Canyon Ridge Christian Church Podcast

Marriage, graduation, and adoption are all ceremonies that mark a significant shift in your life and show you are no longer the same person. Baptism is a ceremony like that! Jesus began his ministry by being baptized and then commanded his disciples to go and baptize others. Baptism is a practice that helps you do what Jesus did, but that's not the finish line! It's the beginning of a new life, following Jesus and pointing others in his direction.

Change to anything “normal” can be unsettling, but God always has more and better in mind for you! God wants you to live a flourishing life, one that is better than normal. This uncommon kind of life in Jesus’ direction is marked by an uncommon kind of change in you and in the people around you. God intends for you to experience a life lived with the Spirit in you and his people around you. 

Easter is first and foremost about Jesus! But make no mistake, his resurrection has massive implications for everyone who takes him at his word. It changes the way we see Jesus… AND it changes the way we see others AND ourselves. If there is hope even in death, there is hope for EVERYONE. That means you! Now through Jesus, new life can take place. Your story can change. There is hope for the better!

What's so good about Good Friday? When you think about the story of Jesus, it doesn't look so good. One week after entering Jerusalem, Jesus was betrayed, imprisoned, and killed. Instead of setting up a kingdom on earth, he dies a criminal's death. But that was all according to God's plan! When God created humanity, he did it to have a relationship with him- but sin ruined that relationship. Jesus wasn't here to set up a kingdom. He came to restore our relationship with God! That's why Good Friday is so good!

Think about the places you go to every week. Maybe you frequent a coffee shop or go to the gym a few times a week. What are you imagining or dreaming for that place or the people there with you? What do you think God is expecting from your time there? God wants to partner with you where you're already showing up, and he wants you to expect that he will show up with you when you show up well!

Have you ever left your house without your wallet? It can ruin your entire day! Just like your wallet, there are a couple of basics that people who want to live their calling can't leave home without! To really show up well in the name of Jesus, you need to surround yourself with people who will pray for you and have something to say when you have an opportunity to share with others. These two things will help you show up well for the people in your life, connect with them, and ultimately point them toward Jesus.

Everyone wants to show up as the best version of themselves. If you follow Jesus, you are blessed with a supernatural way to do just that. You see, the same power that created the universe and raised Jesus from the dead is alive in you! How does that change the way you look at your calling and use your gifts to serve the people around you? Imagine what would happen if every follower of Jesus showed up ready to experience and encounter the power he gave us as we live to point people to him. 

A counselor once said, "I would be almost entirely out of work if people got good at listening to one another." Think about your own life. How would it be different if you showed up ready to listen? The Bible is full of stories where followers of Jesus showed up prepared to listen and meet people where they were. This led to an authentic connection and sparked a movement that changed the world! The more you listen, the better you can show up and love people well.

Have you ever left a conversation thinking, "I should have said THIS," or "Why did I do that"? Nobody wants to walk away from an encounter, second-guessing how they showed up because how you show up definitely impacts the people around you. The best way to change how you show up is to remember why you are showing! For followers of Jesus, we show up to heal, bring life, love really well those around us, and invite them farther in God's direction. As a follower of Jesus, you are where the people encounter God. The world is waiting, and God is with you, so let's show up well and expect big things!