, equips us, and calls us to serve Him with obedience and faithfulness. Whether God is leading you to salvation, spiritual growth, or a specific assignment in ministry, the question is simple: will you say yes?

Guilt can feel heavier than anything we carry—but the gospel tells a different story. In Luke 7, we see a powerful picture of Jesus forgiving a broken woman while confronting the pride of a self-righteous Pharisee. This message reminds us that no one is too far gone for God's forgiveness, and those who truly understand how much they've been forgiven will love Christ deeply and walk in the peace only He can give.

Week two of “This Is My Story” turns the spotlight from grace to mercy—not just what God does, but who He is. From Psalm 103, we're reminded that God withholds what we deserve, removes our sin “as far as the east is from the west,” and calls us to respond while His mercy is still drawing us in.

We're launching a new series, “This Is My Story,” focused on the grace God has shown us through Jesus—and why every believer has a story worth sharing. From Romans 5, we see how God's saving grace brings peace with Him, gives us access to His presence, secures our salvation, and fills us with unshakable hope. If you've experienced that grace, this message will challenge you not only to remember your story—but to tell it.

John challenges us to trade fake, surface-level faith for real love—the kind Jesus showed at the cross. In 1 John, love is proven, not just professed: if we love God, we keep His commands, walk in the light, confess sin, and deny self. The question is simple and searching: God really loves you… but do you really love Him back?

CrossRoads Church Making and maturing disciples together as a family

CrossRoads Church Making and maturing disciples together as a family

The Door of Faith Ministries Podcast is based on the teachings of the Gospel of Grace for Salvation. We teach Christ's death, burial and resurrection! • Podcasts are added weekly from our Sunday services.For a breakdown of our services, visit:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Reflections Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Living Waters Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thursday Bible Study⁠

The Door of Faith Ministries Podcast is based on the teachings of the Gospel of Grace for Salvation. We teach Christ's death, burial and resurrection! • Podcasts are added weekly from our Sunday services.For a breakdown of our services, visit:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Reflections Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Living Waters Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thursday Bible Study⁠

