The ECC Podcast

Do you want to be a happier person and live longer? Maybe 11 years longer, to be exact?
There is so much busy-ness in our lives: the hurry, the endless emails, unfinished projects, relationships that need attention, and of course the financial stress we have.  Our minds, souls and bodies need a rhythm of rest. We need a Sabbath. In fact, not only do we need it, but God has said it’s a holy, consecrated act to stop, rest, find delight in Him and to worship. When we Sabbath we draw closer to God. We allow ourselves to be “Shaped by Jesus.” But first…we must try.  Are you willing to try?

Ken continues our Shaped by Jesus Series speaking from Gen 2:1-3 & Ex 20:8-11.

Who are you, and what does it mean to listen well? 
During this hands-on, interactive time together, Andrea Fruhling leads us through using LEGO to build metaphors, to explore who we are and discover the importance of empathy and awareness as we create space for Jesus to work through us in community. After his resurrection, from meetings with Mary at the tomb to his followers later, Jesus showed us how to listen and respond to each other with empathy. Together, we will learn how genuine support combined with self-reflection can deepen relationships and our faith journey as a community. 

Focus passage: John 20: 11-16, John 20: 19-21

Luke 24:1-12
Have you ever gone into a situation with an expectation of how things or someone should be…just to discover it’s nothing like what you expected? That's kind of what Easter Sunday was like for the earliest followers of Jesus. Usually the dead remain dead, so the resurrection was not expected. But why? Why didn't they expect him to rise from the dead? After all, he had previously told them he would. And today, we too have expectations of Jesus that aren't always on target. In this "Resurrection Sunday" message, Ken challenges us to check our expectations.

By fasting, God gets our attention, then changes our world. Amidst all sorts of daily distractions that keep us from connecting deeply with God, slowing down, abstaining from food or other things we love, can position us to hear Gods voice and direct us on the right path. Matthew Heyn continues our Shaped by Jesus series and shares what he has learned about his own experiences with fasting and what the Bible can teach, speaking from Isaiah 58:6-7.

We live in a world of constant distraction — everyone wants our attention. How then do we listen to and be with God in such a world? What can we learn from Jesus' life and teachings for a time such as this? Ryan Lui continues our Shaped by Jesus series and we explore Jesus' life and teaching in Mark 1:35-37 and what they might have to say about life in this cultural moment.

A role of scripture is to transform our way of living. Luke Simpkins continues our series SHAPED BY JESUS and we explore how God's guidance and presence is revealed through His Holy Word.

As children of God, spiritual formation is our destiny. Though it is the Holy Spirit who forms us in the image of Christ, we are not just passive lumps of clay; we have an active role to play as we respond to his work. Gray leads us in exploring how we can cooperate with the Spirit as he works in our lives (Gal. 5:25; Phil. 2:12-13). 

Gray continues our series "Shaped by Jesus."  Understanding and welcoming the Holy Spirit’s role in spiritual formation is foundational to our relationship with God. When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we become a child of God and our destiny is “to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). This is only possible because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and lives. We cannot transform ourselves but the Holy Spirit can. 

Ken kicks off our new series: “Shaped By Jesus" speaking from John 3:16 & John 10:10-11. Some of us have been going to church a long time and yet our lives don’t look much different today than they did 10 years ago.  Is being a Jesus follower about following the rules, being a good person, going to church and not being an axe murderer?  Or is there something more?  Something that brings about real change in our life?  Ken shares some personal stories and we also see what Jesus has to say about “..Flying Upside Down.”

Today Judi & David Owens zoom in from Africa to share how God's heart for people is evident in their ministry work at Arusha Vineyard church in Tanzania.