Decatur City Church: Recent Episodes
Decatur City Church
Welcome to the weekly audio podcast for Decatur City Church in Decatur, GA where our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our desire is that this podcast will encourage you in your relationship with God. Visit us at decaturcity.org.
None of us have perfect families, and we don’t get to choose our family. So why does God say family is so important?
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Family matters to us and to God. But who is our “family”? And what does God mean when he speaks of family?
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While we can't predict when miracles happen, there is a posture we can take that increases the chances of God doing a supernatural work within us.
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Our circumstances don’t define how God feels about us. So how do we navigate those circumstances when we don’t get the miracle?
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Miracles are at God’s discretion to further God’s purposes.
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The miracle of the universe is the foundation of our faith in God, but a different miracle is the foundation of our faith in Jesus.
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Serving people with different lived experiences is one of the primary things God uses to fine-tune our worldview.
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We all fall short sometimes. How we respond to temptations and frustrations can affect our well-being and relationships. What would happen if we brought our struggles into the light and invited others in?
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Everyone has a worldview. It governs your beliefs, decisions, and behaviors. You owe it to yourself to be honest about your source of truth because that will ultimately govern your life.
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What’s really going on in the world? The reality is that something is governing your life — and it’s not you.
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Since 2007, our Be Rich campaign has been making the world an even better place. After all, devotion to God is best demonstrated and authenticated through love for others.
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We must take responsibility for the me nobody can see.
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Our choices today will leave our loved ones with one of two things in the future: a burden or a blessing.
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Sometimes we have to go back to move forward.
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Your irresponsibility will eventually become somebody else's responsibility.
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We are far more likely to develop meaningful faith when people of faith surround us.
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We have a natural tendency to be critical towards others. Because we want others to change for our benefit. So how does Jesus actually address this idea of being critical and judging others? Is it ever healthy? How do you want to be judged?
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A game that requires a loser is a game nobody wins. When we play the comparison game and allow envy to motivate our actions, it can cost us more than we expect.
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A game that requires a loser is a game nobody wins.
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Somebody may have defined masculinity for you, but how will you define it for yourself?
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What could our world look like if we chose restoration instead of condemnation?
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Many Christians refer to the Bible as the “Word.” But there’s more to the Word than the Bible itself.
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It’s tough to be a faithful follower of Jesus under normal circumstances, and nearly impossible when someone around you has given you a big reason not to be. But help is available to us.
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What does kindness look like, act like, and react like?
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If we try to manufacture patience in our lives, we’ll be left feeling exhausted and discouraged. Lasting patience needs a lasting source.
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Jesus never said life would be easy, but he did promise us a path that leads to peace.
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The Holy Spirit was given to us not so we could be more spiritual, but so we could become more mature.
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Despite Jesus predicting it multiple times, eyewitnesses were shocked to learn God had raised Jesus from the dead. And what God did for Jesus, he can do for you.
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It’s easy to believe the greatest enemy of the church comes from outside the church. Unfortunately, the church’s greatest threat is right in the middle of it.
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The message of the church is a message for the world.
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Early Christians were bold, confident, and courageous. How we pray is an indicator if we’ve strayed from that.
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Provide for the next generation what you wish the previous generation had provided for you.
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When the church first began, a natural question surfaced right away: What shall we do? The answer had to do more with understanding who your faith was in more than what needed to be done.
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Being part of a local gathering of Jesus followers means you are part of something big. It’s up to each generation to determine what Christianity looks like, sounds like, and reacts like.
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If you do not see God as a father, you will not see yourself as a son or daughter.
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We all have a tendency to drift from God, but we’re never too far from God to restore our relationship with him.
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When we get lost, it’s often the result of our own decisions—we wander, drift, or even run away from God. In the parable of the lost son, Jesus sheds light on how God views us when our choices lead us away—and how he responds when we’re ready to come home.
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In all its subtle forms, greed has the potential to rob your life. But the secret to living a meaning-filled life is found across the border from what’s in it for me.
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If the only things that concern you are about you, there is work to do. Ultimately, we save ourselves from ourselves by choosing not to be all about ourselves.
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If something about the world is broken and it breaks your heart, there’s an opportunity to be a part of fixing it.
