Pantano Christian Church: Recent Episodes
Pantano Christian Church
Weekly messages from the Teaching Team at Pantano and special guests. For more info, visit pantano.church
Life can feel unstable when fear rises, plans fall apart, and waiting on God becomes painful. In this message from our Anchors series, we look at the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 and discover the heart of a God who meets people in the wilderness. Through her story, we’re reminded that God is not distant, detached, or indifferent to our pain. He is the God who sees, the God who hears, and the One who can hold the full weight of our lives.
Life can feel unstable when plans change, pressure rises, and the future feels uncertain. In the opening message of our Anchors series, we’re reminded that what we’re locked into determines what holds us. Through Isaiah 55:8-9 and Proverbs 3:5-7, this message invites us to trust God’s higher perspective, surrender our limited understanding, and anchor our lives in the truth that God sees more than we see, knows what we don’t know, and is working through us for a greater purpose.
Justice and mercy begin with humility. When we walk humbly with God, we remember that we are recipients of grace before we are dispensers of it.
Justice confronts wrongdoing, but mercy restores people. Mercy is choosing compassion when punishment would be easier.
Justice isn’t just a political issue or cultural conversation. It is a command from God. When we pursue justice, we reflect the heart of God for people who are overlooked, oppressed, or forgotten.
The church isn’t a cruise ship designed for your comfort; it’s a battleship prepared for your calling.
God redeems our relational past and leads us into relationships that reflect His faithfulness.
Healthy relationships don’t start with quick fixes, they start with character, loyalty, and choosing God’s way even when it costs you.
Faith is personal, but never private. Changed people don’t walk alone—they walk together in community, connection, and purpose.
God’s Word isn’t old or outdated—it’s alive and active, shaping who we are and how we live.
Generosity changes more than finances—it reshapes hearts, homes, and communities. When we give radically, we reflect God’s radical love.
Being Kingdom first drives us beyond our own church community. We strive to join God wherever He is at work. Church is who we are, wherever we are.
Love is our language. Everything we do, every ministry we lead, every person we meet...our goal is to love them toward Jesus.
Grace is the heartbeat of who we are. We freely give what God has freely given to us…because grace received should always become grace extended.
The days after Christmas are quiet, reflective, and sometimes heavy. In this short devotional with Pastor Trevor, we pause between seasons to remember a steady truth: God is with you.
Drawing from Isaiah 43 and Lamentations 3, this message invites you to look back with honesty, look around with gratitude, and look ahead with faith as you step into a new year.
Advent culminates in Jesus—God with us. He steps into our exile, turns our alienation into adoption, and makes our longing a homecoming.
Israel’s exile wasn’t just geographic—it was bondage. Just as God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt and Babylon, Jesus came to free us from sin’s captivity.
Humanity’s first exile was from Eden—sin separated us from God, leaving us alienated and longing for restoration. Advent is God’s promise that He will not leave us outside the garden.
Exile starts in Eden, but grace starts in Bethlehem.
Building your life on obedience versus convenience.
Your foundation reveals your future.
How we treat others determines how they see God.
You can’t lift up the name of God while tearing down someone made in His image.
There are two paths, one leads to life, the other to destruction.
Your path determines your destination.
Tracking your money shows your treasure, and your treasure reveals your heart.
When you know where your money’s going, you’ll know what’s growing.
When we give first, we put God first — and flip the script from me-first living to others-first giving.
The first thing you send determines who’s in charge — you or your money.
When we use our resources for something beyond ourselves, we move from stuff to stories and build a legacy worth living.
We don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.
Build a trail system—your daily and weekly rhythms—to sustain soul health. Habits must be structured into systems.
You can’t always control the day, but you can decide how it starts.
Jesus started his days in prayer and solitude. A consistent morning routine connects you to God and resets your soul.
Your habits direct your life more than your intentions.
Your habits reveal your spiritual direction. Design your life with soul-feeding rhythms, not willpower alone.
You can't get where you want to go if you don't know where you are—or if you're walking the wrong trail.
Identify sin, fear, and lies that sabotage your soul. Don’t abandon good trails out of fear. Do an honest trail assessment.
The best journeys are shaped by who we share them with.
God created us for community. Deep relationships help us thrive spiritually and emotionally. Vulnerability is key.
You can’t move forward unless you know where you currently are.
The soul is the essence of who you are. A well-ordered soul is essential for a life of peace and purpose. Start by assessing your current location—mentally, physically, relationally, and spiritually.
Generosity is worship in motion. At the altar of generosity, we don’t just give what we have—we declare who we trust.
Worship isn’t a moment—it’s a lifestyle. Altars of worship remind us that God is worthy in every season, and our response to His worthiness is surrender and praise.
Altars are places of offering. Sacrifice is costly—but it’s also the doorway to obedience, transformation, and trust in God’s provision.
God calls us to remember His faithfulness so we don’t forget His power. Altars of remembrance anchor our faith in His past provision and fuel our trust for the future.
The Christian life is not about trying harder—it’s about staying connected to the power source.
This week at Pantano, guest speaker Carlos Whittaker shares a powerful message from his book "Reconnected" about the importance of stepping away from our screens and reconnecting with the life God designed for us. Through a two-month journey without technology, living with monks and the Amish, Carlos discovered how silence, slowness, and intentional presence, can help us hear God's voice more clearly. If you've been feeling overwhelmed, distracted, or disconnected, this message offers both challenge and hope.
Our lives aren’t separated between the Spiritual and Secular. God is always present, which means we are invited to be formed into the likeness of Christ, even in the ordinary or mundane. Every moment can be Holy!
Jesus invites us to get and stay close to him. He treasures us and wants to transform our hearts. But the transformation happens according to our proximity and time with him. You see the only way we’ll become more like Jesus is to let his heart influence our heart. For only the heart of Jesus can transform your heart. Do you know and experience the heart of Jesus? How are you letting his heart shape your heart?
What you believe about eternity shapes how you live today. In this message, we debunk common myths about heaven—it's not boring, this world isn't our true home, and heaven isn't guaranteed for everyone. Discover the joy, beauty, and purpose that await us, and see how focusing on eternity changes our daily lives.
Every believer has a unique story of God’s grace and a call to a life of worship. When we share our testimony and live in worship daily, we join in God’s great melody – pointing others to Him and giving Him glory with our words and lives.
Serving others is a core beat in the soundtrack of discipleship. When we serve in sync with Jesus’ example – humbly and selflessly – we become His hands and feet in our community, and our faith comes alive in practical love.
Giving generously is a joyful rhythm that reflects God’s own heart. When we give sacrificially, we break the grip of greed and discover that generosity is a groove that blesses others, honors God, and grows our faith.
Repentance is the rhythm of realignment – turning away from sin and back to God. It breaks the power of sin and leads to refreshment, freedom, and a renewed relationship with Christ.
Daily devotion and prayer are the rhythms that keep us in tune with God’s heart, forming the foundation of a growing relationship with Him.
The world is a system of values opposed to the Kingdom of God, calling us to conform, but Jesus empowers us to live counter culturally.
The flesh is our disordered desires that pull us away from God’s design, but through the Spirit, we can walk in freedom.
The Devil distorts, Jesus Delivers. We’re in a spiritual battle against deception. The devil’s weapon is lies, but we fight back with truth and community. This week, identify one lie, replace it with God’s Word, and lean into community—because truth leads to freedom.
We will reflect on the wisdom of considering others' perspectives in our relationships. By practicing empathy and understanding, we can navigate conflicts and challenges more effectively. This message will encourage attendees to think beyond themselves and cultivate a spirit of compassion in their interactions.
We will confront the cultural narratives surrounding sex and intimacy, discussing how they often conflict with biblical teachings. We will explore God's design for sex and how understanding its purpose can lead to healthier, more fulfilling relationships. This week aims to redefine our views on intimacy and encourage a deeper understanding of its significance.
We will delve into the importance of respect and integrity in relationships. We will discuss the qualities that define a true gentleman and how these traits can transform our interactions with others. By emphasizing the value of character over charm, we can foster deeper connections built on trust and mutual respect.
We will delve into the importance of respect and integrity in relationships. We will discuss the qualities that define a true gentleman and how these traits can transform our interactions with others. By emphasizing the value of character over charm, we can foster deeper connections built on trust and mutual respect.
Main Idea: True respect is the foundation of lasting relationships.
Esther was positioned as queen for a critical moment in history, yet she overthought the danger of approaching the king to save her people. Her hesitation nearly cost lives, but when she embraced her calling, God used her to deliver Israel.
Saul was chosen as the first king of Israel, but his overthinking and insecurity led him to compare himself to others, which ultimately resulted in his downfall. He constantly doubted his worth and feared the opinions of people more than God’s command.
