Dayspring Fellowship Podcasts

If Money Talked | Part 1 | I Mean Well | Chris Voigt

I Mean WellIf Money TalkedNovember 7, 2021
The story begins with a young boy whose name we’re never told. He’s one face in a huge crowd of people who follow Jesus everywhere. On this particular occasion, the crowd has pursued Jesus out into the countryside and up into the hills above the Sea of Galilee. And Jesus…Son of God that He is…knows the people are hungry. He asks His disciples to figure out a dinner plan. But there’s no McDonald’s or Safeway in sight…just a boy, with five barley loaves and two fish. That’s not a lot to work with! We don’t know if he was reluctant or fearful. But whether he felt like it or not, the boy gives it all…every last bit of his lunch, into the hands of Jesus. And incredibly…miraculously…it is enough. Actually, it’s more than enough. Because when everyone - all five thousand people - had eaten until they were full, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up.We’re beginning a short 3-week series this Sunday called, If Money Talked. Most people don’t want to talk about money. But Jesus had a lot to say about it. In fact, He talked about it more than He talked about heaven! Being a follower of Jesus isn’t about knowing lots of spiritual stuff. It’s about becoming more like Him. In our daily living we should be growing to be more and more aligned with the way of Jesus, learning to live and love the way He did. Money is part of our lives every day. So, if we are serious about following Jesus, we need to take seriously what He had to say about money. It’s part of being a follower, a disciple.As a community of faith, a family of Christ-followers, we are on a journey, learning what it means to live out our faith in the ordinary, messy, everyday details of life. Learning to trust Him with everything we are and everything we have.What might Jesus do with your five loaves and two fish?

How to Get Through What You’re Going Through | Part 8 | Never Waste Your Pain | Chris Voigt

Never Waste Your PainHow to Get Through What You're Going ThroughOctober 31, 2021
Kintsugi is the centuries-old Japanese art of fixing broken pottery.The Kintsugi technique uses a special lacquer made from tree sap, dusted with powdered gold, silver, or platinum to mend the pieces once broken. Upon completion, beautiful seams of gold glint in the conspicuous cracks of ceramic bowls, cups, plates, or vases, giving a one-of-a-kind appearance to each repaired piece.This unique method celebrates each piece’s particular history by emphasizing its fractures and breaks rather than hiding or disguising them. In fact, Kintsugi often makes the repaired piece even more beautiful than the original, revitalizing it with a new look and giving it a second life. The practice of Kintsugi is connected to a Japanese philosophy which calls for seeing beauty in the flawed or imperfect. It also reflects the Japanese feelings of regret when something is wasted, as well as the acceptance of change.Over the past couple of months, we’ve been talking about how to get through whatever it is that you’re going through. We’ve all experienced loss, pain, and grief. None of us get a pass to a pain-free life. But in our American culture, we tend to hide the broken pieces of our lives, rather than allowing them to be revealed.Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’" All things…the hard, the broken, the lost, all of it. God wastes nothing when we give Him the pieces.This Sunday, as we wrap up this series, we’ll be talking about what it means to not waste your pain.What could it look like in your life, if you put all of your broken pieces into the hands of our God who wastes absolutely nothing? Let’s find out together.

How to Get Through What You’re Going Through | Part 7 | Service: Finding Treasure in the Darkness | Jon Sprouse

Sanctification II: Finding Treasure in DarknessHow to Get Through What You're Going ThroughOctober 24, 2021
Bonfires, shooting stars, fireflies, the northern lights.. These are just a few of the “treasures” you might discover in a dark place.It’s common for kids to be afraid of the dark. But I’m not sure whether it’s really the darkness they’re afraid of as much as it is what’s hidden within it. Even as adults, we tend not to like what we can’t see.When we find ourselves in dark places in life, it can be tempting to hide under the covers, so to speak; to become frozen by fear of the unknown. But as we’ve already seen…there is treasure to be found in dark places!This is week 7 of our series, How to Get Through What You’re Going Through. We’re taking a look at how to navigate grief and loss in a healthy way. God has promised in His Word, the Bible, that He is with us in the dark places. And not only is He with us, but that there are treasures hidden for us there.Isaiah 50:10 says, “Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.”Even in the darkness, God is with us. Let’s go treasure hunting together.

