NCC Lagrange: Recent Episodes
Stephen Watts
Welcome to the NCC Lagrange podcast! Get all the message content from each week at New Community Church located in Lagrange, GA.
We land on; “righteousness being better than the Pharisees” in order to enter the kingdom. This is a hard saying because the little bit we know about the Pharisees, they excelled at excelling. So, a little conversation about being good to be good.
Churches have always placed a high value on teaching our kids the in’s and out’s of following Jesus. But we haven’t always seen them as what our faith should look like. And this is exactly what Jesus is saying in the passage we’re going to hit.
What is your spiritual history with the term “born again”? How have you come to understand it now?
What was taught and expected about reading scripture when you were growing up? Have you rethought or changed any of those positions? Are there any places, or scripture passages you struggle with now? Why or why not? What does the mystery of God mean to you?
We approached the idea of forgiveness in a different way. Traditionally, most speakers try to build a case for forgiveness. We use passages that call us to live a life of forgiving others. There are tons of specific teachings, commands, and stories about the call to forgive others. But honestly, don’t we already know that? What more information do you need to know that we are supposed to forgive others?
So, surrender…who here wants to just surrender to someone else? No one huh? Let’s have a little general conversation first about surrender before we dive into the topic.
Sunday we hit the genius of love. This specific topic is loaded, and tough to live out, in our ‘might makes right’ world. So, a couple of questions before we make two statements. What is your understanding of the scriptural teachings about love? Where do you find it easier, and more difficult to practice your understanding of scriptural love?
Six weeks after the celebration of Christmas and incarnation what does it mean for us in our day to day lives? Jesus came to do a lot of things, but why was it such a big deal?
Sunday we continued the natural flow of doing a “reset”. Once you’ve focused on a purpose, set your sights on it, done the work of decluttering old “things and feelings” out, there is this work of adding practices and habits, (like downloading apps), that move us towards the person we want to be.
This is one of the most essential tasks we can take on to help us live the life we were made for. We all have accumulated unnecessary things along our life that slow us down, take up space and keep us from growing. Old obsolete beliefs, assumptions, practices, and more that we either consciously are aware of but haven’t had the desire to root through and let go,. Or they hide outside of our awareness in our subconscious, but still affect how we live. So this work of decluttering is difficult, continual, and requires a lot of brutal honesty.
The basic idea is that over time our devices (phone, tablet, and more) start to lose some of their original functionality, and it forces us to make one of two choices. Either we throw it away and buy a new one, (a lot of us do). Or to get the most out of that device, we do some maintenance on it. This usually involves digging through our device, cleaning out old files, updating software or plugins, look for unused apps, or some malware. All of this work is to return the device as close as we possibly can, to its original factory settings and quality…a “reset”. We know you’re smart. You can already see the parallels between the work of getting our device back to healthy functioning, and the similar work we can do in our daily lives, and in our relationship with God.
“Everlasting Father” in Hebrew is just one word- ‘abiad’. So we cannot create a greater understanding by dividing and defining the two different words. We have to dive deep into this one word description of the coming light, and discover the depths of it.
Combining these two ideas into Mighty God, we see of all of the different understandings of gods out there, this is the one. This God is the supreme above all. There are no equals or comparisons. Any attempt to confine this God to a book, a set of rules, or whatever, is impossible.
All of these names will be pretty straight forward, but each gives us a great insight to a specific nature of God, “if you’ve seen the son you’ve seen the father”, and a source of our hope. So, when we celebrate the coming of Jesus, the light, as the Wonderful Counselor, we are admitting the limitations of our own ability to understand. And creating a desire, and maybe first step, towards Jesus as the source of wisdom, light, and truth. To place him and continue to turn to him as the Wonderful Counselor. So, on this first Sunday of Advent a few closing questions. Where do you need some hope in your life? Where do you ‘feel’ like sometimes you’re living in the land of “deep darkness”? How could a ‘Wonderful Counselor’ help you now?
What connections could you see between the ability to forgive and experiencing gratitude?
We know being grateful is a better, healthier, more scriptural way to live. But that’s always easier said than done. We all too easily get sucked into ungratefulness, missing the good things in our life. And honestly, if we do some real self-evaluation we have to admit we all battle some level of entitlement. We believe things should mostly go our way, not have to encounter too many struggles or difficulties. And we all at times have uttered the unanswerable “Why?” question at some things we’ve had to face.
What does it mean to be a ‘real’ man in our culture? What does it mean to not be a ‘real’ man in our culture? Why do you think these are the beliefs we have about maleness in our society?
One of the most dominant issues in our society today is the question; “What does it mean to be a ‘real’ man?” We see so many poor examples, have seen, and continue to see, such boorish abusive behavior by men. And in worst case scenarios have watched so many men crash and burn. This can primarily be traced to awful unrealistic expectations we place on men. And also behavior we turn a blind eye to and allow, because it accomplishes goals that we genuinely care about. So, without going into much more detail let’s unpack this first thought. What does it mean to be a ‘real’ man in our culture? What does it mean to not be a ‘real’ man in our culture? Why do you think these are the beliefs we have about maleness in our society?
All we’ve talked about for the past three weeks is culminating here. Making peace with our past, growing the ability to see the sacredness in everything around us, and learning to be a true neighbor are all just random acts unless we’re trying to work towards a greater, better world and future.
What is your neighborhood like? Do you know any of your neighbors? What makes living with neighbors a challenge? What makes living with neighbors fun?
The specific theme we hit Sunday was the practice of finding wherever we are as sacred. Even if we don’t feel a sense of sacredness where we are ourselves, we can grow an awareness of the sacredness of wherever we are by experiencing it through others.
This first Sunday we talked about where we came from, and some specific ways for us to make peace with our past to move forward.
Christians can sometimes turn the idea of standing for what we believe, value, as a call to battle. And in this battle we, (and I include myself in this confession), can turn other people who believe differently into the enemy. And then our battle is with them rather than simply just learning to stand alone in kindness and gentleness. Which is how scripture continually tells us to live this life, AND we’re told how God calls us to live a different life. Let’s start with some questions that can help us do some work about how we define and see the idea of standing alone for God.
