Clemson Foothills Podcast: Recent Episodes
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As we finish up Philippians it may be hard to find out that one of contemporary christianity's favorite scriptures may not mean what we think...but don't worry it's better! Paul keeps challenging the Philippians and us to learn a secret...how to be content in each and every circumstance.
It's a mind thing! How we think, what we think about...it all matters in the Kingdom of God. The mind does well what the mind does often
Paul is all about focus, intentionality and purpose. How does he face adversity? Staying fixed and focused on the goal ahead of knowing Jesus, sharing in his sufferings and being conformed to His likeness. Let's hear Paul out on how we should think and what we should stop thinking about!
Jesus humbled himself, emptied himself, became a servant and so should we. Here's what his looks like to be a shining star in a dark world.
This can all be summed up in one word...Humility...simple concept but not easy. Follow along as Brent takes us through the why and how of discipleship in Jesus
The Gospel...over and over and over. It's the lens that Paul views everything through. He derived power, purpose and identity from the Gospel. Unfortunately in our day, the Gospel has been boiled down to doctrinal information alone. We think if we know the information we'll be OK. This is not Paul's reality or Jesus's teaching.
We're heading to Phillippi! Paul's still in prison as he pens this letter, but be prepared as usual, to be challenged, encouraged and inspired by these Spirit filled words.
Finally...Paul wraps up Ephesians with a bang. Be strengthened...we're in a cosmic battle...pray always. Simple enough, but will we be a people who live this out?
Paul has settled into ground zero when it comes to living out our new identity...the household. What we do behind our front doors says more about who we are than anything we do in public. Husbands, wives, children, parents, household slaves and masters. There is no stone unturned.
Join Ben as he guides us into Paul's teachings about parents, kids, obedience and exasperation. The Kingdom ways of family are challenging, counter cultural and ultimately life giving...get ready to dig in!
Submission to each other, wives and husbands? Oh my...marriage as a means to show the world about God's love and the church! Marriages that reflect and radically proclaim God's grace and love? Lets go!!
Imitate the Father AS DEARLY LOVED children...Here we go, Paul is really leaning into what kingdom living should look like and what it shouldn't look like. Jesus has not come to christianize disobedience but to give us the true light to walk in.
Paul calls the Ephesian christians (and us!) to action. The church and the. world are not the same. Get rid of the old ways, live out the new creation life, specifically in how sin is dealt with and how we talk to and about people. It's simple but not easy....
The church gifted in order to give gifts...Christ the King, the divine warrior...mending broken bones there all packed into this next section of Ephesians 4
Therefore...it's a big word with tons of meaning. Everything Paul has written tot eh Ephesians previously was meant to slingshot them into a kingdom kind of life. How? Paul starts outlining the process right here!
March 22, 2026Steve takes us through the end of chapter 3. Paul prays that we would know the unknowable, be filled beyond capacity to grasp the immeasurable. Whew! God is able to do MORE than we ask or imagine...but how does this truth guide us in life?
March 15, 2026Church isn't a place we go...it's a community with a COSMIC calling. How does the church speak into the unseen realm? Have a listen and find out.
King Jesus had an incredible plan, it wasn't to save us from the world but for the world. He has this incredible idea that He will dwell in us as His temple and that collectively we would be built together as a multitude of temples...a city on a hill...the light of the world.
Our human-ness was ruined by sin. God is mighty and merciful and took our ruined selves and restored our humanity to its original place, redeemed and unified with the Father. Knowing the bad news can help us embrace the good news.
Jesus loves His church! After Paul drives home how God has filled the church with every spiritual blessing, he shares a prayer he's praying and it's a BIG prayer. Ultimately He asks that the church understand the immeasurable power of God, but keep in mind the power of God was demonstrated most vividly in a quiet, early morning tomb. So easy to miss if we aren't aware.
Here we go! Paul's letter to the Ephesians. What's he gonna talk about? Unity? Yep, but not just for unity's sake, but because our Father has lavished on us everything we need...everything...in abundance. He washed us, lives in us and sends us to join Him in his work in our world.
