First Assembly NLR Audio Podcast
Weekend messages from Pastor Rod Loy and FirstNLR.

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March 2008
S M T W T F S
     
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16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31

Syndication

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?
Direct download: 2008_12_07_AM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:47pm CDT

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.
Direct download: 2008_11_23_PM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:39pm CDT

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.
Direct download: 2008_11_30_AM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:21pm CDT

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?
Direct download: 2008_11_23_AM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:03pm CDT

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.
Direct download: 2008_11_16_AM_Audio.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:00pm CDT

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.
Direct download: 2008_11_09_AM_Audio.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:59pm CDT

In the race of life, we eventually will finish. We need to take as many with us across the finish line as possible!
Direct download: 2008_11_02_AM_iPod_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:38am CDT

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!
Direct download: 2008_11_02_PM_edit.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:56pm CDT

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).
Direct download: 2008_10_26_AM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:08pm CDT

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!
Direct download: 2008_10_19_AM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:21pm CDT

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?
Direct download: 2008_10_05_AM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:56pm CDT

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?
Direct download: 2008_09_28_AM_Audio.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:27pm CDT

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?
Direct download: 2008_09_21_PM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:26pm CDT

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?
Direct download: 2008_09_21_AM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:39pm CDT

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?
Direct download: 2008_09_14_AM_Audio.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:00pm CDT

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?
Direct download: 2008_09_07_AM_DVD_iPod_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:04pm CDT

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.
Direct download: 2008_08_31_AM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:49pm CDT

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?
Direct download: 2008_08_24_AM_DVD_iPod_FINAL_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:38pm CDT

Every day, we are bombarded with temptations that would draw us away from our responsibilities and our families.  There aren't too many news cycles that don't include the latest story on a politician or preacher who has failed morally.

Is it possible in today's world to stay pure?

Direct download: 2008_08_17_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:59pm CDT

As kids, we all had dreams - hopes for what we want for the future. It's easy to get discouraged about dreams, though. How do we know if a dream is the real deal? In this message, Rod Loy talks about how we can tell if a dream is from God.
Direct download: 2008_08_10_AM3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:12pm CDT

Many people have hurt and pain caused by their families. If your family was, or is, dysfunctional, is there hope for you to overcome your past? Is there hope for you?
Direct download: 2008_08_03_AM3a.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:24pm CDT

This series is titled Family Survivor, but really, you want to do more than survive.  There are times that just surviving is a victory, but for the most part, surviving isn't winning.  You want to do more than survive.  You want to win!
Direct download: 2008_07_27_AM3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:07pm CDT

Not all family moments are fun or funny. Life is not one long fun-filled vacation. Challenges arise. Hard times come. How do you not only survive tough times with your family, but grow closer as a result?
Direct download: 2008_07_20_AM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:46pm CDT

Have you ever wanted to kick someone out of your family for doing something stupid?  Unlike reality shows, we really can't kick someone off our "island," but in every home, in every relationship, conflict will arise.  Solving conflict in a Biblical manner is key to a healthy home.
Direct download: 2008_07_13_AM_Audio_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:22am CDT

Life is pretty hectic these days, isn't it? The average family doesn't even eat dinner together that often anymore. In this message, the first in the Family Survivor series, Rod Loy talks about the importance of keeping your family together in a busy world.
Direct download: 2008_07_06_AM_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:10am CDT

So, gas prices have you down? They keep getting higher and higher with no sign of coming down any time soon. Gas prices are causing a lot of people to rethink their spending. In this final message of the Living Large series, Rod Loy talks about more principles to share with your family about money and finances.
Direct download: 2008_06_29_AM_.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:06am CDT

Ants are tiny creatures with tiny brains. Yet, they somehow know to put away food and supplies for the future. Are you as smart as an ant? In this message, Rod Loy talks about more principles to teach your children about finances.
Direct download: 2008_06_22_AM_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:02am CDT

Like Veruca Salt, the little brat in the Willy Wonka movie, we often want to buy possessions right now. Stewardship, though, involves spending our money more wisely. In this message, Rod Loy examines some more principles of stewardship.
Direct download: 2008_06_15_AM_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:53am CDT

Some people get nervous when a preacher starts talking about money in church. But today, everywhere you go, people are talking about money. It's on TV, in the newspapers and the internet. In this message, Rod Loy teaches some principles that can transform your financial life and future and positively impact the lives of the next generation.
Direct download: 20080608AM_1-2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:36am CDT

In this message, Rod Loy looks at the story of King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back into Jerusalem. From this story, we can learn some leadership lessons that affect our lives today.
Direct download: 2008_06_01_AM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:25am CDT

People looking at your life would assume you to be incredibly happy. You wish that was true. If you have been trying to fill an empty spot in your life with money, power, fame, or position, you know it doesn't work. You can climb to the top in the world and still feel empty. There has to be something more, right?
Direct download: 2008_05_25_AM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:54pm CDT

Worship is more than a time in a church service when we sing. Worship is being in the presence of God anytime. In this message, Rod Loy looks at this principle: when you spend time in God's presence, blessings follow.
Direct download: 2008_05_18_AM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:48pm CDT

In this last message of the Life is a Highway series, Rod Loy looks at dead ends, and how they don't have to be the end for you
Direct download: 2008_05_11_AM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:34pm CDT