Moses was called by God from a burning bush to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But before he accepted the call, Moses overthought his abilities, questioning whether he was the right person for the job. He gave God multiple excuses, doubting his speech, his authority, and even God’s plan.
Without you, Jesus doesn’t need to show up. Jesus showing up is to save and transform humanity and that includes each of us
Every story needs supporting characters in the story. Without them, people don’t get saved. Prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. How do we celebrate together?
Love isn’t just a feeling; it’s an action. Our faith is demonstrated through how we love others, especially those who are different from us.
God challenges Peter to break through cultural and religious barriers to bring the message of Jesus to Cornelius, a Gentile. This story illustrates that God’s love transcends all human divisions, and we are called to embrace and love those who are different from us, recognizing that God’s grace is for everyone.
Jesus shows us that no one is beyond the reach of His love. We are called to extend grace to those whom society labels as unworthy or untouchable.
Jesus teaches that how we treat the “least of these” is a direct reflection of our love for Him. We are called to recognize and serve those who are often overlooked or marginalized, showing them the love of Christ through our actions.
Jesus tells Pilate before he is crucified what his Kingdom is all about. Pilate wants the truth, can’t seem to see the truth, even though the truth is in front of him…literally. All he can see is his earthly kingdom and politics. He cared more about popularity and his job security than the truth. Some of you care more about your candidate and your party than you do the truth of Jesus and the Kingdom.
Jesus again says that “You have heard the law that says.” This time it is the law that says love your neighbor and hate your enemy. However, Jesus says love your neighbor and pray for your enemy. If we spend more time praying than hating…the world would be a better place.
Resist the urge to retaliate with revenge.
Main Idea: Jesus says in the sermon on the mount “you have heard the law that says”. He talks about the law of a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. Yet, what he never says is to overthrow or go rebellious in a negative way towards the law, but to resist the urge to be revenge givers.
The big question Christians always have is who do we serve? If we serve Jesus, then do we simply rebel against the government? Jesus says to give to Caesar what is his. How do we reconcile what he tells us to do to our allegiance to Christ?
The context of “where two or three are gathered together in my name” has to do with church discipline and the confrontation of the wayward sinner. In verse 16, the principle has been invoked of needing “two or three witnesses” in making an accusation. It seems that the mention of “two or three” in verse 20 echoes that principle; the “two or three” are confronting sin in the church.
While one of the most taken out of context scriptures, it does tell us that we as individuals are being selected by God and he is going to spoil us extravagantly. This text is written to an exiled people and while the sentiments we have created are nice…they are not for our context.
For years this text has been used to thwart people defacing the body. But it goes so much deeper than that. You are not your own means God purchased you and now possesses ownership of your body. We were once slaves to sin and death, but Jesus “gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds”
Burn The Ship of Living. We have lived most of our lives thinking we aren’t gifted enough, have enough time, enough resources, etc to help people see Jesus. Jesus calls us to leave all behind to follow him.
Burn The Ships of Giving. You think you don’t have enough to give. How can I give out of nothing? God says test me in this and watch me provide.
Burn the ships of serving. We have sometimes felt we are not worthy to serve. We have bought the lie that Jesus would not want to use us because of our past and present.
The only way our “neighbors” hear about Jesus is if we will rub elbows with those that need Jesus.
If we are going to be able to transform and be more like Jesus, we have to be more committed to being in and doing life with other people.
When we understand our commitment to Christ, we can’t help but be committed to the church and her mission.
We live in a world where people are experiencing hell on earth. However, Jesus says “on earth as it is in heaven.”
In a world where the harvest for peace is large…the workers are few. We need to be working to bring peace and hope to the world around us.
We live in a world that wants to repay evil for evil. Jesus says that we conquer evil by doing good.
At Pantano Christian Church we are unapologetic grace givers that love people to Jesus and launch passionate Difference Makers around the world.
We get clear eyes when we look to the Father for help. Full hearts; we struggle when we’re losing faith.
In a world that is not black and white, the church and culture have become even more separated. How do we go from racism to unity?
In a world that is not black and white, the church and culture have become even more separated. How do we go from racism to unity?
Has God called you to take any big risks lately? God is looking for humility and availability. Sustained life change happens in community.
Don’t downplay how God created you to please and serve others. There’s no such thing as a second-class calling.
Who am I? Why am I here? No matter how old you are or what stage in life you’re in, those two questions can play a significant role in life. Try to understand the complex and unique design God has put on your life. Your story, your life matters. Isaiah 43:1 says God has summoned you by name. But sometimes we feel like we are too messed up to matter. But the truth is, it’s okay not to be okay. Psalm 139:16 says, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Being honest about your obstacles and opportunities isn’t always easy. Although we admire each other’s strengths, we connect with each other’s weaknesses. Be excited about what God is going to do in your life and through your life.
This Easter, we're learning how Jesus brings calm to our crazy lives. Even when things get super messy, like they did when Jesus was on Earth, He tells us, "It is finished." That means He's made everything okay again. We get to start fresh, find peace, and help others feel better too. Let's find out together how Jesus beating death helps us beat our own messes and make the world a brighter place.
How do we make Jesus fit our political views? Remind people to see their politics through the lens of Jesus, not Jesus through the lens of my politics. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Jesus said, "I am the Messiah." He Gets us…Jesus was fed up with Politics too.
We like Jesus as our buddy because He will go along with anything. But this is not the Jesus we know from the scriptures. We don’t like the Jesus that will hold us to what we need to hear and do. He is our Redeemer, our Rock, and our Ruler. He didn't come to earth to be cool, He came to save us.
Jesus is here to judge and condemn me, is the thought of most of us. Yet, Jesus said Himself that He did not come to judge…but to seek and save those that are lost. We as Christians want to be like Jesus who says He did not come to judge. However, we like to take on the role as judge in the lives of others. Luke 19:10 tells us, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Does our forgiveness change our guilt…it should. Yet, we keep making ourselves pay for a debt that has already been paid.
We’ve rebranded Jesus in our image to meet our needs. Just give me what I want; if I give enough money, and pray enough then I will be happy. I can have a convenient/hurried faith and still be okay. Burger King Jesus - we want Him the way we want Him. We want Him as long as He fits our narrative. Jesus judges others the way I judge others…We’ve created Jesus in our own image. As long as you’re like me, I’m comfortable.
It is one thing to walk into church or faith, but without people actually hearing the truth and being taught the truth, they will find themselves frustrated and lost in their faith. We are actually commissioned to preach and teach, and we respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting, we can be Jesus, show Jesus and direct people to Jesus.
We, all Christians, not just church leaders should engage actively in disciple-making, highlighting the unchanging nature of Jesus' message of salvation despite societal shifts. The narrative also reflects on adapting to new technologies and cultural changes, urging an understanding of the current times for effective ministry, inspired by the biblical example of the men of Issachar.
GO and reach. Where and how do we go? The word GO means “as we are going.” When you GO God will SHOW. He will show you who and how.
In this week's insightful message, we turn our focus to a topic often overlooked in church communities - singleness. It's a call to both singles and married individuals to understand and appreciate the unique value and challenges of being single in a faith-based context.
Relationships are important. Connecting with others is part of why God created us. He built a desire for community within our souls. Friendships are also important. Like all relationships, they take time, trust and work. It won’t all be good or bad but in the end it’s worth it. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the first example we have of friendship and community. We will explore how the Trinity and Communion are the purest form of friendship and love.
Dive into an honest and transformative discussion about the role of sex in Christian marriage. In this message, we confront the misconceptions and silence surrounding the topic of sex in church settings, offering a refreshing and necessary perspective for couples today.
Marriage has its challenges and successes. When we prioritize humility and our spouse's needs we find the challenge. We also find a war between unrealistic expectations and being selfless Christ-like people. John 13:34 says it all: love each other, just as I have loved you. Seek the One with your two. Marriage can be easy but it takes hard work.
Luke 2, focus on the announcement of Christ’s birth from God’s heavenly host, the army of angels who have been battling the powers of darkness all along, and because of his birth so many years ago, we have hope! Back to Revelation 12:17, after Jesus defeated Satan, the dragon went off to “make war against the rest of her offspring”—those who obey God’s commandments. That’s us! What difference will knowing this make for you and your family this Christmas? That makes this season not just a celebration of gift giving and eating but one where we celebrate the victory the birth of Christ brought to the world in terms of winning the war.
