Christ Chapel College: Recent Episodes
Christ Chapel Bible Church
A podcast from the college ministry across the street from TCU in Fort Worth, TX. We want students to experience “abundant life” (John 10:10) so we unapologetically point to Jesus: the source of life and joy. Check us out on Instagram @christchapelcollege
This week we look at 1 Samuel 2:12-3:21 and take example from Samuel as he is personally called by God in the comparison to Eli's disobedient sons. In this we find ourselves with the personal challenge of laying a foundation that leads to blessing and not destruction.
We start off our new series as we dive into the Old Testament by going through 1 Samuel 1-2:11. Listen in and see how God uses a woman's greatest disappointments as an opportunity for growth in her faith as she looks forward to a future perspective with hope. A timeless gospel that changes lives back then and can change yours too!
The idea of 'thanksgiving' is a consistent theme throughout both the Old and New Testament. That 'thanksgiving' is the acknowledging of what is right about God in praise and giving thanks to Him. When we look at our own lives and recognized our innate brokenness we begin to see how truly good God is in all He does. Then thankfulness and gratitude become our only right responses in praising Him.
What does it mean when the Bible says, "Walk by the Spirit"? This is something that sounds good and we can all nod our heads at, but what does this actually look like? The fact of the matter is that we either walk in the flesh or by the Spirit, and our lives usually show which is one true for ourselves. Nathan makes sense of Galatians 5:16-26 and details how this truth plays out in our everyday lives.
The Christian life is about a relationship with Jesus. A relationship that should change everything about our lives because of how Jesus loves us. Zach breaks down Galatians 5:2-15 and practically shows us what it looks like to be changed by having a rich and genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.
As we continue through Galatians, we see the sweet truth that God has made Himself known to us so that we may no longer be bound by the burdens that enslave us everyday. Rather, we get to experience the fullness of freedom found in Christ Jesus through the power of His Spirit.
In Galatians 3:26-4:7, Paul shows us that those who are “in Christ” are adopted by the Father. And this adoption is something that we are challenged to walk confidently in, rather than revert back to our old lives of slavery to the world. We are also shown how unity with our father should produce unity with our siblings (other believers). We hope your are challenged and encouraged by this unbelievable grace and truth we are called to live out.
What would everyday living look like when our security is in worldly-tangible things versus intangible things? What is the difference between guided behavior and behavior created from desire? Continuing in Galatians 3, Nathan helps make sense of Paul's writings in how God's promise to Abraham, the purpose of the Law, and faith in Jesus Christ all tie together and what that means for our daily lives.
In Galatians 3:1-14, Paul continues to call the church to return to faith in Christ alone. 2000 years later the challenge to stay focused on Christ and Christ alone is still a headline issue for the church. We can take comfort in the reality that through Christ we have been sent a helper, the Holy Spirit, who is an evidence of our justification by faith and an advocate to submit our hearts to the only king worthy of our lives. Listen in as Ben unpacks this reality and what it can look like played out in our lives.
There's life in a relationship with the God that has been made accessible to us through faith in Jesus Christ. A reality because of the Gospel that should change our lives. So, what does it mean to actually live out the gospel, or to live in faith? Tune in as Nathan unpacks Galatians 2:11-21 to help answer the the question of how we live in light of the good news that Jesus died in our place and then walked out of the grave.
We are all hardwired with the desire to be approved of by others. So often we look to the wrong sources for that approval. We look to things that are temporary and fleeting and it leaves us empty. Or perhaps we have the right focus on where our approval must ultimately come from but we just don’t know how to get it. Queue in as we dive into Paul’s exhortation and reminder of where our confidence comes from and how free and full God’s approval is, when we are in Christ.
In Galatians 1:6-9, we get a glimpse of an issue that the church in Galatia had that begs the question: What is the Gospel? The truth is, it's a Historical and Theological reality that changes everything about our lives. Because of who Jesus Christ is and what he's done we may have life and life abundantly.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
Grace and Peace- although it seems to be a common first century greeting, these two words are what, like the Galatians, we need but have an inability to produce in our might. With our identities found in the Gospel, we can have grace and peace in all times and in any circumstances. Listen to Ben as he unpacks Galatians 1:1-5 and how it impacts who we are.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
Throughout Jesus' ministry, he was calling people to something better. He was calling them to follow Him. What does it take to follow Jesus every day? It's all about abiding. What's that and how do I do it? Find out as Nathan unpacks John 15:1-11. As we head into summer break or life after graduation, this is the one challenge we want to leave you with in hopes that you allow God to continue to do what He started in your spiritual life this year!
