Blue Ridge Church of Christ: Recent Episodes
Blue Ridge Church of Christ
Have you ever thought to yourself, "This would be so much easier if I could just do everything by myself?" Tune in as Ezra considers unity, why it is so important and what we stand to gain from being united.
What direction does Romans provide for how we view and treat one another? Join Phil as he continues this rich series by exploring chapter 14.
Have you ever been stuck somewhere and needed someone to pull you out? Join Ezra as he explores the concepts of salvation, freedom and more through Romans 6.
Have you ever been the recipient of a kind and undeserved gift? What is it like to be the child of the loving Creator of the universe? In this episode, Ezra considers what we can learn about grace from Romans 5.
Has anyone ever told you something that sounds too good to be true? Too good to believe? Join Ezra as he explores Romans 4 and the concept of faith.
Is God's law just a bunch of rules or is there deeper value to be found in considering and obeying His commands? Join Ezra as he considers how we can apply the principles in Romans 3 to our lives and our understanding of God's character.
How would you like to grow during this season? What does leaning IN on God mean for us today? Tune in as Phil continues this series inspired by 2 Thessalonians 1:3.
"Summer Growing Season" is back! Just like plants grow, God has designed us to grow. As you focus on Jesus, what would you like to grow in this season? Join Phil as he introduces the return of this fun and centering series.
God is a God of relationship. Tune in as Ezra considers the Old Testament account of the ten plagues, how God communicates and His plan for our relationships with Him and with one another.
You don't have to be thrown into a lions' den to experience the extraordinary power of God! Join Phil as he considers the epic story of Daniel and what it takes to experience modern-day miracles in our lives.
How do our friendships influence our faith? How can we foster healthy, encouraging intergenerational relationships with one another? Tune in as Phil considers the relationship between three of the most popular Old Testament friends.
Who are you serving? What message do your choices communicate to others about your faith? Join Ezra on a walk through the life of Solomon.
God wants to take care of us. How will we respond? Tune in as Ezra considers diversity and God's care for humanity through the story of the tower of Babel.
Join Phil as he explores what we can learn about making faithful choices from how David navigated some of his first battles.
Tune in for this special lesson offered by Dr. Brian Perkins as he shares insights from the book of Ezra about contributing to spiritual revival within our communities.
What's really in a name? Join Casey as she explores battles, bees and what the book of Judges can teach us about being a community aligned with God's heart.
Many have participated in difficult competitions at some point, and perhaps experienced the sweetness of triumph. Join Phil as he concludes our study of the church in Ephesus by considering what it means to gain the "ultimate victory."
What do preparing for the weather and standing firm in our spiritual environment have in common? Join Phil as he considers this and more in his study of Ephesians 6.
What are helpful ways to think about living "in the light?" What is the difference between avoiding sin and pursuing righteous living? Tune in as Ezra continues to offer insights into the remarkable book of Ephesians.
Join Phil on a walk through ancient Ephesus and consider the countercultural and transformative power of the gospel.
What reminders of God's blessings does Ephesians 1 offer us? Join Phil as he explores why it is so important to grow in our knowledge of God?
What can we learn from Paul and the Ephesians about how to positively affect the lives of others by living in faith? Join Ezra as he shares three supporting pillars for making an impact in our communities for Jesus today.
Join Phil as he kicks off a new series focused on how we can live our lives "for Him." Tune in to learn more about Jesus' followers in Ephesus and to hear valuable tips on how to build great relationships.
Tune in as Phil concludes the "Names of God" series by considering the "most critical thing" to know about God.
How did you feel beginning this new year: Outrageously hopeful, Profoundly pessimistic, or somewhere in between? Join Ezra as he invites listeners to connect with a trustworthy and "ancient peace" that overcomes chaos.
What did the words "messiah" and "christ" mean during Jesus' time on Earth? What sets him apart from any other anointed officials of the day (and ever)? What does this teach us about the hope and opportunity Jesus offers us today?