January 18, 2026Paul finishes out with his familiar anthem of boosting in the Crucified King. He lives a crucified life, the world has been crucified to him and he to the world. We're gonna dig into holiness and what it means to live a crucified life.
November 30, 2025Walking with and keeping in step with the Spirit of God. We're definitely works in progress, but oftentimes can be plagued with passivity and spiritual laziness. Paul describes the battle within each of us between the natural inclinations of our own selves and the Spirit of God.
November 9, 2025Paul is astonished, amazed and frustrated with the Galatian disciples. Here in chapter 3 he's not giving us a salvation doctrine as many believe, instead he is calling for unity of the disciples, jews, greeks, slave, free, men and women total unity so the world will know...
November 2, 2025Here we go! Back at it and jumping into Galatians. Paul is all about the gift of God, the crucified messiah and living a cross shaped life. Is he obsessed? Is he over the top? Is he the exception? Not if we follow a crucified and resurrected King. This is normal...dying to self, living for our King
...Jesus said it and he meant it. When we're saturated in the gospel, unconditionally following Him together in community something powerful happens. We join with Him to walk with others in becoming new creations in HIs Kingdom.It's not a church growth strategy its the supernatural rescue plan for a lost world
October 5, 2025A people saturated in the Gospel, loyal, trusting and allegiant to King Jesus are being built together in community. They'll know your my disciples by your love for one another. Community is vital, miraculous and necessary to accomplish God's rescue plan in our world today.
September 28, 2025Unconditional discipleship to King Jesus is the only faithful and pleasing response to the Gospel. Humble surrender, loyalty and allegiance to the King above any circumstance, person or thing. We have faith in the faithfulness of our King trusting that he gives life and life to the full!
The Gospel is everything! I'm not talking about knowing the information of the gospel, I'm talking about being saturated in the gospel of the Kingdom. Being so filled with the gospel that everything we say or do or think runs through the lens of King Jesus. Without this everything else we attempt in Christ will whither and die.
July 13, 2025Ammi connects the dots and leads us through chapter 10 of 2 Corinthians. Which in pure Paul fashion is both encouraging and challenging to our hearts today.
So Keith and Ammi are talking about yesterdays lesson in 2 Corinthians 9 and digging in a bit deeper on following Paul's themes as well as discussing the brilliance of Paul's exhortation to be eager people of grace.
June 29, 2025We're talking grace, gratitude, generosity and eagerness. Great stuff to challenge ur hearts to truly be 'charis' types of people
June 22, 2028How do we honor and live in God's system of grace? Is eagerness a 'spiritual thermometer' to help us re-calibrate and re-orient our hearts back to Christ?
Ammi and Keith are back and jumping right into 2 Corinthians. There is no shortage of good stuff from Paul. We're talking about grace, money, generosity and what new creation life is meant to be. We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email with your questions or comments to: clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
June 15, 2025Here we gooooo!!! Paul brings the good stuff here. He's talking money, collections, the poor, grace...these chapters are sure to hit and challenge us all deeply.
Pat takes us through Paul's 6th chapter to the brothers and sisters of Corinth. Paul takes the church into some deep waters of God's grace, bearing fruit, being yoked with unbelievers and more.
May 25, 2025Ministers, reconciliation, ambassadors, we're taking a fresh look at an often overlooked chapteras we are reminded that the problem in our world today is one word....SIN.
We're ready to dive into chapter 3 BUT FIRST...we'll get a bit of context for the next few chapters by reading 2 Corinthians 7.
March 23, 2025We start a new season exploring 2 Corinthians. We'll also begin experimenting with some spiritual practices starting with silence and solitude.
