Josh Ott's Podcast

Some things wear you out faster than others. Dysfunction is one of those things. It always flares up at the worst possible moments and it exhausts us on the inside. Whether it is the dysfunction of detour from God’s design, disruption from God’s plan or disappointment the fix is to find a new rhythm and space for rest. Moses had four fortunate spiritual practices that helped him find the rest and confidence he needed to move forward: spiritual rhythm, boundaries. honest relationship with God, and God’s presence.

Rest is something God commanded us to do but we struggle to find new space to really rest and so many of us are tired on the inside. This talk looks at a Psalm King David wrote in the midst of despair. This is the reality and reminder we need as we all look to find rest.

Waiting for anything is hard. It’s especially hard when waiting for matters of the heart. This message looks at the last encounter between the disciples and Jesus recorded in the book of John. Don’t fall back into what is comfortable or busy when you get restless. Look back and see how far God has brought you. Let your past trigger grace and reframe your future. God loves you and new beginnings await.

Thomas is a disciple who had a misunderstood moment stick, labeling him throughout history as “Doubting” Thomas. Thomas is a lot like us. We are more than a bad or unfortunate moment. We are free but not always doing great. The question is: Do you believe God is good? Let your questions be a catalyst to examine your faith and come out the other side stronger.

There is a finality to the language “it's over”. A helplessness. It sucks the hope out of life. But Jesus didn’t say "it’s over", He said “it’s finished”, and the difference in those words equals a whole lot of hope. The hope nothing can steal from you.

It is easy to lose things in translation. We get caught up in the buzz of the right now, what we need right now, what life looks like right now and we miss what God is doing in our lives. That is why it so important to go to the source and the source is Jesus. He’s whats missing when we miss peace and hope and joy.

The irony of grace is that we have it offered to us and we don’t take it, or we take it but don’t live in it. Instead we sit thinking more or better of the same broken stuff will fix our lives. Jesus offers us a new life, a full life. Time to stop holding on to things that hold us back and start trusting Him and stepping into the best life He has for us.

God’s purpose in Jesus was for you. This message looks at the mechanism of Grace the cross. Where free for us wasn’t free at all. Jesus cuts the distance to pull the barriers down and make a way for us to be restored through His sacrifice for us. He is the way, the truth and the life.

There are things in life we don’t want to talk about but probably should. Sin is one of those things. The conversation about sin in church, maybe in your past is usually one absent of grace. That’s a huge problem. The bottom line is sin (not just yours, all of ours) wrecks things, but God’s grace is way bigger. This message points to our need for grace and doesn’t just stop there, it celebrates grace and invites us deeper into it.