We know we often find ourselves in really tough places. Dealing with really tough situations. And even worse, having to be around...you know...really tough people. As much as we ‘try’, we’ve talked about that, it is so difficult to consistently remember and practice that wherever we are, whatever it is we find ourselves doing, we remember we are “working for the Lord”.
Think of a time, event, situation in your life that challenged your beliefs of who God was supposed to be? What happened to your faith, and how are you different now because of that event?
Finding beauty in our world, and then in those beautiful moments and places finding God.
We tackled the topic of dealing with the difficulties of life. We all face moments in life, and just difficult people, that challenge our faith in our search for God. And these hard things, and difficult people, will push us to question some of our more simplistic answers we’ve acquired over the years to explain the world.
What has your spiritual journey been like? What have been the high and low spots on it? How would you describe your relationship with God now?
3 John, we see what a personal, intimate, encouraging letter looks like. And also from this letter we see this progressive process of how to grow people in their relationship with Jesus.
What do we let influence us, what voices do we listen to that we drag into the church and use it to create division.
Philemon has always been a tough book for theologians over the years. Simply because of the fact it deals with slavery, and Paul never comes out and openly condemns slavery. And we admit this is a very difficult issue to deal with. However, this isn’t the only difficult practice or situation we see in scripture.
We live in a fantastic country. In spite of our many flaws and things we need to work on, this is really a great place. But we must remember Paul told us we are just ambassadors here. This is not our home, we are just guests here. And our loyalty and heart belongs to an even better place. So, we get to live here, and all that comes with that, and also help to be a part of the great work to represent the one true king we really do serve.
Where has church been a great source of strength and encouragement over the years? Where has church been a struggle, and you’ve had to overcome some issues with the church?
A shared life is an even higher calling of growing a culture of equitability and being ‘for’ each other. People outside of this movement of Jesus followers saw how much they enjoyed being together. And this community was so compelling and winsome that it drew others in. This wasn't just a church.
What does compassion mean to you? What does compassion look like in action? What hurts our ability to practice and show compassion?
Does church still matter? Why or why not? Is church important to you? Why or why not? What do you receive from church that makes it important?
What do I need...really? What should my attitude be...really? What does thriving look like when I trust God...really? What do I simply need to remember...really?
How do you understand how rhythms of activity work? Where do we struggle or even fail in practicing healthy rhythms in how we live?
If you want to live a life of thriving and flourishing, are you orienting, aligning, your life in a way that would bring about a thriving life?
IF, and that’s a huge if, our desire is personal growth, and self betterment, then the ONLY way that happens is if we fully embrace AND practice the truth that “circles are better than rows”. Rows are when we gather weekly for worship, and circles are when we gather with a dedicated few in conversation that helps us grow.
What does it looks like and mean to grow meaningful relationships with people outside of our regular church friends. We have to admit, the longer we’ve been a follower of Christ, the fewer close friends we have that don’t consider themselves believers. This is just a reality of life. So there is no judgement for when this happens. Just an honest realization and admission that it’s a common occurrence. But because this does happen, our circle becomes really small, and therefore our perspective on life itself becomes very insular. We have a narrow collection of close friends, and therefore our view on the world becomes very narrow.
What does it look like to create a ‘table’ in which everyone’s input and perspective is valued, so to add to a larger understanding of what living for Christ looks like?
We closed this series “I Believe…” with the belief, (yes I just did that), that all things we believe lead to this place. Our desire for understanding, seeking God, finding truth we can trust in, all found in the person of Jesus leads us to this final belief. We were created to do great things.
Sometimes we acquire and hold onto beliefs, truths, because they worked and served us well for a period of our life. But then some event or situation, forces us to determine if those truths still work. Do they still hold up? And often all the duct tape and super glue can’t hold our beliefs together any longer. So, when we approach the topic of “truth I can place my trust in'', we have to differentiate between certainty and assurance, and even more challenging, between ‘truths’ and ‘truth’.
“When I say I believe in God, what kind of God do I believe in?” “When we talk about God, how do we talk about God?” “Why a God?”
What does it ‘feel’ like for you when you can’t understand or figure something out? What does it ‘feel’ like when you do begin to gain some understanding? Why is that so important?
LOVE REQUIRES- me to want to do everything I can, to learn how to live the life I was created to live. The TRUE life.
What struggles do you face when trying to make a big decision? What has helped you make ‘better decisions’?
If you were to use a ‘season’ to describe your current spiritual life what would it be. Winter. Spring. Summer. Or fall. And what season would you need to be in and what would it take to get there?
How will you interact with the forces in our society that create inequality? What are you going to do with your current understanding of salvation? What will you do in order to grow your ability to practice “radical empathy”?
How would you define and explain inequality and injustice to someone? What is your understanding of some of the causes of inequality and injustice? How do we miss, not see, the systems and structures that lead to injustice...and why?
Sunday we talked about the future of building a community on a foundation that would promote and encourage unity in diversity, rather than creating sides that cause division or forced conformity for everyone to get along.
Divisions are caused by not having a theology rooted in a healthy, holistic understanding of scripture. So we said: 1. Make sure your theology is centered on the truths of Jesus. 2. Have a center that is cross focused not ‘right’ focused. Today we ask; what are the elements of a healthy unified community of faith?
What do you believe are some of the causes of divisions in communities? How have you experienced people becoming divided? How does a divided community affect you?
How do you think our culture views love? How do you believe the scriptures understand and teach about love? What makes actually practicing the scriptural understanding of love so difficult?
What does joy mean to you? Do you differentiate joy from happiness? Why and how so? Where do you struggle in how you experience joy?
What does peace mean to you? Do you have an understanding or belief about peace that’s different from the world’s? Lastly, what helps you experience the peace you believe in, what can disturb that peace?
Sunday, we followed this conversation from submitting and surrendering to centering, and then becoming an influence on others. We define centering as a process that we engage, that takes us to an eventual place that we may not know exactly what that will look like.
This idea is founded in the belief that we are all influenced by the things we value, these things affect the direction of our lives. And our life will go in the direction of what we allow it to influence us. So, what does influence mean to you? Taking a deep look at your life, what do you allow to have influence over who you are?