Ammi and Keith start tackling the ins and outs of spiritual practices. Specifically silence and solitude. We've begun our study of 2 Corinthians so buckle up for a great season of interviews and discussion on the MMQB. Some resources we discussed in this episode include:1) The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster https://a.co/d/2uaiMSh2) What is "Silence & Solitude?" https://youtu.be/BSipS-znHFA?si=d7zYpICj6c6UrPOy
Ammi and Keith finish up (maybe?) their discussion on 1 Corinthians. A few resources discussed can be found here:The Gospel Precisely by Matthew Bates: https://a.co/d/9cllDY5The King Jesus Gospel by Scot Mcknight: https://a.co/d/b0oy5x9Let us know your questions or thoughts so far by sending us an email at: clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
Ammi and Keith talk about what else....The Gospel! The gospel, 1 Corinthians 15 and more. Do you have a question? Comment? Send it in to clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
February 16, 2025Let's dig into what Paul is wrapping this letter up with, as he reminds the Corinthians of the Gospel. We're unpacking four crucial words: 1)Gospel 2)Crucified 3)Christ 4)Resurrection
Is Paul limiting the Spirit? Complete silence from the ladies? hmmm...let's take a look at how Paul shepherd's this Jesus community in Corinth.
Excel in building up the church...that's Paul's words. That's what he's spurring the Corinthians to do. Some stuff about languages and prophecy are in there too.
Clanging cymbals? Love as the ultimate marker of christian community? This isn't your grandparents 1 Corinthians 13. Paul is corrective and admonishing of the Corinthians. He doesn't ask them to consider this ethic of love but demands it.
Ammi and Keith welcome in Dr. Benjamin White, religion department chair at Clemson University. Dr. White shares his own studies on the apostle Paul and more specifically 1 Corinthians 13. Send us your thoughts or questions. Clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
Paul continues his unity themes of one body working together to achieve the Fathers purpose on earth through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. His metaphor of the church and the human body is classic, but we need to stop a minute to take a hard look at 2 qualities that will get in the way of any kind of unity and those are a critical spirit and un-forgiveness. Please take a look at our resource page for today's slideshow, as well as other helpful resources: https://www.clemsonfoothills.com/single-post/jesus-communities-1-corinthians
Ammi, Keith & Stefon dig into a couple of touchy subjects: Criticism & Forgiveness. Lots of good stuff in this one. A couple of resources we discussed are:1)Total Forgiveness by RT Kendall2) What forgiveness is & isn't: Check it out HERE: https://0d4f8f10-d614-429b-abb5-3f0ac053bd7e.usrfiles.com/ugd/0d4f8f_faa81e0dda8b4bacb7b68271eb4b85e4.pdfIf you have a question or comment please feel free to send us an email at: clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
Keith and Ammi take a few minutes to talk about this season of prayer and fasting as well as discussing Paul and the stuff he wrote about spiritual gifts.Have a question or comment? Let us know at clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
Gifts, lots of them. Check out Paul's instruction on the generous gifts God gives His church to achieve His purpose!
Here we go...head coverings, angels, long hair or short hair...oh my. Let's study this thing out here in chapter 11. Got any questions? send them to us at clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
Catch up with Keith, Ammi and Royce as they discuss all kinds of good stuff. We take a 50,000 foot view of Corinthians and figure out how to be perfect...maybe.Got a question, idea or thought you'd like to share? Send it over to clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
Everything is permissible? Everything? Really? Let's find out what Paul was talking about as Steve tackles chapter 10 in 1 Corinthians.
Paul is relentless in his pursuit of loving God and loving people well. Check out chapter 9 as he continues showing us what it truly looks like to love others as Jesus has loved us.
Ammi takes us into our next chapter, discussing Paul's use of the Shema and why it was meant to be so impactful back then and what it means for us today.
Ammi and Keith tackle the question of what is today's practical application of not eating meat sacrificed to idols? We scratched the surface (if we got that deep), but we'll be (actually, Paul will) addressing this topic over the next few chapters at least.Send us any questions or comments to clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
November 17, 2024Paul shifts gears (sort of) and dives into the world of marriage, divorce and being single. As we've learned, the principles Paul passes along to the Corinthians are timeless principles for us today.
This week we have another special guest: Perrie Keeve from Columbia, SC joins Ammi and Keith as they discuss being married, being single and being a disciple of Jesus.If you have any comments or questions you'd like answered, feel free to send us a message at clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
November 3, 2024Paul dives into the messy world of the Corinthian church where pride is reigning, but he makes an impassioned plea to wake up, grieve and align themselves with the Jesus way of life and community. Sounds like a message not just for our 1st century family, but to our modern ways today!
