Tony French Speaks: Recent Episodes
Tony French
Life is hard. We need help to navigate the tricky pathways of life. You can live differently. You can have a full life, living with freedom and confidence. You can live with power. You can love well, and be loved. You CAN know who you really are. You can overcome. And, you are not alone on this journey. The Creator of All Things really loves his creation, especially you. Jesus is the giver of life, and has made a great sacrifice for you. Come and see.
The pandemic has been traumatic for the whole world. Let's take a look at where we are, and where we are going from here.
Because of our union with Jesus, we are invited to live with him and let him live through us.
Jesus has offered to live his life through us. A result of that is we can have contentment. Satisfaction.
Join us we recall the life and death of Jesus, and why we can shout with praise "He is risen!"
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring addictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring addictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring addictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring addictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring addictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring addictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring addictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit.The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring additictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit.The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring additictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit.The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring additictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit.The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring additictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit.The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring additictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit.The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring additictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit.The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring additictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit.The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring additictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing our quest through 1 John - Do not love the world.
It is alluring and appears to give life, but its counterfeit.The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - these things do not bring real life, they bring additictions.
The Father has real life for you. The things of the world pass away.
Continuing in 1 John - John talks to us about growing up.
Dear Children - Young Men - Fathers
There is a progression in all things. God is the God of Process. His intention is that you would grow up. Actually, its an invitation.
Continuing in 1 John - we have a NEW command. But it is really the same command. It is a command that brings life and freedom to all. It is the command to love one another.
In our social climate, the goal is to stop hating, although that is a good goal, and you should do that. The goal is to love! Indifference is still hate. Lack of compassion is still hate. Isolation is still hate.
Jesus is the perfect example of love - follow him!
We continue our quest through 1 John. Walking in the light with Jesus means that we will live as Jesus did. Isn't that a crazy idea?
But the followers of Jesus always become like him and live like him. This gift is not only for them, it's for you too!
We continue our quest through 1 John, we are reminded that we must walk in the light..
Jesus is light.He invites us to follow him, walking in the light, which brings joy and righteousness.
All of the other stories about Jesus were historical. But not this one, it is a story from the future. One that I long for.
Looking at several stories we see that Jesus was alive spiritually. He had a spirit and could interact with the spirit world. What a great gift!
His apostles had this same ability. It is also meant for us. We have been given the Holy Spirit - bound to our spirit, so that we can be in touch with the spiritual world.
In another great story about Jesus, he healed a bunch of people one evening. The next morning, he went off to a solitary place to recover. His disciples were looking all over for him, and when they found him, they said "a great group of people are waiting for you back at the house". His response was classic "Let's go someplace else".
Jesus was a master of soul care. He loved people and he helped many. But it was always a priority of his to take care of his own soul first.
Jesus just changes everything. He especially changed our relationship with God. In Jesus, we are to live in full union with God. Unity. Jesus is in the Father. We are in Jesus. Jesus is in us. We are one.
That changes everything in the world.
Why did Jesus come? Like he said, he came to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and sight for the blind. To set the oppressed free!
Jesus came to bring restoration to all things.
As we look toward a new year, we have real hope for the future. Not wishful thinking, but promises from the living God. Promises that he keeps. We have hope!
One of the great stories about Jesus is about his birth. Born in a manager because there was no room at the inn.The birth was announced to some shepherds who nice society did not have any room for. But God had room for both Jesus and the shepherds. And it was a glorious announcement.
As we continuing telling stories about Jesus, we find many stories about restoration. Jesus restores things. And at the same time, we see in these stories that Jesus was limited to the form of a human, and as a result, his life was at risk. God intervened in a dream and told Joseph to run to Egypt. Joseph heard and obeyed. The life of Jesus was spared...
Telling stories is a great way to get to know someone. Telling stories about Jesus is so revealing. Jesus is the best! Jesus is so much fun.
The best stories are always about Jesus. In this story we see that Jesus fiercely defends his people.
You've never met anyone like Jesus
In this story we see ways that Jesus is so gracious to us. Here, he fed the people with 2 loaves and a few fish, that did not even belong to him. And they picked up more leftovers than they started with.
Jesus is just incredible. He takes something so mundane as being obedient and total changes it into a life giving act.
Jesus is just incredible!
His stories are the best, and they reveal someone to us that we really want to get to know. In this story, we see that Jesus is the beloved son, and that the enemy tries to steal that from him, just like he tries to steal our identity from us.
Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But unlike typical kings, Jesus was born to commoners and born in a barn.
Have you ever seen a king like this?
Jesus has given us a new identity, and all of the spiritual blessings that come with it.
Now we find ourselves in a world at war, evil has schemes for all of us. What are we to do?
Stand Our Ground
As we near the conclusion of our reading of the Book of Ephesians, Paul has some closing remarks that are very important.
We are to be strong in the Lord.
The life we are living in the Kingdom requires much from us, we must be strong!
Because we have a new identity in Christ, everything about us changed, including our relationships. The Love of Jesus permeates everything about us.
Jesus impacts every part of our lives, even our marriages. He has something to say on how we live together.
Do you have the courage to live this way? It is the only way to life and freedom and joy!
There are all sorts of things you can give yourself to, and let them control you.
Choose wisely, be filled with the Spirit, and let Him lead you.
Jesus has made you a child of the light.
Be very careful then how you live. Live like you are wise, because you are.
The gospel changes everything. We are now Children of The Light. And that changes things.
