Dysfunctional - God for the Dysfunctional

“Dysfunctional” sounds a bit harsh. “Dysfunctional” is awkward. We’d prefer for our dysfunctional relationships to not be the topic of conversation at a party. But Jesus is not thrown off by our dysfunction. In fact, he seems to have no problem walking right into the middle of it. As we look at Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well, we see that Jesus puts his finger right on the heart of this woman’s dysfunctional relationships and lovingly offers her a way forward, a living water that will never run dry. No matter how dysfunctional our relationships have become, healing is possible because he offers that same living water, that same way forward, to us.

Foundational Scripture: John 4:1-30

   

Dysfunctional - Preventive Maintenance

Relationships, like cars, break down from time to time. And healthy relationships, like cars, need some good old preventive maintenance to keep them running smoothly. In this episode we'll consider Paul's words from Romans 12:10 and explore practical ways to "outdo one another in showing honor."

Foundational scripture: Romans 12:10

   

Dysfunctional - Healing Is Possible

Join Jess as she interviews her guest, Amy Smith, who has first hand experience living out the principles discussed in week one and two of this series. Amy shares about the brokenness in relationship caused by the divorce of her parents, the empathy and grace that opened the door to relationship, and the story of the beautiful healing that she never dreamed would be possible. 

Foundational Scripture: Romans 12:9-10

   

Dysfunctional - Weapons of War

What do we do when the cracks of in our relationships grow into an uncrossable chasm?  We all have relationships that seem unfixable because the disagreement has grown too large, our differences seem too stark, or that person did something that left a deep wound on our hearts that has not yet healed. When we stand face to face with our enemies, what weapon will offer us the best chance at victory?

Foundational Scripture: Romans 12:18

   

Dysfunctional - Out of Step

When it comes to car maintenance, we all know that a small misalignment can lead to disaster if it's left unaddressed for too long. Is there a relationship in your life that needs some realignment? You've fallen out of step with each other and your relationship begins to strain under the tension. In this episode we'll take a closer look at some of the common causes of our disconnects and consider some practical ways we can realign that relationship before it leads to serious damage. 

   

The Hungry Heart - The Bread of Life

As we conclude this series we look to Jesus in John 6 for the answer to the question: “What will truly satisfy our hungry hearts?” His answer catches the crowd of people following him off guard. Jesus claims that he, himself, is the bread of life. As we’ve attempted to navigate our hungry hearts in practical ways throughout this series, we cannot conclude our time on the topic without deeply pondering these words from Jesus. What does it mean that he is the bread of life?

Foundational Scripture: John 6:1-13, 22-70

Discussion Questions

   

The Hungry Heart - The Power of the Other

Who we eat next to matters. Researchers have found that we eat up to 20% more or less simply based on who we sit with at lunch, and in the same way, our spiritual lives are deeply impacted by the invisible forces of relationships. Dr. Henry Cloud calls this invisible force “The Power of the Other.” As we seek to have our hungry hearts satisfied by God Himself, I believe He wants us to see that who we surround ourselves with has a profound influence on our spiritual diets.

Foundational Scripture: Proverbs 27:17, 19:20, 13:20, 16:16, 15:31-33.

Discussion Questions

   

The Hungry Heart - Taste & See

There are certain things our hearts seem to universally crave: real happiness, peace, a feeling of belonging, a deep sense of purpose. Where should our hearts turn if we live in a world that is a food court full of spiritual cheetos? The prophet Isaiah, King David, and the Apostle Peter all send us the same message: “taste and see that the Lord is good.” He is the one who can truly satisfy the longings of our hearts and He is calling us to come, sit and listen.

Foundational Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-2; Psalm 34:8-10; and 1 Peter 2:1-3

Discussion Questions

   

The Hungry Heart - Spiritual Cheetos

For the past several decades, food industry experts have sought to achieve the “bliss point” in their processed food creations. They strive to find that perfect balance of salt, sugar and fat that keeps us coming back for more and more and, yes, more. Is it possible that this same bliss point exists for our souls? Could it be that the world is offering us a buffet of options that will momentarily give us a sense of satisfaction but in the end leave us hungrier than before? The good news is that the things we hunger for most are good desires that were placed in our hearts by God and He wants to invite us to dinner, to the feast that can truly satisfy our souls.

Foundational Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-2

Discussion Questions

   

Shine - Fix Your Gaze

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine” are sweet words for a kids song but they are much easier sung than lived out, especially when life gets messy. In this episode, as we wrap up this series, we’ll see that there’s power in a clear focal point. Whether we’re navigating our way through a dense forest or a season of trouble and pain in this life, we must fix our eyes on the light. It’s only as we fix our eyes on Jesus, the true light, that He makes His light to shine in and through our brokenness for the world to see.

