Easton Bible Church's Podcast

Privilege, power, and popularity are the subtle drugs of celebrity. There’s nothing inherently wrong with having status or being famous. But when being seen as powerful or important becomes essential to your identity—either who you think you are or who you wish to be—the temptation to do whatever it takes to gain that level of prominence can become overpowering. And, if you’re not careful, you just might, as Jesus warns, gain the whole world, but lose your soul (Matt. 16:26).Following his baptism, Jesus goes into the desert where he’s tempted by the devil to make a name for himself, to seize the privileged position as the only Son of God, by betraying his Father, his mission, and himself. But rather than relishing a life of celebrity, Jesus shows us a better way. More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #jesus #sundaysermon

Have you ever had someone love you enough to tell you the truth about you? One of the most courageous acts in life is to see yourself as you really are. And the degree of honesty you have about who you are will determine the degree to which you grow in life. In Matthew chapter 3, Matthew introduces us to a man named John the Baptist who told people more than they wanted to know about who they were. Because unless you know who you are, you’ll never understand who Jesus is and why he came for you.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #jesus #sundaysermon #oneofus #theway #kingdom #wayoflife #thewaythetruthandthelife #sermonbumper #discipleship #lovegodservepeople

Have you ever known the right thing to do… and did the wrong thing anyway? Both behavioral psychology and neuroscience suggest that our brains operate on two different wavelengths. There’s the reasonable, rational, conscious part of your brain (left-side) and the automatic, intuitive, reactionary part of your brain (right-side). Jonathan Haidt compares the two sides to a rider on an elephant: the rider knows where the elephant should go, and with enough time can direct the elephant… somewhat. But the elephant—our automatic responses (what Paul calls “our flesh”)—is actually far stronger than our conscious thought (the rider), no matter what we might wish to believe. So, how can we re-program our minds so that our automatic responses are the right ones? In Romans 12, Paul describes four practices for spiritual formation—loving God (v. 1), growing together (vv. 3-5), serving one another (vv. 6-8), and sharing our lives with others (v. 13)—that both deepen our connection with God and establish our new identity a

So far in this series, we’ve seen that Easton’s mission (and ours) is to help people experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus (cf. Matthew 28:19-20), and that we’re here both for believers and non-believers (cf. Acts 2:42-47). As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we become who we were created to be, which in turn reveals Jesus to an otherwise uninterested and skeptical world. This week, we want to ask, what does a changed life look like? If God’s intention is to use our transformed lives to attract non-believers to him, then what does that transformation look like in real life, how does it happen, and how can we begin to experience it today?More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #changedlife #Jesus #what #Jesuschangeseverything #disciple #discipleship #theinsidetrack #sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople

Depending on who you ask, there are some Christians who think that the church’s primary purpose is to serve believers. For them, church equates to bible studies, fellowship dinners, small groups, and programs designed exclusively for Christians. For other Christians, church is essentially an outreach event. What really matters is getting more people—especially non-believers—in the doors where they’ll hear the gospel and become followers of Jesus. This week, we want to ask the question, “Who is church for?” Is it for believers? Non-believers? Or both?More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #usorthem #dichotomy #who #whoischurchfor #disciple #discipleship #theinsidetrack #sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople

In a message entitled "Purpose through Change," Easton's guest speaker Ramie Bateman of teachthestory.org shares from the Gospel of Mark Chapter 5 that change in life is inevitable. And through change we are able to grow into our real purpose when we embrace those changes through the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #purpose #change #gospel #mark #gospelofmark #Jesus #honest #examineyourheart #lovegodservepeople

Have you ever wondered why churches exist? Or perhaps more specifically, why does our church exist? Is it because we needed someplace to go on Sunday mornings? A place to make friends or network? Someplace to learn about God and the Bible? At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus lays out a clear mandate for all believers and, by extension, all churches: that we are to go into all the world to make disciples. So, what exactly does that mean? And what does it mean for our church we head into 2024 and beyond?More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #happynewyear #newyear #why #whychurch #disciple #discipleship #theinsidetrack #sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople

Pastor of Adult Ministries Colin Baker encourages us to be strong and courageous through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with a message from the Book of Joshua. Have a Happy and Blessed New Year!More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #happynewyear #newyear #strong #courageous #strongandcourageous #joshua #Jesus #lovegodservepeople 

Merry Christmas! Pastor Lucas concludes our Advent sermon series, "The Gift of a King," with a Christmas Eve encouragement for each of us to shine like stars in response to our Gift of a King, The Lord Jesus Christ.. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17. God Bless You More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #shinelikestars #christmaseve #christmas #merrychristmas #christmassermon #jesus #sundaysermon #forgodsoloved #lovegodservepeople

Have you ever missed out on something amazing? Maybe you were too tired or forgot, or maybe you got stuck at work or got stuck in traffic.  But it was a moment that people would be talking about for the rest of their lives. Perhaps a moment that would have changed the rest of your life. And you missed it. This week, we’re looking at a moment that is both uplifting and heart-breaking. People you would never expect find the Savior of the world, while the people who should have known better miss their moment, satisfied with what they knew about the Messiah rather than seeking him. Matthew’s question echoes to us throughout the centuries: when God reveals himself to you, will you seek him or will you miss your moment?More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #seizeyourmoment #fomo #advent #knowjesus #christmas #sundaysermon #lov

