Renew Communities Teaching Podcast

One of the great promises of faith in Jesus is soul peace. Paul tells us that this kind of peace will guard our hearts and our minds. As nice as all that sounds many of us aren’t really experiencing any peace but Paul gives us some things that seem to need a part of our life first in order to really experience this kind of peace. In week 9 we look at these elements of peace and why they might just be what you’re looking for as you fight for peace.

You may not realize this but following Jesus is a team sport. Sure it’s something that is deeply personal but it’s also something that we do with every other person who had placed their faith in Jesus and because of that we need to realize their are people ahead of you that you can follow and people behind you that are counting on you to keep fighting onward. In week 8 we talk about where our focus often goes, how this keeps us from growing in our faith and how crucial it is to everyone else that you both lead and follow.

So much focus in the Christian life is on sin. We focus on the sins Jesus saves us from, we focus on the sins we still struggle with. We focus a lot on sin. You might find that it’s especially difficult to feel joy when your so focused on your sin - but Paul calls us to rejoice as he begins chapter 3 and the reason he says we can rejoice is because of who you are right now in this moment and who you are becoming. In week 7 we talk about who you are, who you are becoming and why that should bring you so much joy.

We’re all in process - we’re all working things out - and the same is true for how we live as Christians in the real world. In week 6 we look at how Paul tells us to work out our salvation and what it might look like for you to do that right where you live today!

Have you ever wondered how Jesus would live your life? How would he treat your spouse, work at your job and interact with your family? Paul challenges us in the middle of chapter 2 to have the SAME mindset as Jesus - and while most Christians love this passage the invitation is WILD! In week 5 we talk about the mindset of Jesus, how it plays out in our lives today and the impact it will have today and into eternity if we do.

As we enter into chapter 2 Paul asks the listener to reflect on what they have because of their connection to Christ. It’s funny to think that somehow we could take the greatest sacrifice ever made and the most transforming connection we’ve ever had for granted - and yet it seems we do. In week 4 we slow down and reflect on what we have in Christ - that’s it- we’ll just recognize who we are and why as we look to the impact Jesus makes on our lives.

Paul is convinced that he is in jail not just for preaching the Gospel but so that the Gospel can move forward throughout the world - that somehow his suffering brings about new life & movement. What if that could be true for you? We all suffer throughout life but what if the true purpose of suffering in the life of a Christ follower is to somehow advance the Gospel through that suffering. To do that though we have to have the right perspective. In week 3 we’ll talk about how a Christian should view this life in order to understand how God might want to use the difficult times to advance the Gospel.

As you read through Philippians you get a clear understanding that Paul really loves the people in this church and prays significant prayers for them. In week 2 of our series we dig into what he’s been praying for the church of Philippi and talk about the importance of it being answered today in our church. This is a significant topic because it offers us timely insight into how we can respond to current events, personal tension and the SCOTUS recent ruling on marriage. Jump in to see how you can discern what’s best, live a pure life and do good in the world we’re called to live in now.

Many of us think of today as a final destination - that somehow the way things are right now are the way things will always be - but God has an eternal view. From the day you meet Jesus he’s working on you, on your heart on who you are and who you will be and no matter how things are going today - good or bad - he’s not finished. In week 1 we’ll kick of our summer through Philippians by asking what God’s doing, what he wants to do, where you’ve been and what might be keeping you from where you need to be.

In week 5 of our Rhythms of Life we talk about the importance of prayer in our daily lives. There's plenty that you can accomplish in your daily life on your own but prayer connects our daily activities to the power of God. We share why we should pray or learn some good methods to practice prayer and invite you pick one method to practice this week as part of our Rhythm of Renewal.

Every Christian is a missionary sent to carry the Hope we’ve found back to the places we live, work & play. We do this by actively loving our neighbors – those we are living next to – through intentional blessing and sharing with them the hope we have found in Christ. On Sunday we were joined by Mark Stockeland of Haiti Bible Mission to talk about practical ways to show the love of Christ to people we live, work and play with.

God has made us with an innate desire for connection because we are made in His image. What if connecting with others is the answer to the biggest challenges we face as individuals? What if there was a way to not just connect but offer healing and acceptance. In week 2 of our Rhythms of Life series we talk about the "EAT" aspect of our rhythm and the power of the open table.

This sermon kicks off our series, The Rhythms of Life. The Bible was meant to be read as a story, not a textbook. Once you read the Bible as story you find that the story compels you, changes you, and calls you to take up your role in the drama. You will be encouraged to pick up the script and start reading!

There will be times in all of our lives when we see the gap between who we are and who we wish we could be. That gap is most prominent when we see it in how we live within our family. In our final week of the Wholehearted Family we look at what God says about who we are and how living with the Gospel at the forefront of our heart and mind and how it might shape how we live as a family.

There’s so much vying for your time and attention as a family. You’ve got your job, your kids schooling and sports, the relationships in the neighborhood and of course the opinions of the neighbors. Just like an individual whatever your families life is organized around becomes it’s god – and unfortunately for many that god isn’t really God. In week 3 of our family series we talk about what your family is worshiping, what it looks like to organize your family around the true God and what it might mean to your families legacy.

There's nothing more important or difficult than trying to help those God has entrusted to us realize their wholehearted potential. As parents this is exactly the job description and how we engage or don't engage with our kids is crucial in this process. In week 2 of our Wholehearted Family series we talk about why we don't engage, where to find good examples to follow and how we engage wholeheartedly with those God has entrusted to us.

Most of us don’t give much thought to why our families exist. For many it’s because at one point a man and a woman fell in love and the rest just happened. What if there’s more to it than that? What if there’s a specific mission for you and your family and what if that mission could shape everything you do and everything you care about. In week 1 of our family series we’ll look at uncovering your families mission and setting some values in place that could shape the next several generations of your family.

So much of our life is spent thinking through days gone by or hoping for a time when things get better but Easter tells us that what God really cares about is what's happening right here, right now. This Easter find out how Jesus' resurrection can give us what we wish and hope for.

In the garden of Gethsemane we get a glimpse of Jesus' humanity. He is days away from being crucified. Jesus overwhelmed and wants to pull out. Yet in the heat of this moment, Jesus does something that changes what it means to be human. Check this sermon out to see what he did and find out what it takes to live a cruciform life.

In the last days of Jesus the authorities are constantly trying to trip him up so they can eliminate his power and influence but He always had a way to show what God was like even while under attack. In week 2 of our series we take a look at one of Jesus teachings in response to their tactics and we begin to see where we as humans really belong and how Jesus helps us get there.