Elements City Church Podcast

In order for Elements City Church to carrying out the vision of bringing the hope and light of Jesus to the heart of the city, we need for everyone to own their relationship with Jesus, own their faith, and own their part!

There are some fascinating passages in the Bible that help us understand the concept of biblical BLESSing. Simply put, to BLESS someone, is to be FOR them and not against them. So tonight we look at the acronym B.L.E.S.S to lean into a filter we can use to be FOR people in Jesus name. We want to challenge each one of us to adopt this filter as one who is following after Jesus. We want to be people who always seek to BLESS others!

Every so often we gather for a night of worship. We lift up praise for all God has done and will do. We honor Him and seek Him out through song and prayer. Welcome. Settle your mind, prepare your heart and lean with us to the grace of Jesus.

If you've ever skipped stones across a lake, you've seen what they call the 'ripple effect'. Friends, as God’s people and as The Church – we’re to have a ‘ripple effect’ = an ever-expanding reach of impact and influence for Jesus. Jesus said His Father is always working (see John 5:16-18) …and that He is always at work as well. We get to join in that work, to partner with God in His activity. God is still active friends. (he’s not distant, distracted, or dormant). He is active in an ever-expanding scope of work…within us, through our reach, within our city, all around our world.

We live surrounded by voices speaking over us, around us and into us and seeking to shape our identity. We live in the tension of basing our identity off what the 'world' says we are or off what God says about us - leaning on our 'kingdom identity' in who and what God says we are. The truth for us to grab ahold of: you are not defined by who or what the world says you are, but by who and what God the Father says you are!

Tonight, our worship director Lyle leads us in a dive into God's holiness as we examine Isaiah's encounter in (Isaiah 6). In our land where we're always and continually connected, are we connected to the heart of God? The pursuit and enjoyment of the holiness of God calls us to unite with Him, His character and heart - to know Him and be fully known. God's holiness confronts us, convicts us, challenges us and will always change us. God calls us toward holiness and He invites us closer to Himself. Jesus makes a way for us.

We're pleased to have our guest: Fernando Medina preaching tonight. Join us as he shares how God transformed his life and how God's love is still in the business of transforming people today. We're to seek God above all and watch as His love, care and mercy goes to work within us, helping us overcome our past, push past worry and live with a changed heart.

Are you making the “giants” in your life bigger than God? He wants us to set our eyes on Hom, face forward, and follow Him! Because if he promises it He will deliver it!

Join us for a special message with Richard Lopez from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

As we seek to stand firm in faith within our spiritual battles, we're called to respond using the strength, armor and protection that is provided us. So, we examine the spiritual armor from Ephesians chapter 6 and the role it's to have in our lives. The devil can discourage a person, but he cannot defeat the person who won’t give up. Get back up. Go again with God’s strength - see Ephesians 6:10. You and I are never stronger than when we’re depending on God.

As we continue our series understanding our spiritual battles, we need to know that Our Enemy will do all he can to distract and detour us away from Jesus and disrupt our relationship with Jesus. We are to RESIST HIM. Resist 'the drift', resist the 'labeler mindset' and resist the 'extremes of self-reliance and self-condemnation'. We're to stand strong in the power of Christ and our identity in him. The enemy is our biggest accuser, but our Savior is our Greatest Advocate!

As we dive into a series on spiritual warfare, we want learn to recognize the battle we're in, recognize the lies our Enemy tries to get us to buy and believe and recognize our own weaknesses. So much of Satan's tactic is to mess with our minds. The Enemy wants us isolated from godly people, insulated from God himself and distracted away from godly things. We’re told biblically: we need to be ALERT & AWARE, but we never need to be afraid. (1 John 4:4) We can stand strong in the power of Jesus!

Tonight, we attempt a 'mash-up' reminder of all we've looked at in this Changed series. The reality that those who have said 'yes' to Jesus have undergone a divine change of God and are invited into an ongoing changing work of Jesus as we follow Him. Where might God be directing you in some next steps of change he's wanting to do within your life? Lean in. Listen for his lead. Step out in partnering with him in that adventure.

For many of us our identity is wrapped up in our burdens, sins, diseases or our problems! They define us, shape us and become our main focus. We live out of this CONDITION rather than the CALLING Jesus has on our lives. Jesus came to set us free!

When you're given a gift, you open it, utilize it, share it. You don't hide it away. Biblical teaching is clear: WE ALL (men & women) have been given spiritual gifts to use! Everyone has a "spiritual gift" - an ability that equips us to serve God & His Church in a special way. Followers of Jesus are to live with larger purpose, they’re ACTIVELY using their gifts, serving wholeheartedly, giving sacrificially to God’s will, seeking to multiply God's impact & reach – bringing the HOPE and LIGHT of Jesus wherever they go! A God-changed life is a God-gifted life, and gifts are meant to be shared.

Life as a follower of Jesus is about more than just ‘carving out a good life’ for ourselves – it’s about living on mission for God and his good in our world! We aren’t meant to simply blend into culture, but as agents for God, we’re to impact and have influence within culture. Living passionately partnered with God, involved so to leverage your life for God and His good. The movement of Jesus is never about ‘come and chill’– it has always been about "Go. Be. Do." Bottom Line: a God-changed life will infuse godly change into the community around you.

Throughout the Scriptures, we're challenged to see a simply biblical reality, that "WE > me". As a follower of Jesus, we’ve been enfolded into something greater than ourselves and are being built into something better and stronger. We need each other and we're to live out changed relationships that focus on health and on encouraging one another toward our best in Christ. While your relationship with God is personal, God never intends it to be private. Some of your best spiritual growth will happen at the intersection of your relationship with God and your relationships with others! Connected godly relationships is often how God works to keep changing us to be more like Him.

As we continue our look in 1 Peter, he's challenging us to prepare our minds for action. If our mind is a place of knowing and understanding, it is imperative that we allow God to shape our minds. As a disciple of Jesus – we want God to update our 'Operating System' if you will. Internalizing the Scriptures has a unique way of transforming our minds for God and His good. Make it a pattern in life to spend time in God's Word & prayer so that we can know Him better. (see Ephesians 1:17 & Romans 12:2). A MIND marinated with God's Scripture, leads to a LIFE filled with God's power.

As we begin this series in 1 Peter, we're looking for the things that are to 'mark' our lives as a follower of Jesus. Our lives and heart condition is forever changed by this living hope that Jesus has brought to us through our faith in him. Our inheritance of salvation is kept secure. The best is truly yet to come! God has changed our heart and continues changing our heart with love toward Him and others. Ultimately, we're to be marked by our love. A heart changed by Jesus, forever flows with the hope and love of Jesus. (this week: memorize John 13:34-35)

Happy Easter friends. We see examples of people in the gospel stories reaching out in faith, clinging to hope in Jesus like a lifeline…but maybe none more clearly than what we see as Jesus was finishing his mission on the cross and the 2 criminals next to him. One mocked 'til the end. One reached out at the end. Jesus’ heart is always turning toward those who are turning in his direction – those looking to find HOPE in Him! His response in that moment offers us the chance to have a 'with Jesus' life. And having a ‘with Jesus’ life means I’ll never have a “without Jesus” moment again.