The Valley Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
Caleb Fritz
The Pit is the place where God’s promises are tested—but even there, God sees and knows and is working for our good!
Often times, God only sheds enough light for us to take the next step in faith. We walk by promise before sight.
The Resurrection is more than just another Christian doctrine--it is the FOUNDATION upon which our entire faith stands.
Christianity is not built merely upon the teachings of Jesus; it is bult upon the IDENTITY of Jesus.
Our faith is more than just practical teachings and good philosophy. Christianity is rooted in real, verifiable history and tells the story of God’s redemption.
We are thankful for our freedoms and blessings as Americans, but our ultimate hope is not in a nation but in a King and His eternal Kingdom.
The Bible is worthy of our confidence because it was carefully written, publicly verified, courageously defended, faithfully preserved, and is rooted in real history.
Christianity has withstood scrutiny for two thousand years because it is built upon the unchanging truth of God's Word and the unshakable person of Jesus Christ.
Faithful waiting is not passive—it is stewarding well what the Master has entrusted until He returns.
True readiness is not panic or prediction--it's a sustained, enduring faith that stays spiritually awake while waiting for Christ.
In the midst of all the chaos and upheaval on earth, Jesus will come as King to save the elect!
Jesus gives more signs of the end of the age and encourages his followers to maintain faith under pressure.
Jesus explains that times of deception, upheaval, and tribulation will come but encourages his followers to remain steadfast in faith and endure to the end.
Jesus challenges his followers to evaluate what their faith, hope, and security is grounded in.
God's glory comes to rest among Israel because the purpose of freedom is relationship with the Father!
Justice is right and good, but it also means there is eternal consequence for sin. Thankfully, Jesus absorbs that consequence for us on the Cross so we can be forgiven and find life!
God uses wilderness journeys to form His people through trust and daily dependence on Him.
Though our salvation is secure, we must learn to stand firm and trust God in the midst of the spiritual battles we face.
The Passover story is a foreshadowing of the Gospel--how God's judgement and mercy were satisfied through the Cross of Jesus Christ.
There is blessing in obedience and consequence for those who defiantly choose to disobey the Word of God.
God's calling of Moses rests not on his own sufficiency or ability, but on God's power and equipping.
God is not unaware or indifferent to our circumstances; he hears our prayers, he sees our situation, he knows what we're experiencing, and he acts on our behalf according to his promises.
Jesus stepped down into the darkness of humanity 2,000 years ago, bringing light to a dark world, and he does the same in our lives today!
The Nicene Creed is not just a dusty ancient document; it outlines for us the most important Biblical question we could ever ask--who is the baby lying in the manger?
As Paul closes out his letter to the Colossians, he reminds believers that the Church is called both to inward discipleship and outward mission.
At the foot of the Cross, the ground is level--Paul calls everyone, regardless of their station in life, to live in Christlikeness toward one another.
Dignity for all people extends to children as God's Word lays the foundation for the sanctity of life, born and unborn.
Paul lays out what counter-cultural, Kingdom marriage looks like according to God's will.
Paul encourages believers to be as dedicated to self-discipline in their faith as an athlete is in their training in order to experience spiritual fullness.
If we walk in step with the Holy Spirit, he will empower us to put to death our sin and fill us with his fruits (Godly virtues) for holy living.
Because of their identity in Christ, believers put to death their sin and live a new life as Kingdom citizens.
No human rule or regulation can provide the freedom, fullness, and salvation that can only be found in Christ.
Through the Cross, Christ canceled our sin-debt and defeated Satan so that we could be set free from the power and consequence of sin.
It's time for the Church in America to wake from its slumber and stand against the Enemy's schemes.
Paul rejoices in his sufferings because he knows his afflictions have a two-fold purpose: 1) the spreading of the Gospel and 2) the maturing of the Church.
The Holy Spirit is the presence and power of God which fills and transforms the life of every believer.
We are called to steward what we've been given for God's glory because everything we have belongs ultimately to Him.
While we await Christ's return, the Church has been entrusted with the work of the Gospel. Someday we will be evaluated and rewarded for the quality of our work!
The only Gospel of salvation (how to enter God's Kingdom) is a Gospel of grace through faith!
Jesus encourages his followers to persevere in prayer and faith, even in the midst of persecution and injustice.