- We must create a place of peace to receive grace.
- Change is hard, but we have to be open to new expressions and experiences of God.
- The ‘unshakable’ when things change is not the ‘how’ but the ‘why’.
- The ‘unshakable’ is received. What are you holding onto that you’re beginning to find is ‘shakable’? Why do we, you, hold onto ‘shakable’ things? What are a couple of things you could do to begin to identify what is ‘unshakable’ for you, and what would it look like to design your life to begin to hold onto these ‘unshakable’ things?
What feels shakable, unsteady, unsure for you? Why do you think that is? And most likely it feels shaky, because...well it is, so then why do we tend to hold onto shaky things?
Sunday we finished our “now what?” series with the question; “How can we create our own future?” Not only does it involve knowing specific things, but in order to create the future we want, in the middle of however long this pandemic lasts, we have to be willing to put in the work and do the things. So, we started with two questions asking how you felt about the direction your life was going. Is the way you are living your life working for you? Is the way you’re living moving you towards the ‘you’ you want to be, and the life you want?
In this time of dealing with everything going on around us, who could you depend on to help you thrive? We know the importance of having a solid, supportive circle of people in our lives. There’s very little replacement for the benefit of people who are for us. Especially during this pandemic, we have to be wise and intentional about how we both choose our friends, and how we spend time with them. Do this well, and these times are easier to navigate. Don't have solid dependable people in your life, and you’re going to find yourself going to some tough places.
We talked about how we can care for our soul and spirit during these challenging times, and a huge part of that is regularly practicing gratitude. This is difficult to do, because we’re having to give up so much and deal with so many unexpected issues, but, (and that’s an important truth), the regular practice of being thankful for what we do have can help us weather the difficult times.
We are where we are because of situations that may have been out of our control, and choices we made along the way. How did we get here, what has happened, and what can we learn from it? Experience isn’t the best teacher. REFLECTED experience is the best teacher. Wisdom is being able to learn from our past as we move forward. What have and are we still are learning from this new world that we have to work into what our future might be?
This Sunday we wrapped up the series with a study of this thing called collaboration. Our society is fascinated, obsessed, and driven by collaboration’s opposite...and that is competition. Now first, we want to say we are not anti-competition. We love sports, an ethic that encourages businesses to be focused on providing quality products, and an environment that inspires everyone to be their best. However, no matter how good a value competition can be, there is always a darker, unhealthy side of it. And competition that works to isolate, oppress, exclude, and turns us into selfish uncaring people who only look out for themselves, is so destructive...especially in our relationships. So, before we dive into the specific passage for today, let's wrestle with some questions about competition vs. collaboration.
Sunday, we hit the third in our relationship series, and this time we dove straight into that most important aspect of healthy relationships...conflict resolution. As we said last week, this specific element of healthy relationships is tightly connected to good communication. So, in our conversation about how to deal with conflict in a healthy, productive way, there will be some overlap with communication. And honestly all of the elements of this series are tied together. So we’re aware how much each of them overlaps with the other.
We talked about the importance, in’s and out’s, of healthy and meaningful communication. Good honest, clear, communication is THE foundation of making all the relationships in our life better. Most of us understand how to communicate, but we may not be aware of the specifics we can learn to improve our ability to understand, and be understood, by those people in our lives.
Compassion -First, there has been no moment in recent history in which taking care of the relationships in our lives has ever been more important. The tension, unrest, division, and more, has not only been tearing our country apart, but it also has been destroying families and friendships. It’s never been more difficult to navigate the difficulties and complexities of relationships than it is now. Second, we as followers of Jesus have a model, and some powerful teachings, that if we put them into practice, can help us balance that nearly impossible tension of speaking truth into relationships without destroying them.
Sunday we finished up the series, but turned the corner to talk about living beyond just being a number. We admitted that the world needs people who can step up and do great things. And we are called to live this epic life, fully into our divine uniqueness, so we can be those agents of change. But it takes some very specific actions on our part, after we commit to living a life growing an awareness of self, to become this person that can change the world. There will be a lot of scripture as we hit each of these specific points.
They use their body in different ways, but it’s about protecting boundaries and self. Their desire is not to be affected by their surroundings and their world. They are very practical, direct... almost INSTINCTUAL. “This is just how things are done”. A major battle for 8’s, 9’s, and 1’s is learning how to express anger appropriately. There are things that are just the ‘right things’, the better thing. It just means their set of beliefs and values, practices and habits aren’t always born out of a study or the expectations of others, but this built in either spiritual or instinctual understanding...it just is. Programmed...instinctual.
This is the third Sunday in our series about the Enneagram. And it dealt with the power of our mind and the thoughts we entertain. Last week we talked about the heart. We discovered it’s the source of everything we are, and determines the course of our life. This week we understand the mind as the room in which all of our decisions are made.
In addition to “prayers and petitions”, (Philippians 4:6-7), there is also actual work, practices we can do, to grow our ability to grow self-awareness and build in guardrails to protect our hearts. 1. Practices- actual application of ideas and beliefs, as opposed to just information about them, that are regularly repeated so to become more proficient.
Practices to protect your heart. a. What things, routines in your life that may be motivated by the need to be needed, loved or accepted? b. What are you hoping to achieve, accomplish, earn, because someone has told you how important it is to them? c. In what ways do you feel misunderstood, unappreciated, unheard, that you are looking for human affirmation?
Your number is not all of who you are. Your type, number, is a low-resolution photo of the ‘you’, that’s part hard wiring, (nature), and part environment, (nurture), to help you find love and acceptance. Discovering your number, & personality traits, is NOT to say those traits are bad. It is to reveal your wonderful uniqueness, so you can be aware when those passions, habits, practices rise up within you, and you can grow a mastery in understanding over them to allow the divine you to shine through. And the more you can do the work to surface these, grow an awareness of yourself, the more you can reveal the imago dei within you.