What is theodicy? How can the name "Shaddai" help us to better understand who God is? Join Ezra as he considers how the book of Ruth illustrates the life-changing truth that God is so much more than we can imagine.
What is a "theodicy odyssey?" What does the name "Shaddai" reveal to us about who God is? Join Ezra as he considers how the BIble illustrates the life-changing truth that God is so much more than we can imagine.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus is declared the "King of kings!" Join Phil as he considers why that is and what that means for us today.
What is a "redeemer" and what does that mean for us today?" Join special guest, Josh Heman-Ackah, as he takes a deep look into the life-changing power of redemption in the book of Ruth and throughout the Bible.
Why is it important to be grateful? Dive into Abraham's story and consider how gratitude and adopting a bigger view of God go hand in hand.
Listen in as Phil explores connections between God being our "banner" and the wealth of having a spiritual home for our hearts.
Are you longing for a deeper relationship with God? Tune in as Phil considers a little-used but deeply meaningful name.
Listen in as Phil discusses how knowing God as the creator of the world should transform the way we live.
Join Phil for this exciting new series, as he considers what the name "Yahweh" teaches us about the power and authority of God.
Join Phil as he considers the wisdom undergirding Asaph's plea and reflects on the amazing biblical stories explored throughout the Summer Growing Season series.
Whole-hearted or "hole-hearted?" What can we learn from Caleb about living a life fully devoted to God?
Tune in as Phil considers what we can learn about persevering through adversity from the "most beautiful story ever."
What does it take to be a person who cultivates a solid spiritual vision? Tune in and find out as Phil continues the "Summer Growing Season" series.
Join Phil for encouragement and tips for considering God's faithfulness and your progress towards your summer growing season goals.
Consider God's faithfulness to Joshua as Phil shares inspiration from a childhood game enjoyed by many.
Listen in as special guest, Bobby Pearson, considers how God moved in Moses' life to prepare him for the work set out for him.
Tune in to see how God worked through Jochebed's values and extraordinary actions to change the course of history.
Tune in as Phil considers how God feels about growth and what our true motivation should be for pursuing it.
What can 1 Peter 5 teach us about how to cultivate rich and godly relationships with one another? Tune in!
Join Phil in considering what we can learn from 1 Peter 3 about having strength of character through challenging times.
Listen in as Phil considers how our identity and Jesus' righteousness inform how we are to live with one another.
Join us as Beth explains to us how Christ's love is our flywheel that launches us to share the same love with others!
Join us as Phil guides us through the last episode on our LIVE FREE IN '23 series with the idea of celebrating YOU!
In Acts 16, Lydia and the jailor display a great account of recognizing sin and transforming not from guilt and fear, but from love and faith! Let's learn what that could look like for us!
Paul truly loved the church! Come join us as we learn from him on why and how we can love it and be a part of it!
Join us as we explore what it looks like to live free in '23 by studying out the book of Acts and the figures in it!
Join us as we explore what it looks like to live free in '23 by studying out the book of Acts and the figures in it!
Join us as we explore what it looks like to live free in '23 by studying out the book of Acts and the figures in it!
Join us as we explore what it looks like to live free in '23 by studying out the book of Acts and the figures in it!
Join us as we explore what it looks like to live free in '23 by studying out the book of Acts and the figures in it!
Join us as we explore what it looks like to live free in '23 by studying out the book of Acts and the figures in it!
*In this sermon, "Eunice" was mispronounced as "Eugene" throughout. Every time "Eugene" is said, it is meant to be "Eunice"
Phil Bruns / Timothy, a strong disciple's faith was rooted in his Grandmother and Mother. Who does your faith inspire?
Phil Bruns / Jesus brought the disciples back together. He saw them, both men and women, for who they really were. He sees you for who you are.
Drew Mines / "The Kingdom of Heaven certainly is more than the ministry to the poor, but it cannot, surely not, be less..."
