Connexus Church Audio Podcast

Religion is powerful—so powerful it can shape the way we view ourselves and treat others. For more, watch this episode of Brand:New entitled 'Recycled.'

Jesus stepped into a world where religion was characterized by the Temple Model and initiated something entirely new. For more, watch this episode of Brand:New entitled "Apoplectic."

The arrival of Jesus signaled the end of the Temple Model and the beginning of something entirely new! For more, watch this first episode of Brand:New entitled Letting Go.

Starting October 2nd, we're starting a new series called "Brand: New - How Jesus Redefined Church". We're excited and you should be too - listen in to find out why!

Every day our friends and neighbours feel like life is against them, and in some cases God is against them. Imagine if people in the cities of Barrie and Orillia knew that Connexus was a community of people who was FOR the city? Even more importantly, what if our church and our lives became a megaphone to let them know that Jesus is FOR them?

Even if you have a clearer understanding of eternity than ever, knowledge can still leave you with the question "So what?" Maybe the ultimate question isn't "So what if it's true?" Perhaps the ultimate question is "So what are you going to do?" The decision you make about Jesus today echoes forever.

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 Are both simply outdated concepts?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

A common, beautiful thread weaving many stories of near death experiences together is that of the overwhelming love they felt in the presence of Jesus, the being of light. This was in spite of the fact that He knew everything about them, good and bad. That kind of all-seeing, unconditional love is what we all crave deep within our hearts. But is this being actually Jesus...or who is he?

So...will you recognize the people you love in heaven? Will the relationships that mattered most to you in life matter in heaven? Many NDEs reveal a lot about relationship and so does scripture. We'll look at what our relationships will be like in heaven, and how that changes things on earth.

Perhaps the most common theme from NDEs is experiencing a beauty that fills the soul and is hard to put into words. People who get a glimpse of the world to come encounter a majesty that is beyond their ability to fully comprehend. It turns out that this heavenly world is the one that the Bible has been pointing to all along.

So is heaven real? Like real, real? And if it is, what's it like? We'll share 5 misconceptions about heaven in this message, and look at what scripture points us toward. We'll also look at some near death experience accounts, both ancient and current. Maybe if someone came back from the dead and told us what heaven is like, we'd believe.

When we're in the midst of pain and suffering, it can feel like we'll never be happy again, nothing good can come from our circumstances, and there's no reason to continue living. But those are lies. God can redeem, use, and work through our pain. And when he does, we eventually have the opportunity to comfort others. There is a "Fellowship of Suffering." People who've suffered are uniquely equipped and qualified to comfort people who are suffering.

Jesus told his followers that unavoidable trials aren't aberrations; they are expectations. They can actually serve a beneficial purpose. Why? Because God can redeem, use, or work through the undeserved, unavoidable, circumstantial trials in our lives. But in order for that to happen, we have to believe and persevere.

Our new series, Imagine Heaven, launches August 14th. In this interview, Carey interviews author John Burke and asks What can we learn from the thousands of near death experiences people have reported? Are they consistent with biblical depictions of heaven? John Burke shares years of research he's done comparing NDE's and scripture to bring us a vivid and fascinating account of what happens after people die.

What do you do when life hasn't gone in the direction you hoped or wanted it to go and there's nothing you can do to change your circumstances? What do you do when you're living in "the meantime"? If you've ever been In the meantime or if you're currently in the meantime, you can't help but conclude you'll never be happy again, nothing good can come from your circumstances, and there's no point in continuing. Can it really be true that God will make things right?

What do you do when there's nothing you can do? Relationally, financially, professionally, physically, or academically, It just is what it is. There's nothing you can do to change your situation. Challenging circumstances can make you jealous or resentful. They can make you angry with God. They can breed discontentment. But the problem with discontentment is that it can drive you in self-destructive directions that will eventually leave you with regret. So, what is the secret of finding contentment even when times are tough?

Every once in a while, we run into people stuck in unchangeable, unalterable, in-the-meantime circumstances who get to the place where they're able and willing to receive their circumstances, their afflictions, their illnesses, their losses, and their disabilities as coming from the hand of their heavenly Father. How do these people maintain extraordinary faith despite extraordinarily difficult circumstances? Where do they find the peace that characterizes their lives?

What do we do when our circumstances are so challenging there's no way forward and no way out? We have problems for which there seem to be no solutions. We have questions without answers. During times like these, we're tempted to run or give up. We're tempted to give in to jealousy, resentment, and anger . . . especially anger toward God. That's because when life gets hard, it feels like God is absent, apathetic, or angry. But what if he isn't? Is it possible to hang on to joy, hope, and patience in the meantime?

Of all the things that can confuse the human heart, money is among the most vexing. We all need it. Most of us want more. But even when we gain more, our appetite isn't satisfied. Why? Jesus identifies the heart of the problem, and this week, we'll show you an option that will help curb your longing for more.

Nothing touches us more deeply than the relationships we have with those closest to us. No human bond is stronger than the love for a family member or close friend. They are also the ones who can hurt and disappoint us the most. Why is it that these loving relationships fall apart? How can we love someone so much, only to have that love fade? How come families move from a place of love to disappointment so quickly?

Ever notice that what you think will satisfy doesn't? Money, success, homes, relationships and even family often promise more than the seem to deliver. You always want more. Why? This week, we'll introduce you to how idols–even sophisticated idols—work, and why elevating the gift God gives you above the Giver always disappoints.

In this special bonus podcast episode, Carey interviews Clay Scroggins about being a young leader. Clay will be teaching our upcoming series "Bad Blood" and is the lead pastor of the Alpharetta location of North Point Community Church.

