The LVfirst Podcast

Growth creates complexity, and complexity slows growth. In this message, Pastor Adam Hilderbrandt walks through Acts 6:1–7 to explore how the early church navigated the bottlenecks of growth through shared responsibility and expanded generosity. When we step up together, we move from false choices ("insiders vs. outsiders") to multiplying our capacity to love and serve our entire community.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, tired, or unsure of your next right step? Over time, life's busyness and unforeseen crises can give us a kind of "spiritual presbyopia" — making what used to be crystal clear feel blurry and uncertain.

This Sunday, we walked through Acts 11 and the story of the early church in Antioch. We looked at how moments of crisis can actually open doors to extraordinary opportunity, why being an "encourager" changes communities, and how living with a clear vision transforms the way we love and serve those around us.

What happens when a church is truly “all in”?

Looking at Acts 2:42–47, we’re reminded that generosity is more than fundraising—it’s one of the ways God forms us into the image of Christ. Like a single Lego brick, our individual gifts may feel small on their own, but when we offer them with open hands, God builds something far greater than we could imagine.

Take a next step:

- Learn more about Lawrenceville First: https://www.lvfirst.org

- Give online or participate in the Multiply Offering: https://www.lvfirst.org/give

- Get connected: https://www.lvfirst.org/new

What if the superpower we’re all really looking for is the ability to be fully known—and still fully loved?

In this episode, we continue our conversation about becoming more relatable people by looking at Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13. Often read at weddings, this passage was originally written to a divided church struggling with comparison, insecurity, and the need to prove themselves. Paul points them—and us—to “the most excellent way”: love.

But love isn’t just a feeling. It’s action rooted in the truth that we are already fully known by God. When we stop trying to earn our worth or prove our place, we become free to love others with patience, kindness, humility, and grace.

Learn more about LV First or take a next step at https://www.lvfirst.org.

**Episode Description:**  

What do Zingers, keto, and meat sacrificed to idols have to do with following Jesus? In this message, Pastor Adam Hildebrand continues our series on being “Relatable” by looking at Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1. The Corinthian church loved to talk about freedom—but Paul reminds them, and us, that Christian freedom isn’t meant to serve ourselves. It’s meant to help us love others, build people up, and point them toward Christ.

If we want to be relatable people, the question isn’t just, “What am I allowed to do?” but “What is the loving thing to do—for their sake?”

Learn more about Lawrenceville First or get connected at www.lvfirst.org.

What does ancient Corinth have to do with your everyday life? In this episode, guest speaker Amy Valdez Barker takes us through 1 Corinthians 7:17–24 to unpack Apostle Paul’s message on identity, status, and transformation.

From the ruins of ancient Greece to fascinating insights on how our brains process pain, Amy explores how easy it is to get caught up in bickering, comparison, and outer expectations. But Paul’s core message remains: following Jesus isn't about jumping through religious hoops or chasing status—it’s about receiving a transformed heart rooted in grace, mercy, and unconditional love. Tune in to discover how to embrace God’s presence right where you are today.

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What does it look like to stay united in a world that keeps pulling us apart?

In this episode, we begin a new series in 1 Corinthians called *Relatable*, looking at Paul’s plea to a divided church in Corinth. We talked about how differences don’t have to become divisions, why unity is not the same thing as sameness, and how the cross of Christ gives us a bigger shared identity than our preferences, opinions, politics, backgrounds, or favorite voices.

Paul’s message to the Corinthians is surprisingly relevant today: a divided world needs a united church. Together, we’re invited to “decide not to divide” and become people who can relate to one another with grace, curiosity, and love.

Learn more about Lawrenceville First at: https://www.lvfirst.org

In this sermon, Pastor Adam Hilderbrandt continues our journey through **Jeremiah 29:4–14**, exploring what it means to live faithfully even when life is not where we hoped it would be. Speaking to God’s people in exile, Jeremiah reminds us that God’s plans for peace, wholeness, and hope are not postponed until circumstances are perfect. Instead, God invites us to seek Him, serve others, and live fully right where we are.

This week’s message focuses on God’s call to “multiply and do not decrease.” Pastor Adam unpacks how this is not simply about biological family, but about expanding our vision beyond ourselves and building a family of faith. In Christ, we are invited into a community that supports one another, cares for families in every season, and pours into the next generation.

Whether you feel overwhelmed as a parent, are caring for aging loved ones, are searching for belonging, or are wondering how to make an impact, this message is an invitation to see beyond “me” and participate in God’s bigger family.

**Scripture:** Jeremiah 29:4–14; Matthew 12:46–50

**Key Themes:**

- God calls us to faithful living even in difficult circumstances.

- Exile can be any place in life where things are not as we hoped.

- God’s plan for us is rooted in shalom: peace, wholeness, and hope.

- We are called to seek God and serve others.

- Family is not only what we are born into; it is also what we build together.

- The church becomes a family of faith when it exists for others.

- Multiplying our family of faith multiplies our impact in the world.

**Reflection Questions:**

1. Where in your life do you feel like you are “in exile” right now?

2. What would it look like to stop postponing faithful living until circumstances improve?

3. Who has been “family” to you in your faith journey?

4. How can you help create belonging for someone else?

5. What is one way God may be inviting you to see beyond yourself this week?

**Call to Action:**  

If you are looking for a place to belong, we invite you to become part of this family of faith as we seek God, serve others, and work together to connect the church to the community and the community to the church.

This Sunday, we continued in Jeremiah 29 and reflected on God’s invitation to build homes, plant gardens, and seek belonging even in places of exile. We talked about how all of us long to be known, welcomed, and given a place to belong. Together, we considered how real community requires time, inconvenience, and commitment. Real community also becomes the place where healing and growth happen. We were reminded that as we build places of belonging, we create space for people to grow in faith and fruitfulness.

This Sunday, we continued in Jeremiah 29 and reflected on what we are truly looking for in life. We remembered that, even in seasons of exile, God’s plans for us are still rooted in peace, wholeness, and hope. We explored how God invites us to respond by seeking Him through worship, prayer, and drawing near together. When we seek God with all our hearts, we find the meaning, belonging, and purpose we are longing for.