Pastors Pregame: Recent Episodes
Lisa Scheffler
Trying to figure out how to follow Jesus in a crazy, ever-changing world? So are your pastors. Join the Christ Fellowship preaching team as they prepare for Sunday's sermon and discuss what the Bible has to say. Learn how they're applying scripture to their own lives and how they hope to encourage you to do the same. Each week, you’ll hear meaningful conversations between Bruce Miller, Jaime Gonzales, and Lisa Scheffler as they talk about knowing God, living out our faith, and becoming more like Jesus.
This week we're talking to another community partner, Direction 613, a non-profit that provides stable homes for foster teens or those who have just aged out of foster care. They do amazing work with this vulnerable population. https://direction613.org/
Meet the Partners! Emily's PlaceWe're talking to another one of our amazing community partners, Emily's Place. Emily's Place provides wholistic support for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. They do incredible work helping these families rebuild their lives. https://www.emilysplacetx.org/
Food insecurity is a big problem in our community — bigger than you might think. As part of our Missions Focus month, we're talking to Angela Poen from Community Garden Kitchen. She'll share her vision for helping hungry people find nourishment and "dine with dignity." https://communitygardenkitchen.org/
It's our missions focus month here at Christ Fellowship, so we'll be talking to some of our community partners. Today, meet Dana Riley from Samaritan Inn. Homelessness is a big issue in our area, and the people in need may not be who you think. Find out about all the great work that's happening at Collin County's only homeless shelter and learn how you can help.
Drawing from Paul's wisdom in Philippians 4, Bruce shares his heart for us — that we'd be unified, joyful, and content because Jesus is what matters most. (And yes, there are some tears)
Special guest alert! Bruce's wife Tamara joins us for a look back at nearly 30 years of ministry and a look ahead to the future.
How is Paul like LeBron James? Why does Paul call some people dogs? Bruce and Lisa are talking about Philippians 3 and the surpassing worth of Christ in one of Bruce's final episodes.
This is a special episode! Jeff Jones, Senior Pastor at Chase Oaks and Bruce's best friend joins us. The guys talk about friendship, mentoring, and Bruce's unfortunate beard. You'll also hear some of the pair's mission trip stories, but overall, you'll get a sense of their deep admiration for one another.
As Bruce preaches his final series through the book of Philippians, he shares with Paul the desire to see his church unified, even in his absence. How is that possible? Philippians 2 shows us how.
What gives your life meaning and purpose? Bruce would agree with the Apostle Paul in Philippians, "to live is Christ." He shares how this verse has shaped his life for almost 50 years. You'll be inspired!
Bruce is kicking off his final series as senior pastor and has chosen to preach through the book of Philippians. We talk about why. Paul opens his letter with a prayer that resonates with Bruce and what he's praying for all of us. You'll want to hear what he shares.
How can we make an impact in our community? Maybe we should think about how we can do it together, with our small group. In our final Connect 4 message, Lisa talks to student pastor, Jake Potter about the importance of having a heart of compassion as we seek to impact others, together.
In this week’s podcast, Pastor Rafe Wright tells us not to be a baby. Actually, it’s the writer of Hebrews who tells us that. This week in our Connect 4 series, we’re talking about growing in spiritual maturity and how our small groups can help us do that. Rafe will also give you a sneak peek at Revealing Revelations, our Digging Deeper course starting Fall 2024.
In this series, we're focusing on connecting in a group. How can we care for one another well in our small group communities? Bruce and Lisa get really practical in this week's episode.
There is an epidemic of loneliness in our country. We all need to experience deep, meaningful connection, especially in the body of Christ. Lisa and Bruce talk about how to find biblical community and why the "I'm too busy" excuse is not good enough.
Mike shares about being an alcoholic, getting sober, going through a divorce, healing from past decisions to have abortions, and his journey of becoming a Christian.Mike also talks about using his story and experiences to be the hands and feet of Christ as a sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous and through serving those in pregnancy crises at Hope Women's Center.
Shari Buie has served in jail and prison ministry for over 14 years. On this episode, she shares about what it's like to go into jails and prisons, the process of building relationships with the inmates, and the impact this ministry has had on her life and the lives of others.Shari and her husband have led addiction recovery programs with inmates, Celebrate Recovery and Overcomers. They also created a program called "Possum Talks" that helps incarcerated fathers build relationships with their children.