October 27, 2024Paul continues to challenge us and our Corinthian brothers and sisters to become truly wise, but be aware this will look like foolishness to the world around us.
Keith and Ammi are joined this morning with Abby! We talk about tons of good stuff from some personal insights on Corinthians, to cultivating a lifelong relationship in the word of God. Do you have a question you'd like us to discuss, please send an email to clemsonfools@gmail.com
This morning we're discussing 1 Corinthians 3. Man, this stuff ain't easy, but it's good! We'll talk a little about living as temples of God and how this can direct us in our relationships with one another, leaders and everyone else we interact with.
October 20, 2024We're voyaging deeper into Paul's letter to the community of Jesus followers in Corinth. Envy, jealousy, bitterness and divisions are just the starting point for Paul, but he is continually calling them and US back to the gospel of the crucified Christ! This ancient call to our brothers and sisters in Corinth is as pertinent for us today as for them back then.Questions: send us a note at clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
It's a new book! We've moved into Corinthians. Paul jumps right in as well. Join us as we begin exploring the world of Paul & Corinth and us!
September 15, 2024Our final chapter in Romans! Come and listen to how it all wraps up. Paul talks about the faithful family of believers in Rome, the unfaithful dividers and leaves us all with a call to worship!
Well better late than never...we finally got this up and running! Ammi and Keith dig into some thoughts about being crucified with Christ and try to speak to what that statement is and isn't saying.Have a question or comment? Hit us up at clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
Ammi and Keith visit with Christian K. this week. A beloved brother, mental health counselor, husband of 1 and father of 3. Christian discusses the intersection of his profession and discipleship in Jesus, specifically as it relates to our Romans bible study.
Ammi and Keith are joined this week by special guest Stefon Lowman. We discuss all kinds of things surrounding discipleship specifically as it pertains to Paul's letter to the Romans. If you have any questions or comments please send them to us at clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
Keith and Ammi take closer look at yesterdays main passage about instructing one another and share the importance of maintaining a tension between grace and truth with one another.Do you have a question or topic you'd like discussed on the podcast? Send us a note at clemsonfoothills@gmail.comPlease also check out all of our resources for studying the book of Romans right here: https://www.clemsonfoothills.com/single-post/jesus-communities-romans
Keith & Ammi discuss Romans 14, what it means to be weak in the faith and what a Jesus community is supposed to do with all this.
Keith & Ammi are out of town, but fear not! We pre-recorded a fantastic conversation with Pat & Megan Anderson. If you have any questions or comments let us know at clemsonfoothills@gmail.com
Keith & Ammi discuss the use of our imagination, conformity to church culture and why Romans 12 can seem jarring to our senses.
Ammi & Keith field a great question about Romans 11, specifically concerning the illustration Paul uses of the Olive Tree, grafting and breaking of branches and so on.If you have a question you'd like answered pleases send it to clemsonfoothills@gmail.comThe resources page referred to in this episode can be found right here: https://www.clemsonfoothills.com/single-post/jesus-communities-romans
This morning we answer a question we received earlier in the week. Could we be missing something today? The answer is a resounding Yes and No!
Keith & Ammi reflect on Roman 10 as well as answering some questions about the discipline of reading scripture.
Since we are firmly entrenched currently in Romans chapters 9 - 11, Ammi interviews a special guest to help us untangle these often misunderstood chapters. Dr. Jason Staples is the author of a number of books, specifically "Paul and the Resurrection of Israel" which deals specifically with these chapters. Hopefully this interview is helpful as we study Paul's letter to the Romans. You can find the video recording over on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB5nr1dI21_n8yMQ9ICNZ0Q
Ammi & Keith discuss Romans 9, share some helpful resources and take a sneak peek at a special guest who will be joining the podcast next week.
Ammi and Keith begin a conversation about the difficult subjects of predestination, election and foreknowledge. Please remember to send us any questions you may have to clemsonfoothills@gmail.com.