One of the reasons that the good news is good news is that it changes us. God changes us, by the work of Jesus, from the inside out. One of the results of that is that God gives us a life of true righteousness and holiness. And man, what a relief that is, such good news...
The reason God is at work in our lives and in the lives of others is because of His love for us (everyone).
In love, we are being made humble and gentle.
In love, we bear with one another.
In love, because God is one, we are being made one (unity)
In love, God's grace gives us gifts. Gifts that are unique to us and needed in the kingdom.
The gifts are given to build up the body of Christ, to help us all mature, until we attain the whole measure of the fullness of Jesus.
Bring it on Jesus, what a life we can live in the fullness of Jesus!
There is a very powerful prayer in Ephesians. A prayer that we can pray over each other.
This prayer addresses the things that we really need to do life.
Strength.
Power.
Established in love.
Power to grasp the love of Jesus
Love that surpasses knowledge
We pray this to the God who is able to do immeasurably more that we can ask or imagine.
Oh, the love of God is the greatest change agent in this creation.
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
This is the plan of God, that through Jesus, through our faith in him, we may approach God. We can be in the presence of God. Think of that!
We can approach God with freedom, because He loves us.
We can approach God with confidence, because He loves us.
Please, approach God...
Jesus changed everything. He set aside the Hebrew Law so that all of humanity could be joined together as one people. His people. Jesus created one new humanity. One where we have direct access to God.
We are a holy temple of people, all of us being built together to be a dwelling place for God.
Think about that!
God has given us a really good thing. Because of His great love for us, he wants us to talk with him. he wants us to pray.
Do you pray? The answer to that question will reveal a lot about what you believe about prayer.
A bit of the back story, each one of us has lived according to our sinful nature, the ways of this world, and have followed the Prince of the Rule of the Air (satan). Those things, and the people that live that way are living in direct contradiction of God's love.
BUT
Because God loves us so much, he saved us from that. It is beyond belief, but God, expresses His grace for us and toward us.And he raised us from the dead and seated us with Jesus at His throne. wow...
Our prayers really matter. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need us to pray for them. It is very important. Paul shows us how to pray for each other, to give us what we need.
One, we need The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to reveal God to us, so that we can know Him better. We really need this.
Two, we need the eyes of our heart to be opened so that we can live with hope. With authority and power.
God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing. For most of us, this is more than we can comprehend.
But it is still true. God loves you so.
As we continue to talk about what kind of church we want to be, the topic of what it looks like to be in an authentic community comes up. Jesus has clear instructions for us on this. We are to love God, love ourselves and love each other. Love must cover all.
This includes our words. We are to forgive and bless, not judge and curse.
We have an enemy. He has schemes and plans to destroy you and your life.
All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus, and He tells us to take our stand against our enemy. We have armor, we have power, we have authority. We submit to God and resist the devil. And then devil flees.
Let's roll....
I wish life were easier. Don't you?
Many of us were taught that if we believed in Jesus that our lives would be good. No more problems. Part of me still wishes that were true. But it is not. You will have trouble.
The Kingdom Life is not one that is free of problems. But Jesus does have much to offer us in our troubles. We can have life to the full, even in the pain and trauma of this world.
When we speak about the heart, we are not talking about the blood pumping organ that is in your chest. We are talking about the central part of your being, your soul, your will, the essential thing that makes you, you.
As a follower of Jesus, you have been given a new heart. That heart is good and can be trusted. God has written himself on your new heart, it makes you part of the family. Living from the new heart is an essential thing for living in the new kingdom.
Forgiving is hard. Forgiving someone for very traumatic episodes is even harder. Forgiving from the heart can feel like an unattainable thing.
God forgives you for every sin you have ever committed, if you are in Christ. Every one.
His instructions for us are to forgive as he forgives.
That is the only way to life and freedom. Not forgiving others will kill you. Please forgive.
Would you rather be in the stands, or be on the field?
The story begins long before you were born. The story begins before any thing was created. The story begins with the great fellowship of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They lived in intimate relationship with each other in the beginning. The evil enters the picture which resulted in war in heaven. Then the creation of our world began.
God created an amazing, beautiful, over-whelming world for us. Beautiful sunsets and oceans. Incredible mountains and water falls. Birds! What colors. The range of sizes and shapes.
But what about fish? What kind of creator would create all of those fish? Again with the color and size. From a guppy to a whale.
And then the land animals. All of the kinds of animals, lions, tigers and bears! Horses. Dogs. and on and on.
The creation tells us a lot about the creator. And then finally, God created man in his image. Male and female he created them. The crowning jewel of all creation.
Evil came and began the doubt about God's character, and man fell. And paradise was lost.
But God, in his unending love, sent the redeemer. The One who would bring restoration to all things!
And then the final act, the renewal of all things. We live happily, ever after.
You have a role in that great story, but you are not the main character.
Would you rather know about God, or know God?
It is great to have information about God, but that doesn't hold a candle to actually knowing God. God created us to be in intimate relationship with him.Let's pursue God, not just knowledge about him. There is not comparison.
We are committed to being the kind of people who reflect both the purpose and the personality of Jesus by leveraging the gifts Jesus has given us for the benefit of others, both inside the church and outside the church.
We believe that living life together in a safe "me too" community is the best opportunity for pursuing truth and grace and experiencing the life that God has in mind for us.
We were not made to live life on our own. We are created for relationship. We believe the local church is family.
We believe that following Jesus involves implementing a strategy to enthrall yourself with God and eliminate any obstacles or responses that stand against God’s good intentions for you.
