Northeast Christian Podcast

Seeking control is not the solution to the human condition. It's the problem.

Fear happens when you feel out of control. So how do you overcome fear? The logical answer may be to seek more control over every little detail of life, micromanaging until there is nothing left to fear. But this "control" is an illusion, and all it takes is one unexpected turn to feel afraid and out of control all over again.

The solution? Be honest about your lack of control and lean in to the grace of "withness" through prayer. Prayer is simply being with God, sharing your unfiltered thoughts with him. If you want to overcome fear and control, you can't do it alone; you must learn the practice of "withness".

Even though "cultural Christianity" has largely lost social power and influence, it's clear that people still long for the transcendent. People still long to know God and access spiritual power in their lives. As followers of Jesus, we know that true spiritual power comes from prayer.

This week we're learning from James 5:7-20 about how to persevere through hard times with patience.

This week, we learn from James 3:13-18 about how to mature in wisdom. Worldly "wisdom" is not the same as godly wisdom. How do we know the difference? How do we ensure we're walking in godly wisdom?

This week, we're learning from James 1:1-18 about overcoming suffering and trials.

"Consumer Christianity" says that "God, the world, the church, and everything else orbits around me. They exist for my desires and my problems". The Way of Jesus, however, defies Consumer Christianity. Jesus had compassion on crowds, but he also strategically resisted them so that he could invest in his core of committed followers. Jesus invites all people to "come and see", but at some point we must decide whether we will truly follow him in sacrifice.

Jesus was never in a hurry.

When you look at his life and ministry in the gospels, you see that he took the time to be where he was, never rushing himself or his disciples along to the next thing.

In this series, Next Steps, we're looking at five different ways you can "take a step" in your faith. This week, the invitation is to slow down and live your life at the pace Jesus did.

1 John 2:6 says, "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus walked". If we are going to walk as Jesus walked, we have to match his pace. We're not running, we're not hurrying. We must learn to step BACK and evaluate what matters most, then step forward unhurried and ready to prioritize seeing and loving others like Jesus did.

This week, take the step of daily praying, "God, help me to slow down and walk with you so I can be intentional with what matters most."

So you came to church... now what?

The first step to making a change is deciding not to stay where you are. Going to church doesn't make you a disciple of Jesus, but it's a great first step. 1 John 2:6 says, "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus walked."

Wherever you find yourself in your spiritual journey, you have a next step. In this new series, we're exploring five steps you can take right now towards being a mature disciple of Jesus.

If you're new to Northeast, your next step is Northeast Basics.

Getting connected in a new church can feel overwhelming, especially in a place the size of Northeast. We’re making it painless for you to take your next step at Northeast with our four week course, Northeast Basics.

Northeast Basics will answer the foundational questions: Who is Northeast? What do we do? How do we do it? How can I help? Northeast Basics is offered every weekend so you can easily hop in when you’re ready to get connected.

Visit necchurch.org/basics to register today.