Willow Creek Community Church Weekend Podcast

In the very beginning when God created the world and everything in it, He declared every single thing good except for one moment when He created man and He said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” We have been hardwired to belong with and among one another. But most all of us have felt isolated, alone, cast out, or misfit. This week we talk about the distinction between sameness and belonging. Every person has a place in the Kingdom of God to belong and contribute to the community. As the body of Christ we are to care for the parts that are hurting. We are to offer belonging to one another even if all some of our parts can do is be present.

Often life doesn’t turn out the way we planned – dreams are dashed, circumstances change, tragedy strikes, and sometimes that can cause us to doubt our significance or impact. But you know what, I would say one of the enemy’s most damaging tactics is to get us to believe the lie: Maybe, “I don’t really matter.” This week we tackle lies with the truth: You have a purpose. You are a masterpiece and God has an assignment for you. Every part of your life - including the hardest parts - are something God can use to comfort others, to make an impact.

God designed our minds and bodies to function in a rhythm that demands rest. We are not created to be able to function at max-capacity without rest and refueling. The last few years have caused overwhelming stress, uncertainty, and the demand for most people to be nearconstantly “on” in life, resulting in increasing levels of discouragement, fatigue, languishing, and burnout. When life demands more of us than we have to give we start to redline, burnout, crash. This week we take a look at knowing when it’s time to slow down and refresh so that we don’t crash and burn.

What does "Love the Lord your God... with all your mind" mean? Mark 12:30 gives us the greatest of all commandments, but 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ But we tend to neglect the mind part. Pastor Shawn talks with a mental health professional about how God wants us to be of a healthy mind, body, and soul and how caring for our mental health honors God.

How to speak to God or how to pray can be mysterious, even confusing. Pastor Dave uses James Chapter 5 to teach us how our prayer life can offer a great first defense line or help us step out into unknown and daring places knowing God has got us. And, it is easy! How to pray and speak to God are covered here, plus why prayer matters.

God created the world by speaking. And when God created us in His image, He gave us the gift of language marked by incredible power. But that power can either build up or devastate and destroy. This week we take a look at the power of our words and how to steward them well.

Pastor Albert Tate is back with us this week, talking about 'How We Love Matters' and how to get past any judgments we may hold in order to serve God and love all people well.

Sharing faith can be tough; there's no doubt. Did you run out and tell everyone when you first became a Christian? Probably not. It can feel awkward, especially when it comes to sharing our faith with non-Christian friends and family. But, as soon as we decide to follow Jesus, sharing our faith and spreading the gospel is exactly what Jesus wants us to do! How can we do that, practically, without sounding a little bit out there? Our Campus Pastors look at James 1:19 and how we can both talk about and show God's love.

Why does God allow suffering? How could a 'good' God want to see us in our pain and suffering? The truth is, He doesn't. But He does want us to come to Him with our troubles. God wants to help us in our suffering and gives us a framework to redeem our suffering and use it for good.   Pastor Megan Marshman leads us through James chapter 1 and the framework God has given us.

Unsung |Unsung Service | June 26 | Dave Dummitt We’re celebrating acts of service with our amazing volunteers! Jesus asks us to give of ourselves, our time, and energy in service to the ‘body of Christ’. But what does that look like? This week we’re bringing you stories of volunteering and how people have changed lives, even their own lives, being the hands and feet of Jesus in service to others. What are opportunities to volunteer near you? How can you experience the joy of volunteering? Get inspired by these heartwarming stories.

This week we celebrate all the men, fathers, and father figures in our lives! Guest speaker Jodi Hickerson, a Teaching Pastor at Mission Church, joins us to celebrate her father, former Willow Teaching Pastor Mike Breaux.

Some of the greatest heroes are the people who call out the broken parts of us and walk us through the process of restoration and healing. This week we take a look at what it means to “restore a brother or sister gently,” and share stories of how lives have been changed and saved because someone courageously stood in the gap and walked the hard journey of healing with someone else.

Unsung | The Woman With The Alabaster Jar | May 29 | Miguel De La Mora Her name is not shared in the Bible, but she sure makes a significant impact! The woman with the alabaster jar, seen in the book of Luke, who anoints Jesus’ feet with her expensive perfume, shows us that no matter who you are, Jesus loves you. This woman sacrifices worldly possessions for forgiveness and eternal life with God.

This week in our Unsung Heroes series, Pastor Dave teaches about a lesser-known character from the book of 2 Samuel who demonstrates how God equips us to be courageous; Benaiah. Throughout Benaiah’s life, he shows up to all the challenges he faces and gets through them with the kind of courage that only God can give. Because of this, he became a valued leader under King David. What battles are you facing that require Benaiah-level courage?

The story of Esther is one of a woman full of courage and faith, willing to step into a dangerous situation to save an entire nation. But this week, Shawn will take a look at the unsung hero behind Esther: her cousin, Mordecai. Through unseen, unseen, and overlooked spaces Mordecai coached, equipped, prayed for, and encouraged Esther along her journey.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, mother figures, and amazing women in our lives! Today we learn about an incredible mother in the Bible: Hannah. Hannah did what any mother would do: feed, protect, guide, and pray for her son Samuel. And when she gave her son to God, God saw to it that Samuel would go on to lead and protect a whole nation. It’s this sacrificial love that moms display that can go on to change the world. Thanks for spending Mother’s Day 2022 with us!

You've heard the phrase, "it is better to give than to receive," but is it? Teaching Pastor Shawn Williams explores through 2 Corinthians 8, that's not what God is saying in the Bible. The Bible tells us that we should give what we can to meet others needs and receive in our own needs. We don't give generously to help others as an act of charity; it's an act of reciprocity. We receive even greater gifts when we understand that we have much to learn from our partnerships

Where is God in the pandemic? What has God been doing during the global pandemic? Does it feel like God has disappeared? Ron Bueno, Executive Director of the non-profit organization ENLACE, shares stories of God's incredible work through churches in hard-hit communities worldwide and how God is equipping the church to help rebuild these communities.

Join Willow as we celebrate Easter, 2022. Hear the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection from a new point of view, seeing that hope isn’t something we need to search for actively; it’s already here. When our world is shaky, we reach for hope. At times, it can feel far away—nearly impossible to grasp. This Easter, hear the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection from a new vantage point, seeing that hope isn’t something we need to search out, it’s already here. Come experience a hope that came near.

Many of us have heard of Jesus' miracle, feeding 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish. This story in Luke 9 tells us about Jesus' power and His immense compassion for people. Megan Marshman shows us exactly how much Jesus cares for us all in this week's teaching.