Jesus tells a parable about the very real reality of heaven and hell and his Second Coming.
With the savviness of a worldly businessman, Jesus encourages Christians to be shrewd in their efforts to build His Kingdom.
Though the testimony of the lost son being found is powerful, the testimony of the older brother who has always been on the Father's farm is equally as powerful.
Repentance is about "coming to our senses" and making the choice to return to our Father where we are welcomed home with open arms!
The grace of God offers forgiveness of sin and new life to lost people, and we receive God's forgiveness and gift of new life through repentance and faith.
Jesus challenges the empty religious piety of the Jewish leaders, showing that the greatest in the Kingdom of God are those who have humble, generous hearts.
Apostleship isn't something we attain to after years of service in the Church; apostleship is something bestowed on us by Christ through the Holy Spirit as we go into the harvest fields with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Jesus-followers are called to share God’s love with all people, all communities, and all nations.
God has always had a heart for all people, all communities, all nations--as his disciples, we must share in God's love for the world.
God's desire is to bring revival to our communities; repentance is the spark that ignites revival in communities and across a nation.
Tabitha lived a life of impact because of the way she loved and cared for those around her.
Luke shares a vivid example of Christian love in the story of the men who were willing to carry their lame friend to the feet of Jesus.
The birth of Christian community begins with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Peter urges his readers, including household slaves, to seek after a non-circumstantial faith that honors God in every situation, good or bad.
As we live within the confines of a worldly realm, Jesus-followers are called to humble themselves and be a light in dark places.
The purification (cleansing) process of our hearts is a cooperative effort (covenant) between the ministry of the Holy Spirit AND our submission and obedience.
If our faith isn't grounded on Jesus and only Jesus, we will be in trouble when the Church faces suffering and persecution of many kinds!
Peter explains that trials and persecution refine our faith into something beautiful, imperishable, and praise-worthy.
There is a living hope that can be ours when we are born again into God's Kingdom by water and the Spirit.
The Lord shaped Peter into an Apostle who instructed the persecuted Church on how to live as exiles in a pagan world on account of their faith in Jesus Christ.
The Church is meant to be so much more than the place we go to "get saved." The Church was instituted by Christ to be an outpost of God's Kingdom on Earth!
God's incredible act of grace--through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ--has opened the doors to salvation, and we enter in through faith.
Disciples must maintain their saltiness in the world through obedience to God's Word and an evangelistic spirit.
The doors of God's Kingdom have been opened by grace, and we enter through by repentance and faith.
Because he loves us, Jesus unapologetically calls us into the only life that will set us free!
For true followers of Jesus, Discipleship must end in Apostleship--a going forth to proclaim and demonstrate the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Discipleship is not an optional "add on" to the Christian life; rather, it is at the heart of what Jesus meant by "losing our life in order to save it."
Jesus went about proclaiming and demonstrating the "good news of the Kingdom of God"--that there is freedom from the power of sin and release from spiritual captivity right now in Jesus' name!
Repentance is the Biblical language of revival--it is a weapon that breaks the chains of spiritual bondage and oppression and sets us free!
Jesus has the ability to set the oppressed free because he has supreme power and authority over all other powers, thrones, and dominions in heaven and on earth.
The Biblical understanding of "salvation" includes not just the hope of eternal life, but also a freedom from spiritual slavery right now!
There is no temptation of the Enemy from which the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony cannot deliver!
Behind the sin and brokenness in our world is a spiritual Adversary who is seeking to steal, kill, and destroy.
Becoming a Christian is defined not by a "religious system" to follow but by entering a relationship with the Living God that will transform our lives!
Repentance (metanoia) is an intentional decision to "change" my thinking and behavior as the Holy Spirit empowers me to do so.
Becoming a follower of Jesus begins with repentance of sin (a change of mind about my sin) and faith (a trust in Christ's finished work on the Cross).
Jesus did not simply claim to be a "good moral teacher," he claimed to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. What are you going to do with that?!?
Praise God the effectiveness of the Gospel message rests not on our "wise and persuasive words" but on the power of the Holy Spirit!
God fills us with the oil of his Spirit so our cup can run over and impact the lives of others.
The greatest act of love and devotion to God is to love others with the love of Christ--we love because Christ first loved us!
