Petra Podcast

Today we wrap up our series on Living Supernaturally. In this series we have been exploring what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Being a follower of Jesus is much more then praying the sinner’s prayer, trying to live a good moral life, and going to Heaven when we die.
When we follow Jesus, we don’t just become good people. We become kingdom citizens empowered by our king to live supernatural lives. If we as followers of Jesus are going to make a difference, we need to know how to walk and live in the supernatural. Our mission assignment is to continue to do the works of Jesus of seeking the lost, setting those in bondage free and proclaiming the good news of Jesus.
To do the works that Jesus did we need the same spiritual power tools that Jesus used. And the good news is they are still available to us today.

Living supernaturally is not just living spiritually. Living supernaturally means that the spiritual world and the physical world are one, and the spiritual world affects the laws of nature. We never know when God has set up a divine appointment or a “chance” encounter that could potentially change the course of history. So when God is doing something supernatural, how can we be sure not to miss it?

We are continuing our series on Living Supernaturally. Kara Sensenig and I will be tag teaming on this message. In this series, we are talking about what normal Christianity looked like in the early church. And since Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever it is how normal Christianity should look like in our lives today as well.
We are presently exploring the subject of healing and how to pray for the sick. The goal in this series is to keep these concepts simple and doable for all of us. Everyone in this room can be used of God to pray for someone who is sick and see them healed.

In this sermon series we are focusing on the reality of the supernatural in the life of the believer. In this message we want to look at the topic of supernatural or divine healing; specifically a Biblical foundation for healing.

This morning we are beginning a new message series focused on how to experience the supernatural in our lives on a regular basis.
The supernatural is not some weird ghostbuster fictional movie. It is a part of our daily reality whether we are aware of it or not. We live in both a physical and spiritual world. They can’t be separated.
It is easy for us to see the physical realm that we can touch. The spirit realm is just as real even if we can’t see it as easily. It is a little like the wind. We can’t really see wind but we can see and experience the effects of the wind blowing.

As we talk about praying for the nations, there is a key foundational truth we need to understand. Beyond what we see on CNN and Fox News, beyond all of the rumors of wars, political craziness and all the rumbling of problems, there is a greater roar that is happening from the depths of the nations. That roar is their desire for Jesus. We need to understand the people have a need and longing for Jesus.

Senior Pastor Lester Zimmerman brings the second message in our series Powerful Prayer. Today's message is also the official launch of our church-wide fast starting Monday January 16 through Sunday January 22.

Today we’re going to unbox what prayer is, and then talk about the two basic forms of prayer: praying by yourself, and praying with others. And both are profoundly important but also very different. What is prayer? It's our direct-line of communication with our loving Father. It’s all about relationship.
We need to stop making it out to be something we only do during our morning devotions. It’s not just asking God for something. Prayer can be a joy, it can be thrilling, it can be raw and uncomfortable, but prayer is absolutely essential for the thriving Christian.

Welcome to a new year. A year full of destiny and purpose. We don’t know what lies ahead for anyone of us or for our nation and world this year.
But I want you to lift up your heads today and put your hope in our God who is advancing his kingdom and his purposes on the earth.
This is not a time for fear but a time to be bold, for the Lord is strong and mighty on our behalf.
Every year we ask the Lord to give us a theme for the year that would reflect what is on his heart for our church. Something for us to focus on and go after in the Spirit.
Our Theme for 2017 is … Empowered by God for Daily Encounters
Let me unpack this and share what we feel God wants to do in our lives this year.

One of the themes of Christmas is gift giving. In addition to all the lights and festivities the giving of gifts is a special part of the celebration. There is a certain joy in giving a gift and seeing the person excited about receiving it. It is also a joy in receiving a gift from someone you know cares about you.
It’s true Christmas has become commercialized but the exchange of gifts is a great reminder of the greatest gift of all which was wrapped in a blanket and laid in a manger on that very first Christmas. The baby Jesus was God’s gift to us!