Northeast Christian Podcast

Roots to Branches - Family Relationships: The Power of Forgiveness

The last two weeks, we’ve focused on the past - both brokenness and blessings. It’s vital for us to learn and honor the blessings of the past, but also to redeem the brokenness that was handed down to us. This weekend, we moved from past to present, and Tyler gave us the first of two spiritual tools to unleash the power of God in our families. Forgiveness.

We don’t earn forgiveness by forgiving others, we prove we’re forgiven when we forgive others.

Christian forgiveness is a loving gift of unearned grace. It does not circumvent social justice or restorative discipline. And it does not destroy the sinner, but rather it seeks to heal and convert the sinner.

The forgiveness of Jesus is better. Before we come to Jesus with a broken heart, fall on our knees and beg, or offer restitution… He’s already paid the debt. In the middle of our sins, Jesus loves us so much that he has already done the work to forgive us before we ask for it.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. - 1 Peter 4:8

Family forgiveness is hard, but it’s essential. And by the power of Christ in you, you can forgive.

Roots to Branches - Family Relationships: Generational Blessings

On Sunday, Tomara taught on Generational Blessings; part of our Roots to Branches message series. Real blessings draw us back to God. She asked us to look back in our lives and find nuggets of blessings and reminded us that we have been blessed to be a blessing. We are to move into the world from blessing, not for blessing.

So, how have God and your parents blessed you? Your challenge this week is the 3 Blessing Exercise. Each day this week, take time to name what we are thankful for. Think about the brokenness in your life and name it. Ask God to turn this brokenness into blessing.

The brokenness I was given was ______ but by the power of Jesus, I want to bring ______.

Roots To Branches – Family Relationships: Generational Brokenness

This weekend, Tyler continued in our series Roots to Branches talking about Family Relationships and focusing on Generational Brokenness. Family relationships are powerful and have a lasting impact and demand on us.

One of the main points of this weekend is that we cannot overestimate the impact your family of origin has had on who you are. We all have things from our family of origin that can be negative. We also know that we can be the ones to break those cycles with the power of God.

Roots to Branches - Family Relationships: True Wisdom - Mark Moore

This past Sunday, we welcomed Mark Moore here from Christ Church of the Valley in Arizona to launch our series Roots to Branches where we will dig into developing healthier family relationships. Marked focused on wisdom through the example of Solomon, the wisest man in the world. In Solomon’s story, we see that parenting and relationship failures happen when we stray from God.

 

Wisdom is not what you know, it’s what you model.

 

Mark challenged us to read Proverbs this month and to point out the top 10 Proverbs that you can work on with your family or in your home. Take a moment today to read the Proverbs Resources (https://shorturl.at/CKZ05) that Mark shared and reflect on what you are modeling in your family.

Easter at Northeast 2024

We loved celebrating our risen savior here at Northeast with you! At Easter, we remember the core of our faith and why we have hope. Because He rose, we have forgiveness of sins, a clear purpose for our lives, and freedom from the fear of death. “He is risen - and so shall we be!”

A Journey into Captivity - A Study of Galatians: Preservation

Today, we wrap up our message series, A Journey into Captivity—A Study of Galatians. Today's message centers on preservation. Paul reminds us to stay true to Jesus' teaching and not be swayed by others' attempts to add to it or change it. False teaching puts free people back in chains, and Paul points us back to the truth. Let's be a church that stays true to the gospel and helps others find freedom in Jesus, in spite of a current culture that encourages the deconstruction of faith.

A Journey Into Captivity - A Study of Galatians: Perseverance

In this message, Damian Thompson continues our study of Galatians with the topic of Perseverance. 

Persevere through your storms.

To persevere through the difficulties in life is a reminder that God is good, his mercy endures, and he is faithful. Damian reminds us that if the problem made it to you, that’s how you know you can endure it. Because God has already tested it, and He proved that you’re able to bear it. So just hold on.

Be proud of who God called you to be. Stay faithful to his word. And don’t let anybody try to disqualify you from walking according to his plan. Because if God called you, he also will perfect you. Patiently wait for him to bring you out of your storm. You just simply have to persevere.

A Journey Into Captivity - A Study of Galatians: Reconciliation

Terrence continues in our series “A Journey Into Captivity - A Study of Galatians” focusing on Reconciliation.

Reconciliation is a state of being. It’s a reality that you live in. It's living in a restored state and renewed practices of relating to one another. It's the sense that reconciliation requires a group of people to embody their shared identity and walk together toward the same goals and outcomes. And that is established through the finished work of Christ.

Jesus says, pick up your cross and follow me. And saying yes to Jesus is crucifying yourself daily for His purposes and His way. There is nothing significant about us except for the cross of Christ. There’s nothing we have to offer or that brings more meaning, purpose, and value to the life of a believer except the cross of Christ. Living in reconciliation with one another is embracing new creation - identity. It’s making much of the cross and little of our preferences, preoccupations, and presumptions.

A Journey Into Captivity – A Study of Galatians: Mortification

Mark Moore continues in our series “A Journey Into Captivity - A Study of Galatians” focusing on Mortification.

There is a truth of life that applies in many areas, and that by limiting our freedom we are more free.

We are most free when we are most dead.

Mark highlighted three practices and challenged us to take on one of them this week as a way of combatting the flesh:

Fasting—Skip three meals one day this week. This is a sacrifice of pleasure. This counters the lust of the flesh.

Generosity—give something away that is important to you. This is a sacrifice of material goods. This counters the lust of the eyes. (Story of the Pulpit Commentary)

Service—Dedicate 3 hours of your week to offer a skill you have that you could use to Love the Ville in a tangible way this week. This is a sacrifice of time. This counters the boastful pride of life.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.” - Colossians 3:5

Lent Prayer & Worship Service

Lent and this prayer and worship service offer us all the same thing… opportunity. What might it mean for us as individuals, but also as a congregation and as a community, to look deeply into the reality of our souls and be reminded why Good Friday and Easter had to happen? Easter is a season of celebration, but it is also a season of reckoning. It's a time when we come face to face with the reality that Jesus had to die because humanity didn't have the capacity to die to ourselves. One had to die so that many could have life. Even in that truth, today we have the privilege to live on the other side of the resurrection.