Isaiah 9:2; the 400 “silent years” between the OT and NT when Alexander the Great was wreaking havoc; John 1:1-5; A well-worn adage from the 1600s declares that it’s always the darkest just before the dawn. Christmas is a celebration of light: Lights are strung everywhere both indoors and out. If you’ve ever wondered why, it’s because Jesus, the light of the world, pierced the darkness of our world, making it possible for us to see clearly enough to escape one world and move into the next. Jesus broke through the 400 years of silence; and God had been preparing for this for a long time; see also Galatians 4:3-5. The listener who feels that he or she is in “the silent years with God” needs to be patient and wait, knowing that God is preparing something awesome.
Genesis 3, Genesis 3:15 is the first announcement of the Gospel message, the prediction of Christ’s victory over Satan; Garden of Eden and Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus vs. Satan all throughout his ministry, temptations of Christ; Open with the clip from Passion of the Christ where Christ crushes the serpent in the Garden of Gethsemane— throwback to Genesis 3:15; conclude with 1 John 3:8, the Son of God appeared to “destroy the devil’s work.”
We are constantly worshiping. Our lives are filled with worship…where we focus our worship is up to us. Will we choose the temporary gods of our culture or the Eternal God whose very presence can transform us for eternity?
Chasing external factors like money, a career, appearance, and relationships will only lead to emptiness. Fulfillment can only be found in Jesus Christ. Contentment isn’t found in the absence of problems, but in the presence of God.
The Point of Our INVITE isn’t to Create Converts…it’s to Create a Confidence that they BELONG.
When we get bold, we overcome the boulders that will be dropped in our lives and help people overcome theirs too.
When we get bold, we overcome the boulders that will be dropped in our lives and help people overcome theirs too.
We are willing to go out because people matter enough to go from the church and be the church.
We are jumping into the heart of generosity. Drawing inspiration from Luke 21:1-4, we witness Jesus' unique perspective on giving. He values equal sacrifice, not equal gifts. The widow's humble offering, though small in quantity, exemplified deep sacrifice. Generosity isn't defined by the amount but by the spirit behind it. We learn that every one of us possesses the capacity to be generous, regardless of our financial situation.
We’re discussing how people often worry about financial matters, such as bills, savings, and income, which can divert our focus from God. We’ll explore Luke 12:22-34, where Jesus encourages his disciples not to worry because they are valuable to God. Seek God's kingdom above all else and trust Him to provide for your needs.
We’re focusing on money and possessions, challenging the notion of whether we have money or if money has us. The story of the Rich Young Ruler is examined, highlighting the struggle between wealth and devotion to Jesus. While the young man lived righteously, he couldn't part with his riches to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We’re encouraging you to reevaluate your relationship with money and trust God.
Discover how to overcome past financial mistakes and make wise decisions that lead to a life of generosity and impact. Our speaker shares personal experiences and practical insights on how to prioritize giving, service, and helping others, even in the face of financial challenges.
As Children of God, it is important to consistently set aside time to remember what God has done, to thank Him for it, and to put Him on display as we give Him the glory. In all circumstances, we are called to practice God-centered worship.
The greatest gift we can ever give someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus is an introduction to Him. Sharing our life stories is the most powerful way to show the transforming power of salvation offered through Jesus Christ. When we tell our stories of transformation, we tell the story of God.
Giving demonstrates our dependence on God. We acknowledge that all we own has been given to us by Him. In His generosity toward us, God desires that we, too, are generous and will use our resources as a tangible way to partner with Him in His work in the world and in the lives of those around us. We are blessed to be a blessing.
We are called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to share God's love by participating in the ministry of Jesus. He has given us agency with him to influence our society and the world fearlessly. When we serve in the world and in His Church, we impact those around us and reveal God's glory.
Jesus saves those who believe and call upon his name. Saving grace is once and for all and also a continual invitation to repent for our wrongdoings. With the help of the Spirit, we take inventory of our lives, humbly and honestly confess our sins, and turn away from our sins toward God in surrender. Through Jesus' offer of forgiveness, we receive true freedom.
One of the most important elements in any relationship is communication. Prayer is just that. It is engaging God in a conversation, sharing our hearts with Him, and spending time listening to his voice. How we see God and how we feel God sees us changes how we pray.
Scripture is the very word of God. Through it, He equips us with all we need to learn about Him and live a life pleasing to Him. A daily rhythm of reading, meditating on and applying God's word to our lives is key, and he wants our daily devotion, not just checking a box. This is how we Be One Get One.
If you've been struggling, feeling trapped by fear, guilt, or shame, it's time to break free. Don't let your past define you. Instead, embrace the potential that God has placed within you. Shift your focus from denying to testifying. Your unique story, with all its imperfections, can inspire and impact others.
Discover the transformative power of love and the profound impact it has on our lives. In this captivating narrative, we explore the essence of love and its ability to change everything in an instant. From the longing to hear those three words, 'I love you,' to the risks involved in expressing love, this heartfelt reflection delves into the universal desire to be loved and accepted.
We all desire to be chosen, valued, and accepted. In a world full of imperfections, pain, and struggles, we are faced with a choice. We can either mask our problems and put on a facade of happiness, or we can acknowledge our need for God and genuine connection with others.
We live in a world where everyone seems to be unsure of who they really are. We are seeing a cultural identity crisis. We want to help people lean into who God says they are vs. who the world is trying to convince them they are. Admitting we are not perfect is not the end but actually the beginning of finding our identity.
When we have nothing left, when we are empty; when we’re frustrated, angry, disappointed, and discouraged; when the circumstances can’t get any worse - where do we go? What do we do? We turn to the One who’s our strength.
When we have nothing left, when we are empty; when we’re frustrated, angry, disappointed, and discouraged; when the circumstances can’t get any worse - where do we go? What do we do? We turn to the One who’s our strength.
We are so often driven by what we see. We make decisions, approach our relationships, and even live out our faith based on what our eyes see in the physical world. The issue is that the Bible tells us to be even more aware and live according to what is happening in the spirit realm (or upside down)…the reality we don't see. There is a war going on for our souls, and the only way to fight it is through a spiritual battle.
We are so often driven by what we see. We make decisions, approach our relationships, and even live out our faith based on what our eyes see in the physical world. The issue is that the Bible tells us to be even more aware and live according to what is happening in the spirit realm (or upside down)…the reality we don't see. There is a war going on for our souls, and the only way to fight it is through a spiritual battle.
Life is hard…The good in life is hard…there's nothing you achieve that's good that doesn't require some effort or pain…The bad is also hard…Poor choices also lead to the pain of regret…There is a reward on the other side of one pain and regret on the other side of another pain…Life is hard…But here's the other reality: You get to choose your hard.
Gritty people do something that many of us struggle with; They continue to “Go One More” even when it's NOT COMFORTABLE because success is not a comfortable pursuit. Gritty people know that if you stay in your comfort zone, you will fail. So you need to get uncomfortable being uncomfortable if you ever want to be successful.
So many times in our lives, we want to change and do something to be better at our faith and life; however, we usually give up. When things get hard, we are done. What if we chose to have the grit to go through with it? In this series, we are going to understand that every part of our life is spiritual, and we are going to get gritty to lean and mean in our faith and lives.
Anxiety is so prevalent in our society, whether you are a follower of Jesus or not. But, we have tools to defeat anxiety and create calm in our thoughts: Celebrate the truth about God, Ask for God's help, List things you are thankful for, and Meditate on what is true.
What comes into your mind comes out in your life. What stronghold is holding you back? What truth from God's word demolishes that stronghold? Write it, think it, and confess it until you believe it.
We can all have a mental filter that impacts how we think. But, we can choose the powerful tool of reframing, which is a different way of interpreting a situation or relationship by changing its meaning. Looking through the lens of God's goodness and gratitude is the first step in winning the war in your mind.
Thoughts are powerful. They change our perspective, impact our decisions, and influence our habits. What do we do when we become trapped by our thoughts? Learn how to take your thoughts captive and win the war in your mind as Pastor Trevor launches this new and powerful series.
Jesus is the resurrection and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him and His resurrection. His resurrection is resurrecting us. His resurrection CHANGES EVERYTHING for us.
A life of following Jesus will not always be what we expect, but it will always be what He has promised.
On Palm Sunday, we gather to worship this surprising, unexpected, unanticipated Jesus who saves us and rescues us in a way that goes beyond our wildest dreams. We have to confront the reality that Jesus knew of the cross and willingly went, and in doing so, this became the turning point in human history.
When you have been radically transformed by God, the natural response is to connect with other people to make a difference.
Scripture is God-breathed and is to inspire and transform our way of thinking, living, and loving. We need to be willing to allow God's word to transform the way in which we live.
Radical Generosity is us helping people not like us experience a Jesus who became just like us.
When we go above and beyond with generosity, people experience the love and grace of an “above and beyond” God. Today, Pastor Trevor continues our series, Difference Makers, with the message, Radical Generosity Reshapes Our World.
