Sunday Evening Podcast | The Moody Church

Would we live differently if we understand that Christ has already achieved victory? In this passage from 1 Peter, Pastor Josue reminds us of our purpose for being witnesses to the eternal hope we have in Jesus. That mentality keeps us focused on the things that truly matter: loving God and loving others.   1 Peter 1:22-25

We sat down with members of The Moody Church to discuss how they have found victory in living on mission in their Chicagoland workplaces. Check out the discussion!   Panel members: Dr. Michael Thate, Pastor Bill Van Tuinen, Simone Halpin, Lindsay Anderson, Ron Ingram, and Toby Eng

The resurrection of Jesus Christ changes our hope for the future.   In this passage, we look at three results of the resurrection for our present perspective.   Transformative Change: In heaven, we will experience an instantaneous change, from the perishable to the imperishable. Only Jesus can give us the resurrection change that we need. Ultimate Victory: At the time of the resurrection we will experience victory over death, both physical and spiritual. Faithful Living: Jesus' victory over death through the cross should motivate us towards faithful and steadfast living over the long-term.   1 Corinthians 15:50-58

What will heaven be like? Because we sense that what we are now is not fit for heaven, it can be hard to imagine what is to come. There are particularly prevalent misconceptions about what our future experience in heaven will be like.   In this passage, we explore three characteristics of our resurrection bodies: Our resurrection bodies will be fit for heaven Our resurrection bodies will be distinct from our earthly bodies Our resurrection bodies will be like Jesus'   1 Corinthians 15:35-49

The resurrection of Jesus is critical to the theology of the Christian faith. If the resurrection isn't true, we lose so much.   In this passage, Paul plays theological dominoes by asking: What do we lose if there is no resurrection? We have no hope We have no future We have no purpose   May our faith in the resurrection not just reorient our future destiny, but our current reality.   1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Why is the Resurrection so pivotal to our Christian faith? In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul makes it crystal clear that there is no good news if there is no Resurrection. The gospel loses all its power if Jesus did not rise from the dead, for then our faith would be in vain. What we believe about the Resurrection changes everything.   Why is the resurrection essential for the gospel? The necessity of the resurrection The witnesses to the resurrection The results of the resurrection   1 Corinthians 15:1-11

When life gets hard, it's easy to wonder: does God REALLY care about me? Our perspective on God during difficult times is vital for how we respond when these internal thoughts enter our minds.   Three responses for a Christian when we are faced with this question: Be healed Throw a party Grow down   Matthew 9:9–13

We live in a time of overwhelming communication, and yet a lot of what is being said or written has little edifying value to our lives. As the messages flow through our devices, truth is often replaced with personal opinion or speculation. The gospel is also being communicated, but many times it is changed into a different gospel, one that steers us away from the freedom that Jesus offers us by faith.   Could you be living under a different gospel? Here's five symptoms that you may experience if you are: You've lost your freedom in Christ (2:4) You live in fear of what others may say (2:12) You find yourself acting hypocritically (2:13) You try to build your spiritual life on works (2:18; 3:3-5) Your spiritual life is a losing battle (2:16; 3;10)   There are four blessings for those living under the one and only gospel of Christ: Freedom to live (4:3-5; 5:1) Heirs with Christ (4:6) Intimacy with God (4:9) A life founded in love (5:6)   Galatians 1:6–7

What happens when we don't see the results of obedience? Following God does not guarantee immediate results, so if we focus on the present we can become discouraged and lose motivation to continue pursuing obedience.   As we wrap up our series in Malachi, we explore three motivations to continue in obedience.   God sees all and remembers all. The temptation to compromise our integrity is very real today. We see what’s going on in our wold today and make assumptions about God; but God sees our deeds. Life is short, and eternity is long. Our world is obsessed with pursuing temporary pleasures no matter the cost. Scripture tells us that keeping our eyes on eternity helps us prioritize how we live in the present. Obedience isn't optional. Obedience and faithfulness is a necessary part of salvation. While we are not saved by works, we are saved to do good works. Transformed hearts should lead to transformed living.   Malachi 3:13-4:6

Has your life ever been changed by an act of generosity? These events can often create astounding impact on our lives. Generosity can change the giver and the receiver.   In this passage from Malachi 3, we find the people of God robbing God with their money. Scripture has a lot to teach us about generosity and our finances. We serve a generous God. Followers of Jesus should be moving towards greater generosity in all areas of their lives, including their finances. So how can we grow a generous mentality?   Three motivations to generosity: The generosity of God is the grounds for His people to be generous. When we see the heart of God, we see an outpouring of generosity. It's all His anyways. Stop viewing your money as yours, and start viewing it as something God has given you. Generosity reveals our hearts. We may say we worship Jesus, but we are prone to practice the religion of materialism. The happiness your money may bring pales in comparison to the joy of obedience.   Malachi 3:6-12

