Clarksburg Church: Recent Episodes
Clarksburg Church
Journey with Clarksburg Church and hear how this group is trying to live a Sent life by following Jesus and seeing our community raised to life in Christ.
VIDEO LINKS:
(8:35) The Family Madrigal: https://youtu.be/Yp5nPGWWMh4
(15:55) We Don't Talk About Bruno: https://youtu.be/bvWRMAU6V-c
(17:32) Mirabel’s fight with Abuela: https://youtu.be/MVlahzuWsDw
(20:53) Abuela & Mirabel: https://youtu.be/vAVLRO_Q_NM
(23:38) All Of You: https://youtu.be/hrMxx8EV4JU
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Please Note: The audio quality in this episode is not up to our usual standards.
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If you use headphones, please be aware that there are a handful of volume spikes in this episode. We apologize for that.
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When we have actually experienced the loving, healing, power of Jesus removing hell from us and giving us new life, we are compelled to share the good news of Jesus' coming.
Luke 2:8-18
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May you receive the light of divine annunciation in the flames of your best-laid plans.
Luke 1:-28-58
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We are captivated by stories of the ‘suddenly’ of the scriptures. We often think of God’s intervention as immediate and instant. But we forget the longer work of preparation. What took place before the suddenly. How can our faithfulness to what God asks us to do, which seems ordinary, be a place of Divine connection?
The seemingly long and boring obedience of our lives can be the perfect place and the right preparation for God to move. Both Elizabeth and Zechariah are committed and faithful to their faith and practice, despite seeing evidence of their prayers being answered. It’s in that long obedience that God shows up.
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Exodus 7-10 - The plagues and the Passover
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God's presence (God's tabernacle) is ever-present. When we move, it moves. The tabernacle is always in our midst. Exodus 40
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Learning to live in the freedom that God is the process of daily going to God, not FOR our need, but as everything we need.
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Exodus Ch 14 with guest teacher Jessica Pomales.
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Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:2-5
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Jesus is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Ephesians 2: 14-18
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In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:1-7
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Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). The instruction to pray for daily sustenance implies that we are meant to always be engaged in the work and provision of life. We are not meant to be workaholics, but neither should we be idle. Work has existed since before the fall when God created Adam to rule over the garden. We are called to engage with the life and work we've been given.
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There is nothing inherently sinful about wealth. God gave King Solomon great wealth, and He continues to use the generosity of His people to fund important works of mercy and justice around the world. But God's people are called to be very careful when it comes to the pursuit of wealth and very generous when it comes to caring for the poor. Money is more than a means to buy the things we need. It is power, and it always has been. Love of money is a "root of all kinds of evil," because it is often the love of being able to wield power for our own benefit.
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Proverbs tells us that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, which has less to do with being terrified of God and more to do with having a healthy understanding of our place and God's place in the universe. We are not God, nor do we get to make up what is wise and what is evil. In order to live with the grain of the universe, we first must humble ourselves before God and accept God's definition of right and wrong, even if it is inconvenient for us. When we begin to make our own definition of right and wrong/wise and evil we invite destruction and brokenness into our lives and world.
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What's your biggest fear with this election?
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Life beyond the ruins is not found in simply going through the motions of religiosity. It is bringing heaven to earth.
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The Servant of the Lord is a suffering servant. He lays down his life to bring us out of the ruins.
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Isaiah accepts the call to communicate a difficult message. This city will one day lie in ruins. But there is hope.
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God will not leave his people in the midst of the ruins. The Servant of the Lord is coming. God is doing a new thing. His people will sing a new song.
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The Bible says that, in Christ, you are holy, righteous, pure, gracious, merciful and just. At its core, acting justly is simply living out who you already are in Christ. When we fail to act justly, it’s because we have lost sight or turned our back on...
Injustice is almost always driven by the pursuit of economic gain. Rather than being seen as individuals of infinite worth, created in the image of God, people are dehumanized and used to help others accumulate wealth and power. We see the same...
Laws are important. Policies are important. Government leadership is important. But, in the end, they do not have the power to change the world. They will always leave you wanting more. Longing for more. Hoping for more. Needing more. Even the perfect...
We live in a world that tends to pit injustices against each other. We pick and choose our injustices. We scream loud about some and remain quiet about others. The fight against injustice often divides culture. For those who follow Jesus, the pursuit of...
The history of the world is the struggle against people and systems that enslave. Abraham’s family became immigrant slaves, oppressed by the injustice of Egypt. Israel’s longing to be free is a universal longing. When God heard their cries and set the...
For Hagar, there could have been worse houses than Abram and Sarai's in which to be a slave; until one day when everything went downhill. To force-fit God's promise, Sarai forced Hagar to conceive a son for Abram leading to bitterness, fear,...
Her brother was dead, Jesus wasn't there and Martha was devastated. If only Jesus had been there, she was certain all the suffering and pain of the moment would have been gone. Yet, when we are wishing for the pain to just go away, Jesus is using it as...
In a moment of despair, Ruth has a choice: a safe obedience that no one could fault her for making or a defiant dangerous disobedience that paired her in solidarity with the oppressed? It was a risky decision, but God once again shows partiality to the...
The followers of Christ were empowered by the Holy Spirit and invited everyone to participate in the Kingdom. As they shared and cared for the poor and marginalized and proclaimed what Jesus had done for the world, their movement grew in strength and...
The storm in Daniel's life just kept tossing him under the waves: conquered nation, looted treasure, favored advisor, plot to be murdered. Though everyone was running around trying to control the storm, Daniel remained calm and continued to partake in...
