Annex Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
Annex Church
Has the year we’re having left you feeling stuck in the middle of what used to be and what you hope for in the future? Join us for another Online Gathering as we hear an encouraging word about the grace and goodness of God in a sermon entitled “Between Grace and Glory”.
Are you feeling overcome by evil? Like everything and everyone is against you? Pastor Ray continues in the book of Esther in the message "All the King's Horses" and reveals how God's will overrides man's intentions in the lives of the Jews and in our lives as well. He can take our circumstances and turn them for good.
We continue in the book of Esther this Sunday in the sermon "Now That You Mention It" looking at two men living parallel lives--one destined for greatness and the other for the gallows. Pastor Ray reveals how involved God really is in a story where everything seemed to be unraveling. When the world around us seems to be falling apart, we too need to see that this is bigger than just you and me.
We read of Queen Esther's story last time as she put her life on the line. We learn how she thoughtfully positions herself and is beautifully robed for the occasion of addressing her king. Let us take a moment to consider our next steps by going to the King of kings in prayer so that we do not misstep. Do you robe yourself with the beauty of the Gospel as you approach others?
In a time of persecution, protests, and unrest on top of a global pandemic, how do we become catalysts for change? Pastor Ray directs us to God's Word in the book of Esther as we see how He used one young lady who risked her life for others who were being oppressed. We are challenged to put God's will and others first. Maybe you too were born for such a time as this.
This week Pastor Ray takes us to the story of young Samuel where the word of the Lord is first revealed to him. How can we tell God’s voice above the noise the world is making? If we want to hear from God, we have to be intentional and intimate in our relationship with Him. Do you need a place or space where you receive from God? He wants to talk to you. "Are You Listening?”
We celebrate Annex Easter 2020 with our first ever Easter online video gathering as Pastor Ray shares an invitation from the Master. Jesus visits with his disciples after the resurrection in John 21 and he finds them navigating the waters of “familiar” and what used to be. Are you longing so deeply for what used to be that you miss what Jesus has for you now. He bids us “Come.”
In the sermon "The Miracle in the Mess" Pastor Ray makes a Shift this week to a miraculous story where Peter transforms a place of pain and death into a place of prayer and life. God is using this time where His church is scattered and isolated to prepare us for what’s on the other side. At a time where death stands at our doorstep, will you be vulnerable enough to allow Him to shift you into a place of change?
During a time of worldwide quarantine, Pastor Ray takes us to the book of Acts where we read how Paul and Silas reacted to being beaten and imprisoned. The isolation not only exposes our priorities, but gives us time to reevaluate them. We continue in our series Shift with the message of passion, purpose, and praise in the sermon “Midnight to Morning.” Are you using this time as an opportunity to be in the presence of God and rearrange your priorities?
Have you ever been so close to reaching for something you really wanted, but then fall short just before getting there? We are visiting Acts 3 in the sermon “Silver and Gold” as we hear of a lame man who was carried daily just outside the gates of the temple, but never quite able to enter into the presence of God. When he meets Peter and John a Shift takes place that alters his life forever. Are you focused on what you do not have instead of what or Who you do have?
In a world of uncertainty, Pastor Ray teaches through Mark 4 which tells of a great storm that filled the disciples on the boat with panic and fear. Where was Jesus? Didn’t he care? He was sleeping. In the middle of the panic and chaos, who are you looking to? What are you focusing on? We continue in our series Shift in “He Gave You Peace” as we see Jesus’ reply and response.
Pastor Rachel delivers the next installment of our series Shift from Acts 8 where we learn “Where Change Is Born.” The Ethiopian that Philip has an encounter with was trying to find fulfillment in religion. His transformation begins with a conversation and the Gospel. Are you riding in a chariot, or are you, like Philip, sent to be next to those in the chariot?
We’re excited to begin our new series Shift with the sermon “Jesus Changes You.” We see how Saul in the book of Acts was running in the wrong direction but believed he was doing the work of God. He encounters Jesus at an intersection on the way to Damascus. When you cross paths with Jesus, one of you has to yield—and it isn’t Jesus. Everything changes, everything shifts when you meet the real Jesus.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live a worry-free existence? What would it take to arrive at the point where we no longer worry? This Sunday we find the antidote and the solution to the anxiety we struggle with straight from the words of Jesus himself.
There are times that our lives look like a terrible mess. There are times when we are under attack. But sometimes it’s not what it seems. In Part 5 of Blessings Flow we see that we all are a mess. We all have issues. Maybe, like God’s people in 2 Kings 3, there is a miracle in our mess.
We continue in our series Blessing Flow and we have seen how the work and obedience of the Israelites have brought them blessings. But God doesn’t work progressively and systematically like we think He should. He blesses those who need Him. He blesses those who prepare to receive His blessings. His blessings are unseen until--Suddenly! Are you waiting for your blessings? God still does miracles. He still does suddenly.
