Ponca City Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ponca City Church
Welcome to the audio podcast of Ponca City Church. We hope that these podcasts give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout your week. To learn more about Ponca City Church visit www.poncacityfoursquare.com
Faith in Jesus is a journey that eventually hits “The Wall” or as others have defined it, “The Dark Night Of The Soul”. These seasonal “walls” are crucial to our faith and to be processed in an emotionally healthy way. In this message, we process through the nature of these “dark nights” and the transformation on the other side as we trust God through the process.
Did you come from a perfect family? The obvious answer for anyone would be a resounding “no”, but why then do we often times hold our family traditions and culture in such high regard? In this message, we begin to unpack the inevitable family baggage we all carry from our past in order to find freedom for our future.
What does it mean to be created in the image of God while coexisting with our broken human emotions? The truth is, God created human beings with a variety of emotions and God Himself is an emotional being in his nature and personhood! In this message, we discover how God uses human emotions to reveal Himself to us so that we might better discover ourselves and our connection with Him.
Are we self aware concerning the image God created us in? Emotional health is deeply tied to our own self awareness, especially in regards to our spirituality. In this message, Pastor T.D. walks us through 10 symptoms of emotional unhealth as presented by Pete Scazzero in the book “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality”.
“Pretending is safer than honesty and vulnerability”. The truth is, everyone has an imperfect family of origin. Shame, secrets, lies, betrayals, relationship breakdowns, disappointments, and unresolved longings for unconditional love lie beneath the surface of every family. But how have we acknowledged and allowed God to redeem those deeply broken places? In the first part of this new series, we begin to “open the can” of emotional health in regards to spiritual maturity.
You have what you say... But what are we saying? In this message, Scott Barron helps us discover the power of confession through the classic story of David & Goliath.
The story of Joseph is a classic Biblical story of someone who lived an unpredictable and challenge-filled life. Interestingly enough and unlike many Bible characters, Joseph is also never described as making major mistakes in his journey with God. In this message, Julianne O’Neal challenges us to live like Joseph by asserting value to everything in front of us and in turn, “bloom where we are planted”.
What work does God have for your hands today? In this message, Pastor Sara reminds us through the life of Nehemiah that there is always opposition that threatens to weaken the work of God. Although we are tempted to quit at any moment, we are encouraged to take the same posture of Nehemiah and ask God to strengthen our hands!
Before Jesus ascended to His heavenly throne, He gave His church a mission. The church, as is true for any organization, is no exception when it comes to being tempted by “things” that can keep it distracted and threatened from executing the mission it was originally set out to do. In this message, Pastor T.D. helps us create simple definitions to make sure we stay faithful to the “why” behind the “what” of “church”.
The Biblical character Joshua saw many triumphs in his life, especially as the leader of God’s people. But this legacy was first preceded by a time when he positioned himself for the success he would eventually see. In this message, Dale Henshaw helps us discover 3 key areas of Joshua’s life that helped set the stage for his most fruitful season of life and ministry.
The story of “Mary & Martha” in Luke 10 illustrates the contrast of two women in response to hosting Jesus at their home. At face value, there are many helpful applications to be made regarding spirituality, but it is underneath the surface of this story we find a deeper narrative in regards to women in the first century. In this message, we take the backdrop of Jesus’ posture in this story to help inform a helpful paradigm regarding women in ministry leadership.
Thou shall obey the Ten Commandments? Even if you didn’t grow up in church, chances are you’re familiar with the story surrounding God giving “The Ten Commandments” to Moses. In this message, we investigate the surrounding cultural context in regards to the nature of Biblical covenants and help answer the question: Are Christians required to follow these rules today?
From a narrative perspective, the Biblical creation account is foundational for any spiritual seeker. Where did all this come from? What is life all about? What am I created for? In this message we navigate popular perspectives surrounding the creation accounts of Genesis 1-2 as well as the implications for humanity and its relationship with an all-powerful creative God.
Many times we are fascinated with people’s secrets being publicly exposed. Although it’s easy to become fixated on the secrets of others, God cares about the deep areas of our lives that we personally manage and resist being exposed. In this message, we examine 3 main lies that the enemy of our soul uses to keep our “secrets” in darkness, which in turn prevents us from becoming all God has called us to be.