In this episode we answer a question sent in to us and we discuss what it means to live out our true vocation. If you have a question, comment or an idea of something you'd like discussed, please send us an email at clemsonfoothills@gmail.
Join Keith & Ammi as they dissect and discuss Sunday's lesson with the aim of digging in a little deeper, bringing some further insight and explanation and hopefully answering some questions to bring some more clarity and understanding.Links from the episode:https://www.clemsonfoothills.com/single-post/jesus-communities-romans
Our special guest Fenton Gardner starts this Monday out with some great thoughts on Gods word and Biomimicry. Check it out
Often times, God can be seen as a ruthless, merciless God in the Old Testament. In actuality, nothing could be further from the truth. God clearly demonstrates HIs patience with the kings but also with the Israelites. After taking a brief look at this, I hope we can walk away seeing God in perhaps a new light. He is the author of patience, mercy, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, faith, hope, and most of all love. I have several scriptures we’ll be reviewing today and I’ll be discussing each of them. Here we go!
Mike Salter shares some thoughts and scriptures to challenge and encourage us to live an active faith, embracing truth.
Proverbs 21:21 “The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love will find life, righteousness and honor.” It takes intention, focus and commitment to accomplish this. What will you pursue today?
Adam Carroll shares a bizarre story from Numbers 23, that highlights God's faithfulness, patience and mercy on his grumbling people. A timely devotional that calls for some serious self examination and repentance.
Jesus called us to be on mission and there has never been a better time to be on mission, even when we can’t see each other in person. Looking at Ephesians 2 and 1 Corthinans 3, we get the idea that we the people are the church. Our identity in Christ gives us the strength to be missional people, to live an “Acts 2 life" for the glory of God.
Carl Ureta breaks down Psalm 1 and shares it's encouragement, challenge and daily practicality.
Anthony Clark shares his insight and thoughts on John 3:30, a short but powerful verse. "He must become greater, I must become less"
Examining Solomon’s life can help us put our life in perspective. No one is probably as wealthy as Solomon was but we might be able to relate to gaining possessions and knowledge/wisdom. With that, we can grow to become self-reliant and possession reliant. This is an eye opening study for us to examine our hearts regarding what we do with all we gain in this world and how we’re using to glorify God.
Ryan Jones shares some insights on forgiveness, humility and love. It is sure to challenge and inspire to be like Jesus
Seek what is above! Cling to what is good! Jesus was thoughtful and excellent at everything he did. Our goal should be to fix our eyes on Jesus and to continue the good work he started.
Today we take a look at Luke 6:46-49 and the question Jesus poses to his disciples, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I tell you?" and how he compares listening, doing, and building and the different outcomes of their foundations.
Mike Salter digs into Lamentations 3:22-27. Timely and encouraging challenge from the Bible.
Hayes Hoover shares some insightful and challenging thoughts from Psalm 37. Hope you enjoy, please share with a friend.
Join Adam Carroll today as he digs into Psalm 119. Some great thoughts and encouraging insight to chew on.
Josh Vincent shares his thoughts on Psalm 5, and the importance of starting our day seeking God and waiting expectantly on Him
Carl Ureta shares some great thoughts about God's promises and His provisions in uncertain times.
Brent Ashcraft gives some thoughts and insights on a promise given by God thousands of years ago, but remains true today.
Anthony shares his thoughts on James chapter 4. A great listen to help us focus on living for God and resisting the devil.
Josh Fairchild digs into the denial of Jesus by Peter hours before the crucifixion, and what that means for us today.
Steve Galbreath discusses a vital teaching and amazing promise of Jesus in his final days of His earthly ministry.
Notes can be found at https://www.clemsonfoothills.com/post/embracing-uncertainty-goals
You can find notes to this lesson at: https://www.clemsonfoothills.com/post/embracing-uncertainty-prayer
2020 is here, join us as we focus our attention on truly worshipping our King. We'll dig into underlying stumbling blocks, and various hold ups that prevent us from worshipping Jesus with reverence and awe.
Living faithfully is tough. How can we do it together without being weird and robotic? By nurturing a love and obsession with Jesus.
We have everything we need. God supplies us with all that we require to live for Him and with Him. Often though its easy to feel like we are unprepared or under provided for.
