Hillside Community Church Podcast

If you’re going to paint something, the first step is often not a fun one—scraping off the old paint or getting rid of the old finish!  It’s not something we’re excited about, but it is something that is absolutely necessary.  Before we put on the new, we’ve got to get rid of the old.  That’s true as we’re growing in Christ as well.  We’ve got to deal with our old nature before we worry about the new.  That’s what Paul will call us to today. - Pastor Ron Kool

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How do we determine what is true, and how do our beliefs shape the way we see the world?

In this opening session of Wednesdays at Hillside: Worldview Matters, we explore the foundations of worldview and how our understanding of truth influences what we believe about God, ourselves, and the world around us. We'll examine the differences between absolute and relative truth, explore how God reveals Himself through general and special revelation, and consider how we come to know what is true.

We'll also unpack what a worldview is, examine some of life's biggest questions—Who am I? Why am I here? Who is in control?—and introduce eight major worldviews that shape beliefs and perspectives today: Materialism, Pantheism, Gnosticism, Theism, Existentialism, Postmodernism, Nihilism, and Agnosticism.

This session lays the groundwork for understanding and evaluating different worldviews through the lens of the Christian faith.

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Paul has made it clear that if we belong to Jesus, our future is heaven--guaranteed.  That’s great, but what about today?  How can we experience more of the power of Jesus alive in us today?  This morning we’ll look at the first of four practices that Paul will call us to engage in so we can experience God’s work in our lives: setting our hearts and minds on things above. - Pastor Ron Kool

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Most of us know what it’s like to feel like we don’t really belong in a certain group.  Our name may be on the membership list, but we’re not really part of the “in-group,” the important people.  We feel like we’re second-class citizens.  This can even happen in churches, and this morning Paul tells us that it has to stop. - Pastor Ron Kool

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Last week Paul told us how amazing Jesus is—He is God in the flesh, supreme over creation and supreme in our salvation. This morning we’ll take a look at the center of that salvation—the cross—and think about why the cross of Jesus is our only hope in this broken world. - Pastor Ron Kool

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At certain points in our lives, we ask an important question: Can this person do the job? Before you ask someone to babysit your six-month old little girl, you want to know: Can I trust this person? Before you ask someone to do some electrical work in your house, you want to know: Can this person do the job? This morning we’ll hear Paul tell us that when it comes to Jesus, He can do the job!  He has what it takes. - Pastor Ron Kool

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If someone were to ask you what you need more of right now, what would you say? More time? More money? Better health? More friends? More fun? This morning, Paul tells us what we really need more of in our lives—and the answer is somewhat surprising. - Pastor Ron Kool

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Have you ever wondered if there’s a secret to life that you’re missing? Is there some insider information, some shortcut that will make your life really take off?  The Christians in Colossae were wondering if they were missing something, if they needed something to add to their faith in Jesus.  This morning, Paul will remind them and us that if we have Jesus, we have everything we need!! He is enough!

- Pastor Ron Kool

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Jesus is about to wrap up all his instructions to his disciples as he sends them into the world and out on mission. At the heart of Jesus's instructions is ultimately a question: "Will you trust me?" When trouble comes, when a decision needs to be made, "will you trust me?" If we can truly learn to trust Christ and be faithful on mission, we'll see that the prize of discipleship is ultimately Union with Christ. - Pastor Arek O'Connell

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Last week we saw Jesus send out the 12 disciples into the world and onto the mission field as his representatives. Jesus gives them a lot of instructions for their travels and tells them to expect opposition. And when we meet opposition and trouble in the world on the mission field we need to learn to place our trust and fear in God. - Pastor Arek O'Connell

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