Dayspring Fellowship Podcasts

Gospel of John | Part 5 | A Blind Man & the Shepherd | Michelle Snook

A Blind Man and the ShepherdGospel of John: That You May BelieveMarch 20, 2022
Joanna Sullivan was born near Springfield, Massachusetts in April of 1866. She was the oldest of three children born to Irish immigrants. Annie was only 8 years old when her mother died of tuberculosis. Two years later, fearing the responsibility of raising three children alone, Annie, her brother and sister were deserted by their father. A childhood illness had left Annie almost completely blind. After enduring several unsuccessful surgeries to correct her eyesight, Annie entered the Perkins Institution for the Blind at the age of 14. A year later, surgery partially restored her vision. It was at Perkins where she learned to use a manual alphabet...a way of using hand signals pressed into the palm of another to spell words. In 1886, at the age of 20, Annie graduated as the valedictorian of her class. Annie is best known as the teacher and life-long companion of Helen Keller. Just a few short months after graduation, Annie accepted a call to work with the then 7year-old Helen. Like Annie, a childhood illness had left Helen with physical impairments. She was blind, deaf, and had a limited ability to speak. Annie began teaching Helen the same manual alphabet she had learned at Perkins Institute; teaching her that things had names. Within 6 months, Helen had learned 575 words, some multiplication tables, and the Braille system. Orphaned, abandoned, and robbed of her sight, it would have been understandable if Annie had become bitter, defensive, arrogant and isolated. But instead, she chose to listen, learn, and discover new ways of seeing. And not only was her life radically changed, she dramatically impacted the life of Helen, and through her, thousands of others as well. We are working our way through a study of the gospel of John. This week, we’re looking at the account of Jesus’ healing of the blind man. Certainly, the restoration of physical sight was amazing, but there are deeper implications about spiritual blindness that we’ll unpack together.

Gospel of John | Part 4 | Feast & Conflict | Chris Voigt

Feast & ConflictGospel of John: That You May BelieveMarch 13, 2022
Legendary ad-man Rosser Reeves was an American executive and pioneer of television advertising. He was the genius behind some of the most effective ads of the 40’s & 50’s, including the “Melt in your mouth, not in your hands” M&Ms line, as well as slogans for Bic pens, Colgate toothpaste and Minute Maid orange juice. Peter Michaels, in an online article called, The Power of the Contrast Principle, relates this story: Reeves and his friend were walking through Central Park one lunchtime when they came across a blind person begging for money. He had a cup for donations in front of him with a sign “I am blind” handwritten on it.  After explaining to the man that he knows a bit about motivating people and he might be able to help the man get more donations, Reeves asked if he would be willing to let his sign be changed.  “Sure,” the man answers and Rosser takes out his pen. He adds four words to the “I am blind” sign, then steps back to see what happens. Soon, passers-by are dropping money into the cup and within 5 minutes, his donations have doubled. As more people drop more change, even dollar bills, the blind man begins to look a little happier.Rosser soon heads back to his office, having effectively demonstrated The Principle of Contrast. What four words had he written on the sign? “It is springtime and...” The sign now read: “It is springtime and I am blind.” Michaels goes on to say, “Rosser Reeves – advertising genius and celebrated ‘wordsmith’ – didn’t add anything fancy.... He simply added contrast, which framed the man’s plight in a way that people responded to. Where they previously passed by, unmoved by ‘just another blind man’ begging for change, now they saw a person in need of help who wasn’t able to see the beautiful New York spring day they all took for granted.” The people were moved by the contrast they saw between their own “fortune” and the lack of the blind man. And being moved, they made a decision to respond. People respond to contrast. Contrast speeds up the connection to our brains, so we understand quickly and clearly where to focus our attention. Contrast allows us to see differences readily and thus helps us make better decisions. This Sunday in our series on the Gospel of John, we’re looking at five contrasts that Jesus gave to help His hearers understand the differences between His message and that of the Pharisees and religious leaders. These contrasts were designed to help people see Jesus more clearly and to move their hearts toward making a decision about who He was and what it meant to follow Him.