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The next time you feel insignificant or unqualified, remember the Christmas story. It’s a powerful reminder that our worth comes from God. He sees us, loves us, and wants to partner with us to invite others into God’s family.
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During this time of year, we engage our imaginations as we embrace the magic of Christmas. Let’s also imagine what the world would be like if we fully embraced the way of Jesus—the way of love.
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Jesus came to show us not only the way back to God, but the way back to others as well. As people who have been reconciled to God, we should pursue reconciliation with people whenever possible.
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Have you ever felt like you've lost your way? Usually by the time we realize we’re lost, we’ve been lost for quite some time. And we instinctively ask, "What should I do?" Instead, there’s a different question to consider.
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It’s easier to keep track of something than to catch up with it. That’s especially true of our money. If our money could talk, it would say, “I’m easy to track, but lose track of me and you will lose your peace of mind.”
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Are you mastering your money or being mastered by it? Maybe it’s time to flip the script. Instead of striving to have enough money to satisfy a me-first appetite, Jesus encouraged his listeners to have an others-first approach.
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If our money could talk, what would it tell us? You might be shocked to find out that what our money would say is pretty close to what Jesus did say—and what we should still consider today. Does our money add meaning to our lives or is it the meaning of our lives?
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Doubt doesn't have to be an off-ramp to faith. In fact, it's a natural part of the journey.
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No matter if our current season of life is easy or difficult, we strive to fix our eyes on Jesus instead of our circumstances.
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Our circumstances are not an indicator of God’s absence.
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Your great work is to identify the distractions that keep you from the “problem” that you are uniquely positioned to solve.
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Great work is often found on the other side of a terrifying longing. How could clarity
regarding your “terrifying longing” reduce the allure of the distractions you’re most susceptible to?
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As we see in this interview with Hal Donaldson, sometimes difficult circumstances can inspire people to do something great.
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Living in the upside-down kingdom Jesus described can perhaps seem risky and foolish. But the power and love of God is released when we embrace it.
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We can be tempted by a lot of things we shouldn’t give in to. But when we give into the temptation of humility, the world changes for the better.
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The cross is a reminder for us to stop chasing what can’t be caught.
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It's not intuitive to choose to lose, but Jesus introduced an upside-down way of living.
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When heading out on a road trip, you've probably felt a jumble of emotions— excitement, weariness, maybe even a touch of nerves—wondering what lies ahead.
No matter where you're headed this year, you’re inevitably going to experience a blend of freshly paved roads and a few bumps along the way… just like life itself.
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8: The Bible documents God’s redemptive activity in the world, culminating in the arrival of his final King.
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7: Jesus followers are multipliers.
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6: The church is God’s agent of transformation personally, culturally, and globally.
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5: Jesus died for my sin to reconcile me to God.
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4: Jesus promised justice in the end and invites us to trust him in the meantime.
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Jesus defined sin as anything that harms you or others.
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Jesus came to illustrate and demonstrate what God is like.
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God intends to orchestrate something extraordinary out of the ordinary in our lives. Have you ever heard that God has incredible purpose for your life? What does that mean? How do we discover his purpose? Sometimes we just need to eliminate the distractions, so we can hear God speak to us about his unique purpose for our lives.
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Moses thought he knew himself. He knew how others saw him. Then, he had an encounter with God that changed everything. Apart from God, Moses was a man full of guilt, shame, and self-doubt. Once he found his identity in God, Moses stood up to the king of Egypt, faced his past, convinced more than a million people to follow him into the desert, and governed the nation of Israel for 40 years. It’s easy to allow culture to define us. God wants us to find our identity in him. The source of your identity will change your legacy.
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Have you ever known someone who said they heard from God? Have you ever heard from God? Many of us have wondered what it looks like to experience that level of intimacy with our heavenly Father. But what should our posture be, and where should our focus land?
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Why does Easter Matter? Because the resurrection of Jesus provides assurance that God is love and God loves you.
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Forgiving someone before they ask for it isn’t easy, but it’s exactly what God did for us.
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The church is God's agent of transformation for the world, and the church is your opportunity to take part in that transformation. Take the step from being just a consumer at the local church to being involved.
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Even when our words are accidental, they can still hurt someone.
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If we’re not careful, what should be secondary can easily become primary.