In this week's summer story, we're talking to some on our amazing VBS volunteers. Why do they spend countless hours getting ready for this special week? You'll love their reasons.
In our next Summer Story, we talk to Christy Wages, Kristi Sherman, and Julie Watkins about their healing after pregnancy loss and how the organization Hope Mommies offered them support and purpose. Learn where you can also find hope and how you can support their efforts to help other moms.
Jamie Pryor-Winters shares about her battle with pancreatic cancer, life after being cancer free, and how she's learned to be more grateful and more present in her relationships with others and with God.
Who couldn't use more patience in this hurry-up-right-now world? Lisa and guest Neal Mackey talk about how we can find more patience.
Couldn't we all use more peace? We're in a series on the Fruit of the Spirit and in this episode, Lisa is joined by special guest Lu Mackey to talk about how we can all get more peace in our lives.
How can we have more joy in our lives? In week 2 of our Fruit of the Spirit series, Lisa and Rafe talk about finding joy even in the hard times and how we can remove obstacles to joy.
How can we have more joy in our lives? In week 2 of our Fruit of the Spirit series, Lisa and Rafe talk about finding joy even in the hard times and how we can remove obstacles to joy.
We would probably all admit that we could be more loving, joyful, patient, and kind. So, this summer we're focusing on the fruit of the Spirit and Bruce and Lisa are starting with the one that binds them altogether — love.
We're wrapping up our 2 Timothy series and while we may be tempted to skip over these last few verses and all the hard-to-pronounce names, Lisa and Bruce discovered a wealth of wisdom packed in here. Paul shows us how to respond when people let us down.
We're focused on a passage of 2 Timothy that means a lot to Bruce as he nears the end of his tenure as senior pastor of Christ Fellowship. Like Paul, there's a charge he wants to give the church!
We're back in 2 Timothy this week. Lisa hits Bruce with some questions he wasn't ready for (but answered wisely anyway) such as is it right to call out modern-day false teachers by name? And can Americans really claim that we're persecuted when our Christian siblings in other parts of the world are losing their homes, livelihoods, and even their lives? You'll want to hear this discussion.
In a special Mother's Day episode of the podcast, Lisa interviews Tamara Miller (Bruce's wife) and Melanie Hebert (Bruce's daughter) about growing up in the Miller clan and life in a pastor's family. They also share some of their best advice for Moms and grandparents. Even if you're not a mom, you'll hear something that will help you support a mom in your life.
We're continuing our 2 Timothy series. Rafe Wright joins Lisa to discuss Paul's warning against predators with false ideas who prey on the vulnerable. How can Christians stay aware in a world where anyone with an Internet connection can claim to speak for God?
Bruce and Lisa are back to continue our series on 2 Timothy. How do you disagree agreeably? We'll get instructions from the Apostle Paul that will help us navigate conflict in the church.
Join special guest host Victoria Aguas as she interviews Pastor Jaime Gonzales in week 3 of our 2 Timothy series. They talk about the power of letters, the blessing of a good mentor, and the faithfulness of Jesus.
Near the end of his life the Apostle Paul was imprisoned and abandoned, yet he never wavered in his belief in the gospel. In our 2nd week of our 2nd Timothy series, Bruce and Lisa discuss how the gospel encourages us regardless of our circumstances and how we can encourage others.
We're kicking off our series on 2 Timothy. Lisa and Bruce discuss the context and what we can expect from Paul's most personal letter. We'll be challenged and encouraged as we dig in.
Easter is THIS Sunday! Lisa and Bruce talk about what's happening at Christ Fellowship this weekend and then preview the Easter message on the victorious joy that is ours because of Christ's death and resurrection.
Christ Fellowship is turning 27! Bruce shares some stories about the founding of the church and then looks forward to the future.
Most of us deal with some amount of anxiety. How can we deal with it? Lisa welcomes Jaime back this week to talk about how we can take our anxiety to God.
If God is for us, who can stand against us? No one. What can separate us from God's love? Nothing. Bruce and Lisa wrap up our Romans 8 series with some of the most encouraging verses in the whole Bible. Romans 8:31-39.
I'm talking Romans 8 with Pastor Rafe Wright. We discuss our dealing with suffering, our relationship with the creation, and how we can pray. We also ponder whether we've misunderstood everybody's favorite verse, Romans 8:28?
Pastor Rafe Wright is joining Lisa to talk about Romans 8. What is the path to glory? What does it mean that we're adopted into God's family? How do we choose life over death? We talk about all this from Romans 8:12-17.