These days, having a child out of wedlock is pretty much a valid lifestyle choice in many cultures. I'm not saying that it's right, just that that's how it's perceived. But back in Jesus' day … man it was a huge scandal. Seriously.   A MISCONCEPTION Well, here we are hurtling towards Christmas. You know, it's interesting when you look at the candy cane – you know that simple little cane with the white and then the three small stripes and then the big stripe – and we think of it as a candy cane, but the confectioner who first created it, didn't create it as a candy cane. He created it as a "J" for Jesus and the white was there to symbolise the holiness of God and the three small stripes were there to symbolise the stripes on His back when He was beaten and the one thick stripe, the red stripe was there to symbolise the blood of Jesus. Isn't it funny how we take symbols to do with Christmas and a whole bunch of other things and we change their meaning – we re-interpret them – and I think it's really true of this thing that we call Christmas. You know, as I look at my four years studying at Bible College, the most profound thing that I learned was this – that theologians, and I can class myself as one of those – we love to take the stories of God in the Bible and snip them up and put them in little piles which we call doctrines. You know, the doctrine of the Trinity; the doctrine of original sin; the doctrine of the incarnation and so we think, "WOW, you know, I've sorted out God; I've got Him is little piles; I have a systematic theology and now I understand God." Well, in a sense that's good, because it's good to know what we believe and why we believe it and look at the whole council of God in His Word. But you know something, if that's all we do, I think maybe, we missed the point because God's chosen way of revealing Himself to us is mostly through stories. Stories throughout history of His engagement with His chosen people, Israel, and then in the New Testament, stories of His new promise; stories of His grace as the church grew out of a revelation of God through Jesus Christ. God speaks to us through His story in history and to me that's the most profound insight that I got after four years of Bible College. And no where is that more true than in Jesus. John in his Gospel calls Jesus the Word, "In the beginning was the Word." Jesus is God talking to us saying, "This is what I'm like." Jesus is a message in a bottle. And Jesus is unique – He is the only person in history, as the Son of God, who could have chosen the place, the time and the circumstances of His birth. Let's just think about that for a minute. It's true isn't it? If Jesus is who He says He is – the Son of God – He is the only person in history that could have chosen the circumstances of His birth. Well, if that's true; if it was a deliberate choice, what is God saying to us about Himself through the manner in which Jesus came into the world, through this story that we now call Christmas. See, it's not some neat doctrine; it's not some neat theology of the incarnation. We learn about Christmas through the stories in Matthew and Mark and Luke and John and I guess, in a sense, many of us know them backwards. But Matthew begins, after the great, long genealogy that we looked at the other week – Matthew now begins with this story – if you've got a Bible, grab it, open it – we are going to Matthew, chapter 1, beginning at verse 18. It says this: "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way." So in other words, here's the story. "When His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he decided to do that, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child conceived in her is from God the Holy Spirit. She will bear you a son and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "look the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and they shall name Him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us". When Joseph awoke from the sleep he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a Son and he named Him Jesus." So here's Mary, pregnant from the Holy Spirit. How? Well, Luke tells us the angel appeared to her and said, "Fear not!" Have you ever seen a Christmas card with "Fear not!" plastered across the front? Not really! So how to you think Mary felt? She gets spoken to by an angel; she gets told not to be afraid, "you're going to be pregnant because God the Holy Spirit is going to make you pregnant." Now how do you think it went when Mary told Joseph? Here's this single teenage girl from this place called Nazareth; Nowheresville and she wanders in with her belly swollen and she says to her fiancee, "Well, Joe, it's like this – I didn't sleep with anyone – God did this!" WOW! Would you believe her? Joseph didn't – he planned to dismiss her quietly because this was a society where getting pregnant out of wedlock was a disgraceful thing. I mean, the Hebrew law commanded the women who were caught in adultery be stoned to death so the social context was that it wasn't a life style choice; it was something that you stoned someone to death for. But Joseph has a dream. Remember he doesn't have a New Testament; he doesn't know how it's going to turn out. He has this subjective thing called a dream and even if it were true, what incredible pain. How many times would Mary have gone over the angel's words? How many times do you think Joseph would be second guessing his dream? How breathtakingly reckless was God to allow the whole future of humanity to hang on the responses of these two poorly educated, hapless, rural teenagers? I mean, we know Him as Lord, the Christ, the Son of God but His parents and family friends; Mary's little illegitimate baby; the bastard; the stigma. Yet that's what Jesus chose for Himself. That's why I've called this message, "The Illegitimate God". You and I, we read this story of Christmas with a sense of wander and awe and we know how it ended. Then, back then and there? Well, for them it was a scandal; it was a fantasy; it was, "Is God really doing this?"   SOME VISITORS So here we are looking at this story of Christmas – firstly, the way that this baby was conceived – the sense of scandal that would have followed Him around when He was a little child – but then He was born into this brutal, political climate. Let's read on the story; this space and time and situation that God chose for His Son to be born into. We are going to pick it up in Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 1: In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking, "Where is this child that has been born the King of the Jews, because we observed His star at it's rising and we have come to pay homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him. And calling together all the chief priests and the scribes and the people, he enquired of them, 'where the Messiah was to be born?' And they told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, "And you Bethlehem in the land of Judea, are by no means the least amongst the rulers of Judea, for from you shall come a ruler who is to be the Shepherd of His people, Israel." And the story goes on that Herod secretly called for the wise men and he told them, "Go and find this Jesus and come and tell me", because he wanted to kill Jesus. We look at the politics of Palestine and Israel today – the mess – there seems to be no solution – they just keep shooting each other and blowing each other up. Back then it wasn't much different! You had a brutal Roman empire and the Roman Emperor ruled over a whole bunch of countries including this little country called Israel. And under him you had a despot; an Herodian King. And then this Herodian dynasty – we know about Herod – they were sort of half breeds and they were illegitimate and they were in cahoots with the Romans – together they oppressed the people. The religious leaders were part of all that and there was this sense of hopelessness amongst the people. It was every bit as messy then as it is today. And into this malaise is born Jesus, the Son of God and then these wise men – these Magi (a Magi was an astrologer; a sooth sayer). All of this was forbidden in the Old Testament – people who worshipped the stars were to be stoned to death. And they came from where? From the East; from Babylon – eighty kilometres south of what today is Baghdad. And remember, Babylon was a place of horror and evil for first century Israelites because that's where in 587 and 586 BC they were exiled into slavery. So God invites the Magi; these astrologers from hell to come to the birth of His Son and to worship Him. If you and I were God would we have invited them? I don't think so. And yet God doesn't just invite them but how does He go and get them from Babylon to Bethlehem? Does He send them