Willow Creek Community Church Weekend Podcast

Unsung | The Woman With The Alabaster Jar | May 29 | Miguel De La Mora Her name is not shared in the Bible, but she sure makes a significant impact! The woman with the alabaster jar, seen in the book of Luke, who anoints Jesus’ feet with her expensive perfume, shows us that no matter who you are, Jesus loves you. This woman sacrifices worldly possessions for forgiveness and eternal life with God.

This week in our Unsung Heroes series, Pastor Dave teaches about a lesser-known character from the book of 2 Samuel who demonstrates how God equips us to be courageous; Benaiah. Throughout Benaiah’s life, he shows up to all the challenges he faces and gets through them with the kind of courage that only God can give. Because of this, he became a valued leader under King David. What battles are you facing that require Benaiah-level courage?

The story of Esther is one of a woman full of courage and faith, willing to step into a dangerous situation to save an entire nation. But this week, Shawn will take a look at the unsung hero behind Esther: her cousin, Mordecai. Through unseen, unseen, and overlooked spaces Mordecai coached, equipped, prayed for, and encouraged Esther along her journey.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, mother figures, and amazing women in our lives! Today we learn about an incredible mother in the Bible: Hannah. Hannah did what any mother would do: feed, protect, guide, and pray for her son Samuel. And when she gave her son to God, God saw to it that Samuel would go on to lead and protect a whole nation. It’s this sacrificial love that moms display that can go on to change the world. Thanks for spending Mother’s Day 2022 with us!

You've heard the phrase, "it is better to give than to receive," but is it? Teaching Pastor Shawn Williams explores through 2 Corinthians 8, that's not what God is saying in the Bible. The Bible tells us that we should give what we can to meet others needs and receive in our own needs. We don't give generously to help others as an act of charity; it's an act of reciprocity. We receive even greater gifts when we understand that we have much to learn from our partnerships

Where is God in the pandemic? What has God been doing during the global pandemic? Does it feel like God has disappeared? Ron Bueno, Executive Director of the non-profit organization ENLACE, shares stories of God's incredible work through churches in hard-hit communities worldwide and how God is equipping the church to help rebuild these communities.

Join Willow as we celebrate Easter, 2022. Hear the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection from a new point of view, seeing that hope isn’t something we need to search for actively; it’s already here. When our world is shaky, we reach for hope. At times, it can feel far away—nearly impossible to grasp. This Easter, hear the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection from a new vantage point, seeing that hope isn’t something we need to search out, it’s already here. Come experience a hope that came near.

Many of us have heard of Jesus' miracle, feeding 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish. This story in Luke 9 tells us about Jesus' power and His immense compassion for people. Megan Marshman shows us exactly how much Jesus cares for us all in this week's teaching.

Continuing our series in the book of Luke, we look at Luke 8, where Jesus is sleeping in a boat, then calms the storm on the lake, displaying His supernatural power. Who commands even the waves and the water? Learn more about the power of Jesus.

Read All About It: Seek and You Will Find: The Wisdom of Jesus | March 27 | Shawn Williams The gospel of Luke tells us a lot about the wisdom of Jesus, who sometimes uses parables, or stories, to illustrate a point. This week, Pastor Shawn takes us through Luke 11, in which Jesus famously advises, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find." But what did He mean? Let's find out!

As we explore and learn about the humanity of Jesus through the book of Luke, we look at Luke 4 and how the devil tempted Jesus. When temptation is keeping us from focusing on God, what can we learn from Jesus’ response?

What is Baptism? Baptism is a public declaration of your new life as a Christ-follower. But how do you know if you're ready for baptism? What happens through baptism, and why is it an important part of your faith journey? Learn about Jesus' baptism and why He did it.

What is Communion?If you've ever heard the word 'communion' and wondered what it was, why Christians practice it, or how to take communion yourself, this teaching will help. Willow Creek pastors take us through the importance of the practice of communion, what each element means, and how to enter into communion on a personal level. Communion is an important tenant for Christians to remember Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. If you're ready to try communion, grab some crackers or bread and juice and practice along with us.

Abraham was a man who completely surrendered to God even when it wasn’t clear—and even when it didn’t make sense. The story of Abraham tells us what full surrender and trust could look like in our lives and in the way we steward the resources God has given us. Join Pastor Dave Dummitt as we conclude More than Money with a challenge to be generous in all aspects of our lives.

What comes first in your life? This week we're exploring the Principle of First: first things first. But, what should come first? Learn from Robert Morris on how to prioritize and make sure we're living fully for God.

Did you know that God gave us a blueprint for money management? How can we use that to get ourselves out of debt so that we can save and live generously? This week in our More Than Money series, Pastor Dave Dummitt explores what the Bible says about money, which Scriptures talk about money, and how to apply that in very practical ways to our own lives.

Jesus said that we cannot have two masters.  The way we use our money points to what we value most. What does it look like for the way we use money to be an act of worship?

How do you hold your wallet? Defensively? Protectively? Like a security blanket? This week we will take a look at the different postures people take towards money and what Jesus has to say about the role of money in our lives.

Our world has experienced crisis after crisis, and at times, the needs around us can be overwhelming. What if we became obsessed with seeing those needs change, one act of kindness, love, and generosity at a time? Kids would have homes, marriages would be restored, families would have food, loneliness and depression would lower, debt would be erased, justice would be found, and lives would be transformed in the name and power of Jesus.

It’s easy to love people who encourage, are friendly, and agree with us, but God longs for us to love all people across all boundaries, pursuing the type of community where no need is left unmet. Let’s seek to be an Acts 2 church, committed to loving how He first loved us.