Covenant Life Church: Recent Episodes
Covenant Life Church
Welcome to the weekly audio podcast for Covenant Life Church in Lawrenceville, GA. Covenant Life Church is a Kingdom community built around loving Jesus Christ and expressing that love to others. Visit us at http://www.covenant.life/
We shouldn't settle for a dim view of Jesus or get ideas about him from culture, or caricatures, or assumptions. He is the image of the invisible God, Creator, Sustainer, Supreme Head of all. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The same Holy Spirit who brings us into new life in Christ Jesus, has been sent to baptize us into a life of power and witness of Christ Jesus. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
When Paul is writing in Philippians to the church about the power of the resurrection, he's not just talking about the historical fact. Life should actually be different for them, and for us today. // A message by Robert Grant.
Jesus said, "Saul, I know you intimately; everything about you and I love you. But why are you persecuting Me?" // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Even in denial, Jesus meets us to bring healing, purpose and to reveal how our lives are meant to glorify God. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
There is a ripple effect when we obey God. It can be the tipping point for others to be set free - especially in the setting of family. Generational curses are real, but so is the ultimate authority of Jesus. // A message by James Williams.
The resurrected Jesus asks two of his followers, "was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" // A message by Chris Hyatt.
If He was raised from the dead, then everything is going to be OK. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus washed the disciples' feet, not simply to show them how we are to serve one another, but to foreshadow the ultimate washing in his blood from the cross. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for many, drinking the cup of wrath that we could not drink. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus talked a lot about the kingdom. It was His main message and critical to understanding who Jesus is and what He's inviting us into. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life,' and showed that He is the only One who can defeat death and offer us the truest, fullest kind of life. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Beneath every question Jesus asks is the pivotal question of His identity: “who do you say that I am?” // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus says things that are perplexing and will require us to trust Him, even when we don't understand. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
When we find our faith being pressed or stretched by doubt, it's in that very place that God intends our faith to grow. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus asks questions not because He's looking for an answer, but because we need to wrestle with His question, just like when He asked Philip, "where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus sees us in our need and He moves towards us as our Healer. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
When a sinful woman washed the feet of Jesus with tears and dried them with her hair, it once again revealed that religious people get ticked when Jesus likes bad people better than good people. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus asked His would-be disciples, "what do you want?" He has an unsettling way of asking the same question of us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God doesn't waste the hardships we face. He uses them to train us as His sons and daughters. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
If Jesus begins his ministry fasting, it's a really good idea to follow His example as we walk into the mission and ministry He has given to us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus has called his followers to fast, not as a means of showing our own righteousness, but because we want God more than we want anything this world has to offer us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
As we enter a time of prayer and fasting, we are seeking God's face and not simply His hand. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
There is an invitation for you today, no matter where you are on your journey of belief. On your walk toward Jesus life: come into the light, be a witness to the light, or to stay in the light. He is still the light of the world. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus as he was passing through Jericho in all the crowd he was focused on this one man in a tree. He called him by name and said hurry down, I'm coming to your house. And that day, Zacchaeus was changed from the inside out. // A message by Robert Grant.
God promised a sign, that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, and He would be called Immanuel, which means, God with us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
During Advent we stop to consider that without Christ, our world is dark, both without and within; and we are in desperate need of a Savior! // A message by Chris Hyatt.
It's a problem when no one expects fruit from God's people! We were called to be fruitful. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God comes after us with all of who He is. As a new creation in Jesus, discover the good works God created just for you. // A message by James Williams.