Who’s your favorite team? When Jesus walked the earth, he began to put together what has now arguably become one of the greatest teams of all time: His Church! In this message, we find out what it means to be a part of “Team PCC”, a unique local church in the midst of the massive vision of Jesus.
A common question we ask in our current culture is: What source is actually true? As the early church was growing rapidly, hearsay and gossip was a common form of division that was attempting to dilute the good news of Jesus for humanity. In this message, Pastor Kalli helps us understand a major tension of the early church as they wrestled with being united while also learning how to freshly “think” about the diversity of people around them.
The early church is rapidly growing with "outsiders". So what’s required of these outsiders? Do they need to become culturally Jewish? And what does this imply for the modern church today in how we “judge” others? In this message, Pastor T.D. helps us understand “good judgment” as modeled by the early church as they discovered what it meant to be one large inclusive family.
Sometimes our unique experiences in life lead us to a place of unfair expectations of others. In this message, Pastor Sara Bell journeys us through the tension of an expanding church family in Acts 15 where unfair assimilation guidelines were being placed on newcomers. Through this unexpected tension, we can learn to offer grace in moments where we can so easily place rigid rules on others that we never would place on ourselves.
Who are we taking chances on? Entrusting others with their own autonomy and independence can be a worrisome thing, but early church leaders Paul & Barnabas were relentlessly empowering others into leadership at a fascinating rate. In this message Pastor T.D. invites us to trust God at a level of entrusting others into His care so we can catalyze newfound purpose for our lives.
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas continue to face hardships on their journey sent by God, while simultaneously experiencing His grace and power. In this message, guest speaker Dale Henshaw helps us discover simple practicalities in the midst of this journey that apply to the uniqueness of who we are today.
No one or no thing has a 100% success rate! In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas were on a mission to tell everyone they could about the good news of Jesus. Like many of us in our everyday lives trying to live out our own unique calling, they received mixed results in response to Jesus’ Gospel of peace for humanity. In this message, we wrestle with the tension of living out our purpose with confidence in the midst of a less than 100% success rate.
Through the message and person of Jesus, God gives us a brand new identity! But what does this look like and imply for our everyday lives? In this message, guest speaker Scott Barron follows the story of Paul and Barnabas being sent out into the world with new identities in play. As we learn from their sending and obedience to the things of God, an essential question surfaces: What is the Gospel according to you?
All of us will die, but “in the meantime”, what are we doing? Life is so complex in our current culture that many times we just want somebody to tell us exactly how we can make a difference to all of the world’s problems. In this message, we look at an audience who was likely overwhelmed to a new message of hope and the simplicity of their contribution in the meantime.
Life can be awkward, difficult, and unpredictable! In Acts 13, Paul faces many obstacles on the mission God set out for him to the point where quitting became an attractional option. Rather than giving up, Paul keeps moving forward and makes the necessary adjustments to keep pointing others to the love of Jesus!
Many times life presents unexpected circumstances and seasons. Whether we admit it or not, we are all “sent” people surrounded by the realization of God’s greatest joy: human beings. In this message, we follow the story of the early church in regards to their posture towards the unexpected and how that transcends into our lives today.
Do we possess the power to call out darkness? Religious words can so easily create the illusion of a beautiful tree, while neglecting the condition of its fruit. Jesus walked into the darkest places of people’s lives, contrasted with the backing of His own personal righteousness. If talk is cheap, how do we cultivate words that bring miraculous change?
Have you ever felt like church service is always a “monologue”? On this Sunday, we spend time answering your questions that were submitted during the message series “Made For More”!
Are you ready to be on the offense of your calling? Christians can so easily treat the world with a “get in and get out” mentality. Yet Jesus empowered His church to be a flood of fullness IN the world, rather than a hideout FROM the world. In this message we discover through Ephesians 6 where to focus our spiritual warfare and what it might look like in a world that God loves so much.
What would happen if you realized your highest potential impact? Often times, we can “sleepwalk” our way through life, never intentionally investing & living in sync with our God-given calling and purpose. In this message, we look at the potential impact of Jesus’ vision for His Church consisting of imperfect people called to unique mission fields outside the walls of a building.
