Christ 2r Culture Podcast

In 1971 Led Zeppelin released the song Stairway to Heaven. It rocked to success and is still ranked as one of the 500 greatest songs of all-time. VH1 considers it the third greatest song of all-time. Stairway to Heaven is a song about a constant search for meaning in a world of ambiguity. It is a message of no universal truth. Ironically, the Bible tells us there is a real stairway to heaven. God revealed it to Jacob in Genesis 28. It is not a man-made path up where we climb to God. It is a God-made path where God he reaches down to us. As Jesus says in John 1:51, I am the stairway to heaven.

When a mom in Murray, Utah found her 4th-grade daughter bullying another girl about her clothes she came up with a particularly apt form of punishment. She decided to send her daughter to school in ugly outfits. After experiencing two days of her friends picking on her nerdy clothes, the mother knew she made her point. Sin has consequences. As we study Isaac's dysfunctional family, we learn the unexpected consequences of sin in his family's life. Sin never pays.

Hollywood is famous for their sequels. There are seven rocky movies. There will soon be ten Star Wars movies. Everyone loves a good sequel. In Genesis 26, we find Isaac's life is a sequel of his father Abraham. He faces many of the same tests, temptations and conflicts as well as enjoys the same blessings. Isaac is only the first of a long line of men and women that live by faith. We are part of that line today. Join us as we learn to walk by faith as we face the same challenges as those who came before us.

In 1771 the king of Sweden died of digestion problems after consuming a meal of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, smoked herring, champagne and 14 servings of his favorite dessert. He is the king remembered for a bad ending as he literally ate himself to death. In Genesis 25, we look at the final days of Abraham and how the memory of his death reminds us we can trust in God’s promises.

In 1970, 36 percent of Americans were single. Today 50.2 percent are single. People aren't getting married. it is easier to live together, sleep together and break up when things get difficult. Sex used to be reserved for marriage. Soon it became for those who were dating. Eventually it was for friends—with benefits. Craigslist and Tinder made anonymous sex possible so people don't even need to know one another. Where did it lead? Today, 40 percent of children go to bed without a father. A third of all children are born to unwed mothers. Those are the results of dating and marriage American-style. Clearly, it is not working. In Genesis 24, as we study the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. We study what marriage looks like God-style. We learn the right choices we need to make and the guidance God promises to provide that will make dating and marriage a success.

It was a closed solid bronze casket plated with 14-karat gold that was lined with blue velvet. The memorial service was so large it was organized by a concert promoter who gave away 17,500 free ticket to 1.2 million applicants. There were 3,000 police officers on duty to keep order at a cost of $1.4 million dollars. It was the largest security effort in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympics. It was the funeral of Michael Jackson. Most of us will have a much smaller funeral. What do we need to know about funerals? What choices do we need to make today to have a good one? Join us as we learn about funerals as we study the death of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

NT Wright—a prominent Anglican theologian, talks about his friend, Marcus Borg. NT believes Marcus is a Christian even though he doesn't believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Is it possible to be a Christian without believing in the literal resurrection? In this study we learn how a Christ that didn't rise destroys our faith. A Jesus that did rise changes our lives.

Only hours after receiving the prestigious Crufts Rosette award for good behavior at a dog show, Eddie, an Akita, lunged at a nearby woman sinking his teeth into her knee cap and hand leaving her with serious injuries. His disobedience led to a costly lawsuit for his owners. While obedience can lead to honor, disobedience leads to disaster. As we continue our study of Genesis 22 we look at the blessing of obeying God’s word from the life of Abraham, especially when it is a hard to do.

One of the worst parts of school are the tests. The hardest test to pass is the final exam. In Genesis 22 Abraham faces his final exam in the school of faith. Just like Abraham, God is growing our faith and testing us to bring us to maturity. In this chapter we learn how to prepare for the tests and trials of faith we will have in our life and how to pass with flying colors.

The election season is in full swing. The candidates for president are making promises of what they will do for us if elected to office. Unfortunately, most of us don't believe them. Politicians have become synonymous with dishonesty. Bill Clinton promised to lower taxes for the middle class, he didn't. Franklin Roosevelt ran for president on the pledge he would balance the budget. While in office the national debt ballooned. Is there anybody we can trust to keep their word? In this message we learn God is always true. It doesn't matter how long it takes or how great the odds, we can rest assured that God will come through on every promise he made in his word.

After seven months of sobriety, while dealing with a stressful time in the office, she rinsed her mouth with Scope after brushing her teeth. Instead of spitting it out, the sudden rush of alcohol was so exhilarating that she swallowed it. That began Vicki's relapse into alcoholism that continued for months, not with traditional booze but by swallowing her mouthwash after brushing her teeth. The triggers that can lapse us into our old sinful habits come from the most unexpected places and are hard to avoid. As we follow the story of Abraham, we find he struggled with relapsing into persistent sin when he ran across his sin trigger. In this message we learn where to find hope when we struggle with relapsing into persistent sin.

