Passion City Church DC Podcast

Pastor Ben Stuart // There is a deep desire in the hearts of humanity to be known, valued, and recognized. In today’s culture, we are encouraged in this idea that it’s all about us, our fame, and making our name known. But what happens when the follower count isn’t enough? What do we do when we seek fame and are left feeling empty? The truth is, we will never find satisfaction in self-absorption, but we will find it in radical self donation. In this game-changing message, Pastor Ben Stuart poses a challenging question to each of us: Are you building a tower for your own glory, or are you using your life as an altar for His?

“We have the power of life + death in our mouths today.” — On ABOVE + BEYOND Sunday, Pastor Louie cast vision for the future of our House and took us through the idea that our future is ultimately shaped by what we believe + humbly speak for our lives. This is a look at the BEYOND we believe God is calling our House towards.

Pastor Ben Stuart // What does it look like to connect with the Spirit of God? We all have a desire for a spiritual walk, but how do we know that our lives are truly being guided by the Spirit? True spirituality is not a life free from struggle, rather, it’s constant dependence on God in the midst of pain. With the Word of God educating us, the Spirit of God empowering us, and the community of God carrying us, we have the tools we need to live lives that glorify Jesus!

Pastor Ben Stuart // We all want to be connected to something that takes us further than we’d go on our own. We all want to be a part of something greater, something spiritual. But what is true spirituality? — This week Pastor Ben Stuart walks us through the meaning of spirituality. To truly be spiritual is to be rightly related to the Spirit of God, and the beautiful thing is that God wants that for us. That’s why He sent His son to die on the cross. Not just so that we’d be forgiven, but so that the barrier of sin could be moved out of the way and we could return to intimacy with Him. — Will you join us ask we ask the Spirit to hoist the sails of our lives and guide us through the days ahead?

Pastor Louie Giglio // Jesus is the ultimate place-maker. Through Him everything around us was created, and by His sacrifice, a place for us was made in His Father’s House. — As followers of Jesus, we are called to be place-makers in our own right. To set the table for the people of our city to sit at and experience all God has for them. This is how we step into a broken and wandering world, with open hands and a place made ready; but in order to do that, we will need to be willing to go above and beyond where we’ve ever been before.

Pastor Ben Stuart // As we continue our journey through the book of Ephesians, Pastor Ben Stuart walks us through the new way of life described in Ephesians chapter 4. — When God gets ahold of our hearts, our way of life changes. Our new identity in Christ brings new activities in our lives. The way we speak changes. The way we treat people changes. These new ways of life don’t come from a place of striving to earn acceptance, but from a place of already being accepted. — When we are adopted into the family of God, we join the mission of being a fountain of life for the world. How are you bringing life to the world around you?

Pastor Ben Stuart // The spirit of God is all about unity. In Ephesians Chapter 4, we are called to bear with one another in love. When we love each other, we love God. This is the heart of unity. — In a culture with increasing individuality, we may start to think that unity means uniformity, but this is not the case. In this week’s message, Pastor Ben Stuart explains how unity and diversity go hand in hand. When we link arms with those who are different than us, we’re stepping into a greater God-story.

Pastor Ben Stuart // The people that are making the greatest difference in the world are the ones that have had a difference made inside of them. — Sometimes life gets hard. What’s left to catch us when the bottom falls out from under us? This week, Pastor Ben Stuart talks about the importance of letting Jesus dwell in all areas of our lives. — When Christ is able to enter all areas of our heart, we become rooted and grounded in love. It is here that our lives begin to look different. Sometimes the best change doesn’t come from a change in circumstances, but a change in perspective.

Pastor Ben Stuart // In a day and age where there seems to be rapid growth in hostility between people groups, God is calling us back into the family. — This week Pastor Ben Stuart encourages us in a message about unity. In a breakdown of Ephesians Chapter 2, we find that the grounds for unity is humility, and the goal of unity is Glory. When we love each other with a contributing spirit instead of a critical one, Jesus gets the glory!

Pastor Ben Stuart // “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10 — New identities bring new activities. When we accept the gift of grace and are raised with Christ, our lives begin to take on new activities. It is not because of our actions we are saved. Rather, it is because we are saved that our lives begin to look different!