Local Church St. Pete Podcast

What is the most important part of a person? Many would point to a person’s eyes, height, or physique. We live in a world that places great value on outward appearance and physical stature. Yet, in 1 Samuel 16, God chooses a new king and His decision is utterly unexpected. Through this surprising choice, God reveals that His perspective is radically different from ours: Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. This passage challenges us to look beyond outward appearances and live with our hearts open before God.

How should you respond when someone sins against you, especially another apprentice of Jesus? When the pain runs deep, the hurt is real and all you want to do is write them off, where do you find the strength to pursue restoration and extend forgiveness? In Matthew 18, we learn that mercy is the atmosphere of the kingdom of heaven – the air we breathe – and the mercy we’ve received gives us the strength to pursue restoration and extend forgiveness. Mercy is the ongoing response of those who have truly received it. Will we keep breathing it in and giving it away?

Aren’t you tired of measuring yourself against others? We step into a room and consciously or unconsciously ask, “Where do I rank? How do I measure up?” In Matthew 18:1–14, Jesus takes a child - the least influential and impressive person in his society - and makes them a picture of true greatness in the kingdom of heaven. Instead of trying to measure up, become like a child. Instead of being consumed with status, take seriously how your life affects others. And when a follower of Jesus goes off- course, don’t ever write them off – go after them!

We place a lot of hope in our freedom—we love the ability to make our own choices, shape our own lives, and live on our own terms. But what happens when following Jesus calls us to give that freedom up? In Matthew 17:22-27, Jesus shows us a freedom that doesn't cling to our rights, but is joyful enough to lay them down for the sake of others. Ultimately, the freedom Christ offers is greater than the freedom we're so afraid to lose.

What does it look like to grow in biblical hospitality? This segment explores two simple but meaningful ways to cultivate a welcoming church community: seeing small talk as ministry and practicing “holy lingering” by giving others the gift of our time and attention.

It’s as if a curtain has been pulled back. A few of Jesus’ disciples are given a glimpse of his radiant glory and hear a voice saying, “Listen to him.” It’s an encounter with Jesus that puts them on their faces. But in Matthew 17:1-20, this mountaintop revelation gives way to a frustrating experience with human suffering and ineffective faith. Jesus transforms the whole scene into a classroom on the kind of faith that actually moves mountains – and he wants you to have it.

“This Time Tomorrow” highlights the intersection of faith and work in those who are a part of Local Church St. Pete. 

It’s our hope that conversations like these would encourage us to walk out our faith in Jesus Monday through Saturday, seeing our vocation (whether paid or unpaid) as one of the primary ways we image God and love others. 

Taking up your cross isn’t just one big scary sacrifice and then you’re done with it - it’s meant to be the choice of every moment; a lifestyle of glad surrender and joyful obedience to Jesus. In Matthew 16:24-28, Jesus describes it as a non-negotiable way of life for anyone who wants to be his apprentice – and goes on to explain the life-giving promise that comes with it. What does it look like to take up your cross, and how does the promise connected to it encourage us along the way?

Every month, millions of people type questions like, “Who is Jesus?” into online search. bars. In Matthew 16:13-23, Jesus asks his apprentices essentially the same question. It’s a crossroads moment that leads to a bold confession from Peter and a death- defying promise from Jesus. Even though Peter gets Jesus’ identity right, he gets Jesus’ mission wrong. He can’t understand - or accept - the path Jesus must take. Peter’s own ideas about how things should play out shape his response until Jesus gives him a much-needed rebuke. There’s no encounter like it in Scripture. From a bold confession to a much-needed rebuke, we’re left to wrestle with who Jesus is, what that means for our lives, and whether or not we think we know better than he does.

Could God give you a gift or show you a sign that would make you fully
trust Him? Jesus made the blind see, cleansed the diseased, and
miraculously fed the hungry, yet these signs were not enough and the
opinion on Jesus was still mixed. In Matthew 15:32-16:12, the religious
leaders, and even the disciples remained skeptical and missed the point
of what Jesus was truly showing them. The same holds true today, it
can be easy for us to treat Jesus as our own personal genie, worthy of
devotion only if He meets our demands. We can be too preoccupied
with physical things or blinded to spiritual realities to see Him for who
He truly is. Jesus shows us he isn't ours to control, but he is the one
who satisfies.