No matter what you have done wrong, we believe that by grace through faith in Jesus alone, it is still possible to be reconnected back into intimate relationship with God.Probably the most important value at The Christian Center is this one. We believe that relationship with Jesus is possible. And that relationship can change everything about you.
Every group of people has rules that they live by. The church is no different. Here at the Christian Center we intentionally have chosen seven values.
Our first value is Biblical Authority.
We believe that the Bible is God’s Word and has the ability to show us a better way to live, if we are willing to put ourselves under its authority and adjust our lives to what God reveals there as true and best
We are people of The Book. We use it to reveal truth. Truth about God. Truth about His Kingdom. Truth about ourselves. When we need to gain insight into life, we first turn to the Bible to see what it has to say. It reveals our foundational truths.
We do not change God's word to align with out view of things, we change our view of things to align with God's word.
We can learn a lot about God by looking at the Christmas story.
In our minds, we think we know how things ought to be, and how God ought to do them. The funny thing is, God normally doesn't work that way. The craziness of the Christmas story can give us insight into the way that God works in our lives.
The birth of Jesus initiates many of the blessing of God, one of them is joy.
Because of Jesus, we can have joy. Joy that is not based on our circumstances.
As we look towards the birth of Jesus, we also look towards what Jesus brings.
This week we look towards the Prince of Peace. The one that brings peace that is beyond our understanding. The peace that replaces anxiety.
Advent is the time before Christmas when we look towards the coming of Jesus, As we look towards Jesus, one of the first things we see is hope.
Not wishful thinking, but longing for the good that is coming in the future. The good in the near-term future and the good at the renewal of all things.
You have heard that October is Pastor Appreciation Month. We have been celebrating November as Jesus Appreciation Month. Listen in as several share why they appreciate Jesus.
But isn't that too lame of a word to express how we feel about Jesus. Yes. Yes it is.
Telling people how they should treat other people is a dangerous affair. Most people do not want anyone meddling in their business. Today we barge through that door, and tell everyone that they are not doing it the way Jesus has in mind.
Wives. Husbands. Children. Listen up!
After coming face-to-face with our own lust and anger, we realize that God has come for us while we were still living under their influence. Above that, He expresses his compassion, kindness and forgiveness towards us, and wants us to live under their influence, instead of our lust and anger.
As we see the impact of His compassion and kindness, our natural response is one of gratitude. We start to live in peace.
When we realize that it is in the depth of our own lust and anger that God comes for us, we begin to see what compassion, kindness and forgiveness looks like. We begin to understand how much God loves us and cares for us. Then we can begin to treat ourselves with that same compassion and forgiveness. Once we have a grasp on how God treats us, and we begin to treat ourselves that same way, then we can begin to treat others with kindness, compassion and forgiveness.
We can take off the old and put on the new.
Lust and anger. Nobody wants to talk about it, but we must face it head on to have any chance of removing their influence over our lives.
Since Christ has done such a big work in us, what is our response?
To set our minds on the things above. We put our focus and energy into eternal things. Better things.
Mankind thinks that if we follow the rules we will show ourselves to be good. Maybe even good enough to appease God.
Jesus has another plan. He makes us good. His work did that. We are now set free from the rules of this world.
We are called to let Him live his life through us. This is a much higher calling. One that cannot be defined or contained by a set of rules or precepts. This is real life and freedom. Following Jesus in his holiness.
Jesus did all the heavy lifting. He was crucified, raised from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father.
For those who are 'in Christ', Jesus also did a lot of work on you too. You have received Christ, are rooted and built up, established in Jesus. You were taught by the Holy Spirit. You have been filled with Jesus, you have been buried with Jesus. You were raised with Jesus.You were made alive with Jesus, having all of your sins forgiven.
This is great news for us.
Two men find a number on the ground. One says its a six. The other says its a nine.
The only one that really knows what it is is the author.
Jesus changes everything.
What he changes most is you.Jesus tells us to put off the old and to put on the new.When we do that, with his help, things are different. People are different. Churches are different. Our world is different
Because of the work that Jesus has done on our behalf, we have been changed. We now have purpose.
As a church, we are family. Family is messy. We can live with purpose and choose to engage our family, or we can keep our distance and appear to live nice, calm lives.
We are a family of broken, wounded people who need other broken and wounded people to help us live our lives for the Kingdom of God.
Faith is an operating principle of life.
Everyone lives by faith. The important thing about faith is what the object of faith is. God has proven that He is the most reliable thing to put your faith in.
We need to recognize the things that we have put our faith in that are not from God.
The gospel is good news, really, really good news. It is a treasure that is worth more than anything else you own. If you are having trouble seeing that, it might be that you have only a portion of the gospel.
Today we dig into three aspects of the work that Jesus did that changes everything for us. It is incredible...
The enemy works overtime to steal from you.What is he stealing?
One of the most important things he steals is our joy. As followers of Jesus, we should be full of joy, not blissful ignorance, but real joy.
Do you have yours?
Who are you? Your identity is critical. What determines who you are? Is it your dna, or your background, or where you are from? Sure, all of those things are important. But the most important thing about followers of Jesus is who they are In Christ. Those things are the truest things about you. They are not true because of you, but because of what Jesus has done in you. He has changed you. In Christ, you are accepted by God. Believing this will change everything about you.
Father's Day is a day to honor fathers. Honesty is a key ingredient of honor. Your father was broken and wounded. He wounded you. He might have been a good man, too. Can you hold both things?
