Northeast Christian Podcast

This weekend, Terrence gave us the second of two spiritual tools to unleash the power of God in our families. Living a selfless life. This is the 2nd key to unlocking generational change in our family through God’s power. So, how do you practice this? Gratitude, humility, and intentionality. You are a better person and a better Christian, when your life is aiming at the harder and more costly things of God.

The last two weeks, we’ve focused on the past - both brokenness and blessings. It’s vital for us to learn and honor the blessings of the past, but also to redeem the brokenness that was handed down to us. This weekend, we moved from past to present, and Tyler gave us the first of two spiritual tools to unleash the power of God in our families. Forgiveness. We don’t earn forgiveness by forgiving others, we prove we’re forgiven when we forgive others. Christian forgiveness is a loving gift of unearned grace. It does not circumvent social justice or restorative discipline. And it does not destroy the sinner, but rather it seeks to heal and convert the sinner. The forgiveness of Jesus is better. Before we come to Jesus with a broken heart, fall on our knees and beg, or offer restitution… He’s already paid the debt. In the middle of our sins, Jesus loves us so much that he has already done the work to forgive us before we ask for it. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

On Sunday, Tomara taught on Generational Blessings; part of our Roots to Branches message series. Real blessings draw us back to God. She asked us to look back in our lives and find nuggets of blessings and reminded us that we have been blessed to be a blessing. We are to move into the world from blessing, not for blessing. So, how have God and your parents blessed you? Your challenge this week is the 3 Blessing Exercise. Each day this week, take time to name what we are thankful for. Think about the brokenness in your life and name it. Ask God to turn this brokenness into blessing. The brokenness I was given was ______ but by the power of Jesus, I want to bring ______.

This weekend, Tyler continued in our series Roots to Branches talking about Family Relationships and focusing on Generational Brokenness. Family relationships are powerful and have a lasting impact and demand on us. One of the main points of this weekend is that we cannot overestimate the impact your family of origin has had on who you are. We all have things from our family of origin that can be negative. We also know that we can be the ones to break those cycles with the power of God.

This past Sunday, we welcomed Mark Moore here from Christ Church of the Valley in Arizona to launch our series Roots to Branches where we will dig into developing healthier family relationships. Marked focused on wisdom through the example of Solomon, the wisest man in the world. In Solomon’s story, we see that parenting and relationship failures happen when we stray from God.   Wisdom is not what you know, it’s what you model.   Mark challenged us to read Proverbs this month and to point out the top 10 Proverbs that you can work on with your family or in your home. Take a moment today to read the Proverbs Resources (https://shorturl.at/CKZ05) that Mark shared and reflect on what you are modeling in your family.

We loved celebrating our risen savior here at Northeast with you! At Easter, we remember the core of our faith and why we have hope. Because He rose, we have forgiveness of sins, a clear purpose for our lives, and freedom from the fear of death. “He is risen - and so shall we be!”

Today, we wrap up our message series, A Journey into Captivity—A Study of Galatians. Today's message centers on preservation. Paul reminds us to stay true to Jesus' teaching and not be swayed by others' attempts to add to it or change it. False teaching puts free people back in chains, and Paul points us back to the truth. Let's be a church that stays true to the gospel and helps others find freedom in Jesus, in spite of a current culture that encourages the deconstruction of faith.

In this message, Damian Thompson continues our study of Galatians with the topic of Perseverance.  Persevere through your storms. To persevere through the difficulties in life is a reminder that God is good, his mercy endures, and he is faithful. Damian reminds us that if the problem made it to you, that’s how you know you can endure it. Because God has already tested it, and He proved that you’re able to bear it. So just hold on. Be proud of who God called you to be. Stay faithful to his word. And don’t let anybody try to disqualify you from walking according to his plan. Because if God called you, he also will perfect you. Patiently wait for him to bring you out of your storm. You just simply have to persevere.

Terrence continues in our series “A Journey Into Captivity - A Study of Galatians” focusing on Reconciliation. Reconciliation is a state of being. It’s a reality that you live in. It's living in a restored state and renewed practices of relating to one another. It's the sense that reconciliation requires a group of people to embody their shared identity and walk together toward the same goals and outcomes. And that is established through the finished work of Christ. Jesus says, pick up your cross and follow me. And saying yes to Jesus is crucifying yourself daily for His purposes and His way. There is nothing significant about us except for the cross of Christ. There’s nothing we have to offer or that brings more meaning, purpose, and value to the life of a believer except the cross of Christ. Living in reconciliation with one another is embracing new creation - identity. It’s making much of the cross and little of our preferences, preoccupations, and presumptions.

