Do you ever get tired of waiting?  We all get tired in doctor's waiting rooms, at stop lights, and so on.  But do you get tired of waiting on God?  Do you see others experiencing blessings while you wait?   How do you respond when it seems like your answer is never going to come?

No matter how big or strong you are, there is something you fear.  Whether we want to admit it or not, we all face fear.  But for some of us, it's bigger.  They face fear daily, and it controls their lives.  They are consumed with fear.  If you are struggling with fear, what should you do?  How do you deal with fear?

Almost everyone fears something - heights, closed spaces, snakes, and more.  These fears don't really control your life that much.  But there are some fears, real fears that can dominate your thinking and control your life.  Some of us face those fears daily: rejection, change, failure, other people's opinions, the unknown.

What do you fear?  What keeps you from doing and being everything God made you to be and do?

 

In this message, Pastor Rod looks at the third preparation principle.  We can never accomplish what God has for us without spending time in His presence.

Do you ever get impatient with God?  We're impatient these days.  We like stuff to happen right now.  We know He has a plan for our lives, but sometimes it seems to take too long.  What can happen if we decide to "rush" things and not wait for God?

We don't like preparation all that much.  It's not always fun.  We'd rather jump right in to what we want to do or what we feel God wants us to do.  We see in the Bible, though, when God called someone, there was often a time of preparation.  When we are ready to go, often God says, "Wait."

Have you ever met a spiritual snob?  You know, someone who feels they are better than you, because of their exalted faith?  Jesus had a lot to say about spiritual snobs.  In this final message in the Between the Lines series, Rod Loy examines the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

In this message, Pastor Rod looks at the Parable of the Sower.  What was Jesus saying with this parable?  What should we do in response?

In this message, Pastor Gary Tomlinson talks about people who are hoarders:  those who have a lot, but are stingy with God.  Are you a hoarder?

Prejudice.  It's about more than black and white.  And it strikes at the core of what it means to be a Christian.  In Luke, chapter 10, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.  What does it have to do with prejudice?  A lot, when you read between the lines...

Pastor Brad's special song for Project Rescue.  Learn more about them and their work at www.projectrescue.com

In the parable of the Unjust Steward, Jesus tells a curious tale about a wealth manager who learns he is to be fired.  He uses his influence to cost his employer money, while setting himself up for the future.  Strangely, once his employer finds out, he commends his dastardly former employee for his shrewdness and cunning.  Why would Jesus teach using this story?  What does it have to teach us today?

What does Jesus think about empty seats in a church?

Jesus often taught using stories, called parables.  In this particular story, about the Prodigal Son, He did not explain the meaning of it.  He left it up to the listeners to figure out its meaning.

In this message, Pastor Rod doesn't tell us the meaning either.  The congregation helped decide what lessons we can learn from this parable, and the results are interesting!

 

Do you have talent?  We see it in the media every day, and everyone is good at something.

You've got a choice.  You can use the talents God gave you for personal gain, or you can live according to God's priorities.  It's not a meaningless choice.  The way you live on earth determines where you live forever!

(This podcast also includes Pastor Brad Russell's spur of the moment instant Mother's Day songs!)

Have you ever been afraid to share a difficult truth?  Paul asks, "Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?".  Telling the truth can cause divison, it can make enemies, and if we make truth-tellers our enemies then we become blind to the truth.  How can we be brave enough to tell the truth and strong enough to hear it? 

When we find ourselves in a low valley--when we've spectacularly failed--we often ask questions like: "Why me? How could I fail like this? How did I ever let myself get to this place?  What went wrong?"  Whether you have been there, or will someday, this message will be an eye-opener.  Are you trying to live your life through your strength, or God's?

With so many messages bombarding us every day, who do we listen to?  How can we really please God?  What does it mean to follow Jesus? 

Sometimes, we find ourselves in traps:  addiction, pornography, and many other things can keep us trapped in sin.  Like a mouse attracted to cheese, there was initially something appealing in the trap.  What looked good, easy, and fun at first didn't stay that way.  It was a trap.

All you want to do is get out, but you can't get yourself out of a trap.  You need a Rescuer.

