Church At The Well Podcast

Our culture is saturated with cynicism, and the church is not immune to it, but Jesus calls us to a different way. In this sermon, Ian examines several powerful moments in Jesus’ life and ministry when he resisted cynicism and concludes with three spiritual practices that can help us counter cynicism.

Joy does not depend on the elimination of suffering because it transcends suffering and can even co-exist with suffering. In this sermon, Adam offers a biblical definition of joy, shares a story about the co-existence of joy and pain in his own life, and offers a concrete practice that has helped him cultivate joy.

Josh Riggs, pastor of Church at Prison, shares the story of his surprising calling to work with inmates in Vermont prisons and gives us a glimpse of the heart of God for people the world considers unapproachable.

How is kindness different from niceness? In this sermon, Abby offers a biblical definition of kindness, teases out what we can learn about kindness from the story of David and Mephibosheth, shares a story from her own life about experiencing kindness, and looks at three kindness killers.

When the Holy Spirit produces fruit in us, it’s not just for our sake, but also the sake of others. In this sermon, Jordan defines faithfulness, explores this theme in Scripture, and shares what God has taught him about faithfulness in the context of his own backyard.   

When we think of gentleness, weakness or timidity may come to mind, but the biblical understanding of gentleness is quite different. In this sermon, Adam shares a biblical definition of gentleness, paints a picture of gentleness from the Old and New Testaments, shares a story of being the recipient of others’ gentleness, and offers two practical ways we can be cultivating gentleness in our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit.

How can self-control be a fruit of the Spirit if it’s called self-control? In this sermon, Adam defines self-control as aligning our will with God’s will, clarifies some common misconceptions around it, and offers five practical ways in which we can collaborate with the Spirit to cultivate self-control in our lives.

The peace God grows in us as we learn to walk in the Spirit is actually three kinds of peace: peace with God, the peace of God, and peace with others. In this sermon, Adam names three common villains that steal our peace and shares two stories of his own recent encounters with these villains as well as some practical handles for when we face them ourselves.

Tov -       When God formed creation, he called it good; goodness is our original identity. In this sermon, Abby explores the relationship between good deeds and grace, what it looks like to lean on the Spirit in doing good, and how thinking about goodness in terms of beauty can help motivate us to say "yes" to the good works God has prepared for us to walk in.

When we are walking with Christ, we will increasingly be characterized by patience, a fruit of the Spirit. But how do we till the ground of our hearts and minds to cooperate with the Spirit? Today, Adam kicks off a new sermon series on the fruit of Spirit and shares how awareness of God's patience toward us can help us grow in this area of our lives.

When Jesus appeared to his disciples in the days following the resurrection, it was in his glorified body. What will our resurrected bodies be like? In this sermon, Adam explores the implications of Jesus’ resurrection for our future physical being, drawing on Paul’s imagery of the sun, moon, and stars.

Doubting Thomas This week, we revisit a post-resurrection conversation between Jesus and Thomas in John 20, and learn about a God who can handle doubt, despair, and disappointment. 

Anointing Oil In the wilderness, God gave the Israelites detailed instructions for a tabernacle and its furnishings, and a recipe for a sacred anointed oil to be applied to the tabernacle, furnishings, and priests. In this sermon, Abby explores what this oil represented and how it pointed toward Christ, the Anointed One. 

A Misunderstood Gift Several days before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, a woman came uninvited into the room where Jesus was dining and poured costly perfumed oil on his head—an expression of her heart that those around her did not understand. But Jesus understood and was honored. What can we learn from this story about remaining faithful to who God is making us to be in the ways we honor him, even when those around us cannot fully understand? Thank you to Ezra Kinlaw for reading the passage in this audio reflection.

During their wandering in the wilderness, God gave the Israelites detailed instructions for the building of a tabernacle. In the tabernacle, a curtain sectioned off the holy of holies—the place of atonement. In this sermon, Adam explores the curtain’s fascinating meanings and its fulfilment in Christ, who did what no priest could do, giving us access into God’s presence eternally.

When it comes to difficult passages of Scripture, we need an interpretive tool—a hermeneutic. In this sermon about Moses’ intercession for the people of Israel as they defeated the Amalekites who had attacked them, Adam teaches us both about the power of prayerful intercession, and also how we can grapple with difficult passages of Scripture in a way that does justice to both the text and to the heart of God. 

For the one weary of confession... Lent invites us to reflect on our shortcomings and our sin, but how do we do that in a way that doesn’t plunge us into shame, and how can we respond to the sins of those who have hurt us with both truth and grace? In this, our second Lenten audio reflection of the season, Annalee shares her own story of navigating these tricky waters and leads us in a prayer of examen that helps us to notice where God is graciously at work in our lives.   References / Resources: https://www.christcity.life/prayer-of-examen - Prayer of Examen https://amblesideocala.com/blog/2020/10/09/weekly-examen/ - Weekly Examen

Water from the Rock Moses and the Israelites hit another roadblock in their wilderness journey when they struggle to find water to drink. Miraculously (and mercifully), God meets the people with a provision of water in the desert and a glimpse of his faithful character. Listen this week as Jordan shares from Exodus 17 of the mercy of God and the provision of living water that God brings to us in Christ.

Bread from Heaven   In the wilderness, God provided the Israelites manna--bread from heaven--but he wasn't just interested in filling their stomachs. In this sermon, Abby explores how God used manna to teach his people about having a work ethic, receiving the gift of rest, and ultimately trusting in him.

During the Lenten season, we will be spending time in the book of Exodus, noticing ways that Christ shows up in Moses and the Hebrew people's wilderness journey.  This week, Adam begins our new series, "Christ in the Wilderness," in Exodus 15.