Drew Mines / "The reality of what Jesus has already done, informing now what we must for certain do."
Drew Mines / The perspective of the victor, the perspective of the victim, and the great neighbor.
Phil & Beth Bruns / How are you allowing God to use everything about you for HIS glory?
Drew Mines / What did Jesus stand to lose? *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM and is not the best quality.
Drew Mines / Do we recognize we can be a part of the grand solution for the world? *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM and is not the best quality.
Drew Mines / What is God's mission for you? *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM and is not the best quality.
Brandon Vassallo / Guest speaker asks us "Who's your daddy?" *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM and is not the best quality.
Drew Mines / It's not about the ritual, it's about the heart. *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM and is not the best quality.
Rashaun Smith / Waiting for our Messiah *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM and is not the best quality.
Midweek / Drew Mines *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM and is not the best quality.
Drew Mines / What are you really filling yourself up with? *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM and is not the best quality.
Jon Landis / guest speaker Jon Landis from the Roanoke Valley Church shares a tribute to our heavenly father on this father's day. *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM, and is not the best quality.
Midweek / Drew Mines *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM and is not the best quality.
Drew Mines / "...a church scattered in person but steadfast in preaching, prayer, and passion." *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM, and is not the best quality.
Midweek / Drew Mines *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM, and is not the best quality.
Midweek / Drew Mines *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM, and is not the best quality.
Cody Dowdy *Please bare with us as we our audio is coming from ZOOM, and is not the best quality.
Cody & Brittany Dowdy *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM, and is not the best quality.
Midweek / Drew & Jenny Mines *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM, and is not the best quality.
Midweek / Drew Mines Why not just confess? *Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM, and is the not the best quality.
Midweek / Drew Mines Do you crave more spiritual friendships?
*Please bare with us as our audio is coming from ZOOM, and is not the best quality every time.
We can only feel loved by people that we trust, no matter how much actual love they try to give us.
What is meditation? How can we practically engage our hearts and minds in everyday, common life?
What is grace? What did it mean to the Ephesians when they first read this letter? We uncover the powerful motivating power of generosity and gratitude.
Something incredible happens in the ancient city of Ephesus. At a public burning of magic scrolls, the Christians show that the name of Jesus is much more dangerous and powerful than anymore imagined.
Our theme this year is, "The Fullness of Christ"
"15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." - 1 Tim 4:15-16
Being dedicated to progress implies that we are not to have a culture of accomplishment, but humility and learning. Spiritual growth starts with our personal walk with God; learning to set goals, being vulnerable, and being a person that takes responsibility and has integrity. But it's not just us having personal goals. We also need one another in fellowship to grow, and to accomplish God's mission to the lost and to the poor.
Are we willing to listen to our brothers and sisters? Are we willing to be real and share what we see with one another? Priscilla, Aquilla, and Apollos's relationship shows us how we must go deep if we are to withstand the wind and waves that will come and to see ourselves clearly. Listening helps us to have soft hearts and deep convictions.
Many times we ask 'How much?' when making new commitments. In a world where your resume speaks loudest about your worth, Mary's story demonstrates that God's estimation of mankind is based on something different.
When we have missed expectations in life, we can be afraid we are too far gone for God to save or that he doesn't care about us. We are tempted to defend ourselves rather than trusting God. But God is on the move, and with this Christmas season upon us, we must realize the purpose of John the Baptist. We must learn to slow down and rather than acting as our own saviors, we must prepare our hearts for the real savior, Jesus.
How do you know your good enough to enter the kingdom of God? Jacob tries his best to find happiness in his life, only to come face to face with God and come to realize the truth.
Isaac falls into a familiar sin and faces adversity as he begins to build his life and his family.
The trickster Jacob steals his brother's birthright. Esau cannot see beyond the immediate pleasure of the moment.
A servant travels to a foreign land to find the perfect bride for his master's son, Isaac.