As we get older, our focus should shift from achievement to legacy. It's not about what we can do, but what we can pass on. In this message, Rod Loy looks at this principle: each generation has a responsibility to the ones behind it to serve as an example and leave a legacy of faith.
Direct download: 2008_05_04_AM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:28pm CDT

How do you know God's will for your life? A lot of people aren't sure what God wants them to do. God wants you to understand and know His will for you. He's not playing a celestial game of hide and seek, trying to keep you in the dark. In this message, Rod Loy talks about how you can know God's will for you in any situation.
Direct download: 2008_04_27_AM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:28pm CDT

Detours are usually not very fun. You are heading for a goal, and suddenly life throws up a detour. In this message, Rod Loy looks at what happens when our plans don't always seem to be working out.
Direct download: 2008_04_20_AM_Sequence.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:22pm CDT

It seems like freeways are always under some sort of construction. In this message, Rod Loy talks about how our lives should be under construction, too.
Direct download: 2008_04_13_AM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:16pm CDT

When you cruise down the highway of life alone, it's not too bad.  But when other people have to merge with you on the road, that's when problems can happen.  When you merge, you often clash.

In this message, Rod Loy talks about conflict resolution.

Direct download: 2008_04_06_AM3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:20pm CDT

On life's highway, the road isn't always smooth. We make some wrong turns, and occasionally lose our way. In this series, Rod Loy uses highway signs as memory helpers - so every time you see a road sign, you'll recall some truths about our journey through life. In this first message, he discusses the most common sign of all - Stop. With God's help, we can stop things that lead us down the wrong roads.
Direct download: 2008_03_30_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:43am CDT

It's not certain where we learn it, the phrase, or even the concept that life is supposed to be fair.  But one of the first phrases you learn as a kid is "That's not fair!"

In this message, Rod Loy looks at the idea while life isn't fair, maybe that's a good thing.

Direct download: 2008_03_23_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:48am CDT

When we mess up, whether it is little or big, we have a tendency to do whatever we can to cover it up.  Confession is the furthest thing from our minds.  After all, we got away with it.  No one will ever know.

But inevitably, something happens, and we get caught.

What happens when we try to cover up our mistakes?  Rod Loy takes a final look at the story of David and Bathsheba.

Direct download: 2008_03_16_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:27pm CDT

When you've realized you've messed up, you've blown it -- you have a decision to make. You can confess, or you can conceal.  You can tell on yourself, or you can cover it up.  What happens when you try to cover things up?  What if you think you've gotten away with it?  Will anyone ever know?
Direct download: 2008_03_09_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:44pm CDT

It makes people uncomfortable, but the church has been silent way too long--it's important for Christians to talk about sex and sexual sin.  We cannot allow culture to shape our beliefs in this area.  In the first message of this series, Rod Loy looks at the stranglehold that pornography has on many people in our society, our homes, and yes, even our churches.

 

Direct download: 2008_03_02_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:43pm CDT

In this message, Rod Loy asks the question:  when people come back to God and church, how should we respond to them?
Direct download: 2008_02_24_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:38pm CDT

What is God's response when you run away, but then decide to finally come home?  Is God waiting with a hammer to punish you?  Is God going to pile on the lectures to make sure you've learned your lesson?  What should you expect from God?
Direct download: 2008_02_17_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:01pm CDT

When you leave God and do your own thing, only to find it miserably fail, it should be easy to turn back to God.  It sounds easy, but it isn't. We often make things harder for ourselves.  Sometimes the road back home can be filled with obstacles. 

In this message, Rod Loy looks again at the story of the Prodigal Son, and what it means to those of us on our way back to God.

 

Direct download: 2008_02_10_AM3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:18pm CDT

In this message, Rod Loy looks at the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship and what makes healthy relationships so important. 
Direct download: 2008_02_03_PM.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:01pm CDT

Many of us have run away from home.  But, we're not talking about a foolish childhood runaway moment.  There are runaways - who make the decision to run away from their spiritual home - from God, their faith, and everything familiar.  So often, what looks like a life of friends, fun, and freedom turns out to be something else altogether. 

In this message, Rod Loy begins his study of the Prodigal Son, and those prodigals that we all know in our everyday lives.

 

Direct download: 2008_02_03_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:44pm CDT

Four More Years! is a chant you often hear at political conventions.  If an elected president has done a good job--or even if he hasn't--his supporters wave banners and cheer "four more years!"

There are four more years until our 100th anniversary as a church.  What should a 100-year old church look like?  What keeps a body healthy?  In this message, Rod Loy lays out what our church, and what any church, should look like if they want to be a healthy, vibrant church in this century.

 

Direct download: 2008_01_20_AM_2A.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:57pm CDT

It today's world, it's easy to become cynical and have a bad attitude.  Understand - your attitude is more than just what you say or do.  It's also about what you feel.  Your attitude is your choice.

In this message, Rod Loy looks at Philippians Chapter 2, in which the apostle Paul talks about the attitudes we should choose to possess as followers of Christ.  How can we choose to have a good attitude?

Direct download: 2008_01_13_AM2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:43pm CDT

Most people make big plans for the new year - life-altering decisions, called resolutions.  The goal is always to be better, to grow, and to improve.  The problem is, most of the time, we waste the opportunity.  Our "do over" becomes a "do again."  We find ourselves in the same harmful habits and never ending ruts.

How can we really change?  The Bible has some answers!

Direct download: 2008_01_06_AM_3.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:31pm CDT