Elements City Church Podcast

As we finish up our Let Hope In series, we've seen 4 choices we can make to live more in the flow of God's hope. His hope is an ever-expanding type of hope. Not circumstantial, but supernatural. Today we explore 3 prayers of the hope-filled life and how they can increase your hope and feed your faith.

Our 4th choice: Forgiving others rather than keeping score. When people hurt us, we tend to attach a value to that hurt. We keep score. But forgiveness means releasing others. It means wiping the slate clean. We choose to do this because it's what Jesus did for us. Now, there are some things forgiveness is NOT. But we will discover more hope in forgiveness than in keeping score.

Choosing to TRUST God is greater than TRYING to please God. Often we understand this in order to begin life with God (salvation), but we soon forget that we need to stay anchored to trust instead of defaulting to trying. Jesus calls us to a life of partnered trust. Trust in God takes us on journeys no amount of our personal trying and effort could ever afford. Stay by His side. Abide.

We can either choose the path of concealment or confession. The life of hiding or the life of authenticity. Friends, the unhidden, honest & authentic life is far better than the life of cover-ups, concealment and hiding. David writes about this, as he's traveled both paths, in Psalm 32. One life leads to letting hope and God's healing in and the other doesn't. Choose wisely.

We begin a new series centered around some key choices we can make to Let Hope In. Friends, Your past isn't just in your past if it's still messing with your present. Choice one: If you don’t learn to transform your pain, you will transfer it. No one travels life and escapes emotional bruising...we all get hurt and endure setbacks in life. We need to learn to let God transform our hurts, like Joseph did, so we don't transfer them.

As a follower of Jesus we're to live with a new foundation and focus. We live for a greater story. In whatever we do, we live to promote the story of Jesus. What God has done for us, and for His glory, should lead us to place Him as the foundation of our joy and the root of our desires. What if we lived this day to make Jesus more famous?! (speaker: Lyle Thompson, Worship Director of Elements)

As we finish our Light of Christmas series, we remember that we're to marvel at Jesus. Friends, what we marvel about we will talk about. What we experience we will express. Once Jesus makes an impression within you – it will begin to find an expression out of you. The Shepherds in Luke 2 experience this wonder and can't help but begin to tell about it. (Luke 2:8-20/Matthew 5:16-18)

The Light of Christmas invites us to do more than simply glance. Jesus calls us to MARVEL in His Light and have it change and challenge us. In the land of darkness, a Light shines. In order to marvel at the Light of Christmas, we must make space in our schedule this Christmas.

As we wrap up our study of Philippians, we lean into a secret and a promise that is life-changing. The secret to contentment in life and the promise of God's provision to those that trust in Him and practice his generosity. (Philippians 4:10-19)

All of us deal with anxiety and worry from time to time. What if it was possible to live free from them? What if it was possible to replace those nervous feelings with a sense of peace? In Philippians 4:6-7, the Apostle Paul shows us how we can be free from the anxiety and worry in our life.

"Who you follow has eternal significance!" In Philippians 3:17-21, Paul lays it out what it looks like to be imitators and followers of Christ and those who follow Christ.” Paul tells us who to follow, who to flee from, and what to focus on as believers in Jesus.

We like trophies. In a lot of ways our lives are lived seeking them out. "If I improve, I advance and if I advance, I win" is the cycle in our culture. But the Apostle Paul points out the flaw in that cycle when it comes to our spiritual journey. It's ALL about living in God's grace, not performance or earning a "trophy" in order to impress God. Grace alone pardon's us and empowers us. Jesus + nothing = everything.

Stop the grumbling and complaining. Shine like stars in the the sky. In Philippians 2:12-18, Paul gives encouragement and practical steps to live out our faith.

We like to climb ladders. But, the path to greatness in God’s eyes isn't found on the accent upwards into being served; but rather the downward climb into serving. Tonight we examine one of the most beautiful and challenging Scriptures and what it means for us as followers of Jesus. Paul calls us to mimic the mindset and movement of Jesus. You may never look at a ladder the same again. Philippians 2:1-11

Things didn't unfold as Paul had planned - but God's plans are never stopped. Our plans might be detoured, but God's plans are never derailed. The Apostle Paul's godly courage wasn't confined by his circumstances and he teaches us how to live with that courage in our day. He's modeling that we can flourish where God puts you.

What is the defining characteristic of a growing Christian? Is it how much we know? Is it keeping a list of rules? In his opening remarks to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul addresses this issue. Although the answer sounds simple, the implications it has for the way we live are profound.

Generosity stirs us – it inspires – it catches people’s attention; but generosity isn’t natural? It is one of the core characteristics of God and is to become more and more reflected in those journeying with Him. As we mature in Christ - giving & generosity should become our first reaction instead of our last resort. Practice it, because, generosity wins!

We have a lot of longings in life – a lot of things we ‘thirst’ for, in order to find satisfaction, fulfillment, and significance. What we all ultimately thirst for is a life-giving grace. Jesus makes a statement about being the source of life-giving grace and the Church echoes that invitation today. 4 key implications flow out of John's gospel account toward this grace in our lives. (John 7:37-38, John 10:10, John 20:30-31)

Isolation is not the divine norm for human beings; community is a creation of God. All of us struggle with the condition of aloneness when we face heartache, loss, rejection, failure, struggle, change, etc. As followers of Christ we must move away from aloneness and into community. We're also called to remove aloneness from those around us.

Have you ever taken in a game court side or the cheap seats? They share a commonality: both involve sitting and watching. The life God invites us into is one of action and participation over mere observation. We're to 'get into the game' of life as a part of God's team. Bryan unpacks some Ephesians 2:10 and some implications for us to get involved and "Avoid the Bleachers".