And, masculinity is a gift from God. It is to be valued and treasured (the same with femininity). In your opinion, who is better? Men or Women? (if you made a choice, you are part of the problem).
Who are you? In Christ, you are secure.
Understanding and believing who you really are is foundational.
Who are you? Your identity is critical. What determines who you are? Is it your dna, or your background, or where you are from? Sure, all of those things are important.
But the most important thing about followers of Jesus is who they are In Christ.
Those things are the truest things about you. They are not true because of you, but because of what Jesus has done in you. He has changed you.
In Christ, you are accepted by God. Believing this will change everything about you.
Ezekiel had a vision of dry bones coming back to life. What a scene.
Jesus has a plan to restore your life. Just like the vision that Ezekiel had. Jesus wants to restore your dry, dusty marriage, your dry, dusty relationships, your dry, dusty career, your dry, dusty life.
When someone in authority over you gives you a command, you should follow the command.
Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, gave us a new command. The command is to love one another. But not just with any type of love, he said that we are to love others the way that He loves us.
God has provided a great resource for us. This resource reveals truth. It reveals the greatest gift that we have ever received, Jesus Christ.
You should engage this resource, it will have deep impact on you.
It is the kindness of God that leads us to repent. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but it is His kindness that causes us to change.
We need to praise God. It is good for us. Come and sit next to God and let His glory stir praise in you.
We have received the Holy Spirit of God. With that come many benefits. One benefit is that we are changed so that we can over come our fear. This is life changing.
It is a common experience to come to the empty tomb and wonder about it. Some even call it nonsense. That is ok, it is a great place to start. The shame would be to encounter the empty tomb and walk away without wondering about it. Jesus invites you to wonder, His invitation is to "come and see".
All of us has sinned. Each of us has gone our own way. And God demonstrates his love for us by paying the penalty for our sin.
It is a worthwhile thing to spend some time reviewing the depths of our sin so that we can begin to understand the great price that was paid for us to be forgiven. Our forgiveness was purchased, it was not free.
There is a place in your heart that is intended for God. Putting something else in His place will work for awhile, but there is no real life in it.
God speaks. Jesus is called The Word. God wants to talk with you. We see examples all through the Bible of God talking to his people.
Jesus wants to talk to you. He calls you by name. He knows you. He wants you to know him and to know his voice, so that he can lead you into a wonderful life.
Sometimes life is real hard. Suffering. Sorrow. Trauma. Pain
Jesus wants us to not be surprised when things get hard. In fact, all of creation is frustrated by the way things are today.
Jesus has prepared the way. God is for us. God is not condemning us or charging us.Instead, he has made us more than conquerors. The Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding for us. God even goes so far as to take the evil that was thrown at us and works good through it.
Faith is looking into the past. Hope is looking into the future. Love is the present.
Shalom. Faith. Hope. Love.
Shalom Shattered. Betrayal. Powerlessness. Ambivalence
Shalom Sought. Orphan. Stranger. Widow.
Shalom Restored.Priest. Prophet. King
God has uniquely called you, and He has uniquely gifted you for service. That service can be summarized with one word - love. God has called us to love one another. We do that by using the gifts that He has given us. We do that by living from the desire that He has placed in us. We do it by putting the needs of others above our own.
I have been crucified with Christ.
The world has been crucified to me, and I have been crucified to it.
That sets me free!
Jesus has begun a magnificent job of restoring us. But he didn't just fix us up so that we would look good. He restored us so that we would life a life led by the Spirit. A life of loving others. A life of doing good for others. A life that reveals the heart of Jesus himself.
Those who belong to Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires, and now live by the Spirit. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Can you even dream of being free?
Our slave mentality keeps us in such bondage, even though we have been given the keys to unlock the shackles, we prefer them, they are safer.
Can you handle some freedom?
Diversity is a great thing. We celebrate diversity. You are uniquely you. No one else is like you. Praise God that he made you the way that he made you.
Now all of us bring our diversity into unity because of Jesus. Jesus makes us one.
Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law, or by faith in Jesus? It was by faith.
Keeping the law is a worthless endeavor that quenches the Spirit, instead, the Spirit should be working miracles among us.
How would you describe our current culture?
Hate, chaos, confusion, isolation, anger, discrimination? Right.
You know what we need?
Peace.
You need a safe place to rest and recover. A place where you can figure some things out. A place where you will be accepted.
This is that place.
Is what you are doing working? Most of us would answer with a 'no'.
Could there be another way to live?
We have a shepherd that loves us, guides us, protects us, provides for us and wants to be with us.
Envy is awful.
For most sin, there is a time where it brings pleasure. Not so with envy. It is a killer.
Words Matter.
When we observe someone's behavior, and we have contempt for them, we judge them.
Jesus has a different way for us to live.
Words matter. With your words you can bring healing or cursing.
Your words come from the overflow of your heart. Jesus is restoring your heart so that the good that is there can come out.
The moon eclipses the sun. It was a wonderful experience.
But nothing eclipses Jesus. He is supreme over all things.
Life happens. You think it over and come up with why. You might be right. You might be wrong.
Jesus will help you interpret the events of your life.
Of all the things that we need, life has to top the list.
Jesus said that we could have life to the full. Jesus keeps his promise, and he really delivers life to his followers.
Come and see.
How well do you know Jesus?
We can tell stories about each other, and learn more about a person. But the only way to really get to know someone is to spend time with them. That is what Jesus is inviting you to do. He says it like this: "Come and see".
Jesus is real. He is a real man, a real person. Let's get past the Sunday School stories and get to really know him.