The grandmother of Israel dies and is buried at Mamre. Of course, Mamre is a place of special significance for Abraham and Sarah.
How does love for our true Father enable us to love all people? How does someone discern when to love, and who to love? The sermon today comes from Luke 2.
Abraham reveals how much he is enslaved to the sin of lying. Even after maturing so much in the previous chapters, he goes back to looking a lot like the "old" Abraham. How do we deal with habitual sin? Can we ever change?
The angels head down to Sodom to assess the situation. Will there be ten righteous people? Will Lot and his family respond to the call of salvation?
Abraham approaches God to plead for the lives of strangers in the most unique prayer of the Old Testament.
We all struggle with fear and insecurity, which usually cause us to try and take control of situations. Genesis 16 reminds us that God inspires and redirects us through care and concern, not control or manipulation.
The ends justifies the means. All's well that ends well. Close but no cigar. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Our world thinks in a results-focused paradigm- should Christians do the same? 1 Corinthians 3
Guest Speaker Cody Dowdy preaches on making small, faithful decisions in life. He and his wife share about mission and faith.
False advertising can be a huge disappointment. Once we look under the veil of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, what do we see? Is it truth, or has it been dressed up to be made more attractive to would-be followers? You be the judge.
On Palm Sunday, Jesus enters Jerusalem to loud cheers and shouts. So why is he so emotional as he enters the city? Why does the Son of God cry as he rides into Jerusalem?
Why do promises mean so much to us? How do we respond when trust is broken? Genesis 15 speaks about a promise made between God and man...but is the promise kept?
At our bi-annual James Madison University service, Seth Mitchell speaks on God's astounding love for His children. (Lk. 15)
How can one make sure they're making a name for God, and not making a name for their self? With our reputations at stake, to whom will be pledge our fidelity?
We all crave security, comfortability and freedom. God knows that we cannot attain these things through the idols of that world. What towers of Babel are we building in our lives?
How can we believe in a God of judgment? How can he be a God of love and justice? We take a look at Genesis 6 and read the story of Noah and the flood.
The cycle of addiction and sin wears down our emotions, our bodies, and our souls. There is only one ladder on which to climb out of the pit of slavery to sin. John 8:31-33
Rejection and acceptance. Depravity and hope. Motive and outward appearance. I give you Cain and Abel!
When Jesus is asked about divorce in Mark 10, he discussed the importance of the perpetuation of marriage. But how can we deliberately love our spouses to keep our marriages healthy?
How does temptation seduce us? How does the Enemy use half-truths and distrust to lead us down the path of error?
Does science harmonize with Scripture? How are we to interpret the creation story of Genesis 1? This is Part 2 of our introduction to the book of Genesis.
Is there anything more fascinating than Genesis 1? We being our mini-series on Genesis by looking into the importance of boundaries, work, and compassion.
Just as all roads lead to London, all Scripture leads to Jesus. We look at 1 Peter 1:20 to introduce our new theme on Building Family in our city.
Is Christ's birth a myth or history? What are the implications for us as we celebrate Christmas?
John closes out his letter with a final appeal to be confident. From where do we gain this confidence? How can we have great assurance of salvation?
Are Christians just supposed to embrace the mediocrity of life? Just supposed to accept that in this life we have to take the loss, but don't worry, we can just wait for heaven where everything will be perfect? NO! The author of 1 John helps us envision true victory in the text 1 John 5:1-12
Fear is it's own punishment. How does fear enslave us? How does Satan use fear, his greatest weapon, against us?
The unexamined life is not worth living...but how does the Christian examine his or her life? How do we know which motivations are from God and which are from Satan? 1 John 4:1-6.
How can we combat the deep hate of the world? How can we fight the deep hate within ourselves? 1 John 3:11-24
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. How do these temptations manifest themselves in our lives? How do we resist the pull of the world while engaging in the world lovingly? Stephen preaches from 1 John 2:3.