As those who are abiding in Christ and He in us, we are not only meant to produce spiritual fruit; we are also firstfruits of God's new creation, a foretaste of what's to come. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
A tree is known by its fruit and our fruit is the best way to gauge our spiritual life. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
As partakers of His divine nature, we are called to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The Lord is coming and we live as the sort of people He called us to be, eagerly watching for and hastening His return. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
What we believe about the second coming of Christ will determine how we live today. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
When Jesus said, “give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's,” He is framing out the Christian's approach to politics and religion, church and state, God and government. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Peter indicts false teachers in the church and how they are deceived and then work to deceive others, ultimately being destroyed in their own destruction. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The gospel tells us that judgment day is unavoidable, and that we won't handle it well on our own. But the good news is that Jesus is not only the judge, He's also our savior, and for those who are IN Him, we've already gone through judgment day. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Peter pivots from telling us the importance of growing in knowledge of God and in His grace, to our need for vigilance against heresy and those who push it. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
What we do on Sundays is important, but it's in a small group with other Jesus followers, all committed to doing life together, where discipleship, growth and maturity really happen. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Peter assures us that the message he proclaimed is not a myth, but based on eyewitness accounts of the radiant majesty of Jesus. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
One of the most important things we do as followers of Jesus is to remember who He is and what He has done. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We begin a study of Second Peter: a book emphasizing the importance of growing in our knowledge of God and in His grace, while reasserting the certainty of Christ's return and the need for vigilance against false teaching. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
What we can learn from Jesus about how to endure testing and temptation. // A message by James Williams.
In Luke we read of Jesus as he references Isaiah chapter 50: “therefore I set my face like flint…”. What even is flint? And how does the imagery of this idea help us today on our journey as Christians? // A message by Peter Emmet
Don't use the freedom God has brought us into as an opportunity to serve ourselves, but humbly serve one another in love. // A message by Patrick Currie.
If "everything works together for the good for those who love God and are the called," what does that mean for me today? There is a part we play - a responsibility to believe. And He has set the stage in every way. // A message by Wade Addison.
We should be people who live out God's mission in all that we do. Not just Sunday, but everyday of the week. Not just at church, but in our workplaces. Not just our quiet times, but in every engagement we have. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
How are Christians, to engage culture? What does it look like to be in the world, but not of it? // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Most people think of a prodigal as someone lost and rebellious. But it's really God our Father who is the prodigal, heaping onto us ridiculous favor, lavish forgiveness, extravagant grace, reckless love! // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We were meant to join Christ in what He is doing and this means that every Christian is, in some sense, a missionary, as Jesus has sent us to live out His mission as we grow in His ways. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Each and everyone of us who are in Christ are being formed in our response to Him, proclaiming the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Meaningful relationships matter in our spiritual formation. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Our spiritual formation includes a deep awareness of being a part of God's family, remembering who God is, where we were before He saved us, and all that He has done for us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Our spiritual formation requires that we actively and continually receive from God. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
A message by our guest speaker, Kevin Davenport; pastor of Saddleback Covenant Church in Mission Viejo, California. // A message by Kevin Davenport.
For the hungry heart there is but one thing that satisfies: the manifest, conspicuous presence of God. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are born again into a living hope, certain that all of our "tomorrows" are tied to the one who is faithful. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We live in the new reality of His resurrection, where all the benefits of salvation are ours already and still yet to come. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus is risen, and with Him emerges for us a whole new reality. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Everyone of us is confronted by the crucified Christ. We may see it as a scandal too horrifying to receive, or folly too foolish to embrace, but the only way we get the power and wisdom of God, is through the Son of God who died on the cross. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Leading up to the cross, we witness two women giving everything they could and their giving points us to Jesus, who emptied Himself and freely gave His life that we might live. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We desire to live with an awareness of God's tangible presence, spiritually formed, living on mission. Where we live with Jesus on the frontier between the reign of God and the usurped dominion of the devil. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Judge not .. condemn not .. forgive .. give. Jesus lays out some do's and don'ts for His disciples. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
As students of the Master, we are called to reject the “me first” mentality and die to our stubborn pride that drives us to demand our own way. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
As His disciples, we're meant to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Even in our negative world, we are called to love those who oppose us and willingly, lovingly, and purposefully pray for those who would persecute us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Pentecostal power led to small communities of Jesus, devoted to His teaching, breaking bread, praying and worshipping together in home throughout the city. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Willingness to obey is what opens up your ear to hear from God. Obedience is the key, but first, you're going to need a bigger frying pan. // A message by Jim Newsom.