Jesus is true. Every word that Jesus speaks is honest. He never lies. Wouldn't it be great to know someone that told you the truth? Especially the hard truths?
Jesus is that man.
Jesus is real. He is a real man, a real person. Let's get past the Sunday School stories and get to really know him.
Jesus is very intense. Even though he was a hunted man, he traveled freely about, even calling out those that intended to kill him. He was very fierce against his enemies, but also compassionate.
Jesus is not a one-dimensional kind of guy. You really will benefit from knowing him more. Come and see who Jesus is.
Jesus is the most interesting man in the world.
One of the biggest things about Jesus is that he is God and he became a man. This is an amazing sacrifice that Jesus made, and he made it for us.
You have choices.
Most of us choose to Live For Me - it means I am the boss, and I choose what I will do. Others choose to Live For Jesus - this sounds good, and can be, but it can also go bad. I suggest that we Live With Jesus - he is our friend who will never leave us. He wants an intimate relationship with us. My guess is that you want that too...
Jesus has a better way for us to live. It is the simple life.
Come and see, it is the best way to live.
What kind of a tale have we fallen into?
Your life is a story, a pretty interesting one. God and you are co-authoring your story. What is the theme of your story? What will you be writing in the next chapter?
There are so many thoughts that run through our heads.
We usually give a lot of credence to what he hear from there. Sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes it is a terrible thing. There are many sources for the voices in your head. You are not under their spell.
Instead, you can take every thought captive. Not only are you able to, you really need to. So that you can live in the truth, and the truth can set you free.
If forced to pick the 'one thing' for followers of Jesus, this would be it.
Being one with God. Is that even possible?
Jesus sure thought so, in fact that was his prayer for his followers.
You have an internal world view. A way of interpreting life's events. It is the way you see things and the way that you respond to them.
This view was established during your childhood and beyond. Most of these views came from the wounds that you received and the messages that came with those wounds.
You are very committed to those beliefs. They help define who you are. The problem is that many of the things that you believe are just not true. And those deceptions keep you in bondage.
Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted and set the captives free. Jesus wants to heal your broken heart, and he is able to. How has your heart been broken? What agreements have you made with your wounds? What is the truth, and will it set you free?
As Jesus says, "come and see"...
As we have been looking through the Book of Romans we have seen what Jesus has done for us, to transfer us from "In Adam" to "In Christ".
We are fully alive and now ready to really live. So, how should we live?
Because of the work of Jesus, I am alive. Fully alive. Now and forever.
Want to know what being fully alive looks like? Join us as we look a the Book of Romans to see what it looks like.
There is a condition that followers of Jesus find themselves in. We have a 'new man' and an 'old man'. The new man is alive, forgiven and free. The old man is crucified, but our sinful nature still has input into our being.
Separation. That is what we are looking for. To separate the old man, from the new. So that we can live according to the life and freedom that we have been given.
Speaking of separation, nothing is able to separate us from the love of God, through Jesus. No condemnation, just life and freedom.
God is writing a story of redemption and blessing. You have a role in that story. Your role is vital, and can only be performed by you. You ready?
It is common for us to identify with where we are from (I'm a Kansan) or what we have done or do (I am a preacher). Neither of those categories define who I am.
Who I am is defined by my relationship with Jesus. If I am "in him", then I am alive, justified, holy, forgiven. I am more than a conqueror.
These things are true about you if you are In Christ. However, if you do not really believe them, you will not experience the benefit of being these things.
Each one of us has turned away from our loving creator and gone our own way, following in the footsteps of Adam. The result of that is the same condition that Adam found himself in. Separated from God.
But God, in his love for us, sent his son to rescue us. As a result, nothing remains the same.
Most of us hate conflict. We avoid it at all costs. We want peace. We want everyone to get along. If you are in that category, you are a peace keeper. Avoiding what needs to be done in the name of peace or love is neither peaceful nor loving.
There is another way. It is hard. It will be messy. It might go wrong. But it is the only way to true peace (restoring things as they should be). So, with 100% grace and 100% truth, we jump into the battle to restore peace. This is a peace maker.
Jesus said, blessed are the peace makers for they will be called the children of God.
Are you a peace keeper or a peace maker?
The Son of God became a son of man so that the sons of men could become the sons of God.
Joy to the world. Peace on earth. Goodwill towards men.
This is the good news of Christmas. It is good news because Jesus began his rescue attempt as a babe in a manger. Jesus has come to rescue us!
Just like the rescue attempt is opposed, all of the good things of Christmas are opposed. You will have to fight for them. Here are some techniques you can use to overcome the enemy and have real joy this Christmas.
Because of what Jesus has done for us, we believe the most loving thing we can do for others is to go to them and invite them to come and see who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for them.
Using our spiritual gifts, talents, abilities, resources, passions and creativity, we believe that it is our role and responsibility to create excellent environments and eliminate any and all obstacles so that people have the best opportunity to encounter (bump into) Jesus so that He can do what only He can do
Value 5 - Gifted Service
We are committed to being the kind of people who reflect both the purpose and the personality of Jesus by leveraging the gifts Jesus has given us for the benefit of others, both inside the church and outside the church.
We believe that living life together in a safe “me too” community is the best opportunity for pursuing truth and grace and experiencing the life that God has in mind for us.
We believe that following Jesus involves implementing a strategy to enthrall yourself with God and eliminate any obstacles or responses that stand against God’s good intentions for you.
Every group of people have a set of values. We at The Christian Center also have a set of values.
