Element Church Podcast - Sermons

Where does your family come from?  What are some of the great, and not so great, stories from your family line?  In today's message we wrap up the story of Ruth and Naomi and Boaz by looking at the line of their descendants, and Jesus himself is even part of that family.  We'll see that the lineage of Jesus is packed with people with jacked-up lives, and God's grace is great enough to redeem them too.  Ultimately we'll find hope for our own lives with the reminder that God's relationship with us starts with Him assigning us value and worth, as his image bearers, and that he wants something for us that is so much better than we can possibly understand.  As we wrap up the story of Ruth, the end is STILL only just beginning!Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

We continue the story of Ruth by studying a person she meets named Boaz. We take a look at his model of character, honor, and faith as we consider how to move forward in our relationships. Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

Have you ever had an experience where you thought going to THAT place or with THAT person would give you a certain satisfaction, but it didn’t work out the way you expected?  Did you set out full and hopeful but now find yourself now coming back empty and in despair?  In today’s message we enter scene two of Naomi and Ruth’s desperate story as they begin to try and turn things around for themselves.  We’ll see God begin to work His plans through the decisions of people as Naomi and Ruth make a plan for survival and then celebrate when God shows up and provides for them.  We’ll face some practical questions for our own lives about how we can find hope and reasons to celebrate in the midst of our circumstances.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

When you think about the ways you have been loyal to others, do you feel like your loyalty has sometimes not been repaid in kind?  Would you even say your loyalty has sometimes been repaid with adversity?  In today's message we begin a series for singles looking at the lives of Ruth and Naomi.  These are two women who found themselves in places they did not want to be and experiencing adversity they do not deserve.  We'll ask some practical questions in our own lives that will give us some guidance about how to evaluate the people in our lives worth following, and ultimately find the strength and bravery to be honest about our wounds and begin to deal with them in healthy and healing ways.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

Whether you believe in Jesus or not, what are your initial feelings about sharing your faith?  For many people the thought of sharing faith, or having faith shared with them, is uncomfortable and generates feelings of anxiety.  Can you relate?  In today's message we'll consider some ideas about what it means to fulfill the great commission and "go make disciples".  We'll first take a look at the meaning of the word "disciple", then take a look at ourselves, then take a look at the invitation God gives to us to first experience the hope and grace and truth of His gospel in our own lives.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

Why is it that there can be so much confusion around discerning God's will?  If He is a good and loving father who wants us to obey Him, why is it sometimes so hard to understand what it is He wants us to obey?  In today's message we'll take a look and examples the Bible gives us about some ways God speaks to us, and ultimately learn some practical tips on how to process decisions we face by seeking wise council.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

What kinds of New Years resolutions do you make?  How are you doing with them so far?  If you made a resolution regarding your faith, how has that been going?  Studies show that if you want to build a solid foundation of faith, the most significant thing you can to is read your Bible on a regular basis.  But that can be problematic for many of us, because the Bible seems so unapproachable or we are too busy or it's to complicated to understand.  In today's message, we'll see some ways we can remove some of those obstacles and enjoy the benefits of reading the Bible regularly.  One great resource is a reading plan from The Bible Project called, "The Bible".  You can find this reading plan on the YouVersion Bible app, or at the following link: bible.com/r/1FkSupport the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

What is "Ground Zero"?  Typically we use this term to describe a site of devastation or disaster, but it can also just simply be something's starting point.  In today's message, we'll take a look at someone in the Bible, named Zacchaeus, who's life was characterized by rejection and brokenness and we'll see how Jesus enters into that life to redefine it with welcoming and completeness.  Ultimately we'll learn that we are all just like Zacchaeus, that Jesus is here for us too, and all are welcome.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

How often do you pray R-rated prayers?  If we want to have a relationship with God, and that relationship requires us to be vulnerable with Him, then is it okay to express some of our most unbecoming thoughts and experiences to Him?  In today's message we'll learn some practical ways to refresh our intimacy with God.  Ultimately, we'll learn that God doesn't want us to have faith that is empty, filtered, and calculated.  That's why He moved first.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

