First Assembly Nlr Audio Podcast

There are many people who are spending their lives running from God.  Maybe you know someone like this.  Maybe that someone is you. A runner is not physically sprinting from God, but they've made a decision to run away from God in their whole life, or in a particular area. In this message, Rod Loy talks about a predictable pattern that develops in the lives of people who are running from God.

What do you do when you survive a storm?  Whether it's a storm in your marriage, your finances, or your health, you have been in survival mode.  What happens when the storm is over?  Survival mode doesn't work anymore. What should you do now?

Storms in nature can be frightening.  Equally frightening is a different kind of storm, the kind that comes in life.  Your marriage is breaking up, you lose someone you love, your finances take a turn for the worse, or your health takes a sudden downturn.  When you find yourself in a storm, it seems like there is no way out.  What should you do in the middle of a storm?

When we ask people about the challenges they face in living for Christ, one of the biggest is living for God and representing Jesus at work, school, and among their friends. It's not easy, is it?  How can we stay true to faith while living in a world that becomes increasingly hostile to it?

Because we live in a world that evaluates amounts, we have developed some wrong ways of thinking about giving.  In this message, Rod Loy looks wraps up this series on what God says about giving.

Set for life.  For some of us, that's a goal.  For others it seems like an impossible dream.  Set for life.  What does that mean?  How much money does it take?  In this message, Rod Loy continues his look at a different way to think about money and possessions.  

When you give to God, generosity is not amount the amount you give, it's about your attitude.  In this message, Rod Loy explores the different attitudes and approaches people take to giving and talks about a better way to live.

Often misunderstood and sometimes controversial, the Holy Spirit is an intergral part of a strong life of faith.  The Bible has a lot to say about the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives and the ministry of the church. In this message, Rod Loy looks at the main roles the Holy Spirit plays in our lives.  

What is the purpose of meeting together in church?  It's for two reasons - to lead people to Christ and to grow our faith strong enough where we will lead people to Christ.  That's why the Church exists.  It's not to make Christians comfortable. Rock Solid faith replicates itself.

Has this ever happened to you?  You are talking on a cell phone, when all of a sudden you realize the person on the other end has been dropped.  You are doing a lot of talking, but nobody is listening. Do you ever feel that way about God?  Are there times when you are praying, but it doesn't seem like it's getting through? Luckily, we don't have to use cell phones to talk to God.  There aren't dead spots in His coverage of the world. In this message, Rod Loy talks about the importance of another building block of strong faith: prayer.

A lot of people think that worship is just the part of a church service where you sing.  Worship is more than music, however.  Singing is an outward reflection of an inward attitude.  That inward attitude is worship.  Worship is a way of thinking about yourself and God. In this message, Rod Loy looks at what worship is, what it isn't, and what happens when we worship God.  

If you are going to be a Christ follower - if you are going to follow Him for life - through the good times and the bad, even in the storms, you need a solid foundation.  You need rock solid faith.  The starting point of rock solid faith is a personal relationship with Jesus.  What does that mean?

Church should be a safe place.  When you walk in the door of a church, when you see Christians interact with each other, you should sense and see love, forgiveness, and understanding.  That's it -- the central message of the gospel -- love.  What's love got to do with it?  Everything!

In this message, Rod Loy tells the story of J.W. Tucker, an Arkansas missionary to the Congo who gave the ultimate sacrifice while working to share the love of Jesus.  His legacy and its amazing repercussions are changing a troubled nation, but there is still much work to be done.

We sing love songs, we watch romantic movies, and over time culture forms our views on love - what it is, what it isn't, and how you express it. Our views on love are largely determined by our culture -- the influences around us.  We were designed by God for relationship, to love and be loved. We search everywhere, looking for love.  Why do we so often look in the wrong places?

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, how are you different from those around you?  The Bible tells us that we are to be different from our society, but it also says that we should be "light" to our world.  How can you be both?  Where's the balance?    

We are all familiar with courtroom dramas on movies or television.  The judge is stern and intimidating.  The lawyers are slick.  The jury listens intently, waiting to render their decision--the verdict--guilty or not guilty. In the courtroom of life, we don't have to wait.  We get to choose the verdict.

Dads are very important to their families.  They are much more than just a paycheck.  They are integral to the relational and spiritual development of their families.  The absence of a father is the most significant factor in the breakdown of the family in America.  In this message, Rod Loy challenges fathers to be everything they should be.

Preventive maintenance is less expensive in the long run than having to fix a problem.  It's always better to check your car's oil than to end up on the side of the road with a non-functioning engine! Wouldn't the same approach to our marriages and families make sense? Why do we wait until there is a crisis to act?  There are steps you can take now to prevent problems down the road.  In this message, Rod Loy looks at preventive maintenance for marriages.  

We all say we like change, but if you really get down to it, change makes us uncomfortable.  That can be dangerous.  Our comfort zones can keep us from experiencing all that God has for us and can hinder us from growing in our faith.   How do you break out of a comfort zone so you can continue to grow?