In Part 3 of Blessings Flow we see how they all endured the night after digging their ditches. Maybe you are in the middle of your night. God placed them in the valley where they were fully dependent and devoted to Him. It’s time you put it all on the line and watch what God does when you trust and elevate God where He belonged all along.
How God-aware are you? We continue with Part 2 of the sermon Blessings Flow where we see Elisha shift the atmosphere with a song and a Word from God. When we're aware of our God, something significant shifts. Have you lost your vision of God and replaced it with idols?
What is your mindset as it pertains to the blessings of God on your life? We read in 2 Kings the story of Elisha and how he quickly resets the mindsets of those around him from victims to victors. What if we are suppose to walk into our days already having the victory?
As we begin a new decade, many of us start out with resolutions that may stretch us. Are you missing out on the good things because you're focused on the wrong things? What we choose to focus on changes everything. Pastor Ray reminds us who we are in light of who God is and that we must fix our eyes on Jesus.
What do you cry out to God for? We cry out to God for things we don’t have, but God points us back to what we do have. It's in our deficiencies, emptiness, and not enoughs that God shows us His sufficiency. Pastor Ray charges us to expect greater things from God—the source of all things good—as we read of a brave servant in 2 Kings. What is your level of expectancy?
Who has hurt you deeply? We filter the way we look at God and others based on our past relationships and what they’ve done to us. Pastor Ray reminds us that God uses the evil meant against us for good. We can begin to rebuild that broken trust. But God cannot heal what we conceal and don't reveal. Will you trust God will your past hurts? Will you allow others to be a part of the healing?
This week in the series Not Easily Broken we hear the story in Luke 5 of men filled with faith who through challenging circumstances brought their paraplegic friend to Jesus. Are you willing to carry your friends to Jesus' feet? Pastor Ray explains that our faith has enough power to sustain our weak family and friends and change someone else's life because we have a Savior who resurrects what cannot be resurrected. He is a Healer with "No Strings Attached."
In our Not Easily Broken series we tackle some hard issues and heart checks about honesty in our connections with others and with God. What's the "fine print" you've written into your close relationships? Who reminds you of your proper place in the kingdom of God? Join us as Pastor Ray teaches through the Word in the message "Pick-Me-Up" where we can learn to build deeper connections with each other as Jesus followers.
We're in the middle of a conversation about community in our series Not Easily Broken. Who do you trust completely? Is there anyone you are standing with "heart and soul" or are you walking through life alone? We're at war and Pastor Ray uses the special relationship of Jonathan and his armor-bearer to show us how to choose those we do battle with in the sermon called "Got Yo Back."
We're excited to begin our series "Not Easily Broken" and we start off this Sunday understanding how we have all been designed for community. Who do you turn to in times of brokenness? And how do you trust people when you've been hurt and betrayed? Don't miss the sermon titled "Who Is My Friend" where Pastor Ray guides us from the Word how we can initiate healthy relationships.
We often find ourselves hiding in plain sight from our circumstances, from others, from ourselves, and even from God. We all play hide-and-seek on a spiritual level. Lean in and listen as Pastor Ray helps us discover where to find a new hiding place in our .Life series in the sermon from Psalm 46.
Do you ever feel paralyzed by the thought that nothing will ever change? We read this Sunday of two men who begged for Jesus to change the impossible for them. Join us in the sermon "Never the Same" as Pastor Ray helps us discover why the greatest catalyst for change can be found in the answer to the question Jesus himself asked: "Do you really believe I can do this?"
What exactly is "grace"? Who receives it? When is it achieved? Do you fall in and out of His grace? If you feel as though grace is just a too-good-to-be-true element of Jesus, join us as Pastor Ray shares through the Word in the sermon "God Does It" what it means to live daily in the grace of God in the next installment of our .Life series.
We continue in our .Life series with a message from Pastor Ray in John 8 that simplifies for Jesus followers "What Really Matters." The life you live will only be significant if you love like Jesus loved. Do you see people like Jesus sees people—moved with compassion—or are you standing there with a rock in your hand?
How do we find our way into community and accountability in today's world of hyperindividualism? Pastor Ray explains in the sermon ".Family" how becoming vulnerable and real with one another can tear down the walls we built of past hurts, fears, and self-preservation. That's when God not only changes our lives, but where dependency on Him and each other makes us stronger together.
We are excited to begin our new series .Life this week in the sermon "No Place Like Home" as Pastor Ray traces the footsteps of God through the pages of Scripture and how He has revealed His glory to us. Join us and listen in to the truths shared and learn how you can be a Jesus follower who radiates that glory to others.
Do you ever feel like giving up because the "Odds Against" you seemed suffocating? Nobody would blame you if you just quit. This week in the book of Mark we read two stories where there seemed to be no relief and no hope—but Jesus! There is a bigger picture than what you are looking at right now. This week Pastor Ray reveals how we can live in such a way that glory is in our sights and not just relief.
