Connexus Church Audio Podcast

You can try to escape God, but your escapism actually provides no escape. We meet Jonah as Jonah meets a sovereign God who traps him. Trying to escape God is futile, but we try anyway, don't we?

At some level, all of us are running from something. Your past. The future. Your job. Your family. God. There are 1000 reasons to want to escape. Any idea what you're running from? And why?

Once upon a time, Jesus stood against the injustice of the Roman empire and the hypocrisy of religious leaders. He changed the course of human history. What will our Once upon a time… story be?

What if our faith was characterized by fearlessness, humility, confidence in Jesus, and love of others? Imagine how that would change the world around us.

We see daily news reports about violence and terrorism. The world can feel like a dangerous place. Surrounded by uncertainty, it's difficult not to be afraid. But Jesus offers us another option.

Our culture celebrates autonomy. Not needing to go to any more meetings. Not needing to answer the phone. Having enough money and enough health that you can do exactly what you want to do, when you want to do it. But what if your fulfillment is not found in isolation, but actually playing a part in something greater than yourself? What if there were a multitude of people waiting, hoping that you would play your part?

70% of people admit to being disengaged at work. That includes people who got their dream job, only to discover it was hardly a dream. Why is work so frustrating? And how can you spend your time and energy in ways that are far more fulfilling? God has something fairly radical to say about work that could completely change your attitude and your satisfaction.

Sometimes it's hard to know what you should really be doing with your life. Other times the trajectory of your life can be clear but it doesn't have the meaning you hoped for. What were you put on this earth to do? What if discovering more of who God made you to be, can help you discover more of His purposes for you?

So you probably think the angst you feel in life some days will get better if you were more gifted, or you had money or fame. Most people find just the opposite—the more you have, the less fulfilled you feel. Why is that? Why is it that some of the most gifted people are the most miserable. And where does your dis-satisfaction come from?

When you have a mess to address, first options aren't usually the best options. First options often make messes messier. In this message, Andy explores an approach that can take the -er out of your messy situations.

Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. But that's easier said than done. What are the limits of our responsibility to others? The answer may surprise you.

A common misperception is that the Christian life is all about avoiding messes and staying out of trouble. But following Jesus isn't about avoiding something; it's about becoming something.

I know a mess when I see one because I am a mess. When we acknowledge our messes, we're a baby step away from acknowledging God. Your mess has the potential to bring God near you.

Whether we're religious or not, we've all been in, are in, or are only one decision away from a mess. But there's a powerful connection between your messes and your relationship with God.

Every week you spend time with people who don't know Jesus, and opportunities to have a conversation come up. How exactly do you have a good conversation with someone about your faith? How do you start and what do you even say? Jesus gives us a few examples of conversations he had with people on the journey to faith. Let's look at his example of how to have a truth and grace filled conversation about faith.

How do you have meaningful conversations - even friendships - with people who are radically different that yiou and who don't share the same values as you do? Few are better at doing this that Rose Zacharias Meeder. A married woman with four kids, Rose has built many friendships with people from the divorced, to the Buddhist, to the atheist. In this podcast - Rose walks us through how not to be weird while having meaningful conversations with those around us.

In a culture where people are spiritually curious, they are looking for people who are willing to have open and honest conversations. At the same time, it can be difficult to understand someone's journey to Jesus. When does God show up in someone's life? How do we play a role in that? How do we trust God to show up? How do they trust us as a safe person to help them on their journey?

If you've ever met a Christian, you know that we aren't always good at talking about what we believe. If you are a Christian, you may have experienced how talking about your relationship with Jesus can feel weird, scary, or just make you feel incompetent. What if you could change that? We'll see how Jesus and early Christians had spiritual conversations in a culture where it was taboo, and how sharing your faith is easier than you think.

Maybe it started when we were kids, but most often find ourselves wanting just a little more. For most of us, that's also true of money. The problem is more is it has no end point. If you don't make your money serve God, you'll make money god.

People who were not like Jesus liked Jesus, and he liked them back. Since the church is the body of Christ, people should be drawn to Jesus followers. Even if they don't agree with the message of the church, they should like the church. So, why isn't that true?

What do you do when people hurt you? Sometimes it seems impossible to forgive. Revenge is about what you want from someone. Forgiveness is about what you want for them-and ultimately for you. Few people show us how to practice forgiveness better than King David.

Family stirs up such mixed emotions. It's often the source of our deepest joy and our deepest wounds. And the people closest to you seem to drive you the most crazy. Why is that? And what can you do about it?

What do you do when work just feels like, well, work? The grind of putting in your time just doesn't seem worth it anymore, but is there any other way? Do you remember when the idea of work was exciting, life-giving, and came with great rewards? Why does it feel like it's boring, draining, and meaningless?

How do you know you really love someone? Believe it or not, much of what masquerades as love in our culture is actually lust. How do you know the difference?

When your stress leads you to the end of your rope, what should you do? Simple. Change what's at the end of your rope. Swap out your big fear for a big God. Today, we'll show you how to do that.

You can practice everything we've talked about so far to help you lessen your worry, anxiety and stress. But sometimes that's not enough. What if a large part of the problem with your stress is the source and frequency of the information pouring into your life. Has the rise of social media and 24/7 communication made it easier to be at peace, or more difficult? And what can you do about it?

