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Episodes
Sunday Mar 24, 2019
Sunday Mar 24, 2019
"Enhancing Our Prayers"
Dr. Gary Singleton
Americans are obsessed with food. We have entire television networks dedicated to cooking and eating. Food is the central focus of nearly every social event. We even take pictures of our food and post them on Facebook and Instagram. There are very few things that are more American than food.
This week we’re going to wrap up our sermon series on prayer with a look at fasting, admittedly one of the least practiced and least understood spiritual disciplines. With all our attention focused on food, it’s easy to see why fasting is not all that high on our priority list.
But fasting dates back to the earliest followers of God. In Leviticus God commanded the Israelites to fast once a year on the Day of Atonement. In Nehemiah 9:1, we see that the Israelites fast as a part of their confession and worship. When talking about fasting in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says “When you fast …” (Not “if” but “when.”) Clearly fasting is important.
Sunday Mar 17, 2019
Sunday Mar 17, 2019
"Unanswered Prayer"
Pierce Vanderslice
I have poor expectations when it comes to exercising. I expect that if I work out once every two to three weeks, I will have similar results as someone who works out every day. Unfortunately, I’m learning that my expectations are far from reality.
In a similar way, I think often times we have certain expectations for prayer. Our primary expectation is that it will work, and many times it does! We know for a FACT that prayer works, and can indeed change our circumstances and outcomes. But, if we are honest, sometimes prayer doesn’t work the way we hoped, and it doesn’t quite change the outcome like we expected.
This coming Sunday we are going to continue our series on prayer and focus the conversation on unanswered prayer. My hope is that we will have an honest conversation about why God does not always answer prayers according to our desires. If you feel like you are standing in the tension of having great expectations for prayer, but experiencing a different reality, I personally invite you to come and hear what the Lord might want to say to you.
Sunday Mar 10, 2019
Sunday Mar 10, 2019
"Intercessory Prayer"
Dr. Gary Singleton
This Sunday we will continue our sermon series on prayer with a look at intercessory prayer. Simply put, intercessory prayer is prayer for others. An intercessor is one who takes the place of another or pleads another’s case. When you intercede for someone, you stand in the gap between that person and God.
The Bible is full of examples of intercessory prayer in both the Old and the New Testament. Abraham interceded for Sodom in Genesis 18. Moses interceded for Israel in Exodus 32. Jesus Himself modeled intercessory prayer for us in what is known as the High Priestly Prayer found in John 17.
The most valuable thing we can do for those we love and care for is to pray for them. God has commanded that we should intercede for others.
How much of your prayer time is spent praying for others? Who do you need to pray for?
Sunday Mar 03, 2019
Sunday Mar 03, 2019
"Model for Prayer"
Bryan Jones
Martin Luther said, “As it is the business of tailors to make clothes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.” As followers of Jesus, prayer is one of our most valuable assets. Every single one of us should be in the prayer business. But I believe most of us would admit that we don’t really have a clear understanding of what prayer is or how to do it. In Luke 11:1, Jesus’ disciples even asked Jesus to teach them to pray.
As we continue our sermon series on prayer, we’re going to take a look at the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples. Most of us know it as the Lord’s Prayer. We need to learn to pray the way Jesus taught us to pray. We need to spend time on our knees getting to know Him and letting Him know us.
Sunday Feb 24, 2019
Sunday Feb 24, 2019
"Why Pray"
Dr. Gary Singleton
Are there really rules that we need to follow when we pray? This Sunday we are starting a new sermon series on prayer. We are going to look at things like why we pray and how we should pray. We’re going to talk about intercessory prayer, and why some of our prayers seem to go unanswered. It seems like prayer is something we all know we should do, and yet so many of us struggle with it.
We are starting this sermon series with a look at what Jesus taught us about prayer in the Parable of the Persistent Widow. Jesus used parables to make a point, and His point in this passage is clearly stated in Luke 18:1. Jesus tells us that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
Sunday Feb 17, 2019
Sunday Feb 17, 2019
"Fear Not"
Richard Covington - ChiAlpha Sunday 10:50am
Are you afraid of heights? If you are, then you have acrophobia. Or maybe you’re afraid of injections. That’s called trypanophobia. How about fear of flying? That’s aviophobia. We may be different from each other in a lot of ways, but we all have one thing in common. We are all afraid of something.
Fear is one of our most basic human emotions. When we sense danger or feel unsafe, we respond with fear. But God did not intend for us to spend our days living in fear. In fact, God encourages His followers to “fear not” 365 times in the Bible – one for each day of the year.
So if God commands us to “fear not” – how should we respond in those times when we feel afraid?
This weekend is Chi Alpha weekend – the largest event of the year for our students. Richard Covington will be leading our students as some grow in their faith, and some experience faith for the first time. The weekend will wrap up on Sunday morning, and Richard will share with us that we can choose to respond to fear in one of two ways. We can fix our eyes on our circumstances and let fear drive us away from Jesus. Or we can fix our eyes on Jesus and let Him drive away our fear.
Joshua 1:9 tells us to “… Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Saturday Feb 16, 2019
Saturday Feb 16, 2019
Friday Feb 15, 2019
Sunday Feb 10, 2019
Sunday Feb 10, 2019
"Going Greater Than Staying"
Dr. Gary Singleton
Google the term “comfort zone” and you will get results like “Why the Magic Happens When You Step Out of Your Comfort Zone,” and “Get Out of Your Comfort Zone in 9 Simple Steps.” But what exactly is our comfort zone, and why do we need to step outside it?
Our “comfort zone” is that place where we feel calm and safe. It’s different for everybody. My comfort zone is different from yours. If you’re not sure what your comfort zone is, there’s even a “Comfort Zone Calculator” to figure it out for you. We all like being inside our comfort zone, because we’re not stressed. But there are times in life when we have to push ourselves outside that safe space and into unfamiliar territory.
Jesus stepped way outside His comfort zone when He laid down His life on the cross, and He calls us to follow His example. Now following Jesus probably doesn’t mean that you have to die. But it does mean that you will have to have some uncomfortable conversations. It means that you will have to obey Jesus’ command to share His story and make disciples.
This Sunday we will continue our sermon series “Greater Than” with a look at Jesus’ call to GO … to bear fruit and make disciples. Will you step outside your comfort zone and follow Him?