Value 1 - Biblical Authority. We believe that the Bible is God’s Word and has the ability to show us a better way to live, if we are willing to put ourselves under its authority and adjust our lives to what God reveals there as true and best
Value 2 - Relational Intimacy No matter what you have done wrong, we believe that by grace through faith in Jesus alone, it is still possible to be reconnected back into intimate relationship with God
God has given us things. The enemy works to take them away from us.
God has given us joy. Do you have yours? Are you full of glorious and inexpressible joy?
If not, the enemy has taken yours. You want it back. Fight for it!
Sometimes when we take a look at our friends, we see that they are struggling with something. And we don't like to see that. Most of us then began a campaign to change our friend. My attempts at this usually blow up in my face.
There is a better way to help a friend. Come and listen, and see if this might be a better approach for you too.
Have you ever seen something that is so valuable that you would be willing to trade everything you have for it?
Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is like that. We might need to revalue some things.
Could it be possible? Is the Kingdom of Heaven really that good?
Come and see...
God has considered us, looks to our future, sees our needs and then meets those needs.
He has given us everything we need for a godly life. He has made promises to us, promises that he keeps, so that we may participate in the divine nature.
Think of it, we can escape the sinful nature and actually live in intimate relationship with God. I want some of that.
No matter what you have done wrong, we believe that by grace through faith in Jesus alone, it is still possible to be reconnected back into intimate relationship with God.
Jesus is seeking an intimate relationship with you. Below on the left is who Jesus is. On the right is who I can be. How intimate are you?
Creator => created.
Savior => saved.
Master => servant.
Brother => brother
Friend => friend
Lover => lover
No matter where you are on this list, you can always move closer. And that is the invitation from Jesus "move closer".
Where is the Easy Button? We spend lots of time and energy looking for the easy way out. We assume that one choice is between easy and hard.
Life is hard. The choices that we make ultimately end in one of two places: life or death. Neither choice is easy. Living with the consequences of sin is hard. Choosing to do the right thing is hard.
Choose your hard...
The oldest story in the book shows us what man typically does when he makes bad choices - cover, hide and blame.
Adam knew he was naked so he covered it up with fig leaves. Then, when God came for him, he hid in the bushes. When God asked him what he had done, he blamed Eve and even God for his choices.
He was first to use this tactic, but surely not the last. There is a better response to our sin...
As a follower of Jesus, what would you say the most important thing He would have you do?
Most of us would say to be obedient, or to be good, or some such thing.
That was not Jesus answer. He said the most important thing for us to do is to love.
Because of the work of Jesus, we are living in the new kingdom. Jesus has called us to be his hands and feet. Jesus has equipped us for that work. Jesus has given us His glory so that we can glorify him and love well.
As a result, we need to love well, not just with words, but in action and truth. The world needs us - the conditions are critical. Now is not the time to sit and wait for Jesus' return - now is the time for action.
Sometimes every thing just works out. Life is great!
But then there are the other times. We suffer, we mourn, we hurt. The church as told us to get over it. But that is not from God. The Bible is full of stories of hurting people. Many Psalms contain lament. There is even a book of it - Lamentations.
It is ok for you to be hurting. It is not a reflection on your faith. You can call out to God in your pain. You can ask him why he has not showed up. God can take it, and you need to express it.
Do you love Jesus?
What a strange question. As we draw close to Jesus it is normal to fall in love with him. Draw close to him. You will like what you see.
Being reminded of who Jesus is, and what he does moves us towards love. I am grateful for who Jesus is.
As I see it, every contact you have with another human being ends up in one of two ways.
Either you have blessed them, or you have cursed them.
Think about the last person you came in contact with. Did they bless you or curse you? Now turn it around, what would their answer be?
Jesus calls us to a very high standard of loving. No way can we do this without his help, his grace, his power, and his love.
What you think has a great impact on you and your life.
Many believe that they have no control over what they think. That is a very dangerous and unproductive way to live.
An alternative is to take every thought captive, to set your hearts on things above. What does that mean, and how could I ever do that?
Guest speaker Morgan Burns brings insight and encouragement to the followers of Jesus, and invites everyone to come to Jesus.
Jesus said that he came to heal the broken hearted and set the captives free.
This freedom that Jesus brings is the best thing you have ever seen. This freedom is real and has great impact on you. You want this freedom.
God has given us a book, full of stories, to give us some info.It is a fascinating book. It shows us who God is, it shows us who we are, and it shows us about our enemy. We cannot fully live as we are intended to live without this knowledge.
But it is not just head knowledge, not just a book of facts and history. It contains words that bring life.
Today, by doing a survey of the book of Ephesians, we get a pretty clear picture of who God is. You want to know...
Jesus brings his new kingdom to his followers. He changes us. The result of those changes is that we are not fully equipped to love as he would have us love.
Having done all of that, Jesus now has expectations on us. He expects us to bear fruit. We must, it is not optional.
Jesus does not just want us to learn from him and do what he says. Jesus wants you to fall in love with him.
This is a funny request from a leader, Jesus put it this way, we must love him more than our family, or we are not worthy of him. This is pretty radical stuff.
You can't control who you fall in love with, right? How can you fall in love with Jesus? Listen in as we discover the power that is available to us, the power that make us fall in love with Jesus.
You will never be able to consistently live in a way that is inconsistent with what you believe.
If you are having trouble consistently following Jesus it indicates that you have some 'belief issues'. This is typical, and very common, but not NORMAL for followers of Jesus. There is a different way. Instead of focusing on your behavior, focus on Jesus. Know him more. Jesus gives us what we need to do this. He send the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, and he enlightens the eyes of our heart, so that we may know him more.