To interrupt our normal routine and not eat for a set period of time is us saying, there's something more important in life, than the eating we do to sustain life. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord! // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Oh the wonders of His love, profoundly revealed in the advent of Christ .. when God became flesh and dwelt among us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
True joy is the result of knowing that Jesus has come to save us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. - Isaiah 9:2 // A message by Robert Grant.
Our hope is not based on wishful thinking or positive vibes or statistical trends, but in Jesus who is faithful and true to His promise. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Faith matters to God. To begin to understand we need to see how much connection with Him matters for us. Being disconnected from God leads to death. Faith is how He rescues and reconnects us. It's how our relationship with Him grows. // A message by Jamie Johnson.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-18. // A message by Curtis Forman.
No matter what kind of season we're in or what kind of challenges we face, we can draw on the life source of the Spirit in the Secret Place of God. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are to walk the same way Jesus walked and reflect the same kind of relationship to the Father as Jesus had. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Baptism is a holy happening, where we remove our shoes, bow our heads, bend our knees, and bury our old man. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God continues to speak to us through visions and dreams; not in contrast or supplementation to His written word, but as a means to see His word go forth, even to the ends of the earth. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Like the young boy Samuel serving before the Lord, we must learn how to distinguish God's voice and discern His will. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
There's a way God speaks to us that can easily be mistaken, because it doesn’t always come the way we might assume. It’s more like a whisper, a still small voice, and it raises the probability that God is speaking to us more than we might realize. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God is always speaking and prophecy is Him speaking through us into the lives of others. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We should learn to read the bible through the lens of Jesus and the power of His love, not only reading with our heads, but also with our hearts. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The primary mark of being a disciple of Jesus is hearing His voice. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Sometimes following Jesus in obedience brings us through the valley of the shadow of death. His lovingkindness leads us to a place of discipline to make us more like Him. "My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me." John 10:27 // A message by Patrick Currie.
1 Peter 2:2: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. // A message by Wade Addison.
Learning to walk by faith and not by sight from the story of Abraham. // A message by Peter Emmet
In a culture of 'workism,' we are called to be a community of contribution .. one that takes seriously the work to which God has called us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
In our world of retribution, bitterness, and spite, God has forgiven us and called us to be a community who forgives all others. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
How do we as a community that holds to biblical truth, engage a culture that looks inward to determine one's sexual or gender identity? And how can we be a community that speaks truth in our world while exhibiting Christ-like compassion? // A message by Chris Hyatt.
In our world saturated in hurry and noise, where we're pushed to operate at full speed, we hear the Lord say, "be still, and know that I am God." // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Walking into the waters of baptism is indicating your union with Christ Jesus and a full embrace of all that He has done to save you by dying for your sins and rising for your justification. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are called to be a community of abiding in a culture of optimization. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are called to be peacemakers in a culture of outrage and fear. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
In a culture where anything goes, we're called to a biblical ethic of sex and marriage. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are to be a community sent with good news to a world lost in itself ... by seeing where God is at work and joining Him; practicing radical hospitality; living in a way that begs the question; and being led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
In a culture that embraces every conceivable ideological cause, we are called to follow Jesus. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The way we win people to Christ, is not to become more like them, but by living drastically different from the way we used to. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
As we proclaim that Jesus is risen, we're also called to help process the pain of life on this side of resurrection. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Behold! Your King has come! Let us declare with those on that day, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” // A message by Chris Hyatt.
In a society that worships self-care, self-indulgence, self-determination, we are called to love counter-culturally. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Who is better at helping, comforting, counseling, and advocating for us? Is it us or is it the One who created us? The extent to which we see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is the extent to which we we are making room for and trusting the Holy Spirit to take care of us. // A message by James Williams.
