The Jesus Christ Experience

*A bit of context. The prop that I used in this episode to help people visualize my topic is a suitcase that has 'Predestination' written on the front along with Eph 2:10 as well as "God's Will". Inside are promises, not only from these verses, but also from Rom 8:29-30. The life we have in Christ is one of mystery, adventure and abundance. In this episode we look at what is predestination. What has God predestined for those who are IN Christ? Does He ultimately decide who is saved and who isn't? How can we know or understand what God has for each one of us? I again take a humble approach to a very controversial topic. I am not saying that I know more than the millions of other Christians before me who debated this topic for centuries. However, I do feel that the Lord has pressed it upon me to share what I do believe. 

This week we discussed Ephesians 1:4 where it talks about God choosing us IN Christ. What does it mean that he chose us before the foundation of the world? Do we really have free will? As I share my beliefs and how I interpret these verses, I am well aware that many people smarter and more learned than me have argued these points for centuries. I am humbly sharing my beliefs. This is a pretty large and sweeping topic, so I hope you will be able to understand and follow what I am saying. Buckle up and come along for the ride!

In this episode we delve into what it means to be "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." As we go through Ephesians 1 we are focusing on the "in Christ" statements that are speaking of the abiding life of the Christian. This week is Ephesians 1:3. The enemy has done a good job at creating confusion and hesitation when it comes to living in abundance and the blessings of the Lord. Yet God clearly intends for us to live in the blessings He has given us.....maybe we just don't understand what the blessings are intended for.......

This is a brief explanation of the power and purpose of being grateful. We are implementing a time of gratitude/appreciation before our regular service in order to incorporate a spirit of gratitude into our community and lives. I hope this challenges you and opens up your eyes to the power of gratittude!

We continued unpacking what it means to "abide in Christ". The life of God flowing through man is what the world is starved for, the enemy fears and the delight of God. If we want live from the life and grace of God, it requires that we keep the Gospel ever in our view. This "fuel" source for our lives is what the engineer of creation has designed our lives to run off of. It's not about arriving spiritually, it is about an ongoing relationship and connection with Jesus that produces the poem of our life God always intended us to live. 

Last week we talked about the eternal divine life that has been extended to us through Christ. If you missed out on the Easter Service, I would encourage you to go back and listen to have a better understanding of the background of this sermon. Our text is John 15 where Jesus is talking about being the vine and we are the branches. Why does Jesus emphasize abiding and remaining attached to Him when the modern Christianity often times majors on all the things we should/shouldn't do. Can we truly live by the life of Christ through a deep heart connection to Him?

Come and experience the story of the eternal Life of God.

For Palm Sunday we talked about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. While everyone is celebrating (other than the religious leaders) expecting Jesus to become the King of a new worldly empire, Jesus is humbly stepping into His place as the true Passover lamb. Do we still largely miss what Jesus came to do, and what it truly means to follow Him?

How do we view the command from Jesus to abide in His love? What does that look like? How do we hold in tension the Love of God for us and the subsequent obedience that He calls us to live in? How does this connect with Joy and our connection with one another? Come alone and explore with us the answers to these questions.

In this sermon I continue to talk about the glory of the Joy that the Father and the Son had before the foundation of the world. This joy was a type of glory that the Father and Son shared. Then in John 17 we see Jesus praying that the Father would share this same glory with us, the same glory as the intimate friendship and delight that the Father and Son share. Even in Job we see the clear connection of the delight in God's face towards us as the source of our joy. 

In this sermon, we continue to look at Joy, and how God is happy to be with us. We look at both the scriptures and brain science that explains how we are wired to live in joy. But, what is joy.....really? What is the source of joy? And can we grow more joy in our lives?

In this sermon we began to see how neuroscience and scripture can help us get a more complete picture of what joy is and how we are wired to live in joy. One of the most basic definitions of joy from a neuroscience viewpoint is, when someone is happy to be with us or when someone's face lights up when they see us. With this definition, can we find this concept in the Bible? The answer is a resounding "Yes". Come and see how God's face lights up to be with us!

Today I introduced the topic of Joy. Joy is supposed to be one of the markers of the Christian life, yet it doesn't seem very prevalent amongst believers. I know it wasn't for me. In this sermon we go over several key verses that give us a look at what Joy is and how thanksgiving and gratitude are tied to joy. At the end we did an activation with everyone that significantly raised the joy in the room. 

We continued exploring the humility of Christ and how He chose to become just like us....and even lower. Why would God choose to become not only a man, but a servant? Isn't the point of being a leader so that others will serve you? As we have looked at the Christ's humble nature it stands in stark contrast to our society and even the modern church structure. We need to ask ourselves, if I am not growing in humility, am I really following Christ? 