“Diversity includes, therefore, knowing how to relate to those qualities and conditions that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet are present in other individuals and groups. These include but are not limited to age, ethnicity, class, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, as well as religious status, gender expression, educational background, geographical location, income, marital status, parental status, and work experiences.” --Queensboro Community College (https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/diversity/definition.html)
Further advice for those ‘getting fit’. ‘Movement’ spiritually and physically to become vibrant and full of life.
Sunday, was the third chapter of Colossians, and the challenge to cast off our old ill-fitting clothes of both personal beliefs and practices that don’t serve us well. And in addition the beliefs and values in our society that don’t reflect the nature and teachings of Jesus. In light of our current conversations about race, we need to examine our old beliefs and values surrounding perceived heritage as much as we need to examine practices and habits in our life that are outdated and don’t honor God.
Centrality of Christ. Setting realistic goals and commitment to small steps. Don’t self-sabotage by setting unrealistic expectations. The benefits of incrementalism.
Surely it was happening, all around us, it is true...and we couldn’t see it. Learning to see all the things God has and wants for us. “Surely” being defined as; it’s an obvious truth that should be apparent, we should know this, but we needed some help in discovering it.”
Most of us see it as a high value when we need others to be flexible, unreasonable when we’re the ones who need to be flexible, but learning to be flexible ourselves is an important step for growing in our faith and in showing love to others and it can even be an essential part of helping lead other people to Jesus.
To live the forward life you have to be aware of wonder. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.-—Albert Einstein.
Does your desire for God propel you towards him?
Jesus made his life matter, even when it required a sacrifice. What does moving forward look like? You have to learn and commit to what really matters. 1. What really matters? How do we figure that out? “Pay attention. Be astonished." 2. Making the hard calls. Yeses and No’s. 3. Staying committed for the long haul. Life is neither a sprint or a marathon. It’s a series of sprints...over the long haul.
Jesus clearing the temple after the triumphal entry, but it was clearing the temple of us to be a house of prayer, not just a building.
Walking with a faithful God! The first Sunday after Ash Wednesday. Pastor Kal is issuing a challenge to the commitment towards the process of walking with God.
When you pray, move your feet. -African proverb. Move in the direction you’re asking God to move. God wants us to pray boldly...like we trust him. But it also means we have to act boldly and step out.
Why is going important? Deep inside we all want to live a life worthy of our story being told and it come from going and serving.
This is the foundation of our faith and the template we measure everything else we do against. We were shown love and so we share love.
Deep down we all really want joy and happiness. It only comes from serving. When we realign our priorities to make the important things the important things, then we become more generous. We are generous because we were shown generosity.
Realigning our priorities brings shalom, peace. What does it look like to store up treasures in heaven?
Jesus said it was more than just not doing bad. There is this spirit in which we are called to live.
The 2020 presidential election is a calendar year away, and we want to take this time to honestly and fearlessly examine our beliefs and values, to see where we might have allowed our particular political tribe, affiliation, compromise our beliefs, and work to realign ourselves with the teaching of Jesus. So, in this series “The Most Excellent Way” we’re focusing on the teachings of Jesus as the center of what we believe, practice, and how we focus our lives. And obviously this will affect how we treat others and our understanding of what it means to be, and belong to, a church.
What is our purpose. This is NOT to be confused with; “What am I supposed to do with my life?” That’s a career question based on your; skills, passions, abilities, interests, desires, & giftedness. Try and experiment with a lot of things to find what you’re good at and enjoy, and brings meaning and purpose. God created us for relationship and enjoyment...not our own pleasure at the expense of others. There is a difference. Wisdom and the presence of the H.S. teaches us to differentiate the two. Our original purpose was to have this wonderful relationship with God.
There is a life we can craft to lessen the number of times we blow it. Curating a life towards a well formed maturity will move us to live a more mature life. But there will be times we just make a monster mistake. We either knew it or should have known, but for whatever reason we blew it. How do we pick up the pieces and move forward? We have a God full of compassion and kindness to walk us back into restoration. There is always hope and recovery. But it’s work.
Suffering is virtually inexplainable. Especially the “Why?” question. We cannot wrap our minds around it. We would like to create a world free of any kind of pain and suffering, but to do so, it has to be a highly controlled world where everyone is basically a puppet. Paul said we were ‘in Christ’ in sharing his suffering. We can't give you an appropriate theology about suffering that will lessen it’s pain. There simply isn’t one. Even Jesus cried out during his suffering. Pain and suffering is awful. So, the question isn’t “Why?”, but “How do we move thru suffering?”
There is no such thing as certainty. There is trust. Certainty is based on our understanding and ability to create a framework that holds up under every circumstance and explains everything. It gives us accurate predictability. That just won't happen! Trust and love remove fear which drive out desire for certainty.
“What is that to you?” is a question that helps us get our bearings, figure out where we are, where are we going, and ask; are we headed in the direction we want to go. Will it be about the important, meaningful things. Or about the lesser “little things”?
? When does a good thing become a distracting thing? Jesus said it in this passage; “the ‘better’ thing will not be taken away.'' Good things become a distraction when we forget those things are temporary. They are important, good, necessary, until we think they’re the main things. When we forget they really are just “little things”. And when we begin to get “worried and upset” about these temporary things. ”Worried and upset” is a great test to see if we’re making “little things” not ‘better’ things.
How do you struggle with sometimes elevating “little things” to more important than they deserve to be? What causes ALL of us to drift towards the “little things”? What are a couple of “little things” that tend to lure and trap you?
Get sucked into “little things”. Things we’ve made feel important but really aren’t. When we feel like we’re losing control of our lives, of the ability to have any kind of say of what’s happening to us, we collapse into this pattern, of getting bogged down in the minutia.
Vulnerability is not an easy thing. How are we to be vulnerable without being weak or sound like we're complaining. Is there balance? “May we have friends like the ones we did when we were 12, when it was easier to be vulnerable”. Don’t let your bad experiences with others, being burned, betrayed, or hurt allow you to shut yourself off from others in your life. You may mute the pain you’ve experienced from past damaging relationships, but you will also mute the joy that can only come from truly opening ourselves up, being vulnerable, and experiencing each other as God intended us to.
