First Assembly Nlr Audio Podcast

It's not certain where we learn it, the phrase, or even the concept that life is supposed to be fair.  But one of the first phrases you learn as a kid is "That's not fair!" In this message, Rod Loy looks at the idea while life isn't fair, maybe that's a good thing.

When we mess up, whether it is little or big, we have a tendency to do whatever we can to cover it up.  Confession is the furthest thing from our minds.  After all, we got away with it.  No one will ever know. But inevitably, something happens, and we get caught. What happens when we try to cover up our mistakes?  Rod Loy takes a final look at the story of David and Bathsheba.

When you've realized you've messed up, you've blown it -- you have a decision to make. You can confess, or you can conceal.  You can tell on yourself, or you can cover it up.  What happens when you try to cover things up?  What if you think you've gotten away with it?  Will anyone ever know?

It makes people uncomfortable, but the church has been silent way too long--it's important for Christians to talk about sex and sexual sin.  We cannot allow culture to shape our beliefs in this area.  In the first message of this series, Rod Loy looks at the stranglehold that pornography has on many people in our society, our homes, and yes, even our churches.  

In this message, Rod Loy asks the question:  when people come back to God and church, how should we respond to them?

What is God's response when you run away, but then decide to finally come home?  Is God waiting with a hammer to punish you?  Is God going to pile on the lectures to make sure you've learned your lesson?  What should you expect from God?

When you leave God and do your own thing, only to find it miserably fail, it should be easy to turn back to God.  It sounds easy, but it isn't. We often make things harder for ourselves.  Sometimes the road back home can be filled with obstacles.  In this message, Rod Loy looks again at the story of the Prodigal Son, and what it means to those of us on our way back to God.  

In this message, Rod Loy looks at the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship and what makes healthy relationships so important. 

Many of us have run away from home.  But, we're not talking about a foolish childhood runaway moment.  There are runaways - who make the decision to run away from their spiritual home - from God, their faith, and everything familiar.  So often, what looks like a life of friends, fun, and freedom turns out to be something else altogether.  In this message, Rod Loy begins his study of the Prodigal Son, and those prodigals that we all know in our everyday lives.  

Four More Years! is a chant you often hear at political conventions.  If an elected president has done a good job--or even if he hasn't--his supporters wave banners and cheer "four more years!" There are four more years until our 100th anniversary as a church.  What should a 100-year old church look like?  What keeps a body healthy?  In this message, Rod Loy lays out what our church, and what any church, should look like if they want to be a healthy, vibrant church in this century.  

It today's world, it's easy to become cynical and have a bad attitude.  Understand - your attitude is more than just what you say or do.  It's also about what you feel.  Your attitude is your choice. In this message, Rod Loy looks at Philippians Chapter 2, in which the apostle Paul talks about the attitudes we should choose to possess as followers of Christ.  How can we choose to have a good attitude?

Most people make big plans for the new year - life-altering decisions, called resolutions.  The goal is always to be better, to grow, and to improve.  The problem is, most of the time, we waste the opportunity.  Our "do over" becomes a "do again."  We find ourselves in the same harmful habits and never ending ruts. How can we really change?  The Bible has some answers!

Whether it's during the holiday season or not, many of us struggle with depression, stress, and anxiety.  It seems like the hubbub of the holidays makes the stress level rise even higher.  Jesus faced a lot of stress.  How did he manage to be at peace under pressure? If you sometimes feel like you can't take it anymore, if life feels out of control, this message that looks at the teachings of Jesus could change your life!

We've all been lonely.  Feeling lonely doesn't make you a failure.  Feeling lonely isn't silly.  It's something we all face at some point.  In this message, Rod Loy looks at five common causes of loneliness and what we can do when we feel lonely.  

At one point or another, most of us have struggled with depression.  People tell you, "just be happy, deal with it."  That sounds good, but when you are depressed, you don't know how to deal with it.  You want to be happy, it's just not that easy.  In this message, Rod Loy looks at what the Bible says to do when you are depressed.

Forgiveness is a tough issue - it seems that all of us have been in situations where friends or family members have hurt us in some way.  Some of us have what seem to be good reasons to be offended.  Why should we forgive?  In this message, Rod Loy talks about the eternal importance of forgiveness.

Conflict between people is inevitable - in marriages, in families, at work, and even at church.  The true test of our faith is - how will we conduct ourselves and how will we resolve those issues?

We all fear something.  For some of us, though, fear dominates our thinking and controls our lives.  Whether it's the fear of failure, rejection, sickness, or intimacy, there are many fears that can consume us.  So, how do you deal with fear?  What does the Bible say about overcoming it?  

What makes you mad?  Is it traffic?  A relationship? The person in front of you with 15 items in the "10 items or less" line at the grocery store?  What really makes you angry? 

It's funny, isn't it?  We should learn from other people's mistakes and failures.  We should be able to apply those lessons to our own lives.  We should, but often we don't.  We are most likely to learn life lessons when we are forced to learn them, not unlike Jonah in the Biblical story.  In this message, Pastor Rod Loy looks at the story of Jonah, and what it tells us today about running from God.