25 Woods Lake Road, Building 8, Greenville, SC
Fish are known for swimming. Birds are known for flying. What are Christians known for? This question brings many different answers depending on who you ask, but the one thing Jesus said we should be known for is our love. John said if we don’t love others we’re guilty of murder! Today we take an honest look at our own lives to see if we are truly loving others the way Jesus loved us.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:30 — 31.4MB) | Embed
Hope is an absolutely essential part of life. Where there’s hope, there’s a will to carry on. But on that first resurrection morning, there was no group more hopeless and defeated than the followers of Christ. Even the empty tomb did not convince them. It was only when they saw their risen Lord that their lives were transformed and they were filled with an unshakable hope. Do you know this resurrection hope?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:03 — 25.6MB) | Embed
When Jesus was born 2,000 years ago, people reacted in very different ways to Him. Some were threatened by Him, like King Herod. Others, like Simeon, welcomed His arrival. And Jesus still evokes the same two responses today. People either reject Him or receive Him, and which one you choose will make all the difference in your life. How have you responded to Jesus?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:54 — 24.1MB) | Embed
Why would the King of heaven choose to enter the world in such lowly circumstances; born in a stable to an unwed teenage mother, welcomed only by shepherds who were among the lowest people in society? Because Jesus came to be a Savior for all people… for ALL people… and that includes you! This Christmas, rejoice in knowing that His love extends to all those who are willing to receive Him.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:33 — 10.7MB) | Embed
Jesus said the two most important commandments are to love God and love others. As the church, we typically spend most of our time together expressing our love for God, but how well are we doing at loving others, especially those who are not like us? Are we better at pointing fingers of criticism at the lost than we are at going out and actually loving them? What would happen if the church learned how to love like Jesus?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:01 — 33.7MB) | Embed
Jim Elliot is quoted as saying “He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” Jesus response to the widow who gave 2 copper coins is very revealing; he does not say she gave all her money, he says she gave all she had to live on. Luke 12:15 says “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”. If our life isn’t in our possessions, what is Jesus referring to when he says this widow woman gave all she had to live on?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:20 — 25.8MB) | Embed
Jesus has been given many wonderful titles that display His power and majesty, but the title that shows His deep love for mankind most clearly is: Jesus, Friend of Sinners. During His ministry, He was sharply criticized for spending time with notoriously sinful men and women. But Jesus reminded His critics that those very people were the ones He came into the world to save. Now that we have been sent to carry on His mission, could it be said of us that we, too, are a friend of sinners?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:09 — 26.2MB) | Embed
Why do Christians have no trouble talking with great excitement about sports, movies, vacations, sales at the mall… but those same people never talk about Jesus? Lots of excuses can be given, but it’s time to stop pretending and admit that we are just not excited enough about Jesus to share Him with anyone. The church doesn’t have a missions problem, it has a heart problem, and until we get serious and ask God to break our hearts, we will never fulfill our part in the Great Commission.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:48 — 30.1MB) | Embed
As Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, the crowds threw their coats on the road before Him and shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel!” They wanted a king who would rule their nation, but they didn’t want a King who would rule their hearts. When they realized that Jesus was not the kind of savior they wanted, they turned on Him and shouted, “Crucify Him!” What kind of savior are you looking for? One who will give you everything you want, or one who will reign in your heart?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:16 — 28.4MB) | Embed
God sends so many blessings into our lives, but there is always a danger that those very blessings will be the things that draw our hearts away from Him. Because of this, the Bible warns us to never treasure anything more than we treasure God. We can become so consumed by our treasures that we refuse to let them go, and as a result, we will miss God’s mission for our life. Are you investing the blessings God gives you for His kingdom, or are you using them all for your own benefit?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:03 — 29.6MB) | Embed
For generations the people of Israel waited for their Savior to come, but when He did come, He was not the Savior they wanted. Instead of being born to royalty, He was born to a poor couple from the middle of nowhere. Instead of being a powerful king, He was a humble servant. Instead of being a mighty military leader, He taught everyone to love their enemies. Jesus truly was an unexpected surprise. And even after they put Him to death on a cross, He still had one more unexpected surprise that no one could have believed until they saw it for themselves!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:45 — 23.9MB) | Embed
Mary and Joseph didn’t ask for this! They were quite content making their plans and living their lives. Things were going along just fine. And then, without warning, along came God and dropped a bombshell in their lap, telling them that all their plans would be laid aside so that God could use their lives for His plans. They could have been angry. They could have fought back. But instead, they both submitted themselves to God’s will, and their lives were never the same. How do we react when God drops an unwelcome announcement into our lap and asks us to put our lives on hold for Him?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:35 — 25.1MB) | Embed