Conflict resolution. The ability to navigate the choppy waters of disagreements, and sometimes ‘fights’, and how to work through those tough moments and find restoration and reconciliation with those people in our lives. See the notes section for a full recap of the sermon.
What exactly is self-reliance? Self-reliance is basically the belief we can take care of things by ourselves and we don’t need anyone else. Is there good, healthy self-reliance and dangerous self-reliance? YES!! Healthy interdependence is growing the ability to understand we do need each other. We were built and designed for connection, to do life interdependent on each other.
Today is getting past how others have seen us, labeled us, and what they've said about us. Seeing how God sees us and using that truth to help us in our relationships. We also have to be willing to admit to our own shortcomings and when someone says something in truth, it could be true. AND then be willing to work on it!
What is it like to encounter you? Have you ever thought about that? What is it in our inner-self that makes us think things we know we don't want to think? Listen as Pastor Kal helps us understand what James is saying in James 4.
Don't look at others as if you are better than them. "Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor!" Also how can you say that you have faith without good deeds?
James begins his letter warning the followers of Jesus were facing persecution and he wanted to give them some guidance, plans to understand and face that suffering, and to handle it well. We know going thru difficult times, struggles, even intense suffering, can be life shattering. Think about a time or two you went thru some really difficult hardships. What were they? What was that experience like? What did you deal with? Looking back, what helped you navigate those difficult times?
Our life is filled with personal transitions. High school graduation, post high school, work, marriage, or other relationships, kids, new jobs, moving, no kids anymore, retirement, etc. We can’t avoid these transitions. They’re just a natural part of life. And we can either let them happen to us, and just float along with the change. Or we can build our understanding, assemble toolbox of skills, how change works and how to best prepare, position, ourselves for inevitable stages of life.
Discussion of Moses as a baby and the role of women in the influencing and impacting of others and the world.
So you’ve made a bad decision...a REALLY bad decision. Is there hope for your future, a place to put your regrets behind you, and move towards a better future? You’re not alone in making bad choices. What does the reinstatement of Peter tell us about overcoming a horrible choice, and finding grace on the other side? We have to face the truth of what we did, and then receive the grace that restores us.
Resurrection we saw a new Jesus. But still bearing the marks of the crucifixion, Jesus still carried the scars of what had happened, but it was thru resurrection he found the other side. Surviving, overcoming, starts when we are willing to be made anew, and going thru those difficult times.
The young girl looking for someone who was with Jesus to tell her about him. She was curious, intrigued by the person of Jesus, but at a distance. And she knew Peter had been with him, and was actually checking to see if he was serious about his following of Jesus.
There were homeowners that Jesus had a previous encounter with, that knew him, and Jesus had obviously asked a big favor. To let him and his friends use their house at Passover. This encounter with Jesus had inspired them to practice radical hospitality. Not to entertain...not some Food Network party. But to just fully and warmly welcome others in.
There was no condemnation or demands to fix his life first, when Zacchaeus encountered Jesus. In this encounter, Jesus just wanted to just spend time with him, around food of course. And it’s in his presence we feel the desire to live the life we were created to live.
Whether our own kids, or other people’s kids we mentor, or the kids others mentor while we are serving elsewhere in the church or contributing financially to sustain the church, the things we do that help people—and in particular the next generation, to recognize who Jesus is and teach them what it means to love others like Jesus loves—the choices we make about who we see, who we include, who we love, and who we serve are a sure way to make a difference in this world.
Jesus reminds us that there are no hoops to jump thru, or mistakes in our past that should keep us from coming to Jesus. A contrite, open heart, willing to recognize our own imperfection, brings nothing but love and blessing from Jesus.
Encounters will tell stories of Jesus and his interactions with others, as he entered Jerusalem and towards the cross. This begins with Jesus facing all sorts of frenzied activity and significant events around him...the chaos of life. But thru all of that Jesus sets something deep inside him to a greater end. A steely determination to pick and stick to the better thing. This isn’t always the better life, as the world tells us, but’s a more purposeful meaningful life.
The church has a natural slide into religion and behavior modification, thus making people who struggle in doing the right thing tend to stop attending church because they’re ashamed. And the natural response to shame is to hide, from God and others. We have permission to not be perfect, and know that Jesus has fulfilled the demands of trying to be good.
One of the greatest threats to loving well is a broken heart. It makes us jaded, guarded, distrustful, and unable to love like we were created to love. Those are natural responses to hurt, betrayal, abandonment, but they weren't meant to be permanent places. We stay in those places for protection, and then we do the work to BE restored back to health. But we have to want to and work towards it.
To "Love More" we have to begin with some self work. The temptations of Jesus give us insight in dealing with three traps of loving well. (Putting our physical needs first. Playing dishonest games. And taking shortcuts that only come from long genuine work) How do these three tests help surface those barriers to love that reside in us?
Going is hard, and often just feels like something else we have to do. We may not feel equipped or prepared, but if we can learn to be compassionate and practice without judging; we change our world, which changes us!
Are there benefits for me if I make church a regular practice? Pastor Kal teaches us that we gain power by gathering together regularly. It's in gathering, coming together, setting our personal agendas, preferences aside, redefining our understanding, doing life with people so different than us, that this kind of power grows!
Faithful Work = Conviction Loving Deeds = Commitment Enduring Hope = Confidence As our pastor heads off on God's mission, he leaves us with some encouraging words about the future of NCC.
What we need most in a new season is not just a fresh start, we need fresh strength. The first step to fresh strength is to place your confidence in God's commitment to you.
One of the most uncomfortable feelings/emotions we live with are restlessness or regret. How do we find peace? The ultimate peace is with God. Jesus was born, died and resurrected so that we would be released from the eternal responsibility for our sin. When we follow Jesus, we can be at peace with God.
Mary and Joseph are searching for a place for Jesus. How do we find room for Jesus in a story that is filled with struggle, shame, and sorrow? How might we trade the struggles and sorrows of our story into songs of joy? Jesus exchanges our sorrow for joy when we drink form the well of salvation and celebrate with a sense of expectation.
