Renew Communities Teaching Podcast

What makes the two words "Follow Me" so intimidating for Christians to hear? What if Christ's command to follow me is actually to stay where you are? How would that change the way you live your life and the people you interact with?

The issues we are facing in 2020 are not unique or new; the weight is just magnifying the cracks or gaps in our lives. One of the greatest temptations at times like these is to focus our attention on other people’s cracks in character and judge their actions in comparison to our intentions. As Christians Jesus instructs us not to judge but his teaching in Matthew 7 takes the focus from what we’re not supposed to do to a very clear calling on how to live as Agents of Grace.

Jesus proclaims that the kingdom of God is here! In this sermon, we explore how we can enter into and experience the kingdom, moment by moment.

We live in a time where there is no clear path forward. We are regularly wrestling through what the right decision is and what the right reason could be and more often than not we just don't know. The good news is the God of the universe cares about what's happening in your life and wants to direct your path through each decision you make in whatever direction He's leading. The key is learning to be aware of His voice.

Right now we live in a world where the clamoring noise of the foolish outweighs the saints because the idea of right and wrong is out of whack. When we see the text "slaves obey your master" many are asking the wrong question when we are trying to figure out who the slave is in the text. The question we should be asking is who is our master.

So many people think they must go to a certain place at a certain time to encounter God but Peter tells us something entirely different about how God is truly encountered in this world. In the 3rd week of our series on 1 Peter we see how God is building a new temple and we find the role and work that God’s called us to play right where we live.

Everyone’s life is full of challenges, trials, troubles, and problems. Some are big and some are small but all of them impact the way we view our lives and the responses we think are necessary to thrive in the moment. As we kick off our first week in 1 Peter we are reminded that life is more than the moment and God has a plan for our life that’s bigger than we can imagine.

It often feels like the antidote to fear is courage or faith - something you have to muster up from within. The true antidote to fear comes to you from another source and it is available to you in every circumstance. Join us for our final week of Faith Over Fear series to learn, understand and accept the antidote for fear.

One of the strangest things about relationships is how much fear exists within them. Often we have a fear that we’ll be rejected or judged by people we care most about or need approval from. Because of this fear we often take control of whatever situation we're in and do our best to satisfy others. While it may feel like you’ve taken control the reality is fear has taken control of you. In week 3 of our series we talk about why this fear exists, the damage it does, and how we can invite Jesus in to find true acceptance.

When we face real, perceived, or even imagined threats for many of us our first impulse is to figure out what to do. Often our “best-laid plans” are just fear masquerading as wisdom and the results are even more devastating. In week 2 of our Faith over Fear series, we talk about how to identify those circumstances and learn how to look to God’s wisdom instead of our own.

Fear is an emotion we’d rather avoid but there are at least two ways that fear can be a gift that helps us find our hope in God. In week one of our Faith Over Fear series, we’ll talk of all the good that may come from healthy fear and how it will grow our Faith in God.