Brandon Johnson – Elements City Church: Recent Episodes
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A church believing there's a HOPE available that changes everything. We gather for church on Sunday Nights for dynamic worship, authentic community & relevant teaching. You're invited to join us in midtown to make a difference.
All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's perfect standard. But our loving Heavenly Father did not leave us in this hopeless state. He sent his son Jesus to die in our place and rise again so that we could have life with God forever.
It’s much easier to maintain faith when our lives are going well. But what happens when our circumstances take a turn for the worst? How do we keep pressing on in our faith? Hebrews 12:1-3 shows us that when we set our sights on our Savior, we find the strength to persevere.
We talk about faith a lot as Christians. But what is faith? Is it just believing that God exists? Or is it something more? Hebrews 11 shows us that faith actively changes the way we live. That’s because faith is confidence that God is who he says he is and will do what he says he will do.
In our culture, most people know the historical fact that Jesus was crucified. But why did he die on the cross? Why did an innocent man willingly lay down his life and endure such a brutal form of execution? Luke shows us that Jesus died so we could be in a right relationship with God and enjoy him forever.
When it comes to temptation, we typically think that resisting it is a matter of self-control. But the temptation of Jesus reveals that something more is needed. It's only by trusting God that we find victory over the temptations in our lives.
Encouragement is more than just offering someone uplifting words when times are tough. It's about nudging fellow believers toward love that expresses itself in good deeds.It's about calling one another to live a life of love that is demonstrated by the way we treat one another. The goal of encouragement is to help one another be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
Throughout his life Solomon experimented with a variety of pursuits and pleasures. Although he accomplished everything you can imagine, he was unable to find true and lasting satisfaction. When we pursue our ultimate satisfaction in what we find "under the sun," we arrive at the same conclusion as Solomon. That's because only a relationship with Jesus brings true and lasting satisfaction.
Often times we assume that doubt is the enemy of faith. We think that for faith to thrive, doubt must be eliminated. But what if our doubt is the very thing God wants to use to draw us into a closer relationship with him?
Reflecting on Scripture is an indispensable part of experiencing the life that Jesus calls us to live. By engaging prayerfully, thoughtfully, and repeatedly with a small portion of the text, the thoughts of God drive themselves deep into our hearts and minds. When that happens, our actions follow close behind and we begin to experience life transformation.
There is great power in our words. We can use them to build up and we can use them to tear down. So it’s no surprise that James offers some challenging and convicting statements about the importance of our words.
For many of us, our identity is closely tied to our achievements. When we succeed, we feel good. When we fail, we feel miserable. This destructive cycle leads us to a place where we look to our achievements to provide what only God can provide – a true sense of identity and purpose.
We love the extraordinary. We’re fascinated by it and drawn to it. Yet most of us would consider our lives ordinary. But what if there is a way for the ordinary to become extraordinary? There is and it starts when we use our life’s story to bring God glory.
Most of us live comfortable lives. And although there is nothing inherently wrong with comfort, it can be hazardous to our spiritual growth. The prophet Amos reveals the danger of getting too comfortable and calls us to engage with the hurt and suffering around us.
In order to step into the life of freedom that God has for us, we must know and embrace our new identity as a child of God. This means recognizing that we don’t have the strength to move forward on our own and that’s okay. Christ’s strength is all that we need.
One of the most dangerous pitfalls in a relationship is getting caught up in the ways we think the other person needs to change. It’s a tendency that all of us have and when it happens, we do far more harm than good to the relationship. Thankfully, Jesus offers us an alternative to this destructive pattern. His words are challenging. But if we follow his instructions, it has the potential to actually change our relationship for the better.
All of us will face circumstances in our lives where we will need Jesus to intervene on our behalf. It could be a physical need, an emotional need, a spiritual need, or some combination of those. In that moment we will have to decide, are we going to come to him on his terms our ours? As Mark 5:21-43 shows us, Jesus is delighted to restore us when we come to him in faith.
Our 4th choice: Forgiving others rather than keeping score. When people hurt us, we tend to attach a value to that hurt. We keep score. But forgiveness means releasing others. It means wiping the slate clean. We choose to do this because it's what Jesus did for us. Now, there are some things forgiveness is NOT. But we will discover more hope in forgiveness than in keeping score.
All of us deal with anxiety and worry from time to time. What if it was possible to live free from them? What if it was possible to replace those nervous feelings with a sense of peace? In Philippians 4:6-7, the Apostle Paul shows us how we can be free from the anxiety and worry in our life.
What is the defining characteristic of a growing Christian? Is it how much we know? Is it keeping a list of rules? In his opening remarks to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul addresses this issue. Although the answer sounds simple, the implications it has for the way we live are profound.
All of us will face unplanned circumstances in our lives. The only question is how will we respond? Will we be consumed by hopelessness or is their another option? Thankfully, Jesus invites us to face the unplanned moments in a way that moves us beyond despair and brings us into greater intimacy with our Heavenly Father.