Connexus Church Audio Podcast

Ever asked God to help you? Sure you have. What might surprise you is the response you find in scripture to that prayer. Practical help for your life might be closer than you think, and a little more uncomfortable than you think.

What goes around often comes around. The powerless often find themselves in a position of power and the people who hurt us may someday need us. In the moments when we've got those people right where we want 'em, what we say will say as much about us as anything else. If our words are stones, will we choose to throw them, or use them to pave the way forward?

Our big mouths can be destructive, but they also have the power to build others up. What we say can impact the quality, and even the direction, of the lives of the people around us. How can we use this power for good?

Like a small spark that has the potential to scorch an entire green forest, our tongues are untamable, with the power to control our whole bodies. We have a tool that can be used to build up those around us or tear them down in just a few words. What do we do with that kind of power? We can't lock it away. But we can, by God's grace, learn to control it.

We all know what it's like to be hurt by someone who just couldn't listen long enough to understand us. Maybe in their attempt to be right, they damaged a relationship that could have been saved with a little patience and curiosity. You've probably been on the other side of that coin too. Taking the verbal offense may have won the argument but you lost relationally. What if we didn't settle for being right, but tried to make things right instead? The longer we listen the more we learn, and the better chance we have of protecting ourselves from our own big mouths.

In this bonus episode for our series on character called "To-Be List", Carey interviews Joel Manby, former CEO of SeaWorld. Joel took over SeaWorld just after the airing of the infamous "Blackfish" documentary and talks candidly and humbly about character and the cost of high capacity leadership.

You have a million things on the go, and because you don't want to be selfish, chances are you put everything and everyone ahead of yourself. That's potentially a fatal mistake. Maybe the key to being a better follower of Jesus, a better spouse, a better parent and a better human is actually putting yourself first when it comes to personal growth.

Whatever your sense of morality is, the frightening truth is that we all fail to live up to it? Why...and how do you keep coming up short? Surprisingly, compromise never starts with the big stuff. It's way more subtle than that. When you see how compromise starts, you can change it.

Carey Nieuwhof To Be List - Part 1 - Meanwhile, At Your Funeral... As much as no one likes to talk about it, one day we're all going to not be here anymore. So here's the socially awkward question: what will people be saying about you at your funeral? After doing hundreds of funerals, pastors have a pretty good idea of what people say at funerals. And that's the question we'll look at this weekend is what will people say about you? It's not that hard to predict.

Don't miss this touching bonus episode where Carey has a heartfelt conversation with Levi and Jenni Lusko on the loss of their daughter.

Levi Lusko When we face pain and loss, they change the story we had planned for our lives. They can end our dreams. But what do pain and loss look like when we try to see the world as God sees the world, and to do as God says?

Andy Stanley We tend to view our time the same way we view our money—we spend, invest, and waste it. The question is: how does God view time? If we saw it as he sees it, it might affect the way we use our own.

Andy Stanley Seeing your money and possessions as God sees them will make you more inclined to do with them as God says. That can revolutionize your life.

Clay Scroggins How you see the world affects everything you do. It even affects how you see God. What would it take for you to broaden your view so you can see God more accurately and connect with him more deeply?

Jeff Henderson What do you do when you feel stuck at work? You're grateful you have a job, but you feel like there's something else you need to be doing. How do you pay the bills and still pursue a dream job? Many people give up. You don't have to be one of those people. In the conclusion of Dream Job, we talk about what to do in the middle of the Monday-morning blues and the search for your dream job.

Jeff Henderson Once we understand the purpose of work, we have to understand the answer to another important question: "What does God specifically want me to do with my career?" This question sounds similar to a question we all were asked as kids: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" For many of us, these questions seem mysterious. The good news is that in Part 2 of Dream Job, we will look at a tangible biblical principle that puts us on the path toward discovering the answer.

Jeff Henderson Many of us spend over 30% of our lives at a job and, according to Gallup, almost 80% of us are dissatisfied while we're there. That's rather depressing, isn't it? We'll spend almost a third of our lives on something that creates dissatisfaction. Are we okay with this? Perhaps we need to hit the reset button and rediscover what "work" is all about and where it came from. When we do, we discover something remarkable: the idea that work came from our heavenly Father. It's his idea. And when we understand work from God's perspective, we discover the real meaning and purpose behind it. When we discover the purpose of work, we discover that there is no such thing as a job without purpose. This means that all of us can experience something remarkable: a job with purpose, meaning, and satisfaction. In other words, a dream job.

