Willow Creek Weekend Podcast

What does generosity mean to you? Albert Tate joins us in our last week of the Life Hacks series, to talk about the Proverbs and what Scripture says about helping others.  God is very clear that He wants us to live generously to help each other, and to meet the needs of others. Generosity is not just a nice thing to do, generosity is the heart of God for us!

Money is one of the top sources of anxiety and relational strain, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Proverbs is full of practical wisdom that leads to financial freedom and good stewardship. Regardless of your financial state, learn how you can untangle from the stress and pressure our culture places on money.

Living a life with no regrets - is that possible?  It might seem impossible, and it’s certainly hard, but God has a plan and has always used all your experiences for good, even the ones we might regret now. So how do we move on, turning those regrets into positive changes that benefit us in the here and now?  Pastor Dave takes us through Proverbs 7, Psalm 143 and why it is beneficial to “enter through the narrow gate”, as Matthew 7:13-14 tells us.

What is a strong work ethic and why does God think it’s important, no matter what you do for work? Whether you are in your dream career or whether you are working just to pay the bills, every day when you go to work your job provides you a platform; a place to do ministry. This week we look at Proverbs 14 and Colossians 3, and discuss how to work well.

How to make friends as an adult and the wisdom God has given us in the Proverbs to help us meet new friends and be a good friend back. Yes, God is concerned with your relationships and wants to give you His best advice on how to make friends, and, specifically, good friends. God Himself declared, “It is not good for man to be alone”. Pastor Dave looks at Proverbs 6 and how this verse is packed with great advice for finding, and being, a good friend.

We’re kicking off our Life Hacks series; a dive into the Book of Proverbs and all the wisdom it contains, with Megan Marshman.  Who wrote the Proverbs? And why? This week we get basic, but fascinating, as we explore the author and their intentions for Proverbs in the Bible, and what we can learn from them today. We look at Proverbs 1, 2, and 3.

In the second part of our two-part series, Future Focus, Pastor Dave talks about how we can serve the world by becoming a volunteer at church. The church is representative of the body of Jesus, and we can all represent Him through our own work at church. We all have unique spiritual gifts we can use to help revolutionize our own local community, throughout our state, and even the world! Every person matters, and everyone has a place on a team within our local church.

We believe God has put you in your neighborhood, workplace, and family for a reason: to shine as light and share the hope of Jesus with those around you. At times, sharing faith with others can feel overwhelming. Learn how you can influence others and develop a rhythm of asking God which one person He is putting in your life to BLESS so they can experience God’s love in practical ways–no strings attached.

We all love the meaning held in one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time, How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The population of the Whoville doesn’t allow the Grinch (2000) to steal their joy because it comes from inside of them, not from external sources. So how can we stop a grinch and keep our joy in the season? The holidays can be marked by stresses that threaten to take our hearts and eyes off the true meaning of Christmas. Pastor Megan Marshman explores Matthew 2 to help us keep our eyes locked on the real key to Christmas joy (hint: it’s not the perfect photo, ham or lights!)

There are some obvious references to God and the Bible in the classic Christmas movie–It's a Wonderful Life. George Bailey encounters an angel who shows him exactly the impact his life has had on the town of Bedford Falls. This parallels the story of Jesus and how He came down to the world in a very dark time to impact everyone on earth's lives positively. Pastor Dave uses Romans 15 and Luke 2 to demonstrate how real joy can be found in the Lord, even in the darkest moments of our lives.