This week is all about our students! We'll hear from Pastors Jake Potter and Dani Martinez about the state of student ministries — how it's growing, the challenges it's facing, and why DNOW weekend is so important.
In our last episode for this years 21 Days of Prayer we talk about Jesus' final two I AM statements in John's Gospel. Is it offensive that he claims to be the way, the truth, and the life? And how do we remain in Jesus as the true vine? Bruce and Lisa discuss.
This was a time led by Pam and Corey Allen when they had an informal fireside chat with our elders and their wives. The Allans lead our re|engage marriage ministry, and Dr. Corey Allan is an author, runs a marriage ministry, and hosts the “Sexy Marriage” podcast.
It's week 1 of 21 Days of Prayer and we're excited to see what God will do! Bruce and Lisa share some of the creative ways people are doing 21 Days at home and then discuss the focus of our series, the I AM statements in John. Jesus says he is the bread of life and the light of the world. We talk about what that and what Jesus means by eternal life. All that in this episode!
We're starting off the New Year with our annual 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. This time, we're encouraging people to worship God every day for 21 days in their homes. How can you do that? We'll talk about the whos, hows, whens and whats in this episode.
Christmas is a few days away! This week Bruce and Lisa are joined by special guest Shelley Frew, and we talk about Christmas traditions and how Christmas changes as your family does, but how we can still keep our focus on Jesus.
The Christmas season is in full swing. Bruce and Lisa talk about surviving the Christmas chaos and finding Jesus in the midst of it all. It's week 3 of Advent, and we're focusing on the Shepherds. How can we be like them?
It's the Christmas season! Lisa, Bruce, and guest Amanda Kruse are talking about Advent. How to celebrate it at home, and why we start Advent by discussing the prophets.
Get a copy of Christ Fellowship's Advent guide: Advent At-Home Guide.
It's Thanksgiving week! Some of Christ Fellowship's staff and elders stop by to share what they're thankful for this year and how God is revealing himself to them. You'll be amazed by the common threads that run through their responses.
As we wrap up our Money with a Mission series, we'll talk to Ryan Tew. Ryan is leading a new church plant in Melissa Texas, Highland Baptist Church. We'll talk about how God called him into ministry and what he hopes to see God do through this new church.
https://highlandsbc.org/
Lisa talks to Jenny Konvicka from Hope Clinic about the amazing things they are doing to care for under-resourced people in Collin County.
https://hopeclinicmckinney.org/
This week, Aaron Snell from Hope Women's Center joins Lisa to talk about the tremendous work they're doing to help women and men navigate an unplanned pregnancy. We also talk about the abortion landscape in a post-Roe v. Wade world.
For pregnancy or post-abortion care visit
https://myhope.org/
To volunteer or support Hope
https://standwithhope.org/
How should Christians understand the latest attack on Israel and the aftermath? What should our response be? Does this mean we're in the end times? We'll discuss the current conflict from a biblical perspective.
This past Sunday, Bruce made a big announcement that will affect the future of Christ Fellowship. Lisa will talk to him about it on this episode.
In this Halftime Q&A, we answer questions about two sensitive subjects -- masturbation and transgenderism.
We're kicking off our Money With a Mission series by answering a key question: Why should we give?
We're responding to your questions! After our final Love Vs. Sex sermon, you had questions about how to respond to LGBTQ people in the church. We tackle some challenging questions in this Halftime episode.
We're wrapping up our Love Vs. Sex series with your questions, and you sent in some good ones! We'll also give our final thoughts and frustrations with how sex is treated in the culture and in the church.
If the Bible teaches that sex is reserved for marriage, then married people have it made, right? Unfortunately, we know that sex can be complicated for married people. This week, Bruce and Lisa discuss honoring and loving your spouse with your sexuality. We also respond to some of the questions you've been sending in!
We're continuing our series Love Vs Sex. How can we honor our bodies by avoiding sexual sin? Bruce and Lisa also respond to your questions. Have a question for us? We'll be answering more in the next two episodes. You can text them in at (469) 717-6440.
Love Vs. Sex is our new series. How should Christians think about sex in a highly sexualized culture? We'll kick off the series by talking through some basics.
We'd love to hear your questions! Text them at (469) 717-6440, and we'll start responding to them next week.
With so many sermons and worship songs available online, do we really need to go to church? Lisa talks to Bruce and worship leaders Will and Crystal Yates about why we do.
