FCC Etown Podcast

Grace, truth, and time. Who in your world could use one of those from you?  Who in your world could use a little grace, truth, and time this Christmas, but for one reason or another, you don’t want to give them anything?

Our hope is that the people of FCC will be givers of grace, truth, and time this Christmas because our world is desperate for all three!

Jesus came to us in an obscure part of this world amid social outcasts, yet a couple of millennia later, it is his birthday we celebrate, not the birthday of the One who thought he was a gift to the world. Instead, the One whose birthday was indeed a gift to the world do we remember.

Therefore, a gift as incredible as Jesus is worthy to share, talk about, and get excited about. We should all take a note from the shepherds. They were so moved and so overwhelmed by what they had witnessed they couldn’t be quiet. Their social status and insecurities were no match for their excitement. We hope that the reminder of God’s goodness seen through the gift of Jesus would overwhelm you!

We live in a world that doesn't like risky. Our culture wants guarantees, warranties, and return policies. God, however, has never called us to any of those things because security, peace, and trust are only found in Him.

When you think about what you want to be remembered for, chances are, the answer to that question cannot be realized without taking some risk and "putting yourself out there," trusting that our Heavenly Father can and will do what He said He would do. Right now, what "step into the Jordan" is God calling you to take that is beyond where you are?

Joshua and Caleb believed God for what was Beyond. They believed God could be trusted while ten other men did not. Which one are you? The challenge is to go against the voice of the majority and choose to believe God will do what you can’t, yet remembering God will not do what we will not do. Trusting God is easier when regularly refresh ourselves with reminders of His faithfulness to us in the past.

God values who he creates. God stands beside who he creates. God stands up for who he creates. Knowing that, why would we listen to anyone or anything else?

Who do you listen to? Do you listen to the one who says you can’t, you aren’t or you never will be, or so you listen to the One who says you can, you are and you will be because I made you, know you and have your back.

The More Paradox convinces us that we have never arrived. As soon we accomplish or acquire we immediately wonder if we could accomplish more or acquire more. What would it look like if we were not focused on more job, more house, more money or more car, but focused on more kingdom, more Jesus, and more serving? What if, instead of our discontent with stuff, we were Holy Discontent. Discontent with people being separated from Jesus. Instead of more stuff, we sought more life-change, more healing of families, more baptisms, and more ministries at FCC? What would that look like?

The phrase, “What’s true for you isn’t true for me,” seems true at first glance. However, it is actually a scary story because that statement is so untrue. If any two people jump out of an airplane the exact same thing will happen. Why? Truth exists. Gravity bends for no one and there is a global truth that applies to ALL people.

The thoughts and opinions of people do not carry the authority to alter the truth. Those who witnessed it wrote about it and taught about it. Peter wrote, “For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes.” Jesus is truth and since He is truth, then what is your response?

John Mark Comer, author of "Live No Lies," wrote, "We just assume that the way to a happy, flourishing life is to follow our hearts, which we often misunderstand to be any authentic desire...Happiness has become about feeling good, not being good. The good life has become about getting what we want, not becoming the kind of people who want truly good things."

There are essentially two options: The truth that does not bend and does not change no matter how many people follow the lie. And the other categorically, sandy foundations are the lies from the father of lies that will not weather the storms and get lost in the fog. Don't follow your heart. Lead your heart to Jesus.

Most Eastern mysticism revolves around the idea of discovering the divine within us, but Paul makes it clear to the philosophers in Athens that their “unknown god” could be known and He is not to be found within ourselves. In this message we will see that God can be searched for and He can be found. In fact, He isn’t far from each one of us.

The church, the body of Christ exists to do many things. It exists to build you up, it exists so that we are built up together as the body, and finally so that the church is built up. The truth is, that moment when people other than the Leaders start doing, start volunteering, start serving, the mission accelerates and the impact goes deeper. The more people who chose to get involved increase the impact of our faith family. More importantly, they increase the Kingdom impact of FCC.