Renew Communities Teaching Podcast

Naturally Supernatural Mission

The "good" gods

More often than not, the idols we give our hearts to are good things meant to be enjoyed and appreciated. The problem is that, because our hearts are little “idol factories,” we tend to make a “good thing” into an ultimate thing. We think that they will satisfy our souls, but in turn, leave us empty. But the good news of the gospel is that God always gives us a way out of our sin. The gospel points our hearts to the reality that choosing Jesus is always better.

The god of Self

In week 4 of our series we explore why we are so easily taken by the god of self, the damage this god has on the world and around us and how we ought to handle our own thoughts and feelings to bring them under the authority of the one true God, His Son Jesus and in step with the Holy Spirit.

The god of Power

In week 3 we talk about what happens when you let politics become a god, how God fights back and how you can live faithfully for Jesus in a world consumed by Power.

The god of Progress

In week 2 of our series we explore how progress becomes a god to us. The gospel of progress entices us to live for tomorrow and trust in the advancements we can make on our own. As Christians we believe that God holds the future in his hands and we are to come to Him, hoping not in Him but in Jesus.

Engaged in the Conflict

In 1 Kings 18 we see the stark reality of the allegiance of God’s people being pulled in several different directions. While their social identity was being known as the People of Yahweh (the one true God) their spiritual allegiances had shift to the false gods Baal and Asherah. The one true God has no room for split allegiances and Elijah calls all of God’s people together to remind them of who they belong to and the damage aligning with another god can do.

What It Means To Be Human

We wrap up our Philippians sermons by taking a fresh look at the song found in Philippians 2. We pray through it with Lectio Divina together and discover with God is like and what it means to be human.

Finances, Contentment and Where We Draw Our Strength

What's Your Focus

What I Want

What you want makes you who you are and what you want most is what shapes you most. For most of us we don’t think about what desires are driving our life and if we’re not careful we can be enticed to want things that can cause great harm. In Philippians 3 Paul highlights how important it is to want the right thing because only one thing can make us who we were made to be.

Warped & Crooked

A Life Worthy of the Gospel

To Live Is Christ And To Die Is Gain

Choosing Joy In The Midst Of Our Circumstances

Utmost Humiliation, Utmost Exaltation

The Same Mindset as Christ Jesus

Tearing Down Unnecessary Walls

As the threat of sickness spread throughout our world last year the one thing we were told we could do was create a bubble to keep ourselves, our families, and others safe. It’s not long before bubbles become barriers and barriers become walls meant to keep others away and to keep us safe. The problem with these walls is what you do with them after. Many of us chose to live with unnecessary walls that keep the relationships we need and the life we want out of reach which means we suffer all in t...

The End Of Division

Everyone agrees that our world is more divided than ever. But if you ask them why you’ll find there’s little to no agreement. Though, the one thing we can all agree on is it’s somebody else’s fault! In week 3 we explore the core element of what divides us, what role we each play in that division and the steps we can take to end the division.

Unpacking The Baggage

You don’t go through challenging times without picking up some baggage. The circumstances you fight through, the losses you suffer, the relationships that come to an end, the opportunities missed - all of these are bags we carry through from our last mess to the next one. In week 3 we work through how to appropriately unpack the baggage we’ve been hauling around what happens when we don’t.

Forgiveness is the Key

When tensions are high relationships are fragile. In the last year, it has felt like so much is riding on every single moment. In moments like these, we can either inflict or receive the most pain from the people we’re closest to. Most of the time we can name the hurt, identify the culprit, analyze the circumstances and address the pain but none of that is cleaning up the mess the broken relationship has caused. On Sunday we worked through how to clean up after someone has done you wrong (or you...

Embrace Your Story

Your story is uniquely yours! Just because it’s your story doesn’t mean it’s only meant for you. God wants to use your story to help others with similar stories understand how they fit in God’s big story. In the final week of our series Finding Your Place, we talk about what it looks like to tell your story in a way that introduces others to God!

Identify Your Passions

Have you ever thought about how unique the things you care about are? Nobody has the same combination of passions that you do. What if God gave you those passions to direct your heart on mission? In week 3 of our series, we’ll talk about how your passions can point you towards the mission God has for you!

Discover Your Gifts

God has given you specific gifts and abilities through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit! In week 2 we’ll discuss how you’re gifted, how to identify your gift and how to begin using your gift to accomplish God’s mission in the world!

The Mission

Our God’s on a mission. He is working to restore all that was lost at the fall. Paul tells us that if you are in Christ you’ve been made new but he also says that Jesus has give the ministry of reconciliation to us. We have been given the charge to join God on His mission! The mission of Jesus is more than just service projects and good deeds, it’s the opportunity to introduce our friends and neighbors to the one who is making all things new.

Jesus is The Christ

Jesus is “The Christ” which means “the anointed one.” As the Messiah Jesus was “annointed’ to fulfill God’s mission and purpose. Watch or listen as we discuss what it means for Jesus to be the Christ and how “beholding him” in this way should shape our life.

Beholding Jesus

There’s a reason that the author of Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus. It’s been said that “You become what you behold” and so how we focus on Jesus can bring significant transformation to our lives! In week 4 we’ll talk about how we can fix our eyes on Jesus and we’ll practice beholding him together.

The Battle That Saved My Life

There's an obvious spiritual impact that comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but it goes far beyond the personal implications that we often focus on. There has been a spiritual battle raging throughout human history but Jesus’ resurrection results in the ultimate victory. In week 3 of our series we talk through this cosmic battle and what the victory of God means for us in our everyday lives.

The Aim of Life

In Philipians 3 Paul talks about a desire to know Jesus, but he talks about knowing him in a way we most often don’t think about. Paul doesn’t just want to know the resurrection power of Jesus but he wants to participate with Jesus in His suffering and death. Through the Lenten season we are reminded of the intense physical suffering that Jesus endured but what if there was a way that we could connect our suffering to the suffering Jesus experienced that could bring a closeness with Jesus that g...

We Will Remember

The Christian's practice of eating the “Lord’s Supper” dates back to the night of the last supper. We were given this meal as a way to remember, or to focus our attention on, the body and blood of Jesus. In the first week of Lent, we will speak of its importance, how participating in it together can usher us into communion with Him and why beholding Jesus as He is should be so important for us as Christians.

Live for His Glory

What is celebrated gets repeated and what is glorified gets our allegiance. In our final week of Bridging the Gap, we take a look at what we're celebrating and glorifying, how it's impacting our lives, and what kind of revisions God is calling us to make so that we celebrate and glorify Him!