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We’ve all heard the adage that actions speak louder than words. But the words we’ve heard have shaped us and the words we speak have the power to shape others. And some words weigh more than others.
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What do you do when you have to wait? The second thing to do when you have to wait is to not lose focus on what is most important. Pastor Steven discusses how we can be content while we wait on God.
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We should fear the consequences of closing our hands more than the consequences of losing what’s in them.
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Our behavior will eventually reflect the condition of our hearts.
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Selfishness is a terrible master that does nothing for you. The more you choose to surrender to God, the more he will lead you to peace with yourself.
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We all want to be known for something. What we really need is to be known by someone.
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One reason for the season is to remove our excuses for moving away from people unlike us.
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What do we do when life and circumstances we can’t control bring us to a breaking point?
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We are being distracted to death. But we don’t have to be. Jesus reminds us that we always have a choice and can choose what is better in order to live a live full of joy, peace, and love.
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Feeling overwhelmed? Feel like life is running you rather than you running your life? Jesus gives us an invitation to give us our lives back.
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People came before commandments. With God, relationships always precede rules.
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Jesus offered the most just system possible in an unjust world.
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The belief that “Good people go to heaven” sounds nice on the surface. But it doesn’t make sense.
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Jesus didn’t command us to agree with one another. We can disagree and love unconditionally.
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Andy Stanley interviews Decatur City's new lead pastor, Steven Lee.
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Your primary purpose in life is more about a who than a what.
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Lying to ourselves to feel good about ourselves keeps us from doing what’s good for ourselves.
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Generous people don’t give sporadically. They have a plan.
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Relationships go better when two people engage in a certain type of competition.
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Have you ever considered what hangs in the balance of your willingness to forgive?
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Your decisions aren't just about you. They impact people closest to you as well.
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We all want to be known for something. What we really need is to be known by someone.
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To better understand where we are, it’s helpful to figure out how we got here.
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The first step to turning things around is acknowledging where we are and how we got there.
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Just because someone claims to be our enemy doesn't mean we must return the favor.
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Our reactions reflect our confidence or our lack of confidence in God.
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Our actions rarely tell the whole story, but our reactions most certainly do. And Jesus instructs us to leverage them for good.
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Sandra Stanley shares five wishes she has for all of us.
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Being in the middle of something can be difficult, but getting something out of the middle is more important than getting out of the middle.
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Disagreement is unavoidable, but division is a choice. We can disagree politically and love unconditionally.
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When it comes to potentially polarizing topics, our posture, tone, and approach will tell others all they need to know about what’s most important to us.
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How you live your life on earth impacts how you will experience heaven.
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What you do now is an indicator of what you’ll look forward to later.
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Jesus talked about heaven in several different ways. Today we'll look at three conversations that reveal the way Jesus viewed the realities of heaven.
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People ultimately weren’t convinced to follow Jesus because of what he taught. They became convinced because of what they saw.
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Being right doesn't give us the right to be self-righteous.
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Love for God is demonstrated by love for others.
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Whatever your next step is, take it. You don’t know what hangs in the balance.
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Admirers of Jesus didn’t shape civilization. The doers did.
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Christians are not expected to believe based solely on a collection of ancient manuscripts. The foundation of our faith is anchored to something far more substantial and sustainable.
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If you’re grateful for your local church but not engaged, now is the time.
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We all have a tendency to turn ancient stories into fairy tales and morality lessons. But stories like "David and Goliath" are so transformative about our understanding of God that they deserve a closer look.
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Sure, the story of the entire Earth flooding sounds either like a Sunday School fairytale or primitive folklore. But what if this story was a giant leap forward for the people of its time? And what if there is a truth so big hiding in this story that we still have trouble believing it today?
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Let’s look at five steps to punching through your paper walls.
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It’s true that God loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to leave you that way.
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Whether fueled by fear, insecurity, or a past event, many of us construct a paper wall of excuses that holds us back.
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When a new king is born, the world can flip upside dow. How will you respond?
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Kings don’t just have believers, they have followers.
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From politics and culture to the church, Andy Stanley and Crawford Loritts have a candid discussion.
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The more mature person typically makes the first move toward reconciliation. And that first move is rarely convenient.
