Coastal Church Podcast

<p>Jesus' words in John 15:1-8 provide a powerful metaphor for the believer's relationship with Him. He calls Himself the True Vine, His Father the Vinedresser, and His followers the branches.</p>

<p>The heart, as described in Scripture, represents our innermost being and must be guarded diligently, as it influences every aspect of life. Just as physical stress can harm the body, spiritual stress—caused by worry, striving, and fear—can lead to exhaustion, but Jesus offers a better way through abiding in Him. By remaining connected to Christ, like branches to a vine, we naturally bear fruit, live in His love, experience true joy, and find communion with God.</p><p><br></p>

<p>True peace comes from obeying God's Word, fixing our thoughts on Him, and trusting that He will keep us in perfect peace. Ultimately, we can find comfort in Christ's assurance that He is with us always, even in the most turbulent times.</p>

<p>Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as our Helper and the ultimate source of peace. Abiding in Christ is sustained through the Spirit’s presence.</p>

<p>Abiding in Christ includes trusting Him when the future is unclear.</p><p>Life is full of uncertainty, and sometimes our hearts are troubled. We face challenges, losses, and doubts that make us question the path ahead.</p><p>God wants to lead us to trust Him, even if we don’t understand</p><p>His thoughts are higher than ours. And His thoughts are always good!</p>

<p>Jesus commands His disciples to love one another as He has loved them. Abiding in Christ involves sacrificial, selfless love.</p>

<p>Judas’ betrayal and Jesus’ response demonstrate that abiding in Christ involves navigating betrayal with grace and forgiveness.</p><p> </p><p>How should we handle betrayal?</p><p>Forgive: Forgiveness doesn’t mean excusing the betrayal but releasing the hurt to God. (Matthew 6:14-15)</p><p>Set healthy boundaries: While Jesus extended love to Judas, He didn’t try to change him or keep him in His inner circle. (Proverbs 4:23, Galatians 6:5)</p><p>Connect to a small group: Jesus surrounded Himself with His other disciples, a reminder to seek support from trusted friends and spiritual family. We too need a personal support network. (Hebrews 10:24-25)</p><p>Trust God with justice: Vengeance belongs to God, not us. (Romans 12:19)</p><p><br></p>

<p>Jesus’ act of washing His disciples’ feet reveals that abiding in Him begins with a posture of humility. When we walk in humility, we create space for His life to flow through us, just as the vine nourishes its branches.</p>

<p>While abiding keeps us connected to Christ, His command to “go” ensures that we do not stagnate in our faith. When we are deeply rooted in Him, the natural result is the desire to share the gospel and bear the fruit of the Spirit that Paul talks about in Galatians 5:22,23. Abiding is not passive; it produces action.</p>

<p>Home has a powerful influence on all of us. At Christmas we are reminded that God came to dwell among us and make a way for us to spend eternity in His home.</p><p>A strong foundation in our earthly homes and being secure in our eternal home enables us to step into 2025 with confidence.</p>

<p>Love in Advent is more than feeling this is the most wonderful time of the year, it is about recognizing that God loves us and then going and sharing that love with others. If we look closely Christmas teaches us what it means to love.</p>

<p>The joy of Christmas is not found in fleeting emotions or worldly pleasures but in the profound truth that “the Lord has come.” As we journey through this Advent season, we are reminded that true joy is supernatural—a gift of the Spirit, anchored in God’s eternal love and presence.</p>

<p>December is a month to reflect on the birth of Jesus. Why did He come? Ultimately Jesus has come to bring us peace within, because he makes peace between.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Experience Jesus’ birth through their eyes as Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night blends The Messengers and The Shepherd into one special remastered and re-scored story: <a href="https://watch.thechosen.tv/video/184683594479" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://watch.</a><a href="http://thechosen.tv/video/184683594479" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">thechosen.tv/video/184683594479</a></p>

<p>Oh Holy Night is a Christmas production put on entirely by the Coastal Church family. Full of special music, moments of laughter, and a Christmas message from Pastor Dave. Streaming live from the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver!</p>

<p>In this message, we'll explore the certainty of Jesus' second coming, just as His first coming fulfilled God's promises and proved that nothing is impossible for Him. Just as the miraculous events of His birth seemed impossible, we can trust in His promises for His return.</p><p><br></p><p>The Chosen Christmas Special Clip: <a href="https://watch.thechosen.tv/video/184683594479" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://watch.</a><a href="http://thechosen.tv/video/184683594479" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">thechosen.tv/video/184683594479</a></p>

<p>Roar teaches at the Word of Life Bible Institute and other Bible schools worldwide. He’s also an author, podcaster on Israel-related topics, and part of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.</p>

<p>Christmas is a time to pause and reflect on the magnificence of Jesus. The incarnation—the miracle of God becoming man—is only truly understood if we first believe in the deity and pre-existence of Jesus as part of the Godhead. Without this foundation, the significance of His coming to earth as a baby in Bethlehem cannot be grasped and we cannot fully appreciate the majesty and sacrifice of His incarnation.</p>

<p>Just as Nehemiah depended on God’s guidance and strength, we are encouraged to lean on God’s promises, grounding ourselves in Scripture to reinforce our "spiritual walls." This renewal protects us against spiritual decay, builds resilience against worldly pressures, and strengthens our identity and purpose in Christ.</p>

<p>God’s word is the blueprint to build a healthy mind. Although we live in a physical world many or our problems are not physical. The battle must be won in the spiritual realm with spiritual weapons.</p>

<p>We are excited to have Pastor Carl-Gustaf Severin with us this weekend continuing with our series on Under Construction. We live in a time when so many negative thoughts come to us, especially with what's happening in the world around us. Pastor Carl will be sharing how to wash negative thoughts with the Word of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit. </p>

<p>As we continue to remodel our thought life, we cannot be unaware of the enemy’s strategies in using negative thoughts to attack our minds. Through Nehemiah’s journey, we uncover the methods Satan uses to discourage us from rebuilding.</p>

<p>In the story of Nehemiah we see him make plans for the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem. Likewise, we too must be intentional in fortifying our thoughts by recognizing the need to renew our minds. This begins by acknowledging the civil war happening in our minds—the conflict between our old nature and the desire to live a godly life.</p>

<p>Somewhere in our lives, we all suffered some damage, some wear and tear, and breakdown in our thought life. We all have been exposed to hurts, temptations and attacks against our mind. In the Under Construction series, we are going to be talking about renewing our thought life. Let's get to work!</p>

<p>Jesus understands that to be transformed into His image is a process. In Luke 5:1-11 we see how Jesus gently leads Peter to make a commitment to follow Him. From this point onwards we see Peter's life is under construction.</p>

<p>In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus introduced a radical principle that transforms the way we approach life, relationships, and even our struggles: the principle of the “second mile.” Walking that second mile, though often uncomfortable and sacrificial, is not about what we must do, but about who we are becoming—a people marked by the love and the generosity of Jesus, who went the “second mile” for us.</p>