Impact Fellowship Podcast

We all have people we disagree with at times, but what do we do when we want to bridge that gap? What does it look like to work towards unity? How are we to approach situations like that with God's perspective? Today we look at a passage from Philippians that addresses these questions and gives us a look at Jesus' humility.

When life changes unexpectedly in ways we didn't hope for, we typically respond asking why? We find ourselves wanting to get back to what we knew and were comfortable with. Today we look at a person (Paul) who, while working alongside God, got imprisoned. We get to see how he found hope in the midst of that and what a perspective that trusts God in such situations looks like.

Isn't it true that, for most of us, circumstances determine our attitude and response towards the situations we are in? Paul though, who wrote the letter of Philippians, didn't let highly negative conditions change his motivation and focus. In fact, he saw them as an opportunity to continue working alongside God. As we look at this passage, we see how and why that was possible for Paul and what that looks like for us today.

When we hear the word partnership, several different ideas come to mind. Specifically today, we're going to look at what it means to partner with God and His people. In addition to that, what does it mean that God has put a good work in us, and can we really believe that could be true? What could help us to step into that good work with the proper perspective and heart?

Given his high level of intentionality, we learn a lot about the book of Philippians by how Paul begins his letter to the church there. What would cause him to start off introducing himself as a lowly servant and then turning around and viewing them as saints? Was it veiled humility, or was there something else behind it? Today we dig into those questions as we look at the beginning of Philippians.

Isn't it easy to question God when things aren't going well? When things seem out of sorts or just plain wrong, we tend to ask God if we got something wrong, if we're off track. Today, as we start looking at the book of Philippians and the church that started in that city, we see from some very unique and valuable responses to those types of situations.

We all come across times where we feel heavily stretched and tested. What are we supposed to do when adversity strikes? How does faith in God come into the picture, and what if we have little faith or our faith is wavering? Today we look at a passage from the Bible that discusses those questions head on.

Dealing with the past usually isn't easy. Whether it has to do with our upbringing or things we've done or things done to us later in life, we often have difficulty working through them, if we even try at all. Today we look at a couple parts of the Bible that help us see what it could look like to walk with God through these things and experience the freedom He has for us.

When it comes to anger, there is a wide range of suggestions on how to handle it. Should we mostly stuff it? Should we be fully free with it? Is it ok to be angry? How are we supposed to deal with anger? Did Jesus ever get angry? If so, why? To get God's perspective, we look at different areas of the Bible that help address these questions about anger.

The vast majority of us have either struggled with despair and hopelessness or know someone who has. What do we do in the face of such an adversity (for ourselves or someone else) given that choosing to "be happy" isn't as easy or effective as it sounds? What does the Bible have to say about dealing with hopelessness, and are there examples of people who came through it?

While some of us would like to say we have very little fear or no fears, we'd be kidding ourselves. We all have things that cause us to fear, sometimes almost paralyzing us. When that happens, how are we supposed to move forward? Today we identify some indicators that we are living in fear and look to the Bible to see how God would have us deal with our fears.

We all have lists of things (sometimes bigger than other times) that cause us to be anxious. Anxiety is one of those nasty things that can be so difficult to escape from. What do we do when it comes knocking and how do we battle against it. Today we look at what the Bible has to say about anxiety and how to uproot it from our lives.

We all face bigger problems and struggles at times in our lives. What is the source of those issues - bad luck, a matter of circumstance, genetics, etc? And what role do we play in them? Today we begin a series in which we look at the Bible to see not only the source(s) but also how we are meant to address and tackle these bigger challenges and struggles.

How many of us have had a day where, afterwards, everything was different? Today, while celebrating Easter, we look at a story from the Bible where an encounter with Jesus totally reshaped a woman's life. What was it about their interaction that had such a profound effect? We also get to hear a couple of stories from people who had similar life-changing events.

We've all got concerns and worries, things that keep us up at night or distract us during the day. How do we usually handle them, and what does it look like to deal with them with God in our lives? Is taking care of stuff that concerns God first a good approach? Today we look at some verses from the Bible that deal specifically with our worries and how God would have us respond to them and Him.

With a bit of examining, we can see we've been entrusted with a lot of things that reach across a wide range of areas. Today we look at the Bible to see what are we supposed to do with the variety of resources God has given us and with the persons He has brought under our care.

Fairness seems like one of those things we all want. It feels like the right thing to do. When it comes to God and fairness, how do the chips fall? Does He give us what we deserve, or does He operate differently from our way of thinking? Today we tackle those questions as well as what the Bible has to say about fairness when it comes to us comparing ourselves to others.

We can all grasp the basics behind forgiveness, but for how many of us is it easy to put into practice? What do we do when we get stuck and it seems like there is too much to forgive? How does God view forgiveness, specifically when it comes to us forgiving others and being forgiven?

When we say yes to anything of great value, we know it is going to cost us something. Starting a new business, growing in a relationship, and having kids are some common examples of things with great value that also have great costs. What value is found in seeking out God and His Kingdom, and what is the cost?

What would it look like to make wise choices when we are getting to know God? What factors influence how we make important decisions in that process, and are there ones we typically overlook or overemphasize? What type of life can we expect when it comes to following God? And what would it look like to choose a pathway that leads to life as seen through God's eyes?