What do you do when you are  facing a big challenge, a huge test, or a devastating disappointment?  It can be frightening, uncertain, emotional, and unsettling.  Jesus faced what you are facing.  He experienced the same emotions and thoughts. In this message, Rod Loy looks at how the Bible gives us an inside look into how Jesus prepared Himself for the biggest battle of His life.

People pick a church for a variety of reasons, but what really matters in a church is whether it is healthy or not.  What is a healthy church?  What are the core values of a church that is striving for health?

We voted on one more scripture to include in the Ten for Life series, and chose Romans 8:38,39.

As a culture, we like love stories and love songs, but there's a love that is bigger than all that.  There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God!

 

 

Many religions claim to know the way to Heaven, but Jesus has a pretty specific and very counter cultural statement: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Ever had a bad day?  How about bad times that last a little longer than a day?  What should our attitude be in difficult times?

Every day, you make decisions based on priorities.  And every day you send a message with those decisions.

Where do we spend most of our time?  How should we spend our time?

 

 

Have you ever been in a place where the world seemed to be closing in on you?  You may have felt overwhelmed and overloaded, like there was just no way you could handle anything else.

In this message, Pastor Brian Dollar talks about Philippians 4:13: "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."  This passage of scripture was written by the Apostle Paul to people who were suffering.  The passage has a lot to say to us today!

In Matthew  22,  the Pharisees ask Jesus, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 

His answer was clear and simple for them, and for us.  If you wan to know how to be a life-long follower of Jesus Christ, this is the starting place.

In this message, Rod Loy looks at the signs of an unhealthy relationship.  This is an important message for anyone, from students to adults!

The fifth message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith.

In this message, Pastor Rod looks at Joshua 1:9.  If we are to live the lives God has for us, we have to be courageous!

The fourth message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith.

We don't try to run our cars for very long on empty, so why do we run our lives that way?  In this message, Rod Loy looks at the cure for burnout.

Is. 40:31 "…those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

The third message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith.

This week:  2 Chronicles 7:14 - "...if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

The second message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith.

This week: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

The first message in the Ten for Life series, in which Rod Loy examines ten scriptures that are key to the Christian faith. 

This week: Proverbs 3:5,6:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will keep your paths straight."

What does being content mean to you?  What makes you discontent?  In today's society, marketers play on our tendency to want the newest, best, and shiniest.

In the final message from the Gift series, Pastor Rod Loy unpacks another of God's gifts to us: contentment.

A lot of our destructive behaviors, inappropriate actions, and a lot of negative circumstances are because we are searching.  We don't have peace.  Peace is not something we need every once in awhile.  We need it every single day.  Everyone needs peace.  How can you find peace?

Pastor Brad Russell wrote a special song, "Stay Right Here," for our message about peace.  The song is available for download here.  For lyrics, go to http://www.firstnlr.com/peacesong

What is joy?  It is an inner feeling of contentment that is far greater than a temporary happiness.  It's a life outlook -- a different perspective.  It's hard to explain, but easy to spot in others. True joy is a gift from God! 

But how do you get joy?  Can you maintain it?

How do you know what something is worth?  You know what it's worth by what people are willing to pay for it.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for us.  What does that tell you about our worth to Him?

You can't buy it, you can't earn it, but you can have it.
In this message, Pastor Rod talks about wisdom.

Pastor Randy Jumper talks about another of God's gifts:  Freedom!

Grace:  You can't earn it, you can't buy it, but you can have it. 

So far in this series, we've talked about how we can forgive.  In this message, we come at it from the other side. What do you need to know and what do you need to do when you are the one who requires forgiveness, when you are the offender?

You are going to be hurt in life.  It's inevitable.  When it happens, though, our response is our choice.  The Bible says we should forgive.  Great - now how do we do it?

We have to learn to forgive.  People who decide not to forgive are consumed, held captive, and defined by the hurt they refuse to forgive. But how? How can we forgive?

Why is forgiveness one of the hardest things we have to do?  A lot of times, we don't really understand forgiveness.  In this message, Rod Loy uncovers what forgiveness really is, and why it's important to forgive.

