Netcast Church Podcast

<p>Christians are thought to be people who live better, when in actuality we simply believe different. As followers of Jesus, we are justified by faith which is evidenced in a life marked by turning from ourselves and walking towards Christ. It is faith followed by good works. We don’t try to manufacture the Christian life because we can’t do it. Therefore we trust that, by faith, Christ's life is living through our daily death.</p>

<p>If you look around the world today, you'll realize, that something is wrong. Oddly enough, every religion and worldview, has to answer the problem of what's going on around us. However, Romans 3 diagnoses the human condition with a paradox that I’m convinced rings true in all of our lives. The problem is not merely what's around us, but rather, we are all corrupted by something with us. Sin!</p>

<p>Justification isn't just a theological concept, it's a sense of approval and belonging that everyone desires. Justification means that in God's eyes, we are given Jesus' perfect record. We are treated as if we had the perfect resume and lived the perfect life. And the best news of all is that we get this, not from doing anything, but simply by trusting in what Christ ha done.</p>

<p>There are many Old Testament prophecies about Jesus Christ. Some interpreters place the number of Messianic prophecies in the hundreds. This week we will look at the story of God and how all of it comes together in a specific point in history where God comes to earth by taking on flesh and blood.</p>

<p>Jesus had to suffer and die to rescue people from the prison of sin, and then He would establish His reign. Therefore, Jesus tells his cousin, John, that as the Messiah, he needs to trust Him because He knew what He was doing. That sounds minor until we realize that Jesus was telling John that it was a part of His plan for him to die in prison. This begs the question, when we don't get what we want, do we still trust Jesus?</p>

<p>Close to the end of his earthly life, Jesus prophesies another beginning by telling the people to watch out for the Messiah's return. When Christians think about Christ's return we often struggle with the difficulty of living in expectation while not being quite sure what to expect. In Matthew 24, Jesus outlines some clear expectations of what is to come and calls us to respond by living a life of urgency.</p>

<p>Advent is a Christian season observed as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Jesus at Christmas. The term comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming". For Christians, the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from two different perspectives. The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second Coming. This week we will look at the anticipation of His first coming.</p>

<p>Money is one of the main things we use to fight anxiety and keep control. In Matthew 6, Jesus warns us against being anxious about the various cares of life by addressing how we ought to view our money. Rather than worry over things we cannot control, or trying to purchase control, we should "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.</p>

<p>The dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything consecrated and offered to God.” As believers, how do we consecrate and offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice? In John 12 we see a sacrifice that will help us answer that question.</p>

<p>When scripture talks about generosity, it talks in terms of giving to God in an orderly fashion. Many Christians neglect giving to God first and rather settle for giving God leftovers. Giving God our firstfruits sets a pattern of giving back to Him the first (and the best) of what He has given us and illustrates giving to God from a grateful heart.</p>

<p>Throughout scripture the Bible talks about money by referring it to issues of the heart. We are to give back to the Lord, joyfully and sacrificially and in return we will be blessed. We are to use our money to help others, but with discernment and the guidance of God’s Spirit. Deuteronomy 15 outlines for us how we are to guard our hearts by stewarding our money in a way that receives Gods blessing.</p>

<p>Although Jonah still had a terrible attitude, it was an act of compassion for the Lord to provide the covering protection for Jonah. However, when his heart saw a plant as his ultimate joy, it was an even greater act of kindness for the Lord to remove it. In kindness the Lord allows comforts, but he can remove them at a stroke to teach us that our joy should be in him alone.</p>

<p>Nineveh's reaction to Jonah sparked one of the most remarkable revivals in all of history. In this text we see God's response to our repentance. God's threat of distraction was removed and compassion when he saw the grief that was genuine. When we repent of our sin and from our own wicked ways, God is faithful to extend his mercy towards us.</p>

<p>Jonah preached a message that was extremely short and theologically incomplete. But he spoke it with the anointing and power of God and among the people who God appointed to hear his voice. Likewise, our efforts of evangelism have a little to do with us and everything to do with God.</p>

<p>Inside the great fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God and worshiped Him with Thanksgiving. The traditional understanding is that Jonah was alive for three days in the belly of this fish. The horrific event of being stuck in the stomach of a live creature swimming through the depths of the sea is minor in comparison to the experience that Jesus had in his death.</p>

<p>When the storm hits, people tend to get extremely spiritual. In this text we will see The God typically uses the painful circumstances in our lives to draw us closer to Him.</p>