Awakening @ First Church Podcast

"United In Response," a special message from Chris Edmiston, Awakening Venue Leader at First United Methodist Church, Wichita, KS during Downtown Alive.

Throughout times of tragedy it's really hard not to hear about evil. There’s an evil we see, the evil around us, even the evil perpetrated against us, and it hurts. It drives many of our thoughts, our emotions, our actions.

It’s hard not to react emotionally to such a massive tragedy with so many issues around it. It’s hard not to hear the loud voices around us, each one yelling over the top of the one before. It’s hard not to join in the shouting match; not to take up a side of action and stake a hard claim to it.

So when we turn to the Bible, we look to our Savior for wisdom, and we hear Jesus say this in Luke, we can't wrap our head around it. How can we respond in a way that is true, honorable, and Christ-like?

Join us as we unpack this and more in our latest message, “United In Response”.

Grace & Peace

"Legacy Defined"

Legacy is something many of us don’t think about until it’s almost too late. For some it leads to midlife crisis, self-doubt, and many times a drop in faithfulness, whether to God or to those around you.

The questions we have to answer can be difficult. Who are we doing this for? What is our goal? What is our TRUE, HOPEFUL outcome?

Join us as we unpack this and more in our latest message, “Legacy Defined”.

To watch the video preceding the message click the following link: https://youtu.be/nQOP-M6ruoI

"Challenging Times", Part 4 of 4 - "HOPE"

There are times when darkness is all around us, even inside of us, and it feels like we just can’t go on. If we’re honest we can all admit that there are seasons in our lives where the darkness is just too much. What’s the point? By the time I get through this challenge and over this hill there’s another one waiting for me.

God knew what the people of Judah were going through, and he sent Jeremiah with a new message. This was no longer the message of judgment, but a new message the people needed to hear: a message of HOPE.

Join us as we unpack this and more and conclude our four week series, “Challenging Times”.

"Challenging Times", Part 3 of 4 - "Never Too Far Gone"

Jeremiah knew that chaos was coming, He continued to share the message the Lord had given to the people. He had a good idea how the people would respond, and the language was harsh; it spoke strongly against the people and their leaders. Yet just a month from the date the temple was destroyed, Jeremiah stood before the king of Judah and he still gave him a choice.

What was it that kept the king from making the right choice? Was it pride or arrogance? Was it anger or fear? And what about us as a church? What is the message to the church? What are we to repent from?

Join us as we unpack this and more as we continue our four week series, “Challenging Times”.

"Challenging Times", Part 2 of 4 - "Cracked Cisterns"

The people of Judah had turned from God to false gods; they'd moved from living water to broken jars that held nothing. It went beyond just turning away from God; it was about giving themselves over to something that was the opposite of the very character of God.

How are we living in a similar way, turning away from God and living for cracked cisterns? What does it take to turn back?

Join us as we unpack this and more as we continue our four week series, “Challenging Times”.

"Making Sense Of The Bible", Part 2 of 2 - "Listening For God"

We know there are several primary ways we hear from God. He reveals Himself to us in many ways, always looking to make Himself known by us. But how can we better hear His voice? How can we respond in a way that honors Him? And what do we do when we don't hear anything?

Join us as we unpack this and more as we conclude our two week series, “Making Sense Of The Bible”.

"Making Sense Of The Bible", Part 1 of 2 - "The Hard Sayings Of Jesus"

Most of the time we associate difficult Bible reading with the Old Testament or prophetic scripture like the Book of Revelation. Where it gets interesting is when we read something difficult from the New Testament, especially from the mouth of Jesus. Why did Jesus use parables so often? When Jesus said to cut my hand off if it leads me to sin am I supposed to take that literally?

In this latest message we'll look at 3 types of sayings of Jesus that, at times, are just difficult for us to understand.

Join us as we unpack this and more as we start our two week series, “Making Sense Of The Bible”.

"Whatever It Takes"

We know there is a cost to following Jesus. We have a corporate responsibility to Christ’s Church and in the Kingdom of God. So what is our call to the gospel? If suffering for Christ is a mark of a true follower how do we measure that?

Join us on this journey at Awakening @ First Church.

"(Not Your Normal) Easter Message"

This is more of a confession than a message. We invite you on the journey as we discuss doubt and faith, life and death, pain and joy this Easter Sunday. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, we admit, much like the disciples, the doubt we have during the times of darkness. And in that we are thankful for His grace.

Join us on this journey at Awakening @ First Church.

Note: to watch the video at the end of the message please click on the following link (https://youtu.be/Nfnhv5h0k4M)

"24", Part 6 of 6 - "The Crucifixion"

This week featured speaker Les Coates finishes our series on the final 24 hours of the life of Christ by guiding us through the crucifixion. In this painful, humiliating act, we see love as never shown before.

Join us as we unpack this and more as we conclude our series, “24”.

Note: The original message was given on March 20, 2016 and published on a later date.