The heart of John's letter pushes us past "not hating" to "loving others"--they are not the same thing!
As John moves into the core of his teaching on loving others well, he commands the Church to destroy hate and practice self-denial instead.
Another foundation stone that John lays concerning loving others is our love of God's truth--we can't love others well until we love the truth more!
Only when we choose to come into God's light can our darkness be dealt with and our spirits set free to love.
The fulfillment of the "Gospel of Freedom" is that once we've been set free, we use our freedom to love others as Christ has loved us.
Love is the overflow of our freedom in Christ; lust is the overflow of our slavery to the flesh.
How do we live as a slave to righteousness rather than a slave to sin? Only one way--by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit!
The good news of the kingdom of God is not just a message, it's a ministry of freedom in Jesus' name!
The message of the "Kingdom of God coming near" that Jesus sent his disciples out to share is a message of FREEDOM in Jesus' name!
God calls, equips, and sends his followers into the world to minister the Gospel of Freedom in Jesus' name!
The prophet Haggai calls us to examine where our focus lies--on building our own house or on building God's house.
The way to being "in Christ" and experiencing a freedom from the power of sin is spiritual death.
The Church must be built upon the only Gospel of Jesus Christ which is that Christ sets us free from the power of sin and makes us a new creation.
The Biblical call upon church leaders is to lead God's people towards spiritual maturity, aka "Christlikeness."
We must make the courageous choice to build our lives completely on the Lord if we want to experience the fullness of God's favor and blessing!
Like Caleb's inheritance in Canaan, God has a "land inheritance" for those who follow him wholeheartedly.
Through repentance and a return to obedience, Israel is offered the opportunity to have God's favor restored.
God removes his favor and blessing from Israel on account of their disobedience and sin.
Joshua demonstrates seven important qualities of courageous faith during the Battle of Jericho.
There's a process of preparation God brings us through to ready us for the mission that lies ahead.
New life is available for EVERYONE who comes to the Lord in faith...even a pagan, Gentile prostitute!
Courageous faith is about preparing for victory ahead of the victory because we KNOW God has already won the victory!
Paul encourages his listeners to keep the Gospel at the center of our church and ministry.
The message of the Cross of Jesus Christ carries supernatural power that draws people to salvation.
Jesus calls us to faithfully sow the seed of God's Word while letting the success of our mission up to him.
Jesus delegates his power and authority to his followers through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
God's wisdom cannot be known or understood through worldly wisdom, but only through the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God.
One of the greatest signs of Christian maturity is unity among the many varied parts of the Body of Christ.
The supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are nothing to be afraid of--they have been given to equip the church for ministry!
Our ability to fulfill the Great Commission rests in the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul set out from Antioch and traveled across the Mediterranean world on a mission to reclaim territory for Jesus Christ!
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15)
Having received the gift of righteousness by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, God now calls believers to die to their sin and become slaves to righteous living.
The good news of the Gospel is that perfect righteousness (the requirement for salvation) has been made available by grace through faith in Jesus Christ!
Repentance and Obedience are the two great weapons of spiritual warfare that defend our mind, body, and spirit from the attacks of Satan.
There is a spiritual war being waged in the heavenly realm for the heart and soul of America.
God is searching for those who will follow the way of the Lord amidst a country that has broken covenant with God.
Before the word of judgement is the heart of a Heavenly Father who longs for the hearts of his people.
As we draw this series to a close, we revisit Paul's encouragement to "press on toward the goal to win the prize"...but what's the goal and what's the prize?!?
As Paul closes his letter to the Philippians, he teaches them about the secret to true contentment: non-circumstantial faith and trust in Christ!
Paul encourages the Philippians towards obedience as God works out his purpose within them.
Paul encourages the Philippians to seek unity through embodying the self-emptying humility of Christ.
Paul encourages the Philippian Jesus-followers to contend for the faith in the midst of their persecution and suffering.
Paul prays that love will overflow within the Philippian congregations, sharpening their gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and discernment.
As the Apostle Paul opens his letter to the Philippians, he encourages them that God will be faithful to complete the good work he has begun among them.
Pastor Caleb shares a brief summary of the spiritual and historical realities that provide the foundation for the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians.