Connexus Church Audio Podcast

Many relationships experience a slow slide into prolonged conflict. The person you once loved becomes the person you now loathe. When you’re in that situation, many people begin to imagine they’d better off with someone else...or anybody else. Surely they’d treat you better. Care about you. Respect you. Be kind to you. True? Not so fast… There is a way to turn the person you now loathe into the person you once again love.

Have you ever fought in your relationships?

I respectfully disagree. How do you talk to someone you disagree with? Tough question, right? Meaningful conversation has become something that's so hard to grasp in our current culture of social change, where there are so many differing opinions, varied perspectives, and opposing views. So when it comes down to it, how can you have meaningful conversations with the people you care about - even when you might dare to disagree with them? The Bible actually has a lot to say on this topic and this weekend we're jumping right in as The Hangover series continues with Jeff Brodie.

2020 was a year of extremes. You experienced more ups and downs, adversity and prosperity, suffering and success than usual. We’ve all experienced it differently, but we’ve seen a common theme: there’s something about the ups and downs of life that reveals our hearts and what’s important to us. Even after the pandemic is over, suffering and success will be a part of life. As we look ahead, how do we find meaning in those moments? They might have more in common than you think.

Are you looking for less distraction in your life? Seriously. Anyone else get stuck in the mindless scroll?

Are you looking to build meaning relationships? Just when you think you've got a handle on things ... everything changes again

What brings meaning to your life? Be honest...your 2020 was a bit of a bust. Do you even remember your pre-pandemic life? Who knew the isolation, fear, or frustration you would face? At the same time, you did learn some things about yourself. So where does that leave you? What if your new year was pivotal for all the right reasons? This year, discover deeper meaning in your life. In this series, we’re going to look at lessons from 2020 through scripture and apply them in a way that brings genuine meaning to your relationships, your time, and your struggles.

In many ways, we are living in a time of accelerated change. 2020 was a year where we experienced things we’ve never experienced before, and life will never be the same. But how do you move from seeing change as a threat to seeing it as an opportunity? How do you move from surviving to dreaming again?

We all want to win. After all, winning is better than not winning. In a game a win is defined, but life is not a game. And winning in the most important areas of our lives isn’t always clear. So, how do we win?

Christmas 2020 has been a year that no one expected, and you may be asking, can God still move in times like these? We believe God is going to do something amazing this Christmas as you look for hope in the unexpected, and start some new Christmas traditions.

Are you in need of hope in a time of hopelessness? What happens in your waiting, when you've been waiting for what feels like forever? Does worry or depression creep in? Does anxiousness overwhelm? Maybe even darkness appears in your life. In those moments of worry, anxiousness, or darkness, what can you do? Who can you turn to?

How do you wait?

You’ve held out for hope this year. The hope of lifted restrictions, perhaps the hope of a vaccine, the hope of a healthy diagnosis, or just hope for some good news in your life. You know what it means to wait for hope. Maybe you are still waiting. The accounts of Christmas are a picture of humanity holding out hope. The hope of something more, something better. ⁠

Our founders, Toni and Carey Nieuwhof, shared lessons on life, leadership, and ministry they have learned over the past 25 years. A conversation on the highlights and insights from the early days of launching Connexus until today, plus a look ahead to the future as we continue to create a church that unchurched people love.

So you’re attracted to the drama in other people’s lives but resist it in your own. Agreed. It’s so much easier to see the drama than it is to be the drama. It’s also infinitely more disappointing and perhaps unfaithful. Moses knew that first hand. When God called him, he listed five reasons he wanted to stay out of the story. Five reasons he wanted out. He finally relented, and we’re still talking about it thousands of years later. Lesson: God could use someone else, but what if you get to do it? 

You probably have a picture of what God should be doing...the way the story should go. Except it never seems to turn out that way. As a result, a lot of people conclude God isn’t real, or that God isn’t all powerful or all loving. Is it possible to know how to have faith when it feels like God is losing? But what if, in the very moment you thought God was losing, he’s winning? And what if that’s true in your life too? You think God is losing...but he’s winning. FOLLOW Connexus Church: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ConnexusChurch/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConnexusChurch/ Website: http://www.ConnexusChurch.com/

From the time you were young, you probably tried to avoid failure. Everyone does. But what if failure is exactly the thing you need to prepare you for what’s ahead? So many people think God is absent in failure, but as Joseph learned when he met failure after failure, God is far more present than you think. Which means there’s hope for you and for me.

Every great movie, novel and story features twists, turns, disappointments and failures, which is largely what makes the story gripping. You love it when you don’t know what will happen next. ⁠ ⁠ Here’s the strange part: you’re attracted to that kind of drama in other people’s lives, but you resist it in your own. ⁠ ⁠ Instead, you long for predictability and stability. You might even wonder if the presence of setbacks and failure in your life is a sign that God has left you. What if nothing could be further from the truth?⁠

What does it look like to live freely? What does spiritual freedom even look like? Why do I know I should live one way, but consistently find myself struggling to make a change? A relationship with God isn’t just about getting to an eternal destination, but it’s about transformation. As you aspire to leave your old roads, paths, and patterns behind and start new patterns that point to Jesus, where do you find the strength you need to make a change in your life? How do you live in freedom? What if God has a way to strengthen you to choose what’s best? This week we are talking about the role of the Holy Spirit in our transformation.

Is there an easy way to master your emotions? When you find yourself in a 'situation' is your first response to respond emotionally or rationally? Think about these for a moment ... What is your response when your boss asks you to work overtime, again, yet they haven't even thanked you for the last time you stayed longer? When you find yourself late for the family photos because your spouse needed to change their outfit one last time to make everything 'perfect', what boils up inside of you? Emotions. The good and the not so great - we all have them. Let's dig into how to control your emotions together.