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Reconciliation requires an honest look in the mirror.
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Repairing a relationship requires someone to initiate, regardless of who’s to blame for the fallout. There’s a simple prayer you can learn to help you take that first step.
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When it comes to repairing relationships, no one responds well to being convinced, coerced, convicted or controlled. Yet we try those approaches over and over again.
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Today, we celebrate Be Rich, our annual campaign to go above and beyond in giving back to our community. Thanks to your generosity of time and money, we have a LOT to celebrate.
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We want everyone to get what they deserve. Or do we?
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When you lose something valuable, you will do anything to get it back. What did God do when it seemed like we were hopelessly lost?
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Is Jesus really worth following in the year 2021? And if we decide he is, what are we going to do about it?
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We don't have a responsibility to predict what God is up to. But we do have a responsibility to help meet people's immediate needs.
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It’s possible to be a good person without doing any good, but that’s not good for anybody.
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It’s easy to look at the outcomes of our decisions and know if we’ve won. But the bigger win happens before you even know the outcome.
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The first breach of integrity makes the second breach easier. Before you know it, it becomes a pattern. But there’s a way to prevent it from starting.
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Our appetites pose a constant threat to our integrity. And if we don't control them, they will shape the direction and quality of our lives.
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Sometimes we’re willing to be bad to keep from looking bad. But when we’re more concerned about our reputations than our integrity, we eventually damage both.
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There are times we know we ought to do something, even when there is no written rule. That's because there is an “ought to” that stands outside of you and over you that didn't originate with you.
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When you think about tomorrow, are you filled with optimism or anxiety? Is the future something you dream about or dread? For some of us, our circumstances have forced us into "survival mode," and when that happens, it's hard to imaging that life could be better than ever. But what if there was a way to move forward? What if we could leave the past behind and face tomorrow with confidence?
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We've all experienced it. One minute you're on top of the world, enjoying life, and in control. The next, your whole world feels like it's crashing down. It's like a real-life game of chutes and ladders, and it can leave us feeling stuck. But what if there's a better way?
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If you repay evil for evil, you will write a pretty predictable story. But there’s a way to write a remarkable one instead.
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Hurting someone because they hurt you doesn't end the cycle. It perpetuates it. And it makes you look like the person you dislike.
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Red or Blue. Left or Right. For or Against. It sometimes feels like the United States isn't very united. There's something we can do about that, and it has less to do with our rights and more to do with our responsibility.
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We all want to get the future right, and we all want to arrive safely at our intended destination. Follow these rules and you will get there on time and on purpose.
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Wrinkle-free days usually don’t create great faith, because we don’t know what we actually believe until what we claim to believe is tested. Those unexpected things life throws our way can end up being pivotal circumstances in our faith journeys.
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There is no progress without discipline. And many times, what begins as an "ought to" becomes a "want to."
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Sometimes it seems God drops someone into our lives at just the right time. The defining moments and seasons of our lives usually revolve around those providential relationships.
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Nothing causes us to depend on God more than pushing through our inadequacies to help other people. When we serve in a ministry we take personally, we experience God’s power and faithfulness.
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It’s one thing to believe and enjoy practical teaching. But gaining knowledge is not enough to grow our faith —applying it is.
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We’ve all heard stories of people—or we know people—who have what appears to be unshakable faith. They have a confidence in God that informs what they do. Where does faith like that come from?
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We want to be open-minded, but we naturally resist things we can't control or don't understand. So how can we learn to be open to changing our ideals and beliefs, especially if we may be wrong about something? It begins with a simple prayer.
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Jesus told his followers to pray to avoid temptation. But before we can pray that with a clear conscience, there are some things we need to ask ourselves first.
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If God already knows my needs, why pray? Because the purpose of prayer is to surrender your will, not impose it.
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At one time or another, we’ve all been told we should pray. But how should we pray? Jesus’s disciples had the exact same question.
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If you grew up in the church, you might have learned to have hope in heaven one day. But what does that mean for today? And does that really help when you feel like you're drowning in the hardships and hopelessness of this world?
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It's one of the most underrated threats to our hope, but it might surprise you...
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We put our hope in all kinds of things— new jobs, new relationships, new years. But if we keep looking for hope in the wrong place, we'll eventually be let down. And we might just find ourselves completely hopeless.
