The Living Streams Church Podcast

This week Mark Buckley reminded us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (fear meaning awe and humility when looking at the power of the Lord). But this is just the beginning of wisdom. It’s the start to our understanding of the greatness of God. This thought leads us to understanding the grace of God, the nearness of God, and ultimately the friendship of God.

Alec sits down with Lead Pastor David Stockton and Associate Pastor Ryan Romeo to unpack the series, "Strengthen Yourself in The Lord".More resources for your spiritual growth: https://www.livingstreams.org/library

This week Pastor David taught that Job took His deep pain before the Lord and laid his challenging questions at His feet. Job was not reprimanded by God for his hard questions. Instead, through Job’s experience, we see that we are free to lament, grieve and cry out to God. However, we are not free to run away. God wants us to remain and to trust Him, even as we question Him—so wild!Like Job, as we remain with God, we gain the revelation of His glory and our faith is made strong, rich, and deep. We are refined like gold is refined by fire. Gold comes when our solution to the turmoil we face is to trust our heavenly Father. The work of trust is chasing away the doubts, chasing away the fears, and chasing away the half-realities that plague our peace. Find comfort in knowing God is listening to every word of yours. He is up to something and He’s going to use the pain to help you know Him. So don’t stop pursuing Him; continue in the activity of trust, for the reward is great and eternal.

The book of Job touches on four main reasons for suffering: 1) natural consequences for our sin, 2) natural consequences from others’ sin, 3) natural and logical consequences of merely living in a broken world, 4) discipline to foster our growth. God sometimes allows pain to reveal who He is.Job’s friends only offered him the first three reasons and had made no room in their theology for a fourth; perhaps God was fostering growth in Job. As we spend time before the Lord with the difficult questions about the hardships we face, God will use that time of wrestling to change the landscape of our theology and takes us to a deeper place of understanding who He is.

This week, Pastor Ryan kicked off the sermon series on the book of Job. Job was a blameless man who feared God and yet he still experienced suffering and loss at the hands of the enemy. We see in the story of Job that a person’s personal righteousness doesn’t make them immune from trials. We also see in Job that Satan can’t do anything without God’s permission. God is in charge, not Satan. The enemy pales in comparison to the strength and might of our Savior. God takes the spiritual attacks of the enemy and uses them for our spiritual development, helping us mature in Him and the hope of a redeemed eternity.

God is present in our suffering. As Pastor Mario put it, if God is silent, it is because He is working. And when God works in a way that we don't agree with, we don’t need to be discouraged; He is doing what is good for us. In our issues, concerns, and ailments, we can press into God and trust his plan. Don't give up in your trust and reliance on the Lord; He has new strength for you!

This week, Pastor David taught about how the apostle Paul strengthened himself in the Lord in three ways: through the preaching of the gospel, acceptance of weakness, and standing against evil. These three kingdom tasks reveal our human limits and reveal our vulnerability and weakness.In our weakness, God promises His incomparable power. If we want to see the power of God, we shouldn’t fear weakness and pain. As David outlined in his sermon, we are never closer to God’s power (and his loving presence!) than when we are in pain.

Alec sits down with Lead Pastor David Stockton, Associate Pastor Ryan Romeo, and PHX1 Director Jeff Gokee to dissect the theology and research that made up the content for the sermon series, Good God.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lMBHPq8P5KQ

Alec Seekins shares about the importance of living life according to what is right in the eyes of the Lord. He uses the story of Samson to show the consequences of living according to what is right in one's own eyes.

This week, Pastor David urged that it is the time to grow strong in the Lord. Like King David, when we find ourselves in times of trial—because of the brokenness of others and/or our own misalignment with the will of God—the solution is found in God’s presence. Our heavenly King is kind and patient. When we seek His presence, He meets us and supplies all we need.King David strengthened himself in the Lord through writing out his prayers (the Psalms) and through seeking God’s will through the Holy Spirit (The Ephod). It seems like in today’s cultural moment, people are trying to find strength, or power, or freedom not by surrendering or submitting to God’s will, but by trying to bend the environment around them to their own will.Scriptures: 1 Samuel 30:1-8, 17-20

Through Christ, God brought goodness, freedom, life, and peace in the midst of intense evil. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He hovers over all the evil that has been done to us. Over the evil we have done to others. He hovers over evil in order to bring good out of it.Scripture: Genesis 45:1-8

Although Jesus’ death on the cross finished the work of offering salvation to the world, God is not finished with his work in us. In his grace keeps us from stumbling, completes our faith training, and finishes the work he began in us.Scriptures: 2 Timothy 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Philippians 1:3-11, Hebrews 12:1-2, Jude 1:24

In Matthew 11, Jesus describes his own heart as gentle and lowly. He isn’t repulsed by our weakness; in his tenderness he meets us in vulnerability and brings healing and hope.Scripture: Matthew 11:25-30Book references: "Gentle and Lowly" by Dane Ortlund

Part 5 of the sermon series, Good God.

Part 4 of the sermon series, Good God.

Part 3 of the sermon series, Good God.

Part 2 of the sermon series, Good God.

Part 1 of the sermon series, Good God.