If we truly want people to know Jesus, we must call them to something greater than ourselves. We must call them to a Kingdom and a royal priesthood. This will require us to reach those outside our culture, in new ways. Today, special guest speaker Jeremy Jernigan continues our series, Difference Makers.
Being right is not the goal or the posture we will take. Being like Jesus to help others see Jesus is the goal.
Grace is the first response we have with others. We will be a grace-giving people even when it makes no sense. We will lead with and love others with the grace we have received first.
What do you need to fully surrender to God? To truly pray, "God, send me," we need to have three things: A genuine experience with the presence of God, a genuine awareness of our sinfulness, and a genuine desire to go and do what God has called us to do.
Your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts. What God reveals often heals. What often heals becomes our help for others.
Search me, O God, and know my heart.
This prayer takes us to the place where we are most vulnerable with God. It is a dangerous prayer that David prayed in Psalm 139 when he asked God to search his heart, reveal his fears and uncover his sins.
You will be blessed as your heart breaks over something that breaks the heart of God. What if God's greatest blessings come from God's greatest breakings? It's better to hurt with a purpose than to exist without one.
A lot of times, we think that the voice of God is going to be the big and booming audible voice of God. How do we learn to lean in and hear what God wants to say?
Why is it that we, as followers of Jesus, know that we have access to go boldly before the throne of grace, that God hears our prayers, he's moved by our faith, and yet so often, our prayer life can be inconsistent, can be haphazard, and is often faithless in so many ways?
Let's start the new year with Dangerous Prayers. Today, we’ll spend some time on worship and prayer, where you'll get the opportunity to pray through our campus and the various ministries we represent.
We hear the best Christmas Ever, but we don’t understand that Christmas in all of its goodness was actually really hard…but that is what makes it great. Joseph, gets what we think of as the best news, and it will be, but this is a hard moment.
In the midst of this story of hope that we celebrate, there is a story of grief and death. Yet the hope of eternity shows up in the middle of that grief and pain. In that moment, Jesus comes…the one that would later preach, “Blessed are those that mourn.” God does not protect us from suffering instead, he shows up in the midst of it - Emmanuel.
We hear “best” Christmas Ever, but we don’t understand that Christmas in all of its goodness was actually really hard…but that is what makes it great. Joseph, gets what we think of as the best news, and it will be, but this is a hard moment. His obedience is what makes this the Best Christmas Ever.
We long to paint the picture of the best-looking family. We have matching pj’s, peppermint mochas, and the perfect card to send to all our Instagram-worthy friends. Yet, if we look at the family line of Jesus, we realize that he came from the most messed up and non-idealistic lineage ever.
To be more open-handed with our generosity (our time, talent, and treasure for the Kingdom), it starts in community. As we develop a devoted community that meets for movement and growth, we will generate a generosity so deep and so pure that there will be no one in need around us.
Today we will look at a word that we often underestimate the impact and significance it can have in our lives. It is a simple word: THANKS. The language of arrogance is complaining and criticizing, but the language of humility is gratitude and encouragement. It's a daily practice to remind ourselves to be grateful.
Paul is in chains again. Paul is before the king. Paul stays bold knowing by the law he could die, but by Jesus, he would be delivered. If Paul is not bold, he does not have the opportunity to go to Rome and shake the epicenter of the world by empowering them with the Good News of Jesus. Every time Paul faces opposition…he moves the Good News Forward. It is by being empowered in opposition that he empowers the early church to seismically shift the world.
Paul and Silas find themselves in prison for healing a girl and threatening a bad man’s way of life. Instead of sulking in their wrongful imprisonment, they worship God in such a manner that the literal ground shakes and changes the lives of the guards. When we worship in our pain, people find hope in their own despair.
Paul in Acts 17 goes to Athens and instead of judging them for their pagan worship, their gods, and their differing views, he took the opportunity to meet them on their turf, engage their “unknown God” and lead some of them to Jesus. He was willing to find common ground on their ground to shake the ground of their faith towards Jesus.
Saul, who will become Paul, is literally imprisoning and persecuting Christians. Then he has the earth-shaking and life-altering moment with Jesus. He will go from murderer to the Messiah. From destroyer to disciple-maker. From Killer to Convert. From Murderer To Miracle Worker. When you become a difference maker God will use your past mistakes to make something new.
When the church devotes itself to community, it shifts the community it is into seeing Jesus.
Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to scatter them throughout the world to reach as many people as possible. He tells them not to scatter until the Spirit comes on them. But when it does…it is going to shake the world to its core.
There is enough judgment in the world today. But we are called to be Hope dealers! A Hope dealer runs towards the hurting instead of running away from them. Hope dealers help heal the broken. Hope dealers are tasked to reconcile others to the Father! Hope Dealers help remove the grave clothes from others so that they may experience a new life in Christ.
People all around us are filled with despair and darkness (depression, anxiety, stress, addiction, trauma, sin, strongholds) and if you’re struggling with despair one of the first casualties is hope. Yet as people of faith, we have a hope that illuminates the darkness.
We must see people the way Jesus sees people…as opportunities to receive forgiveness and redemption. It is easy to get into our hopeless judgment of those living in sin and forget that we too are sinful.
When we are dealing hope, are we willing to do anything possible to get the world in front of Jesus?
Maybe you have grown up with many different beliefs in things or people. Maybe you grew up with your parents’ faith. However, at some point, we all have to answer the question Jesus asks, “Do you believe this?”
Maybe you have grown up with many different beliefs in things or people. Maybe you grew up with your parents’ faith. However, at some point, we all have to answer the question Jesus asks, “Do you believe this?”
There are many shepherds trying to speak into us today. It is easy to be led astray by bad shepherds. Jesus offers us the opportunity to follow the Good Shepherd’s voice and he will lead us to still and quiet waters.
In a world that tries to give us many paths and roads to choose, Jesus gives us one and it is him. He tells us that he is the gate through which we must enter.
For many, life in this world is spent living in the darkness of our guilt and shame. However, Jesus longs to bring dark things into the light, and light brings freedom.
This world offers many different cravings, but if we truly want to understand true saving…then we must change what we are craving. The bread of life is what sustains.
One of the greatest questions of our lives is what is my purpose? If we’re a person of faith we may ask: what is God calling me to do? So often we can feel so average, so ordinary that we wonder if God could ever really use us. Our individual gifts and callings may feel ordinary or simple or unremarkable – unlikely to make a meaningful difference and yet God is calling us collectively to use the gifts he has given us to change our world!
We live in a very disunified world. The world feels very Jurassic at times. It feels like we are always up against large beasts. We are at odds with politics, pandemics, peace, and what we praise. The church has been the epitome of disunity when the world needs to see the church unified for a cause and that cause is Christ and his mission. True unity (Freedom) in Christ is when we come together for a common goal of Go and Making as many disciples as possible together to defeat the large enemy (T-Rex) of this world.
In a world where everyone wants the villain dead and gone, what would happen if we say the villains of this world or in our lives as redeemable and created in the same image of Christ as we are. At one point, we were all enemies of God in our sin. Yet, redemption is not through destruction but sacrifice for the villain.
In a world where over 33% of kids live in a home with absent fathers, how can we change the culture and tide of absent fathers? We must be willing to go back to classic examples that God gives us to reclaim our families and our culture.
If the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, worship, (personal and communal) is central to that endeavor. While our whole existence should be centered around a life of worship, the bible has a ton to say about specific ways we encounter God and respond to Him. Starting with knowing the very One we are trying to worship. Imagine the power of a whole community of people who Know God, unashamedly express their love for Him, and carry His presence to a world desperate to know Him for themselves!
The church has not excelled in teaching the biblical view of human sexuality. It has tended to be legalistic or silent, with not much help in between. The gap left by the church has been filled with lies and distortions about sex by our culture, which is dominated by the Evil One. We need to rediscover the teaching from God about sex that is given to us in the Bible. We were sexual before we were sinful! God, who created sex as good, wants us to relearn the beauty, blessing, and joy of sex as it was designed.
Why is the world so messed up, and why does God allow that to be so? When troubles, tragedy, or trauma strikes us, we naturally ask, “Why?” We direct our “Why?” to God. After all, he has the power to stop all things. And while God is never the cause of evil, he does want our faith to take deeper roots. We suffer when we lose anything important to us (control, security, safety, meaning, comfort, material things, or happiness). But here’s what God invites us to do in our suffering - move from asking “Why?” to asking “Who?” The “Who?” question directs us to the one who deeply understands our suffering and joins us in our suffering. In the end, we are left with just Jesus, and he is everything. May we each learn the secret that Jesus minus everything else equals everything.