a prophet? Does He send them John the Baptist? Does He send them a letter? Does He send them the Scriptures? He doesn't do any of those, He sends them a star. You see, God chooses a symbol that they can understand and follow and brings them to worship this child. Babylon who once destroyed the temple and exiled the chosen people is now worshipping the true God. God may well have hated their sin but He loved them much more that He hated their sin. And then one night in a dream – if you flick over the page to Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 13 – Joseph has another dream, it says this: Now after the Magi had left, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says: "Get up and take this child and His mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child and destroy Him. So Joseph got up, took the child and His mother by night and went to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord, through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I have called My Son." See, here we go again – Joseph is having another dream – this subjective thing. It's not like he sits down and he reads the New Testament; he reads the Old Testament and God speaks to him through His Word. No, God spoke to Joseph through a dream and so Joseph and Mary and Jesus all became refugees. They had no rights; they had no land; they had no possessions; they were fleeing for their lives. There are thirty two point nine million refugees in the world today. That's grown by almost fifty percent in just twelve months. Jesus, the Son of God becomes a refugee. How long? What would they live on? Where would they live? Where would they go? Would they be safe? They had to endure hardship for the first few years of His little life. Would you or I, if we were God, have put our son through this? And you read on in Matthew, chapter 2, verses 16 to 18. "When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. This massacre of the infants – have you ever seen a Christmas card about the massacre of the infants? See, we turn Christmas into this little pantomime, but the birth of Jesus into this world; the time when God stepped into this world and became man was a brutal time; it was a tough time and it was the time God chose for His Son. I mean, today we see suicide bombers in the Middle East and the shelling of targets and the shooting by snipers – imagine if you added to that the slaughter of all the children under two in and around Bethlehem – you don't see that on a Christmas card do you? What was God thinking by sending His Son into such a mess?   SO WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT GOD? And then of course, after they returned from Egypt, Jesus and His family moved to Nazareth – you can read it in Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 19. When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up and take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel for those who are seeking the child's life are now dead. So Joseph got up, took the child and His mother and he went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea, in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there and after being warned in a dream, he went to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: "He will be called a Nazarene." God allowed, indeed, constructed the circumstances so that the Son of God would grow up in the backblocks of nowhere – in Nazareth. Does anything good come out of Nazareth? And He became a carpenter; not the King; not the head of theology at Jerusalem seminary; not the chief grand whatever in the synagogue or the temple – a lowly carpenter. So what do we learn about God? If God chose the circumstances into which Jesus would be born; if He chose these two young teenagers; if He chose the stable in Bethlehem; if He chose Herod and the persecution and the flight, what does that tells us about God? If Jesus came to reveal God to us, what do we learn about God from the first Christmas? When you read through the Old Testament about God you see His sovereignty; His power; His hugeness; His transcendence. Isaiah says: To whom will you compare Me? Who is My equal," says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and see who created all these stars. See, God is great. Here at Christmas we see this greatness reduced to the size of the single fertilised egg – not even visible to the human eye. Born in the stable with the stench of cow dung and urine on the floor, hunted down, a refugee, the massacre of these infants around Him and then slinking back to Nazareth to eek out an ignominious existence as a carpenter, relying on two uneducated teenage bumpkins for safety and nurture – with always the hint of scandal – Mary's little illegitimate child. Well may God be great but hang on a minute, when you look at Christmas, my God is also small. My God is also humble. If you look at this theological doctrine of incarnation, Jesus the Son of God and the Son of Man – He's different to us yet He's the same as us. But if we really ask ourselves the question, we would mostly conclude that Jesus was fundamentally different from you and me. But like Luther, I believe that if we are even to begin to understand what God is saying in Jesus, we have to draw the conclusion that Jesus is God, deep graven into the flesh. Like the candy cane – on the one hand, white and pure and blameless and different, but with a red stripe; with the blood, suffering like us, He lived, He suffered, He cried, He struggled, like us. That's the point of Christmas; that's the point of Jesus being born into these brutal circumstances, in such humble surrounds. This is God saying, "Jesus is like us". We can have the best doctrine of the incarnation and completely miss the point. God is humble. He shows us that in a profound way at Christmas. He chose the time. He chose the circumstances. He chose the stable and the animals in it. He connects with us. That's why Jesus says later in Matthew, chapter 11, verse 28: Come to Me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest in your souls." And later in John, chapter 16, verse 33: "I've said these things to you that in Me you might have peace for in this world you will have tribulations but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." What a contradiction! God, the sovereign God who created all the universe through Jesus, all things that were created were, in fact, created. And yet He calls Himself humble; He makes Himself low at Christmas time. But then everything about Jesus is a contradiction. On the one hand He's the Lion of Judah; on the other hand He's the Lamb of God. When I look at the Christmas story – just the way it is, just plain and simple – look at the circumstances that Jesus was born into, you know what I see? I see something that rings true; I see an authenticity; I see a Jesus who comes humbly into this world and then says, "Come to Me because I'm gentle, I'm humble of heart." I see a Jesus who was prepared to be a refugee; who is prepared to be under threat of death. It's an amazing thing, Christmas and you know, if we just look at it as a pantomime; if we just sing the wonderful little songs and still look at it as children, I think we miss the point. God chose an amazing time for Jesus to be born and we look at Christmas by knowing how it all ended up. We've read the whole New Testament; we have the benefit of knowing that He died and rose again and the church grew up out of that and two thousand years on, you know, we are living the life. So we look back at Christmas through a whole bunch of history and stuff that those people, at that time, simply didn't have. Philip Yancey sums it up this way – I love what he says. This is what he writes: "He is the image of the invisible God; the first born over all creation," an apostle would later write, "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together," But the few eye witnesses on Christmas night saw none of those things. They saw an infant struggling to work never before used lungs. It's the story of a God who steps out of heaven, powerful, transcendent, able to choose anything He wants – He chooses Mary and Joseph; He chooses a stable; He chooses for His Son to become a refugee; He chooses for His Son to grow up in Nazareth as a carpenter. God speaks to us through this Christmas story. God went to extraordinary lengths to say this: "I am humble of heart. I have come to be one of you. I have come to walk in your shoes, in your skin, to experience all the things that you experience." It's the message of Christmas. A God who reaches out in the most amazing way; in the most startling way; in a way that we would never have done if we were God – and speaks to us His love and His desire to have a relationship with us. That is what Christmas is about.

