Canyon Ridge Christian Church Podcast

You don't have to spend very much time online to notice that it seems like everyone is mad. Mad about masks, inflation, politics, or just the general state of the world. It makes sense that God would be mad too. The Good News is, God is not mad! Romans 5 is all about how God is FOR you, loves you, and wants to help you through whatever you are going through. What would your life look like if you lived like that were true? How might that change the way your social media newsfeed looks?

Does it ever seem like no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to lift the weight of the world off of your shoulders? You don't have to do this alone! The Good News of the Bible is that the story of your life is a God-story, not a you-story. All you have to do is trust that God is up to something and participate in what He is up to. Good News! It's not all on You! God sets things right. Will you trust Him?

When you look at a picture of the Earth, everything looks peaceful and perfect. It's only when you zoom in that you see the problems and brokenness. The same is about every person. On the outside, things look put together, but there is a brokenness that separates each person from God when you look closer. But, there is Good News! The problem has a solution! Romans says that God "freely makes us right in his sight." You can live free from the problem and brokenness of sin because of what Jesus did on the cross. The best part is, this Good News of the Gospel is for everyone!

Does picking up a paper or turning on the news ever ruin your day? Sometimes it seems like every story is full of bad news. The story of Jesus is a story of Good News that is good for everyone! God wants more good FOR you than you can possibly imagine. As we believe and respond to what Jesus is saying, he restores us and others for better! 

How busy or frantic does your life feel right now? Who or what is setting your pace? This series has been looking at what life with Jesus is like as a leader and king. In the book of Matthew, Jesus says that if you seek His kingdom first, He will give you a loving, generous, patient, helpful, challenging, present pace. Isn't that what everybody is looking for? So, what must change for you to live at His kingdom's pace? Seek first His kingdom, and He will give you that pace! 

Have you ever taken a stand for something you believed in? Even when it wasn't right? You're in good company! Albert Einstein once said, "What's popular is not always right. What's right is not always popular." Jesus also said we are blessed when we desire and pursue right in us and around us! In fact, in the book of Matthew, Jesus says he will prepare you for hardships, and He modeled endurance for all believers. So, next time you face persecution for standing up for what's right, remember that Jesus says he will acknowledge you before His Father if you acknowledge Him on Earth.

Have you ever heard the saying, "God has a plan?" After hearing that, did you look around the world and ask, "Really?" Jesus explains that God's plan is to bring good and justice back into the world. And He is inviting you to join Him in working His plan out. God wants to make back things as they ought to be. Will you join Him?

What is your first reaction anytime somebody disagrees or offends you? The next time you find yourself in a place of disagreement, offense, or having been wronged, remember you have a choice. You can choose mercy or judgment. Jesus says that those who live a life marked by mercy find their way to the good God has in store. Remember that judgment sees the issue.  Mercy sees the person. This is how mercy triumphs over judgment. When you show up with mercy instead of judgment, it paves the way for peace instead of division and makes room for God's blessings.

Everyone learned things from the last year that you don't want to forget. As the Covid pandemic begins to ease up, things start feeling a bit more "normal," and life speeds back up; how do you take what you've learned during Covid and set a new pace for life? The invitation of Jesus is to live at a kind of pace that, with His help and His people, is meaningful, enjoyable, AND sustainable… a kingdom pace.

How do you keep things under control? The past year has given everyone a taste of what it's like to be overwhelmed. Jon Tyson once said, "Control is an illusion."  This illusion makes it easy to feel safe when things get shaky. Jesus says that when you surrender this need for control, God can show up in new ways! What do you need to give up so that God can show up with the rest and bring the peace of surrender and trust that takes the place of the frantic pace of life? There is help!