Another myth we sometimes carry about God is that he can't use us, and doesn't have a plan for us, because we aren't perfect.  Only "perfect" people can do great things for God.  Well, a short look through the Bible shows that God used plenty of imperfect, and sometimes plain messed up people, for great things.  You feel messed up?  Join the crowd!

We believe a lot of myths.  Sometimes, our myths are formed from our attempts to understand difficult situations.  We can't find a logical reason why we haven't been healed or helped,  so we reach incorrect conclusions about God.  We decide that we are too small, and God is too busy, to care about us.

You can convince yourself of almost anything.  What starts with a feeling can become a fact.  We sometimes talk ourselves into a self-concept, and even a God-concept, that has no basis in fact.  Are you really hopeless?  Is anyone too far gone for God to care about?

Many people view God as angry and unforgiving.  But in the Bible, we see a different story.  In this message, Rod Loy looks at how Jesus dealt with betrayal.

One of the challenges of so many religious systems being taught today is too much emphasis on ourselves:  if we accomplish enough, if we do enough good, we can obtain miracles or salvation.  Even many Christians feel that if they don't have enough faith, God may not provide miracles.  Is there a formula?  Does your healing or your miracle really depend on what you say or do?

Have you ever felt like you don't matter?  Like you are worthless, insignificant, and overlooked?  Sometimes people think God sees them that way, too. 

People believe a lot of myths about God.  One of the biggest ones people struggle with is "I've messed up too many times. I believe in a loving God, but I'm beyond that. I don't think God would want someone like me.  I need to clean up my life before I can go to church."
In this message, Rod Loy looks at this myth and talks about the truth of God's love for everyone.

Life in a family is often a lot of fun. But, challenges can arise and hard times come.  At some point, every person and every family will find themselves facing an unexpected crisis.   What do you do?  What role does your faith play in how you deal with life's unexpected problems?

People don't like to talk about death and loss.  But when someone close to you dies, you are forced to think about it.  In this message, Rod Loy covers what happens when we grieve and what to do if you or someone you know is going through grief.

In this message, Rod Loy talks with six couples from different stages of life about the challenges and lessons they've learned from their marriages.

It's easy to have opinions and theories on raising kids if you don't have any.  One thing parents find is that no one formula works for their kids.  The Bible says, "train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."  That's a great passage, but how do we do that? 

In this message, Rod Loy looks at some thoughts about what's important when you are raising kids.

It's not a popular topic on Christian TV, and it doesn't sell many books, but the Bible deals constantly with the topic of suffering in a believer's life.  How should a Christian respond to persecution, hard times, suffering, and hardship?

All too often, when Christians encounter opposition from the world, they freak out, busying themselves with forwarding e-mails, and getting angry at the government, or whatever is the target at that time.  What if Christians took all the time they spent being angry and instead spent that time praying?  In the book of First Peter, Peter gives us strategy about not how to react to the world around us, but how to influence it through love.

Living for Jesus and demonstrating your faith is easy at church.  It's accepted and popular.  But it's not so easy everywhere else.  Like it or not, we have to live out our faith in the real world.   So, how do you do it?

Unresolved conflict -- broken relationships between people who claim to be followers of Christ -- is the reason many unchurched people want no part of church.  We often try to pretend such conflict doesn't exist.  What does the Bible say about conflict?  What should we do when this happens to us or to other Christians?

The church should be a hospital for the broken - for people with a past, for people who have messed up.  It is a place where people can be restored.  Too often, though, the church is known as a place where they shoot their wounded.  How should the church react to people who've messed up?  What is our role as Christians in helping broken people get whole again?

How could a loving God allow me to hurt like this?  Why haven't I been healed?  Why hasn't God answered my prayers?
Rod Loy looks at these and other questions in this message.

Just like the ill-fated egg of the nursery rhyme, sometimes it seems like we will never be able to put it all back together again.   In this message, Rod Loy looks at how to get your life back together when everything seems broken.

