Life Stone Wesleyan Message Podcast

We put so much effort in moving forward in this life. We look to further our education, career, family, and bank account. However, we can’t help but see other people moving forward and naturally begin to desire what they have. Our efforts can breed entitlement and we begin to think we deserve what others are experiencing. We reach points where our attitudes, words, and actions scream “King me!” What we pursue takes authority over our lives and until our entitlement is satisfied we think others are holding us back. However, entitlement is never satisfied ​and will only lead to discontent. In Israel, there came a point where the Israelites looked around and wanted what others had, a King. They demanded a King and when Samuel warned against it they refused to hear him. To desire a king from this world is to reject the king of the universe. When it came to the Israelites. Samuel told them that their sons and daughters will serve the King, The King gets pick of their best possessions, and they will pay taxes. Wh

What is the church? People? Yes... but there is more to that answer. The church is people being actively used as the hands and feet of Jesus. We are called to serve humanity by allowing our lives to become His hands and feet to a hurting world that desperately needs to meet their Savior. Somewhere along the way we’ve institutionalized the hands and feet of Jesus. The institution of the church was never meant to become an establishment, bur rather a movement. There is nothing in the history of humanity that has impacted our world more than the church… both positive and negative. Jesus died and now lives to break us out of the religious box that we want to create. Comforts, traditions, tasks, and routines can blind us from seeing the bigger picture. The empty tomb should not just determine our eternal destination, but also how we live daily… beyond Sunday’s. Each of us plays an important role as His hands and feet to reach our city.

What is the church? People? Yes... but there is more to that answer. The church is people being actively used as the hands and feet of Jesus. We are called to serve humanity by allowing our lives to become His hands and feet to a hurting world that desperately needs to meet their Savior. Somewhere along the way we’ve institutionalized the hands and feet of Jesus. The institution of the church was never meant to become an establishment, bur rather a movement. There is nothing in the history of humanity that has impacted our world more than the church… both positive and negative. Jesus died and now lives to break us out of the religious box that we want to create. Comforts, traditions, tasks, and routines can blind us from seeing the bigger picture. The empty tomb should not just determine our eternal destination, but also how we live daily… beyond Sunday’s. Each of us plays an important role as His hands and feet to reach our city.

What is the church? People? Yes... but there is more to that answer. The church is people being actively used as the hands and feet of Jesus. We are called to serve humanity by allowing our lives to become His hands and feet to a hurting world that desperately needs to meet their Savior. Somewhere along the way we’ve institutionalized the hands and feet of Jesus. The institution of the church was never meant to become an establishment, bur rather a movement. There is nothing in the history of humanity that has impacted our world more than the church… both positive and negative. Jesus died and now lives to break us out of the religious box that we want to create. Comforts, traditions, tasks, and routines can blind us from seeing the bigger picture. The empty tomb should not just determine our eternal destination, but also how we live daily… beyond Sunday’s. Each of us plays an important role as His hands and feet to reach our city.

What is the church? People? Yes... but there is more to that answer. The church is people being actively used as the hands and feet of Jesus. We are called to serve humanity by allowing our lives to become His hands and feet to a hurting world that desperately needs to meet their Savior. Somewhere along the way we’ve institutionalized the hands and feet of Jesus. The institution of the church was never meant to become an establishment, bur rather a movement. There is nothing in the history of humanity that has impacted our world more than the church… both positive and negative. Jesus died and now lives to break us out of the religious box that we want to create. Comforts, traditions, tasks, and routines can blind us from seeing the bigger picture. The empty tomb should not just determine our eternal destination, but also how we live daily… beyond Sunday’s. Each of us plays an important role as His hands and feet to reach our city.

After wandering a desert for 40 years the Israelites found themselves on the bank of Jordan River. The Priests took the Ark of the Covenant into the water and miraculously the water stopped flowing. Everyone was able to cross over on dry land. Now what? Life would be different once they made the cross. There would be no going back. The promise land would be full of new opportunities, new challenges, and new opposition. Our lives are full of natural and unnatural transitions, however our response determines what we experience from the Lord. The life Jesus desires to lead you into is full of new opportunities, new challenges, and new opposition. Will you stay on the bank or will you cross? The decision is yours.

God has truly been doing amazing things here at Life Stone! There is an excitement brewing and His presence has been leading us into special and profound moments with Him. We have been witnessing firsthand how our current campus is no longer sufficient for the growth we have been experiencing. The Lord has been working, in the only ways He can, to provide us with a larger campus to continue the growing work the Holy Spirit has entrusted to us.

The Scriptures paint a great picture of who God desires to make us into. We see that the end result of the grace of the Holy Spirit is a complete version of ourselves that reflects the character of Christ. We don’t have to create our own image or wonder what He desires us to be. So how do we get there? Sometimes we try to take this huge leap over a chasm that we can never clear with one decision. We all try, fail, and end up discouraged. Maybe "how do we get there?" is the wrong question. Maybe we need to start asking "what is the first step?" What is the first step to living for Jesus? What is the first step to having an intimate relationship with God? What is the first step in trusting God? What is the first step in sharing your faith? We want the whole process spelled out when many times all we get is the first step. Will you take the first step and trust that God will show the next?