Move closer to Jesus - the results are amazing.
Is it possible to hear from God? Does God still speak? Is God intimate with us? Does he want us to be intimate with Him?
How would your life change if Jesus spoke to you? It appears that this is the kind of relationship that Jesus wants with us. He wants to walk with us and talk with us. I'm in Jesus, let's get this started...
We have been talking about prayer, and all of the great things that can happen. The way that mountains can be moved.
But what about the other times. The times that it seems that prayer doesn't work. The times when our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling.
Do not lose hope. Jesus knew there would be times like this, and he addressed it, showing us what to do when we feel that way. Jesus really is awesome.
The earnest prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
There is a way that things work. To be able to pray with power and effect requires earnest prayer. We must train. This will take practice and we need to learn the right way. This is not unique to prayer, if you are going to master any skill, you must learn and train.
There is a way things work.
As you learn a skill, and begin to master it, you learn the right way to do things, the way that things work out best. And with practice and perseverance, you become a master.
To become masterful at prayer means that you will have to learn and practice the way that things work. Jesus said that we could move mountains when we pray. He said that nothing was impossible for us.
You ready to become a master?
It might be news to you, but you have a kingdom. And, you are the king of that kingdom. No matter the size of your kingdom, you are responsible for it, and you have authority over it.
You can be a good king, or a bad king. You can be present or absent. But the decisions and actions that you make as king will have an impact on your kingdom.
That leaves you with something to consider. Will you reign well, or poorly. Will you exercise the authority you have been given, or not. No matter what you decide, there will be consequences.
Jesus prayed that we would be one. The Father and Son are one. Jesus prayed that we would be one with them. Unified. And one thing, not a collection of things, not split between things, but single-minded, single focused, one.
That is the secret to kingdom living. You might see areas of your character that are lacking, or ways that you sin. You can put your effort and intention into change those things, or you can put your effort and intention into being one with Jesus. Guess which one will change you?
Jesus is the answer to all of your problems and issues. Jesus alone is able to change you, from the inside out. Come to Jesus. Follow Jesus. Remain in Jesus.
Few things are as misunderstood as this. You are who you are because of your identity, not your actions. Your actions do not determine your identity.
The Bible says there are two groups and describes it in several ways: sheep / goat, wheat / tare, alive / dead, In Christ / In Adam. You were born In Adam, and therefore a sinner. Jesus can change that. He can place you inside of him (In Christ). In Christ, everything changes.
What you believe about this has great impact on how you life and what you think and feel. Jesus is awesome.
The Creator of the universe created free will. That means that you and I are able to make meaningful choices. Our choices have consequences. We can chose God or we can chose something else. And that is one indication of how much God loves us. He gave us dignity.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have hope. Real hope. Hope that can be our anchor, that lets us face the future, both the near term and the long term future.
You have gifts. You should use them for the benefit of others. Wishing someone well is a nice gesture, but on it's own, it changes nothing. It is our actions that matter. It is our love for Jesus that motivates us to love others, to meet their needs.
Jesus said that he was making all of his followers one. He said that we should live in complete unity. He said that if his followers lived that way, that the world would believe that Jesus was who he said he was.
So what happened? Where is the unity?
Wouldn't it be great to know that someone was always supporting you? To have someone that was teaching you and revealing deep mysteries to you. To have someone to remind you of things that are true.
Well, Jesus sent someone, The Spirit of Truth to live in us and to live with us. We are never alone, never on our own. We have help.
Our enemy has a great tactic to get us off track. His game is to try and get me to make my life better by mimicking Jesus. I compare my life to Jesus' life and then try to change myself to become more like Jesus. And it sounds so holy.
The problem is that I am not able to change myself to be like Jesus. Only Jesus can do that. The change must come from the inside - my heart must change, and only Jesus can do that. Listen in to see what it means to be crucified with Christ.
Jesus says that he is the good shepherd. He says that he knows the sheep and he calls them by name. He says that the sheep know him and know his voice. Jesus says that he lays down his life for the sheep.
Can you imagine what that kind of relationship could be like?
The last thing most of us want to be is submissive. We think of a choke hold or tapping out. We don't like to be dominated.
Submitting to Jesus comes from a completely different perspective. Jesus does not have us in a choke-hold, forcing us to comply. Instead, he is offering us a better way to live, and we willfully submit to his leadership. Choosing his ways over our own, because he knows more about His creation that we do.
The way that you have interpreted your life events has a big impact on you. Those events have become the definition of who you are. Jesus offers to help you re-interpret those stories, to set you free from the bondage of living a lie.
This is the offer of life and freedom in the kingdom. Jesus gives us life, and uses the truth to set us free.
It's always good to take some time to review where we are at, and how we got here.
Jesus came to earth to pay a debt of mine that I was unable to pay. As a result, he gave me a new good heart. Now, I can live in intimate relationship with him, which gives me hope for the future. He is my Shepherd, he leads me, he provides for me, and he protects me.
He is the greatest King ever!
The Truth will set you free.
What you believe has a huge impact on your life. If you believe you are weak, it will be very hard for you to live a consistently strong life. We examine several of the common lies that people believe, and contrast those lies with truth from God.
Because of what Jesus has done for us, we believe the most loving thing we can do for others is to go to them and invite them to come and see who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for them.