In this week's sermon "How to Thread a Camel," Pastor Ray takes us through the story of Jesus and a young man who held on so tightly to the things he deemed important that he missed out on the grace of God. What one thing do you lack? What have you replaced in your life for God's grace?
Are you so busy waiting for the promises of tomorrow that you're missing out on the promises of today? Our inspiring Mother's Day sermon was delivered by Pastor Rachel called "It's a Long Game" where we survey the game-changing story of two God-fearing women. Will you reclaim your purpose, as these two faithful women did, to live a life of greatness for Jesus?
In the amazing story from I Kings we find a mighty prophet of God in a dark and isolate place where he crawled into because he just wanted to die. What deep, dark caves have you crawled into? God is asking you what he asked Elijah: "What are you doing here?" Pastor Ray delivers the sermon "What's in a Cave" and teaches us how to listen to the whispers of our loving and great God.
We continue in our series Beauty for Ashes in the story of Jesus and his deliberate encounter with a lonely and isolated Samaritan woman at the well. What wells are you drawing from? Do you find yourself thirsty, drawing from wells that do not satisfy? Listen in to the sermon "Thirsty" where Pastor Ray reveals how Jesus quenches your soul with living water.
Join us for Annex Easter at Noah’s Event Venue. We have a fantastic day planned for the entire family. We believe that God can turn around any situation for good, just like He did through His son, Jesus Christ. Let’s remember the life Jesus made possible for us when He defeated death on Easter Sunday! We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
We can all agree that waiting for anything we want is not an easy thing in our instant gratification society. Are you quitting and giving up before your next breakthrough or will you trust Him? Pastor Ray, in the sermon "Ready… or Not," explains that in the space between the "now" and the "next" is where God stretches and grows us within.
Are you tirelessly trying to write your own story in this life and trying to create or maintain the identity you built yourself? This Sunday we see through the book of James and the sermon "Same Days, New Dream" that following Jesus means giving up the luxury of having our own way. Listen in as we hear what happens when you let Jesus write your story and your identity is in Christ.
If the tongue is a tattletale of what's in your heart, and we are marked by the words that we use, how do you measure up? We continue in the book of James as Pastor Rachel inspires us to use our voices to speak life and love into a world that is crying out and hurting in the sermon "Turn it Around."
Do you feel like your faith is weak or lacking and you just can't seem to get it right? In the sermon "It's Working," Pastor Ray reminds us that faith is not some formula, it's a function. He takes us through James 2 from our series Prone to Wander to show us that it's when you actually put faith and works hand in hand that you can actually make progress.
If Jesus is the personification of love, what would change if we were really more like Him? If we walked into any place with the mentality of "What can I give?" instead of "What can I get?" James gives us the keys to the Christian life, because he knows we are Prone to Wander. "A Fair Shake" is this weeks' title from the message given on Sunday as we are challenged to ask ourselves some hard questions.
Continuing in our Prone to Wander series with the message "Pull it Together," we are delving deep into the love letter written by James that guides us on how to maneuver through this life. Pastor Rachel reminds us that when we prioritize love–the outpouring of God's love upon us, and the continuous outpouring of God's love through us–we will find the life we are seeking and the answers we are wanting.
We begin our new series Prone to Wander where we listen to the message preached by Pastor Ray entitled "Count on It." Jesus warns us that we will have trouble and tribulations and distractions in this life. The question is what will you allow the pressure to do to you?
We had an exciting Vision Sunday where we move forward into a new season for ANX this year. Do you need to know how to take small steps toward big change? If we plan to walk and work with Jesus, we must allow Him to set the pace. In the sermon "Rhythm" we see in Matthew 11 the unforced rhythms of grace as we learn from Jesus.
Do you need a new perspective for 2019? There's a story of Jesus' closest friends in the midst of a terrifying storm in the book of Luke that we start our new year off with in the sermon "18-Inch Journey" this Sunday. Listen and learn how to transfer the peace promised in the pages of Scripture into our hearts.
Do you ever doubt your standing with God? Our own self-talk and lies from the enemy can flood our thoughts with uncertainty and unbelief. We are reassured in John 5 that you can "Lift Your Head Up" high and know with confidence exactly where you stand because of Jesus. The truth is—we are loved!
There are seasons in life when we feel "Dazed and Confused" and when it's difficult to make sense of what's going on. That's how the Jesus followers on the road to Emmaus felt after the crucifixion. All they had expected and hoped for was gone. Where do you place your hope? We will trace their trip in the book of Luke and see the story is not over yet.
The holidays are upon us! But with already so much to do, how do we keep from feeling completely surrounded and suffocated or defeated? In the sermon "Today Years Old" we gain the perspective of the great prophet named Elisha. Lean in, listen, and learn so that you don't miss out on something amazing God has for you because you're missing something.
