Port City Community Church - Audio Podcast

We rally against "those people." We point the finger at, judge, and despise "those people." We reason the world would be a better place if "those people" saw things from our perspective. The place for change is local and personal. The redemption of the world is going to take place relationally. Yet, togetherness will never take root if we remain distant and objectify others. Sin splits things apart that were meant to be together. We've mastered the art of continued separation and have become professionals at dividing people into categories. Our passion for reconciliation begins when our hearts break over broken relationships. We can't do anything about the headlines, but we can do something with the person right in front of us. Unity is elusive, but togetherness is available to us every single day.

We really hope you listen to episode 64 with Mike Ashcraft the week between Christmas and New Years 2020. We talk about taking time as a parent to do our church's personal retreat, possibly leading your kids through it, and picking words. Set aside a few minutes ASAP to give this episode a listen. It will help you finish 2020 in a great way.

Joy is the resulting emotion of being loved by God that fuels life with Him so that it drives and defines everything else. The invitation is for our lives to overflow with joy and praise. Joy reaches its consummation in its expression. It is not complete unless it gets expressed. We share what we love with others. What we receive, we can't help but give away. What takes place in the depths of who we are will eventually rise to the surface through our demeanor, words, and actions. Our joy isn't dependent on the outcome of our situation but the awakening in the process. The struggles of today will be the stories of redemption tomorrow.

In episode 63 we talk to Pastor Mike Ashcraft about how to infuse a little more joy into your parenting and family in the midst of a different kind of Christmas season.

God designed our minds to awaken our hearts. Because of this, we need to stop and see things that awaken our hearts to wonder. By putting our minds to work, we empower our hearts to stay alive and vibrant. Enjoying things takes time and attention. It's not something we can do flippantly. Joy is the resulting emotion of being loved by God that fuels life with Him so that it drives and defines everything else. We've been made by God and for God, which means we won't find meaning, purpose, and joy apart from Him.

Sometimes, joy looks like surrender. Other times it takes the shape of dogged dependency or gritty relentlessness that trusts Christ’s love is sufficient. It’s in these encounters where Christ forms and shapes us. Joy possesses the power to make an appearance in our sorrow and struggles. Both in the good and bad, the source of our joy never departs or runs out. Amid the restlessness, we can experience rest by remaining.

We often confuse joy by equating it with emotions like excitement, happiness, and being cheerful. Because we tend to view joy in this shortsighted way, we get frustrated when we don't experience its comfort so easily. Depending on our circumstances to produce joy is a futile exercise. Joy feels like a dangling carrot that remains just out of our reach. "Choosing joy" isn't as easy as it sounds, no matter what those Hallmark cards try to tell us. We can't just flip a switch and choose joy, but we can set our sights and see it. Joy isn't circumstantial; it's relational. It's available now, and it's unrelated to our circumstances because it resides in God's presence. Joy is the resulting emotion of being loved by God that fuels our life with God and drives and defines everything else. The good news that brings great joy is that God is with us.

When it comes to our faith, we tend to believe that our answer should always be YES. But, what if our willingness to say NO possesses the capacity to fuel our intimacy with God and the transformation of our souls? We want to introduce you to "The Practice of Not's." These practices force us to stop, slow everything down, and ponder what stories and emotions emerge when our typical patterns and tendencies encounter resistance. A battle occurs as we reflect on the WHY: why do we respond or think this way? Why do we justify our actions or words? Engaging in the Practice of Not's helps us understand our heart's true affections and longings. By deliberately saying NO or refusing to do things we're naturally inclined to do, we create a void. It's in that space that we allow something else to rise and fill it. God's presence and grace meet us there.

In episode 62 we hear from Todd and Tara McCrary and we learn how God has moved in their family over the past few years. Todd was recently baptized and has grown in his faith in so many ways. Todd and Tara share how this shift has impacted their two girls, their marriage, and life overall. It's a great story!