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There's a question you can ask yourself that will bring inescapable clarity to just about every relational decision you'll bump up against. But a word of warning: it's not for the faint of heart.
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It's human nature to snuggle up to the edge of irresponsibility or disaster and stay there as long as possible. But instead of wondering how close we can get before crossing the line, we need to ask ourselves perhaps the most important question we can ever ask.
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Sometimes an option we're considering creates tension inside of us. When that happens, it can be tempting to ignore the discomfort or brush by it. But instead of doing that, we need to pay close attention to it.
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Your life is more than random, disconnected events. It's a story being written. Whether it's a thoughtful response or an emotionally fueled reaction, we write the stories of our lives one decision at a time.
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The easiest person to deceive is the person in the mirror. But when we do the hard work of being honest with ourselves, we’re on our way to not selling ourselves on a potential regret.
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We never know what or who hangs in the balance of the decisions we make. But we do know that our decisions determine the direction and quality of our life.
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We’re wrapping up our Christmas devotional series today as Tensley Almand takes a look at the incredible hope and enduring promise that this season represents—both this week and all year long.
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We all look for meaning in even the most random events—especially the negative events. The Christmas story is a reminder that sometimes God interrupts people's stories for a clear purpose.
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Ever feel out of place? Are there people who make you feel less than welcome? In part three of our Christmas devotional series, Sherita Harkness focuses on the incredible new community that was born with Christ that first Christmas—one we are all invited to be a part of.
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In Part 2, Andy and his dad talk about patience, perseverance, photography, and the one thing Dr. Stanley prioritizes more than anything.
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We’re excited to continue the holiday season with our series of devotionals diving into the Christmas Story.
We're a week closer to Christmas and today Tensley Almand has a great reminder for us that Christmas represents more than just a day to celebrate, but also a life to emulate.
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In Part 1 of Life, Love & Legacy, Andy and his dad talk about their childhoods, parenting, generosity, and more.
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We’re excited to kickstart this holiday season with a series of devotionals diving into the Christmas Story.
Today, we have a short message from our friend Sherita Harkness who reminds us of the often forgotten context surrounding that first Christmas and the promise it still holds for us today.
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When life doesn’t go as planned, it’s tempting to have doubts about our faith and miss out on the fullness of life. But what makes faith fall apart isn’t doubt—it’s being too certain of the wrong things.
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Being grateful for someone is an emotion we can all relate to. But gratitude is not just an attitude, it's something that needs to be expressed.
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Whether it’s a possession, time, or a talent, we all have access to something God can use for the sake of others. But nothing is usable unless we first make it available.
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Andy Stanley interviews Sarah Anderson, author of The Space Between Us: How Jesus Teaches Us to Live Together When Politics and Religion Pull Us Apart.
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Today, we celebrate Be Rich, our annual campaign to go above and beyond in giving back to our community. Thanks to your generosity of time and money, we have a LOT to celebrate.
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If your main goal is your kid's obedience, you're settling for something less than and you're setting yourself up to have anger stirred up regularly. Instead of obedience being the objective, there's a long-term target that will go a long way toward winning as a parent.
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When our kids mess up, our tendency is to take something away from them. However, punishment shouldn't be the end goal of discipline. Restoration should be.
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Moms and dads dream of a future where their kids become adults and still want to come home regularly to visit. As parents, there’s something we can do to lay the foundation for that dream to become a reality.
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Ideal can seem out of reach, and it sometimes feels easier to put it out of sight. Part of being a parent is to point our children toward the ideal, while at the same time navigating what is real.
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During a major epidemic, first century Christians acted in such a way that people outside the faith couldn’t ignore them. It's not enough to believe correctly. We must act on what we say we believe.
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During times of crisis, there is something Christians should be doing above anything else. Doing this won’t answer why bad things happen, but it will demonstrate where our hope lies.
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The right questions are not "Why did this happen?" or "Whose fault was that?" We usually know those answers. The better question: "How can we help?"
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People sometimes use religion to justify positions, especially around social and political topics. But Christianity was never intended to try and win arguments. In fact, it’s just the opposite.