My hunch is that the whole Christmas thing began well before that starry night in Bethlehem. A long time before. Question is – how come God came up with it? IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE I have to tell you it Is hard to believe that we are on the home straight again – just turned that corner into December again – the end of another year. The shops are full of Christmas decorations. You know, it seems like just yesterday it was January and here we are, another one over – it's hard to believe. As I sat down this year to think about messages for December, you know, the whole Christmas, New Year thing, I just felt that this year, we need to take some time and start looking and talking about Christmas just a bit early. You know this whole rush, rush, rush thing that many of us go through and then in the middle of it all, in this clamber and noise and busyness, the end of the year, you hear ministers talking about the "real meaning of Christmas" – yea, right! I just want to get over the line; I just want to finish the year. Ever thought about this – the challenge for ministers and people like me is to talk about Christmas each year. In part there's a sense of, "Well, what do I say? I mean, it's Christmas – we all know the story; we all know the meaning." Do we, really? Rush, rush, rush, buy the turkey, the Christmas pantomime and then it's all over. And all the time you know, people are living lives that fall so short of, well, a full life; a satisfying life. Now sometimes people criticise me for saying things like that. "You religious people are always telling us that our lives fall short; you tell us something is missing; you tell us this and that". There's a tension between what I call the advertising industry view of the world, on the one hand and, you know, the glossy images of success we are all trying to live up to and the reality on the other. And it's not just me – there's a great song by Sting a few years ago called, "Message in a Bottle" – remember that one? This is how the lyrics start off: Just a castaway, an island lost at sea.Oh another lonely day and no one here but me. Oh more loneliness than any man could bear Rescue me before I fall into despair. I'll send you an SOS to the world I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle. And it finishes up like this: Walked out this morning, don't believe what I saw Hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore. Seems I'm not alone at being alone. Hundred billion castaways looking for a home. I'll send an SOS to the world I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle. It's a song that connected with a lot of people. It's a song that tells it just the way things are for so many people. It flips under that thin veneer of so called "success" – all those glossy, successful images the advertising industry used to get us to buy their stuff. And somehow, this song, "Message in a Bottle", speaks to the heart – it's real. So what are you saying, Berni, that we are all a bunch of losers? No, not that. Look around – there are so many people succeeding; doing amazing things: they're talented; their able; their committed – there's lots of good stuff happening in the world. Mixed up with lots of bad stuff too – it's always been that way. I guess though, I want to think for a moment about this whole "Message in a Bottle" thing. Is it true? Are there a whole bunch of lonely people out there? I was reading an article in the weekend newspaper the other day about the internet and blogging. The word 'blog' is short for 'weblog'. It's where people, mostly young, but plenty of not so young as well, get on line on the internet and they share their thoughts and their photos and their videos on this – it's like a personal billboard – for the whole world to see. How many people do you think there are on the internet, blogging – you know, people with their own personal blog sites? Over a hundred million! A hundred million – all sending out their 'message in a bottle' – all crying out to be noticed; all wanting to be significant. I asked my daughter – "what's it all about – I mean, you know, why do you do this blogging thing?" And she said it's all about how many friends you can have subscribing to your blog – whether it's on myspace.com or youtube or – it seems like this "message in a bottle" thing is happening in a way today, that Sting could never have imagined when he wrote that song a few years ago. Maybe you're not a blogger – I'm not – but you know what I'm talking about. There's this search for significance; looking for that place where, finally "I've found myself. I've discovered who I am. There's a deep sense of satisfaction about life and me and how I fit in." Well, often it's not so much about our circumstances but just about finding who we are and connecting and knowing why we are here and what our future is and where we're going. People are sending out their message in a bottle in the most amazing way. Sometimes it's through crime – it's about attention; about wanting to be noticed and needed. Yet the vast majority, I believe, live out life without ever really discovering who they are and why they're here and where they are going. Here we are at the beginning of December, hurtling towards Christmas. I know what you are thinking! 'Isn't it a bit too early for you to be talking about Christmas, Berni? Well not really – the shops have had their Christmas decorations up for weeks now. We are taking an early look at Christmas over these next few weeks because Christmas started well before Christmas; well before that starry night in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. The first Christmas started a long time before that. We know that Christmas probably wasn't in December because the shepherds were unlikely to be tending their flocks out by night in the middle of winter. And I guess, we all kind of know the Christmas story, the whole baby Jesus, born in a manger thing – Mary and Joseph and the donkey and the shepherds and the wise men from the East – all that stuff. But my hunch is the whole Christmas thing started well before that night in Bethlehem.   