Gospel of John | Part 3 | Man of Miracles | Chris Voigt

Man of MiraclesGospel of John: That You May BelieveMarch 6, 2022
For 17 years, Kim Jong Il, ruthlessly oppressed the people of North Korea before his death in 2011. A 2004 Human Rights Watch report, reports that the North Korean government under his leadership was among the world’s most repressive governments. With no freedom of the press or religion, no political opposition, or equal education, virtually every aspect of political, social, and economic life was controlled by the government, and led to more than 200,000 political prisoners. We in the West, rightfully call him a totalitarian dictator. You might not be surprised to hear that he felt differently about himself -- that he was actually quite gifted across a wide variety of disciplines…and had been from birth. In fact...the official records (of North Korea) reportedly claim that Kim learned to walk at three weeks old, and to talk at eight weeks old. He grew up to write 1,500 books in three years and six full operas which are (and I quote) “better than any in the history of music.” And, not only did he claim to be an artistic genius, he was great at sports, too. The FIRST TIME Kim picked up a golf club, he shot a 38 under par round on North Korea’s only golf course, including 11 holes-in-one. Each of his 17 bodyguards even verified this record-breaking feat. His belief in his own greatness didn’t stop here on Planet Earth. North Korean documents also claim that a glowing new star appeared in the heavens to herald his birth on North Korea’s Baekdu Mountain in 1942. Unfortunately, he was born a year earlier. But don’t tell him! Anyone can CLAIM anything. But that doesn’t mean it’s true.This week in our sermon series in the Gospel of John, we'll be looking at some of the outrageous claims that Jesus made about Himself. Imagine, someone claiming to be God in the flesh. If Jesus was a liar, then His claim is outrageous. If He was crazy, then His claim is pitiful. But...if Jesus' claim about Himself is true, then it is a game changer and we ought to pay close attention. The Good News is that Jesus brought witnesses to prove He wasn't lying or crazy.

Gospel of John | Part 2 | Life & Faith | Jon Sprouse

Life and FaithGospel of John: That You May BelieveFebruary 27, 2022
According to dictionary.com, credentials are evidence of authority, status, rights, entitlement to privileges, or the like, usually in written form. Credentials can be permanent, like a high school diploma or college degree, or temporary, like a driver’s license or passport.
 Credentials indicate that you’ve met certain qualifications, have demonstrated an ability or capacity for something. Having the right credentials can give you access...like having a backstage pass for a concert or a staff badge on a school campus. You can go places that other people can’t. But your backstage pass won’t get you a seat at the table in the teacher’s lounge at school. And your passport won’t do you any good if an officer pulls you over for running a stop sign. It’s important to have the right credentials when you need them. Credentials also often involve some level of responsibility. If you’ve been credentialed as a lawyer or doctor or driver, there is an implication that you can fulfill the role you’ve been authorized to perform capably. Last week we began a new sermon series in the Gospel of John. This week, we’ll be looking at the credentials of two individuals we meet in the opening chapters of John’s gospel. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. I hope you’ll join us as we unpack that idea and the implications for all of us this Sunday.

Gospel of John | Part 1 | God in the Flesh | Chris Voigt

God In the FleshGospel of John: That You May BelieveFebruary 20, 2022
You’d have to be living under a rock to not at least have heard of Queen Elizabeth II.And we all know that she is the Queen of England. But did you know that 16 different countries claim Elizabeth as their queen?And Queen Elizabeth II is kind of like a nickname. Her official title is:Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.The founders of the United States of America detested the British system of nobility that existed under King George III. To prevent the establishment of such a system in America, they included a prohibition against the granting of noble titles by our government in the Constitution.Titles, such as king, queen, prince, princess, duke, duchess, lord, lady, and a host of others are still commonly used in 38 countries around the world. And for the most part, these titles are less about function and more about status. Many of them are inherited; others can be granted or appointed. And, though some come with responsibilities attached, many do not.In American culture, titles are more about roles we have earned or chosen. Your title might be CEO, professor, doctor, or mom. This Sunday at Dayspring we’re beginning a new sermon series working our way through the Gospel of John. John was a disciple of Jesus; and toward the end of his life, after outliving all other eyewitnesses to the ministry of Jesus, John pens his last work... an account of the life of Jesus, the Son of God.In the opening chapter of John’s gospel, he records seven different titles of Jesus. We’ll take a look at each of them and unpack what they tell us about Him this week.

