If you are ready to go ALL IN on following Jesus, but aren't quite sure what to do--this episode is for you! Whether you are new to Jesus, or have been on this journey for a while now, it can sometimes be hard to know what are the most important things. From how to get connected with a church, to finding God's will for your life, to communion and who should take it, learning how to read and memorize the Bible AND which parts are the most important, to learning how to pray and even understanding more about the story of Jesus--there are so many important things! Where do you even begin? But what if we told you that there are three key things that will help tie it all together? How to Find Community: https://youtu.be/d-zTxWXoezo Finding God's Will for Your Life: https://youtu.be/VN1Kbz8gF4M Communion: https://youtu.be/7lTbFv0MyX4 How to Read the Bible: https://youtu.be/uPf4SD3fWCc Learning to Pray: https://youtu.be/LQ25K6edGto The Story of Jesus: https://youtu.be/7txMXrJKPoc You are a child of God! John 1:12 - But those who embraced him and took hold of his name were given authority to become the children of God! You are a friend of Jesus! John 15:15 - I have never called you 'servants,because a master doesn't confide in his servants, and servants don't always understand what the master is doing. But I call you my most intimate friends, for I reveal to you everything that I've heard from my Father. You are accepted by Christ! Romans 15:7 - You will bring God glory when you accept and welcome one another as partners, just as the Anointed One has fully accepted you and received you as his partner. You are free! Galatians 5:1 - Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free—not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past. You have boldness and confident Access to God! Ephesians 3:12 - We have boldness through him, and free access as kings before the Father because of our complete confidence in Christ's faithfulness. You are the best friend of God, and always have more than enough! Psalms 23:1 - The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough. You are the best friend of God, and always have more than enough! You are abundantly blessed and have everything you need! 2 Cor 9:8 - Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything — every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.

What if I told you that becoming a follower of Jesus is much like a couple joining together in marriage? The moment we decide to make Jesus our Lord, we enter a covenant relationship with him. The word covenant means "to cut," and it describes a sacred, permanent, all-in relationship! In this scenario, Jesus is the one who was cut, his blood was poured out, and he sacrificed his life that we might have an intimate, permanent relationship with him! Much like a couple exchanges rings in a marriage ceremony as a sign of their covenant, Jesus instituted the act of water baptism as a sign of his covenant with us. It's the first thing Jesus commanded us to do as believers. Getting water baptized means we are choosing to be publicly identified with Jesus—declaring our love and loyalty to him! It is a public display of the internal choice that we have made. As we go down into the water, it is symbolic of the death to the sin that was in our life. It also represents our choice to die to living for ourselves. As we are raised up, it is symbolic of being a new person ready to live for God. It is a representation of being born again as a completely new creation. Water baptism is an expression of us receiving Jesus' death as the payment for all our sins and failures. Much like when you get up in the morning and take a shower to clean your body, water baptism is a picture of how Jesus' blood cleanses our hearts and consciences. The difference is while I may need to take a bath every day, what Jesus did is a permanent, everlasting act! If you're feeling the pull to be baptized again, as a new declaration of your choice to follow Jesus, Just do it! The worst-case scenario is that you get an extra bath that week! If you're ready to be water baptized, don't hesitate to reach out to your local church! Here at TFC if you would like to learn more about baptism, visit TFC.org/baptsim to sign up today! Matthew 28:18-20 - "Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Romans 8:1 - "Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

When you think about God and sex, do you immediately think of a bunch of "thou shalt not…" type rules? This is a common belief about God. He designed sex as a gift to bring a man and a woman together in a loving intimate relationship. Through this design, sexual relationships only work God's way...within the boundaries of marriage. By dispelling three common misconceptions that are promoted by today's culture, you will see that God's intentions are for you to have a healthy and thriving sex life. The first misconception is the idea that sex can be casual. God created us to be faithful, and the pattern of sexual desire and fulfillment in marriage hardwires our brains for long-term commitment and lasting love. As a consequence of casual sex, a bond is created when you have sex with someone that doesn't mean anything resulting in preventing you from getting close to your potential mate. The second misconception is the idea to try before we buy. God created marriage to equally fulfill both the man's desire for sex and the women's desire for emotional security preventing the fear of losing the relationship. Both motivations are equally present, important, and strong. Therefore proving that living together before marriage increases the risk for harm to both men and women individually and relationally. The third misconception is the idea that sex can be used as an expression of empowerment. In a healthy marriage, no one is more powerful than the other because God created both husband and wife equal, thus equally contributing to the relationship. Sex outside of a marriage produces the exact opposite. God wanted his creation to enjoy each other within the confines of marriage, so if you are in an unhealthy sexual relationship, there is hope. God wants to heal and break unhealthy patterns. Today, you can choose to do it God's way.

Do you know much about communion? Do you think about a monthly ceremony at church to remember Jesus? Maybe, you think of those little wafer crackers and plastic juice cups. Or maybe, you have no clue what we are talking about! That's okay, you are about to learn so much more! What if I told you that communion is much more than grabbing a quick snack at church, and is actually a way to remember what Jesus did--giving us access to our divine inheritance? Prior to Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, he took the bread, gave thanks, and said "This is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me." And then he took the cup and said, "this is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Later that night, Jesus suffered in the garden as he took on every grief from each and every individual for all of human history. Every sickness, every wound you've ever felt—all of the rejection, every hurt feeling, every loss, abuse, cancer, racism, genocide…each and every grief, each and every failure. He took those into his body and became unrecognizable from the grief of OUR soul pain and sin. Jesus' heart was breaking for the pain of his beloved. As heartbreaking as this seems….Jesus' death is where things get REALLY good! Because at that moment, when He died…so did ALL of our pain and sickness and sin. Shame, and our separation from God were gone. And as he rose from that grave, we rose as well---into a new life, a new covenant, and a new inheritance! Our reality changed! When we take communion, which literally means to come into union with him, we are remembering our victory! Communion is a way to move into deeper friendship and intimacy with Jesus. And He wants to connect with us every day, because he's awesome! Prayer for Communion: Jesus we thank YOU, that you have enabled us to share in your inheritance by making us sons and daughters! As we eat this bread, we are remembering your goodness! We remember that this is the Bread of Life representing your body! Thank you for suffering and being the perfect sacrifice, so that we can be made whole, healthy, and healed--gaining full access to the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus, as we take this cup, we are remembering that we are a part of your kingdom family! We are your brothers and sisters! Thank you for pouring out your blood that washes and cleanses us from all sin, and gives us direct access to our Father in Heaven. Amen! Hebrews 9:14-17: Where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established…for a will takes effect ONLY at death. Luke 22:19-20 (NIV): And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you 1 Corinthians 11:26: as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Psalm 23:5: He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.

Did you know that being baptized in the Holy Spirit is to a follower of Jesus like what being pickled is to a cucumber? Did you know that John the Baptist said, in Mark "I baptize you with water, but [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit! There's actually more than one kind of baptism! There's water baptism, where we are immersed in water as symbol of our new identity in Jesus, and then there's the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is being filled with Holy Spirit. A Greek poet explains that in order for a cucumber to become a pickle, it must first be "dipped" or BAPTO into boiling water—this aids in removing the bitterness, but it does not change the fact that the cucumber still tastes like a cucumber. However, once the cucumber has been BAPTIZO, or "saturated" in the vinegar and spices solution, the vegetable is permanently transformed…it can never go back to being or tasting like a cucumber. This is exactly what happens when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit! He literally saturates our very being—permanently transforming who we are. Holy Spirit literally takes up residence inside of us! It was always God's plan for us to live in this level of saturated presence and intimate friendship with his Spirit, this is what we were created for! Once you get pickled in the Holy Spirit, you're never the same! Think about it! When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you have God's very nature living in you. And he is the expert at everything. If you want the fullness of Holy Spirit in your life, just ask!

It's no secret that Jesus loves people, and that he wants us to love people too! In fact, it's a command. Like, the greatest commandment. He says to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. But, what happens when loving your neighbor starts to interfere with your comfort, schedule, and plans? What if I told you that loving your neighbor is about much more than loving when it's easy, loving those like us, and loving those who can love us well in return? If you've ever found yourself feeling a little bogged down by other people and wondering just how much "loving your neighbor" actually requires, you're not alone!The bible is pretty straight forward - Love God with all your heart, passion, energy, and thoughts…AND, love your neighbor as yourself. But who exactly is your neighbor? Sometimes we get busy tending to our responsibilities and getting to the next thing – even if it's a good thing, that we can forget to slow down, stop, and see the people right in front of us. Love isn't just being nice—it's being proactive! Choosing to look for ways to give. Giving the benefit of the doubt, rather than judging motives. It's loving the unlovely, and getting messy—putting our "heart and soul into every activity…as though you are doing it for the Lord himself" and knowing that as we "give generously…it will be given back generously--shaken down to make room for more!". So take a minute today and look around you. Who has God put in your proximity that you can show love to? Who has it been challenging to love? Ask Him what it looks like for you to show them love. By choosing to see others, and asking the Holy Spirit what he has planned, we can learn to love our neighbors just like Jesus loves us!