A RADICAL CONCEPT I was saying before that the whole Christmas thing started well before that night in Bethlehem. In fact, we know that it did. If you look through the Old Testament – if you've got a Bible, grab it because we are going to go there in a minute – the old Hebrew Scriptures, thirty nine books, written by different people over many centuries before Jesus was born. And the Old Testament contains a whole bunch of predictions or prophesies about Jesus – some are very, very specific, like: He would be born in Bethlehem, born of a virgin, of the tribe of Judah, the house of David – well over a hundred and that's a conservative estimate. It predicted how He would die; it predicted there would be soldiers gambling away His clothes; all sorts of things, things that Jesus would have found pretty hard to arrange for Himself, unless of course, He was who He says He was. Kind of a weird thing – what was God up to? Why are these predictions throughout the Old Testament about Jesus the Son of God? In fact, can I ask even a more direct question than that? Why Jesus at all? I mean why send Jesus His only Son to become a man and ultimately to die for you and me? Why not just forgive us and be done with it. I mean, I'm sorry to sound cynical, but why the theatrics? This is how I used to think. Not bad questions really. One of these places in the Old Testament that points forward to Jesus and shows us the shepherd heart of God happens in the Book of Ezekiel, chapter 34. If you've got a Bible, open it up; let's go to Ezekiel, chapter 34 and verse 11 – this is what it says: I myself will search for My sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so I will look after My sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. And again in verse 16: I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd My flock with justice. There's this sense of the heart of a shepherd and you see it right through the Old Testament, over and over again, God talking about His shepherd heart; His heart to be in our midst. What if God saw all our bottles lying on that beach, like we heard in that song; the lyrics from "Message in a Bottle"? What if He heard the cry of our hearts? What if God always knew that the only way to still our hearts and satisfy our souls was for us to know Him? What if, well, what if Jesus is God's "Message in a Bottle" to us; to you and me? For me the constant theme of the Bible, from beginning to end, is God's heart to be in our midst. You see it over and over and over again. Remember the Exodus, when God heard the cry of His people who were oppressed in Egypt as slaves and He sends Moses to Pharaoh to tell Pharaoh, "Let My people go." And so eventually they flee and God protects them and they pass through the Red Sea and then they spend forty years in the wilderness. Let me ask you, where's God in all of this? Where's God in the wilderness? Come with me to Exodus, chapter 40 – the last chapter in the Book of Exodus – we'll have a look at verses 1 to 5. It says this: Then the Lord said to Moses, "Set up the Tabernacle or the Tent of the Meeting Place on the first day of the first month. Place the Ark of the Covenant in it and shield the Ark with a curtain. Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it, then bring in the lamp stand and set up its lamps. Place the gold alter of incense in front of the Ark of the Testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the Tabernacle or the Tent. (The word "tabernacle" means "tent".) And again later in that chapter, beginning at verse 34, it says this: Then, when Moses had done all of these things, a cloud covered the Tent of the Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tabernacle, they would set out but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out until the day that it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the Tabernacle by day and fire was in the cloud by night in the sight of all the House of Israel during all their travels. See, all the other gods that the different nations worshipped were up on hills – they lived in temples. That's why the Old Testament talks about and condemns the high places because people had to go to those tin-pot little gods and idols up on the temples on hills and worshipped them – the people went to the gods. But the real God; the God of Israel – God wanted to be in the midst of His people. This notion was so radically different. I mean, we weren't there and so it's harder for us to appreciate how radically different God's approach is. And He was the only God who was like this. When they camped, the Tabernacle – the Tent of the Meeting; the Tent where God's presence resided – was right in the middle of them. There were twelve tribes of Israel – they would camp three to the north, three to the south, three to the east and three to the west. God was smack, bang in the middle. And you notice what it says here: In all the travels … (Exodus, chapter 40, verse 36) Notice how God uses "all": In 'all' the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tabernacle, they would set out but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the Tabernacle by day, fire was in the cloud by night in the sight of 'all' the House of Israel during 'all' their travels. That's why again, over and over in the Scripture, you read these words and you can read them with me here in Leviticus, chapter 26, verses 11 and 12. God says: I will put My dwelling place among you and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God and you will be My people. Please understand with me, how radical this is – how totally contrary it is to people's expectation about a god – how different the true God is from all the other gods that all the nations worship. Their concept was by and large of appeasing the gods so they wouldn't be punished. Here the God of Israel says, "I'm a God of relationship. I want to be with My people, on their journey, in their midst, all the time, where all the people can see Me." And then the whole of the rest of the story of the Old Testament is about Israel's struggle with God. That word "Israel" literally means "he struggles with God". Over and over again God sent His prophets to call the people back to Him and over and over again Israel rejects God and suffers the consequences. And for me the whole of the Old Testament is kind of screaming out, "IT AIN'T WORKING!" We can't hold up our end of this bargain – we need a different approach – and so it was.   