Do you view yourself as a missionary? In Ephesians 4, Paul writes of Jesus’ organizational strategy to win the world to His heart. Interestingly enough, it doesn’t include “professional clergy” only doing the work, but rather unleashing an infinite number of everyday missionaries where they live, work, learn, and play.
What motivates you to pursue what you are called to do? Is it a pastor, an influential person in your life, or maybe a church program? In this message, we look into Ephesians chapter 3 as Paul writes to the church in Ephesus reminding them that motivation has unlimited potential when it is surrounded upon one powerful source: God’s sacrificial love!
Are you living in your sweet spot? Sweet spots are a natural part of God’s creation that culminates through the overlap of several elements. In this message, we identify the sweet spots of “calling” and discover that the church is made for more than volunteering, but rather each person is created for a unique masterpiece mission!
Do you suffer from tiny Jesus syndrome? Unfortunately, when Jesus becomes small in our lives, so does our vision to see beyond human effort and capacity. In this message, we unpack the core idea that Jesus’ vision for His church is MORE: To fill everything in every way with the fullness of Jesus!
What are you called to do with your life? The truth is, you were created with unique design, purpose, and position! In this opening message of the series, we learn what it means to filter out the lies of our “inner voice” and reclaim timeless truths that remind us that we were “Made For More”!
What is the reason for the hope of a Christian? For many, the knee-jerk response might be “cuz the Bible said so”! But is it true that “as the Bible goes, so goes the Chrisitian faith”? In this message, we unpack the idea that the Christian faith isn’t based on an inspired book, but rather an unprecedented event in human history.
Everyone thinks about different things when they hear the word “holy”. Due to cultural constructs, the topic of holiness has unfortunately lost its beauty in translation over time. In this message, we explore the Biblical idea of what it means to live “holy” and how we can be world changers “unlike anything else”!
What does it mean to be a survivor? In true crime documentaries, the viewer is entered into the terrible realities of evil and the human condition, especially when a victim lives to testify of their own horrific experiences. In the Biblical narrative, Psalm 118 reminds us of a similar survivor’s story for the people of God and how a savior’s heart extends to empower humanity for a hope-filled future!
Have you been discouraged lately? It’s life-giving to be reminded that even in life’s lowest moments, the God of the universe still chooses to love us immensely. In this message, guest speaker Pastor Billy Calderwood reminds us that the heroes of the Bible were just as human as we are and even through the worst moments of our lives, God still provides His strength, direction, purpose, and victory!
God has created each of us with a unique purpose to make a unique impact in this world. Your story, your gifts, your personality, your history matters to God and it matters to people. This world needs you; the you God created you to be, and He has given you His authority to do more than you ever thought possible! Like David, who used his slingshot to defeat the enemy, you too have a unique weapon to bring Glory to God! Will you use your slingshot?
Is Jesus sexless? Many times the topic of sex has become taboo in church environments to the point that it is inadvertently removed from the topic of spirituality altogether. In this message, we navigate the realities of what it means to be created as sexual beings in relationship to the person of Jesus.
There’s nothing like the feeling of cheering for your team and “stealing” a victory away from the home team. In this message, we conclude the series “spread” by discovering the strategy that allowed the church to humbly succeed in an “away game” culture that was built on dominance through power and authority.
What are you doing with your free will? Although the God of the Bible is described in terms of carrying an ultimate, sovereign authority and will; as humans, we additionally operate under a free will of our own. In this message, we explore this relationship between God, humans, and a plan to change the world as we know it.
Many times our lives feel like an ongoing sequence of cliffhangers, not knowing what tomorrow will hold. In Acts 12, the church is beginning to be aggressively persecuted as it ventures to the ends of the earth with a lot of unknowns in sight. With this “cliffhanger” in mind, God gives humanity the powerful opportunity to overcome through personal relationship and faith.
When Jesus walked the earth, His willingness to be unlawfully murdered for the benefit of His enemies displayed a scandalous illustration of grace at work. But what does grace look like for the rest of us? In this message, we find the early church operating in a way where popular perception never swayed them from being solely focused on the “grace at work” related to their imperfect lives.
What does it mean to be faithful in the life we’ve been given on earth? Faithfulness is often being defined for us through social, cultural, and political pressures that threaten our effectiveness and created purpose. In this message, we discover the apostle Peter was not convinced by external pressures that defined his faithfulness, but rather, he was solely convinced by God.
