Coastal Church Podcast

<p>We all have been called to walk by faith. This walk will lead you to your destiny. It will be a walk of obedience even when it doesn’t make sense. Like Paul, we want to finish the race and complete our destiny.</p>

<p>Every Olympic ceremony begins with an inspiring procession of athletes from all the participating countries marching into the stadium under their country’s banner or flag. The flag identifies them with their nation and becomes a rallying point for athletes and fans. The Bible talks in a number of places of His banner that flies over us, a banner of love and truth.</p>

<p>Real faith doesn’t just agree with God, there is a corresponding action that goes with it. Can a faith that never moves save you? It is more than believing God exists, even the demons believe He exists, it is acting on what He says because you know He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.</p>

<p>Scripture defines faith as substance and evidence, a present guarantee and a satisfying conviction, formed by hearing God’s Word. As we consider what it means to live in faith and live out faith, we are reminded that faith is a reasoned trust that seeks God, knows Him, and responds in obedience.</p>

<p>Faith is not just what we believe, it’s how we live. In Scripture, to walk with God speaks of our daily choices, direction, and way of life. Enoch’s story shows us that true faith is lived out through a faithful walk that pleases God.</p><p>Walking by faith means trusting God beyond what we see, obeying even when we don’t fully understand, and choosing God over circumstances each day.</p>

<p>Faith is revealed in what we bring to God, not just what we believe. In the story of Cain and Abel, two offerings look similar, but only one is accepted because it is given by faith and obedience. Today we face the same choice: the way of Cain, or the way of Abel.</p>

<p>Hebrews 11:3 shows that we understand creation by faith, a faith God has given to every believer, not a special kind reserved for a few. Everyone places faith in something, and Christian faith trusts a personal God who spoke the universe into existence, giving life meaning and hope. We exercise faith by believing God’s Word and speaking it, just as God created by speaking. The greatest act of faith is trusting God’s plan of redemption through Jesus.</p>

<p>The Bible tells us the "just shall live by faith," and Hebrews 11 shows us ordinary people who trusted God when it would have been easier not to, choosing His voice over fear, comfort, or crowd opinion. Over the next few months, we will study these “hall of faith” characters and discover that no matter what situation we face, with God on our side, faith always has another move.</p>

<p>As we come to the close of 2025, we don’t just want to finish the year; we want to finish strong, moving from glory to glory.</p><p>This year, God invited us into a simpler but deeper way of living with one word: Abide, not striving harder, but staying closer to Jesus. </p><p>As we look back, we see how abiding has shaped us, prepared us, and is still leading us forward into transformation.</p>

<p>We live in a world full of noise, distractions, and things that promise meaning but leave us empty. Beneath it all is a simple question: Are we chasing what’s trivial, or are we carrying what truly matters?</p><p>When Scripture speaks of the glory of God, it describes something weighty, real, and transformative. An encounter with God’s glory exposes what is empty and draws us into a life of substance, purpose, and eternal significance.</p>

<p>In a world where peace often feels tied to circumstances, God offers something far deeper and unshakable. This weekend, we will learn how true peace isn’t found in life getting easier, but in living within the presence of God. When His glory is near, peace follows, guarding our hearts and minds, restoring what’s been broken, and steadying us no matter what we face.</p>

<p>Before God brought the Children of Israel into the Promised Land, he first took them through the desert, in the liminal space, in order to shape them and equip them for the Promised Land. Likewise, God will often take us through our desert to prepare us for what is to come, and that is often where we experience His glory.</p>

<p>Join us this weekend as we welcome special guest speaker Karl Martin — visionary leader and founder/CEO of Arable, a leadership house dedicated to cultivating healthy culture and shaping leaders who impact the world.</p><p>You won’t want to miss the wisdom and encouragement he’ll bring!</p>

<p>Praising and worshipping God brings His glory and His presence into our lives. He inhabits, enthrones, or sits among our praises. When we praise and worship, we invite His manifest presence or His glory to dwell with us.</p>

<p>God’s glory, His manifested presence, shows up in our lives as interruptions. They rarely come when it’s convenient. But those interruptions are actually invitations, moments when God steps into your story to do something greater. “Interruption is God’s invitation to do something greater with your life.”</p>

<p>In keeping with the Abide theme for the year, our Christmas message will focus on the glory of God. It is His presence that draws us and keeps us. We will focus on how the glory of God is His presence made visible among us. The transcendent God making His presence felt. It is the wind of His Spirit blowing in our midst. The incarnation means His glory is not distant, it is here. Our response to His glory is holiness, worship, and the mission of bringing others out of the darkness into His presence of light.</p>

<p>This week’s message focuses on Rebekah, a woman who gave beyond what was expected. Her story, along with others in Scripture, shows that when we give freely and with faith, God not only meets our needs but also shapes our future in powerful ways.</p>

<p>The health of any church community depends on how we handle relationships, especially when conflict, disappointment, or differences arise. Scripture gives us clear warnings about certain attitudes and actions that can quietly erode unity and love within the body of Christ.</p>

<p>Being thankful has a dramatic effect on your whole being and changes the way you treat others and the atmosphere around you. The story of the ten lepers in Luke 17 reminds us that while all were healed, only one returned to thank Jesus, and in doing so, he found true wholeness.</p>

<p>The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ most well-known teachings. But we often focus only on the act of compassion, not what it took for the Samaritan to respond the way he did. He was healthy in five areas of life, which enabled him to love his neighbor and bear another’s burden. </p>

<p>Peace often feels fragile, easily broken by conflict or pride. Yet Scripture reminds us it’s not accidental, it’s something we pursue. In Romans 12, Paul shows us how to walk in peace that begins with God and flows into our relationships. True peace is more than the absence of conflict; it is the presence of Christ shaping how we think, speak, and treat others.</p>

<p>Join us this weekend as we learn from the story of Barnabas. He’s not the main character, yet time and again he lifted others into their calling. His real name was Joseph, but the apostles nicknamed him Barnabas—“son of encouragement.” Why? Because he led with generosity and reflected the heart of our Father, the God of all encouragement (2 Corinthians 1:3).</p>

<p>We live in a world where everyone wants to matter and be noticed. But Jesus redefines greatness, not by popularity, position, possessions or power, but by serving. We all have been given various gifts to serve. It must remembered that gifts are just that, gifts. We are not the authors of them, they have been designed by God for each of us as He sees fit for the purpose of serving others.</p>

<p>In Exodus 18, Moses learned, through Jethro’s counsel, that shared leadership strengthens both leaders and communities. By listening to advice, praying, teaching, sharing responsibility, and empowering others, we see a model where no one is overloaded and no one is overlooked.</p>

<p>The world feels shaky today, because it is. Trends shift overnight, conflicting headlines broadcast the chaos our world is in, and uncertainty seems to surround us on every side. But here’s the good news, God is certain, unchanging and He will empower us to stand strong. God tell us not to fear, not be dismayed, that He will give us strength and uphold us with His right hand.</p>