While the Christmas story is wonderful to us, it was a nightmare for Mary and Joseph. The Gospel of Matthew records that King Herod hated Jesus so much that he wanted him killed. Thousands of years later humanity still struggles with hate. In week two of this advent series we will examine how Jesus comes to rescue us from our own hate filled hearts by showing us that the path to love is to learn that it’s not me that matters the most.
An unexpected pregnancy and an over due prayer request. Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Zechariah had all found themselves in the middle of a story filled with circumstances that caused them shame. Zack and Liz were ashamed of what hadn’t happened and Mary and Joseph were ashamed of something that happened that they didn’t expect. We all deal with the emotion of shame, especially around the holidays. In week one of this advent series we will discover that Jesus was God’s answer to shame. He was hope in human form and if we just hang in there we will get the help from him that we so desperately need.
Spiritual rest is the result or relinquishing our responsibility for our lives and giving it completely to God. In the fourth and final week we will examine how to catch our breath by relying on God’s relentless love, grace, and mercy which is certain and true in all seasons of life.
Sometimes stress is the result of being scared of scarcity. In other words, the fear of not having enough is what keeps us running at a rapid unhealthy pace that causes us more pain than pleasure. In week three of this series we will examine how God plans to satisfy our hunger by personally serving us a feast in the presence of our foes.
Life is filled with highs and lows and hills and valleys. While we have no problem handling the hills we often want to rush through the valleys and it leaves us trying to catch our breath and stay committed to our beliefs. In week two of this series we will examine how to move through the valleys of life with the confidence that when we walk with God we are safe even in the valley.
We live in a fast paced world that craves rapid results and rejects the idea of real rest. The results of our hectic habits are spiritual, emotional, and mental fatigue. In week one of this series we will examine David’s words of wisdom about needing a shepherd who makes us slow down long enough to catch our breath.
David was known to be a skillful musician and lover of worship. Worship is not an event we attend. It is not centered on music, in fact, we are all worshipers; the question is what or who are we worshiping? In the sixth and final week of David, Pastor L asks us, "Who has your heart?"
A life continually, intentionally, tangibly stopping everything he did, and enter into the presence of God...just be be with him.
The battle between an insignificant shepherd named David and an intimidating giant named Goliath is perhaps one of the greatest underdog victory stories ever told. In week two of this series we will examine the one moment in David’s life that made him into the religious and cultural icon he is today.
David ruled as king of Israel for forty years. In his last days he prepared to hand over the kingdom to his son Solomon, but when David was named successor to the throne of Israel he had to live through the scorn of Israel’s first king Saul. In week one, we will begin our journey by comparing and contrasting David’s conclusion as king with David’s calling as king and how David rose to power while being punished by his predecessor.
The best servants are the best seers. “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed”. Hindsight is the understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened. Insight is to see into a situation; to penetrate. Foresight is the ability to predict or the action of predicting what will happen or be needed in the future. So, how do we know what season we are in? Listen as Pastor L helps us discern.
All families have flaws but in order to keep our faith in God’s big idea for family we must learn how to forgive one another. In the fifth and final week of this series we will examine a story of a flawed family and the faith of a father who helps to bring healing by blessing his son with the choice to be bigger than their family flaws by focusing on forgiveness and the future.
No one really likes confrontation and most of the time we avoid like the plague. Sometimes in families it's necessary, but how do we do it well and in love?
How do we keep stubbornness and pride from getting in the way of us asking for help? How do we swallow our pride and just ask?
We all know that family is complicated but what happens when we see a side of a family member that we just weren’t prepared to handle? In week two of this series we will examine the complex life and relationship between Noah and his sons who discover that sometimes being family means learning to cover each other with grace when we are exposed to the flaws of our family.
What defines family? How do we know who to call family and how to do family? In week one of this series we will examine the big idea behind family. In the beginning God decided to make us apart of his family making us one people and one human family. In the end if God wants us all then family is all about making the most of our opportunity to be a part of God’s big picture for family.
Sharing our faith is a critical and mandatory part of having a vibrant healthy life of faith, yet so many times we neglect such an important part of our journey with Jesus. In the third and final week of this series, we will explore some simple things to share and some simple steps to take so that we can be prepared to give a reason for why we choose to place our hope in Jesus and his church.
Thousands of years ago Jesus made a promise and a predication to his earliest followers that he would build a gathering of people who would hold the keys to his kingdom. The essence and the ethic of the local church has always been to open the door to God’s kingdom by including people from all walks of life. In week one of this series we will examine why gathering together is the ultimate witness to the world around us that God wants everyone to be a part of his kingdom.
So many of us are trying so desperately to get “there.” We dream of the day when we will arrive at our preferred status, job, income level, or relationship. While we should hope and dream for the future, living a last arrow life means also means making preparations for what God has planned for us. In the fifth and final week of this series we will explore how to be ready win the battle for our future.
Elisha was a great prophet who did great things for God but if we take a good look at his life, we will find that no one gave him a script for his future, no one gave him the details of what he could become, and no one decided what he would do with his life. The only thing Elisha was given was an opportunity to decide his future for himself. In week four of this series we will share with our youth and young adults how to take the opportunity to be in charge of their future by placing their lives in the right hands.
Isn't it funny how quickly change happens? How do you react to it? Should our faith also change, grow, and mature as we change, grow, and mature? Listen as Pastor Kal teaches us how to build a sense of stability and solidness throughout our lives no matter what changes come our way.
Living a life without regrets means eventually learning to live without regard for your past. Perhaps no one knew this better than Elisha who once left behind everything to follow Elijah. In week two of this series we will examine on of the most important decisions that we need to make when pursuing a last arrow life. Learning how to burn down the pain of our past by having the faith to forgive.
If you want to know if you’re really living your best life ask yourself if you could stand repeating the life you live now over and over and over without changing a thing. Saving nothing for the next life means learning to live a life that’s worth reproducing. In week one of this series we will be introduced to the idea that living a last arrow life means learning to be a disciple of Jesus.
When the body of a local carpenter goes missing the entire community is in an uproar. As the government scrambles to find answers, and friends of the deceased flood the community with conspiracy theories, everyone is looking to get to the bottom of this dilemma. In the final week of this series we will explore the strangest of all Christian beliefs, that a dead man returned to life and changed the history of how the world sees God.