Lies We Believe | Part 7 | Lies Women Believe | Michelle Snook

Lies Women Believe
Lies We Believe and the Truth That Sets Us FreeFebruary 13, 2022
 
Chris: Hey, friends, I’m with Michelle Snook, Pastor of Community Life here at Dayspring. And, Michelle, you’re wrapping up our Lies We Believe series this weekend, right?Michelle: I am! I’m going to be talking about lies women believe.Chris: Perfect. Perfect timing. It’s Game Day on Sunday. That means that I can stay home, get my snacks ready, put my Diet Coke on ice, while DeeDee goes to church to learn about stuff that’s important to women. Right?Michelle: I’m going to have to say no to that.Chris: I don’t understand. I’m not a woman.Michelle: No, but the lies we’re going to talk about impact men as well. And, you have a lot of women in your life. You’re married. You have a daughter. You’ve got a granddaughter, and a mom, friends and co-workers. And you have relationship with all of these women. And it doesn’t matter what level of relationship you have, you have power in your presence and your words. And you can use that power to either help keep them in bondage to the lies or help them to be free from those lies. And, like I said, these lies, although we talk about they’re for women, they really impact men as well, just in a different way. Chris: So, what you’re saying is that maybe I should get ready for the big game on Saturday, so that I can be at church on Sunday.Michelle: I think that’d be a great idea.Chris: Sounds like a plan.Over the past couple months, we’ve been taking a look at the lies that have saturated our culture and, consequently, our own perspectives about ourselves, others, life, and God. Last week, we looked at some lies that particularly impact men, though there are versions of those lies that impact women as well. And this week, as we bring this series to a close, we’ll look at lies that women are more susceptible to believing. That being said, these lies affect men as well, in some way or another.At Dayspring, we are a family. We are learning together, growing together, doing life together. As a family, we want God’s best for each other. And that means helping one another to know and walk in truth.Knowing the truth empowers us to break free from the lies, defeat our enemy, and live with unshakeable confidence in God and His purpose and plan for our lives. Who wouldn’t want that?And, men, what better Valentine’s Day gift could you give to your wife than to understand her a little better?

Lies We Believe | Part 6 | Lies Men Believe | Chris Voigt

Lies Men BelieveLies We Believe and the Truth That Sets Us FreeFebruary 6, 2022
News of a baby on the way brings great joy and excitement to a family. But the ability to know whether baby will be a boy or girl has given rise to a whole new genre of celebration: the gender reveal party. It seems the ways to make the big announcement are limitless. Whether it’s confetti, balloons, the color inside a cake, or even fireworks... one thing is constant... blue means boy, pink means girl. Right? An article from a June 1918 trade publication for children’s clothing said, “The generally accepted rule is pink for boys, and blue for girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.” Apparently, blue and pink have traded places! Our culture feeds us a lot of ideas that are, at the very least, confusing if not completely upside down, inside out, or just plain wrong. As we’ve seen over the past several weeks, we live in a world that is saturated with so much untruth, we don’t even stop to question whether what we believe IS true. We’ve looked at lies that impact our beliefs about ourselves, others, life, and God. This week, we’re going to look at some lies that the enemy of our souls often uses to damage the hearts and minds of men in particular. God has uniquely designed us, men and women, on purpose, for a purpose. Let’s not allow the enemy of our souls to infiltrate our thinking and warp God’s incredible design for us.