Find out more about our ministry and summer programs at: www.christchapelcollege.org
Jesus did some pretty bold things within the cultural context of His earthly ministry. One of those bold things was to hang out with sinners like crooked government officials – the tax collectors. And He didn't just hang around them because He liked their company; Jesus was calling them to something better. He was calling them to follow Him. What does it mean to follow Jesus? Who is He calling, and to what end? If you've ever struggled with God's calling to "follow," you'll want to join us for this 2-part series on the who, how, why and what of following Jesus.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
It's not just once a year that we need to be reminded of what really happened on the cross; it's a weekly, daily miracle of mercy. And what did Jesus actually pay for in His death, burial and resurrection? It wasn't to hand us a list of rules to help us modify our behavior. It wasn't to teach us to pray to Him for transactional graces. And it wasn't even to build a church of happy people to belong to. It was for something far more simple and meaningful to each of us: It was to do something radical, calling us to surrender ... to follow Him. What will you do?
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
We can all agree now that anxiety exists, it's real, it's rooted primarily in feelings, and we don't want to be ruled by it. But now what? What do we do? Join Ben as he wraps up this mini series on anxiety and encourages us toward some practical steps in facing feelings with truth, and what that can look like in our lives today.
Missed parts 1 or 2? Scroll down to find them in the feed! We're here for you, and we'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
Anxiety is pervasive. We believe everyone struggles with it, but we don't believe there's a quick fix. Last week we talked about three areas that anxiety can grow in (brokenness in the world around us, in our bodies and minds, and in our relationship with the Lord). Today we're zooming in on that category of brokenness in our relationship with the Lord. There are narratives that play in our head that fuel this sin in our lives. Join in on this piece of the conversation as we continue to unpack our struggle with anxiety.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
Anxiety is something that affects just about everyone. Whether it’s paralyzing fear, or nervousness and stress that you just can’t seem to shake at times, the Bible has a lot to say about it. Join us the next three weeks for a special series where we dig deep into the origins of anxiety and the freedoms we can find from it.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
We all get stuck in various places along life's journey. Let's clear up some misunderstandings about faith and grace when we feel stuck in a valley ... or even stuck on a righteous mountain.
Maybe the way grace plays out in the lives of people around you seems unfair. Or what if you're trapped feeling damaged, and fall into numbness? Or you choose shame because you feel you've gone too far for grace to be applied.
But God reveals His actual standards to us in His Word, that we are all dead in our sins and mistakes, and can be saved only by grace through faith—not things we do to earn it! Join Ben as he teaches from several examples of people throughout the Bible, and shares how Jesus can be the answer for everywhere we feel stuck.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
If people saw me at my worst, would they still accept me? Everyone struggles. We are all walking through something — doing things we don't want to, yet struggling to somehow live our best lives in front of others. The good news is that our darkness isn't too much for grace of the God who made the universe to forgive! How? Join Robert as he unpacks one of the most powerful stories of redemption in John 8:2-11.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
We all come from some kind of brokenness or a broken story, and we are all looking for someone to lead us out of those stories and into a better future. So the question is, who will lead you? God's desire is to lead us into a life of peace and wholeness; a life of truth, love and forgiveness. Are you following Jesus? If you're following Jesus, are you drifting? Join Nathan as he wraps up our study of the book of Hebrews and leaves us with a final encouragement.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
As the writer of Hebrews closes his letter, we are reminded of several encouragements toward christian love through the lenses of hospitality, honoring one another in romantic relationships and finding true contentment in what we have. Are you inclusive and loving of strangers the same way you are with your friends? Do you appropriately respect the gift of sex? Do you always need something else, or are you content with what you have? Don't miss the way Ben unpacks these three big things in our context today.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
Sometimes we see the God of the Bible as someone so unapproachably holy that we can't fathom ever belonging in Heaven with Him for eternity. But did you know God eagerly awaits our response to His call to be in His family no matter what we've done — AND still remains holier than we can imagine? Perhaps you've never understood the real offer of Jesus as our mediator, and how you can belong with a God who is supposed to be full of grace but is still righteously judging all of our transgressions.
Hear Asher's teaching on Hebrews 12:18-29 and the important distinctions that the writer of this passage makes between the historic view of God from Mt. Sinai and the offer God makes through Jesus paying for our sins and calling us to a future ("Mt. Zion")!
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
The christian life is a "race" that is difficult. This passage of Hebrews encourages us to not grow weary. If you're struggling with escapism or throwing in the towel, or your tempted to dig in and solve life's problems on your own by over-fixating on the burden, you need a gentle reminder that you're a child of the God of the universe. Join Nathan as he exhorts us in "grit" (fighting the flesh) and community (depth in our relationships).
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
Ben's back with part 2 of this faith-defining passage of the New Testament, Hebrews 11:17-12:2, which helps us define what faith is in the face of the things faith isn't. It's a beautiful picture of how we can have confidence, peace, conviction and action as faith-filled people of God. Last week we learned from the stories of Noah, Abraham and Sarah. This week we add the stories of Joseph and Moses to Abraham's legacy.
Here are some of our take-aways concerning faith through this passage's references of these storylines:
- Faith is not blindly affirming Christianity for the hope of blessing and favor; but faith is confidence in a God you can't fully see yet.
- Faith is not positive self-talk to make yourself feel more happy or less anxious; but faith is resting in promises that you realize you may never see this side of eternity.
- Faith is not doing moral things to earn credits with the "afterlife judge;" but faith is living your life in a relationship with an almighty, yet personal God.