Many times we love to cheer for our favorite teams, but what if there was a team we were all called to be a part of that carries the purpose of bringing freedom to a world filled with fear? In the Biblical narrative, followers of the resurrected Jesus came to be known as “the church” to carry the powerful Gospel of Jesus’ Kingdom to the world. In this message, we celebrate the specific “team wins” of Ponca City Church in 2018 and look forward to 2019 being a year of new fruitfulness!
It’s not always easy being away from your “home turf”. In the Biblical narrative, the apostle Peter is given the opportunity to leave behind comfort in order to introduce someone who was “world’s apart” to a life changing message about God’s plan for humanity. Through this very introduction, we see the heart of God unify opposing sides in an unexpected and powerful way.
Have you ever felt like it’s impossible to thrive in life while you are in the midst of so much opposition? The early church exploded with growth during a time when they were the “odd one out” in their culture. Interestingly enough, they were without many modern day amenities such as tax-exemption status and buildings that have become commonplace in regards to our understanding of “church” today. Even without these advantages, God has equipped us as human beings to still thrive right where we are today!
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the changing landscape of our world? Many times it feels like our backs are up against the wall when it comes to the world’s rapid pace of progress. In this message, we learn about the tensions that existed for the early church when it came to living outnumbered. Through a posture of being “willing to change” we can become the very change agents in our personal contexts today!
Many times in life it doesn’t feel like we have the support of “home court advantage”. Even as we look at the culture around us, it can be discouraging to see a trajectory leading away from God’s heart. In this message, we discover one person’s massive impact as he takes on a trajectory away from comfortability.
Have you ever felt like church service is always a “monologue”? After an overwhelming amount of questions, we spend a 2nd week answering questions that were submitted during the message series “Relationship Or Religion”!
Have you ever felt like church service is always a “monologue”? On this Sunday, we spend time answering questions that were submitted during the message series “Relationship Or Religion”!
Do you consider yourself to be well off? In the gospel records, Jesus often “blesses” those who are “poor” while confronting those who are “rich”. In this message, we build a theology around what it means to be “rich” with God and confront ideas that reduce Jesus’ priorities to simple social economics.
Have you ever heard the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it”? Many times in life, we prioritize the maintenance regarding our “outward status” and assume we will get life-changing results. In this message, Pastor Kalli reminds us that God cares first about the status of our heart. It is through this heart-focused posture and depth that God transforms and empowers us to live abundantly!
Have you ever wondered why religious people were so threatened by Jesus’ message that they helped orchestrate his murder? The life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus did not introduce “Judaism 2.0” but rather replaced the “old” traditions of faith with something disruptively “new”. In this message, we discover that the new covenant through Jesus becomes much less complicated than religion, but far more demanding in our approach to how we relate to a world that God so desperately loves!
Have you ever been so bogged down with life that it feels like you forget the things that truly matter? In the life of Jesus, we see the picture of a man who constantly leads with inclusion as He prioritizes people as His “work”. In this message, Pastor Sara Bell challenges us to reprogram our lives around the powerful lifestyle of hospitality.
Have you ever felt like you had to submit under someone’s “harsh rule” before? As a ruler in the Biblical text, David is considered to be the greatest King of Israel and a man after God’s own heart. His success can be attributed to numerous covenant promises that God gave him during his reign. In this message, we focus in on these covenant promises and how they were fulfilled beyond immediate expectation hundreds of years later through Jesus’ rule today!
Have you ever found troubling stories in the Bible that made you question God? Many modern skeptics point to the Old Testament “Law” as a reason for their disbelief towards the God of the Bible. In this message, we address this portion of Israel’s history and how it translates to a modern Christian today.
Have you ever thought God seems like two different characters between the Old and New Testaments? Early on in the Bible we see God declare global promises over the life of an unassuming character named Abram. In this message, we connect the dots to discover God’s consistent character and how these ancient promises were fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Do you believe the story of the flood was an expression of God’s “wrath”? In this message, we address the first “covenant” God made with humanity and its implications about God’s character. Additionally, we discover how this culminates through Jesus’ ministry and its application to the church today!