According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, next to basic physiological needs like food and safety needs like security, the need to belong is one of our most foundational human needs! Wow! Finding a group to belong to is a big deal! Most of us, when asked, can rattle off quite a few places and groups where we belong. But what if I told you the very people we crave connection with have the ability to shape the future and fulfillment of your life? Humans are tribal by nature. The need for belonging and connection is hard wired into us. The groups or tribes that we belong to will inevitably influence our nature, belief systems, and behaviors. Belonging to a tribe can have some really great benefits like developing a strong sense of self and identity, feeling purpose, and generally finding support for all of the things that life throws your way! Belonging is a good thing! But, if the tribes in our life are not intentionally selected, things can get funky in a hurry. We are apart of accidental tribes, people we naturally tend to group up with because we have something in common. But then there are tribes we select for the wrong reasons – and these can begin taking us in directions we don't want to go. We need a positive tribal influence—A spiritual tribe! A recent study shows that in 2019, only 23% of Americans regularly attend church. Spiritual tribes are centered on our mutual relationship with God – our spiritual growth, development, support and maturity! They positively impact and shape the course of our life! From our personal spiritual journey, to marriage, finances, career development and parenting--WE need a strong, spiritual influence! YOU need this influence! Not a one of us can do it alone, and it's not because we are weak. It's because God created us that way – he created us to need one another!

If you've been on social media at any point you might have noticed that people have some STRONG opinions about politics. As a Christian how are we to respond to all of this emotion in our news feeds…or even on the actual news? Our tendency can be to push away from engaging in politics altogether. But what if I told you that it is possible for a Christian to participate in politics without losing their mind or soul in the process? Now this does not mean that Christians should not be active in politics. It does mean we don't quit being a Christian when acting out in the political arenas. Our job is to transform the world NOT be transformed by it. You know that old saying "I vote so I have the right to complain"? This just isn't true. Whether you vote or don't vote, complaining about an issue isn't productive…in fact I would say that this is more DEstructive. As Christians there is a healthy way for us to engage in politics. One of the challenges we face is finding the right source for our information. Usually it is news outlets that are purposely polarizing in order to boost their ratings. This dynamic creates an "us or them" attitude. It forces us into picking a side – think, "cancel culture." This is especially common with our elected officials. Because we "elected" that person, we feel entitled to our disrespect when they fail to meet our expectations. The truth is, every Christian has the responsibility to honor our elected officials. We must respond in a way that is wise, respectful, and proper. The bottom line is that in every single thing we do, there is an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with others…this includes the way we engage in politics.

Have you ever thought "if I had enough money, I could relax a little"? You might think money will solve problems like being accepted into social circles, wrestling to make ends meet, or struggling to manage your finances. But the simple fact is, contentment, financial freedom, and peace do not come from the amount of money, but rather from the way you manage it. Rest assured this isn't as complicated as it might seem!! Here are some basic principles for managing your finances. 1. Tithe - This is the most important thing. It brings your finances into alignment with God's Kingdom Realm, and when you obey, he pours out his blessings! 2. Define values - These are the non-negotiable areas in your life that support your choices and actions. This gives you the freedom to spend money on both your wants and needs, thus fulfilling God's purpose for your life! 3. Make a plan - Map out long-term and short-term goals. Include items like saving for retirement, life-insurance, all things related to kids, buying a house, taking a vacation, and buying a car. 4. Follow a budget - This allows you to appropriate your resources to accomplish your goals. It might look like the cash envelope system, saving five dollars here and there, or maybe even a bunch of carefully planned line items. Though, there are multiple ways to budget, the key is to find one that best suits your needs and be consistent! 5. Live within your means - Learn to embrace delayed gratification, and not worry about keeping up with others. This doesn't mean you can't have fun, but plan for it! 6. Be flexible - Regularly evaluate and re-work the plan for new seasons and new needs. Learn to embrace the change. 7. Regularly communicate - It's been proven that people who look at and discuss their finances and financial goals are much more likely to meet them. When you trust the Lord and operate in wisdom with your resources, he makes your path straight! God is fun! He wants you to enjoy what he's entrusted to you. Managing your finances allows for just that!

Have you ever wondered about Jesus before? I mean, what's the big deal with this guy anyway? People say He claimed to be God. And what about all of the other religions who claim to have a path to God and enlightenment? There are Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and polytheists. Then there are all the strict rules and demands that get associated with Jesus. But, What if Jesus IS who he says he is? Forgiving, full of love, strong, son of God, savior and friend? A relationship with someone like that just might change your life! But what if I told you, Jesus really is exactly who He claimed to be? Would you be willing to set aside your preconceived ideas and view Him with a fresh perspective…even for just a few minutes? Jesus was a REAL person! Within a few years after Jesus' life on earth, there were already dozens of written accounts by Roman, Jewish, and Christian Historians of his life. Jesus performed countless miracles during his time on the earth. Jesus claimed he came to give his life for us. All the other so called "paths to God" focus on what we have to do to be good enough to be accepted by God. But Jesus turned this thinking on its head because He knew we could never be good enough! See, God is the standard of what is good. If it were possible for us to be "good enough" on our own, then we wouldn't need Jesus or anyone else. He lived a perfect life and sacrificed his perfect life for us. True love ALWAYS gives! Jesus came to give. THAT sounds like true love. Now, that's good news! He is ALIVE! And He cares about every detail of your life. Jesus is the all powerful God of the universe, and He is amazingly passionate about you personally! He simply wants you to let him, to walk in a relationship with Him, and let Him show you the way to living a blessed life.