IN THE FLESH Christmas is such a wondrous time and it's true for so many of us, it's easy to miss in the hurly burly of life. I wonder as you chew over the Scriptures we've looked at today how radical is it to you, this shepherd heart of God; this heart that God has to be in our midst? It's one thing to read about it, as God expressed it back then, but here and now? I don't know about you, but I find it easy to forget – to forget that God is on this journey with me. Let's look at Ezekiel's words again. Ezekiel, chapter 34, verse 14: I will tend them in a good pasture and on the mountain heights of Israel will be your grazing ground. There they will lie down in good grazing land and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I, Myself will tend My sheep and have them lie down', declares the sovereign Lord. What's this "lying down" business? Have you ever asked that question? Well, it's shepherd language. See a shepherd knows that sheep will only lie down when they feel safe and when they feel at peace. And often you see it, the shepherd walks in their midst and they start to lie down because they feel safe – they don't feel like they've got to run away from danger. And for God in this language here in Ezekiel, He's saying, "By putting Myself in the midst of the people, I want to bring them peace and rest and joy in a good pasture, in good grazing land where they can feed on rich pasture." So we see God with this amazing heart to be smack, bang in the middle of our lives. And the logical extension of that, as He talks about it in the Old Testament, is He becomes one of us – flesh and blood; human. It's exactly what John writes – he called Jesus "The Word", the expression of who God is; God talking to us and telling us who He is, through Jesus. And the beginning of John's Gospel starts this way: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning and through Him all things were made. Without Him nothing was made that has been made. But look just a bit further down in that same chapter – John, chapter 1, verse 14: Then the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory; the glory of the One and only who came from the Father full of grace and truth. See the next logical step is that God becomes man. And the word that John uses for "made His dwelling among us", means "tabernacle or tent". "The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us," is what John writes here. He pitched His tent right in our midst. What does that remind you of? The Exodus story, we looked at just before on the programme – God on our journey with us. It's come back to the radicalness of this thing that God did. The Son of God becomes the Son of Man. We'll look at that and what it says to us a bit more next week. But talk is cheap, right? Anyone can talk – God can talk but actions speak louder than words – that's what Christmas is about. Christmas is about the shepherd heart of God in action – it's a radical step. God slips quietly into this world in a stable – humble but not unnoticed. At Christmas God slips quietly into our lives and on our journey. How different would our lives look if we truly came to grips with the fact that God is on this journey with us? Maybe I'm thick, but whenever troubles or opposition or tension or temptation comes in my life, I find it very, very easy to forget that, through Jesus God is on this journey with me. Like all the other nations around Israel who had gods out there; gods that they had to go to; gods that they had to shout a distance to; gods that they had to appease, you and I when life gets hard, can be like them. You know what; the only thing that stops me from living my life under the yolk of that terrible misconception is that I spend a lot of time in God's Word. My Rock and my anchor – God is speaking to me every day, through His Word, saying to me, "I am on this journey with you. When I sent My Son to become a man, one of the prime things I was saying to you is that I have come to tabernacle in your midst – I have come to be in this place with you – I have come to walk the roads that you walk, to feel the pain that you feel, to deal with the temptations and the trials that you have to deal with." Jesus is God in our midst. That's why in Isaiah it says: Thou shall call Him Emmanuel – God is with us. And as Jesus walks with us and we walk with Him and we build that relationship, His heart is for us to lie down in good pasture, to have peace. My peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. "I know how you feel, not just because I'm God but because I've walked the road ahead of you. I've dealt with all the things you have to deal with." I don't know about you, I wasn't born in a stable, but my Saviour was. I didn't have to flee King Herod as he tried to kill me, but my Saviour did. Come on! How different would our lives be if we lived them in the certain knowledge that this radical God took this radical step at Christmas? He stepped out of the comfort of heaven onto the dusty roads of Israel, to walk them ahead of me, to be my God, to be with me on my journey, to be with us in our midst.