And we are called to love the way we've been loved. To love in such a way, that others take notice. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The world may buckle under our feet, but we don't have to. We are receiving an unshakable kingdom. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
In the new covenant, we come to Mt. Zion by the blood of Jesus, who made the way for us to draw near without fear. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to lift drooping hands, strengthen weak knees, and make straight paths, so that those who are lame are not made worse, but are healed. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We often view hardship as a barrier to our spiritual growth, when in fact, it's the pathway to it. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We will only finish the race that is set before us by laying aside every weight and sin, running with endurance, and looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
For those who come to Him, they'll find Jesus is gentle and lowly in heart, the embodiment of humility, always honoring the Father, never exalting Himself. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Because His hand is on us, we experience all of His blessings that build us up and all of His interventions that grow us up. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
It matters to God why we do what we do. Is it for Him or is it for ourselves? // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are called to seek the Lord while He may be found ... to seek His face continually ... to be known as a people of God's own heart. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Advent is a reminder that every heart should prepare Him room. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Advent is a wake-up call to our collective slumber; a call to live awakened lives, engage His mission, and eagerly look for His appearing. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Acts 16 describes 3 different gospel encounters for 3 different people, revealing that the gospel is for everyone. For the spiritually inquisitive; the oppressed and abused; even those who show no interest at all. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
As followers of Jesus, we should not make it difficult for those who are turning to God. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
When we pray, it should be relational instead of transactional. We are praying to our Father, not to a Genie in a bottle. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus is building His church today, sending the same gift He gave on the day of Pentecost. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God calls faulty, imperfect, even ornery people, as his chosen instruments to accomplish his purpose! // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus apprehended Saul of Tarsus and showed that He loves to take his most lethal opponents and turn them into his most effective servants. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Stephen showed us how to live and also how to die, faithfully following Jesus and receiving the crown of life Jesus Himself promised. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
In a church with great unity, power, grace, and care, Ananias and Sapphira still lied to the Holy Spirit, pretending to be better than they were and posing as something they were not. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Acts 3: In life in the Spirit, we encounter Jesus incarnate, then we see the miraculous demonstrated, then we need to proclaim the Name of Jesus in response to it, and then we will suffer - some of that suffering will be persecution at the hands of others, but some of it will be having to die to our own systems... but then there is explosive growth, total forgiveness, spiritual refreshment, leaping and dancing, and more added to their number day by day! There is power in the Name of Jesus and we can be freed from the tyranny of our systems. // A Message by Peter Emmet.
The book of Acts reveals a changing of the guard; from the Old Temple and its system to God's New Temple of living stones. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
On the day of Pentecost, a fledgling group of disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit: immersed in His spiritual tsunami and lit on fire for His purpose. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
A father is an essential presence in the life of a child; and without him, things start to unravel, like stars falling from the sky. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
So what is it? The Kingdom of God is His government established under the rulership of Jesus Christ. And that makes His kingdom different than any other we see in this world. It produces something different. // A message by James Williams.
