Canyon Ridge Christian Church Podcast

Imagine the month AFTER you graduate, going back to high school like nothing ever happened. That's how many followers of Jesus live- like they are still slaves to sin instead of being set free by the Good News of Jesus Christ. Well, the Good News is you don't owe anything anymore! When you receive and trust what Jesus has done, you enter a new relational commitment. And with it, you receive a new identity. He is good, and you are loved!

Relationships are hard! Think about the last time you had to fix a broken relationship because of something you had done. It happens to everyone! The Good News is that Jesus has paid for anything you could have done that could separate you from a personal, relational connection to God, and He is here to help you become the sort of person you deeply long to be. You no longer have to try and be perfect in your relationship with God and others! Jesus is here to help!

You don't have to spend very much time online to notice that it seems like everyone is mad. Mad about masks, inflation, politics, or just the general state of the world. It makes sense that God would be mad too. The Good News is, God is not mad! Romans 5 is all about how God is FOR you, loves you, and wants to help you through whatever you are going through. What would your life look like if you lived like that were true? How might that change the way your social media newsfeed looks?

When you look at a picture of the Earth, everything looks peaceful and perfect. It's only when you zoom in that you see the problems and brokenness. The same is about every person. On the outside, things look put together, but there is a brokenness that separates each person from God when you look closer. But, there is Good News! The problem has a solution! Romans says that God "freely makes us right in his sight." You can live free from the problem and brokenness of sin because of what Jesus did on the cross. The best part is, this Good News of the Gospel is for everyone!

Does it ever seem like no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to lift the weight of the world off of your shoulders? You don't have to do this alone! The Good News of the Bible is that the story of your life is a God-story, not a you-story. All you have to do is trust that God is up to something and participate in what He is up to. Good News! It's not all on You! God sets things right. Will you trust Him?

Does picking up a paper or turning on the news ever ruin your day? Sometimes it seems like every story is full of bad news. The story of Jesus is a story of Good News that is good for everyone! God wants more good FOR you than you can possibly imagine. As we believe and respond to what Jesus is saying, he restores us and others for better! 

How busy or frantic does your life feel right now? Who or what is setting your pace? This series has been looking at what life with Jesus is like as a leader and king. In the book of Matthew, Jesus says that if you seek His kingdom first, He will give you a loving, generous, patient, helpful, challenging, present pace. Isn't that what everybody is looking for? So, what must change for you to live at His kingdom's pace? Seek first His kingdom, and He will give you that pace! 

Have you ever taken a stand for something you believed in? Even when it wasn't right? You're in good company! Albert Einstein once said, "What's popular is not always right. What's right is not always popular." Jesus also said we are blessed when we desire and pursue right in us and around us! In fact, in the book of Matthew, Jesus says he will prepare you for hardships, and He modeled endurance for all believers. So, next time you face persecution for standing up for what's right, remember that Jesus says he will acknowledge you before His Father if you acknowledge Him on Earth.

Have you ever heard the saying, "God has a plan?" After hearing that, did you look around the world and ask, "Really?" Jesus explains that God's plan is to bring good and justice back into the world. And He is inviting you to join Him in working His plan out. God wants to make back things as they ought to be. Will you join Him?

What is your first reaction anytime somebody disagrees or offends you? The next time you find yourself in a place of disagreement, offense, or having been wronged, remember you have a choice. You can choose mercy or judgment. Jesus says that those who live a life marked by mercy find their way to the good God has in store. Remember that judgment sees the issue.  Mercy sees the person. This is how mercy triumphs over judgment. When you show up with mercy instead of judgment, it paves the way for peace instead of division and makes room for God's blessings.