Did James and Paul disagree? One says faith alone doesn't justify, the other says justification is by faith. Could there be more to this? Lets find out.
Faith isn't about talking the talk but walking the walk. Without repentance form the "American" Gospel, we may find ourselves on the outside of the God's Kingdom looking in.
We love to re-purpose everyday items. Unfortunately, Jesus has fallen victim to this practice as well. It seems Jesus has become someone who conforms to ur needs, desires, and will rather than His. Without repentance, a hurting world will continue to perish.
Meekness, what does it mean? Getting walked over, someone who is passive, weak? The true meaning will blow your mind.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." -Jesus How can this be? Do you mean that those who mourn gain a deep inner happiness? Jesus says they are the ones who will be comforted. Let's take a deep dive into this often misunderstood/ overlooked passage.
So Peter writes, "Be Holy like God is". We've got to get a handle on what this means. This isn't holiness the way many think. This is practical, radical living and loving.
This is one of our midweek lessons in our series "Deep Roots". I hope your heart is challenged and your faith is inspired.
Lots of people probably asked Jesus to teach them lots of stuff. It's amazing though that what the apostles recorded was that they wanted Jesus to teach them to pray.
It's easy to forget this one simple truth. God is always greater than me. God knows more than me. God is more powerful than me. We won't be able to fully grasp this unless we embrace humility. Not just agree with humility, not just think its a neat idea, but to fully embrace humility.
Humility, it's easy to see the lack of it in others and miss it completely in our own lives. Humility breeds cooperation, care and concern for others and inspires contribution. I short, a product of humility is teamwork. What kind of teammate are you?
Humility is seldom understood and rarely practiced, but Jesus clearly teaches that humility is a quality that must be found in his followers. Simple huh? But not always so easy...
Performance based christianity is accepted, prevalent, hardly ever questioned. Jesus calls us to something greater...
Wanna love well? trying harder isn't going to cut it. We've got to dig down deep and deal with the root of our problems. Sometimes we've got to break some stuff down in order to build on a solid foundation. Primarily, we must die to ourselves, our selfishness, our narcissism, if we are going to love others well!
This is how we know what love is...There are lots of different definitions of love in our world. The one that matters is Jesus' definition. Love is not a theory or philosophy, rather it is shown by our actions. At the end of the day, we pretty much all agree that love is the way to go, but few intentionally live a life of love.
Jesus left us a clear example of not just what "christian" behavior is, but rather how to love God and love people in every situation at all times. One of the defining moments of Jesus' ministry is found in a garden near Jerusalem when he surrendered to God saying "Not what I want but what you want" We don't have to add much commentary to that. The hard part is eliminating our human instinct to change the statement to "what I want, not what YOU want"
Jacob Richardson walks us through the question we may never say out loud but secretly lurks inside. Who is the greatest?
Ben Galbreath breaks down one of the most important principles as we follow Jesus...buying the field!
Who do you say I am? One of the most profound questions Jesus ever asked. What do you say? Or more importantly what does your life and lips testify to?
Jesus spends time teaching and modeling what it means to follow him. But he then sends his people out to practice this life. This is when things can become difficult. Jesus is not sending out his disciples to engage in 'religious activities', rather he expects his disciples to proclaim the gospel, love and give in the way they have been loved, and invested in by Jesus.
Daniel Yaussy recounts his 4 years at Clemson University. The ups and downs, the joyful times and sad times. Daniel's journey as a disciple will inspire your faith and encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.
The Gospel of Jesus is the most amazing news ever heard! While we were sinners, God sought us, died for us, rescued us and gave us everything we would need to follow Him. Jesus also expected obedience. Oftentimes this is rejected today under the excuse that obedience = legalistic religion. Yet Jesus teaches, obedience is woven into the fabric of the gospel. We cannot live a gospel centered life if we decide to disobey what Jesus asks of us.
If Jesus can't handle our worldly issues, how can he possibly be Lord of all? Worry implies we don't trust God is powerful enough, loving enough, or caring enough to handle life's day to day issues. The reason Jesus commands this makes all the difference in the world...
