That's Grace Podcast

In a world that revolves around the money, it can be very easy to allow your identity, worth, and success to get wrapped up in your income. In our society, the money you have determines the have's and the have not's. The opportunities you will get and the lack thereof. We often assign value to other people based on what they do or don't have. And to be honest, none of us want to be at the bottom of the barrel so we jump right into the pursuit of money. It helps us feel safe, valuable, secure and successful. And often we choose to place our security in these things then in God. In this week's teaching, we talk about the security money provides and while we choose to believe money equals security, we are reminded from the Bible where our security truly does lie.

Money and the things we use to purchase with it always have a close place in our hearts. In fact, where our money goes will often point to where our interests, passions, and priorities are. Think of it this way, when you were a kid and your parents bought you some shoes, it was okay when they got scuffed and dirty right? But when you saved your money to purchase shoes, you were upset when they got muddy right? The same is true with the cars we drive, the lottery numbers we chose, and even the house we live in. Our money is a GPS to where our heart and priorities are. And often, it can show us how misaligned our priorities are and how far from God's priorities they in fact are. In this message, we talk about what we can do when we realize our financial priorities are misaligned and how what we do with the money and resources God gave us, can be a harsh reality in how much we truly love God.

It's probably safe to say that all of us want to be generous people. There is something attractive about people who are generous with their time, money, and resources. We see them as being astoundingly selfless and it really makes an impact on all of us. Think of the person ahead of you who pays for your meal at the drive through, or maybe someone who pays off medical bills or school lunch bills. We praise these people and desire to act in a similar manner. But what often prevents us from becoming this type of generous person is the pursuit of our own wealth and interest. Money, unlike most other things, is the thermometer of where our hearts are. But why does this even matter to God and why are we so uncomfortable talking about our money? Maybe we are not as generous as we think we are. In this message, Pastor Sean talks about how the first step in freedom is changing our perspective on our finances.

Have you ever felt that, no matter what you did, your life seemed to spiral further and further our of control? There are times in life where no matter how well we plan, how good of decisions we make, or how much right we try to do, life just seems to do wrong. For some of us, the thought of losing control consumes us with fear and anxiety and as a result, we shape how we think and how we act around trying to preserve ourselves in case something bad does happen. But at the end of the day, what is it that we really are in control of? In this week's message, we learn that while we can't know what's going to happen in every circumstance, God has given us a responsibility in those scary circumstances and by obeying what He asks, it can help us refocus and turn our fear into faith.

None of us want to fail, but everyone does at one point or another. As a kid maybe you remember failing a test at school, or maybe you didn't make the sports or after school team. Maybe you failed multiple times at learning how to ride a bike, swim, or even get your license. But as we get older, the things that we are afraid of failure in seem to get scary. Things like failing to provide for our families, failing to find love, failing as a parents, or failing in our marriages. The fear of these things often seem to cripple us and wear heavily on our emotional and mental wellbeing.  In this week's teaching we look at two different aspects of fearing failure. The fear that we might fail in the future, and those who fear their past failures have ruined them for good and talk about what the Bible says that can help us let go of some of this fear and empower us to make moves to take on this fear.

The fear of rejection is something that most of us encounter through different seasons of life. We have a need to be liked, loved, and wanted. And in and of itself, there is nothing wrong with this desire, but the problem comes when the fear of others matters more to us than what God thinks. We want to follow God, but as soon as it begins to cost us social status or hinders the pursuits of our career, we bail. We've all seen negative things happen to other people and we chose to not do anything because we didn't want the negative attention focused towards us. But this fear will be a stumbling block for us becoming the person God intended us to be. This week, we look at two things that can help change our perspective and recenter our focus on the life God is asking us to live.

The number one instruction that God gives throughout the Bible is "Don't Be Afraid". In fact, that instruction shows up in the Bible 365 times! But it's a lot easier to say than to do isn't it? Some fears and worries last only a little while and some never seem to leave us. Some cripple us to the point where it affects our health, our relationships, and our decisions. But what can we do to get a handle on our fears and worries? How can we begin to move past them and live the life that God has intended for us? While the first week of this series won't be able to fix you fears, worries, or anxiety, what God tells us in the Bible may be able to help take some of the sting out of them and give you some room to breathe.

For Christians, the holy book that shapes their faith and beliefs system stems from the Bible, which claims to be God's words to mankind. But if we are going to pursue  in our faith with God, and rearrange our lives, our beliefs, and our values around it, shouldn't we be sure that what's in it is true in the first place? I mean, the Bible was written thousands of years ago in another language and then translated into what we read today. So how do we know that the Bible really is from God, that it wasn't changed when it was translated, and that the things written in it are in fact true. In the last week of our series, Pastor Sean puts the Bible through multiple tests that are commonly used to evaluate the validity of ancient literature and sees how the Bible stacks up.

In today's message, we look at quite possibly one of the biggest barriers that many of us when it comes to faith and our belief in God. If God is really there, why does such bad things happen to good people? And how could a good God sit by and allow all the evil, hate, and brokenness exist in the world. If it were up to us, we would prevent evil from happening, so why doesn't God? Pastor Sean addresses why evil exists, why God seems to tolerate the evil in the world, and how we can begin to process and move beyond the evil that has existed and impacted us.

When it comes to faith, a big barrier that many people have is that science seems to have proven the Biblical account to be inaccurate. So in order to be a Christian, does that mean you must ignore what we learn from science and only accept what the Bible says, or is there evidence that points to the validity of the Biblical narrative? Can you believe in evolution and be a Christian and can you still believe the account of creation as the Bible tells it as a rational, intelligent adult. In today's message, Pastor Sean shares the views of scientists on both sides of the spectrum and how we must look at the evidence that exists to point towards the validity of either theory.