Flood Church - Audio Podcast

Holy Waters: The Incarnational LifeThere is spiritual significance in everything - even doing the dishes and laundry. And we have a heavenly Father who delights in showing us that he is the God of the ordinary.This Sunday we conclude our series “Holy Waters: Six Streams of Christian Spirituality,” by looking at the place where all the other streams converge - the Incarnational Life.

Holy Waters: The Word-Centered LifeIt can be easy to over-complicate sharing the gospel, and to miss the beautiful simplicity of inviting people to know Jesus Christ. We don’t need elaborate plans or sophisticated speeches.We need only love.This Sunday we explore how the good news message of Jesus Christ is at the heart of our faith tradition.

Holy Waters: The Compassionate LifeNothing is more at the heart of our discipleship to Jesus Christ than an ongoing, ever-deepening love relationship, which in turn compels us to seek the total transformation of people, institutions, and societies - the heartbeatof the Compassionate Life.This Sunday we will explore the Compassionate Life - the stream that combines suffering love with courageous action. 

Holy Waters: The Spirit-Empowered LifeWhile the Virtuous Life centers upon the power to be, the Spirit-Empowered Life centers upon the power to do. However, these two streams are most healthy when they refuse to function independently of one another. This Sunday we feature a very important part two of last week’s message.

Holy Waters: The Virtuous LifeAs we develop consistent habits of prayer, things that used to tempt us away from God’s presence begin to lose their power over us. This is a wonderful reality to know, and it is the heart of the Virtuous Life.  This Sunday, we take a deeper look into this essential stream of Christian heritage.

Holy Waters: THe Prayer-Filled LifeThis week, we are beginning a brand new series called “Holy Waters: the Six Streams of Christian Heritage.” We’ll be looking at the six  “streams,” or expressions, of the Christian faith tradition, beginning with the stream of the prayer-filled life - which is the steady gaze of the soul upon theGod who loves us.

Misquoted: Thoroughly EquippedThis week, we are bringing this series to a close with a very special worship gathering, reflecting on 2 Timothy 3:16,  “All Scripture is God-breathed…”Those five words have immense meaning, and lead to an amazing life-long journey of training together.  

Misquoted: Unequally YokedWhen Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6 “do not be unequally yoked,” his audience would have known exactly what he meant. Christians today tend to take that precept to mean that we shouldn’t marry a non-Christian - but is that really what the passage is saying? This Sunday we explore thisoft-quoted command.

Misquoted: Vengeance is MineWe can justify any behavior in an effort to protect ourselves and feel like we’re back in control. But what does Scripture say about revenge? This Sunday we look at one of the most well-known but least-understood verses about it: “an eye for an eye.”

Misquoted: Root of All EvilMoney plays an all-too important role in our culture today. How we approach money directly affects how we approach everything else - our jobs, our relationships, even our faith. This isn’t new, and it’s certainly not unique to Americans. Even in the early church, we find believers who, in their eagerness for money, lost sight of what was of ultimate value and found themselves plunged into“ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9).Money can be a wonderful and useful tool, when it’s leveraged for the purposes of God’s will. Join us on Sunday as we unpack the often misquoted and misunderstood passage in 1  Timothy 6 - “money is the root of all evil.”

Misquoted: Sacred GiftIt’s no surprise, then, that when we hear the phrase “your body is a temple” we automatically apply that to our physical appearance. My body is a temple, therefore I shouldn’t: get tattoos, smoke, eat junk food, drink alcohol, skip leg day, etc. etc. etc. The reasoning goes like this: if my body is a temple, then I should take care of it. Don’t get me wrong - it isgood to take good care of ourselves!  But here’s the thing: when Paul wrote about our bodies being temples in 1 Corinthians 6, it had almost nothing to do with our physical appearance, tattoos or anything else that we lump in with it. It is, in fact, so much more glorious and profound than that.