There are studies that indicate that the average American household carries between $8,000 and $10,000 balance on their credit cards with interest rates in the high teens.  Many owe much more.  Being in debt is like being in chains: your decisions are based on how much you owe on your cards.
In this message, Rod Loy challenges some commonly-held attitudes about credit and debt.

Most Americans are crisis-oriented.  We wait until there is a problem, most likely a major problem, before we take action. We say "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," but we don't live that way. When a problem comes, we want a quick solution, a bail out, when we should have been working to prevent the problem all along.  It's especially like that with our finances.    In this message, Rod Loy looks at "preventative" measures with our money.

TV, newspapers, and the Internet have been filled with bad news about the economy.  As economic pressure increases, people are becoming increasingly worried.  Why does it make us worry, and what can we do about worry in uncertain times?

Re-start. Reboot. Control, Alt, Delete.  The answer to every problem in the computer world is to re-start.  And when you do? Miraculously, when the computer comes back on after re-starting, everything works again.  That's all it takes.  A re-start wipes out your mistakes - like they never happened.

What if life was like that?  Have there been times in your life you wish you could just re-start?

We say it all the time, "Every Soul Matters to God." But do we really believe that? Did Jesus really die for everyone's sins? Are there some people who are just too bad for God to forgive?

In our world, we want everything right now. This even applies to answers from God to our prayers. God works on a different time scale, however, and in the end we always see that He has perfect timing.

Nobody likes it when life is like a roller coaster - filled with high highs and low lows, and frightening twists and turns. We'd prefer that things sail along, always getting better. But that's not how it usually works! In this message, Rod Loy looks at what we can learn from both the highs and lows of life.

Are you in a storm? Not a weather event, but has something happened in your life that has completely rocked you, whether its health, financial, or relational problems? In this message, Rod Loy shares some observations about what to do when you find yourself in a storm.

We all have a past. Sometimes people are afraid to come to church, because they think they will be condemned for their past. This was not the model Jesus showed us though. In this message, Rod Loy looks again at the encounter between Jesus and the woman with a sinful past. The way Jesus transformed her life is the way He can transform your life!

The gospel of Luke records that one of the Pharisees invites Jesus to his house for a meal. This was not a friendly gesture, as the Pharisees meant to question Him, and try to trip Jesus up and put Him in His place. Why would Jesus even go into such a situation? Because he knew someone would be there who would need her sins forgiven. Rod Loy looks at the story of this meeting between Jesus and an "unclean" woman.

It's a famous story in the Bible. Some men bring their friend, who can't walk, to Jesus, so He will heal him. The crowd in the house is so thick that they actually lower their friend down from the roof. Jesus did something that nobody expected, though. In this message, Rod Loy looks at the greatest miracle that happens in an encounter with Jesus, which often receives little notice.

There are people in the world today that other people don't want to think about. If you see someone with a "Will Work for Food" sign, you try to ignore them and hope they don't see you. There are many people that society considers invisible. Maybe you are made to feel invisible by the people around you. In this story, and today, Jesus sees the the "invisible." And He sees you.

Does it seem like life is falling in on you? Things may seem hopeless, but Jesus sees not only your need, but He sees you. In this message, Rod Loy looks at the story of Jesus and the Blind Man.

Maybe you sit in church, watch a Christian television show, or listen to a podcast. You may even go through the motions of being a believer, but deep down, you just aren't sure about the whole thing. You are a doubter. Maybe you want to believe, but you still have questions. It's okay to have questions. Doubters are welcome. In this message, Rod Loy looks at one of the most famous doubters in the Bible: the disciple Thomas. Through him, we can learn what to do when we doubt.

In this message, Rod Loy looks at the Biblical story of Jesus and the woman who was caught in adultery. His reaction to her speaks volumes to us today. It's sometimes hard for us to understand, but God offers us grace, and will transform us from our old lives into something new!

A transformation is a significant, all inclusive, life-changing moment. You move from something to something else. A transformation is a God-enabled, supernatural shift in your nature or character. Where is the best place to start a transformation? A healthy church! In this message, Rod Loy examines the traits that make up a healthy church.

