Connection Podcast

We have a very special episode for you all, where the ladies once again take over and discuss a powerful and important topic for any Christian - prayer. In fact, this topic is so important and loaded that we've already decided we have to do another episode on this topic (and maybe 7 more...). Prayer is our connection to God - our way of communicating with Him and knowing what He wants to do in, through, and for us. So why is it so hard to do it? And how do we even begin to start praying?  A BIG thank you to all the ladies who took over for us: Lillian, Melissa, Kenia, Tara, Ariel, and Makayla. And if you need prayer or want to pray with us, let us know! We will get you connected with someone who can help you and guide you in it!

You've probably imagined yourself standing on a road and you come up to a fork - a split path. And you begin to think, "Which way should I take? Which path is the right way or best way for me?" Often in the Bible, people are faced with these decisions multiple times throughout their lives - do I listen to myself or do I listen to God?  Psalms 1 makes it clear to us that we have an appropriate path to choose, but we have to choose it; it's a choice. When we walk with God and choose the path He sets before us, we live an abundant and blessed life, but that doesn't mean it's always sunshine and flowers. So how do we choose the right path when we're faced with the decision almost daily? Special shoutout to Raul Lopez for joining us in this episode!

Ready for a challenging question? Here you go: why does God allow evil things to happen? Did God create evil? Does God use evil as a tool to fulfill His purpose? We know what Romans 8:28 says - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." But why do we go through difficult times - breakups, death, divorce, heartache, sickness, etc.? We discover that Joseph had an idea about all of this - he was sold into slavery by his brothers, but realized later on in his life that it was God who sent him. It was this revelation that freed Joseph and allowed him to reconcile everything that had happened to him. Like the song "See a Victory" by Elevation Worship says, "You take what the enemy meant for evil and You turn it for good."

SPECIAL EPISODE ALERT: Steven Furtick of Elevation Church and Elevation Worship are featured here in this episode! We are coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina where we are attending Inside Elevation hosted by none other than Elevation Church. This conference is for church leaders to learn, develop, and gain insight and wisdom to take back to their respective churches to continue growing the Kingdom of God.  We have had the time of our life here (and it's only after the 1st night that we're posting this), and what we have been experiencing is quite amazing. We hope you enjoy this very experiential episode as much as we did!

Let's hit it right from the start: are you willing to let your dreams die to say "Yes" to God? Does it really even require that much to say "Yes" to God? We were honored to be joined by two very special guests - Matt Ocheita and Paul Gomez - as we discuss what it means to say yes to God, even when He might be saying no to us. In scripture, there are many times where people say yes to God - Jesus, the disciples, Abraham and Isaac, David, Samuel, the list goes on. And we all want to give God our biggest yes, but it usually requires sacrifice and taking up your cross to follow Him. So what does it mean when we say yes to God? What does it look like and how can we keep saying yes even when we don't want to?  A special thanks to Matt and Paul for joining us on this episode and discussing with us what it has looked like in their lives in saying "Yes" to following God. 

You've most likely heard this phrase, "When it rains, it pours." Well...does it? Surely it must say that in the Bible somewhere right? Maybe one of the disciples said that? Try again. While it might be a common phrase for us in the time we live, it would actually be a phrase that people in the Bible would consider to be something of a blessing. But it is also true, that as we go through life there are times when it seems like the weight of the world is on us and everything is happening all at once. So what do we do in those moments when the storm is raging and our peace is ripped from our hands and we feel like we're not going to make it? We've got a phrase for you: strength to endure.

While the title may seem a bit funny or odd, it's also very true. Jesus Christ walked this earth and experienced everything we did - honestly even more than us, including being tempted by Satan himself - yet He did not sin. We all struggle and deal with temptations through life, whatever that might look like for you. Luckily, the Bible gives us insight into what those temptations are (there's not as many as you think), and how we can overcome them. And if Jesus was even led into the desert to be tempted, then we know that we are definitely not exempt from going through it as well. But we now have a High Priest who is able to walk with us through those times, and allows us to overcome because He is greater.  A big shoutout to Martin Mayo, Oscar Madrid and Matt Ocheita for being with us on this one! Put your thinking caps on for this episode as we discuss what it looked like for Jesus to be fully God and fully man. 

If you have ever felt like you were unqualified to accomplish something in your life, you are in good company with us on this episode! The truth is, all of us are unqualified until God steps into the picture and gives us what we need to accomplish His purpose. But luckily for all of us, God uses whoever He wants to use - even if we're sometimes reluctant to go the first time. God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. We have to give a BIG shoutout to our boys Oscar and Martin for joining us on this episode and from dropping some wisdom on us! Be sure to catch our revelation in the episode about the Jewish culture and Jesus and what makes people so qualified to be used for greater purposes. 