Mark Moore continues in our series “A Journey Into Captivity - A Study of Galatians” focusing on Mortification. There is a truth of life that applies in many areas, and that by limiting our freedom we are more free. We are most free when we are most dead. Mark highlighted three practices and challenged us to take on one of them this week as a way of combatting the flesh: Fasting—Skip three meals one day this week. This is a sacrifice of pleasure. This counters the lust of the flesh. Generosity—give something away that is important to you. This is a sacrifice of material goods. This counters the lust of the eyes. (Story of the Pulpit Commentary) Service—Dedicate 3 hours of your week to offer a skill you have that you could use to Love the Ville in a tangible way this week. This is a sacrifice of time. This counters the boastful pride of life. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.” - Colossians 3:5

Lent and this prayer and worship service offer us all the same thing… opportunity. What might it mean for us as individuals, but also as a congregation and as a community, to look deeply into the reality of our souls and be reminded why Good Friday and Easter had to happen? Easter is a season of celebration, but it is also a season of reckoning. It's a time when we come face to face with the reality that Jesus had to die because humanity didn't have the capacity to die to ourselves. One had to die so that many could have life. Even in that truth, today we have the privilege to live on the other side of the resurrection.

On Sunday, Tyler continued our study of Galatians by focusing on Sanctification following Galatians 5:16-23. Paul explains that the Holy Spirit is present to guide us and produce fruit in our lives as we depend on Him. We must trust in the Holy Spirit for guidance, since following our heart can let us down.   How can we tune into the voice of Holy Spirit so that He will be our guide?

In this message, Tyler continues our study of Galatians with the topic of liberation. Not only has the Holy Spirit freed us from the Law, He also guides us into the new law; the law of other-focused love. We are warned to not chain ourselves or others back to the old law (Legalism) and also to not selfishly indulge in our freedom found in Christ (Antinomianism). Which extreme do you tend to lean? How can you fix your eyes on your new identity in Christ as a freed prisoner as well as someone who submits to the Spirit?

Tyler continued our Galatians series this weekend, focusing on the topic of Adoption. He reminded us that we are all trapped in the slavery of sin with orphan hearts. But, God wants to restore our hearts and break the chains of bondage. He has already paid the debt and set us free. So, will you remind yourself of your identity today? That you are already adopted by the Most High, the One who claims, protects, nurtures, and parents you. You are no longer a slave but God’s own child. Galatians 4:4-7; Galatians 3:26-29

Tyler continues in our series “A Journey Into Captivity – A Study of Galatians” focusing on Justification. Are you living in an awareness of God’s grace? We are all guilty of sin and deserving of punishment. We try to justify ourselves but find that we can’t. But we have been justified through faith in Christ. And through faith, Jesus’ perfect righteousness is credited to us. What’s true of Jesus (his crucifixion and resurrection) becomes true of us. Salvation is received, not achieved. We don’t have to prove we’re not bad… we’ve been pardoned. We don’t have to prove we’re special… we’ve been declared righteous. We don’t need to earn peer affirmation… we’ve been given a family. It’s all GRACE! We know that a person is justified not by the works of law but through faith in Jesus Christ. – Galatians 2:16

In this message, Terrence Turman continues in our study of the Book of Galatians, focusing on "Revelation". A revelation is the idea of removing a veil to see things clearly. In Galatians, we hear from Paul, a man who experiences a personal unveiling, allowing him to see Jesus as his savior. Paul went from persecuting the Church to proclaiming the sovereignty of Jesus. Seeing Jesus clearly changes everything, allows us to submit to His will, and produces a life of transformation. “Where do you see God pointing and revealing himself to you?”  

Tyler kicked off the first Sunday of January with a bible study weekend walking through Galatians. The goal is to better understand the historical circumstances underneath all the doctrine. It turns the book into real life, not just telling you what’s going on, but giving you the story beneath the story. This letter from Paul to Galatia is a specific vision for a new creation community. He says it's a multi-ethnic, no jew, no gentile, slave or free, male or female. It’s a multiethnic, nonprejudicial, family-like community that's prioritizing faith in Jesus and learning to follow the spirit. Living in the freedom of love, that's safeguarding the integrity of the true gospel, and that is sharing it with everyone, no matter their country, color, class, or culture. Over the next 11 weeks, we’ll spend 9 weeks journeying through the book of Galatians and we hope you’ll join us!

On New Year’s Eve, we concluded our “Finding Peace in an Anxious World” series. Tyler emphasized the significance of self-denial over self-fulfillment. Many of us are trapped in the pursuit of worldly self-fulfillment, but Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and follow Him. God’s way is the best, and without it, our lives will be incomplete. It’s extraordinary to entrust yourself into the hands of God, who created us, knows us better than ourselves, loves us more than we love ourselves, and wants to guide us toward freedom and prosperity. However, we must let go of our old ways of living to experience this new life, which starts with baptism. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. – Romans 6:4

What an incredible weekend of Christmas services celebrating the birth of Jesus! If you’re seeking for someone to heal your heart, guide a lost soul home, or point the way to the path of peace. Jesus can. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus, and Him alone, is all you need this Christmas. His goodness is endless, it’s eternal. And we pray you find HOPE in him. “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” – Luke 1:78-79

This weekend, we continued our series Finding Peace in an Anxious World, where Tyler focused on Doctrine > Desire.   What does this exactly mean? You will find more peace when you allow God to direct your life and you will find more anxiety when you allow your desires to direct your life. But it’s your choice.   Jesus can lead you to your innermost desires because He will lead you to the way of the cross. And it’s the cross-shaped love of Jesus that sets you free. We don’t have to figure out life on our own. He invites you today to choose His way over your way, just like he did the disciples 2,000 years ago – one step at a time. Just “come and see”.