Foundational Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:6-10,18; Matthew 5:14-16

   

Shine - Just Show Up

I am a grown woman who is afraid of the dark. I am not even that ashamed to admit it! We naturally turn away from darkness, avoid it, even fear it. But God has called us to shine His light in the dark places. In this episode we’ll focus our hearts on the reality that all light has to do to fight darkness is just show up.

Foundational Scripture: 

Matthew 4:12-17; Matthew 5:14-16; Isaiah 58:10; Revelation 21:3-5

   

Shine - Share Your Story

Whether it’s a wave of nausea or itchy armpits, sharing what we believe with someone can cause a major anxiety rush. In this episode we’ll explore three principles of sharing our faith that will give us practical steps to take and help to alleviate some of the unnecessary anxiety that we feel. The best news of all is that when Jesus commands us to “go” He also promises He will be with us always (Matthew 28:19-20).

Foundational Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 10:13-15; Matthew 13:34-35; 1 Peter 3:15-16; Acts 26

Scripture to consider sharing as you share your story with others:

BEFORE: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 8:12

HOW: Romans 5:8, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5

AFTER: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 6:33, Romans 12:1-2

   

Shine - Know Your Hill

Jesus implores us, "let your light shine before men." In this new series we are asking the question: how can I maximize the impact of the light in my life? In the same way that a city on a hill is more visible than one in a valley and a lamp that's placed up high on a stand shares more light than a lamp under a basket, we are going to take a look at our lives and ask how we can be strategic in the ways we share the light of Jesus with the world around us. 

Foundational Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16; John 8:12; Acts 8:26-40

   

Cleaning House - Shame

Imagine you are standing in the closet of your heart. You are taking an inventory of all of your habits, relationships, beliefs, memories, thoughts, words, and actions. Throughout this series we have discussed several things that start to creep in and live in our hearts including envy, anger, greed and lust. Today, in our final episode, we want to truly crawl into the deepest darkest crawl spaces to bring light into the most hidden places of our hearts. These places often hold guilt over the mistakes we’ve made but they also store our shame which attempts to shape our belief about who we are, leading us away from God and the life for which He designed us.

Discussion Questions

   

Cleaning House - Lust

Our culture seems to blare it’s misguided messages about sex through a giant megaphone. We run into lust at the mall, in our inboxes and our mailboxes, on the sides of highways, and on practically every television channel. Yet most of us have a deep sense that it was meant to be something more. Something deeper. Something truly intimate. The God-given gift of sex was meant to provide us with glue-like relational intimacy and a deep sense of satisfaction, and yet we so often find ourselves outside of His design for sex - experiencing only isolation and emptiness. Thankfully, there is life-giving hope for us all as God leads us to clean out even this very personal corner of our closets.

Discussion Questions

   

Cleaning House - Greed

I don’t believe I’ve ever heard someone say, “You know what my problem is? I’m just so greedy!” Greed is one of the most sneaky closet-dwellers because it is often so difficult to see in the mirror. When we boil greed down to its basic form we see that it is unfortunately common to the human experience but, thankfully, God has shown us a way to fight against the current of greed and live a life marked by contentment, generosity and joy.

Discussion Questions

   

Cleaning House - Anger

Have you ever perfectly cleaned and organized something only to have someone come and mess it up? When our orderly lives are disrupted, and anger invades our otherwise peaceful hearts, it is all too easy for us to say, “Yeah, I’m angry, but it’s clearly their fault!” Over time that anger, when allowed to grow in the dark places of our hearts, turns into bitterness that chokes out some of the most beautiful things in life. Anger can begin to harden our hearts, put a cap on the love we feel for others, and hold us back from taking steps into the future God has for us.

Discussion Questions

"Take Over" by Shane & Shane

   

Cleaning House - Envy

Whether it’s a few dozen mismatched socks, a box full of receipts from five years ago, or a broken vacuum cleaner that you’ve already replaced, we all have things in our closets that need to hit the road. The same is true of our hearts - they are so easily cluttered with things that hold us back, rob us of our joy and hijack our peace of mind. Let’s get real and drag it all out into the open so we can ask God to point out what he wants us to trash and what He wants us to keep. We can do so with confidence, knowing that He loves us and wants to give us a rich and satisfying life. 

Discussion Questions

   

Unshakeable

Even when our lives are shaking, or the world is shaking around us, God's Kingdom remains unshaken.  This is why we dig deep to lay the foundation of our lives on His Word, so that we can be grounded in the truth that is unshakeable.

   

Temples & Tents

Jess interviews Kara Watson, author of a new study of the Bible's teachings on the physical human body. With an emphasis on the female form, Kara digs into both God's design of and desires for our physical bodies. Kara brings a fresh and honest perspective to the topics of self-image, beauty, and strength.