Worship isn't about preference—it's about perspective. We're called to bless God not for what we get from Him, but for who He is and what He's done. This message challenges us to remember His goodness, renew our gratitude, and lift up wholehearted praise that comes from a soul awakened to His steadfast love.

Message by Chris Brown on November 15, 2025. It is easy to get disappointed or angry with God when He seems not to care or doesn't answer us the way we want. When we find ourselves in that place, the only options seem to be to draw closer to an unloving God or turn our backs on Him. Today's teaching from Jesus shows us how we were on the wrong page with God to begin with, and how to resolve that in a way that will always work out for our benefit. Video available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/WhCTs08COvM - Live Notes available at https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/38370/note-250653.html

Message by Chris Brown on November 15, 2025. It is easy to get disappointed or angry with God when He seems not to care or doesn't answer us the way we want. When we find ourselves in that place, the only options seem to be to draw closer to an unloving God or turn our backs on Him. Today's teaching from Jesus shows us how we were on the wrong page with God to begin with, and how to resolve that in a way that will always work out for our benefit. Video available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/WhCTs08COvM - Live Notes available at https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/38370/note-250653.html

Title: No Other God: Yahweh's Victory Over Idols & False PowersMain Idea: There is no rival to the living God.Through the plagues, God revealed His supremacy over Egypt's idols. This week's message will remind us that only Yahweh deserves our worship—every false god will fall.Give: https://thebridgechurch.org/give/#NoOtherGod #BridgeChurchATL #GodAlone #ExodusSeries

Title: Humbled Before God: The Downfall of Pride and PowerMain Idea: Pride may rise, but God's power always prevails.Pharaoh's pride clashed with God's authority—and pride lost. Join us as we unpack how God humbles the powerful and why surrender leads to life.Give: https://thebridgechurch.org/give/#HumbledBeforeGod #BridgeChurchATL #GodIsGreater #ExodusSeries

“Being Used by God” Message by James Brown  MESSAGE NOTES  Exodus 3:11-12 The post 2025.7.20 Sunday JP-EN bilingual service first appeared on Kobe Bible Fellowship 神戸バイブルフェローシップ.

It is in His voice that we have clarity and not in the circumstances. His word is a lamp to our feet and light to our path.

The Names Of God | Message 4: Jehovah Shalom | Pastor Chad Dingess | 07/13/2025 by Bethesda Church

This week we're diving into James 2 and the challenge it gives us to reject favoritism. What does it really mean to see people the way God sees them? How do we love our neighbors without partiality, even when they're nothing like us? Join us as we talk about valuing every person as an image-bearer of God, showing mercy over judgment, and making sure the gospel truly is for whosoever will.

Freedom Sunday | The Names Of God | Message 3: Jehovah Rapha | Pastor Chad Dingess | 07/06/2025 by Bethesda Church

The Names Of God | Message 2: Jehovah Jireh, Tsuri, & Nissi | Pastor Chad Dingess | 06/29/2025 by Bethesda Church

The Names Of God | Message 1: Elohim & Yahweh | Pastor Chad Dingess | 06/22/2025 by Bethesda Church

“ The Unstoppable Hand of God” Message by Loyd Flaherty　 MESSAGE NOTES  Acts 12 The post 2025.4.13 Sunday JP-EN bilingual service first appeared on Kobe Bible Fellowship 神戸バイブルフェローシップ.

Spiritual warfare is real, and the enemy's tactics are subtle—deception, distraction, and division. In Ephesians 6, Paul doesn't just warn us of the battle; he shows us how to stand strong by putting on the full armor of God. Are you dressed for the fight?

In this week's message, we explore how Jesus used parables—simple, surprising, and often unsettling stories—to open our eyes to a radically different way of living under God's reign by focusing on The Prodigal Son and The Good Samaritan. These timeless stories reveal the extravagant mercy of God—and challenge us to extend that same mercy to others, even those we might find difficult to love.

“ Living for God” Message by James Brown  MESSAGE NOTES  Colossians 3 The post 2025.3.23 Sunday JP-EN bilingual service first appeared on Kobe Bible Fellowship 神戸バイブルフェローシップ.

Around 2.4 billion people today call themselves followers of Jesus, yet many barely know what he actually taught. Too often, we reduce Christianity to simply believing in Jesus' death and resurrection to secure our place in heaven. But Jesus' teachings offer much more—a revolutionary vision of life meant to transform us here and now.In this message we focus on Jesus' teaching on the Kingdom of God. What does it truly mean to live under the reign of God? How does understanding the Kingdom reshape the way we love, forgive, and pursue justice in our daily lives?Join us as we unpack the transformative teachings of Jesus and learn how embodying Kingdom values can profoundly impact our relationships, communities, and world. If you're ready for a faith that's alive, authentic, and deeply connected to the heart of God, this message is for you!

Filled With God Colossians 1:24-27 The Story of Us, Part 9 March 2, 2025 Pastor Gary Watkins

Salvation, mission, and a life fueled by prayer—strengthened, grown, and filled with His presence. This message unpacks what it means to live in the fullness of God through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Called By God Genesis 12:1-5 The Story of Us, Part 4 January 26, 2025 Pastor Gary Watkins

The House of God Ephesians 2:11-22 The Story of Us, Part 2 January 12, 2025 Pastor Kate Wallace Nunneley

Do you struggle with doubt? You're not alone. In our new series, "Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith," Pastor Mark dives deep into the natural human experience of doubt and its role in strengthening our faith journey.In this first message, Pastor Mark talks about his own doubts as he leads an exploration of questions about God's existence. From the beauty of creation to the transformative power of faith, this sermon encourages us to see doubt not as an enemy but as a bridge to deeper understanding.Discover how:Doubt can strengthen rather than weaken faith.Science and faith are not at odds but complementary.Heroes of the Bible, like Thomas and David, found God amidst their doubts.Personal experiences and the beauty of creation testify to the presence of a loving Creator.If you've ever wrestled with doubt, this message offers hope, wisdom, and encouragement. 

