Ep. 42: From Casual to Constant

God longs that we would pursue Him wholeheartedly, not half-heartedly. He longs that our hearts would be constant toward Him, not casual. Tune in to find out ways we can be more constant in our pursuit of God.

0:00 - Introduction

1:34 - The ministry of memes!

5:10 - Why constancy matters

7:30 - The result of constancy in our relationship with God

8:39 - Memory Verse (Psalm 63:1)

9:59 - Practical application

15:04 - Wrap-Up

--> Come back next Thursday for a chat about the significance of "small" offerings

Ep. 41: What God Begins, He Completes

Sometimes we get weary or discouraged when we can't see the evidence that God is moving or working in the ways we want Him to. But we can have confidence that if God starts something, He will most certainly finish it.

0:00 - Introduction

1:48 - Opening prayer

2:08 - A familiar verse (Philippians 1:6)

4:05 - The steadfast character of God

6:33 - What is our role?

12:14 - Memory Verse (Psalm 130:5)

12:31 - Practical application

13:42 - Wrap-Up

--> come back next week for a chat about moving from a casual to a constant pursuit of Christ!

Ep. 40: Real, Not Filtered

We live in a culture that's all about image. Perceived perfection is King. But one of the most important traits a Christian can have is authenticity. And who we're becoming on the inside is far more important than how we appear on the outside.

0:00 - Introduction

1:28 - Filtered image, filtered life

3:39 - Physical appearance

9:28 - Perceived image

11:24 - Who are we becoming?

13:51 - Memory Verse (1 Samuel 16:7)

14:31 - Practical Application

16:05 - Wrap-Up

--> subscribe to my blog, if you haven't already! (www.sparrows-nest.blog)

--> come back next Thursday for another episode I've entitled, "What God Begins, He Completes".

Ep. 39: My Words Matter

The words we say have either the power to destroy or bring life. How we use our words matters.

0:00 - Introduction

1:11 - Love languages

3:33 - Our words have power

6:59 - Rules of thumb for using our words

12:08 - Memory Verse (Psalm 141:3) **I MISSPOKE IN THE PODCAST, IT'S PSALMS, NOT PROVERBS!**

12:52 - Practical application

14:15 - Wrap-Up

--> come back next Thursday for a chat about authenticity that I'm calling, "Real, Not Filtered"

Ep. 38: Marked By Peace

In our world today, anxiety and overwhelm are at an all-time high. But the Christian life is a life marked by peace--peace that transcends our earthly circumstances.

0:00 - Introduction

1:50 - Anxiety and overwhelm are rising

4:04 - Jesus is where we find our peace

5:56 - Practical tips for acquiring peace in our day-to-day lives

13:39 - Closing prayer

16:41 - Wrap-Up

--> come back next Thursday for a talk about the importance of our words

Ep. 37: I Love Jesus Most

We love a lot of things in this life. But what we ought to love most of all is Jesus. Only when we put Him first in our hearts does everything else fall into its proper place.

0:00 - Introduction

1:43 - The draw of idols

4:56 - Jesus is first in the heart of a believer

7:35 - Only Jesus can be our everything

8:56 - Practical application

12:09 - Memory Verse (pick Psalm 63:3 OR Psalm 119:37)

13:13 - Wrap-Up Prayer

--> tune in next Thursday as we talk about another mark of the Christian life, peace!

Ep. 36: I'm Part of a Community

So many times we try get by as "Lone Ranger" Christians. But we need one another. We need Christian community if we're going to be who God made us to be and do all He made us to do.

0:00 - Introduction

1:36 - The "I don't have to go to church to be a Christian" argument

4:24 - Spiritual maturity requires community

7:40 - We need community when we are weak

8:32 - Even Jesus Iived in community

9:49 - Ways to get connected to a community of believers

--> church

--> small group/Bible study

--> get involved in faith-based organization/ministry

--> social media

--> online community (blog, podcast, online Bible Study)

* you can join my community of "Nesties" at www.sparrows-nest.blog

17:29 - Memory Verse (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

18:15 - Practical application

19:00 - Wrap-Up

--> come back next Thursday for a heartfelt chat about our deepest love, Jesus!

Ep. 35: Obedience Over Outcome

When God calls us to do something, He doesn't always tells us what the outcome will be. He simply calls us to obey.

0:00 - Introduction

1:31 - Are you a risk-taker or pathologically cautious?

4:14 - God calls us to obedience regardless of the outcome

6:09 - Outcomes are out of our hands

7:59 - God's plans never fail. He can be trusted with outcomes

10:32 - How to focus on obedience rather than outcome

14:53 - Memory Verse (Psalm 143:10)

15:20 - Practical application

16:30 - Wrap-Up

--> Come back for next week's talk about the importance of community!

Ep. 34: Replace Comparison with Confidence

Confidence can be tricky, right? Either we have too much or too little. But what about a godly confidence that makes us secure in who we are in Christ and stops us from playing the deadly comparison game?

0:00 - Introduction

1:16 - Confidence is a tricky beast

3:12 - The dangers of comparison

5:32 - How we can grow in godly confidence

13:56 - Memory Verse (Isaiah 64:8)

14:20 - Practical application

15:50 - Wrap-Up

--> Come back next week for a talk about focusing on obedience rather than outcome!

Ep. 33: My Story Matters

The enemy of your soul wants to convince you that your story doesn't matter. That it's insignificant or irredeemable. But that's only because he knows just how important your story really is.

0:00 - Introduction

1:22 - Your story is important

5:01 - Your story has eternal weight and impact

8:52 - Giving our stories to God

10:31 - "My Story Your Glory"

14:08 - Memory Verse (Psalm 66:16)

14:27 - Practical application

15:18 - Wrap-Up

--> Come back next week as we learn to replace comparison with confidence!