Our mind monkeys wage guerrilla warfare on our soul. If we fail to realize we're at war, we won't show up for the battle and fight. We juggle our thoughts and allow them to bounce around with little to no consideration. Without stewarding our attention, we will live at the mercy of whatever entertains us. Our hearts take their cue from where we set our eyes. What we look for fuels our desires. Every sin pattern starts with a single thought origin. But, it doesn't have to be this way. We possess the ability to think our thoughts. We can stop and consider what we are seeing, feeling, and thinking. We change the direction of our train of thinking by altering our driving thought. Our hearts get squeezed from the pressures of the world's patterns or transformed by renewing our minds. The choice is ours.

We struggle to see God working not due to His lack of activity but rather our lack of attention. Without even knowing it, we craft stories about ourselves and God, and they become our default narrative. If nothing changes, neither do we. We have to get beyond assessing our reactions and learn to mine for meaning. Writing down our thoughts convince our mind we’re serious about slowing down. This practice allows us to see what we’re thinking without being blinded by what we’re feeling. It helps us see our story unfold and gives us a tangible way to submit what we see to God. By slowing down and paying attention, we gain perspective, clarity, and insight, not only about ourselves, but the One who created us and knows us best. Our past experiences don’t define our story - a fresh encounter with God does.

In this episode the team tackles more of your questions including fun things like "What about dinosaurs?" and "How do you find purpose in life." It's a fun conversation in so many ways.

We’ve all heard that our time is the most valuable thing that we have. There are all sorts of tools that help us manage this valuable commodity. But there is something even more valuable that we have at our disposal - something that affects us more deeply than anything else. Sadly, we have very few mechanisms that help us steward it well. Believe it or not, our culture works to undermine this thing and steal it away from us. What is it? The most important thing about you, even more important than how you spend your time, is where you give your attention. Why? Because the price of your attention comes at the expense of your soul.

The Port City Students Podcast is back with some of your friends having a great conversation trying to answer some of the questions students submitted during our "Explained" series. In the next few weeks we'll be answering more questions, but this one is a great way to get things started!

In episode 61 Branch and Misti Smith share their story of deciding to own the discipleship of their children and the steps they took. It's a GREAT story.

Trust is the foundation of any relationship; without it, there is no connection or vulnerability. This holds true in our relationship with Christ. He's asking us to trust His heart, character, and ways. How we come to Him matters; the posture of our heart dictates our response. We have to see Jesus as worthy of giving our life to a purpose greater than ourselves. The only way to walk in the way OF Jesus is to walk in the way WITH Jesus. As believers in Christ, we aren’t called to end the chaos but to navigate it faithfully by remaining close to His side. God gives us enough light to take our next step of faith, not illuminate our entire path. The faith that was sufficient in the past is not enough for what we need in the future. Small acts of trust lead to more significant steps of faith.

Seeking and seeing are two vastly different things. God inviting us to "seek first His Kingdom" means that we do not readily see Him at work and compels us to pay attention. Navigating the chaos taking place in our world requires incredible wisdom and discernment. If we believe God's Kingdom is unshakable, then we need to learn how to see it so we can face any circumstance that comes our way with confidence, courage, and hope. We see what we cannot yet see by seeking. Blindness gets met with faith because of God's promise of revelation. How things get revealed in relationships is by shared experience - we need to spend time with Christ. By looking to Jesus, we learn more about God's love, character, and ways. Revelation isn't about creating anticipation or some dramatic experience; it's merely the reality of a relationship.

In episode 60 of the Parent Network Podcast we talk to Geoff and James Banks about their family story and their new book "Hope Lies Ahead: Encouragements for Parents of Prodigals from a Family That's Been There." Geoff is on staff at Port City and James is his dad, and the book tells their story from two different perspectives. This episode has some great thoughts and encouragements in it for any parent.

Many of us operate our lives with an "apology theology." When we believe forgiveness provides a license to continue to do what we want, we show a limited understanding of forgiveness, grace, and what it means to be a relationship. As a result, we cheapen grace. On the other hand, some of us walk around in a constant state of condemnation, shame, and guilt. We attempt to make up for our mistakes and earn His love. We lose sight that forgiveness isn't a system we exchange, but a state we call home. Forgiveness means we don't owe anything. Our chains have been broken, but sadly we keep holding on to them. We have to consider what holds us captive to understand freedom. Don't worry about bringing the fullness of your mess to Jesus. Sometimes the hardest thing to believe is that we simply have to believe.