Podcasts about today pastor john

Wow, here we are on another precipice. When I started back on June 26, 2013, we were on a precipice ready to jump off and start our work together. When we jump off we never know where will land. Thankfully as followers of Jesus Christ we know that we are not alone. We believe the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us. We have been through some major changes, and they all happened within 5-6 months in 2024. Walter passed away February 16. Thankfully we had a vice president in the wings to take over. In March we began counting money at the church. Our former secretary shared with members that I would not be putting my name in to be considered for your pastor. In one week in June, we essentially had 2 staff changes. That is a lot for any system to handle. We gathered our gifts and moved forward. We had a great VBS. Thankfully we found a new secretary within a relatively short amount of time. Thus, Randy and I could give up doing the bulletin and E-news. Thanks to Mark Kadrofske for planning and coordinating youth events. Sunday School is running smoothly with our gifted education people. We needed to do some reorganization with the pantry, and it now has a steering committee where the oversight is done by a group of people. They even have a job description for their committee. The finances are being monitored, and more funding is being sought. The pantry is in good shape right now. This is not about me doing all of this work. My role was to plant seeds and support the gifted people here at Faith. The council is in the midst of restructuring the operating system of the church so that the healthiest ministry can be done. This came out of the leadership workshop that we had and the work of the transition team. Today Pastor John will be sharing some thoughts on the Parish House as well as Laurie at our annual meeting. With the new administration we are very concerned about the guys and their continued ability to stay here. Now in saying that, we know of no imminent issue, but it is a concern. Things are changing every day. Michigan Refugee Hope has begun working on a safety plan and Faith will need to be a part of this. Pastor John, Laurie and I attended a zoom meeting on Tuesday with the other refugee providers in Lansing. This is to ensure that the leaders here are as up to date on what might be coming down the pike. This is what soon to be Pastor Megan is walking into. She will need your support in navigating whatever is ahead. Remembering what we have been through since I have been here. I believe that we have moved through it together with the power of the Holy Spirit. This leads us into our gospel lesson for today. After Jesus' time in the wilderness with the devil, he returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. Jesus gave his inaugural address to the people in attendance at the synagogue.  News had spread about Jesus throughout the whole countryside. He had taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. He returned to Nazareth, where he had grown up. He attended the service as he normally did. The hometown boy had come home. The assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where he wanted to read. As he read the passage from Isaiah, Jesus identified who he was and what his mission was. He said that God had anointed him, and the Spirit was on him. He was sent to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. As the Gospel of Luke continues we find Jesus not being liked very much. He was shaking the status quo. Neither the church leaders nor the government leaders were happy with his message through word and action. Next week the lesson would have been how even his hometown people realized they were being asked to do something that they might not be comfortable with. When I think about the fact that Jesus has asked us his followers to carry on this work, I'm just a bit taken back as were the people in his hometown. This is a great deal to do, and it has become more and more of an uphill battle.  This week at the National Cathedral there was an Episcopal bishop who preached this kind of message, and she has been criticized by many people in power, even pastors. There is now a congressman who has introduced a resolution to condemn her as her message was distorted. He is saying that the sermon was not reflective of the faith community at large. As of today, I do not speak on behalf of Faith. I challenge you to consider what this means and where you stand. Is the bishop's message in line with the welcoming statement? We can easily get bogged down in what we can't do instead of focusing on what we can do. This was something the bishop felt she was called to do. I understand she also offered the National Cathedral as a resting place for Matthew Sheppard. I cannot cover all of these points Jesus outlined for himself in one sermon. What I would like us to briefly look at is preaching good news to the poor. You may tell me that you are not preachers and that is my job along with a few others. The Greek word for preach in this passage is euangelizō  which means announcing, declaring, or telling the good news. This is for all of us including foreigners. It is what we say and do. It is the message that we present to others through our words and actions. Thus, this is what Jesus is calling all of to do in order to continue his ministry. In this passage from what we believe to be 2nd Isaiah, which is after the exile, they are reflecting on the destruction of Jerusalem and having to rebuild it. Even though the restoration has been promised it is frustrating project. A great deal of conflicted feelings are probably being felt. Could it be that Jesus was reminding the people in the synagogue what had gotten the Hebrew people that Isaiah was prophesying what had gotten them into exile? The people had been looking for a leader to bring them more power and control through acquiring more land. It was a very self-centered way of thinking and greediness. This way of thinking excluded people who were different from them. I have said it before and I am saying it again, history repeats itself if we don't learn from it. God has been bringing the message to God's people that God includes everyone. This is what RIC Sunday is about. It is a reminder that this is the good news that all of us have been called to announce. The good news is for all people. In my first sermon here, I thanked you for welcoming me. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. Faith has welcomed our refugee brothers in the Parish House. We welcome people to come and take food that they need in order to live. This is sharing or announcing the good news. In going forward, Jesus calls you and I to continue sharing the good news. You may hear voices and see things done that do not model good news. Please allow the Holy Spirit to continue guiding you. This beloved community is called to share this good news regardless of these voices. Do your best in this place and this community to not let history repeat itself. Remember the Holy spirit has led us to this day and will lead you and myself forward to continue sharing the good news where we are! Let us pray: Gracious Spirit, thank you for bringing us together to share your good news. We continue to rely on you to lead us forward and to discern how and where to share your good news, regardless. In Jesus, Name.  Amen