Who runs the world? Girls... We have a special episode for everyone today, where we get kicked out of our podcast and a few of our lady friends take over to discuss women, faith, their own struggles, and the Proverbs 31 woman (she's amazing, by the way, and she's you!). This is a topic that the church at large struggles with sometimes - roles, identities, and security for women in the church. Luckily we had the honor of hosting 3 of some of the most genuine and loving women to talk about these things and to empower and equip everyone listening.  If you are listening or listened to this episode and you want to reach out directly to Lillian, Tara, or Kenia, their Instagram handles are listed below. Please feel free to contact them and open up a conversation with them! As always, thanks for listening in and being part of the podcast! Lillian Martin - @lillianm13 Tara Thiele - @thieletara Kenia Salas - @keniaesalas

It's funny how in the ordinary things we can find God. The seemingly common, mundane, or regular activities are sometimes where God shows up in the greatest ways. Cue this episode.  We're surrounded by devices, information and smart technology that is constantly listening to us. In fact, there are certain names you can't say sometimes (Alexa, for example), without them perking up and asking you what you said. In the same way, God is always listening to us and waiting for us to call out to Him. But how often are we listening for His voice when He calls us? Whether it's to our purpose, an assignment, or just to be obedient for a situation, God is waiting for our response. So what shall we say then in response to these things?

Have you ever laid down one Sunday afternoon to just close your eyes for a second, only to wake up 3 hours later and not know what year you're living in? Yeah, we've been there too.  We live in a world that is full of, "Be on your grind," "Hustle," and "Gotta work to live." But Biblically speaking, we MUST take time to rest - even God took time to rest when He was finished creating the world. And there's a good reason for it; rest is necessary for us to recharge and keep moving forward in a productive way, both physically and spiritually. Many of us get caught up in the daily grind and struggles of life - so how do we find time to rest and what can we do to actually rest? Hint: it's not a what, it's a Who. 

We are still reeling and recovering from what was perhaps one of the craziest months we've had - both individually and as part of a larger community within our church and friend group. It's in these moments that we have realized that community is such a vital part of the church - in fact it's what makes the church a church to begin with. There are moments where we need to be in community around other believers and around those who will encourage, inspire, challenge, and push us. But there are other times when we need to be more like Jesus and go up to the mountain to spend time with God. Even if you don't have a large community or group to be part of right now, we would encourage everyone to get connected - to God first, and then that community. 

We were joined by some very special guests this week as we decided to do a follow up episode to one of the most popular ones we recorded - Single...Now What? Please help us give a warm welcome to Lillian Martin, Kenia Salas, Matt Ocheita, Oscar Madrid, and Tara Thiele! Since the last episode was just two guys talking about being single, we thought why not bring in some different perspectives from a few of the ladies! This was a truly special episode as we got to encounter different testimonies about singleness, what to do during that time, how to honor God, and some of the issues that can even occur during our time of singleness. Let's be honest...it's not always easy being single, especially when you've been dating or you've been hurt or all your friends are getting married. Finally, a HUGE thank you to our guests for being on this episode - we know you will all be blessed by joining in on this conversation!

In this 2nd installment of our character studies, we discuss one of the greatest disciples that Jesus had...well he was pretty good...or he was alright...he was fine, we guess. Many of you know stories about this man named Simon Peter - you might remember him from our 3rd episode where we discussed his adventure walking on water. But Peter was more than just a water-walker: he was a rock on which Christ would build His church (maybe that's why he sunk...).  Peter is a doer - he just does and asks questions later. But most importantly, Peter said "Yes" to Jesus and allowed Him to use his life to transform the world. When God calls you, He wants your "Yes." Will you have the faith to follow even when or if ___?

We sure bit off quite a lot to chew on in this episode! We're diving into some characters in the Bible over the next few episodes and we thought, what better way to start off a character series than with the main character Himself, the One and only, the Alpha and Omega, He who was and is and is to come, God! Understand now - you can't understand.  God is so much bigger than anything we could ever imagine - imagine the universe in its full capacity, now go bigger, and you're still not even close to knowing how big God truly is. Think about God's unlimited nature and infinite capabilities for too long and you'll burst your brain. Thanks as always for joining us in this episode!

What do you believe about the power of your words? Do you believe that they carry little to no meaning with them, that they don't really mean anything? Or do you believe that they do carry a heavy weight with them and what we say matters? In one of the first times that we've sat through an episode and mostly disagreed, this topic is difficult - which is why we used a lot of scripture in this episode, so make sure you have something to take some notes with! So what does the Bible have to say about the power of our words and about the things we say sometimes (a lot of times for some of us!)? Surely the very Word of God would know about and have something to say about our words - after all, the very thing God used to create everything in existence was done through His words. Join us as we welcome in a few friends who also weigh in on this topic!

Think for a second about the last decision you made - was it to turn the TV on, brush your teeth, make dinner, open the Bible, lay on the couch, etc.? Now ask yourself, was that a mature decision that I just made? Well how are we even supposed to know when we make mature decisions? We make decisions every single day, some without even thinking. But when it comes to our faith and spiritual lives, how in the world are we supposed to know what to do? We'll give you a hint: it's not about you.  As Christians, we are called to continually grow and develop our faith and relationship with Christ and ultimately become more and more like Him each day. This requires a lot of focus and involves making the right decisions, but that's not always the easiest thing to do. As we learn in this episode, true maturity comes from a change in your focus: it's not what can God do for me, it's what God can do through me.

Only God can judge me! Well...technically this is true, but how true is it? Are we even supposed to be judging others because Jesus said to "Love our neighbors as ourselves." Is there a right time to judge or a specific kind of person we should be judging? This is a very challenging and difficult subject to talk about, especially in the context of faith and church. And it's definitely not comfortable to talk about, let alone call people out for doing it! But as we dive into quite a bit of scripture on this episode, we discover that there might actually be times that call for us - as believers - to judge others. But how do we know when we are supposed to do that? Join in with us in the conversation as we discuss and open up about what it means to judge and not judge others!