The disciple Judas, will forever be known as the disciple that betrayed Jesus. His story is both scandalous and strange, considering that Jesus KNEW that Judas would have him killed. But what if that one moment in history was looked at as less of a betrayal by Judas, and more of a display of the unlimited power that Jesus has to love those who are too limited to love him. In this message we will examine the truth about how much Jesus loves humanity and how it was his affection and a strange and scandalous thing called grace that led to him being killed on a cross.
Why do bad things happen to good people? The answer is easy. Bad things don’t happen to good people because “good” people don’t exist. In week one of this series we will explore the strange Christian idea that no one is actually good. In fact, because of sin not only are there no “good” people, there are also no alive people. We are all dead, but the good news is the story isn’t done.
Christianity in the 1st Century faced insurmountable obstacles that by all intents and purposes should have destroyed the people and the mission of Jesus’s earliest followers. Yet somehow thousands of years later and thousands of miles away from where these events originally took place, we know about the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. How did Christianity survive? How did the church grow from being a local gathering to a global faith? In this fourth and final week of this series we will examine one simple statement made thousands of years ago that explains it all and at the same time encourages us to continue the mission today.
“Extraordinary achievement is less about talent that it is about opportunity.”-Malcolm Gladwell Jesus once told a story about three servants that all had a part to play in helping their master grow his business. In the end the one who didn’t participate paid a hefty price. In week two of this series we will examine what our personal role is in playing a part of God’s big picture plans to advance his kingdom and why every church needs every member to do everything they can to win everyone we can.
What makes a church successful? Is it planning? Is it processes and procedures? The reality is that no plan or procedure can be successful without passion. In week three of this series we will examine Paul’s message to his protégé Timothy about the necessity for passion when preaching the gospel and building a successful ministry. Reaching people for Jesus takes more than faith it also takes a red hot passion to teach others about Jesus.
The book of Acts records the most memorable moments and movements of the early ministry of the local church. While the 1st century church did not have all of the tools and technology that the 21st century church has at its disposal, the early church did have one slight advantage. They were determined to fill the city with the gospel. In week one of this series we will discover what made the early church so determined and how we can recapture that passion.
The most important component to being a witness is credibility. How we handle the past is just as important as our need to move on from the past. In the final week of this series we will examine why Jesus warns against damaging the old wine-skins and why it is so important to maintain the credibility of our witness by creating a culture and climate for a change of heart and not just a change of habits.
Life is better together, so what does that mean? Listen as Pastor Kal asks us, "why we're here" and gives us 7 reason why and how we can have healthy relationships.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else.”-Jesus Having the right priorities will eventually produce the right results. In the parable of the wine-skins, Jesus emphasizes the need to focus our attention on the new by warning against taking pieces of something new and trying to cover up something old. In week 5 of this series we will learn that prioritizing and being responsible for what God is doing in the present is what prevents us from just pretending to change when we really are stuck in the past.
“Who would patch old clothing with new cloth?”-Jesus In the parable of the wine-skins Jesus points to a very practical strategy for change. Make sure everything matches. In week 4 of this message series we will examine the importance of having integrity of the heart and habits by ensuring that our culture is compatible with our calling.
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein Real change is about movement. In 1st century Palestine wine was placed in wine-skins only when traveling was anticipated. In the parable of the wine-skins Jesus implies that new wine is never designed to stay in the same location. In order to truly have a change of heart and a change of habits we must be determined to go on a journey. In week 3 of this message series we will discover that making changes means making moves even if it makes us uncomfortable.
Change problems are often really the result of pride problems. When we have problems embracing what is better for us we are silently and pridefully declaring in our hearts that we have no room to grow. In the parable of the wine-skins Jesus states that those who have an appetite for the old have lives that communicate complacency. In week 2 of this series we will examine the parable of the wine-skins and how a lack of humility is often the greatest hindrance to real heart change because we believe that we don’t need to change.
“If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”- Maya Angelou What is it that makes change so hard? Why do I have so much difficulty with leaving behind the past and moving toward the future? In the parable of the wine-skins Jesus shares that those who taste the old wine have no appetite for the new wine. In the opening week of this message we will discover true change is all about learning how to adjust our attitude by learning to adjust our appetite.
Have you ever found yourself dealing with an unexpected situation? Something that seemed to doom your future? Well, you are not alone. Joseph dealt with the same thing as Mary becomes pregnant with the Messiah. Will you listen to God and find hope or will you plan your exit strategy? Listen as Pastor L helps us to understand Joseph's decision to find hope in his situation.
Have you ever wondered how you can be happy right where you are? Do you struggle with giving thanks? Listen as Pastor Kal teaches us how to be thankful daily.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The Queen of soul Aretha Franklin sang it best in her 1967 R&B hit “Respect.” Decades later it seems that not only are we still singing about respect, but we are still searching for it as well. In week four of this series we will examine Daniel and what respecting God looks like.
In a world full of fake news & false truths; where can we go for the truth? How can we take our minds and thoughts captive? Can any truth still be found in our world today? Listen as Tami teaches about God's word and its truth.
How do we as Christians do justice well? What does God say about justice and our role? We are to meet people where they are as nonjudgemental and with grace. Listen as Pastor Kal teaches us how to do justice well.
God delights in you. You give him pleasure. Listen and be encouraged as Tami teaches about God's love.
“Life every man holds dear; but the dear man holds honor far more precious dear than life.”-William Shakespeare.
What is honor? What makes something or someone honorable? Why is honor such a forgotten virtue in today’s culture? In week one of this series we will examine why Paul encourages us to think on what is honorable and why the principle of honor can be a pathway to joy and peace.
At the end of your life, will you have made a difference in someone's life? Who has made a difference in yours? Listen to this week's message as Pastor L teaches us how to leave a legacy.
Have you ever not gotten what you thought you deserved because you are a "good Christian?" What is keeping you from doing your part in your walk? Have you gotten complacent? Listen as Tami teaches us how we can do our part, when it comes to our walk with God.