Do you really need to be in a small group to grow spiritually? Today Lisa and Bruce talk about the importance of Christian community and discuss some of people's reasons for not joining a group.
This week author and speaker Dr. Jon Trent from Strong Families joins Lisa to talk about blessing others through meaningful conversations and building an attachment to God through engaging him individually.
This week Laurie Wright joins Lisa and Bruce to talk about how we can "bring the vision home."
We're kicking off a new series with special guest Neal Mackey. We're talking about Christ Fellowship's mission to be people helping people find and follow Christ. Is that as intimidating as it sounds? Neal's going to demystify Jesus' Great Commission.
Bruce and Lisa continue last week's discussion of judging and tolerance and get even more practical. When should you approach someone about a concern you have and how do you handle those difficult conversations?
Jesus says, "Do not judge." But he also says, "judge correctly." So which is it? Today Bruce and Lisa discuss judging and tolerance and navigating difficult conversations. How can we be bold in what we believe without being judgmental?
It's another Halftime episode! In their third and final conversation on sexuality and gender, Lisa challenges Bruce with some questions from...TikTok.
Resources:
Digging Deeper Book Study at CF: Leading a Church in a time of Sexual Questioning by Bruce Miller
Other Books:
People to be Loved by Preston Sprinkle
Embodies by Preston Sprinkle
This is the second of three conversations Bruce and Lisa have on sexuality and gender. In this one, Bruce gives what he believes is a biblical theology of human sexuality.
Resources:
Leading a Church in a Time of Sexual Questioning by Bruce Miller
People to be Loved by Preston Sprinkle
Embodies by Preston Sprinkle
Introducing "Halftime," shorter, more topical episodes of Pastors Pregame that you can listen to in about half the time.
Lisa and Bruce recorded three short conversations on sexuality and gender. In our first conversation, we defined some terms and discussed how we think Jesus would want us to treat LGBTQ people.
Jaime, Bruce and Lisa are wrapping up the book of James! We'll discuss the last section of the book and then share our biggest personal takeaways from the letter.
Lisa and guest Rafe Wright discuss 1 Corinthians 9 and how we can become all things to all people so that we might win some.
How patient are you? In this episode, Lisa and Bruce talk about James chapter 5 and how to be patient in hard times.
Lisa welcomes Chrissie Jones and Lu Mackey to the podcast to help us reflect on what it means to be a mom. We talk about our personal connection to the Old Testament figure, Hannah, and what we can learn from her about prayer. You don't have to be a mom to get something out of our conversation.
Bruce, Lisa, and Jaime talk about what is probably the most challenging passages in James. When James says, "Woe to you rich people," is he talking to us?
Bruce and Lisa continue our discussion of James. In chapter 4 James asks, "What causes fights and quarrels among you?" and in this episode, we discuss his answer.
Jaime and Lisa are joined by a special guest, Jon Ewton, to discuss God's wisdom as explained by James, chapter 3. We talk about how very different it looks from what most people think about being wise.
What does the book of James say is like a spark that can burn a whole forest? Or a rudder that can steer an entire ship? Our tongues. In this episode, Lisa and Bruce discuss James 3:1-12 and how we can be more careful with our words.
It's Easter week! Bruce, Jamie, and Lisa talk about Jesus' post-resurrection appearance on the Emmaus road and share their personal Holy Week reflections.
We're continuing our Reconstructing Christianity series by discussing James' controversial assertion that "faith without works is dead." Is James contradicting the apostle Paul? Bruce and Lisa discuss that and some practical applications for James 2:12-26.
On this episode, I'm joined by Thom Morris, Christ Fellowship's Care Pastor. The book of James challenges us to live out the Word of God, so Thom and I discuss how life change is possible, even when sin habits run deep.
Christ Fellowship is turning 26! Bruce, Jaime, and Lisa are joined by Pastors Laurie Wright and David Klippert Rowe to talk about the future of Christ Fellowship.
We're looking at James 1 in week 2 of our Reconstructing Christianity series. Bruce and Lisa will talk about wealth, trials, and the character of God.
We're kicking off a new series on the book of James called Reconstructing Christianity. We discuss where this title came from and how we should understand James' command to see joy when we experience trials.
On this special "DNOW" episode of the podcast, Jake Potter and Cody Trail from our student ministries team talk to us about their weekend event and the challenges that face this generation of young people.
