First Assembly Nlr Audio Podcast

If your car breaks down, you don't wait to see if it fixes itself.  You take it as soon as possible to a mechanic. Trouble in your family?  It makes no sense, but we often decide that we can't tell anyone.  We have to figure it out on our own. Isn't your family more important?  In this message, Rod Loy talks about what to do when you are faced with conflict in your family.  

Freedom.  Politicians promise it.  Patriots cherish it. Soldiers fight for it. Prisoners dream of it. What is exactly is freedom?  

What does Jesus need today?  What does He need most of all?  He needs us.  He needs us to be His hands and feet - the demonstation of His love in a desperately hurting world.  His mission on this earth is going to be accomplished through you and me.  That's not always what the world defines as "normal."  It might even seem weird.    

Sometimes you hear people who say Christians shouldn't have problems. If people had enough faith, they wouldn't have difficulties.   We know this isn't true, though, because Jesus said that we would have problems in this world.  He also said He would be with us during our problems.  But what happens when we feel like we go from one problem to the next and everything seems to be getting worse?     

Forgiveness is a huge issue.  We have all been hurt at different times, and it seems difficult to forgive.  We usually don't want to forgive the person that hurt us. Why should we forgive?  What's the point? What does the Bible say about forgiveness?  

American Christians seem to believe that anything that puts us in difficult situations must be wrong -- it must be of the devil.  We think difficulty is because we have a lack of faith, an attack of the enemy, or have caused the wrath of God.  The fact is, sometimes doing right puts you in the fire. How should you react?  In this message, Rod Loy looks at the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, people who had faith even when it was challenged with the threat of death.

It's one of the most famous stories in the Bible.  Daniel is thrown into a lion's den by evil men.  We all face lions in our lives.  No, not literal hungry beasts trying to eat us, but we all face impossible situations, illnesses, addictions, disease, or lies from people who mean to do us harm. Rod Loy looks at how Daniel survived his night with the lions and what it has to tell us today as we face our lions.

There is a common theme in the Bible.  People reject God and the Word of God.  They don't want to hear any warnings or know that they are wrong.  They want to do their thing, their way.  The same pattern is apparent in people today:  people fail and walk away from their relationship with God.  How can you make sure that you stay close to God?

Pride is a dangerous sin.  Pride is the underlying sin that causes many people to fail.  It's easy to spot in others, but hard to admit in our ourselves. What happens when we let pride take over our lives?  

If you are a parent, you've heard the excuse at one time or another: "But Dad, Mom, everyone is doing it."  Every parent has a standard answer to that!  But even if everyone is doing it, does that make it right? Unfortunately, this peer pressure is not limited to students.  Everyone faces it at some point. In this message, Rod Loy looks at what you should do when "everyone else is doing it."    

We are all born with names.  But society, and sin, put different names on us. Liar, drunk, disappointment, rebel, junkie, loser.  There are many names we can be tagged with in our lives.  What name are you known by?  By what name do you want to be known?  God can give you a new name.  

Fitness and health are topics not normally mentioned in church.  After all, how we treat our bodies is a "secular" issue, right?  It doesn't have anything to do with God or church.  Or does it?    

We live in a world where people are measured by what they have.  If you drive the right car, wear the right clothes and have the right things you will be loved and accepted.  That's the message our culture wants us to believe.  We all know, however, that when you get caught in that mode, you can never escape.  No matter what you have, you want a little bit more.  But stuff doesn't make you happy.  Isn't there a better way to live life?

The primary reason so many churches are struggling in America is that they are unhealthy.  We hear a lot of talk about people concerned about the state of the church in America.  What you don't hear is a lot of people saying "I am committed to changing.  If the church is going to be healthy again in America, it starts with me.  I am going to be a healthy part of a healthy church."   In this message, Rod Loy looks at what it takes to be a healthy church.

Are you ready for change?  Are you ready to find and fulfill God's purpose for your life?  We're not talking about a New Year resolution - with God's help, living according to His Word and its principles, you can be radically changed - a brand new you!

Every January 1, millions of Americans will make their list of New Year's resolutions.  A New Year's resolution is a vow to change, improve, or grow in a specific area in the coming year.  But, life is busy and your busy schedule and packed priorities quickly edge out all those good intentions.  Why is that? Why can't we change?  Why do we keep giving up?  Why is it another year--and same old me?

For a couple of days in December every year, everything focuses on one thing: Christmas.  Offices are closed, the mail isn't delivered, stores shut down, schools are out.  What's the big deal?  In an increasingly secular society, why does everything shut down and everyone stop for Christmas?  

You don't need anyone to teach you how to celebrate victory -- you've got that down. It comes naturally. You throw your arms in the air and run around the room. You shout. You high-five. You may even dance a little victory dance. You know what to do when you win. But, what do you do when you don't win? What do you do when not only do you not win, but you suffer a horrible defeat? What do you do when everything seems gone - there is no hope - when you've lost it all?

It's in our darkest hours that who we are really comes to light. Rod Loy looks at the story of Paul and Silas in prison and asks the questions: "Who am I chained to?" and "What song will I sing in the dark?"

David was a little guy - a young shepherd boy.  Goliath was a big guy.  It's the classic story of big problem, little me.  But really, it's not David who had the big problem, even though everyone thought he did.  Goliath was actually the underdog.  In this message, Rod Loy looks at what happens when we face big problems.