Lies We Believe | Part 5 | Lies We Believe About God | Jon Sprouse

Lies We Believe About GodLies We Believe and the Truth That Sets Us FreeJanuary 30, 2022
A friend of mine recalls this story from her childhood...When I was about 10 years old, our family traveled to British Columbia for the wedding of my mom’s cousin. At the wedding reception, wine was served. We never had beer or wine in our home growing up, and I’d never seen my parents drink. I don’t remember how the glass of red wine ended up on our table. What I do remember is my baby brother – who was in a high chair, so probably around 18 months old – demanding to have the “juice.” So, mom gave him a sip! Suffice it to say, it was not at all what he was expecting! The look of confusion, distaste, and disappointment was hilariously obvious. As this story illustrates, sometimes our preconceptions lead to incredible disappointments. We see one aspect of a thing and end up drawing conclusions that are simply not true. Red liquid in a pretty glass must be sweet, right? Past experience said it was so. But the reality was a startling disappointment. We are in week five of our series, Lies We Believe and the Truth That Sets Us Free. Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about the lies we believe about ourselves, others, and life. This week, we’re taking a look at the lies we believe about God. For some of us, our ideas about God were shaped by our families and our early experiences at church. But increasingly, there are many people whose ideas about God come from social media memes, movies, school, or other worldly influences. Regardless of where your first understanding of God came from, it’s likely that you have been influenced by lies about Him. We are drawn to the good or “sweet” characteristics of God...His love, compassion, kindness, and goodness.  But as we experience more of life, we begin to realize that God is less like grape juice and more like red wine. He is complex. And sometimes those complexities are unpalatable to us. They cause us to question and doubt. Like the little boy with the red wine, we experience confusion, distaste, and disappointment. Have we misunderstood God? Is He not who we think He is? Having an accurate understanding of God is essential to every aspect of our lives. I hope you’ll join us!

Lies We Believe | Part 4 | Lies We Believe About Life | Chris Voigt

Lies We Believe About LifeLies We Believe and the Truth That Sets Us FreeJanuary 23, 2022
Simplicity is the virtue of living an uncluttered life. After all of the extra “stuff” that comes with the holiday season, many people kick off a new year with a renewed interest in getting rid of some of the “extra” that has found its way into their homes and lives. In a lot of ways, this can be a healthy thing.Simplicism, on the other hand, is a way of thinking that can be unhealthy and even damaging. According to Dr. Jeff Myers, author of the book Unquestioned Answers, “Simplicism...distorts simplicity into a conviction that something isn’t really true unless it is easy to understand and summarize.”Bumper stickers, social media, and advertising taglines are filled with great examples of simplicism. A catchy rhyme or clever slogan will stick in your brain, regardless of whether or not it’s true. And the more you hear it, the “truer” it sounds.  Simplicism caters to our desire to live in an uncomplicated and self-centered world and robs us of the ability to think deeply and communicate clearly about things that matter.We are smack dab in the middle of a sermon series we’ve entitled Lies We Believe and the Truth That Sets Us Free. This week we’re taking a look at the lies we believe about life. We are immersed, 24/7 in a sea of messages about what’s important, who we are, what we should believe, think, and do. The messages come from sources we think we should be able to trust. They are purposefully packaged to stick in our brains. And we find ourselves believing things without ever questioning whether or not they’re actually true. Because they make sense on the surface and they sound so right!The truth, God’s Word promises, will set us free. Let’s pursue that freedom together.

Lies We Believe | Part 3 | Lies We Believe About Others | Chris Voigt

Lies We Believe About OthersLies We Believe and the Truth That Sets Us FreeJanuary 16, 2022
Throughout the western United States, you’ll find beautiful gorges and canyons. The incredible Columbia River Gorge is right in our own backyard. Other canyons such as Bryce Canyon in southern Utah, Royal Gorge Canyon in Colorado, Waimea Canyon on Kauai, and of course, The Grand Canyon in Arizona, draw tourists from all over the world. A canyon is a deep, narrow valley with steep sides. The most common way a canyon is formed is by the power of water. The water pressure of a river digs deep into the surface below it, while at the same time eroding and carrying away the sediment further downstream, which creates the distinctive deep and narrow channels so characteristic of canyons. Slowly, over thousands of years, the layers of rock are worn away and a huge gap is created in the surface of the earth. These gaps are beautiful in nature, but when gaps occur in relationships, the results are often more heartbreaking than breathtaking. We are in week three of our series, Lies We Believe and the Truth That Sets Us Free. This week we’re focusing on lies we believe about others. Lies infect every aspect of our lives, and our relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers are not exempt from the damaging effects of our faulty thinking. But it doesn’t haven’t to be that way! We don’t have to live in bondage to the fallacies that have warped our perspectives and beliefs. There is truth we can count on and that has the power to transform our lives, set us free, and heal our relationships!Together, we’ll learn how to bridge the gaps in our relationships with the powerful truths of the Bible. I hope you’ll join us.