This week we are focusing on Christ Fellowship's vision to reduce loneliness, anxiety and addiction by having meaningful conversations or people experiencing Christ through us. Laurie Wright, our pastor of vision, joins us for a special conversation.
In the last episode for 2023's 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, we're talking about the Holy Spirit's power to create unity in the body of Christ.
This week we're talking about something that makes a lot of Christians uncomfortable — telling others about Jesus. As part of 21 Days of Prayer, we're talking about the Holy Spirit's power to proclaim the gospel.
We're kicking off 2023 and our annual 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting with a discussion of the Holy Spirit's power in our everyday lives.
It's the Christmas season, and we're focusing on the opening verses of the Gospel of John where he describes Jesus as the light of the world.
The Christmas season is here, and we are discussing the opening of John's Gospel for the next several weeks. In this episode, we talked about how Jesus is the light and the life and how like John the Baptist, we can be the witness to the light.
Today we're joined by two special guests, pastor Riley Halliday of Mana Church and Christ Fellowship's own Steve Chappell. Lisa has a great conversation with each of them on cultivating generosity and becoming more like Jesus.
Today we are responding to the rest of your questions! We got so many during our Seven Big Questions series that we're taking a whole episode to discuss them. Our listeners asked about a variety of topics from voting to sending kids to public schools to the Trinity.
In this supersized episode of the podcast not only answer your questions about the Bible as part of our seven-big-question series, we're also going to hear from Rafe Wright about local, National, and international mission opportunities.
Our "7 Big Questions" series discusses some of people's most commonly asked questions about faith, God, and life. This week. We are discussing. Is Christianity too narrow? We've also been collecting your questions.
If you have a question And you'd like to hear our responses, please text us at 469-717-6440.
Why does God allow evil and suffering? This week we're tackling perhaps the biggest question of all, why does a good, all-powerful God allow evil and suffering in the world. Lisa will share some of her own recent experiences and Bruce, Jaime, and Mark give their perspectives as we answer your questions.
Text your questions 469-717-6440 Watch last weeks sermon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDvaw51mRf0
We're in a series called Seven Big Questions. We're looking at some of the people’s most commonly asked questions about faith, God, and life. This week we’re asking how we know that God even exists.
For this series, we're also collecting your questions. We've invited people to send in their questions and we're working through them on the podcast. We've gotten some great ones and we’ll be discussing them on today's episode.
Send in your questions 469-717-6440
Watch last week's message https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL-eBFA3Q0A
So many people have questions about Faith in god in life, and on Sunday mornings, we're going to cover seven of the most common ones. And we want to hear YOUR questions, so we’ve invited people to send them in, and each week on the podcast will answer them, so get ready to hear our responses to questions that came in this week and maybe think of your question to ask us for the next one.
Text us your questions: 469-717-6440 Watch last week's sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_DNiVhy-GY
We're getting close to the end of Mark's Gospel in our passage this week, Mark 14:43-15:20. That means we'll be witnessing Jesus' betrayal, arrest, and trials. For those of us who love Jesus, these are hard verses. In this episode, we'll talk about the final events of Jesus' life, what they teach us about him, what we can learn about loyalty and justice, and how we can find hope even in the suffering of our Savior.
Back in 2018, Christ Fellowship started a campus to serve communities north of McKinney near Anna, Texas. Now over four years later, that campus is growing into its own independent church that's looking forward to a permanent location. So today, I'm joined by the team launching Anna Christian fellowship to talk about how it all began, what it takes to become independent and what their hopes and prayers are for this new church.
To find out more about Anna Christian Fellowship or to donate to the church, visit https://cfanna.org/ Follow on Instagram @christfellowshipanna or Facebook is christfellowshipanna
We're moving closer and closer to the climax of Mark's gospel. This week, we're talking about Mark 14:1-42 and some of the final hours Jesus will spend with his disciples. We'll see how an un-named woman in the home of a leper shows more courage and devotion than all the disciples put together . We'll talk about the Lord's Supper, the agony Jesus experiences at Gethsemane and how all of us are grateful for the immense grace of God.
We're focused on Mark 13 this week. Here Jesus gives a warning to be on guard and alert because trouble and persecution is coming. Is he talking to the disciples about things in their lifetime? Is all this for those who will in the end time? Or is it for us right now today? We'll discuss the options in today's podcast.