If God is love, why do people often feel so hopeless? Perhaps it's because we tie our hope to circumstances and emotions. God invites us to tie our circumstances to something profoundly different. Even something unshakable.

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.

So maybe you can accept that God is real and Jesus is who he said he is, but you're reluctant to get involved in Christian community or a church. After all, Christians and Christian leaders are pretty much all hypocrites. True? Absolutely. And here's why you should get involved anyway.

Many people read the Old Testament (the first part of the Bible) only to be shocked by the violence they see, even some, apparently, sanctioned by God. Why did God order the slaughter of children? Why would God support war? There are answers….

So if there is a God, and he has a plan for our lives, why does it seem to be so difficult to figure out? The answer to that question might be simpler than you think. And, for those moments when it seems confusing, there’s actually a shortcut to finding God’s will that we’ll share with you.

One of the greatest objections to the existence of God is this: If God is loving, why does he allow good people to suffer? Many world religions tackle this question with different answers. Christianity’s is unique, as God responds not with information, but with something far more profound.

You probably have questions. You wish God would answer now. If anyone had questions that deserved to be answered, it was Job, who lost everything. He finally gets a chance to ask his questions directly to God and learned something that completely changed his questions.

We’ve all been part of a disorganized workplace or group and had our motivation sapped. Add to that an impulse within all of us that prefers independence, and you have a world in which few individuals and organizations ever realize their full potential. What if everyone’s life could be better by aligning their gifts around a common mission, vision and strategy?

Selfishness is not an attractive quality in others, but it’s a quality that comes naturally to all of us. Why battle it? And if you don’t look out for yourself, who will? Jesus provides a radically different perspective and a completely different way to find what you’re really looking for.

When something goes wrong, do you believe the best or assume the worst about the situation? Or about the people involved in the situation? Believing the best can seem so naive, until you realize it can trigger something SO much better than you imagined.

Long hours. Fast food. Difficult people. Lots of expenses. Too little money. Too little exercise. Not enough time off. It’s so difficult to stay emotionally, physically, financially and even spiritually healthy today. Or so you think. But what if you could?

Somebody should do something about that. We’ve all thought it. And most of us have said it. Maybe that’s why things never change. So what are you waiting for? Who are you waiting for? What if you discovered God has uniquely positioned you to make it happen?

Why is work and even family life so uninspiring at times? Sometimes we expect our boss or our spouse to make work and life awesome. But the scripture has a very different approach. One that challenges everyone to bring something significant to their work, to the family and to life.

How has Jesus impacted you? It could be more than you think.

What’s the truth about angels? Are they here to help us? Can you pray to them? Are they everywhere? Does everyone have a guardian angel? It’s actually surprisingly difficult to get an intelligent answer these days, except from the bible, which has a surprising amount to say about angels. We’ll explore that—and why angels even matters—this weekend.

So if evil is real, how do you oppose it, and how do you protect yourself from it? Fortunately, the scripture actually shows us how to prepare yourself for the little battles and the big battles you face in your life.

Be Rich is our annual fall serving and giving campaign. During this campaign, we ask people to “do more” and “give more” by being rich toward others. Our motivation comes from 1 Timothy 6:18: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

In this bonus interview, Carey interviews John Thompson, pastor of C4 Church in Durham Ontario, and dives deeper into how we can handle the supernatural.

So if evil is real, how exactly does it work? Better yet, how does it work in your life—today? In this message, Carey draws from scripture and classic theology to show how subtle and clever Satan can be in his activity. Once you see his strategies, you can defeat his strategies, in your life and in the world.

So is evil real? Is there a personal power of evil at work in the world? Is it a power that you as a human being can tap into, intentionally or unintentionally? And what happens when you do? We’ll explore those questions and more this weekend.

So how do miracles work...why are some people healed and some not? Does God favour some people and ignore others? Or are miracles a sham or something that stopped happening in the 1st century? Or maybe, they’re something else entirely.

So is life only what we can see, touch and experience, or is there more? Is there a supernatural side? Are ghost reals? Are there supernatural beings? Do miracles still happen? We’ll look at what the scripture has to say.

If you don’t give in or give up, what do you do? You give over whatever you’re struggling with to God. And we all struggle. Strangely, freedom from Christ (and his ways) isn’t freedom. Freedom in Christ is freedom. So if you want freedom, start surrendering.

Giving in is one thing. But give in enough, and eventually you might decide that you no longer believe what you used to believe about a subject. So instead of giving in, you give up. Been there? Are God’s standards just too harsh? Too demanding? But people who have given up eventually must face one thing: the God they gave up on hasn’t given up on them.

Sometimes it can feel impossible to stay true to your convictions. So you give in. Just once. Which often becomes twice, or three times. Often people give in because it seems like there’s no other way out. And if there is a God why does he allow you to be tempted? Is it even possible to stay true to your convictions?

So...is morality relative? Ask most people, and they’ll tell you it is: what’s true for me isn’t automatically true for you. But at the heart of moral relativity is an interesting assumption—that moral compromise compromises no one. What if there is a cost to moral relativity? A cost that you’re paying?

So if you’ve identified your excuses and negative thinking and taken every thought captive, what do you do next? You replace the negative with something far better. And far bigger. The Apostle Paul shows you exactly what to do to change your future.

If you really audit your thoughts, you’ll realize that you probably make a lot of excuses as to why you can’t be healthier, more positive, more faithful, more hopeful, more kind, more determined, more effective...more whatever. This week, we’ll look at why it’s time to stop making excuses, and how to do it.