When Jesus rose from the grave, most of the disciples were filled with joy as the meaning of this good news. But Peter found himself still buried in the water grave of denying he even knew Jesus when he had promised to go with him to the death. He lay...
Paul’s ministry and spiritual authority were constantly under attack, even by those in the church. Much of the criticism was focused on all of the hardships and suffering and even physical struggles he had experienced. As Paul defended his ministry, he...
During his third missionary journey, Paul collected money for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. Some of the churches that Paul invited to participate in this offering, like the Corinthians, had significant resources. But others, like the churches...
Paul proclaims that Jesus, out of his great love, gave up his life (experienced brokenness) so that others might be reconciled to God. Jesus was unwilling to act out of his own self-interest. He was unwilling to hold on to the glory of heaven that he...
Beth and Zak talk about Julia Roberts, Rambo, Poison Ivy, allergies, and engaging with kids in quarantine.
Beth spends some time talking with Christina Padilla wigs, dogs, domestic violence and sitting with grief in the time of COVID-19
Every one of us is in the process of dying and losing everything. It is a sobering and depressing thought that we would rather ignore, but until we are able to embrace the reality of our jar of clay, we will keep thinking and living as if this life,...
After Jesus' death, two of his followers were walking from Jerusalem back toward Emmaus when a stranger joined them. During dinner in Emmaus, Jesus revealed himself to them and then disappeared. They immediately returned to Jerusalem to tell the...
In the midst of a meal where Jesus is investing new meaning in the bread and the cup of Passover and using it as a reminder of his impending sacrificial death, Jesus gives thanks. But this isn't the first time that Jesus gave thanks in the middle of...
The Pharisees tended to see themselves as the rulers of Israel rather than custodians appointed by God. So, Jesus tells a parable about an absentee landowner who entrusted his fields to tenants who were to work the fields and bring in the harvest....
Jesus attracted the company of tax collectors and sinners. He spent time with them. He ate with them. And, the religious leaders criticized him for it. From the perspective of the Pharisees, presence equaled endorsement. For them, the fact that Jesus...
Money is a big issue for lots of people. It certainly was for the Pharisees. So, Jesus tells a story about an unethical manager who squandered the wealth of his master. The master dismisses the manager but gives him time to get all the accounts together...
Tables and banquets were commonplace in Jesus’ culture. They were a place not only where people gathered but where the wisdom of teachers was imparted. For Jesus, the table had even more meaning. The table represented the kingdom banquet to which...
On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus often encountered people who simply did not understand what he or the kingdom was all about. In chapter 10, we read about two such individuals. One is a lawyer (an expert in the law of Moses). The other is a woman named...
Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem begins and ends with a call for his disciples to be on mission. But being on mission is not always easy. When Jesus’ disciples are sent to Samaria to announce the coming of Jesus, they face intense rejection. When they ask...
We want these to become a central rhythm of your life. In order to do that we know that you can’t do it alone. It will take discipleship, nurturing, and accountability. We need to become people who are apart of relationships that can help encourage us...
Although Jesus was God, Jesus came to serve everyone. He became a servant who proclaimed and demonstrated that this new Kingdom and the reign of God was now among them. Seeing where God is at work requires reflection and reflection requires...
Jesus had this ragtag group hanging around him all the time. He taught them, no matter how many times they didn’t get it or messed up. And then Jesus told them to go, teach others. We are called to “learn” Jesus first and foremost, to pattern our lives...
Jesus regularly talked and listened to his heavenly Father. In regular rhythms we see Jesus pulling away from the crowds and the important work he does to be refilled and guided by the Holy Spirit. We are called to listen and be guided by the Holy...
During his time, one of the biggest criticisms of Jesus was that he hung out with and ate with the wrong crowd. Jesus was constantly inviting people into his life. Jesus extended hospitality, inclusivity, generosity, and grace regardless of religion,...
Jesus generously blessed others in so many ways: food, acceptance, healing, resources, time, and ultimately his life. Clarksburg is called to live a life that reflects Jesus’ self-giving nature to bless others. To bless someone is to know what a...
We excited and inspired to step into the mission of God in deeper ways in 2020! Jesus summed up this mission in this, "The Kingdom of God has come near!" It surprised the whole because it meant that glory, joy, love, mercy, justice of the Kingdom of...
When you think about it, it’s pretty absurd that God calls us to live extravagantly generous lives. It’s not like God needs our help. God owns everything and God can accomplish whatever he wants however he wants. But just like the man who Jesus asked if...
We live in a culture that is consumed by worry and anxiety. We worry about all kinds of things. We worry about our kids. We worry about our future. We worry about the next project at work or the next assignment at school. And we definitely worry about...
It isn’t difficult to find evidence that there simply isn’t enough to go around. But in the narrative of Scripture we discover that was a lie that was told to deceive us from knowing the truth: that the world was created as a place of abundance and God...
Paul's prayer was that we would grow in our knowledge of who God is. That we would know the hope and inheritance of what God has given us. He prays that we will know resurrection power.
Paul's letter to Colossea defined Christ's uniqueness from every other religion but also defined who Christ is to all believers.
In Paul's letter to the slave owner Philemon, he asks him to do something that is outside of any cultural norm at the time. He asks him to do the unthinkable. Rather than kill a slave who disobeyed, Paul asks Philemon to see this slave as a brother. Because in Christ, we are all equal.
We all have a certain idea of how our life is going to go. We dream, we hope, we make our plans and sometimes despite our best efforts we still end up in situations we don’t want to be in.
Jesus’ miracles give us a glimpse into the coming restoration of the whole world brought by the cross.
Anyone who tries to convince you that if you follow Jesus, life will be easy and all your problems will go away, is inviting you to follow a fake Jesus, not the real Jesus.