We celebrate Pantano’s 60-year anniversary as we look back and forward while never forgetting our vision, mission, and purpose. God has called Pantano to be a church that is a catalytic force to bring God’s kingdom and influence anywhere he leads us. Our mission is to love people to Jesus. We launch passionate people to make a God difference, wherever God sends them. Pantano always has and always will be focused on expanding God’s kingdom and influence. This is who we’ve been. This is who we are. This is who we’ll continue to be!
One of the biggest questions among those deconstructing their faith today is this: is the church relevant and necessary? The church has, at times, lost its focus and purpose and in the process done a lot of damage and caused a lot of pain. Yet, it’s clear based on scripture that the church was always God’s plan. Despite the brokenness, can we, as Christ-followers, return to a place of beauty within the church - the beauty that Christ always intended.
Doubt, skepticism, and deconstruction are often criticized not only as a weakness, but as an outright sin. However, every person of faith has experienced and has had to face their skeptical thoughts and doubts. As Frederick Buechner once said: “Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.” Avoiding our doubts almost guarantees our faith will be weakened. But when we face our doubts directly and do the hard work of investigating them, the Holy Spirit can help our faith grow deeper roots producing a more authentic and fruitful faith.
Jesus did not create a new religion! In fact, he came to replace religion with something very different. He came to offer us a path to having a relationship with God. Religion is tiring, exhausting, and frustrating. It creates fear, guilt, and shame. It leaves us empty and the feeling that we are a constant failure. Religion is a set of rules to force us to live a certain way. It uses guilt to keep us in line and reminds us of our failure to live up to the rules.
For three days life was filled with uncertainty. Life was dark, Jesus was dead, hope was gone. Friday was full of mourning. Saturday was full of doubt. Life was sinking in the life of those that were following Jesus. Maybe you feel the same way. Maybe your life is sinking and you feel as if it is dark and hopeless. However, there is good news. God does the unthinkable when life seems the most sinkable. Your life might be hanging onto a Friday or Saturday moment…but Sunday is here.
Saturday, the day Jesus was in the tomb, reminds us to wait on the Lord. Trust him, for Sunday is coming! On Sunday, the tomb was empty, and Jesus was risen from the dead. But until our Sundays come, we wait and trust. To wait is to trust. It’s refusing to think I have to take everything into my own hands, and it trusts that God and his ways are better than my ways. Trust is allowing God to do what only God can do. Trust means we rest in him, not in ourselves. Trusting, waiting, resting - they are all connected and part of the same thing - Faith! But waiting is not passive. It isn’t just sitting down and letting time pass by. It’s active. In the waiting, in the Sabbath, we are preparing our hearts to respond to God. How will you practice waiting, resting, and trusting God and make it a part of your regular rhythms?
Jesus suffered greatly for us. The torture and his pain are almost incomprehensible. He willingly and knowingly took on the punishment for our sin. The result was that we could have an intimate, personal relationship with God. But it goes further. His sacrifice gives us access to a God (Jesus) who suffers too. He has a profound empathy for our pain, suffering, loss, and brokenness that allows us to draw even nearer to him.
There are basically two things we trust - the things of man or God. What or who we trust will control our lives. Trust is everything! And what we trust will lead to two results - blessing or curse. That’s the language the Bible uses. Our trust will lead us to that which is truly good or blessed or that which will hurt us or be cursed; two ways to live with two results. Both are built on who we trust. Where do you put your trust? Be honest, because it matters and results in either blessing or curse.
Persecution/suffering is one of the clearest doctrines in the Bible. It is a significant theme in the New Testament, and yet it feels like a lost concept; something we don’t spend a lot of time thinking or talking about. It’s not a fun, feel-good message. But Jesus is making something clear here in this final beatitude – following him will cost you something, and because of that, few may actually choose to.
The path of following Jesus is the path of being at peace and making peace with all, for he is the Prince of Peace. Jesus came to make peace with us. As his children, it’s our nature to make peace. We invite others into a life-giving relationship with Jesus so they can be at peace with God. We make peace with those we have conflict with. We see peace and unity between people and groups that need to be reconciled. Making peace is the ultimate spiritual activity that Jesus calls us to engage.
Jesus calls us to have a pure heart. Pure is such a demanding word. Pure means, well, nothing impure. It’s like being perfect! Or holy?! So, right from the start, most of us will feel like this play or Beatitude is out of reach. Who thinks they can get close to being pure, holy, perfect or without fault? Is that what Jesus meant? What did Jesus mean when he invites us to have a pure heart? The Bible uses language like unadulterated to describe pure; meaning there is nothing mixed in. Jesus is talking about a pure sincere commitment to Jesus and his way. It’s about being a person where our focus and devotion are fully on God and we don’t let any other commitment get mixed in. It’s about being authentic in our faith. It’s about removing falseness and hypocrisy. A pure heart is pure because it has no competing influences - only God. A pure heart is a heart purely devoted to God.
Jesus saw the crowds. He saw people like sheep whose lives were being ripped up and left for dead both literally and spiritually (Matthew 9:36). These folks had no shepherd to protect and help them. As those who have received mercy after mercy, we are to give mercy after mercy. Who do you see in need of mercy? How will you give mercy? Jesus says that mercy is a key play in his playbook. Blessed are the merciful!
What brings you true satisfaction? What do you hunger and thirst for? The paradox of faith is that our perpetual hunger and thirst for God both satisfies and keeps us hungry and thirsty for more of God. What are you doing to get your fill of God?
We are on a spiritual journey. It starts when we know we are nothing and need (poor in spirit). Then we admit we are deeply sorry and want to change or repent (mourn). That leads us to this step: we’re ready for God to have his way with us. We surrender control of our life once and continually. We allow God to shape us, mold us, and direct us. We allow the Spirit to transform that which we surrender.
As we face God as he is (not the God of our own making or liking), we see how utterly helpless and hopeless we are (poor in spirit) and discover the depth of our sin and failure. This causes us deep sorrow, sadness, and grief as we mourn for our sins and brokenness. This godly sorrow causes us to confess (readily admit our sin) and repent. In repentance, we dramatically and intentionally change our mind, heart, behaviors, attitudes, and lifestyle that leaves the old way and embraces the way of Jesus.
We are all “spiritual zeros.” That means we are spiritually bankrupt, leaving us in a spiritual crisis. We are unable to save ourselves from our sins. We are unable to overcome our sin on our own. At this stage of our spiritual journey, we find that we are helpless and hopeless on our own. We are totally dependent on God. And that brings us to a place of utter humility and total dependence on God. Our journey toward becoming like Jesus starts when we realize we are empty and need to be filled with God. It begins when we know we need help. But if we are already full (of ourselves), then there’s no room for God to transform us into the person he wants us to be.
In this series we’ve shared that the one word for our church this year is “rooted,” and encouraged everyone to identify their own one word that might help them be rooted as well. The idea of being rooted ties directly into the concept of having deep foundations. Rooted means pressing deeper into Jesus. Deeper means that we don’t just hear what God is saying to us through the scripture, but we need to put his words into practice. Putting God’s words into practice will root us deeper in Him.
From time to time, we all can allow comfort to keep us from doing what God has called us to do; GO. A response to God will lead to the redemption of others, and he wants us to take risks in order to rescue those that don't know Jesus. If we are going to be rooted in Jesus in 2022, we must be All In.
If there was ever a time for our church and for our lives to be rooted in something that is fixed, secure, and true it is now. In this season of upheaval and transition, it is imperative that the roots of our lives, both personally and corporately, go deeper. This year we believe that God is calling Pantano to be wholeheartedly rooted in Jesus. We believe that deeper roots will be like an anchor that will stabilize our church and personal lives in a world full of storms. Today you’ll be introduced to our church one word and the scripture which it is based on. Rooted means pressing deeper into Jesus and we’ll begin the process of discovering our own one word that will help us be rooted in Jesus.
Love is more than feelings, and the kind of love that is a fruit of the Spirit is the kind of love that takes action. The Greek word for that love is agape, and that love is a love that takes action and understands self-sacrifice. Christmas shows us that God took action and sent Jesus to humankind because he was motivated by love. How are you going to express the kind of love that takes action?
How do we find peace in a world of conflict, suffering and turmoil? We go to the Prince of Peace! Our only trusted source of peace is God himself. Peace with God and Peace from God is possible because of Christ.
Gabriel the angel announced good news that would bring joy to all people. Jesus is that good news. And he alone is our source of joy. Joy will never be found or sustained when seeking it through experiences, people, accomplishments or possessions. Joy is found as we stay focused and centered on Jesus and the things of God. No one or no situation can rob us of that kind of joy. Joy is birthed in us as we allow the Spirit to fill us.
Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. Patience is learning to trust God through the slow slog of life and all its challenges. The result of patience is that we’ll experience slow growth. The Spirit slowly transforms us. The fruit of the Spirit does not grow quickly. The root comes before the fruit. Patience allows the root of character to grow, so the fruit of the Spirit forms in us and is expressed outwardly. They grow and mature over a long time of faithful obedience to Jesus. That long obedience requires patience. ‘Fast and furious’ might be a great adventure movie series, but it isn’t how the Spirit transforms us. Slow growth is lasting growth that can withstand the hurricanes of life. You want fruit that matures and lasts.
We’ve become cynical and now accept that “nothing lasts forever.” That may be true in a fast changing world, but God is faithful, trustworthy, reliable and dependable - always! And we’ve been let down by people who were not trustworthy and dependable. Because God is faithful, if our inner self is being shaped by the Spirit of God, then we too will be faithful, trustworthy and dependable as well. We can’t always control outcomes, but we can do our part which is being faithful to do our part. First, we are faithful to God and just as importantly, we will be faithful in our relationship with others.
God is kind and gentle. For that, we are all grateful! His kindness is expressed in action. He came to us in Jesus to bring his love close to us. He is Lord over us, but he is a kind and gentle Lord. As we allow the Spirit to have greater influence in us, we’ll treat others with a powerful, gentle kindness that not only helps, encourages, and comforts but it also will lead people to the very God who created that within us.
The words good or goodness don’t mean much these days. But if we look at the Bible's definition for goodness we begin to realize that it is strongly tied into the very nature of God, Himself. Jesus teaches us that goodness flows from the heart. God wants our hearts to become good so that we will be good and reflect his character. In this message we explore how our hearts can become God as we experience the goodness of God.
How do we actually grow to become more and more like Jesus? Is it mostly on us to make it happen? Are there rules we can follow? No, there’s a much better way. It’s the way of the Spirit. It’s the Spirit who transforms our character into the character of Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit gives us a picture of the character of Jesus. As we stay connected to the Spirit and let him have his way in us, we’ll be transformed.
Have you ever experienced division because of your faith? Maybe you experienced separation or rejection because you decided to follow Jesus and your family or friends rejected, ridiculed, or made fun of you. There are times when following Jesus creates division, so don’t be caught off guard. Our love for Jesus must be first and full before all other “loves.” Because Jesus demands our full devotion and nothing less, know that relational division and conflict may follow.
Jesus is our example in all things and our goal, as a disciple of Jesus, is to imitate the life of Jesus.
Jesus asks us to love our enemies and this goes against our natural desire to hate and seek revenge. This is a radical call to action that can only be lived out by God’s power in our lives. Loving our enemies displays the perfect love of God to those around us.
It is so easy for us to become complacent with sin in our lives. The world around us tells us that sin is completely normal and that we don't need to be weird or be different from the culture around us because of our faith. Jesus calls us to take drastic actions to be free of sin so we can experience the full life that he has for us.
The kingdom of God means that Jesus, the king, is fully in charge of our lives. When we enter the kingdom, the King transforms our lives so that we truly fit and are part of the kingdom. Our character changes to be more like Jesus. Our purpose changes. Before, we only lived to promote ourselves. Now we live for something bigger - to help bring God’s influence into our relationships. I live for something bigger, for the kingdom is bigger than me.
The kingdom of God is bigger than our preferences, and that very act is a witness to the beauty of the kingdom of God.
There is plenty that divides our country and the church these days. Polarization over politics, COVID measures, race, and more have become the norm. I believe Jesus wants us to ask questions like these in this current environment: 1) Which kingdom, party, or stance has the overriding influence in my life? 2) Am I evaluating my positions through the filter of faith rather than creating a version of faith that supports my positions? Jesus didn't call everyone to agree on everything, but he did command his followers to put the kingdom first and be united by unconditional love.
The kingdom of God can be so personal and intimate but it is also so much bigger than our worldview and our limited perspective. The kingdom is bigger than my world. King Jesus asks us to join him in his mission to love the least of these. This message is very focused on launching Compassion sponsorships in Santa Rosa, Ecuador.
There’s so much to do and so little time to get it all done. Our lives are full. Work, school, the kids, daily chores, and all the opportunities we don’t want to miss out on. The daily “urgent” almost always crowds out the important. But what’s truly important? How do we know what’s important enough to give our valuable time to? Jesus commanded us to make the things of the kingdom as important and we can’t let all the other stuff crowd out living for the kingdom.
Our culture worships individual rights. Our rights, protected by the Bill of Rights and other laws, are critical to our freedom. But as part of the kingdom of God, we voluntarily give up our rights and freedoms at times and surrender them to serve others and put others first. That’s love. The key characteristic of the kingdom is love, for God is love, and it is his nature and character that must infuse all who are a part of his kingdom. Living in the kingdom is not about our rights; it’s about seeing every opportunity as an opportunity to love.
What is your life focused on? If we are focused or over-occupied by the things of this world, it can lead us to worry, but if we are focused on God and his kingdom, he promises to take care of us and provide for our needs. Jesus has a lot to say about worry. He teaches us that we are valuable to him, and as we seek first His kingdom, He will provide for our practical needs.
There’s something bigger. It’s bigger than the Bible, salvation, the church, or just about anything you associate with spirituality. It’s what Jesus spoke about the most. It’s what he ushered into our world. It is what we are to live for. It’s the kingdom of God. In this message, we’ll be doing a deep dive into the kingdom of God. We are looking into how we daily live a kingdom first life.
All of us, whether we know it or not on the surface, long to be connected to an even bigger story. That’s because our lives are all actually part of a much, much larger story. And there’s one story that brings joy, completeness, and satisfaction to all of our stories… that’s God’s story. God’s story helps us make sense of all other stories. God’s story is also called the Gospel story. The word “Gospel” simply means good news - it’s the good news about Jesus and what he did to reunite us with God. As we tell this good news story, we invite others to enter into God’s story.
Everything and everyone is part of a story. When we read the Bible, we are reading true stories that we're recorded because they have meaning and can help us understand God and life. Your very life is a collection of stories. God is writing a story in and through you. You are God’s story. And God wants you to tell your story. Your story can often open a door to share God’s bigger story. In this message, you’ll get some practical help in how to tell your story.
Every one of us has and will face the difficult and powerful emotions of grief, depression, sorrow, and despair. These disliked feelings come from hurt, pain, and loss. We’ve all been hurt by those we loved and trusted. We’ve all experienced pain - emotional pain that’s inside that touches our thoughts and feelings. We’ve all lost people we love or things we cherished. How do we pull through the depths of pain and loss? In Psalm 42, we find encouragement and ways to face our feelings and fight for hope.
It is human nature to forget things. This Psalm reminds us that a life with God has so many benefits, and we need to remember what they are. When we remember God’s goodness, it results in praise!
Psalm 139 reminds us that God is personal, God is present, and God is forming us. This truth has the power to change how we understand who God is and how we understand ourselves as known, seen, and created by God.
Psalm 27 was written by King David, and we can get a glimpse of his relationship with God, and his confidence in God, as we read it. In this message, we explore where David's confidence came from and how we can cultivate the same confidence in our lives.
We all pray the prayer of help. We face a situation that feels hopeless, overwhelming, and or even more than we can handle and say, “God, help!” Psalm 121 reminds us of where our help comes from and the help that God brings to us.
When we live on the other side of disruption, we don’t know what the future holds or how our risks and choices (or lack of risks) will affect our future, but our steps don’t stop with us. Whether or not we take that step, take that risk; is felt for generations to come. Ruth had no way of knowing that her acts of faith and courage would lead to King David and Jesus being a part of her family tree.
To live on the other side of disruption will always come with a risk. A risk to have the conversation, to press into our hurt or pain, to let go of something, to accept God’s grace. Many times, we miss what God has for us because we give up before our breakthrough happens.
Every one of us experiences disruption in our lives, and we often wonder where God is, what He is doing, and how we should respond. This week we will look at how Ruth responded to her disruption and how God worked in her response. We cannot get stuck in disruption. We need to get up and do the right thing and then watch as God works out His big picture.
Disruption hits all of us at some point. It is not a matter of if, but when. For Ruth and Naomi, disruption hit first with famine and then the death of Naomi’s husband and her sons, one of them being Ruth’s husband. How do you find your foot in the midst of disruption and difficulty? Moving forward from disruption always begins with a choice, and that choice determines everything.
We put expectations on ourselves and others. We also put expectations on God. At one time or another, we think God should act or respond in a certain way. When we suffer, hurt, are abused, betrayed, or face a crisis, we are tempted to make a quiet contract or bargain with God and expect God “should” come through for us. When God doesn’t operate by our “shoulds,” we get angry, blame him, or even walk away from him because he did not do what he should! Our challenge is to trust who God is and what he can do rather than what we think he should do.