How do we tackle the temptation to give up on one another in the fellowship after fractures in relationships?
Seth Mitchell preaches on the temptation to take shortcuts to avoid pain and difficulty, and God's heart to keep us safe amidst the stormy gales of our lives.
Repairing relationships is extremely difficult and often painful. In order to rebuild these bridges we must first examine our perspective of our priorities, and our view of Jesus Christ.
The Parable of the Compassionate Father is a story of forgiveness and reconciliation amidst the great barriers to forgiveness: anger, insecurity, shame and deep hurt. How can we truly forgive considering these very real impediments?
Most people give their leftover time and money to God. How can we give our first fruits of time and money to Him joyfully and sacrificially?
What does it mean to truly be humble? Self-abandonment? Hopelessness resignation? 1 Peter 5:5 calls us not only to "gird ourselves in humility" but to look to Christ for the true meaning of humility.
How can one obey God if they don't understand the command? Why does God allow people to be "tested?" Abraham is given an incredibly difficult command to obey in Genesis 22, putting his trust in God to the ultimate test.
Following the era-bridging days of Pentecost, the apostles courageously live every moment with the love and conviction given them via the Holy Spirit.
Too often we neglect to focus on the motherly aspects of love that come from God. In Luke 7:11, Jesus is compelled to protect and intervene in a woman's life because of her catastrophic state.
To know Christ is very different than to know about Christ- Paul considered this know to be the ultimate goal of Christianity...a lightning rod truth that shoots us through with amazement and wonder.
Paul's concern for the Philippians despite him imprisonment and geographical distance is astounding, and it's origin is not in himself but in a genuine concern for the progress of the gospel.
Is today a day of victory, or one big scam? We analyze the interaction of Mary Magdelene with the risen Christ in John chapter 20.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem on the eve of Passover, the Temple comes into view- the heart of Judaism, and the locus of his call to repentance.
Our joyful behavior and content attitudes will shine like stars in a world of complaining, grumbling and arguing.
Suffering is inevitable in all of our lives, and how we deal with it will either draw us closer to God or drive us further away.
Despite Paul's imprisonment and possible death sentence, he is able to rejoice because God's word is not chained.
Paul rarely thanked God for things- he nearly always thanked God for people. For him, the grace of God was made manifest in the partners provided him in defending the gospel.
Weddings are grand occasions that can often be dramatic. As we examine the future banquet of Jesus, let's allow His heart of compassion to soften ours.
How can a disciple be both distinct and engaged in culture and community that surrounds them?
The most powerful motivations in life are personal. Nothing has ever been more personal than God deciding that His Son's life is not too steep a price to pay for us to live.
"I'm proud of you" is one of the most powerful sentences our parents can say to us...God delivers us the an even greater embrace of acceptance we could ever hope for.
Amidst a culture of ever-increasing individualism, God calls us to live communal lives, inviting one another into our lives to remember our Head, that is, Christ.
Corey Stuck preaches on how we can depend on money, relationships, and material more than God.
In light of the recent violence in Charlottesville, Will addresses the need to not find power in our perspective, but in our God.
Josiah renews the covenant in the presence of all the people after realizing that the people of God have drifted from the truth in a big way.
In order to live faithfully, we must remember Sarah and how she considered the one who made the promise to be faithful. In truly hopeless situations, God is the only one with the resources to truly deliver.
Putting on the full armor of God and standing firm against the devil's schemes requires intentionality and reliance on God's power.
Easter is not just about Christ rising from the dead, but about the opportunity for us to rise from the dead by following His example.
Ephesians 5:1: Do we live our lives as though our behavior does not affect our salvation? If so, we are probably motivated by a dysfunctional sort of grace.
God came to us not clad in worldly glory and esteem, but in humility. He would die the same way He was born, setting for us an example from beginning to end.
Drew Mines on to process of Transformation in our striving to know Christ and achieve the resurrection.