During holiday seasons, do you typically find yourself surrounded by more people than normal?  How would you describe the influences of those people?  Healthy?  Good?  Annoying?  Toxic?  Sometimes, despite the best intentions, we find ourselves involved in relationships which negatively influence our lives.  How do you avoid letting those people get to you?  In today's message we'll see Jesus modeling a way for us to set up boundaries and guardrails in our own relationships.  We'll be challenged to take a look at the people we have chosen to trust with our innermost vulnerabilities and reconsider what kind of access they should have to our hearts.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

The holiday season is upon us.  Do you feel out of balance?  In today's message, we'll take a look a moment in the life of Nehemiah.  We'll see that he was surrounded by dangerous circumstances and annoying distractions and had to say "no" to some things in order to stay focused on the "great work" he was engaged in.  We'll also learn some practical tips on how to prevent busyness this season.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

What does Christmas look like?  Does it look like the hype of the perfect families portrayed in TV commercials?  Or is there something else to it?  In today's message, we'll consider some ideas that will challenge the way we approach the Christmas holiday.  Ultimately we'll discover that our hope is not in the hype of the holidays but our hope is in something greater, and hope in that something greater does not involve a setback as we move into 2018.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

How many of us have things in our lives that are not the way they should be?  How many of us desperately want those things to be made right?  Today's message is all about restoration as we continue to look at the life of king David.  In this message we'll hear the joy in David's heart as he responds to God restoring him.  We'll discover that this same joy, hope, strength, and contentment can be experienced in our own lives as we learn to rely on God in the middle of our own challenges.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

If your life and circumstances have changed over time, do you remember the way you used to be?  How did you get from the way you were to the way you are now?  Today's message will give us some practical encouragement when we find ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.  We'll hear another story about King David's past struggles and future ambitions, and find encouragement as he remembers how God has brought him so far.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

What do you do when you get caught or exposed doing something you're not supposed to?  Do you continue to argue, or do you own up to your decisions and the consequences?  In today's message, we'll see how King David handled a similar situation.  Ultimately we'll learn that he didn't argue or try to justify his actions.  Instead, he faced the mirror, took ownership of his decisions, and admitted "I'm the man!"Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

How have you been reacting enjoying this series so far?  Hopefully you've been finding encouragement as well as ideas for how to engage challenging circumstances.  In today's message we'll hear some raw emotion from one of the Bible's most familiar characters.  David was a man after God's own heart, and yet he still experienced a lot of adversity.  From his story we'll learn that it's okay to not be okay, but it's not okay to stay that way, because Jesus wants something greater for each of us.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

Are there times in your life when you've had opportunities to make compromises to get ahead, but not making those compromises continues to hold you back?  What are the consequences one way or another?  In today's message we'll revisit some stories from the Old Testament about David, being chased around the country by king Saul, and the opportunities he had to make compromises.  We'll see how he exercised patience, faith, and honor amid his desperate circumstances and find encouragement applying these qualities in our own lives.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

Do you have any relationship in life, either with people or things (maybe work), which you depend on for benefits and/or sustenance?  Do those relationships also sometimes come with a lot of drama and trouble?  In today's message we'll look at a character in a similar situation and consider some questions we can ask to help get us through tough times.  Next time you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, ask yourself:  "Based on my past experiences, my current circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?"Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

Do you feel trapped between difficult choices?  Today we will be kicking off a new series titled, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" where we will begin to discover what to do when life gives us trouble.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)

What’s the stage or platform you’re living on?  Is it your kids and comparing your family to others?  Is it your likes on social media?  Maybe work?  Maybe the dance floor at the club?  In today's message we'll take a look at ourselves and consider the platform we're living out our lives on.  We'll consider that a life lived on a platform driven by performance leads to emptiness and loneliness.  Ultimately we'll be challenged to consider the idea that God does not simply want to be entertained by us, but desires intimacy with us.Support the show (https://elementchurchlaurel.com/give)