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth (Matt. 1:18-25) is unusual because it is written almost entirely from Joseph’s perspective. Other than these few verses, Joseph gets virtually zero airtime in Scripture. For all we know, Joseph was a wholly unremarkable person. He was a blue-collar worker, a carpenter, from a little nowhere village in the backwoods of Palestine. And yet, when asked to believe that his fiancé was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and that the child would be the Savior of the world, Joseph had the courage to take Mary as his wife even though it most likely meant public humiliation and ridicule. In telling the story from Joseph’s perspective, Matthew invites us to imagine what it would be like if God were to ask us to bet everything—our reputation, safety, or security—on something wholly unbelievable. What would you be prepared to do, what would you be willing to endure, if God asked you to believe the impossible? More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on I

Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? Belonging is one of the most fundamental needs we feel as humans. To know that others accept you, welcome you, and care for you is vital for human flourishing. And yet, especially in our post-pandemic and increasingly virtual world, it’s so easy to feel alone. In the opening verses of his Gospel, Matthew gives what seems like an odd introduction to Jesus, a genealogy tracing Jesus’ lineage back to Abraham. But Matthew isn’t simply giving us the names in Jesus’ family tree. He’s telling us something much deeper about who Jesus is and who he came for. Matthew wants us to see that, if you want to know that you truly belong, you don’t need to look any further than Jesus. More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #whereyoubelong #advent #geneology #christmas #sundaysermon #lovegodservepe

Thank You for joining Easton's Pastor Of Family Ministries, Luke McAlack, today.We are looking for something. We are human and part of that experience is the pursuit of things like worth, belonging, and meaning. There are avenues upon avenues for where people could look, but as we examine Jesus and his response to a life-changing question in Matthew 22, we see the root of all worth, belonging, and meaning. The best part? Jesus gives us the space to search, consider, and decide. As we look at Jesus’ powerful ellipsis (a statement that creates a …), we see God’s concern for us to understand our worth, belonging, and then act to share our lives. More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #whygiveall #thankful #gratitude #sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople

Have you ever felt like you had no good options? That no matter what you tried, you couldn’t win for losing? In many ways, that’s the conundrum Solomon wants us to feel, that life is a puzzle you cannot solve, a mystery you cannot unravel. But this isn’t some brainteaser you read for fun and then toss aside. This is your life!As Solomon leaves us with his final thoughts, he offers us the solution: “Fear God and keep his commandments” (12:13). It’s not the kind of solution that solves the puzzle. It’s probably not the solution we want to hear. But it’s the solution we need to find joy and meaning in the puzzle of life. More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #ecclesiastes #endofthematter  #sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople

When your time comes (I know we don’t like to think about that), what kind of person will you be? Right now, you’re laying the foundation for who you’ll be in your old age. Some people age gracefully, full of joy and happiness despite their growing infirmities. For others, old age only brings sorrow and anger. You might not realize it, but the decisions you make today will shape the kind of person you’ll be, not just tomorrow, but years from now. So, who will you be by the end of your life? What kind of person will getting old make you? In his prologue to the epilogue of his book, Solomon wants us to wrestle with the reality of growing old so that we’ll use the present to make our future—even old age—into something beautiful. More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #ecclesiastes #oldage #somethingbeautiful #sundaysermon #l

Have you ever walked down the cereal aisles and felt paralyzed to decide what to buy? Or maybe it was scrolling through the endless movies on Netflix trying to decide on the perfect movie to watch. Which cereal is the right one? Which movie is the perfect movie? Sometimes life presents us with too many options with too many unknowns and it’s hard to know what to do. So, what should you do when you don’t know what to do? In the opening verses of Ecclesiastes 11, Solomon shows us that life is unpredictable and outside of our control. But while we don’t know the future, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t act. Realizing how little we know and control can be paralyzing and frightening. But when understood in light of God’s ultimate control, that same realization can become an opportunity to live generously.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblec

Here’s the inconvenient truth you don’t want to hear. You are going to die. Death is no respecter of persons and—barring Jesus’ return—death is coming for you. Which could be a depressing or hopeless thought for some. But for Solomon, the reality of death is the sharp wedge we need to dislodge our hearts from the meaninglessness of life and discover real meaning and purpose that comes through anticipating the life yet to come.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #ecclesiastes #inconvenient #truth #sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople

We are natural planners. We look to the future, we dream, we strategize, and we anticipate problems and plot solutions. And then life punches you in the face. You can plan your vacation, but you can’t do anything about the unforeseen sickness, or the car breaking down, or the flight canceled, or the weather. You can plan your retirement, but you can’t do anything about the disease you never saw coming. Or the financial crisis, or the job loss, or the phone call that changes everything.When life punches you, there are two ways we try to cope. We either try to punch back or, if that doesn’t work, try to escape. But what Solomon wants us to see is that the only way to find real peace in this world is by accepting our inability to control everything and surrendering to the One who holds the whole world in his hands.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eas

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How much is enough? (Did your heart just whisper, a little bit more?) We live in a dog-eat-dog world, where (we’re told) you have to take all you can, or else someone will take yours. Envy drives us to work more so that we’re not missing out, often with little or no concern for how our actions affect others. We’re in it to win it. But what Solomon wants us to discover is that chasing after more only makes us less. That we were not made for a finite game—victory at all costs—but for an infinite relationship with the God of the universe. And it’s only in knowing him that we can share our lives with others.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #ecclesiastes and #infinitegame #finite #sundaysermon