There are some things in life that you can "sort of" do. If you go swimming, you can actually jump in and swim, or you can sit on a raft, or just put your feet in the water. That way, you're "kind of" swimming. But there are things in life that you can't "kind of" do. Following Christ is one of them. In this message, Rod Loy looks at the problems we can face we don't give every part of our life to God.

At the beginning of every year, a lot of people make resolutions. They are usually about exercise, family time, getting out of debt, and so on. These are all good things! But what if you need more than a resolution? What if you need a total transformation?

This is the concluding message of the Lift! series.

Who are your favorite people to spend time with? Chances are, they are people that make you feel better about yourself. Some people are lifters--they make you feel good when you are around them. Other people are "downers," and have the opposite effect on you. What can you do to be a lifter in the lives of others?

There are three kinds of people: those who are "hot," meaning they are close followers of Christ, those who are "cold," meaning they have no knowledge of God, and those who are "lukewarm," meaning they are supposedly followers of Christ, but don't live according to His Word. In other words, they are hypocrites. What happens when you are "lukewarm"? In this message, Rod Loy examines how people become lukewarm, and how they can get "hot" again.

You can tell a lot about someone by what comes out of their mouth. What would someone listening to you think about you? Even more, if you are a Christian, would anyone know it by the words you say? In this message, Rod Loy examines the importance of our words.

Certain times of the year or events can cause us all to feel blue and even get depressed. What causes this issue in our life? How can we fix it?

Feeling down about yourself? Feel like you're not good for anything? You need a lift! In this message, Rod Loy looks at the causes of poor self-esteem, and how we can find our worth in God.

Why should we stay stuck in the same rut we've always been in? It's time to lift! In this message, the first of the Lift! series, Rod Loy examines habits and how they have control of our lives and how we can change for the better.

In the race of life, we eventually will finish. We need to take as many with us across the finish line as possible!

In this message, Rod Loy examines one of the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation: Philadelphia.  The primary message?  Jesus is coming soon!  Regardless of political or economic problems, take heart: God is in control, and Jesus is coming soon!

We are running a race. It's a race to share the Gospel of Jesus with the world. Sometimes things get tough. Don't quit! In this message, Rod Loy continues the missions series, The Race. (Note: certain names and places have been edited to protect believers in hostile countries).

Jesus gave the church instructions on what we should do: preach the gospel to all the world. With those words, He started the most important race in all history. Time is counting down. The race is on. It's time to jump in and run the race. Today, not later. Today!

How do you succeed? That's what everyone wants - to be a success. When you start anything, that's the goal. You don't plan to fail. In school, in your marriage, in your business or ministry - your goal is to succeed. So, how do you do it?

We all know someone who has gone through some kind of tragedy. It seems odd that even good people can be stricken by illness or other disaster. Many will ask why, if God is so good, does He allow these things to happen? In this message, Rod Loy answers the question, why do bad things happen to good people?

Are you so busy working and doing things for God that you've forgotten your initial love for Him? What happens to the fervor of a new Christian as he or she matures?

It's relatively easy to forgive the guy who cuts you off in traffic. You don't have to see him again. It's over and done. The people closest to us, however, are harder to forgive. Their wounds hurt the most. The memories stay fresh. The offense lingers. Why should we forgive? Why not get revenge?

We understand - bad things sometimes happen in life. We shrug it off, laugh it off, or have a good cry and move on. But it's different for others. They begin to expect bad things to happen-and more bad things to follow. They become pessimistic. How can you avoid negative thinking?

Nobody is out of the reach of God, who is willing to go to great lengths to bring them back to Him. How does God get through to someone whose conscience has been seared, cut off from feeling - who no longer feels or knows the difference from right or wrong?

Sometimes we get in situations in our lives that everything seems hopeless. We wonder where God is, and why isn't He doing anything? In this special message, Rod Loy looks at story of Joseph, and how he went from prisoner to ruler.

It's not a fun topic to talk about. We want the Christian life to function as a predictable formula. No surprises or setbacks, just blessing after blessing. But when problems happen, and they will happen, it can test our faith. How should we handle life when it throws problems our way?