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.

How can you tell what's right and what's wrong? Fortunately, many would say, we live in an age where objective truth has disappeared. What's true for you isn't true for others, and what's wrong for you isn't wrong for others. But is it truly good for us when morals change from generation to generation and you can write your own? Or, are we missing something?

So what exactly is the purpose of your life? Well, you've heard it. Live your best life. Become the best version of yourself. You do you. But is self-fulfillment really all it's cracked up to be? You might be surprised.

Why would anyone living today trust the Bible? After all, it's so full of terrible instances of violence and oppression that it has to be both barbaric and outdated. Besides, you can't really rely on a document that's over 2000 years old. It's been translated so often there's very little likelihood that what we're reading is what was written. Right?

Religion is basically how ancients understood the world, but science has taken us so far beyond that. Between what we know about evolution, astronomy, genetics, biology and so many other sciences, we've explained what we used to attribute to God. If science explains or will explain everything, why do we really need God?

We celebrated the incredible hope of the resurrection of Jesus at our Easter services and it was a powerful morning! Tune in for to catch our online experience of this service.

We've hosted a meaningful Good Friday services across all locations that included a reflection on the death of Christ and an opportunity to mark the moment with communion. These services are a little different and are always a special time.

Most of people either feel not very good about themselves or too good about themselves. Both are problems. And both are rooted in something sinister that Jesus would love to root out of your life. Once it's gone, a much better understanding of what true success is can emerge.

So how do you know you're good with God? How deeply do you have to obey? How often can you mess up? If you blow it, will God give up on you? Will he be mad at you? Will he punish you? These are good questions...but only religious people ask them. Christians ask a whole other set of questions, and Jesus shows us why.

It's so easy to worry, and if you're honest, it probably seems a little annoying when Jesus tells you to simply stop worrying (which he does). The real questions is how? We'll look at what Jesus says the chief causes of worry are, and what to do about them.

In this interview, Carey talks with author and pastor John Ortberg about what's wrong with how we define salvation, how a better understanding can change lives (including yours), and why you may not need to wait for heaven to experience more of God or the life you long for.

Family life comes with decisions and challenges every day. How we see and approach our families is important, but there's also some everyday practical stuff. How do you tackle screen time, bedtime, dating, when do they get a phone, how do you manage their behaviour - this list could go on! On this week we had a panel of parents at different phases to answer the tough questions and have a conversation about the everyday challenges, opportunities, and rhythms of family.

Statistics say that the three biggest factors in building a faith that lasts in the life of a child are the spiritual investment of a parent, the outside voices of other adults, and the opportunity for that child to find a personal mission. That's why having a family rhythm of faith and having outside voices speaking into your family are so important. That's why a partnership with a church is so important for every family. This week, we're looking at exactly what that could look like for you.

The honest truth is that every family fights. Some fight hot and others fight cold. Conflict is a part of family life. Is it possible to fight in a way that honours our family and our God? What if we started to think about fighting for our family instead of with our family? What if we started to fight for the heart of our family by inspiring them by living out a faith of adventure? What would that look like?

No matter what phase your family is in, you've discovered one thing...though the days can feel long, the years really are short. From sleepless nights to managing screen time to an empty nest, figuring out family life isn't easy and the truth is that every phase seems to be different. How do you thrive in the phase you are in today and be sure that you are headed in the right direction in the long-term? In this series, we'll be talking about strategies to navigate the pressures of family, timeless principles that apply to parenting, and discover the hope that, no matter your phase of life, God may be writing a bigger story in your family than you think.

It's easy to love your friends, but it's almost impossible to love your enemies. Which is exactly why Jesus tells you to do just that. One of the defining characteristics of people who follow Jesus should be love for their enemies. If you think it's impossible to do that, think again.

If you really want to get countercultural, just look at Jesus' teachings on sex, marriage and adultery. Almost nobody believes that stuff anymore. Except for Jesus. When it comes to Jesus' alternative teachings on sex and relationships, maybe it's not just a question of what he's longing to save you from. Maybe it's a question of what Jesus is trying to save you for.

