Willow Creek Weekend Podcast

Have you ever overheard a conversation only to realize it was about something completely different? Context is key—in life and in reading the New Testament Letters! There are a lot of apparent contradictions throughout the Letters, some people point to this as a reason to disprove the Bible. But understanding the context and realizing the purpose of each letter, for the people it was written for at that moment in time helps clue us into the differences.

 What are the Gospels? They are books of the Bible that provide historical narratives documenting the life and work of Jesus and the creation of the early church. It is in Matthew, Mark, Luke,  John, and Acts that we see God come to earth as a human, in Jesus. They also show how, as Christians, we are to live and love others as one of God’s children.  Last week we learned about the prophecy books of the Bible. This week we see how Jesus came to fulfill those prophecies!

The prophets in the Bible did some pretty strange things to grab the attention of God’s people and bring them back to Him. Understanding the prophetic books can be tricky if you don’t know the historical setting, so let’s use them as a framework for cultivating a relationship with Jesus, not simply religious adherence. 

The Bible lays out fantastic principles for living, but even following them all doesn’t promise a life free from pain. We’ll explore the Wisdom literature to discover how we can seek wisdom, follow it, and find principles for life anchored in Christ.

Did you ever do something you knew you weren’t supposed to? Like, rebel against your boss, your parents, God? How did your boss or your parents respond? Probably not great. This week Pastor Megan Marshman covers the History books of the Bible: and, more closely, the book of Ruth. Ruth’s story in the Bible is set during a very dark moment in the history of Israel, where God’s people were rebelling against Him, doing what they thought was right by them. But what Ruth’s story shows us is that God’s plan will prevail. Humans can’t derail the progress of God’s grand design; as much as we might try! If you’re looking for biblical hope, the book of Ruth offers just that.

So, the Bible is a little long…and overwhelming. And hard to understand a lot of the time. Ever thought: TL;DR? Same. Same. So we’re starting a brand new series on the ENTIRE BIBLE. Yep, everything in seven weeks. If you’ve ever wondered “how to start reading the Bible” or what a good Bible study plan is, this is the series for you. Sound boring? Nah! This will be all you need to show how the Bible points us towards Jesus, even in the Old Testament. And discover how life-changing actually reading the Bible can be for you. We kick it off by looking at The Law books of the Bible. The first five books of the Bible, also known as the Torah or Pentateuch, can be read like a bunch of rules, but the Law books are so much more than that. They reveal the heart of God and His radical love for people.

What are “strongholds”? Strongholds are more than sins; they’re the patterns, addictions, behaviors, or traits that you might not even realize are holding you back from being the person God created you to be. The good news? The grace of God is available to all of us, and He will help you break free from the strongholds–the sins–that keep you from leaning into the full life He intended for you. We explore John 10:10 to discover where we’re stuck and practical ways to break free from what holds you back from life at its fullest.

If you’re the type of Christian who attends church a couple of Sundays each month and maybe reads a Bible plan on your phone app every so often, you’re not living up to your full potential. Just attending church is not enough to fully live out God’s plan. Our true purpose in life is living as the church every day. Wherever you are, that’s where God has placed you and He means for you to make a difference in the community right outside your door. How do you make a difference in your everyday life? We pray, we listen to and serve others, we get into Christian community and partner with God to love people–everyone–around us. Pastor Dave Dummitt finishes up the series in Ephesians 5:1-20, urging us to be the light of the world today.

Where does your loyalty lie? Your sports team? Your family? Your political party? What about with Jesus? Does Jesus sit at the top of your loyalty list? If not, we can become diverted from God by other things. As much as we might feel passionate about a cause we believe in, or fiercely loyal to our “people”; Jesus should always be the one you're most passionate about. And our loyalty to Jesus gets tested every day. The world puts pressure on Christians to live outside of the moral boundaries God gave us. But when God transformed your heart, you were made into a new person; loyal to Jesus and committed to following Him. And in that commitment, you heart should be expanding. Because your relationship with Jesus should be destroying any hatred or animosity for others. In this moment, what is your heart doing? Pastor Thomas Anderson, Jr. takes us into Ephesians 2 to demonstrate where our priorities and loyalty should really lie.

It’s easy for Christians to focus solely on answering the question; “how do I get into Heaven''? and getting others into Heaven with them. But when we break the real message of the Bible down to just that, we’re missing a huge part of it: God’s purpose for your life. God’s not only concerned about you getting into Heaven, He wants you to express Heaven while you’re here on earth. On earth as it is in Heaven, right? The bigger story of the Bible lifts up every human being as a valued member of the community in which they reside on earth–and it’s our calling as Christians to partner with Jesus in bringing love to our neighbors. This week, Pastor Megan Marshman shows us how Paul in the Bible reminded the church in his letter (Ephesians 1:3-14) of this truth: that God put us here on earth to change the world, and be a part of bridging Heaven and earth.