Dealing with stress as an adult is one thing. But what about your kids? More and more teens seem to struggle with stress, worry, anxiety and depression than ever before. In this message, Carey not only looks at scripture, he interviews Dr. Rob Meeder, a pediatrician who specializes in treating teens and children for depression and anxiety. Together, they'll share practical ways to help destress your kids and help them deal with anxiety.

Understanding the source of your stress is one thing. But what can you do about it? After all, so much of life feels out of control: work, how people respond to you, your family, the political situation. The question is...if God is in control, is there anything you can or even should do about these things. What's your role? And what's God's role?

So you're stressed, worried or even anxious. What's going on? Well, if you dig a little deeper, it's like your stress and anxiety are tied to a rope that has something at the end….often, something that's hidden from you. What's at the end of your rope can tell you a lot about why you worry and how to reduce your anxiety.

We all want to be friended, followed, linked, and mentioned. We all want to be recognized, admired, sought after, and envied. We hunger for approval. We want applause. We want to be known. But what do you do when there is no amount of "known" that will satisfy your appetite?

Maybe you're a "Three P" person—you have power, prestige, and possessions. You have influence. You are envied. People take you seriously because of what you've accomplished, what you look like, or who you're married to. There's nothing wrong with being a "Three P" person. But when it comes to pride, "Three P" people face a unique challenge.

There is a sin that is so common to the human experience, it is the gateway to all other sins. It promises to make us bigger, better, and more important, but only makes us smaller and meaner. It strips us of our capacity to connect with others. It stands between us and our heavenly Father.

If you're going to live your life with great purpose, one of the most important skills you can develop is learning how to say no. That's a tough discipline to foster, especially if you want people to like you. We'll look at biblical story that clearly explains the problems with saying yes to everything, and we'll look at how you can learn to say no to the things that matter less...nicely.

What's your life really all about? If you don't know how to answer that question, it will be hard to figure out how to spend your time. Jesus knew precisely what his life was about, and knew there would be 1000 distractions that would try to keep from accomplishing it. We'll look at why you don't get the most important things in your life done and a very practical way to change that.

Why is it that hanging out with some people totally energizes you, while hanging out with other people actually drains you? Sure...it's a chemistry thing. But it's deeper than that. You would think Jesus spent equal time with all people, but he didn't. In fact, he was completely unfair. He followed a principle that literally changed the world. We'll study it and how it applies to your life.

While everyone might get 24 hours a day, not all hours are created equal. Your energy ebbs and flows throughout the day. Sometimes you're on top of the world, other times you struggle to stay awake. What's with that? Surprisingly, even Jesus dealt with the limitations of human existence in his time on earth. This week, we'll show you how to make the most of your limits.

Ever wish you had more time? And yet you've probably noticed that when you get more responsibility at work or you decide to have another child, nobody gives you any additional time. No matter how complicated your life gets, all you get is 24 hours a day. In this message, we review three gifts God has given everyone and explore why simply managing time is never the solution to your time management issues.

You wish others loved the things that you love. So you talk up that great new restaurant. Or maybe you try to convince them to join in that hobby. Or perhaps it's all about cheering on that team. We're great at sharing the little things in life--the superficial things. But what about the most important? Why is it so hard to have a natural conversation about faith? How can you share the significant with those around you?

So many people think the key to beating overwhelm is to find balance. What if it isn't? When you look at history, meaningful lives are rarely characterized by balance. Jesus and other biblical figures that changed history could hardly be described as balanced people. Instead they're lives were characterized by something far greater. It could transform your life too.

Of all the things you could do this year, what could make the biggest difference? What if the answer is prayer? Yet many people struggle with prayer. So what if Jesus taught you how to pray? To kick off 2017, we'll look at exactly what Jesus said when people asked him to teach them how to pray.

Is stress looking like it might have the final word for your family this Christmas? Don't let it, there is hope.

God knows what you need. He sent Jesus into the world for you, to meet your greatest need. The Christmas story is personal. Here's how to make it your story.

There's a light that can cut through your doubt, anger, sin, shame, and disappointment with God. Here's what you need to do to find it.

For many, the Christmas season is complicated. It's a reminder of broken relationships, unmet expectations, and missed loved ones. But no matter your circumstances, Christmas can also be a reminder of the light that overcomes the darkness.

Getting married is one thing. Being married is another. The journey actually just starts when you become a Christian. There's a life together that can be deeply challenging but also tremendously rewarding. The ancients called it 'sanctification,' and this week we'll explore what it actually means to be a Christian and how that looks over a lifetime.

So what exactly happens when a couple gets married? Why is it that one minute, they can simply break up, but the next minute they have to get an annulment or even a divorce? Well, at a wedding, something permanent happens. It's exactly the same when you become a Christian. We'll look at what happens, why it happens and how to make it happen so something changes forever in your life.

So it's going well enough to make it permanent, sort of. You like her enough to stick around, but you're afraid of commitment. So you move in together. Frankly, that's what a lot of people do with Jesus. They don't want to commit, but they don't want to leave. The question is: where does that leave you?

Every relationship starts out with two people who like each other. Your emotions take over. You feel things you haven't felt before. But then you ask yourself: is this just a phase? Will it go as quickly as it came? Can it be this fun for long? The same thing happens spiritually. What begins as a curiosity about Jesus always lands somewhere else. But what do you do with that?

Don't like the church? Is that your fault or the church's? In this episode of Brand:New, Andy exposes how the church veered off course.

Want to know the one thing Jesus said you can't avoid with loopholes, shortcuts, or workarounds? Watch this episode of Brand:New.