There’s a huge pressure to do the shoulds others put on us. Sometimes those expectations form or influence the shoulds we put on ourselves. The expectations of others often cause us to feel like we are being evaluated, judged, rated, or ranked. The should of others implies we have failed or fallen short. Our natural reaction is to be angry, resentful, defensive, or pull away. Worse, when we try to live in the expectations of others, we end up living someone else’s version of our life rather than the version God desires. Whose story will we live? The one God has for us or the ones others have for us? We have to learn to be bold and say “no” to the shoulds of others that distract us from the story God wants to write in our lives.
We have job descriptions for those who matter to us and those that are merely acquaintances. Often they are never made public as these expectations of others reside inside us. Out of those expectations or “shoulds,” we often try to manipulate others or make them feel guilty. We get frustrated, angry, or react in less Christlike ways when others “should” be doing what we want but aren’t. Our “shoulds'' of others often go unmet, which tempts us to judge them or be suspicious that they are lazy, underperforming, uncommitted, unqualified, or even ungodly. How do we move out of this trap of having shoulds for others? We stop putting our shoulds on others when IN humility we place more value on others rather than on our agenda.
Internally, we are often hard on ourselves. What happens is that we allow a sort of court or trial to take place in our minds. This courtroom has a prosecuting attorney, judge, and jury that we allow to convene. And we are charged as guilty numerous times a day for the things we “should” or “should not” have done. Sometimes the shoulds come from others, or a religion, or our culture. How do we identify the wise “shoulds” and get free from the shoulds that are not shoulds from God?
There are two kinds of deaths we all face. One is always present, and one will eventually catch up to all of us. To ignore either will be one of the most costly mistakes we’ll ever make. To ignore either will cost us life itself - now and forever. The first death is when we are physically alive but dead or dying inside. We’ve sinned, and we’ve let things die in us like hope, passion, dreams, and faith itself. Jesus is inviting us to really live and come alive to God. The Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead can help us discover what it means to really live both now and for eternity. When we trust Jesus and follow him, we have forgiveness of sins and cross over from death to life. When our bodies quit, we will be resurrected to life that never ends. The moment we believe and commit ourselves to follow Jesus, we begin the journey of really living.
The perfect Jesus died for imperfect people. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that “God put the wrong on him [Christ] who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.” What would drive God to offer us a deal that cost him so much? It’s a crazy deal. On the surface, it seems like a bad deal for God. Actually, it’s a great exchange. Yes, God paid a high price, but he got what he dearly wanted. The price he paid is an expression of how much he loves us, how much he values us, how crazy he is about us. Can you fathom the price God paid? Can you fathom how important you are to God? God is so crazy over you that he did a crazy deal. You are worth the price of his only Son. God has a crazy love deal that we would be crazy not to take.
We know from experience and research that Americans are not open to having spiritual conversations. So how do we create space for God in our conversations? Space for God, or God space, is when the seeds of faith are planted, watered, and nurtured. Space for God allows for the topic of God and spiritual things to be freely explored in a safe way. When we create space for God, anyone can raise their honest questions, doubts, concerns, and even their anger toward God or the church. Folks feel safe enough to be real and vulnerable to explore the spiritual world that they have previously feared or misunderstood or not understood. When we make space for God in a relationship, spiritual curiosity is awakened, and folks are open to hearing the story of Jesus and faith. The Bible tells us how to make space for God, and we’ll look at practical ways to facilitate spiritual conversations.
We are challenging our people to be on a mission to reach one person for Jesus, but the truth is that this whole concept can be very intimidating for most people. So many questions arise. Where do we even start? Do I know the right thing to say? The bible often illustrates farming and cultivation to teach us about spiritual truths, and what if these illustrations helped us change the way we think about evangelism. When seeds are planted and cultivated, they are in a process of growth and transformation, and it is the same with us as we engage our one. We are working with God to plant spiritual seeds in our one's life, but it is God who makes things grow.
God wants to use you in your family, workplace, or wherever to help others know and experience Jesus. It’s time to stop making excuses that you are not able. God doesn’t need your ability; he only requires your willingness and availability. As has been said, Jesus doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the called. Have you made yourself available? As his disciples, we follow Jesus. Jesus’ mission becomes our mission and purpose. His mission was to “seek and save the lost.” Our purpose on earth is to follow Jesus and to seek and save the lost. The way of Jesus is all about finding the one. In this message, we’ll help you get started on identifying and engaging your one so you can love your one.
To be fully present with ourselves, God and others, we must pull away to be alone with God. One of our greatest needs and most difficult tasks as a follower of Jesus is silence and solitude with Jesus – to be alone, give our cares and worries to God, and listen to Him so that we can be fully alive in Him.
Lent is a time of repentance, refocusing so that we can experience intimacy with God at a deeper level. One of the ways we do that is through the practice of fasting, Setting something aside to focus more on God, and in fasting, we set the stage for God to appear.
One of the practices we don’t often talk about is feasting, partying, and enjoying God and his gifts to us. Practices help us to be present to ourselves, God, and others, and feasting is a perfect place to experience all of these. It also gives us what we most need in our lives: Presence. There is power in presence, and for many of us, the best place to experience that is around a table. Jesus spent much of his time at a meal with people, and when he did, he was fully there.
We don’t just read the Bible to gain information. We read to know and experience God through reading his Word. As we read, the Holy Spirit shapes and changes us and makes the written Word to become the living Word in us. The Bible transforms how we live and who we become. But how do you read the Bible in a way that you actually hear the words God wanted you to hear? How do you stay on track? We’ll have four speakers who will help us see that there isn’t one way to read the Bible, but multiple ways God can speak to us.
When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that he wasn’t in a hurry. He got to where he wanted to go when he wanted to get there. He lived at a sustainable pace so that he could thrive in all relationships. In Matthew 11, Jesus invites us to give our burdens to him so that we can rest and experience life.
Pantano Christian Church brings together folks from all over the world to experience God and connect with one another like never before. We believe that connected people are changed people.
All dreams, visions, and change projects face challenges. We have to face them to move through them. Moral authority (influence) is what gives us the ability to confront the challenges in our lives. When we live a life that can’t be argued with, that people can’t turn away from, we will have influence that lasts.
To accomplish what God puts on our hearts, we will need to pray and plan. Often, we lean towards one end of the spectrum: we pray and wait and do nothing, or we plan and plan and take God out of the equation. But God’s hand was on Nehemiah as he prayed and planned.
We need to discover God’s vision for our lives and the way that we do that is by seeing what breaks God’s heart; praying through that so that we can move forward with our one word for the year that fits into the vision for our lives. That word or vision doesn’t have to be grandiose, it can be very simple like grandkids, work, etc.
In our relationships, our world, and in our hearts, we long for peace. No matter how difficult our circumstances, we can have peace right now. But peace is not the absence of conflict or trouble, rather it’s based on a real, active, and trusting relationship with God through Jesus. Jesus creates an open relationship with God that results in a powerful deep inner peace. So when peace eludes us, we refocus on the one who gives peace - the Prince of Peace.
Advent/Christmas is about hope, the hope that Jesus came and will one day come again, but we often lose that hope. 2020 has taken hope away for many of us, and a lot of us have become jaded. Yet, we are invited to hope in Jesus, because He hears us. Even as we wait, we can still have hope. Because the night does end, and the sun rises again.
Our world operates on the principle of fairness and justice. Many people practically live by the belief of karma, even if they are not Hindu or Buddhist. It’s the law of “you get what you deserve.” However, Jesus turns that all upside down. He offers grace. He gives us what we don’t deserve and could never earn. And the grace he gives allows us to be unapologetic grace givers.
So many connect the church with a building. During the seven plus months of COVID, we did not have physical services, but we were still the church. The church in China is exploding and can’t have buildings. The church is bigger than a building. Church is who we are wherever we are. That’s because the church is part of something bigger - the kingdom! So we put the kingdom first in our lives and as a church body. We look to join God wherever he’s at work and help expand God’s influence in our lives and spheres of influence.
Jesus tells a story about a shepherd leaving the flock of ninety-nine sheep to go find the one. He tells the story in the context of his own example. He welcomed and connected with those who were considered lost and needing to repent. Everyone has value and matters to God. So we go looking for the one who needs Jesus. There’s nothing that matters more.
At some point, we look up in life and think, “I expected life to turn out differently.” We expected to be married by a certain age or that our marriage would go a certain way. That we would have kids by now, or they would play out differently. The same goes for our health, our careers, house, etc. What do you do when your expectations in life aren't met? If we aren’t careful, we end up disappointed and cynical, which leads us to a place of bitterness.
