Coastal Church Podcast

<p>“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” - 2 Corinthians 4:8-10</p>

<p>What is your biggest fear?<br>What is holding you back from courageous living?<br>How are you facing your fears?</p>

<p>Life isn’t all valleys, but it does seem like there has been a lot of them lately. We must remember that even in our darkest valleys, our darkest days, God is there and by His strength we can safely get through to the other side.</p>

<p>“But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” - Matthew 6:6</p>

<p>This weekend, Pastor Dave Koop shares the 7 Keys to Golf and Fathering.</p>

<p>As we look at this section of James, we see two groups of people who have different perspectives of eternity: those who ignore the coming of the Lord and those who patiently look forward to eternity and act with urgency knowing this life is but a vapour.</p>

<p>As leader of the church in Jerusalem, James knew how to speak with authority. You don’t have to look for hidden meanings in this book, James tells us clearly how we should act.</p>

<p>Dealing with relational conflicts is a spiritual battle and the trials of life can amplify tensions that exist. However, we can work through conflicts and develop healthy relationships if we put our trust in God’s word, walk in humility and treat each other with respect.</p>

<p>Just as James exhorts believers to demonstrate their faith through works, he also calls for the demonstration of wisdom by godly living. In chapter three, James compares two types of wisdoms. One comes from God and is pure and promotes peace, ending in order. But the other is driven by envy and self-seeking resulting in confusion and chaos.</p>

<p>Genuine faith in God gives us the power to control and tame our tongue. This small, but immensely powerful, part of the body must be held in check—and only grace, working through faith, can manage it.</p>

<p>The greatest gift we can give our mother’s is honor. Honor can be defined as: to recognize a person’s value and esteem them accordingly.</p>

<p>James shows us the difference between dead faith and dynamic faith.</p>

<p>For James, faith and favoritism cannot coexist. God calls us to love one another, just as He loves. Partiality, favoritism and discrimination against others have no place in the kingdom of God.</p>

<p>James gives some key qualities we need to have in our faith as we encounter trials and temptations in our life.</p>

<p>The Book of James was written to a church that was scattered and couldn’t assemble together due to circumstances beyond their control. Today, like the early church, we are experiencing similar challenges. Trials, temptations, conflicts and the pressures of life are inevitable, but God will empower us to persevere as we live by faith waiting for Christ’s return.</p>

<p>Have you ever been so anxious that you stayed up all night? Have you wondered how you could settle your mind and body down? How did you cope?</p>

<p>The Greek word for anxiety literally means to be pulled apart in different directions. In order to deal with anxiety Jesus gave three things to focus on in the Sermon on the Mount.</p>

<p>Truth keeps us from falling into the same patterns over and over again. But separated from grace, truth can be harsh.</p>

<p>In the Bible we find examples of those who battled mental health issues. This includes the great prophet Elijah.</p>

<p>Where we are today directly relates to how we were prepared yesterday. To prepare us for what’s ahead there will be tests we all must pass. David was prepared by a number of tests before he rose to a new level in his battle with Goliath.</p>

<p>You will never discover the purpose and passion for your life until you realize you matter and why you matter.</p>

<p>Isolation was never God’s plan for mankind. The church is place where you can belong and where your belonging counts. God designed us to live in community with Him and with one another.</p>

<p>In order for the church to move from a gathering to an assembly there must be a culture of trust.<br><br>Trust begins with an understanding of each other.</p>

<p>We are our happiest when we are using our talents and our S.H.A.P.E. to serve others.</p>

<p>In order to discover our purpose and our place we need to focus on how we can grow together.</p>