The Scriptures paint a great picture of who God desires to make us into. We see that the end result of the grace of the Holy Spirit is a complete version of ourselves that reflects the character of Christ. We don’t have to create our own image or wonder what He desires us to be. So how do we get there? Sometimes we try to take this huge leap over a chasm that we can never clear with one decision. We all try, fail, and end up discouraged. Maybe "how do we get there?" is the wrong question. Maybe we need to start asking "what is the first step?" What is the first step to living for Jesus? What is the first step to having an intimate relationship with God? What is the first step in trusting God? What is the first step in sharing your faith? We want the whole process spelled out when many times all we get is the first step. Will you take the first step and trust that God will show the next?

The Scriptures paint a great picture of who God desires to make us into. We see that the end result of the grace of the Holy Spirit is a complete version of ourselves that reflects the character of Christ. We don’t have to create our own image or wonder what He desires us to be. So how do we get there? Sometimes we try to take this huge leap over a chasm that we can never clear with one decision. We all try, fail, and end up discouraged. Maybe "how do we get there?" is the wrong question. Maybe we need to start asking "what is the first step?" What is the first step to living for Jesus? What is the first step to having an intimate relationship with God? What is the first step in trusting God? What is the first step in sharing your faith? We want the whole process spelled out when many times all we get is the first step. Will you take the first step and trust that God will show the next?

The Scriptures paint a great picture of who God desires to make us into. We see that the end result of the grace of the Holy Spirit is a complete version of ourselves that reflects the character of Christ. We don’t have to create our own image or wonder what He desires us to be. So how do we get there? Sometimes we try to take this huge leap over a chasm that we can never clear with one decision. We all try, fail, and end up discouraged. Maybe "how do we get there?" is the wrong question. Maybe we need to start asking "what is the first step?" What is the first step to living for Jesus? What is the first step to having an intimate relationship with God? What is the first step in trusting God? What is the first step in sharing your faith? We want the whole process spelled out when many times all we get is the first step. Will you take the first step and trust that God will show the next?

The Scriptures paint a great picture of who God desires to make us into. We see that the end result of the grace of the Holy Spirit is a complete version of ourselves that reflects the character of Christ. We don’t have to create our own image or wonder what He desires us to be. So how do we get there? Sometimes we try to take this huge leap over a chasm that we can never clear with one decision. We all try, fail, and end up discouraged. Maybe "how do we get there?" is the wrong question. Maybe we need to start asking "what is the first step?" What is the first step to living for Jesus? What is the first step to having an intimate relationship with God? What is the first step in trusting God? What is the first step in sharing your faith? We want the whole process spelled out when many times all we get is the first step. Will you take the first step and trust that God will show the next?

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

A “white elephant” is a possession that is useless, troublesome, hard to maintain, or difficult to dispose of. The wise men didn’t approach the Messiah with white elephants; they laid gold, frankincense, and myrrh at the foot of the manger. However, the gifts weren’t the only things they left: with the gold they left their allegiance, with the frankincense they left their sacrifice, with the myrrh they left their lives, and with the bowing of the knee they left their worship.

A “white elephant” is a possession that is useless, troublesome, hard to maintain, or difficult to dispose of. The wise men didn’t approach the Messiah with white elephants; they laid gold, frankincense, and myrrh at the foot of the manger. However, the gifts weren’t the only things they left: with the gold they left their allegiance, with the frankincense they left their sacrifice, with the myrrh they left their lives, and with the bowing of the knee they left their worship.

A “white elephant” is a possession that is useless, troublesome, hard to maintain, or difficult to dispose of. The wise men didn’t approach the Messiah with white elephants; they laid gold, frankincense, and myrrh at the foot of the manger. However, the gifts weren’t the only things they left: with the gold they left their allegiance, with the frankincense they left their sacrifice, with the myrrh they left their lives, and with the bowing of the knee they left their worship.

We are excited to have Claudia Pinkerton with us this year as our guest speaker. Claudia possesses a unique ability to minister to women burdened with hurts from the past and present. Claudia speaks in an open way of personal child abuse, divorce, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug addiction and multiple marriages. She shares of a healing experience through the love and power of Jesus Christ and talks honestly of her present day need for a continual restoration that only Jesus can offer.

A “white elephant” is a possession that is useless, troublesome, hard to maintain, or difficult to dispose of. The wise men didn’t approach the Messiah with white elephants; they laid gold, frankincense, and myrrh at the foot of the manger. However, the gifts weren’t the only things they left: with the gold they left their allegiance, with the frankincense they left their sacrifice, with the myrrh they left their lives, and with the bowing of the knee they left their worship.

Sharing a meal with someone is sharing an intimate activity, but we don't view it that way. In fact, we have created a culture in which meals are served and consumed quickly and often in isolation. Fast food, microwaves, and television have created a setting in which the meal is more about the food eaten and time saved than the company we keep. Think about the excitement and importance associated with the act of going out to eat at a restaurant as a family. There are 21 meals every week, and each of them can share this sense of focus, attention, and connection if we value the power of a meal like Jesus did. Meals are the setting of one-fifth of the sentences in the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts! To share a meal with Jesus was life changing. Can the same be said about a meal with you?

Sharing a meal with someone is sharing an intimate activity, but we don't view it that way. In fact, we have created a culture in which meals are served and consumed quickly and often in isolation. Fast food, microwaves, and television have created a setting in which the meal is more about the food eaten and time saved than the company we keep. Think about the excitement and importance associated with the act of going out to eat at a restaurant as a family. There are 21 meals every week, and each of them can share this sense of focus, attention, and connection if we value the power of a meal like Jesus did. Meals are the setting of one-fifth of the sentences in the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts! To share a meal with Jesus was life changing. Can the same be said about a meal with you?