You've heard it said...Words spoken by Jesus. He's the new sheriff in town and If we want to follow Him and be His disciples we must rely on what he is actually teaching us, not on what we think we know. Have you lost your heart as a student of Jesus? In this chapter Jesus explains what life in His Kingdom will entail, and commands us to love others like we never have before.
Blessed are those who have come to the end of themselves. Happiness, joy and fulfillment come from Jesus only when I come to the end of me. Are you at the end of you?
Have you ever thought about why you're here? On earth I mean? What's your purpose? Is this all there is? The good news is that Jesus has a plan greater than you ever thought possible. He calls people everywhere to become fishers of men. He tells us that we can participate in changing the world one person at a time. But it is his way not ours. Loving people, and journeying through life together following Jesus. Follow Jesus and he will make us fishers of men!
Arguably the greatest statement ever made, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men", reminds us that God has not forgotten about us! Despite our failure and faithlessness he came back and gave us another chance. But following him isn't about saying a prayer, its about living and loving like him. Learning and obeying his perfect way.
Jesus travelled up to Galilee early in his ministry and began with one simple powerful message. He is the new King and to follow him we need to change how we think. Specifically, change our worldview and thought process to make Jesus OUR KING. Followers of Jesus won't be known for just being informed about him, they will be known by ACTUALLY FOLLOWING HIM in life.
Everyone's race will experience good days, bad days, exciting moments and periods of complete boredom. There will be highs and lows, but we must never quit. Perseverance is required to run the race well, while serving and encouraging others and reaching the finish line. Don't give up, ever!
It is easy to be a theoretical follower of Jesus. We can agree and believe but never live out the life that Jesus taught his followers to live. Here are 5 ways to live out discipleship daily and finish strong. They are simple but not always easy. They aren't easy but are non-negotiable if we claim to be followers of Christ.
God has poured out His grace and mercy in more ways than we can possibly imagine. But he didn't do this just for our own selfish gain or personal growth. He poured these out on us so we would pour them out on others.(Ephesians 4:31-32) How are the people close to you benefiting from the grace and mercy God has given you?
Your eyes will fool you. We are told to live by Faith not by sight, but what does that really mean and how do I put it into practice? If you are living your life aka "Running your race" based on what you see in the news, on Facebook, or experience circumstantially you will eventually become embittered, cynical and critical. Following Jesus won't necessarily make your circumstances change, but he will equip us to live without relying on what we see, but seeing everything through a Jesus filter.
The race of life is full of decisions. In almost every case our natural instinct is to decide independently, in ways that seem like the right thing to do. The Christian life calls us to inquire of God, surrender to His will and trust Him with our life. It's easy to say we are christians, it's tougher to truly follow. Make no mistake, that decision will make all the difference.
It's hard to give away something you don't have. If we aren't getting our encouragement TODAY from God, we will not be able to truly encourage others. Are you mindful of how God is working in your life TODAY? As the Hebrew writer says to us..."Today, if you hear his voice don't harden your hearts"
Case Study: Jonah We explore what Jonah did well and what went wrong as he ran the race that God called him to run.
Our annual NC State weekend brings Mike Paulk from the Triangle Church in for a visit. Mike shares with us what the Bible teaches about true zeal as we follow Jesus, and leaves you rooting on a poor fella named Jake.
In view of what God has done, the mercy he has shown and the grace he has given, continually offer yourself as a living sacrifice. Disciples are called not to just 'be saved', the gospel of Jesus calls us to die moment to moment as we follow Him. Most people who claim to be followers of Jesus have simply heard a gospel that keeps them from going to hell. The gospel of Jesus is a lifestyle to FOLLOW HIM!
Death is not a subject we ever want to discuss. However, we are called to die in order to run the race God has marked out for us. We can't skip over, gloss over or read through the fact that we are called to lose our life if we want to find TRUE LIFE
Isn't it easy to see all the violence, tragedy and injustice and wonder why God isn't doing more about it? Have you felt frustrated because change seems to come so slowly if at all? Thankfully God's word has a great direction and message for all of us today.
