Traders Point Christian Church (Audio)

All of us experience the grace of God every day. The question is, what do we do when we’re living in this space after grace? Jesus calls us to live in freedom. Biblical freedom isn’t a license to do what we want. It’s the power to do what God wants. It means depending fully on the Holy Spirit, and it means spending the rest of our lives pointing people to Jesus with the freedom we’ve found in Him.Kyle Riley • Our Next Guest • John 8:1-11; Galatians 5

When we look at the life and ministry of Jesus, we see that He had some unique instructions for people not just before they pray, but even after they pray. God is faithful while we wait but also while we work, and our actions after the prayer can determine His answer. What is it you’re asking God to do in your life? Keep working while you are waiting.View Rusty's Book, After Amen here.Rusty George • Our Next Guest

When John the Baptist announced the Messiah, one group of people saw the heart behind the announcement. Another group saw something different. When we don’t view God rightly, we don’t view ourselves rightly. A changed heart comes from experiencing God’s heart. What does the heart of the Father express? God says, “I am here.” “Trust and obey.” “You’re mine.” When we shift our perspective, we experience His heart and fully trust Him.
Kyle Riley • Our Next Guest • Matthew 3:1-10, 13-17

A lot of people think Christianity is a low-maintenance, hassle-free life, but the minute we become a Christian, we gain an adversary. The devil’s main job in our lives isn’t temptation; it’s accusation. He wants to convince us that our issue is our identity. But Jesus stepped in as an advocate and paid the price on our behalf. What we do is not who we are. Only Jesus gets to tell us who we are.Josh Howerton • Our Next Guest • Revelation 12:7-11, 1 John 2:1-2

People may look at the same thing, but it doesn’t mean they see the same thing. When 12 Israelites were sent to scout out the Promised Land after wandering the wilderness, ten spies came back with a negative report, but two came back with courage and confidence. We don’t want to see what everyone else sees. We want to have a perspective that is shaped by our faith. Don’t let what you think is possible get in the way of what God has already promised.

Kyle Idleman • Our Next Guest • Numbers 13, 14

Pride is the enemy of the way of life Jesus invites us to. It stretches us beyond our capacities, not letting us off the treadmill of striving until we snap. But the simple work that Jesus invites us into is one of learning from and abiding in Him. It is only when we allow ourselves to be poured into by Him and filled with the Holy Spirit that we can adequately pour out to others and work from a place of true rest.

Ryan Bramlett • Achilles • Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus takes it very seriously when people who claim to represent Him couldn’t be further from Him. Prideful pretending causes us to be more concerned about managing our image than developing our character. It causes us to be more concerned with the applause of men than the approval of God. The only way to be real is to serve without ulterior motives. The life Jesus modeled and the message He preached were one and the same – whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Aaron Brockett • Achilles • Matthew 23

Every single one of us has a vulnerability or weakness in our character that, left unchecked, can and will bring down our relationships, reputation, and influence. That weakness is pride – an unhealthy preoccupation with self – and Scripture is clear that God hates pride. He knows it is the root of nearly every sin struggle we have, which is why one of the most loving things God does for us is oppose pride in our lives. There is freedom in letting go of pride, embracing humility, and acknowledging our need for God in everything we do.

Aaron Brockett • Achilles • Matthew 18

Pride is the thing that can so easily take us down and out. It can be blinding. That’s what we see in Saul in 1 Samuel 15. Saul has been so focused on himself that he loses touch with reality. Pride manifests itself in many different ways, and Saul’s story shows us that insecurity is one way it can show up in our lives. Let’s consider how pride sneaks into our own lives and ask God to replace it with humility by pointing us to our example, Jesus.

Aaron Brockett • Achilles • 1 Samuel 15

In the parable of the sower, Jesus used something His audience would have been culturally familiar with – agriculture – to connect with their hearts. If the seed is God’s Word and the soil is our hearts, what type of soil is God’s Word finding in your heart? Hard? Shallow? Distracted? Or is it the last type of soil Jesus mentions, the good soil – people who hear God’s Word, cling to it, and then patiently produce a harvest? Through His life, Jesus showed us the way to create a sustainable and consistent environment for growth in our own hearts. God will grow the harvest. Our only job is to plant and be faithful. To be present, patient, and persistent.
Kyle Riley • Dirt • Luke 8:4-15