Today Pastor John looks to the life of Abraham to help us understand how to grow in our faith. We know faith comes by hearing and hearing from the Word but do we know how to strengthen our faith? It starts by realizing and truly accepting that He is above all things - even when things are unpleasant. But as Pastor John points out, our faith flourishes when we, like Abraham, give glory to God.

Today Pastor John talks about when Daniel interprets Nebachezzer's dream of a large statute that gets destroyed by a rock from heaven. With us facing an election coming up what does this passage have to tell us about our allegiances and were we place our hope. 

Today Pastor John talks about what the Lord wants for Grace Assembly, for each and everyone of us. He wants a deeper relationship with us. But the heart of the matter is the matters with our hearts. The transformation of our head needs to change us to the core of our beings - our hearts.

Today Pastor John reminds us we need to quit messing around, get over ourselves, and stop playing around with disobedience. After all, we were bought with a price and we are not our own! We are the Lord's and He knows what He's doing! So let's be motivated to discern and embrace all the has for us!

Today Pastor John talks about the Spiritual gift of Giving.

Today Pastor John talks about the Motivational gifts found in Romans 12. How do we learn and discover what our gifts are? 

Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” Today Pastor John and the Togo Mission Team will share with us how they shared and experienced this light in Togo.

Today Pastor John will be preaching the next sermon in our Unshakeables series:  The Church.  We'll learn what the true purpose of being a church is according to the Bible.  

Today Pastor John talks about how God has made each of us unique and unrepeatable. We all have unique personalities gifts that he has given us. However sometimes we use our personalities to box ourselves in and become idols. We should allow God and scripture to determine what we do and don't do verses constraining ourselves. 

Today Pastor John talks about how Jesus is wanting a relationship with us. Many times we try to be formulaic in our relationship but he just wants us. 

Today Pastor John talks about Simon the Sorcerer. Simon was more interesting in building his kingdom than the Kingdom of God. How many times are we more interested in building our own kingdoms vs God's Kingdom. 

Do you feel like your faith needs revived?  Or when you look at different aspects of your life you wish things were different? Today Pastor John is teaching on the story of Lazarus. Jesus declares, "I am the Resurrection and the Life." That means Jesus is able to breathe life into dead things. If your faith, marriage, family, or business needs new life, jump into this message and be encouraged. Support the Show.

Today Pastor John peaches out of Hosea Chapters 4-6. Israel finally respond to God, but their response is hollow. God tells his people that he desires Mercy and not their Sacrifices. God cares about our heart posture more than what we DO for him. 

