Episodes
-
Peter Learns a Lesson
June 28th, 2020 | 28 mins 19 secs
We all grow up with assumptions about which people are "our people," but God moves us beyond those assumptions. In Acts 10, Peter finds himself in the 'wrong' neighborhood with the 'wrong' people, and the Holy Spirit comes to a Roman centurion and his family. In one of the great turning points in the history of the church, people who were enemies become family. Today, the Holy Spirit still invites us to broaden our circles of welcome.
-
Heaven on Earth
June 21st, 2020 | 27 mins 13 secs
True fellowship shares much more than common beliefs or core values. It involves time together and shared meals in homes, and it reflects heaven on earth. The early followers of Jesus came together from all over the known world and formed a community where everyone was welcome, showing us the possibilities for true fellowship today.
-
Come, Holy Spirit
June 14th, 2020 | 22 mins 31 secs
After all the disruptions of recent weeks, now is the time to remember who the church really is. We are much more than people who gather in a building once a week. We are the people of God on mission with Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. In this message, Dr. Mark Foster shares about the birth of the church and what it means for us today.
-
Love God with All You Are
June 7th, 2020 | 24 mins 55 secs
Even in Jesus' day, racism was an issue. Jesus' teaching challenged his hearers to go beyond loving people who were easy for them to love. He taught them even to love their enemies—like Samaritans. And when we love God and love neighbor, unity happens.
-
Take Life as it Comes
May 31st, 2020 | 32 mins 20 secs
When we go through events like a global pandemic, we desperately want things to be different than they are. Yet if we don’t learn to take life as it comes, we will always be waiting for our real lives to begin, and God’s desires for the world through us will go unrealized. In the stories of the Babylonian Exile and the early church, the Bible teaches us how to take life as it comes so that we can experience the abundant life that Jesus offers to all.
-
Embrace Problems as Gifts
May 24th, 2020 | 27 mins 1 sec
In the midst of a global pandemic, problems abound, and we often want out of those problems as quickly as possible. But God is not as concerned about getting us out of problems as in getting us through them. Problems bring us to the end of ourselves, and they teach us to rely on God, who uses those problems to help us grow. While it's uncomfortable, when life is disrupted, we can learn to embrace problems as gifts.
-
Own Your Stuff
May 17th, 2020 | 26 mins 51 secs
Blame feels good at first, but ruins us over time. It keeps us stuck in shame. But when we learn to own our stuff, Jesus helps us create a new life of freedom and joy.
-
Leave Your Baggage Behind
May 10th, 2020 | 31 mins 22 secs
If we don't leave our baggage behind, our past will become our present. But baggage we carry around does not go away until we deal with it. In week 4 of the Disrupted sermon series, Dr. Mark Foster shares how acknowledging, grieving, and forgiving can set us free to enjoy the freedom God has for us.
-
Seek Wisdom
May 3rd, 2020 | 32 mins 21 secs
When we don't know what to do, we need wisdom—skill and knowledge applied to living. The Bible promises that if we lack knowledge, we can ask God. And Jesus promises that if we seek, we will find him.
-
Choose Your Traveling Companions Wisely
April 26th, 2020 | 33 mins 14 secs
The happiest people regularly surround themselves with spiritually mature, well-grounded people. God is sending supportive people into our lives to help us get to the next step. In this sermon, Dr. Mark Foster shares how to find and become the kind of friends who can help us find the way God is creating.
-
Say Yes to God
April 19th, 2020 | 34 mins 50 secs
We need someone greater than ourselves to tell us what to do when we don’t know what to do. God made us, so God knows what we need. When we ask God for help, everything changes. Most of the time, God helps us through other people. God can be trusted to take care of us. God’s power and resources are not just for special people; they are for all people like you and me.
The first step in God making a way for you is for you to say yes to God. God promises when you say yes to God first, everything else you need will be provided for you. Matthew 6:33.
When we say yes to God, a whole new world can open up.
-
In the House, Afraid
April 12th, 2020 | 31 mins 7 secs
At Easter, we point to the cross and say, not even a blood-stained murder scene is beyond the love and power of God to turn evil to good. In this Easter sermon, Dr. Mark Foster shares about the hope Jesus' resurrection brings.