We're either neck deep in troubled waters or engulfed in the flow of the Spirit. Either way, we're in over our heads. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, it wasn't just a physical ascension, because He was able. It was a governmental ascension, because He was worthy. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
After His resurrection, Jesus dealt with Peter's betrayal, renewed his purpose, and revealed how this would all lead to God’s glory. And He did it all around breakfast. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The Resurrected Jesus appears to His disciples, giving them peace and proving He is alive. Jesus does the same for us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
On the very day Jesus rose from the dead, He walked with two disciples and turned their disillusionment into burning hearts within them. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
His resurrection means He conquered sin, death, and the grave. He paid it all. He cleans it all. He did it all. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We all have to grapple with this coming King! Not just the day He rides into our town, but every day thereafter. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
This is what God does for His people whey they're burning like a stick in the fire. He snatches them out of it. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The work of Christ on the cross is a game changer. It's provided us with a new and living way, where the only appropriate response is to draw near, hold fast our confession, and stir up one another with love and good works. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus is the head of the church. We are all ministers and priests. God sets in Elders to help us grow and go. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Rehearsing the truth of who He is remembering that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and His mercies never come to an end. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
It's in the former place of your bondage, that God will call you to build an altar to Him. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Two paths are always before us. Not just on the day we accepted Jesus, but everyday we follow Him. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus invites us to come to His table with thanksgiving and remembrance, proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Water baptism is more than a religious rite. It demonstrates our union with Christ, where we have been crucified, buried, and raised with Him to walk in newness of life. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Hezekiah shows us how we are to pray. He also shows us how pride can so easily slip in and ruin so much. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are to pray at all times in the Spirit, with all types of prayer, with all perseverance, for all the saints. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus prayed because He longed to be with His Father and He taught us to pray in the same way. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Fasting pushes us past low-risk, low-commitment Christianity and forces us to examine our hearts, repent where we’re missing the mark, and submit to the Holy Spirit’s renovation of our lives. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Our faith is in Jesus alone. The government rests on His shoulders, and of the increase of His government and of his peace, there will be no end. // From the series Advent 2021 by Chris Hyatt.
Why do we read the "prophets" during advent? First to re-enact history, realizing what it was like to be without a Messiah and to long for His coming. But also as we look into the lens of history, we can also view the future of what is to come. // A message by Robert Grant, from the series Advent 2021.
Repentance is more than being sorry. It's a change of heart, and a change of direction, that results in a change of behavior. // From the series Advent 2021 by Chris Hyatt.
In a world filled with "spiritual narcotics," we hear a call from heaven: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." // From the series Advent 2021 by Chris Hyatt.
What if the way to see Jesus’ life in your life is to make room for it? If we fight to have lives with no holes in them, we are fighting to live in ways that need Him less. If the world around us could see us living a life that needs God, that requires Him, that is incomplete without Him, they would see us making room for Jesus and they would see His power come blasting through us to bring them home to Him. // A message by Jamie Johnson.
This is the gospel message: that a prodigal God lavishly loves us, runs for us, and embraces us in our filth, throwing his arms around our neck and rejoicing that we have returned. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The gospel changes everything in our lives and changes how we live our lives. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
There is only one biblical gospel, both simple and straight forward, but also irreducibly complex. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The gospel is richly complex, but at its core it is good news that God saves sinners. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We've been invited into God's mega narrative, where our lives are being shaped by the gospel of His Kingdom. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Hope is the stuff of endurance if your hope is enduring. // A message by Charles Simpson.
God said stay, but the traumatized remnant in Judah decided to go. In what things are we halfway to Egypt before we even consider what God thinks about it? // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God’s people may be attacked, oppressed, besieged, scattered all over the face of the earth, but they will never be lost. God will always have for Himself a remnant. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jeremiah grew disillusioned, with wounds that would not heal. God called Him to repent, to give up his mistaken attitude of despair and self-pity, and then He would be restored to a state of inner peace. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God will judge all the nations of the earth, not simply as punishment, but to produce salvation. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jeremiah not only spoke of God's discipline, but also His hope - that God will bring about all the good that He has promised. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Our sin is the problem but Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant, where we can be forgiven and our partnership with God restored. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
As Elect Exiles, God gives us hope and a future so we can share that hope with others, working for the flourishing of people and places around us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God wants to grow our capacity, increase our stamina, and us not get lost in a world of “what-aboutisms.” He wants us to run with horses. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jeremiah excoriated God’s people for their religiosity, idolatry and social injustice, calling them to amend their ways and trust in the Lord. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
A message from guest speaker, Carlos Zelaya, pastor of Iglesia de Pacto Nueva Esperanza in San Jose, Costa Rica.