Sharing your good story with others is a very effective way to invite others to come and see who Jesus is. If you don't have a good story yet, hang on, it's coming.
Using our spiritual gifts, talents, abilities, resources, passions and creativity, we believe that it is our role and responsibility to create excellent environments and eliminate any and all obstacles so that people have the best opportunity to encounter (bump into) Jesus so that He can do what only He can do.
We are committed to being the kind of people who reflect both the purpose and the personality of Jesus by leveraging the gifts Jesus has given us for the benefit of others, both inside the church and outside the church.
[stolen from Flat Irons church]
We believe that living life together in a safe “me too” community is the best opportunity for pursuing truth and grace through intentional apprenticeship to Jesus.
It is our mission to bring everyone at least one step closer to Jesus.
Being saved by grace through faith in Jesus starts us on a never ending journey. A journey of growth and discovery. A journey of becoming who God intended us to be.
We believe that following Jesus involves implementing a strategy to enthrall yourself with God and eliminate any obstacles or responses that stand against God's good intentions for you.
(cheerfully stolen from Flat Irons Community Church)
No matter what you have done wrong, we believe that by grace through faith in Jesus alone, it is still possible to be reconnected back into intimate relationship with God.
That is intimate relationship.
What do you use as a source of truth? How do you determine what is right or wrong for you?
Everyone has a world view, and it impacts what they think, how they feel, what they do, and what they say. As a church, we have also chosen a world view.
There is a war going on. You have an enemy, and he intends to destroy you. Steal. Kill, And Destroy.
We have all we need to defeat this foe. Because of the work of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can have victory. Put on the armor, be aware of the schemes, and stand!
If you know Jesus, you will obey his commands. Many of us struggle to be obedient, we learn today that our obedience is tied to how well we know Jesus.
Jesus is incredible. You really do want to know him more and more.
Jesus did all the work that was required to change me. He gave me a new nature and identity. A new heart, a new life.And because of that new nature, I am different. And, I must become even more so.
Peter tells us that we are on a journey to maturity. Adding more and more to our qualities, until Jesus is all that people see in us.
Ever been under attack? Those are scary words, which cause most of us to be afraid and worried about the outcome. And we should be, there is a lot at stake.
But there is another course you could take. The LORD is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear? These words are in Psalm 27, and there is much insight into how to face times of trouble....
We all have a question that we are seeking to answer. That question is, am I enough? We seek answers to that question in many places. We try to make people happy, but we soon realize that is impossible.
There is a place to seek the answer to that question. Come and find the answer.
We always talk about the prodigal son that took his part of the inheritance, but that father had another son. And that son was jacked up too!
When Jesus saw the crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus is the shepherd.
THE good news. This is the story of rescue and redemption. We were without hope, and then Jesus comes for us. A savior, a brother, a friend.
This is the story that all other great stories draw from. Maybe this is the first time for you to hear this story, or maybe it is very familiar to you. In any case, hearing it brings life and freedom.
The situations that we find ourselves in can be over-whelming. The weight of our problems can be very heavy, and can really wear us out. As a result, we grow weary and lose heart.
Can you believe that there is a way to face life that will not cause you to grow weary and lose heart?
This is true truth. Jesus loves you and shows us how to life without losing heart. This is possible. Listen in and find out how...
"The most important thing about a man is what comes into his mind when he thinks about God" A.W. Tozer ~~
Jesus told a story to help us know The Father better. Listen how this father loves his son. Your Father loves you in the same way. Deeply.
Life is hard. The good news of Jesus is that he has equipped us for that.
So that we don't lose heart. But wait, it seems that we are always losing heart. Listen in to see the hope of not losing heart. It is available.
Jonah ran from God, but God did not run from him. Jonah got a second chance.
God is the God of Second Chances.
Jonah had told God NO, but the loving Father pursued him and rescued him.
Sometimes we tell God no and need to be rescued as well, rescued from our own decisions and choices.
God sent Jonah on a mission, but Jonah ran the other way. Maybe you have told God no too. Watch as the loving Father pursues Jonah, to rescue him from himself.
This mother gave her son some great counsel and advice. We take a look a Proverbs 31 to honor Mothers, and see the impact of imparting a Mother's Wisdom to her children.
There is a war going on.
Jesus has brought us into that battle, and he has given us everything we need to not only fight the battle, but to win the battle. The battle is not with sin, the battle is with our enemy, the devil.
Put on the armor and get in the game.
If you marry, you will have trouble... Did you know the Bible says that?
You might have trouble, but followers of Jesus have been shown what it looks like to do it the 'Jesus way'.
Follow along as we read through Ephesians.
A list of rules to follow, or a description of a follower of Jesus?
Jesus did an incredible work in the life of his followers. You are a changed person, a new creation. Bring it on Jesus!
As for you, you were dead in your sins, but God...
This is the message of the ages. Jesus did the work that only He could do, to set me free from this body of sin and death. Because of Jesus, I am fully alive.
Jesus did a great work in you, he changed you from the inside out. But wait, there's more!
The Spirit reveals the great mystery to us. Jesus gives us great power through the power of His love. The Father brings His glory. More than we can ask. More than we can image.
You had a problem. Jesus did a great work to solve that problem.
Will you accept that Jesus changed you? It is critical for you to know and truly believe who you are in Christ. You cannot consistently behave in a way that is contrary to what you believe.
Life is full of trouble. It is one thing that we can count on, we will have trouble.
The good news is that Jesus has provided for all of our needs; physical, spiritual and emotional. He has more than provided, he says we are blessed. That makes me happy.