We're in a lifelong race. We have to throw off the hindrances, get untangled and run with perseverance. But we must fix our eyes on one specific place...one guy...one Lord. Fix our eyes on Jesus!
Throw off the sin that so easily entangles. Do we even sin anymore? That word is old, outdated and archaic. Or is it? Perhaps you've become entangled by sin. You chose to follow Jesus, but you are tired, frustrated and discouraged. Might be time to take a closer look you may be entangled.
We are all running a race! We all have junk that is hindering our progress. Stuff that makes us weary and discouraged. What may surprise you is that you (me and you)...we... are our biggest problems!! Our ego, pride, and the incessant pursuit of self promotion. The author of Hebrews tells us throw it off and run this race with perseverance!
Every one of us is running a race. Do you know what you are racing for? Have you thought about what you are racing toward? It's not too late to make a course correction! Unfortunately, most people's experience with christianity feels more like a burden, the bible teaches us something very different. In fact the word of God teaches us how to run the race, what to focus on, and how to unburden ourselves from extra things we carry with us. We have a lot to cover but please join us for the next 3 months as we RUN THE RACE together.
As we close in on our fall series "Run the Race" please listen to our midweek lesson that will help prepare us to make the most of the upcoming fall.
There is always lots to do. Life is fast, things need to get done. But without this one ingredient everything we do in Christianity will be futile.
God is always the same, unfortunately the way we view Him affects our decisions, attitude, and faith. When we see God as not being big enough we will make plans that aren't his, we will neglect inquiring of Him, and we will look to others for help that god wants to give us.
We live in a complicated, sinful, violent world. Unfortunately, we often try to make sense of everything with simple answers. As we find out, Job lived in a confusing and painful time but he clung to God through his faith, even as his friends attempt to give simple superficial answers to more complex issues.
God has built His church to only work if it is fueld by Love. How easy is it though to allow a critical spirit, bitterness, and faithlessness to creep in and take over? Jesus draws a line in the sand and calls us to return to the love we had at first!
It isn't a matter of 'if' we get stuck in a rut, but 'when'. These are times that will define our lives and set a course for the future. We can overcome or be overcome by our circumstances. Here are 5 tried and true ways that will help keep you stuck in a rut.
Be prepared to learn about God's immense plan to save mankind. You will be challenged as the Old and the New Testament come alive in one unified message that reveals God to us and calls us to follow Him, not blindly but with a seemingly endless cache of foreshadowing, types, and prefigures that come to life in the ministry of Jesus.
It's too easy to settle for a faith that lacks supernatural power. In order to have any kind of impact on our community we must refuse to settle for anything less than what Christ has called for.
Most people settle for a life that is just about going through the motions. We can't wait for the weekend and we dread Mondays. Rest assured that we are built for more. Join us as we explore the book of Ephesians and find out why and what we were made for.
Children obey your parents, slaves obey your master? Oftentimes we stay away from these passages. What did they mean, and what do they mean today? Let's have courage and not shrink back from living out God's ENTIRE word to his people.
Most people settle for a life that is just about going through the motions. We can't wait for the weekend and we dread Mondays. Rest assured that we are built for more. Join us as we explore the book of Ephesians and find out why and what we were made for.
Most people settle for a life that is just about going through the motions. We can't wait for the weekend and we dread Mondays. Rest assured that we are built for more. Join us as we explore the book of Ephesians and find out why and what we were made for.
How we think influences how we behave. After we are saved from our sin, we must continue to change how we think. Paul tells us why and how in our next lesson which comes from Ephesians 4
Are you living the life you were built to live? God knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He built us to have full life, and he tells us exactly how to attain such a life. Don't hesitate to make the changes that will change your life.
Two things matter: Am I dead spiritually or alive? In a time where relevance seems to be the world's buzzword, there is nothing more relevant than this topic.
God built us to live life fully. Unfortunately, most of us struggle through life. The book of Ephesians shows us how we were built and what and who we were built for. True life starts from the inside and this is what we learn in the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesian christians.
"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." -Galatians 6:14
Christians need to do more than just own a bible. We must breathe it in and breathe it out.