Living Spring Podcast

What is it that influences your heart and mind? Is it the news? A political ideology? Social media posts that make you feel like you are inferior to the one posting? This week, pastor John talks about how what we put first in our lives as an “influencer” can get in the way of Jesus’ influence, which should be at the top of our list.

Our algorithms tell us we are on the right track. As far as we can tell, most people agree with us. But is that true community? What if it’s just the opposite? What if diversity of opinion is actually what brings strength to the church of Jesus Christ? That’s what we talk about this week.

As fellow Christians, it is of utmost importance that we are known as our authentic selves with each other. We don’t get better by putting a “filter” on and only letting others see what we want them to see. This week, Pastor John talks about how removing that filter will only help us be our best self.

The first thing we are commanded is to have not other gods before our Lord. This week, Pastor John continues in the Anti-Social series and the discussion of what idols we face in the world of today.

When we think of idols, we often imagine the statues and false gods of the Old Testament. Yet, the first commandment our Heavenly Father gave us—'You shall have no other gods before Me'—remains just as relevant today. Modern idols may not always be as obvious, but they still exist in forms like political ideologies, money, success, social media, and entertainment. These can subtly take priority over our relationship with God. This week, Pastor John talks about how these things can easily get in the way of our connection to our Father in heaven.

As part of our ongoing series, we continue to reflect on Romans 12:2, which reminds us not to conform to the patterns of this world. One such pattern we see today, especially on social media, is the culture of outrage. This emotional response often clouds our minds and leads us away from how God desires us to treat one another. This week, Pastor John addresses this timely issue, exploring how Scripture guides us to respond to outrage in ways that reflect God’s will.

FOMO - it’s an acronym for “Fear Of Missing Out” in today’s culture. This condition can be traced back to the Garden of Eden. Because there was a “Fear Of Missing Out” and not trusting God, a very long list of consequences followed for generations to come.

Last we talked about how social media wants our attention. The news media also wants our attention, and emotional buy-in to insert emotional current issue here. This week, Pastor John talks about how this causes us to compare ourselves to others and how we will never find satisfaction with this mindset. The Apostle Paul also warns us of the same.

Somebody wants your attention. And so does God. What are some of the tactics that our culture uses to divert your attention from being a disciple to being deceived? This is the intro to our series “Anti-social” where we explore the competing interests for your mind.

At the Last Supper, Jesus showed true leadership by washing His disciples' feet, teaching that greatness comes from serving others. Even knowing one of His closest friends would betray Him, Jesus chose love and humility, demonstrating that serving others is a calling, even when it hurts. His example teaches us that discipleship means loving, forgiving, and staying committed to God's will.