Today Pastor John opens up a new series on the book of Hosea. Hosea prophesied during a dark time in Israel's history. No matter our sin God is willing to relentlessly pursue us. 

Today Pastor John talks about suffering. Suffering is something that every person throughout history has experienced. The Bible talks a lot suffering, however there are elements of suffering that are still a mystery to us. 

Today Pastor John is teaching out of Psalm 23. Of all the animals on earth, the Bible compares us more to sheep more than any other animal. Jump into this message as we break down Psalm 23 and learn about The Good Shepherd. Support the show

Today Pastor John talks about the biblical narrative of Testing/Temptation. The Hebrew and Greek words for temptation are closer to our understanding of testing. When tested/tempted, we should use it as an opportunity to allow ourselves to mature. 

Today Pastor John talks about miracles in the Old and New Testament. Jesus promises that we can do greater works that he did while on earth. What did he mean by that? 

Today Pastor John reminds us that Jesus never told us to do life on our own. In fact, He made us one with HIm and He keeps us. And if each of us is one with Him, we are one with each other. Especially since He is assembling us together into the dwelling place for His Holy Spirit.

Today Pastor John conducts our Family meeting. We go over wins and miss's in 2023. He also shares where we are going as a church in 2024 and expands on our word of the year which is Koinonia. 

Today Pastor John continues on in our series on Koinonia. As believers we should all be tuned to the same frequency. It is important we tune ourselves to Jesus and not to others. 

Have you ever wanted to be closer to God? In your heart, you know that you want to serve Him and be close to Him, but you are not exactly sure how to get to the place you want to be. Today Pastor John is talking about how to move to a higher place with God. Enjoy the message. Support the show

Today Pastor John shares our word for the year. Our goal in 2024 is to be more connected with those around us as we are connected to the Lord. Ultimately, the depth of our relationship with Jesus will only go as far as the depth of our relationships with each other. 

Today Pastor John talks about Love in the context of Advent. Love is unique because we experience Love from God but we also give love out to others. Jesus refined love through his teaching and through him coming down on earth. 

Oh no! Today Pastor John talks about giving money to the work of the kingdom! But don't draw up! It's not about increasing staff salaries or expanding the facility and programs. It's really about honoring the Lord, His word, and His promise to bless us, to prosper us. Instead of giving out wildly, Pastor John warns us our generosity should be tempered with Godly wisdom, discernment, and clarity.

Oh no! Today Pastor John talks about giving money to the work of the kingdom! But don't draw up! It's not about increasing staff salaries or expanding the facility and programs. It's really about honoring the Lord, His word, and His promise to bless us, to prosper us. Instead of giving out wildly, Pastor John warns us our generosity should be tempered with Godly wisdom, discernment, and clarity.

Today Pastor John wraps up his series on the manifestation gifts. He explains how the gift of tongues should be used and the benefit it brings to us as believers. 

Today Pastor John starts a series on the manifestation Spiritual Gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12. He talks about how they should be used to unify the church and are for everyone. 

Today Pastor John our study through the book of Titus. "All the proof of a pudding is in the eating." - first printed by William Camden

Today Pastor John talks about Psalm 73 where Asaph experiences doubt. He talks about the importance of bring our doubt to God. God uses Asaph's words of doubt to minister to doubting people. 

Have you ever wondered how to hear from God? Or wanted to know if God was speaking to you? All of us want to hear from God and want him to speak to us, but how does that look practically? Today Pastor John is teaching some practical ways & biblical principles on how God speaks to us. Enjoy the message. Support the show

Today Pastor John gives an overview of the book of Titus. The uppercut of the New Testament. 

Today Pastor John talks about Elijah mentoring Elisha. He challenges us to disciple others as well as having someone disciple us as well. 

Today Pastor John talks about Elijah's preparation for the Miracle at Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18. How is the Lord preparing you to do great things for his Kingdom. 