We continued with considering the humility of Jesus. From the Beatitudes to washing the disciples feet, Jesus embodied what true humility is. Our society has reframed humility to be self-loathing or timidity, but we see in the life of Jesus that it is bold, confident, and fully focused on dependency on God for everything. Just as Jesus fully depended in the Father, so too can we live from a place of humble dependency on the life and spirit of Christ in us!

When we begin to look at and be aware of the humility of God, it exposes the pride in and around our lives. Humility doesn't call attention to itself, yet it is the carbon atom of the Christian walk. To follow Christ requires that we take the lower path. It requires a heart that refuses to be self dependent and instead fully relies on the indwelling life of Christ to lead, guide and provide all we need.

In this sermon I share from my heart. The main scripture is 2 Cor. 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 'we all' speaks of the body of Christ coming together to look upon Jesus and share that with one another. 'Unveiled face' refers to the veil of the Old Testament and the law is taken away in Christ, revealing the true heart and clear nature of God. 'Beholding as in a mirror' when we start acknowledging and seeing the power and nature of Christ shining through us.  'being transformed into the same image' when we look at Jesus and become more mindful of Him, we naturally start living out of the nature and Spirit that He's placed in us.

I feel that God has placed Paul's prayer in Ephesians and Philemon on my heart for this coming year. He prays that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation would come upon the believers so that they might know (by seeing and experiencing) who God is for them and in them. Also, this prayer sets the backdrop for what we as the body of Christ need and the world......a real, genuine revelation of Jesus Christ.

"Keep your heart with all diligence..." is a timeless command that is more true now than ever. What we take in to our heart eventually comes out of our lives. The world is constantly vying for your attention. Whole companies and industries revolve around capturing your attention and.....ultimately your heart. The good news is, you may have problems, but it is your choice if you have issues. Just like David with Goliath and Joshua leading the children of Israel. Our problems become places where the size and power of the God we serve is tested. Is our God bigger than our problems or not?

In this episode we get into the practical process of addressing spiritual/demonic attacks in the Christian's life. Since the spirit realm operates much like our legal system, we are able to systematically address and remove ground that we have given the enemy in our lives. Using our authority as believers and the name of Jesus Christ we can remove the enemy's influence and work in our lives. Below is the handout that I reference in the message.Legal Process of Removing Demonic Influence and Oppression:Confess  →  Cancel → Command → Commit UnforgivenessConfess: God, you know every wound from my past. You know the damage done by the enemy and the ways I made it worse by my own distrust and sin.  God, please forgive me for not trusting you when that happened and my part in the sin. (1x)Today, I choose to forgive ________, for … I choose to forgive (him/her/them) because Jesus has forgiven me. Today, I choose to forgive myself, for …I choose to forgive myself because Jesus has forgiven me.Heavenly Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I repent for all the ways that I have accused you for what Satan has done in my life.  I forgive myself and release myself from the bitterness towards you.__________________________________________Areas of SinConfess:“Lord Jesus, I confess my sin in the area of ______. Lord Jesus, please forgive me.” ________________________________Cancel: Lord Jesus, if there are any spirits who have anything to do with me, my body, or my spirit because of this sin, I ask you to forgive this sin and cancel any ground held against me because of this sin.Command:“In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, if there are any demons working in this area of my life, I command you to leave me with all your works and effects and all your associates and their works and effects, and go to the feet of Jesus right now.  I command this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and our Savior, Amen.”Commit: Holy Spirit please come and fill these areas of my life that were previously under demonic control.  I submit to you and desire your fellowship and filling in these places in my life. | Common names where strongholds reside | Abortion/murder | Anger/hatred/temper | Anxiety | Conflict or confusion in a relationship | Confusion | Control | Coveting | Depression | Doubt | Eating disorder and/or body dysmorphia | Fear | Fear or disrespect of authority | Freemasonry or other secret society where vows were made | Generational sins | Insomnia or nightmares | Jealousy | Legalism | Lying | Occult and/or New Age | Pornography | Power | Pride | Rape/assault/abuse-victim of or has committed | Rebellion | Religious spirit | Same sex attraction | Self-harm | Self-hatred/unworthy | Sexual sin | Shame | Silence | Soul ties | Stealing | Suicidal thoughts | Unclean thoughts or lust | Unforgiveness | Unworthy | Yoga | Mental and physical illnesses can be caused by the demonic | accusations from the enemy -Combat with Freedom Prayer |   | despair | feeling inadequate | guilt | hopelessness | low self-steem | self-condemnation | self-destruction | self-hatred | shame | suicidal thoughts | unworthiness | worthlessness 

We continued our teaching from last week. Joelle and I share some personal stories about our interactions with demonic influences. Then we address the believer's authority: who has it, who doesn't, and what gives the enemy a foothold?