Life can be a series of ungrieved losses. Loss is incredibly difficult to navigate in life and if we don’t deal with it, we will become angry, bitter, or depressed. Grief and loss are a part of life, and a place that Jesus meets us in. God’s invitation is to bring our grief to him through lament. In lament we bring the full range of human experience and emotion, the depth of our pain, the reality of our loss, our brokenness, our questions, our doubts to God. As we do that, we also remember his character, we recommit our trust in Him, and we rediscover our hope.
One of the biggest places we experience bitterness is when God doesn’t do what we hope or expect. Why does God allow certain things to happen? Why does He stop some things but not others? We must learn how to reconcile our bitterness towards God so that we can handle the other places bitterness creeps in. When we do this, God changes our perspective to begin to see what He is doing behind the scenes of our lives that we can’t see.
For many of us, bitterness can be traced to a relationship that didn’t go as we hoped or we experienced some deep hurt from. Often, we will hold onto things that the other person isn’t even dealing with, allowing them to take up real estate in our hearts. We must learn how to confront what we can address, then forgive. Forgiveness is the path to freedom from the bitterness and the power the hurt has over us.
The heart of a peacemaker is one who “walks across the street” when God calls them to do so. This will often cause us to interact with people who are different than us, who believe differently than we do and have a different story from our own. Yet, this is the heart of a peacemaker. One who strives to live at peace with all because, as Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers…”
We live in a time where we love to put labels on things. Once we label someone or something, it becomes easy not to see the individual. Removing labels allows us to see individuals with inherent worth and will enable us to become peacemakers. Jesus does not look at us with labels but desires to reconcile us to Himself and each other because of His work on the cross.
We all have opinions about different things and there are certain things that we probably have very strong opinions about. Strong opinions can often result in strong judgments towards others. Strong judgments towards others usually don’t facilitate unity. Let's walk through Romans chapter 14 and learn how we can navigate our judgments, make peace, and find unity.
In order to have peace in our world, and to become the peacemakers we are called to be, we must have peace within and peace with God.
What would Jesus undo? He would undo pride! Jesus wants to remove our “me first,” “I know better” or “I can manage this” attitude. Pride leaves no room for God. Pride moves God from being the Master to a consultant where we allow him to give us advice, but we’ll decide if we’ll follow it. Pride is built or hurt by our accomplishments, gifts or abilities, following the rules, comparisons, recognition, etc. Pride defines everyone and everything based on me. If things are not going well, pride blames God for not taking care of “ME.” The antidote for pride is humility We empty ourselves to let God fill us. We allow God’s grace to fill us. We allow God to use us how he desires.
What would Jesus undo? In his ministry, he viciously called out and attacked all forms of hypocrisy. He has zero-tolerance for it. Hypocrisy is when we hide behind a mask of being religious and Christian while our life is played out in a way that contradicts the way of Jesus. We act like we are bringing honor to God while what we do in fact does not glorify God. Only as we give Jesus full control of our heart can we close the gap between who we show ourselves to be and who we really are.
What would Jesus undo? One thing Jesus tried to undo was move people from dead, hollow, empty, and meaningless worship and praise to actually engaging God with an authentic heart, soul, and spirit. God doesn’t want our words, he wants our hearts. He wants us to give him honor and glory every day in the way we live and use our lives.
What would Jesus undo? He would have us replace apathy with a diligent trust. But spiritual indifference doesn’t seem like a biggie when it comes to sin. Who does it hurt? Apathy isn’t fun, but it’s not a big deal, right? But in fact, spiritual indifference makes God sick! It is one of the biggest issues in our spiritual life today. It’s one of the things Jesus wants to undo. At its core, apathy allows us to live self-sufficient lives without having to trust God. Yet, trust or faith is key to what it takes to please God. Jesus urges us to be diligent and turn from our indifference.
Trusting God, trusting in His goodness and power is incredibly difficult, especially in the midst of the storm. But in a storm, God wants to bring us to a place where we place our trust in Him. Trusting God comes through remembering how God provided in our past, so that we can know He will be with us in our present and future.
The fear of the unknown, tomorrow, the things we can’t see or control is one of the most paralyzing fears. It keeps us stuck, from moving forward because of all the “what if’s.” If left unchecked, it will lead us to look back with a list of should’ve, could’ve, would’ve, and missing what God has for us today. Worry robs us of living life to the fullest. Jesus speaks directly to our worry. He reminds us that God will be in our tomorrow, whatever tomorrow brings. And that’s all we need to know! That’s faith that helps us overcome our worry.
In a storm, as our fears, worries and anxieties rise in us, so does our desire to control things. Often this can lead to a bigger storm, or keep us stuck in one. Releasing control is one of the scariest, but most freeing aspects of faith and when we find ourselves in the storm, many of us rise up to control more when we need to control less.
All of us are afraid of something and those things create the boundaries of our freedom. They keep us from living, taking chances, moving into new directions, keep us from experiencing life and often keep us from obeying God. We gain power over our fears when we name them and face them. We give power to the fears we don’t identify and expose. In this message, we’ll see three ways to face our fears from Joshua as he faced the huge challenge of moving into the promised land.
We are going to experience storms in our lives but how should we respond to them. It is so easy to let fear overwhelm us but in the middle of a storm but God has provided us with a way out. We are to respond to the storms of life with faith that Jesus is with us in the storm, he has authority over the storm, and will bring us through the storms of life.
The goal of this message is to focus on how trust is the key to connecting with GOd. Not the father’s trust in his children, but the child’s trust in the father. God, as a good father, wants to lavish his love on his children. Children, who desire to experience the love of a father, learn to trust that their father really is for them, and acts in a way that is most beneficial for them. God offers to adopt us, not because he trusts us, but because he loves us despite our choices. We, the adopted, choose to receive the love as a child of the father because we trust him. Without trust in our father, we are tempted to run and live a self centered life.
Life can be a bully sometimes and we don't always feel we have a protector but God is our protector. We will find God as our Protector when we seek his leadership and wait for his deliverance. We can respond in worship as we realize that God is our Protector.
God is love. When God is in us, his nature changes us to be like his own. According to the Bible, the test of whether he’s in us and we know him and allow him to influence us is in how we love others. It all begins with God’s love for us. God is love, so we are to be his love in our world. So the question we are left to answer is this - What does love require of me?
Discipline is not a word we enjoy. We naturally want to indulge in sweets instead of having discipline around food. We don’t like the idea of discipline as a child or even as a parent. When we are disciplined, we often think of it as punishment, but godly discipline is different. Discipline always has a goal; it is always moving us towards something better. God’s discipline is designed to help us become more like Jesus. So, God’s discipline is the most loving thing he can do for us and in us.
One of the questions we have about God is how much he cares for us, how close he is in our lives. One of the most beautiful and well-known Psalms tells us that because God is close, we are never alone, we have what we need.
If you want to be a true friend or the best husband or wife or co-worker, then be a person who will challenge them to help them use their life to make a difference for others. You see, encouragement is your best gift to someone as you help them get better at loving and doing good for others. Encouragement means helping people get unstuck so they can love and do good.
Loneliness is at an all-time high. Especially in this season of sheltering in place. There is a crucial truth that we miss: Being alone is different from being lonely. God meets us in our loneliness. He has something for us as we are alone. Throughout Scripture, God spoke the clearest and the loudest to those who were alone with Him. We have this unique opportunity for silence and solitude so that we re-enter a post-Covid world closer to Jesus than when we entered it.
We long for fulfilling relationships, ones that give us life. But often we find ourselves in relationships that are empty, draining, and unfulfilling. Why? For many of us, we are afraid of relationships and getting close to others. We are afraid of intimacy and being known. For others, we don’t know what that would even look like. This message will help us to get a vision for what relationships could be and willingness to open ourselves up to dealing with unhealthy relationships in our lives and move towards healthy ones.
What in the world is going on? What’s happening? Is it the end of the world or a sign that the end is near? Is this punishment from God? Is this the work of the devil? Or is it just bad luck? We want to know the cause of the bad things to happen to us. But God is far more interested in how we respond to the difficulties and disruptions. We can respond in fear, worry, anger, or anxiety. Or we can look to God for the response that is best for us, others, and that honors him. God doesn’t stop all the bad in the world, but he shows up powerfully in the midst of chaos and change. The Bible speaks clearly to how we are to respond to the world we find ourselves in today.
When all the odds are stacked against us, we question if God is for us. When we’re abandoned, betrayed or abused, we question God’s love. When we face a crisis like we are in now, we wonder where God is. When we fail God, ourselves and others over and over, we have a hard time believing that God even likes us. But the great chapter of Romans 8 reminds us in the most powerful way that since God is for us we can withstand the people and situations that stand against us. His love is so deep, that nothing can separate us from the love of God. In God’s love, we can have victory over all things, even death itself.