We have nearly 70,000 thoughts per day, but are all of them Godly truths? Today Pastor John and Kristin take a look at what the "salesman" of our mind tells us on a daily basis and offer advice about how we can win the battle of our minds!

We have this holiday every year called Easter. There's candy, egg hunts, family photos, typically we go to church, but what's the big deal - why does it matter so much? Today Pastor John is talking about why Easter matters and why it's a huge deal for us even today. Hope you enjoy the message. Support the show

Today Pastor John will continue our study of the book of Daniel (How to Thrive in Babylon) with a message called The Writing on the Wall.

Today Pastor John preaches the next installment of our Great Expectations series.  In Expectations of a Kingdom, he will teach us how the world waited in darkness for the Messiah, and how the birth of the baby King brought light into a world waiting in expectation for a new kingdom to arise.

Each one of us may have a different calling - different ways we walk out our faith. Today Pastor John reminds us that everyone has the same ministry, a ministry of reconciliation. Working from 2 Corinthians 5, we can see that whatever our calling is, we must reconcile others to Christ and each other.

Today Pastor John continues our new series Rhythms with the sermon "Rhythms of Rest."  Are you too busy and never have time to rest?  Pastor John will teach us how important it is to rest and show us examples throughout the Bible where it is actually commanded that we rest so that we can focus on our relationship with God. If the world's busy-ness has you worn down -- Stop!  Come!  Rest! 

Today Pastor John jumps into Part of God's anger where we ask the question - Is God's responses when he gets angry proportional to the sin or the offense that has been committed against him? This is a tough subject, but we must take the whole council of God's Word, not just the parts we like. Come and join the conversation. 

Today we're talking about how to hear from God. We all have things in our life that we need God's help and God's wisdom with. But what does it actually look like to hear from God? Today Pastor John is going to unpack some practical ways you can connect and hear from the Lord. Enjoy the message. Support the show

Today Pastor John will be preaching the next sermon in our Wander Years series, which studies the years of the Hebrews' slavery under Egypt through their travels to the Promised Land.  Today's installment, God With Us, will focus on the tabernacle and how the glory of God has always been with His people and transforms them (us), even in the wilderness.

How are you doing emotionally? Are you truly ok? These are the questions we are answering today and learning how to build an emotionally solid life in the midst of a chaotic and even overwhelming season. Today Pastor John will give you steps on how build a foundation, structure, and finishes to an emotionally solid life. Enjoy the message.Support the show

One thing Sports has taught us, is that there are things that can't be measured. How hard someone is going work, they're ability to make others around them better, and they're willingness to learn and improve are a few examples. Today Pastor John is teaching on a few spiritual intangibles that can't be measured, but will greatly impact your relationship with God. Enjoy the message. Support the show

One thing all of us will deal with is failure. Even the greatest athletes of all-time have experienced losing. No matter how smart or successful you are, you will experience set backs, you will experience loss, you will have to figure out how to bounce back. Today Pastor John is talking about bounce back faith - how to bounce back and stay connected with God even when facing disappointment or set backs. Enjoy the messageSupport the show

When life is bearing down on you and there is no relief in sight, WHO or WHAT have you placed your hope in? Today Pastor John teaches through Psalm 18 and shows us "4 Reasons Why God is Worthy of Our Worship."

Today Pastor John takes the stage to deliver part 2 of our Awake series. Today we will learn about eschatology (the study of end times).  Pastor John will teach us the difference between our time and end time and how to spend our time here developing our faith to prepare for the day when we stand in the presence of God.  When will that happen?  We don't know -- but God knows the perfect time!

We are wrapping up our gospel-driven sexual purity series called “Do You Not Know”. Today Pastor John takes us beyond the (tips, tricks, suggestions and new habits - which aren't necessarily bad things to aim for, but they don't always go for the heart of the matter. Today we are going after genuine gospel change.