In this episode I start introducing the battlefront of the spirit realm. I address the basic ways in which demons are allowed to afflict and torment people. I also speak about what the Bible has to say about demonization vs. oppression/possession and explain how Christians filled with the life and presence of God are able to be afflicted by demons. 

After the pastoral installation portion of the service, we partook of communion together. I would encourage you to get the elements for yourself and take communion with us. 

This episode wraps up the final trifecta of the battle front of the world. In 1 John 2:15-16 we see that the World's third rout of attack is through the pride of life also known as self-ambition. Is ambition wrong? Aren't we made to be prosperous and fruitful? What characterizes the world's type of ambition. What are then the key ways in which we can overcome the world and it's temptations? These questions will all be answered in this episode.  

In this episode the battle front of the World is introduced. It is important to understand our enemy's tactics so that we can come against his work in our lives and spheres of influence. The world's forms of attacks can be summed up in three ways: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. This week we talk about the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. 

This is the final episode concerning the battle front of the Flesh/Carnal Nature. We start this episode in Romans 7 and move on into Romans 8 where the dividing line of the Carnal nature and the Spirit Man is clearly drawn. What is the purpose of the Law? What is the law of the Spirit? How can we live in the new nature that God has placed inside of every believer? And how can we live by the nature of Christ? All these questions are addressed in this episode.

In this episode, we unpack what the scriptures refer to as the carnal nature and the new man. Salvation is more than just going to heaven, it is an ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. In this salvation process we have been given the very nature of God. A divine nature and life source that we can live from. We as Christians have the ability and privilege to live from the new man, which is made "in true righteousness and holiness". This is the man that God looks at when He calls us "holy, blameless and above reproach in His eyes", yet we oftentimes fail to see ourselves in this way. 

Here we explore what the carnal nature is and how it affects the Christian. The carnal nature or the "flesh" desires to live independent of the Gospel. Typically this happens one of two ways: 1) By earning salvation through being "good enough" for God, rather than receiving righteousness through the work of Christ or 2) By choosing to find satisfaction and fulfillment outside of Him. While we have been given victory over the flesh through Jesus Christ, we can still choose to live by the flesh. The antidote to this is living by the Spirit. 

We as Christians face our enemy on 3 battlefronts. In this episode, we begin to unpack the battleground of the Flesh or Carnal Nature. Every plant and animal that God created during Creation was given the ability to reproduce after its own kind. God then created us after His own kind. However, when man ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, a new seed was deposited into man......one of rebellion and independence from God. That seed in turn created the carnal nature that has plagued mankind ever since. 

We as Christians are in a war, one that has been going on since before the beginning of time. In light of recent events, it is easy to start seeing people as our enemies. Yet we know from Eph. 6:12 that we do not wrestle or war against flesh and blood but...... powers of this present age. People are not our enemy, the disciples and early Believers understood this. The devil and his cohort is our true enemy and his ultimate goal is to destroy and eradicate the image of God in the earth. We must become aware of the war we are in, what is at stake, and our place in this great conflict. 

In the final verses of John 1 we are introduced to Phillip and Nathanial. Jesus calls these 2 to follow Him. What does following truly mean? What does Jesus' reference to Jacob's ladder have to do with who He is? Can we live a Christian life where we can also call others to 'come and see'? These are all addressed in this episode.

The first words Jesus speaks in John is a probing question, "What are you seeking?" This is a probing question that extends to every person who wants to follow Jesus. What are we seeking from Him? Then he invites them along with all peoples into His home, His heart and ultimately into His family if they will but Come and See."

At different seasons in out lives, we will face times of unfulfilled expectations. Just as John the Baptist wrestled with wondering if Christ was that promised Messiah as he sat in a prison cell, circumstances can leave us wondering if we have missed it, or even if God has let us down in some way. Listen more to learn the ways to navigate seasons of unfulfilled expectations. 

In this sermon, we explored the 3 differing identities of John the Baptist. The three identities came from the world, John himself, and finally Jesus Christ. We too have these 3 sources of our identity impressed upon each of us. What is the difference between them? Which one is true? Which one do we truly live from? All these answers are coved, plus the opportunity to hear from God what your true identity is. Enjoy!

Today we explored John 1:14-18 where it speaks of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. What doe that mean? How do we receive the "fullness of God"? What does it look like to receive "Grace upon Grace"? All of these points are talked about in this episode.

This week we explored the John 1:1-13. We delved into what John was trying to communicate through his introduction and the use of the Greek word Logos. John continues his lofty introduction of his best friend and creator of life, Jesus.