God called Jeremiah, saying, “before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Like clay in the hands of a potter, so are we in my hands of God. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The Christian Life is on a battlefield, not a playground. We’re at war, but a war that’s already been won. We’re just running the clean up operation. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are being formed into a household of sacrificial love and mutual submission, where in every relationship we put on display the gospel story. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Wives submit to your own husbands, and husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. These commands are not designed to oppress, but to complement each other as we live our lives on display for God's glory and grace. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
As we carefully walk out our lives, we’re to be wise, understanding what the will of the Lord is, and filled with the Spirit. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are to now walk as children of light and discern what is pleasing to the Lord. And we’re to wake up, arise from our old dead life, and Christ will shine on us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Out of His empowering love, we are to be imitators of God - walking in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Our way to holiness, our sanctification is not just that we can do better and be more, it’s that we have the Holy Spirit within us to make it forever so. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
While maintaining unity, Paul envisions the body of Christ where every diverse member can minister to others with his or her own unique spiritual gifts. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Paul interrupts his letter to the Ephesians, to pray that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith and that they might be filled with all the fullness of God through the love of Christ. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God uses His Church as proof of His manifold wisdom to redeem fallen man and have for Himself a forever family. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
There is only one living hope. He rose from the dead, conquering sin and death, and one day soon He will return to judge the living and the dead. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
In every downward step the incarnation required, Jesus was emptying himself, not grasping for privilege, but taking the form of a servant, with everyone he meets. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
All that Jesus is is enough to take different kinds of people and unite them in peace. He's the only one who can do that. // A Message by Chris Hyatt.
We were dead in our trespasses and sin .. BUT GOD made us alive with Christ, raised us up and seated us with Him, and will spend eternity showing the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness to us. // A Message by Chris Hyatt.
Paul prayed for the saints in Ephesus and we get the benefit of his prayer as it instructs us how to pray for one another. // A Message by Chris Hyatt.
Living in a broken, seductive world, we win by loving Jesus so much that we become like Him in laying our lives down for those around us. // A message by Jamie Johnson.
What we do for God, can only come out of who we are in God. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are maturing when our ‘walking’ and God’s ‘calling’ are in balance. As we respond to God’s calling, we live congruently in His ways. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
When Paul writes, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ,” he’s not just offering a polite greeting. He's conveying two of the glorious riches of the gospel message. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
We are not only called to share the gospel of God, but also our own selves ... working in faith, laboring in love, remaining steadfastness in hope. // A message by Chris Hyatt, Jamie Johnson, and the Boy With A Ball team.
Out of the Father's glorious riches, the Apostle Paul prays that we may have the power of Holy Spirit; the indwelling Christ; the vastness of his love; and the fullness of God …all taking up residence within us. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
God's presence is what distinguishes God's people. As Moses said to the Lord, “If your presence does not go with us, our going out will not succeed.” // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Some insights from two of our Elders, Roger Hyatt and Jamie Johnson, on the importance of fasting and what God is saying to them in this season. // A message by Roger Hyatt and Jamie Johnson.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to seek first His kingdom, as we submit ourselves under his mighty hand, because God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
A voice crying: in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. // A message by Robert Grant.
Advent is a jolt to our collective slumber; a wake-up call; a shaking of our souls back to a posture of watchfulness, being alert, staying awake. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
In the midst of high winds on a stormy sea, Jesus spoke peace-producing words, “don’t be afraid. I am here.” They took him into their boat and their terror was dissolved. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus is the true vine and He calls us to abide, remain, commune, and live in Him. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
When you’re not sure where to go, or what facts to believe, or which narrative to live, remember that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus was deeply troubled as He arrived at the tomb of Lazarus. But He was about to confront sin and death and show Himself to be the Resurrection and the Life. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
The world will know that we are His disciples not by how we vote but by how we love one another. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows, cares, and laid down His life for His sheep. // A message by Chris Hyatt.