We're on a fascinating journey through Mark's Gospel. This week, we're entering Jerusalem with Jesus in Mark 11 as he gets closer to the cross and the resurrection. We'll discuss the triumphal entry and whether it was really so triumphant and the cleansing of the temple and whether Jesus was really cleansing it. Most importantly, we'll talk about how we can shift our expectations to match who Jesus really is.
Today's episode is a little bit different. First Mark will join us to tell us about what's going on at the Anna campus. Then Bruce and I talk about the serve day we're hosting here in McKinney for English and Spanish before talking about Mark 10. This is a packed chapter and we have a great discussion about marriage and divorce, wealth and sacrifice, and status and service. It's a little bit longer than our usual episode, but we hope you find these conversations worth it.
It's Holy Week, the week Christians all over the globe are remembering the final week of Jesus' life that led him to the cross, the grave, and then the resurrection. We'll share some personal reflections on what this week means to us and encourage you to do the same.
This week, we're talking about Mark chapter 9, which shows us both a glorious Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and clueless disciples down below. We talk about faith, healing, and why it's so hard for us to accept Jesus' message that to be first we have to be the very last.
We are moving through the Gospel of Mark in our series, Supernatural Power. This week, we're in Mark 8, the hinge chapter for this gospel. We discuss what it means to really see Jesus for who he is, How we can be just as dense as the disciples, and what it can mean to deny yourself and follow Jesus.
Today it's just Lisa and Bruce talking about Mark 7. First, they talk about the 25th-anniversary celebration and then have a great conversation about how, just like the Pharisees, Christians can burden people with traditions that aren't from God.
This is a very special episode of the Pastors Pregame Podcast. Christ Fellowship is celebrating its 25th anniversary, so we're sharing some stories from some of our staff. We hope you'll be inspired and encouraged by all that God has done.
Since we were out last week for spring break, we're going to cover Mark 5 and 6 in this episode. Each of us will pick a story from these chapters that means a lot to us and talk about why. So get ready as we discuss everything from demon possession to resurrection to doubting relatives to finding Jesus in the storm.
We're in a series called Supernatural Power, stories from Mark's Gospel. We're in Mark chapter 4 so we'll be talking about why Jesus teaches in parables, how parts of Mark's Gospel are like a sandwich, and how we should respond when storms come up that test our faith.
We are moving into Mark chapter 3 as part of our sermon series, Supernatural Power, stories from Mark's Gospel. Jesus says a couple of things in this chapter that people often have questions about, so we'll be talking about authority over demons, secret messiahs, blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and who did Jesus say our Mother and brothers are?
Today we're talking about Mark 2 as part of our new sermon series, Supernatural Power, stories from Mark's Gospel. We talk about why we need forgiveness, why we should ask for healing, and the dangers of becoming a Pharisee.
Bruce mentions two books in this episode, J.P. Moreland's "A Simple Guide to Miracles" https://t.ly/CwYi and Craig Kenner's "Miracles Today" https://t.ly/B7g0
We're excited to kick off a brand new series this week - Supernatural Power, stories from Mark's Gospel. We're going to spend 16 weeks going through the 16 chapters of Mark and our prayer is that we'll all experience Jesus and his supernatural power. Join us as we discuss Mark chapter 1.
We're in the middle of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting and a sermon series exploring our union with Christ. Today we're looking at some verses from Romans and Colossians where Paul makes a startling claim - we are participants in Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, and glorification. This is a reality that baptism depicts, and we'll talk about how. For 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting resources, visit www.cfhome.org/21Days
As a church, we're kicking off 2022 with 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting and a new sermon series exploring our union with Christ. Today we're digging into John 15:1-17 where Jesus calls himself the true vine and tells us to remain in him. Then we'll share what we're asking God for during these 21 Days.
We usually give a behind-the-scenes look at how the sermons come together but today we're going to hear how the original song, Emmanuel Victorious, produced by the CF worship team, came together. It's a powerful anthem of the power and hope we celebrate at Christmas.
We are wrapping up our Conversations with Jesus series and this week we're focusing on John 10. In a tense conversation with the Pharisees, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd. We'll talk about what that means for us as his followers and how that's a message we want to share at Christmas.
We're continuing our Conversations with Jesus series and will be focusing on John 4 and the conversation Jesus has with the Samaritan woman. We'll talk about Jesus' abundant care and compassion and how a woman society considered an outcast introduced a whole village to the Savior of the world.