Have you ever felt like God doesn't care? When God responds in a way that doesn't meet our expectations, it's easy to make false assumptions about His character.   In this sermon, we explore three responses for when it seems like God doesn't care about what's going on in our world:   Look to Jesus: If we ever doubt God's care for us, all we have to do is look to Jesus. His example of the cross is the meeting place of God's justice and love. Learn from His judgement: For God’s people, the fires of the life always have an intended outcome - to purify us to be more like Jesus. Live Justly: Transformation of the heart leads to transformed living. We aren’t saved by works, but a change in who we are must be reflected in how we live. When people see our lives, are we a living reflection of God?   Malachi 2:17-3:5

The Bible contains many warnings about how to avoid spiritual catastrophe. In this sermon from Malachi 2:10-16, we explore three warnings for a Christian's life.    Take God's Word seriously: Trust your faith in God above your feelings. Take worship seriously: Worship is a response to who God is and what he has done, not a tool to get something from him. Take marriage seriously: Faithfulness to a spouse is an act of obedience to God. Living out a Biblical marriage may be one of the most powerful witnesses to God in our world today.   If we take these warnings seriously, the light of our lives would shine bright in the darkness and point to Jesus.   Malachi 2:10-16

We often think of fear as something to be avoided. But in the Bible, fear is sometimes equated with reverential awe. In fact, to fear God is to rightfully respect Him. For example, fear of God brings knowledge (Proverbs 1:7), wisdom (Psalm 111:10), confidence (Proverbs 14:25), and life (Proverbs 19:23).   In this sermon from Malachi 1:6-2:9, we look at three ways to cultivate a healthy fear of God in our hearts: Do not be cavalier towards the Creator Do not allow ritual to replace relationship Do not trifle with the truth   If we do not fear God, we will not have a vibrant relationship with Him. Fear of God leads to love of God, which ultimately leads to devotion to God.   Malachi 1:6-2:9

Spiritual drift happens gradually. Few people wake up one day and suddenly decide to stop following God. Rather, it’s the busyness of life, even in the midst of spiritual practices, that our hearts can turn cold and cause us to wander from God. The prophet Malachi brought a strong message to God’s people who had fallen into spiritual apathy. He wanted them to wake up and renew their passion for the Lord before it was too late.   In this sermon, we explore three characteristics of God’s love. The root of spiritual apathy is forgetting God’s love. To remain spiritually engaged, we need to remind our souls how much God loves us.   God’s love is unchanging God’s love is unconditional God’s love is unlimited   Malachi 1:1-5

Where do you look when you're faced with the unknown?   In this sermon, we learn that even though the journey is unknown, the God of the Bible who makes Himself known is more than competent for the journey.   Psalm 121

Popular stories take on a life of their own over time. We hear them so frequently that we run the risk of forgetting the true details of what really happened. Scripture should inform our understanding about the birth of Christ, not popular legends.   In this sermon from Luke 2, we explore the good news of Jesus' birth. It may surprise us how normal, or common, some of the elements of the story may have been at that time, and what they tells us about our uncommon Savior who was born that day.   Luke 2

In a year when so much has been abnormal, perhaps what we need most is to be reminded of the timeless message of Christmas. This sermon gets back to the basics of the Christmas story, looking at the narrative from Luke 1. Even though you may have heard the story many times before, God's plans still surprise and amaze us. The God who fulfilled promises in the past can be trusted to fulfill His promises to us today.   Luke 1

Living life without thanksgiving to God is a dangerous thing. Over time, our lack of thankfulness can degrade our hearts and cause significant damage to our personality and outlook on life.   In this sermon, we look at three dangers of an ungrateful heart: Pride: Thankfulness brings life into perspective and leads to us to humility. It takes the focus off of ourselves and puts it onto God. Greed: Thankfulness and generosity go hand in hand. When we're thankful, our focus shifts from our needs and towards the needs of others. Jealousy: Thankfulness gives us a spirit of contentment in the things that God has given us. We no longer look with envy at others, but find satisfaction in our portion from the Lord.   Happy Thanksgiving!   Romans 1:21

Thankfulness is a regular theme we find in Scripture. It's a "superpower" in the Christian life. But how can we do it well, at all times, in all seasons? When we put thankfulness into practice, it has a wide-ranging impact on our daily lives.   And the good news is that there are things the we can always be thankful for: The character of God That God's plans never change That God has given us salvation   Various passages

There’s a 50/50 chance that you are either happy or disappointed with the results of the election. For many people, the uncertainty of this time stresses us out. We so easily get caught up in the earthly implications of these events that we miss the bigger picture of our calling as citizens of heaven.   In this sermon, we look at three constant reminders of our heavenly citizenship as followers of Jesus Christ: 1) God is still on the throne: We serve a King that reigns forever, and our values should reflect His values. God is still the object of our trust: There is only one who you can put your trust in and not be disappointed -- put your trust in Jesus. God is still sovereign over all things: We can find our rest in the sovereignty of God, because He is in control.   As citizens of heaven, the goal of our lives should be about making God's name great in the country that we live.   Psalm 20:7, Daniel 2:21