Traders Point Christian Church (Audio)

Jesus tells the parable of the farmer scattering seed to explain how personal and spiritual growth happens in our lives. The seed is God’s Word and the soil is our hearts. If the seed is going to produce anything, it has to push up through the soil, as well as the thorns that threaten to choke the life out of it. There will be thorns and weeds in our lives, but God wants to take what happens to us to accomplish His work in us, so He can fulfill His purpose through us.
Aaron Brockett • Dirt • Luke 8:4-15

The parable of the sower teaches us that the kind of soil we have in our hearts determines the kind of growth we will see in our lives. We have a tendency to focus almost exclusively on the fruit above the surface in our lives, but there’s nothing we will see above the surface that didn’t start below. To experience change, we need to get to the root – the condition of our hearts.
Aaron Brockett • Dirt • Luke 8:4-15

Dirt is a natural medium for growth. When Jesus tells the parable of the four soils, He isn’t speaking about farming. He’s talking about the condition of our heart. The story Jesus tells is an invitation to listen with new ears, with curiosity, and with a heart to truly hear what He has to say. Jesus didn’t come to entertain the crowds. He came to announce the good news of a new kingdom – the kind of kingdom that’s available to anyone who’s willing to truly listen and understand.Ryan Bramlett • Dirt • Luke 8:4-12

Failure is defined as an inability to perform, giving way under stress, a lack of success, falling short, or one who has failed. We all experience failure at some point in our lifetime. But some failures cut so deep, they seem almost unbearable. A closer look at the life of Peter shows us that Jesus still pursues us in our failures. Because Jesus IS resurrection, no failure will ever be too big for Him to overcome. In Him, we have redemption and can walk from failure to freedom.
Aaron Brockett • Easter • John 21

The church is more than just a building. The church is the bride of Christ, a beacon of hope and light and a new way that points to Jesus and eternal life. It’s time for us to rally and be the church as God intended, to be one voice that lives out the ways of Jesus, to be the holy nation that shows others the goodness of God, and to be the witnesses for Him that He called us to be. As we grow in our love for Jesus, looking more and more like Him every day, we beautify the bride, causing a watching world to stand up and take notice. Ryan Bramlett • Rally Cry • John 17

The past year has delivered a severe blow to our relationships. But God, who is a God in three persons Himself, designed us to be in community. The early church was a picture of community the way God intended for His children. Are you part of this type of community—one that’s devoted to God’s teachings, true fellowship, prayer, and worship? Through the work of Jesus, God declared that we will never stand alone.
Ryan Bramlett • Rally Cry • Acts 2:1-4, 38-40, 42-47

Marriage is a God-ordained institution, designed to be a reflection of His nature and relationship with us. It's also the most vulnerable human relationship we'll have, and we need to see it as such. Marriage is harder than we think but better than we thought. No matter our relationship status, God’s heart is that we become the person He intended us to be – full and complete in Christ.
Aaron Brockett • Rally Cry • Genesis 2:21-24, Song of Songs

There is a very real enemy who exists in our world, and he's doing everything he can to fight against our marriages, our families, and the hope of redemption and restoration that comes through Jesus. As a church, it’s time to rally around these things! We're called to build God’s kingdom on earth and raise the next generation to pierce the darkness of our world. Our legacy is shaped by who we raise and influence, not just by what we do.
Aaron Brockett • Rally Cry • Psalm 127

When it comes to the struggles we’ve experienced and witnessed all around us this past year – anger, addiction, anxiety, and depression – the one we may feel most out of bounds talking about in the church is doubt. But doubt is not the opposite of faith! Handled properly, doubt can strengthen our faith and draw us into a closer walk with the God of the universe who has revealed Himself to us and wants us to know Him.
Ryan Bramlett • Let’s Talk About It • Matthew 28, John 1:14

Not everyone is going through the same thing as we walk through an emotional and mental health crisis in our world, but everyone is going through something. The Bible promises that when we acknowledge our struggles and get them out in the open, we have an advocate with God in Jesus Christ who wants to redeem every broken thing within us. Depression can be the “check engine light” of our souls. God can and will use it to draw us into a deeper relationship with Him if we allow it. 
Aaron Brockett • Let’s Talk About It • Psalm 42, 1 Kings 19