Good and Angry by David Powlison.

Broken Down House by David Tripp.

What is sadness? Are depression and sadness the same thing? Is depression a punishment from God? Is it wrong for Christians to be sad? What does the life of Jesus tell us about sadness? What is the hope for a sad or depressed Christian? Pastor Matt covers all these questions and more in the latest episode in our emotions series for NorthWoods Church Matters podcast!

Books mentioned:

A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken.

Home by Elyse Fitzpatrick.

Why does God give us emotions? Are emotions bad? How have our emotions been impacted by the Fall? Why is it difficult for some people to talk about their emotions? In this episode of NorthWoods Church Matters, Pastor Matt gives us a primer on all of this, as we begin a podcast series on (you guessed it!) emotions.

What is happiness? Is there a difference between happiness and joy? Is joy somehow more spiritual? Does God want us to be happy? And why aren't we more happy? These are just some of the questions addressed by Pastor Matt and his pal Nathan in our latest podcast on understanding emotions. Give it a listen!

Books mentioned: 

Happiness by Randy Alcorn.

Desiring God by John Piper.

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions.

Pastors Bobby and Matt and Darin go over the results of a recent survey taken by the NorthWoods congregation on such issues as space, worship, the potential for a newbuilding, and adding another service. The answers to all these things aren't always obvious, and they impact the whole NorthWoods family, so be sure to give this one a listen!

What is prophecy? Does it still happen today? Who is the antichrist? Is there more than one? How can kids live for Jesus at school? Is our primary objective to fight the culture wars? You might not believe it, but Pastors Bobby and Matt find all that to discuss and more as they talk their way through the book of Daniel, Chapters 7 and 8.

Why is the story of Daniel in the lion's den so popular? How do we live lives that are above reproach? How do we have a prayer life like Daniel? How can we arrange our lives for maximum gospel effectiveness? We bet you didn't know ALL of that was found in chapter 6 of Daniel, but you will after you listen to Pastors Bobby and Matt in this episode of NorthWoods Church Matters!

Question: what do we do when history or archeology or science (or whatever) appear to contradict the Bible? Answer: wait for those fields of study to catch up!  The Bible always wins. It's the authoritative Word of God. Case in point is how archeology has finally caught up with the Book of Daniel. Pastors Bobby and Matt talk about that, among many other things, from Daniel 5 in this episode of NorthWoods Church Matters. Topics include the final judgement, using the gifts that God has given us, and our desire for justice, even in this life. The sermon was just the tip of the iceberg so give the podcast a listen!

Why does Daniel 4 suddenly switch to first person? Why is King Nebuchadnezzar trusting pagan wise men who aren't Daniel AGAIN? How exactly does God humble the king, and for how long? The book of Daniel is full of fascinating questions and in this episode of NorthWoods Church Matters, Pastors Matt and Ryan answer them.

If you treat Bible stories as if they're populated by living, breathing people (which they were!), all sorts of questions arise. In Daniel 3, why was Nebuchadnezzer so quick to forget God? Did Daniel's three friends expect to suffer (and be rewarded) the way they did? How can we face suffering as they did? Pastors Bobby and Matt answer all those questions and more about Daniel 3 in this episode of NorthWoods Church Matters podcast. Listen today!