We learned this Sunday in the sermon "Against All Hope" that faith is the gap between the promise and the fulfillment of that promise. Are you tired of waiting for an answer to your prayers? Are you feeling hopeless while waiting in that place of "God you said…"? Join us as we hear of the faith of Abraham and Sarah in their story of hopelessness.
The pages of Scripture are painted throughout with the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. We read and hear about it so often that do you sometimes find yourself taking it for granted? God is able to make all grace abound to us—and it's free! When did you outgrow God's grace? Lean in and listen how the 'friend of sinners' wants to lavishly overflow and invade our lives with His "Extraa" grace.
Our sermon this week titled "Into the Night" reminds us that we carry the life-giving message to others and at times it can be scary and uncomfortable, but we follow a God who invades dark places. Are you afraid of the dark? Jesus says you are the light of the world. Shine!
Many of us are stuck hanging onto things that weigh us down and hold us back from our true priorities. We read this week of two special women in Jesus' life in the sermon "Hangers-on." Are you getting it all wrong? Listen in and learn how to live freely and lightly.
We're exploring a new view at an old and familiar story of the Good Samaritan in the sermon "Passersby 2" when Jesus addresses a challenge given to him by a religious lawyer looking for a loophole. Instead of being divisive and unwilling to talk about the hard issues, what if we started seeing and thinking and acting more like Jesus did?
This Sunday was a special "Back to Church Sunday" where we celebrated baptisms. We also discover in Mark 15 how a divine interruption into one man's life allowed him to witness the most significant moment in all of history. Join us for the sermon "Passersby" where you will see we also have the opportunity to be written into God's story.
Sometimes we get so caught up in thinking of where we've been and where we want to be, rather we should be giving our "Total Attention" to what God is doing right now. Jesus reminds us that we can't change the past, and we can't always shape what the future looks like, but the present is a remarkable gift He gives to us.
We continue in our study of the Sermon on the Mount and see Jesus challenge the religious people of the day on everything they knew and heard up until that time. He doesn't just tell them how to live, but he leads and loves graciously. Do you want to have the heart of Jesus? In the sermon titled "Generously," we see what can happen when we give Jesus permission to rearrange our hearts.
Our daily lives are inundated with options and decisions and even life-changing choices at times. What happens if we choose the wrong thing? In this Sunday's sermon we learn the key to living an "Undivided" life and how to make the choices that God wants us to make.
Changes that come to us in life can be unexpected, painful, and downright frightening. When we latch onto the familiar and resist the changes God has for us, we miss the blessings. Are you ready to embrace what's coming? We learn to surrender and grow in this week's sermon "It's Time for a Change.
In our Forever, Amen series we continue in Matthew 6 as Jesus takes time in the Lord's Prayer to teach us about forgiveness. Forgiveness is something we all desire, but it can be difficult to forgive others sometimes. Jesus reveals to us that forgiveness and forgiven are one in the same.
In this week's sermon "Give Us Bread" we're reminded by the bread Giver himself that prayer is more than just words and thoughts, it’s a lifestyle. Lean in as we learn more of the character of our generous God in the Lord's Prayer in our next installment from our Forever, Amen series.
Do you want to be known as a people of prayer? As we continue in our study in the series Forever, Amen, we learn how to make God's agenda our agenda. Join us as we hear Jesus' model how to live out what he prayed for in the sermon "Your Kingdom Come."
We celebrated Father's Day at Annex and began our new series Forever, Amen where we delve deeper into the words of Jesus as we study Matthew 6. In this Sunday's sermon "Our Father," we don't learn new formulas or techniques on prayer, but we learn how not to pray as Jesus models for us how to revolutionize our own prayer life.
Does it feel like you're always living your life in a "State of Emergency," like there's just never enough? We're in Deuteronomy, chapter 8, as we take a look at the provision of manna the Israelites were given. What if instead of having a limited view of God, we live our lives immersed in his light, his love, and his grace?
Sunday's sermon titled "The Gap We Live In" is the story of King David and the time from when he was anointed to the time he was appointed. He lived his life faithfully with consistency in the pasture before he was given the palace. Will you worship God in the gaps?
It's always inspiring to get a glimpse of the life of someone great. Tonight we get to see the physical and spiritual posture of Elijah, who was one of the greatest prophets ever, when he was at his lowest. Are you willing to lean in and listen to what God has to tell you? Tonight we hear Elijah's story in the sermon "What Are You Doing? Hear."
This Sunday is Mother's Day and we observe "The Most Fortunate Woman on Earth." Mary's obedience to her God risked making a mess of her life, but it's often in the middle of your mess that a miracle is born. Are you willing to be a conduit that delivers Jesus to others in this life?