We've got another special guest this week. Bruce's son Jimmy is preaching this weekend and will talk us through Jesus' fascinating conversation with the pharisee, Nicodemus.
On this week's podcast, we have two special guests, Neal Mackey and Daniel Ramirez. We'll introduce you to our new sermon series Conversations with Jesus. How did Jesus call you to follow him? We'll be focusing on John chapter 1 to see how Jesus invited some of the disciples to come follow him.
The guys are back this week for a special Thanksgiving episode, and we're focusing our conversation on the power of gratitude and what each of us is thankful for. We're thankful for you, dear listener!
In this special episode, you'll be hearing from this Sunday's guest speaker, Riley Haliday, senior pastor of Manna Church. He's here as part of our neighbors and nations mission's focus. But first, you'll also hear from our own Rafe Wright who'll get us up to speed on all the opportunities here at Christ Fellowship to pray, give, and go.
We're wrapping up our series Greater Than Experiencing Christ in Colossians by taking a look at Paul's final words in chapter 4. We'll be talking about prayer, mission and ministry and sharing our biggest takeaways from this amazing letter.
We're in Colossians this week looking at 3:5-17 and this passage hits on some sensitive subjects - sex and speech. We'll discuss what behaviors we need to take off and which ones we need to put on in the body of Christ and how we can encourage one another through....singing? All this and more coming up.
We're back in Colossians this week looking at 2:16-3:5. We get real in this one. Why are Christians so quick to judge each other and how do we approach spiritual practices with the right mindset? And ultimately how do we set our minds on Christ? All this and more.
We're taking a quick, one-week break from our Colossians series to talk about Christ Fellowship's vision of the Table. We'll talk about what this vision is, answer some of your frequently asked questions, and see how Paul's letter to the Ephesians shows us how God empowers us to help people feel known and loved. Also, does Bruce glow when he talks about Jesus?
It's week 4 of Greater than > experiencing Christ in Colossians series. This week: Colossians 2:6-15. This is a rich passage full of encouraging truths. We talk about strengthening our faith, countering spiritual forces, forgiveness in Christ, and a whole lot more.
We're in a series called Greater than > experiencing Christ in Colossians. This week: Colossians 1:24-2:5. We'll gain some insight into the Apostle Paul's mission for Christ, but more importantly, how his mission is also ours.
We're in a series called Greater than > experiencing Christ in Colossians. This week : Colossians 1:15-23. How is Christ the image of the invisible God? How is he the firstborn over all creation? Does he get the last piece of pizza? We'll discuss all this and more.
We're kicking off a new sermon series called Greater Than > Experiencing Christ in Colossians. So, we'll talk a little background and context for the book and gain some insight from Paul's amazing prayer. We're focusing on Colossians 1:1-14 if you'd like to follow along.
From your smartphone to your game station, people are addicted to their choice of entertainment. In the discussion today the topic of entertainment as an Idol in our lives is discussed.
In the beginning, God designed sexuality to be an essential part of what it means to be human. According to Genesis 1 and 2, he created males and females in his likeness and gave them the sacred task of multiplying and filling the earth, and ruling over his creation. The sacrificial love of God, his desire to create life and the union found within the Trinity were all reflected in the oneness of the original couple. The relationships in the Garden, between the man and woman, and between God and the pair were exactly as they were supposed to be.
At least for a while. Until the couple rebelled against God.
Statistics can’t tell you everything, but they can sure shine a light on an issue.
From the news site, Axios: A survey from late 2020 found 75% of Americans increased their alcohol intake during the pandemic to include at least one more day per month, while women, in particular, increased their alcohol intake by 39% compared to 2019.
Another survey conducted by the American Psychological Association this year found nearly one in four Americans reported drinking more specifically to combat pandemic-related stress, and a separate study found women had a greater increase in excessive drinking than men, to the point that their intake levels were almost equal.
This week we discuss the idol of drugs and alcohol.
Jesus warns us that we can’t serve two masters, “either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13). It’s far too easy for us to make an idol out of money and all that it can buy. In our modern, American culture, think about all the time, thought, and creativity that goes into making and spending money.
This week we discuss the idol of money and materialism.
We are diving into a new series called, “Smashing our Idols.” We’re going to take an unflinching look at modern-day idols that demand our allegiance and supplant God’s rightful place in our lives.
Inherently success is not bad. It’s good to succeed, but we distort it into something bad when we make success an idol. It can happen not just in business but in kids’ sports as well.
This week we discuss the idol of success.