Connexus Church Audio Podcast

So often our fears take us into a worst case scenario. What if I lose my job? What if she leaves me? What if everything falls apart? What if I get an incurable disease and die? Joshua and the nation of Israel discovered that God loves to do what everyone thought was impossible, and in the process they discovered that too often we stress over a battle that's already been won.

It's vital to erect guardrails around our hearts because an unguarded heart can overpower our most guarded behaviour.

When it comes to our finances, it's easy to cross the line into the danger zone. That's why it's essential to establish guardrails against greed.

Guardrails keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off limit areas. We need personal guardrails so we don't stray into areas of life that can harm us or the people we love. If there's one area in which personal guardrails are most needed but also most resisted, it's in our relationships.

Have you ever met someone that later you wish you'd never met? Is there a person you wish your husband, wife, son, or daughter had never met? Sometimes people are our greatest regrets because they influence us to ignore our guardrails and step into the danger zone.

Guardrails are designed to keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limit areas. They minimize damage by keeping us in the safety zone. But the highway isn't the only place we need guardrails.

Blame. It damages marriages, destroys partnerships, harms teams and twists relationships. None of us like to get blamed, but somehow most of us still find ways to blame others. Why do we do that? What would life be like if we stopped blaming others? What would it do to your faith, your friendships, your family? How would you get there?

In a world of outrage, it's easy to be angry. Whether your anger shows up in private, public or whether it's just something you feel but rarely show, what's underneath that? We'll look at where your anger comes from, how to deal with it, and how to replace it with a profound gratitude.

Remember when you were a kid and trusted at a level that seemed, well, childlike? But our trust gets broken. Over time, we become suspicious of people, organizations and even God. What happens to us when suspicion becomes our dominant view? Everything changes when you stop assuming the worst, and start believing the best.

It's so easy to judge others, to think you're better than others or to think they're less than you. It's so easy to look down on other people while giving yourself a break. Why do so many people rush to judgment? This week, we'll look at how people who want to change actually find transformation.

What a morning to celebrate how Jesus has changed people's lives and their choice to follow Him. It's amazing to see what God is doing. Baptism is also a time for all of us to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus, and celebrate the freedom He brings us.

I know that true freedom is found in Jesus, and I know the Holy Spirit wants to remodel my heart so I can live freely, but here's the problem … people. It seems like relationships can rob us of our freedom when they aren't going well. Whether it's our kids or spouse on a bad day, the boss who stresses us out, the person who takes advantage of us, or the person who cuts us off on the road, people have the power to rob us of living in freedom. How do we pursue relationships in a way where we can experience freedom?

I know that true freedom is found in Jesus. It's amazing that He has made a way for us to experience a loving relationship with God. At the same time, I don't always feel like I'm living in freely in my day to day life - I give into temptation, lose my temper, fall into bad habits, get overwhelmed, etc. How do I experience this freedom as I live my life each day?

We live in a culture where we've never had more options to choose from, but in many ways, we also feel chained down by those same choices. We can feel the pressure that comes from being tied to our job, to a broken relationship, to our past, to our financial situation, to inner battles, etc. No matter how hard we try, why is it so hard to feel free in our daily lives? We'll be talking about what it means to experience real freedom in our souls and lives. What if it really is possible to live free?

To wrap up this series, we'll look at how you can talk with God. From ancient times, people have called this practice prayer. We'll look at how prayer is different from meditation, what prayer changes, and how prayer can become part of your daily life.

This week Carey gives a BONUS interview with author John Ortberg on spritual formation and hearing from God and his book on connecting with God called "Soul Keeping".

So how do you exactly hear from this invisible God? Do you hear voices, or is that just for crazy people? Do you listen to your emotions? Is God...silent? We'll look at 7 ways God speaks to people today. They might surprise you.

When learning how to have a relationship with God, one of the top questions is "How can I know I've heard from God" closely followed by "How can I know God's will for my life?" Author Mark Batterson has studied the subject in-depth and shares 7 key ways people hear from God, and how hearing his voice can help you find his purpose for your life.

So many people are getting into spirituality, self-discovery, meditation, mindfulness and finding themselves. But is that all there is? Jesus gave us a powerful illustration of what happens when a person moves beyond themselves and connects with Him. It might be exactly what you're missing.

Love sees who you really are and sticks around anyway. And that's exactly what Jesus did. In the days after his resurrection from the dead, Jesus surprised his disciples by making them breakfast on the beach. To their utter shock, it was the beginning of a whole new relationship. Jesus wasn't finished with them (or with you). He was just getting started.

On the night before He died, Jesus sat down for dinner around a table with his closest friends and followers. All of them would desert him. He refused to desert them. Jesus showed us an extraordinarily rare love that sees you for who you really are, and sticks around anyway.

Sometimes you think you can't make a dent in the problems the world is facing. And besides, you feel like you barely have enough to live on yourself. As a result, many of us often feel indifferent toward the situation others face, and our response is usually a response of inaction. Is there another way? Can something make a difference?

Happy couples decide they owe each other everything but are owed nothing in return. But that requires effort. Every married person makes a choice every day. That choice feels more like a reaction, so most people don't think they have a choice at all. But they do. Happy couples make the happy choice.

As long as you think your spouse owes you, your marriage will be all about keeping score. That destroys intimacy. It destroys love. But what are we supposed to do about our hopes, dreams, and desires?

We all enter into marriage with hopes, dreams, and desires. They create expectations. But when you put those expectations onto your spouse, it turns your marriage into a debt/debtor relationship. Your relationship becomes marked by the belief that your spouse owes you something. So, how do you keep your hopes, dreams, and desires from becoming expectations?