Pennsylvania police say John Forehand signed up for Facebook to track a daughter he hadn’t seen in ten years. They say he was interested in a different kind of touching reunion as he sexually propositioned his 13-year-old girl. Police say he arrived fully prepared for what he thought would be a sexual encounter but what turned out to be his arrest by police. In Genesis 19, we find a similar demented scenario. Lot was incestuously raped by his own daughters so they would become pregnant and bear his children. What led Lot to such parental failure that he fathered his own grandchildren? In this study we will look at questions every father should be asking to raise their daughters to love Jesus and marry well.

Jessa Duggar, the 22 year old reality star of the TLC series 19 Kids & Counting, took to social media with an unpopular post. She warned her fans about God’s judgment. She warned that many justify their lifestyle by believing in a loving God who doesn’t judge. She cautioned that God will not hold back judgment forever. The hours of our time on earth are ticking away. She especially warned those living in fornication, adultery and sexual sin that those who practice these sins are the very kind of people that will face hell. While her post was shocking and unpopular, it was true. In Genesis 19, we find a sample of God’s judgment for sexual sin plus his undeserved kindness to one man and his family in spite of their sin.

John and Francis Canning had an unexpected guest at their wedding in England at Manchester Town Hall. As they stood in disbelief, Queen Elizabeth appeared, shook their hands and congratulated them on their marriage. You never know who will show up for dinner. In Genesis 18, Jesus—a guest more infamous than the Queen mother, shows up to have lunch with Abraham and Sarah. Like an encouraging meal with an old friend, Jesus encourages Abraham, Sarah and us that no matter the obstacles we face, he is more than capable of overcoming them.

The wife of Robert McQuilken, the former President of Columbia college and seminary, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers. At the time, his career as a college and seminary president and sought after speaker was thriving. What should he do? How could he balance the two loves of his life? For a while he tried to maintain two commitments. By 1990 he knew a choice must to be made. He made a choice that few man have the courage to do. He walked away from his thriving public career to be the care taker of his wife until she passed into the hands of Jesus in 2003. What empowered Dr. McQuilken to make such a bold decision? Covenant. He made a covenant promise in his wedding to take care of her for better or worse, richer or for poorer, sickness and in health until death do they part. Robert understood that the covenant love God has for him is the same covenant love he promised to have for her. Join us as we learn about God's rock solid covenant of love and how it enables us to have that same kind of covenant lo

The driver of a Porsche 911 in San Francisco's Marina district found his impatience leading to one of life's most embarrassing moments. Tired of waiting in traffic in a construction zone, he attempted to take a short cut over what turned out to be wet cement. Construction workers spent hours trying to gently extract him and his ruined car from their cement cocoon. To make matters worse, the consequences of his impatience were put on YouTube. Worse than foolish impatience in traffic that ruins a car is impatience with God that can ruin a life. Join us as we learn the danger of impatience with God.

Martin Luther is famous as a reformer and church leader. He is also remembered for a less flattering trait—doubt. At times doubts over God's character led Luther to intense times of depression where he wrote, "For more than a week I was close to the gates of death and hell. I trembled in all my members. Christ was wholly lost. I was shaken by desperation and blasphemy of God." It is comforting to know that even a man of Martin Luther's stature can experience times of doubt over how God can keep his word. In Genesis 15 Abram struggled with doubt when God appeared to have forgotten to keep his promises. In our study we learn how to face times of doubt in God's plans for our life.

Macaulay Culkin became famous as Kevin Mcallister in the widely popular “Home Alone” movie of 1990. His amazing success as an actor led to disaster in his personal life. In 1995, just as Macauley was hitting adolescence, allegations surfaced that his father was mismanaging his fortune. A nasty custody battle ensued as his greedy parents fought for control of the child and his future. If that won’t destroy a kid, what will? What followed were a series of drug arrests, escape from society and a fall from stardom. Success is hard to handle. It can ruin anyone. In Genesis 14 we learn how to handle success and let it make God bigger instead of ourselves.

Dawn Meikle of Florida was charged with assault and battery after she attacked her husband because he kept "passing gas" in bed. She eventually kicked him out of bed because he wouldn't stop. When she let him back in the bed, he continued fluttering the sheets. A family fight followed which ended up with her locking herself in the bathroom and pepper spraying her husband to keep him away. Dawn was arrested for assault and taken to jail. In Genesis 13 we learn a better way to solve those tough family fights.

This year 100 million American's will travel to be with family over the Christmas holiday. Countless trees will be lit and cookies made. When you strip away the tinsel, trees and toys, why is it important to celebrate Christmas? In this Christmas Eve message we learn why we can celebrate the birth of Christ with even more joy and enthusiasm than the shepherds on that first Christmas night.