Willow Creek Community Church Weekend Podcast

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.

At times, we can be selective about when and how we love God, but He desires for us to love Him wholeheartedly all of the time. We can display our love for Him in every area of our lives, from how we pray and worship to how we interact with strangers and live generously.

The Bible begins with light, and Jesus ultimately becomes the supreme Light of the world. Wherever there’s darkness, there’s an absence of God. But when we receive Jesus, we embrace Him as our light and are able to share His love, presence, and grace with others—He can shine through us!

On January 1, 2022 you woke up in the same life you had on December 31. Only something feels different. This year can be different. But it won’t come because of wishful thinking, it will come with a new view of right priorities, and taking next steps one step at a time. This week we take a look at the story of a man named Nehemiah who had a vision for what God wanted, and started getting to work. God has good things for us, but it won’t come without us changing perspectives, adjusting direction, and courageously stepping forward

Gabriel encounters the shepherds and says, “Fear not. I bring you good news.” He announces that the fear breaker, Jesus, is here.  Good news that will cause great joy; good news that causes doesn’t mean life gets easier. Why did they say it’s good news?  Christmas means that all fear is conquered because Christ has come.

After 400 years of silence, God speaks through the angel Gabriel twice in six weeks. This time Gabriel encounters Mary, and her reaction to the angel’s news was very different from Zechariah and Elizabeth’s. A poor teen girl shows us that however small you may feel. God can use your life. If you are willing to live in faith.

Gabriel encounters Zechariah informing him that his prayers have been heard and his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a boy named John who would prepare the way for the Messiah. Through this encounter, we learn that what God does in you and through you while you wait is just as important as what you are waiting for.

For some at-risk youth in our communities, prison becomes a probability. Jon Kelly, lead pastor of Chicago West Bible Church, teaches out of Mark 5 and shares some of his own incredible story of imprisonment and redemption.

Greed holds onto resources believing that through wealth and resources we will have everything we need to stand up against life’s storms and struggles. But when we live with our fists clenched, holding tightly to the constant need for more wealth, more for ourselves, we cannot have open hands to receive what God has to offer us which is far better and more secure.

Pride says I’m number 1 and everyone else is not. Humility says God is number 1 and I am not. Pride makes everyone a potential competitor. Humility makes everyone a potential partner. Pride always seeks assurance that you are number 1. Humility needs no proof as it recognizes that God and others are first. This is baptism weekend, so this will drive towards humbling ourselves before God, acknowledging our need, and giving our lives to Him. 

When God’s provision isn’t enough. In Numbers 11 we God’s people have left Egypt but have not yet obtained the promised land. God provides everything they want, but they still grumble and complain. This week we see that envy is getting bitter when others have it better. But we combat envy with celebration and looking for the good right where we are.

Wrath starts as rejection that builds as resentment that boils up to retaliation. We harbor bitterness and resentment at the wounds we have carried and so we allow hate, malice, and wrath to build to boiling points that ultimately poison and destroy relationships and our very own souls. But God calls us to the freedom of forgiveness and release.

 Overindulging an insatiable appetite. Binging. Gluttony is often a food issue but it isn’t limited to food. Binging entertainment. Binging in spending. Overindulging appetites of all kinds that never seem to be satisfied is a way that we try to fill the voids and cope with pain. But Jesus offers us true and lasting satisfaction and sets us free to receive good things like food and entertainment without looking to them for our ultimate satiation.

Lust is when we satisfy our own desires, rather than loving how God loves. God wants us to move from lust to love and fully embrace His plan for purity. There’s evil in this world, but more often than not, what’s most dangerous are the monsters within. These monsters lead us to become the darkest versions of ourselves, and too many times we feel isolated to fight these battles on our own. But we’re not alone. Even though evil tries to rob us, Jesus has already overcome it. Instead of falling victim to sloth, lust, gluttony, wrath, envy, pride, and greed, let’s call on the name of Jesus and clothe ourselves with diligence, purity, self-control, reconciliation, fulfillment, humility, and generosity. When we allow Jesus in, the monsters have nowhere to hide.

We often think of sloth as being lazy. But the reality is that sloth may actually look very very busy doing lots of the wrong things. Sloth is settling for what is easy instead of fighting for what is good. Sloth takes a look at what God may be asking me to do and then chooses not to step into it because it looks too hard or the cost appears too high. But faith calls us to courage and calls us to lay sloth aside to step into what matters most.

God uses our strengths, but God also shows off in spite of and even through our weaknesses. When we feel insufficient, ill-equipped, incompetent, or outnumbered God is positioned to work mightily in and through us to do great things. Gideon was hiding when God called him a mighty warrior. God looks beyond what appears to be, and calls out something more.

Against all odds, God is still moving in real people’s lives. Sam and Emmanuel Acho share personal stories of the importance of cheering on one another, telling each other difficult truths, and above all, encouraging a deep relationship with God.

When a young shepherd boy came up against an incredible giant, he ran to meet the challenge because of his confidence in his great God. God had been preparing David all of his life to face that giant and to prepare him for what many might describe as an “unlikely victory.”

The New Testament Church was a group of unlikely, ragtag leaders who went on to change the world. Because Jesus was their cornerstone, this group of leaders was able to cross all kinds of societal and cultural lines to create a life-changing, world-shaking community.