Misquoted: Persistent PovertyJesus was a refugee. When he was only a baby, his parents were forced to flee their homeland in order to save his life. Just before his crucifixion, Jesus cautioned that we would always have the poor - the refugee, the immigrant - with us. Sometimes, we read those words and interpret them to mean that the reality of poverty will always be with us no matter what we do, and we let ourselves off the hook from giving, serving, and seeking to help the poorest among us. The truth is, Jesus was unequivocal in his command that his followers are to always, always leverage what we have for thesake of those in need. This Sunday, we’re honored to be welcoming Matt Soerens, the US Director for World Relief and the co-author of the books “Welcoming the Stranger” and “Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis.” He has been active at the US/Mexico border working to advocate for refugees and immigrants, and we’re looking forward to hearing him share a bibl

Misquoted: You Are SurroundedSpeaking hard truth was one of the essential functions of the prophets of ancient Israel. Jeremiah in particular had to name harsh realities to the Israelites, who were worshiping false gods and listening to false prophets - who were only telling them what they wanted to hear. Out of this contentious time came possibly the most well known - and most misinterpreted - verse in all of Scripture: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This promise from God is real and reliable - but not in the way we might think. 

Misquoted: LovefullyLove is the most complex and mystifying concept that humanity grapples with, but it’s also what gives life meaning. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul tackles these complexities with a magnificent exposition of what exactly love is - and what it isn’t. But historically, the church has relegated his words to be used in wedding ceremonies, as if it only represents romantic or marital love. Join us as we explore what Paul really meant whenhe wrote “Love Is…” 

Misquoted: Good and AngryMost of us have a preferred image of who “our” Jesus is - one who sits serenely with children, or who gently carries lambs around and is always cool, calm and collected. Sometimes, we even selectively focus on the passages in Scripture that reinforce that view. The truth, however, is that Jesus was a multi-dimensional human being who experienced — and expressed — the full range of human emotion. This week, we’ll be looking at one of his traits we may be less comfortable with — his anger.We’re honored to welcome Jerry Sheveland, a mentor of Pastor Matt’s and a former president of the Converge network of churches. He brings over 30 years of pastoral wisdom and experience with him, and we’re excited to have him with us on Sunday!

Misquoted: Good EducationIn Scripture, we find some seemingly clear-cut prohibitions on women teaching - at least on the surface. But peel back the layers just a bit, and we see that they're anything but straightforward. Join us as Pastor Grace Wilkinson unpacks one of the most divisive passages of Scripture, 1 Timothy chapter 2.

Misquoted: God's GovernmentSeparation  of church and state is intended to protect both the church and the state from interference from one another. But sometimes that has led followers of Jesus to disengage from the political system altogether - abstaining from voting, serving in public office, or in any way participating in a government "of this world."So which is the right path? How ought Christians participate or not participate in government and politics?Join us this Sunday as we dig into this timely and complicated issue of the role of Christians in engaging their governments.

Misquoted: Define, "All Things"Pastor Scott Wildey begins our new series, "Misquoted: The Verses We Violate", by dissecting Philippians 4:13.  We view this verse from Paul's original context, look at what it meant then, and what it means today in our lives with God.

Image Of The Invisibles: Names And FacesThere are thousands of names mentioned throughout Scripture, and each one represents an identity - someone who played a significant role in the larger story of God. Reading those names now helps us to imagine not only the faith community of that time, but also how our names might be recorded as those who played our roles in the story of God.We conclude our series Image of the Invisible: A letter of encouragement to the Colossians as we learn together what it means to call one another by name.

Image Of The InvisibleWe're all under construction, in the midst of an inner transformation of God's work - and we don't know what the finished product will look like.It seems like the best thing we can do for ourselves and one another is to recognize that we're all a work in progress, and worthy of the dignity that implies. That's what we'll be looking at as we continue our series Image of the Invisible: a letter of encouragement to the Colossians.