Jesus not only stands at the door and knocks, He IS the door. The only entrance to His Kingdom, protection, and fellowship. (A message by Chris Hyatt)
Jesus is the light of the world that brings structure to our formlessness, fullness to our void, and light to our darkness. His light changes everything. (a message by Chris Hyatt)
Jesus is the bread of life; whoever comes to Him shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Him shall never thirst. (a message by Chris Hyatt)
Our lives gradually become brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. (a message by Chris Hyatt)
To know Christ is not about theory or theology; it is to know him with such intimacy that in the end we are as united with him as we experience the power of His resurrection and share in His sufferings.
There are three distinct portraits from Christ's letter to the seven churches. The first is of Jesus Himself, our loving Savior and reigning King. Second, His sanctified Bride, without spot or wrinkle, that she might be holy and without blame. And finally, the incredible promises Jesus makes to those who overcome.
The conceit of the Laodicean church resulted in a skewed assessment of themselves. They thought they were rich, prosperous, and self-sufficient, but Jesus said they were wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Jesus not only opens a door that no one can shut .. He IS the door that no one can shut.
God has a secret place and He wants us to dwell with Him there, for He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Imagine if you were a part of the church in Sardis when Jesus said, "you have a reputation for being alive, but you are really dead and He's not found any of your works to be complete." Is Jesus saying the same thing to His church today?
Heresy is bad. The church in Thyatira had tolerated it, and that was just as bad. What influence have we allowed into the church, without firmly standing against it and calling out its deception?
What if we are somewhere in the midst of a divine reshuffling — how would that shape, change, and expand the ways we pray? Could God be inviting us to pray differently, to expand how we think about and practice prayer, in the face of all that we’re facing?
Hear from UNITE leaders Chip Sweney, Bryan White, Tito Ruiz, David Park, and Chris Hyatt as they tell the story of UNITE and how Christians from across our city are working together for racial reconciliation, justice, and unity.
The victor is the Jesus follower who not only stands fast in the face of pressure from Satan’s throne, but also resists the temptation to compromise for the sake of personal gain.
Jesus addressing the church in Smyrna helps us see the mark of a successful church is not size, wealth, or a trouble free existence. They faced tremendous persecution and slander, and through they were poor, Jesus said they were rich.
The message to the church in Ephesus is relevant for the church of today: to remember the love we’ve abandoned, repent, and return to the works we did at first.
The seven churches Jesus addressed in the book of Revelation are different from each other in many ways. Yet those seven churches are also quite similar to the churches of today.
A lot of people think the book of Revelation is about predicting future events, but it’s really more about the unveiling of Jesus Christ as King. And while there are tumultuous things that will take place, those events come out of His unveiling, not the other way around.
Throughout the Bible, human injustice is continually rebuked and judged by God. He’s consistent in His repudiation of injustice. In every form, in every place.
If anyone thirsts, let them come to Jesus and drink, so that out of their innermost being will flow rivers of living water. Not only will their thirst be quenched, but they will also become a spigot for others.
Jesus rose from the dead and continued to meet with His disciples, speaking with them about His kingdom before ascending back to the Father. But it wasn’t just a geographical relocation. It was the resumption of sovereign rule! Jesus Christ In Session.
Peter had denied the Lord. Still Jesus came to meet him .. healing his wound, giving him purpose, showing how he would glorify God, and once again saying, “follow me.”
Jesus wants to redeem your failure, disappointment, and the places you’ve ruined. He meets you to heal your heart so that the things you hear, see, and even smell ... your "charcoal fires" ... are no longer reminders of your failure, but trophies of His grace.
He's often called "Doubting Thomas," but maybe his story best illustrates that being in the presence of Jesus increases faith and brings out the best, while being apart from Him triggers doubt and brings out the worst.
