Island ECC Podcast

Desire is the engine of our hearts. We are always growing toward something. And while desire itself is not a bad thing, it can slowly become aimed at the wrong things. Today we will explore how our hearts are shaped by what we love and how God invites us to refocus our desires so we keep growing in the right direction.

The wisest man who ever lived and the Creator of our souls agree on this, that who we are in our heart and how we care for our heart will determine the course of our life. We would be wise to lean in and pay close attention to the thing with which our whole life flows out of.

As the excitement of Christmas fades, many experience a sense of withdrawal. Yet, did you know that Advent was originally intended as a season to anticipate Christ's second coming? The Christian life is meant to be a continual Advent, an ongoing longing for His return. Unfortunately, many of us lose that fervor. How can we cultivate a renewed eagerness and hunger for His return in our everyday lives?

We often embrace the concept of following a guiding star, but what happens when it leads us into opposition and uncertainty? At times, following God may feel like traversing a path that leads us away from our expectations. In those moments, how can we remain steadfast despite our doubts? In the final sermon of our Advent series, we will explore the responses of the wise men and King Herod as they confronted opposition and navigate divergent paths.

The Christmas season is a time when we pause and reflect on the year. A time of peace, and celebration. But for many of us, we’re just tired. We’re weary because this year was hard, and right now, there’s a chance we’re not ready to rejoice. But what if God wants us to choose hope in the chaos? To sing through the struggle? How do we do this when we don’t feel like it? What if joy isn’t the absence of struggle, but the presence of God in the struggle?

If understood fully, disruptions in our lives are actually gifts to us. They remind us that we are actually not in control after all. But how can we actually learn to rejoice in the midst of life’s unexpected turns?

Advent, which begins on this Sunday, is the season to prepare and wait for Christmas.  This is the first of four messages to dive into the words of O Holy Night – “the weary world rejoices”.  The message offers a perspective on how you can genuinely rejoice during times when you are waiting for what is longed for… as well as an interesting take on Mary and Joseph’s preparation for the first Christmas.

We often experience righteous anger when we face injustice in the world. However, sometimes this righteous anger can get the better of us and leave us bitter and resentful like Jonah. In this sermon, we look at the final chapter of Jonah’s story to uncover the warning signs of when our anger strays from its righteous roots. 

How does failure impact you? For most, personal failure has a devastating effect. It brings shame, regret, self-loathing, and a desire to distance ourselves from others. But God comes to us in our failures, and allows us to experience mercy in a way that heals our deepest wounds.

Jonah was desperate. He was drowning. He hit rock bottom in the most literal way possible. But then in a miraculous act of grace, God sent a fish to swallow him. A strange salvation, but one began to change Jonah. In desperation while inside of the fish, he prays. He remembered God, and that simple act opened the door for grace to begin to change him. When we are overwhelmed, we can do the same, because God listens to desperate prayers.