Sound like something you'd like to talk about? We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
God's people are saved by grace through faith; so therefore faith is this important thing that activates God's good grace in our life. Are we people of faith? And are we really growing? The best chapter in the New Testament to define "faith" is chapter 11 of Hebrews, which is what Ben unpacks in this part 1 sermon. Faith isn't in how good we can act as a person, but in how perfect Jesus is. It's this conviction and confidence (which we don't always tangibly see) that Jesus is the perfect, approachable glory of God in the world. He's better than anything! Jump into this overview of Hebrews 11:1-16 and learn how we can have confidence, peace, conviction and action as faith-filled people of God.
We'd love for you to find out more about our ministry at: www.christchapelcollege.org
We've talked about what it looks like to draw near to a perfect God, but what does it look like to STAY near? Join us as Robert unpacks the second half of Hebrews chapter 10 and the idea of Jesus, the High Priest, as someone who keeps His promises even when you feel forgotten. This is the context of hope: looking into the future with a promise in your mind from someone who was and is trustworthy.
This past semester we've been going through the book of Hebrews, and there's a consistent theme that we can draw near to Jesus with confidence. But what does that mean? How do we do that? What are the reasons we don't? Maybe it's because we have a distorted view of who God is. Maybe we think He's not empathetic. Or maybe we aren't confident we can go to Him in all our shame and guilt. We got to have a discussion with two incredible people (Amy Foster and Ryan McCarthy) who unpack these questions and invite us into a bigger, better, more abundant version of God. A God who we can draw near to in confidence despite our shame, our guilt, our hurt and brokenness. A God who draws near to us to redeem and restore our lives and stories.
In Chapter 8 of Hebrews we are reminded that the New Covenant is better. What makes it better? One ingredient is the arrival of the Holy Spirit as a gift to the people of God! Join us as Ben explores the role of God's Spirit and how we as His followers are called to cultivate it as a part of the Christian life.
When we easily look to systems as the answer or to find fulfillment, we've got to remember that God gave us the answer in Jesus. Join us as we unpack Hebrews chapter 7 and look at how Jesus is our best and only option for life and life abundantly.
We are really bad at keeping the commitments we make, and there's no wonder as to why because broken promises seem to be the theme of our lives. From big things like divorces that wreck our lives to little failures like overcommitting ourselves to our friends, we get jaded to the permanence of an oath or promise. The book of Hebrews speaks to this when the writer references God's big promise to Abraham, one that seemed too far off and impossible. Join Nathan as he unpacks where our hope should be, even in difficult times where we don't fully comprehend the unconditional love of God.
In this section of Hebrews, the author gives us a sobering warning to mature in our faith. If we don’t grow and deepen our "roots" we are vulnerable to be pulled away from a God who is gracious and good.
The Book of Hebrews put a huge emphasis on Jesus being our High Priest but do we know why that’s the greatest news? Join us as we look at our King, look at how to approach Him and deconstruct some of the things that hold us back.
If the point of paid time off and unplugging from work on the weekend is to rest, relax and recuperate, then why do we so often come back to everyday life more tired and less rested? Maybe there’s something wrong with how we think about rest and that simply taking a nap, unplugging from work or binge-watching Netflix isn’t all there is to rest.
We see in Hebrews chapter 4 two different—but yet complimentary—kinds of rest, while simultaneously we hear an invitation from Jesus himself to come and rest in Him. Listen to Francis as he encourages us on what rest truly is and what it looks to have it in Hebrews 4:1-11.
The author of Hebrews spends chapter 3 diving back into the Old Testament, so we dig deep into the book of Exodus and study how God’s people were set free from slavery ... only to get stuck in the wilderness. In light of these peoples' history of wandering, we ask the question: how we can protect our own hearts today? Listen for encouragement from Ben in Hebrews, chapter 3.
When we tend to think of God as only holy and unreachable, it's good to remember how mindful of and relatable to us He is as well. God knows exactly what kind of mess you're in ... because He's been there, too, as a man who walked this earth and went through the same turmoil that we do today. Why'd God do that? He gave it all to set us free from things like shame, guilt, anxiety and fear. And not only is He the liberator, but He is also faithful to the end. Listen to Nathan's message on Hebrews 2:8-18 for some encouragement on how to run with confidence to Jesus!
When we drift from our faith, a lot can happen. Join Ben in the discussion of six major things that can cause this drifting as we continue to unpack the wisdom in the book of Hebrews. For the song Brett wrote about rest and sang live at the end of this sermon, check out this album on Spotify. See you next week!
Somehow the mind-blowing characteristics of Jesus have something to do with TCU fans who leave a blowout win early. Our first dive into this great letter written sometime during the latter half of the 1st century, but so relevant to life today, begins to unpack who Jesus is, what He’s done and ultimately what that means for us. We hope this message will encourage you with just how “finished and complete” the grace of God is for you!
This week we look at a single parable of Jesus and unpack the great cost of following Christ ... but also the incredible value that comes from belonging to a good and gracious God!