Join us for our fourth and final podcast in our Spirit of Adoption Bible Study. Today, we talk about the ongoing call to maintain a close relationship with the Father through all of the different seasons of life. Our message comes full circle when we are open and vulnerable with other people because we are living out of God's generosity and intimacy with us. For more resources and information associated with this study, go to danileewilliams.com
Even in our greatest fears, we cannot lock Jesus out! He shows up and says to us, “Peace be with you.”
The crucifixion left the disciples in grief, fear, doubt, and failure. But the resurrected Jesus came looking for them. While they are searching for answers, He is alive and searching for them. The first one He meets is Mary Magdalene.
Join us for our third podcast in our Spirit of Adoption Bible Study. Today, we talk about some of the ways that God extends intimacy to us. You will walk away with a handful of tools and treasures that you can always fall back on when you’re having trouble trusting God’s Father-heart. For more resources and information associated with this study, go to danileewilliams.com
In the middle of the Coronavirus, we're learning that Easter is about an empty tomb, a defeated enemy, and victory over death and the grave. While our church buildings may be empty, so is the tomb and that’s why we celebrate today.
In the middle of a worldwide pandemic, with so much death, loss, and sorrow, we need to remember that one day soon - sooner than we might think - Jesus is going to return and wipe away every tear. Not because He is ignoring our sadness, but because the One who wipes away our tears has shed His own.
One thing that God seems to be saying in the midst of this Coronavirus pandemic is that "He is God and there is no other. He is the Lord and there is none like Him."
Join us for our second podcast in our Spirit of Adoption Bible Study. Today, we cover some of the differences between spiritual orphans and adopted children of God. For more resources and information associated with this study, go to danileewilliams.com
We need to be asking the Lord what He would have you do in the midst of COVID19. God is big enough, strong enough, and loves us enough to creatively direct our steps and speak His will. Who knows? Maybe we have come to our neighborhoods .. to our virtual workplaces .. to our circle of friends .. for such a time as this.
In the past year, our faith community has studied the person of Jesus as described in Hebrews – a better sacrifice, a better covenant, a better way. The Holy Spirit – His help, His ministry, and His Life. And now we will begin a series on God’s Fatherhood and our response as His children. When we began in Hebrews, we didn’t know that this was where God was taking us, but his path is the easiest way for us to go and always leads us to Truth.
Facing a worldwide pandemic, followers of Jesus are called to choose faith over fear, prayer over worry, generosity over hoarding, and loving others over self-preservation.
David saw Bathsheba and “took her” and revealed how vile our sinful nature can be. But as serious as it was, David knew where to go with his guilt. Back to the presence of God.
In a world of credit scores and progress reports, we quickly learn that we only get what we earn. But the Bible tells us that Abram was “credited” as righteous, not out of performance but by believing God.
King David desired to show kindness to anyone left from Saul’s house and it was more than just him being nice or sweet. David embodied God's lovingkindness (the Hebrew word is hesed) because he had been enmeshed by it, immersed in it, and enthroned because of it.
And the only way we can build anything for God is because He first built something for us, which helps us see that our obedience is a response to His promise, not the way to earn it.
We have to see God for who He is. He’s a strong father, a worthy legislator, a fair judge, a gracious king, a God who is bigger than you and me. And that’s a good thing.
It feels like David’s story should have been edited for the viewing audience. Yet God uses people that we never would, to accomplish His promises that we never could.
The prophet Isaiah said God’s people were known for their religious observation of fasting, but they were doing it for the wrong reason and with the wrong motive. They looked sincere, but their piety was nothing more than slick veneer covering an ugly condition, where they tried to use God, without being used by Him.
Without God's presence, we're not really God's people. That's why Moses said to the Lord, "if your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" and why Isaiah petitioned the Lord, to "rend the heavens and come down." His presence is still what we need most.
In a world filled with horrific evil, our hope comes from Immanuel: God with us. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.