Coastal Church Podcast

<p>The Bible is the story of God’s great love for us, and the extent He goes to have us draw near to Him.</p>

<p>From the beginning of creation the heart of God has been for a people who would desire to know Him in response to His great desire for them. God has reached out in love to us, and He longs for us to put aside the distractions of the world and draw near to Him.</p>

<p>“Fear not.” These were the first words the angels spoke when they announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. This message from heaven is as relevant today as it was over 2000 years ago. It is possible to live without fear by putting our faith in Christ the Lord, our Savior.</p>

<p>Pastor Dave Koop shares a special Christmas Eve message on the Light of the world.</p>

<p>Pastor Dave Koop shares a message on having Hope.</p>

<p>God wrapped the greatest present in such a way that all could receive it.<br><br>In the Christmas story we find some of the main players were wrapped up in certain issues. They totally missed what God was doing. Today, we too can miss what God is doing when we get “wrapped up”.<br><br>So what do we get wrapped up in?</p>

<p>John concludes this epistle by reminding the church that as children of God they have victory in the tough time we experience in this world.</p>

<p>1 John 4:4 NKJV<br>You are of God, little children and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.</p>

<p>In 1 John chapter 3 John continues his “family talk” with the church and makes the point that children of good parents naturally want to emulate their parents. He makes it clear that our Christian faith should make itself obvious in very practical ways in how we live and treat others.</p>

<p>That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life - the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us - that which we have seen and heard we declare to you. – 1 John 1:1-3a</p>

<p>It is imperative as we travel together to understand that there are spiritual dangers that are lurking. The Holy Spirit is our ultimate guide to discern these dangers and provide us with the power and authority needed to resist them.</p>

<p>Paul began his thoughts in Romans Chapter 12 by dealing with the individual, we have an obligation to the Lord to give Him the best of our life in service and sacrifice. This whole chapter then teaches how our mindset determines the way we treat our fellow believer who we travel with.</p>

<p>It’s always more exciting when someone is at home waiting to celebrate your arrival to welcome you back. Today, in our series Travel Together, we are going to look at the importance of welcoming home those who wandered away from God. In Luke chapter 15 Jesus gives us some timeless wisdom on how to reach out and welcome others home.</p>

<p>It is much easier to travel together when everyone has an attitude thankfulness and gratitude.</p>

<p>It is our mission as we travel together, that we serve not only one another, but also those in our community.</p>

<p>In order to travel together through life, we must make constant choices to stay healthy in our relationships. To stay healthy, we must guard our hearts and be ever mindful of the words we speak.</p>

<p>As we travel together we look for ways to help each other grow. The church is a community where we grow in our faith and in our commitment and our love for Jesus and one another. If we’re isolated from the church, we don’t function or grow well.</p>

<p>In order to travel together we will need to reach out to others in need. Real friends love, not “because of” but in “spite of.” They know our weaknesses and flaws. Real friends don’t run from our burdens, rather they help carry them.</p>

<p>We are only better together if we travel together in love, without love we may be worse together!</p>

<p>As a church we want to travel together in the challenging days that may lie ahead. Travelling together is a safer and more enjoyable way to reach our common destination.</p>

<p>Courage is our willingness to face adversity and today we live in a world that is facing great adversity which is testing the courage of many. When we are spiritually healthy, we have the ability to face adversity with confidence, optimism and care for others.</p>

<p>Courageous living could reward you with a view from a mountain top, a hero’s welcome in your city or finding the love of your life. But what is the greatest reward of courage you could ever receive?</p>

<p>This past year, perhaps more than any other in recent history, we have all had feelings of discouragement attack us as we continue to push through the starts and stops of life. From the book of Nehemiah we learn some valuable lessons on how to overcome discouragement.</p>

<p>At the age of 85, Caleb saw his dream come true as he entered the promised land and declared “Give me this mountain”. He is an example of the courage to never give up and fulfill the mission for your life.</p>

<p>It takes great courage to stand for what you believe, for your convictions and for the truth, especially if your convictions are rooted in the Bible.</p>