Have you ever wondered how you can get through right now? When everything seems to be closing in on you and you just want to go back to the way it was, Pastor Kal teaches us how to stick in there, "in the meantime."
Have you ever questioned your ability to keep going? Joshua kept going because of his faith in what God told him to do. Wonder how you can get that kinda faith? How you can dig deep and find that extra strength to keep going when you just want to give up? Listen as Pastor Kal encourages us in the book of Joshua on how to "do it again."
“There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer.” Joshua chapter 10 records what may very well be considered the longest day ever. In week three of this series, we will examine one of the most powerful and prolific prayers that God has ever answered, the prayer that stopped the sun and how we can also learn to pray prayers that lead us into victory.
In one of the most magnificent displays of God’s miraculous power, God uses simple music and some a simple march around a city to set in motion a series of miracles that would change the course of Israelite history forever. In week two of this series, we will examine the events surrounding the fall of Jericho and how God uses something meaningless as a mechanism for performing miracles and generating spiritual momentum.
“My servant Moses is dead.” For Joshua and the rest of the Israelites these five words were perhaps the scariest words that could have ever been heard spending nearly 40 years wandering in the dessert. The question is “How do you keep moving when Moses is missing?” In week one of this six week series, we will examine seven instructions that God gives to Joshua in order to help him and the Israelites to keep moving forward.
When it comes to spiritual growth, the fastest way to grow up is to grow down. In the third and final week of this series, we will examine why we should grow spiritually and how the church is an important part of that journey.
Everything in life has a cost. Living intentionally in community is sometimes an additional expense to our already over spent lives. In week two of this series, we will learn that while living in community will definitely cost you “something”, not living in community will eventually cost you “everything”.
Jesus is all about meeting people where they are; like the Samaritan woman at the local well. In this weeks message, Pastor L teaches us how to be a "Going" church by meeting people where they are. We should. "Go together and share the Gospel in our community and invite people to be a participant in the church that Jesus is building."
Have you ever wondered why we were given the Lord's Prayer? How can it be useful in your prayer life? Listen as Pastor Lamar teaches us about the Lord's prayer and how to pray it for spiritual breakthrough.
Have you ever felt unqualified or as if you had no potential? In this message, Pastor Broderick Santiago teaches us what God says to those He has called.
What is faith and how does faith work? In this session Pastor Lamar shares how faith works and why.
Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter denied Jesus. Both stories share very similar beginnings but yet they have very different endings. In the 5th and final week of this series Dr. Kristen Hilll shares how important it is for us to know that now matter what mistakes we make in life God's forgives and grace has the power to change our story.
One of the greatest missionaries in the history of Christianity was at one point one of the greatest threats to Christianity. So why would God intentionally pick a man with a license to kill Christians as an instrument to spread Christianity? In week 4 we will examine the life of Saul, who demonstrates that a hateful heart in the hands of a loving God can be transformed into one of God’s greatest champions.
Rejection. Addiction. Anger. Greed. Deep down inside we all wrestle with our inner demons, but what happens when the people we dismiss are the people God is using to point us to him? In week 3 of this series we will examine how the first person to share the news about the resurrection of Jesus was a woman named Mary Magdalene, who until she met Jesus, wrestled with inner demons and how her checkered past made her the most qualified to preach the good news to others.
“What makes us the saints of God is not our ability to be saintly but rather God’s ability to work through sinners.”- Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber. The Bible is filled with stories of larger than life figures that have been admired for being models of faith and fortitude, but what if everything we have come to know and love about them has more to do with God’s grace than their goodness? In this series based on the book Accidental Saints, by Pastor Nadia-Bolz Weber, we will examine the lives of five Biblical figures who serve as examples that God’s greatest work is often done through people who would never be considered “good” people.
Have you ever discovered that you have been the recipient of a major miracle simply because you happened to be at the right place at the right time? In our world, we call that coincidence but in God’s grand scheme of things, nothing is an accident, even when he uses the most unlikely candidates in the most unusual ways. In week one of this series we will learn how often times God’s biggest blessings can be found in all the “wrong” people and places.
Hardtimes happen to everyone. No matter how spiritually strong we are, there are times when our emotional and mental health become impacted by the challenges of life. In this message Pastor Lamar shares practical tips and tools to maintaining and monitoring our emotional and mental health.
Focus on the condition of your soul! How are you doing, REALLY? Jonah 3:5-9, Matthew 4:1-11, 1 John 2:16 This season is to help you overcome: 1) Temptation to feel good over following God. 2) Focusing on greed instead of God. 3) Forgetting about God by forgoing his signature.
This could be the greatest year of your life, your dream year, but you have to win the day. That’s how you win the week, win the month, win the year. No one achieves his or her dream without daily disciplines. In this sixth and final guest speaker Pastor Broderick Santiago (Mosaic Church) delivers a message about how to not only dream big, but how to develop long term thinking, long term discipline, and long lasting obedience.
Sometimes the seeds of our dreams don’t germinate for months or years or decades. But if we plant and water, God will give the increase in due time. In week four of this series we will examine why we should never under estimate the power of a simple act of kindness, courage, or generosity because God can use one simple encounter to change the course of history.
We don’t die when our hearts stop beating. We die when our hearts stop skipping a beat in pursuit of our passions, when our hearts stop breaking for the things that break the heart of God. In week three of this series we will examine how to attempt something so great that without God involved it is destined to fail.
Your greatest legacy isn’t your dream. Your greatest legacy is the next generation of dreamers that your dream inspires-the dreams within a dream. On this special 25th anniversary celebration and the weekend we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we will examine how the dream of a young preacher from Atlanta inspired the dream of a diverse church in Lagrange, that is inspiring the next generation to dream about the next 25 years and how they can accomplish even greater things.
Learning to live courageously for God means learning to stop running away from your greatest fears. The moment you decide to run away in fear is the moment you decide to run for the rest of your life. In the opening message of this six-week series we will learn why God given dreams are only granted to those who are willing to chase the lion.
Everyone loves a great story. We love when the hero overcomes their challenges and comes out victorious, but what happens when the story doesn't end they way we wanted it to? In this message we will discover that God has a grand story for every human life and even in the face of death we can discover who God is.