A great marriage doesn't happen by accident. It requires care and regular maintenance. But sometimes we don't want to make the effort. As long as it's not broken, do we really need to talk about it?

The culture says there are many paths to truth and to God. Christianity claims that Jesus alone is the way to God. Aren't Christians just narrow-minded bigots when it comes to other religions? How can Jesus be the only way? Problem of God author Mark Clark joins us this week to conclude the Problem of God series, and addresses this issue head on.

Maybe you think the Bible is unreliable or that, even as a historical book, it's riddled with errors and mistakes. This week, Carey will be joined by world-renowned New Testament scholar Dr. Craig Evans, who has been interviewed on Dateline NBC, by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and lectured at Yale, Princeton, Harvard and Oxford Universities. Together, they'll discuss why many of the world's brightest thinkers have come to trust the scriptures.

"Jesus is just a made-up person. A myth modeled on a number of other mythological ancient gods whose stories predate Jesus by thousands of years." The popular belief of the Christ-Myth has gained ground in recent years, with manybelieving that Jesus never existed and is a work of fiction. In this bonus episode, we look at what the evidence has to say about that claim.

Almost everyone is comfortable with the idea of heaven. But few people—including Christians—are comfortable with the idea of hell. Why, after all, would a loving God send people to hell? We'll explore that subject and what it says about the character and heart of God...and what it says about you.

Many near death experiences seems to be positive experiences, but what about judgment and hell? Are both simply outdated concepts? Surprisingly, not all near death experiences are positive experiences. In fact, 23% are hellish. What both the scripture and near death experiences reveal about judgment may shock you but ultimately save you.

From the Christian down the road who never practices what he preaches, to witch hunts, to the crusades, what is the deal with Christians who look nothing like Jesus? You told us that the hypocrisy of Christians is one of the top problems you have with God. So let's go there.

Here's the question millions of people have asked: God is good and if God is all-powerful, why is there suffering? Every world religion and worldview (including atheism and agnosticism) has to answer that question. Christianity has an unbelievably different kind of answer that almost everyone misses.

So many people believe there's an irreconcilable tension between science and Christianity. If you become a Christian, you can't embrace science. If you embrace science, you can't have faith. What if faith and reason aren't enemies, but friends?

So maybe you think that to believe in God requires a giant leap of faith. And maybe you think that essentially, there's zero evidence for God's existence apart from the Bible. Is that true? Is there any evidence for God outside of scripture or blind belief? We'll explore those questions in part one of The Problem of God.

Why is it some people go through extraordinarily tough times and are broken, while others are not? Check out this secret to weathering the storms of life.

Starting Sunday January 14th we begin a new series - "The Problem of God - Facing the Top Questions Skeptics Ask". In this bonus episode, Carey interviews Problem of God author, Mark Clark, about his book. We can't wait to see you and your friends for this incredible series this January.

The Christmas story is a strange one, and for Mary, it really didn't make sense at all. Which is exactly what can give you hope when your story doesn't make sense.

It's overwhelming to think about how God uses His Church to bring the hope of Jesus to people in communities around the world. As we reflect on what God has done through Connexus we see His faithfulness time and time again. God is building the Church around the world by changing lives, and He is allowing all of us to be a part of it. We're excited about seeing more people's lives changed by the hope of Jesus in Orillia, Barrie and beyond!

Surprisingly, selfishness isn't always a product of narcissism or pure ego. Often it's the product of insecurity. The me-monster inside of you won't die because you're so worried you don't measure up, that you're not enough, and as a result, you really don't like yourself. Which is why you can't stop thinking about yourself. And it's damaging your relationships, your parenting and even your performance at work.

We all dream of being rich enough to give money away, but what if that day never comes? After all, right now you have bills to pay, mouths to feed and debts to pay off. What if generous living had nothing to do with how much you make, but with what you do with what you make?

He's supposed to complete you, and she's everything you've been looking for. The power in a relationship comes from what you get from someone, right? Maybe that's exactly why you can't find the satisfaction you're looking for.

There's a monster inside most of us—a me-monster, and it's rarely satisfied. It always wants a little more, makes demands of others, wants to take, not give and thinks about what it can get out of anything. The monster screams 'feed me', so you do, but it's never satisfied. What do you do with it?

At some point in our attempts to get the most out of life, we lose control of our lives. We try to force one more thing in to our already busy lives and we reach a breaking point. Too much pressure causes an emotional breakdown. Too much debt causes a financial breakdown. Or maybe you're on the verge of a breakdown in your relationships. What do you do when your worklife is so full you don't have time for the people who matter most?

We live in a culture that continually tells us to pursue a higher standard of living in order to improve our quality of life. But "standard of living" and "quality of life" aren't the same thing. One has to do with the stuff we accumulate. The other is about the peace we experience regardless of our circumstances. What if your pursuit of a standard of living is undermining your quality of life?

We're all busy. Our schedules are packed with career, family, friends, church, and other responsibilities. Sometimes our days are so full that we don't enjoy anything because we're trying to do everything. Our relationship with God and with others benefits when we create breathing room in our schedules. But where do we start?

Our lives are busy and fast-paced. The lack of margin increases our stress and shortens our tempers. It can distract us from the most important things in our lives . . . and our relationships suffer. It can even affect our relationship with God because there's a connection between our willingness to create margin and our faith. Life is better with breathing room.

Sometimes your running is over, but if you're really honest, you're still mad. We meet Jonah at the end of the story, and he's angry. Angry at God, angry at life. You can run away from God, but as we'll see, for some strange reason, God doesn't run away from runaways.

So what does God do with runaways? Especially stubborn ones who have adopted a lifestyle that completely dishonours him? He loves them. So many people who run from God think God is mad at them. God may be angry at the running, but he loves runners.