Elements City Church Podcast

Distance is a part of life - it can be measured, counted and even felt. But God doesn't like relational distance - so He put in motion a plan to bridge the gap of relational distance by sending Jesus. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who searches for everyone - because Each One matters. We're now to invite others closer to the Good Shepherd by leveraging our life: Found People help find people. *Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15:1-7

In this week's parable Jesus is asked to play referee, but as our Savior he turns it and tells a story to highlight the pull of greed and to warn us about its dangers. The parable is the story of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21). The problem wasn’t that the guy was rich or that he had extra – the problem was: he didn’t know WHY. Jesus challenges us to have our hearts shaped to match God's heart of generosity. Principle: when I’m blessed with MORE than I need – it’s to partner with God in blessing someone IN need.

In this week's parable, we're looking in the parable of the Sower and the Soils. It's found in Matthew, Mark and Luke's gospels. Jesus is driving home some truths around spiritual growth and vitality. The Sower sows extravagantly. The soil condition represent 4 conditions of the hearts that hear God's truth. We all need to tend to our heart condition to remain receptive to God's Word to change us. We're to join God as the Sower - to extravagantly sow his hope, grace and love into our 'here and now' in history.

Jesus is telling a story to challenge us to choose. What will we build our lives upon? Because we're all building a life – and it’s your foundation that matters most – adornments, accessories & architecture mean nothing if the foundation can't hold you up. It starts with a decision to choose Jesus over all other philosophies and plans available or offered. Growing your faith is the ongoing choosing to build your life on Jesus - his ways, his teachings, his life being the model & foundation, one decision at a time.

This series isn’t about trying to win an argument, this is about a conversation around the credibility of faith and the Jesus story. God is at work in the world and we're to join him. It is getting us to care about what God cares most about: PEOPLE. Inviting people into knowing they're loved and discover their way home into relationship with Jesus.

Maybe you've seen it in airports or online - those moments where people are reunited as one runs to another. Welcome home. There's something just so beautiful and right about those moments. As we continue our look into the Case for Christ - we see the narrative from Scripture, that Jesus' work was about making a way for humanity to 'come home' into relationship with our Creator. Jesus made a way for us to get HOME – into a relationship with God. Jesus made a way when there was NO WAY for us to make our own. THE QUESTION IS: Will you take a surrendered posture and accept the way Jesus made? Will you take him up on his offer and come HOME?

Happy Easter! As we continue our series around The Case for Christ and the opportunity we've been given to investigate the credibility of faith, we look at the reliability of the Resurrection. It's the lynchpin of all of Christianity. The Apostle Paul passes on the oldest creed we have in 1 Corinthians 15. We have overwhelming evidence to the reliability of the resurrection. Good Friday and Easter Sunday declare unashamedly and unequivocally: God loves YOU friend.

We all wrestle with things in our lives. For many, they wrestle with faith, and what priority it should play or if it should play a role in their life at all. We look tonight at Acts chapter 8 and someone who was encountering a spiritual sticking point in their journey and how God met them at their point of struggle. Friend, it is well worth your investment to seek out truth - to investigate Christ for yourself. If you'll turn in God's direction, you will discover that He has always been turned in yours. We hope this series on The Case for Christ will be a blessing to you.

As we conclude our series in Colossians, the Apostle Paul challenges us to devote ourselves to prayer. And specifically praying for what is on God's heart the most: people. He invites us to weave the practice of prayer and our daily living for Jesus together, in order to invite others closer to God. We looked at some practical expressions of that.

As we wind down our look into all the Apostle Paul is conveying through Colossians chapter 3. He's advocating that the grace and influence of Jesus should have a ripple effect and impact across every aspect of our lives and our relationships. Specifically he highlights 3 key relationships that are to see that influence begin to reshape: marriages, families and our work lives.

The Apostle Paul summarizes some things he's been teaching in chapter 3 in one verse that provides us with one of the biggest principles for a life of faith. In whatever you do (in word or deed) do it all for Jesus. Bring your best as you lean into His best for you. You're called to use your God-given passions in a God-honoring way to build into a BIGGER God-sized story. This week: memorize Colossians 3:17

We continue our look into what the Apostle Paul is telling the early church to 'put on' as the new attitudes, actions and habits of those who follow Christ. He lists out some new traits that are to mark our lives and living. Such as compassion, kindness, humility, thankfulness and forgiveness. We can let go of old habits because we're engaged in the practice of replacing them with new. All in thanks to Jesus' work within us. Jesus always leads his followers toward better things…

The Apostle Paul comes to a section in Colossians where he's going to challenge those early Christians (and us) to put off some old habits and replace them with new. The practices of recognition and repentance that can be instrumental in helping us stay in alignment with God's best.

As we continue in Colossians, we see the Apostle Paul challenge us to focus on things above more than conforming to the patterns of this world. Seeking things that are above is all about re-orienting our allegiances to the Lordship of Christ. To set our minds and hearts on things above takes intentionality: because, where are attention goes, our devotion grows.

In chapter 2, Paul is saying don’t get caught up pursuing after rituals, traditions, legalistic thoughts to become more "spiritual". You’ve been given ALL YOU NEED IN JESUS. Keep looking to him alone…hold fast to him…rooted in him, built up in him, strengthened in him. Religion is about what you try to earn. Relationship with Jesus is staying rooted in what He did FOR YOU. Rest in Jesus' work. Walk out your faith following him...letting him change you from the inside out.

The Apostle Paul records one of the most majestic and beautiful hymns and descriptions of Jesus in all of Scripture toward the end of chapter 1 in Colossians. A declaration of the greatness of Jesus and all He is, accomplishes and does. Jesus is the hero of all history and centerpiece of our faith. With Him, we have all we need. Without Him, we have nothing.

Paul, as a spiritual father, is praying for the believers of Colossians, that they might not only have their needs met, but that they'd receive what they need the most. His pattern of prayer is a great invitation for the kind of prayer we can lean into for ourselves and those we love. He highlights 4 keys ingredients to pray so that we may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.

We're beginning a journey through the New Testament Book of Colossians and all the Apostle Paul is wanting that church then and The Church today to understand and be changed by. Tonight we set the backdrop. Paul wrote to counter some false teaching. He wanted to point them to the full understanding of the gospel they had received. The gospel of Jesus is not just some good advice among many others. It’s God’s necessary hand of intervention; an invitation of rescue to a people sinking and in trouble left to themselves. The gospel is where we find our secure hope.

We turn our attention to what's referred to as the Great Commandment. Love God and Love people - Jesus issues this invitation and calling to his followers. People will know you are my disciples by the way you love, he said. As we’re filled with the love of Jesus, we can then love like Jesus. principle: Loved people, love people. Christian maturity can never equal = a head filled with biblical knowledge and yet a heart empty of love.

Jesus calls his church toward keeping the main things, the main things. We see in the Scriptures a couple key things that are vital: the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. In Matthew 28, Jesus commissions his followers then and now to GO and make disciples. That our lives are to be a walking/living BILLBOARD directing people toward this Jesus that saved, rescued, redeemed, and is restoring us. Found people, find people.