CCRS Podcast

Sometimes, believers in Christ take a laid-back approach to their faith. Praying and reading the bible when you can, fitting God in here or there as your busy life allows. But, as Pastor Phil teaches today, God wants you to enter into your faith and relationship with Him with eagerness and an intense desire. He offers you rest, but you must be diligent to enter into it. It takes prioritizing Him above all the things that fill your busy life and fully trusting Him.

Some people, who desperately need rest and peace, ironically look to enter rest by working harder, getting ahead, hoping that peace will eventually come. As Pastor Phil explains today, many early believers in Christ tended to find rest by working harder at religion and being good. However, there is no rest to be found in that. True rest, true peace is found only in Jesus. So, instead of striving, come to Jesus. Give Him your burdens. He’s offering you His rest. Trust Him with your heart and your life!

One of the things people need the most today is rest. Yet, it seems to be the one thing that some simply can’t find. It can be anything from technology, pressures of work, or constant stimulation around you and it all plays into your inability to find rest and peace. Today, Pastor Phil will explain what God’s rest really is and how you can enter into it. It’s so crucial to your soul to learn how to rest and enjoy God’s presence. God’s desire for your rest was part of His plan from the very beginning.

Many people see the works of God and recognize His power and goodness. But too often, some choose not to believe or trust Jesus. They lack belief and trust that God will do what He said He would. And as Pastor Phil teaches today, this kind of unbelief in God will eventually harden your heart to God entirely! When you harden your heart, you leave the only way to life. You lose out on the rest and provision and hope that God abundantly provides to those who trust Him and follow Him closely.

Sometimes, those who say they believe in Jesus have yet to fully trust in Jesus as their savior and completely commit their lives to Him. Sometimes it feels easier to trust in the things of the world instead of trusting in Jesus fully. Today, Pastor Phil will challenge you to consider Jesus. Pay careful attention to what He’s doing in your life and focus less on the world. Set aside time every day to look to Jesus, to think deeply about what His will is, and rely on Him in every aspect of your life.

Pastor Phil says today that Jesus loves to save people. Have you ever thought about it that way? We think a lot about Jesus in the garden begging God to find some other way. And of course in the end going through with the painful death and separation from God in order to save us. We see how much it cost him to save us. But how often do we think about how much he loves to save us? Picture his face when we recognize our need, turn to him and say, “Save me!” Have you ever seen such joy?

Fear of death seems like a pretty standard part of life, but did you know that scriptures say that the fear of death is in fact bondage for us? The fear of death holds us hostage—it paralyzes us. Just like handcuffs or bars, it keeps us from pursuing Jesus and discovering our purpose in this life. But the good news is that we are no longer in bondage to fear because Jesus died and rose again, breaking the power of fear and death and freeing us to follow him in security and in peace.

This world is broken. As the writer of Hebrews sets up the scene of the state of humanity, the picture is bleak. Humanity through Adam lost their right to rule over this world, and the enemy has come in and taken their place. Left to ourselves, we are lost and not able to do anything to help ourselves. Pastor Phil doesn't leave us hanging though. Today he'll remind us that there's a different ending already written for us. Our current state is discouraging and certainly seems dark! But we see Jesus!

God set his ultimate stamp of approval on Jesus through his resurrection, but as Pastor Phil will tell us, there are a hundred other moments filled with wonders that show God's approval of Jesus before that moment. Can you imagine being there for that first sign, when Jesus was baptized and God verbally spoke his approval? Or the next one as Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding? What a day of wonder that must have been! Are your eyes open for the wonders he continues to work today?

The Jewish people tended to reverence angels because the law, the prophesies and many important messages came to God’s people through angels. Some early Christians viewed the gospel message as inferior because it wasn’t revealed by angels. But, today, Pastor Phil will explain how Jesus is far superior to angels. He’s always existed, He’s always been God. And he was the only one worthy to enter into time to bring about salvation for all man. Angels were created by God to be a ministering spirit, by they’re not God!