Real Life Church Podcast

Why is it so easy to see what's wrong with someone else while overlooking what's happening in our own hearts? In the final week of Masterclass, we wrap up our journey through the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus challenges the way we judge and treat others. Rather than criticizing from a distance or focusing on someone else's faults, Jesus invites us to examine our own hearts, move closer with compassion, and help others find restoration. As we learn to extend the same grace we've received, we discover a better way to live and love others, one that reflects the heart of Jesus.

What if prayer was never meant to be a routine, but a conversation with a Father who already knows and loves you? In week six of MasterClass, we continue through the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus teaches us how to pray. Through the Lord’s Prayer, we discover that prayer isn’t about impressing others, saying the perfect words, or simply asking God for what we want. It’s about building a relationship with Him, learning to trust His will, and allowing Him to transform our hearts. As we learn to honor God, accept His will, ask for what we need, and become more like Jesus, prayer becomes more than something we do. It becomes part of who we are.

Worry has a way of taking over our lives, especially when it comes to money, our needs, and an uncertain future. In week five of MasterClass, we continue through the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus challenges us to examine our relationship with money and what it reveals about our hearts. Rather than allowing worry and the need for control to shape our lives, Jesus invites us to trust God as our provider, seek His Kingdom first, and experience the peace that comes from surrendering to Him. Through generosity, prayer, and worship, we can learn to live with open hands and trust that our heavenly Father knows what we need.

Jesus isn’t interested in simply changing our behavior. He wants to transform our hearts. In week four of MasterClass, we continue through the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus speaks into two deeply personal areas of our lives: adultery and divorce. Rather than lowering the bar or settling for “at least I’m not doing that,” Jesus calls us to take sin seriously, honor people with dignity, and value marriage as God intended. His standard may feel impossible on our own, but through the grace of Jesus, real change, forgiveness, and redemption are possible.

Following Jesus isn’t about keeping a checklist of rules—it’s about allowing Him to change us from the inside out. In week three of MasterClass, Jodi Hickerson continues through the Sermon on the Mount and explores what Jesus teaches about obedience. His invitation isn’t simply to hear His words, but to put them into practice and build our lives on a foundation that can withstand the storms. It’s practice, not perfection—as we keep coming to Jesus, examining our hearts, and putting His way into practice, He shapes us into people who look more like Him.

Anger is a real emotion—but what we do with it matters. In week two of *MasterClass*, we continue through the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus challenges us to look beyond our outward actions and examine what’s happening in our hearts. Whether we stuff our anger, let it explode, or use our words to tear others down, Jesus invites us to look at what lies beneath. We’ll discover practical ways to reflect before we react, remember the results, and restrain our remarks as we learn to handle anger in a way that honors God and strengthens the people around us.

What does it actually look like to live differently as a follower of Jesus? In week one of MasterClass, we begin exploring the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus’ call to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Rather than separating from the world, conforming to it, or fighting against it, Jesus invites us to make a difference right where we are—to preserve what is good, bring hope into dark places, and live in a way that points people toward Him. The question for each of us is simple: What’s it like to be on the other side of me?

This week, we wrapped up Almost to All In by looking at what it means to go all in with courage. Feeling fear is a part of life, but we don’t have to allow fear to make our decisions for us or overtake obedience. When we know God is in it, we can remember that the battle is His and take the next step He is calling us to take and we see that through Paul’s words to Timothy. In this message we are reminded that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

In week three of Almost to All In, we’re talking about moving from almost grateful to a life shaped by gratitude. It’s easy to base our contentment on our circumstances or focus on what we think we deserve, but Scripture points us toward a different way to live. We’ll discover how to be thankful in every circumstance, recognize the gifts and grace we’ve already received, and intentionally express our gratitude to God and the people around us. Gratitude isn’t just something we feel, it’s something we practice. It has the power to change the way we see our lives, others, and God.

In week four of Almost to All In, we’re talking about moving from almost surrendered to going all in with Jesus. Through the story of Philip and the Ethiopian man in Acts 8, we see how God positions ordinary people for extraordinary impact, how the Good News of Jesus truly is for everyone, and why obedience doesn’t have to wait until we have everything figured out. For those who have put their faith in Jesus but have almost taken the step of baptism, the invitation is simple: stop waiting for someday. Believe first. Baptism next. It’s time to respond to God’s grace and go all in.