Well known. Poorly applied. That's an accurate way of describing so many of Jesus' teachings, including his teachings on anger. Some people think Jesus was just spouting hyperbole. Actually, he was ushering in His Alt Kingdom. We'll start this journey with Jesus' teachings on anger. If you think you have a right to be angry, think again.

It's one thing to know how everything turns out and to decide for the side of good and the side of God, but it's another thing to make it until then. In the meantime, suffering remains—cancer, addictions, broken relationships, conflict, tragedy. Is personal anxiety, stress and fear always bound to be on the rise? In this final week of the series, we'll share a critical key to navigating the personal suffering that seems inevitable in this world.

In this interview, Carey talks with 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 NDEs and Scripture to bring us a vivid and fascinating account of what happens after people die.

In this interview, Carey and Jeff discuss some of the more complex sections from biblical passages about the end of the world. Join Jeff and Carey as they do a deeper dive into the Antichrist, the rapture, and so much more of what Scripture says (and doesn't say) about the final days.

It's great to know how things end, but in the meantime, what's with evil? So often evil seems to be winning, and so many people are angry at God for letting that happens. It's a good point. If God is so loving, why does he allow so much evil and suffering? While that question is difficult to answer convincingly, God does something more spectacular and powerful with evil. Eventually, evil self-destructs. And when evil throws itself at God, he does something unbelievable with it.

So what exactly will happen next? Will we blow ourselves up? Will AI take over and turn us into a sub-species? Will climate change wipe us out? Will God allow any of this, or will he protect the people he loves and we'll magically work it all out? Jesus has a lot to say about what's coming, and with it, extends a powerful invitation.

Most of us hold the idea that the future will always get better...that somehow we will figure this out. But the question is, can we? Is this even true? We'll look at two ancient stories that tell us more about ourselves than most of us want to admit, and realize why the struggle apart from God is more futile than we think. Are people inherently good, or a mixed bag? Is there a limit to human progress? And if we're so enlightened, why do we keep almost destroying ourselves again and again?

The New Year is full of possibilities that fuel the potential for a better future. That's why we make resolutions . . . even though those resolutions often fall by the wayside. But there's something simple you can do to make the most of this year. It begins by looking past what you think is possible in your life to what God thinks is possible.

You never know what hangs in the balance of your willingness to extend an invitation.You never know what hangs in the balance of your willingness to extend an invitation.

At Christmas, you can expect to see God, just not the God you expected. Maybe you've written off Jesus, Christianity or even Christmas, thinking it can't possibly help you. Think again. Join us as Connexus Church hosts Christmas Eve In The City 2018, an evening of music, cheer and a message the whole family will love.

We all wonder. When we fix our eyes somewhere other than on God, wonder leads to wander. If you've wandered from the faith or are looking for the door, it's not because of Jesus. It's probably because you've fixed your eyes on people, institutions, or a religion based on following rules. You may think Christianity requires mind-numbing, experience-denying faith, but what if that's not true?

We wonder because our frame of reference doesn't provide us with all of the answers. Every version of religion works for children. But then life happens. We experience challenging circumstances that sow doubt in our childhood faith. Tragedy causes us to question if God is good and loving. Sin leads to guilt and shame. We wonder if God can really love us. Is there such a thing as a frame of reference that can accommodate a grown-up faith?

We all have a framework that helps us make sense out of life. It helps us make decisions that make sense. But we wonder about some things because our frame of reference doesn't provide all the answers.

And then there's parenting. You're a parent forever, but believe it or not, no matter how young your kids are now, there's a day when your kids WILL leave home. The question is, what do you focus on to make sure your kids have what they need to launch into life? There are so many things competing for your attention and their attention, but there's one thing that matters most.

Dating is more complicated than it's ever been, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Whether you're single by choice or wishing you weren't, what does God have to say to about navigating life without a partner? Surprisingly, the scripture has a very positive view of being single.

Your life was going just fine...until you saw someone else's. Funny how that happens. A little more than a decade into smartphones and social media feels more like social misery. You look at someone else's life/marriage/relationships/kids/job and it makes you...miserable. This week we'll look at why comparison is the thief of joy, and the path Jesus shows you to find much more contentment.