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Sherita is back today with a short follow up on a scripture that Tensley shared on Sunday. We hope it's a great encouragement to you as we wrap up our coverage of our latest series, How Are You Doing . . . Really?
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Sherita’s conversation with Dr. Wendy Dickinson was full of so much helpful content, but we couldn’t fit it all in the service. Check out this extended interview with new content that you didn’t see on Sunday!
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Research shows that at least 50 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetimes. In spite of that, it’s still something that can be seen as stigmatized by our culture and hard to open up about personally. But that’s not helping anyone. So . . . let’s talk about it.
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Today our friend Wendi Nunnery is back with a short follow up to the message Sherita Harkness gave on Sunday. If you haven’t heard Sherita’s message yet, that episode is out now on our podcast feed or you can watch it here.
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Today, we're listening in on a conversation between Clay Scroggins, Lead Pastor of Buckhead Church, and Lauren Espy, Director of Staff at Gwinnett Church. Clay brought Lauren on the Buckhead Church podcast this past spring to talk about 5 tips for self care in this season. Even though a few months have passed, this conversation is still as relevant as ever and it fits perfectly with some of the topics we’re diving into in our latest series, How Are You Doing . . . Really?
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We’re all carrying a burden right now, and no one should carry it alone. But how do we help others with their burdens when we feel weary and isolated? How do we carve out space for community in a chaotic and confusing season?
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Sherita has a great follow up to Tensley's message from Sunday that we hope will be the perfect encouragement to get you through the second half of the week!
Join us on Sunday as we continue our series, How Are You Doing . . . Really, with a special message from Sherita.
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During week one of our latest series, How Are You Doing . . . Really?, Tensley sat down with local author Wendi Nunnery to talk about her new book. We loved our conversation with Wendi, but we couldn't fit it all into the service. Check out this extended interview with content you didn't hear on Sunday!
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We all feel the pressure to put on a happy face and tell the world we're fine. But in a season like this, if we're being honest, we're probably all "not okay" in one way or another.
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During times of uncertainly and disruption, the people around us need to know we care. We often need to step out of our comfort zone to comfort someone.
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People want certainty, but sometimes that’s not possible. When certainty is not an option, you can still offer them the next best thing.
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The people who have the most influence in our lives often have little to no authority in terms of position. There’s something about their lives that gives them influence in ours.
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Leadership, however great or small, is stewardship of the temporary influence we have. When we view our leadership as something for which we are accountable, we will be far less likely to leverage it for ourselves.
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When tragedy strikes, it's natural to ask the question Why me? The harder and more unnatural question is How can I make this matter?
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Becoming a Christian is easy. It won't cost you anything. But Jesus never invited anyone to become a Christian. He invites us to follow.
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In this message, Sherita walks through one of the most shocking moments in the life of Jesus—at least for those who witnessed it. And in the midst of the upheaval, we find that what we choose to value has the potential to change our lives forever.
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Autonomy looks appealing on the surface. After all, having the freedom to do what you want to do is viewed as living successfully. But you were made for something better than that.
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Anytime our lives are disrupted, it's easy to spend time wishing things would go "back to normal." But what if normal isn't all it's cracked up to be? What if there's something incredible waiting for us if we simply choose to embrace the abnormal?
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Perhaps nothing characterized the life of Jesus more than his pursuit of people whose lives and lifestyles did not look like his. If we fail to listen to people who don't experience the world the way we do, we will never bear their burden.
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There is more to your circumstances than meets the eye. Your current circumstances are a chapter. They are not the full story.
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While we don't always choose our circumstances, we do have the ability to choose our responses. But the response that has the potential to reverse the natural course of things isn't natural at all.
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For many of us, there's something we wish we'd been doing all along to prepare for what is happening now. Whatever lessons we’re learning, now is the time to start putting them into practice.
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In a season that's usually marked by all the signs of new life, it seems like more and more we're surrounded by death. It's enough to make you wonder, is God still in the business of life?
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We often turn to the words of Jesus for comfort in difficult times, but what do we do when the words we read only make us more . . . uncomfortable. There's advice in the Bible that, when life is challenging, can leave us wondering, "what do I do with that?"
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We avoid things we don’t like. But sometimes things come our way that we can’t avoid. When our circumstances deteriorate, what do we do when there’s nothing we can do?
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