Message by Chris Brown on January 04, 2025. Why has there always been a majority of people that believe that there is a god, and then have some need to worship or obey him/her? Is there a plausible answer for this outside of the Bible or some religious book, and is this still the answer we need to build our lives around today? Video available on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/1043762097 - Live Notes available at https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/38370/note-223185.html

Listen in on how to experience a lasting encounter with God.

Expecting God's presence in our daily lives transforms our approach to challenges, enabling us to face them with confidence and peace. God's presence is our source of strength, and His promise to be with us is our anchor in times of trouble. As we navigate life's valleys and peaks, we must remember that God's hand is always extended, ready to guide us home.

Hello, I am Jonathan Gouthier, co-host and associate Pastor of First Church here in Torrington, CT and I welcome you to the Faith First Podcast. In today's episode, we'll be listening to a message given by our Lead Pastor Steve Darr that comes against the pluralistic religious culture in today's modern age. He will go into the specifics of how there is No Other God than Yahweh. Let's get ready to listen in…In this episode, you'll discover:What are modern-day idolsWhy society is not invested in absolute truthWhat to do with an amalgamation of pagan and Christian beliefsWhy there is an increase in deceptionWhy Yahweh is the only GodThere is an intrusion into Christianity that is causing many to compromise their faith. That intrusion is the belief that we can combine pagan beliefs and practices into our Christian beliefs. If you have something, anything in your life that is more important than God or you've added something with your Christian beliefs, get rid of it.We are so glad that you've made the Faith nFirst Podcast one of your weekly stops to listen and be engaged with the topics and conversations. If you've not yet hit the subscribe button, do so now to be alerted to when a new episode will launch. Until next time recognize that we cannot have anything other than Yahweh faith first.

Do you struggle to say YES to the things God places on your heart? It's a struggle for many of us, including Jonah in the Bible. Today, Pastor Jim Ramos teaches from the story of Jonah and the power of saying YES to God's will and the dangers of saying NO. This message is from The MAG, The McMinville Area Gathering for men in McMinnville, Oregon. You can come out to see Jim Ramos in person checking his at , or bring him to speak at your next event.  [Honor God through your fitness. Use code 'ARENA30' at mtntough.com for 6 weeks free access to the MTNTOUGH fitness app.]

Hello and welcome, I am Jonathan Gouthier, co-host and associate Pastor of First Church here in Torrington, CT and you're listening to the Faith First Podcast where we provide you with some practical steps to walking faith first in the world today. Our topic today is the faithfulness of God. Despite how we may feel at times and how we may perceive circumstances through our limited understanding, the Bible repeatedly shows God's faithfulness. So, let's get ready to listen to this message given by our Lead Pastor Steve Darr…In this episode, you'll discover:What happens if we lose sight of the faithfulness of GodHow God's Word shows over and over His faithfulnessLearn the several ways God is faithful to His peopleWhy perseverance is needed in order to trust in God's faithfulnessThe Bible repeatedly reminds us of God's faithfulness. Faithfulness is a moral attribute of God, an inherent characteristic that is revealed in Scripture and displayed by God's activity in history. God's faithfulness means we can trust Him implicitly in any situation no matter what our feelings dictate.We are so glad you've joined us for our broadcast. If you're new to the Faith First podcast we encourage you to hit the notification bell below and be alerted to when a new episode is launched. Until next time, cling to the faithfulness of God faith first.

Welcome to the Faith First Podcast. I am Jonathan Gouthier, co-host and associate Pastor of First Church here in Torrington, CT. In today's episode, we'll be listening to a message given by our Lead Pastor Steve Darr that dives into our true identity in Christ and that is being a child of God. If you're ready let's tune in.In this episode, you'll discover:How we see ourselves in the family dynamicWhat is identityThe threats to our identityHow to understand our identity in ChristIn Christ, you are not only loved but chosen. God sent His own Son to earth to die in your place so that you could be included in His family as a child of God. You are no mistake. You are chosen and wanted.Thank you for being one of our listeners of the Faith First Podcast. We are grateful to you. And maybe you happened upon us by accident and enjoyed what you heard, well then subscribe by hitting the notification bell below to be alerted to when the next episode will air. Until next time know you are a chosen child of God faith first.

Oldsmool Tried & Tested --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aei-leon/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aei-leon/support