How to Get Through What You’re Going Through | Part 6 | Sanctification: Transformed by Trouble | Michelle Snook

Sanctification I: Transformed Through TroubleHow to Get Through What You're Going ThroughOctober 17, 2021
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.” If you do a little digging, you’ll find the phrase is attributed to Henry Kissinger, who, for you youngsters watching, was a Nixon-era politician. Kissinger should have stuck to discussing politics, rather than science, because while his adage may be motivational, it is factually, untrue. Diamonds do not come from coal! What IS true is that diamonds form underground at high temperatures and under high pressure and consist purely of carbon minerals.We’ve been working through a series called, How To Get Through What You’re Going Through for the last several weeks. After months of global pandemic, political division, racial tension, violence, opposition, frustration and struggle in practically every area of life, we are all looking for help in knowing how to get through the overwhelming losses of the last year and a half.  The good news is, there IS a way through!This week, we’re looking at the 5th stage of ‘getting through’ – sanctification. Now that’s a big, church-y word! But what it comes down to is the truth that God can use the pain, grief, loss, disappointments, the junk of our lives to transform us. Like the carbon minerals that are transformed under high pressure and high heat into beautiful diamonds, God can use the hard things in our lives to transform us.Diamonds may not come from coal. But God does promise to make beauty from the ashes of our lives. Will  you let Him transform yours?

How to Get Through What You’re Going Through | Part 5 | Surrender: The Path to Peace | Chris Voigt

Surrender: The Path to PeaceHow to Get Through What You're Going ThroughOctober 10, 2021
The international sign for surrender is the raising of a white flag. Soldiers have been using white flags to indicate surrender for thousands of years. An ancient Roman historian wrote of white flags being displayed as part of the surrender at the Second Battle of Cremona in 69 AD.  Most historians believe blank banners first caught on because they were easy to recognize in the heat of battle. White cloth was common in the ancient world, so it may have just been a case of soldiers using whatever materials were available. Over the years, the white flag became a well-established symbol in Western warfare.Wikipedia says, “The white flag is a protective sign of truce or ceasefire, and for negotiation. It also symbolizes surrender, since it is often the weaker party which requests the negotiation." Merriam Webster provides multiple definitions for surrender, including: the action of yielding one's person or giving up the possession of something especially into the power of another.We are at the halfway point in our series, How to Get Through What You’re Going Through. We’ve been taking a look at how to navigate grief and loss in a healthy way. Because loss impacts everyone. No one is exempt.This week marks a turning point in our series. We’ve looked at shock, sorrow, and struggle; now we turn our attention to surrender. If surrender means to yield or give up, to acknowledge our weakness or inability…then what is it I’m surrendering? To whom am I yielding? And how can this possibly be a good or healthy thing?The path to peace is one of surrender. Let’s make the journey together.

How to Get Through What You’re Going Through | Part 4 | Struggle: When Life Makes No Sense | Chris Voigt

Struggle: When Life Makes No SenseHow to Get Through What You're Going ThroughOctober 3, 2021
You might say this when you order no pickles on your burger, but it comes with pickles anyway.
Or when you need to meet a work deadline, but you keep getting interrupted.
“The struggle is real!”
When the pillows at your hotel are more like pancakes than pillows.
When it’s “bring your own” TP at the airport bathrooms in Honduras. And you didn’t!
Or when you can’t find a real Diet Coke anywhere outside of the US!
First world problems!
Difficulty is part of the rhythm of life. Everything is broken, and that creates problems.
Today, I tried to order lunch delivered to the office. Placed the order. Paid online. And then, a Door Dash driver calls to tell us the restaurant is slammed. Full dining room, only three staff, and 6 drivers waiting for delivery orders. Our guy has waited 30 minutes already, and can’t wait any longer. “You should probably just cancel the order” he says. One more problem to solve.
In Genesis 3:17, after Adam and Eve has chosen their way, rather than obedience to God’s way, God tells them, “All your life you will struggle…” And they did. And we have. Do. Will. Struggle IS real, for everyone. Some of it we create ourselves. Some is foisted on us by the actions of others. No matter how it happens, or where it comes from, we all face it.
This week, in the 4th episode of our series How to Get Through What You’re Going Through, we’re taking a look at the reality of struggle. Though we all face difficulty, we’re not all in the same boat. What feels like a struggle for me, might not be a struggle for you. But no matter what struggle you are facing, there is a healthy way to navigate through it and get to the other side successfully.
Oh, and our Door Dash dude…he showed up with lunch just as we were hatching a new plan. So, no struggle after all! I’m sure another is just around the corner. But we’ll be ready. Join us this Sunday, and you will be too.

How to Get Through What You’re Going Through | Part 3 | Sorrow: Getting Through Life’s Losses | Chris Voigt

Sorrow: Getting Through Life's LossesHow to Get Through What You're Going ThroughSeptember 26, 2021
News flash!!The Pity Train has just derailed at the intersection of Suck It Up and Move On and crashed into We All Have Problems, before coming to a complete stop at Get the Heck Over It. Any complaints about how we operate can be forwarded to 1-800-waa-waaa. This is Dr. Sniffle reporting live from Quitchur Fussin.’  The meme goes on to say: If you like this, repost it. If you don’t, suck it up, buttercup, life doesn’t revolve around you!While these words might bring a chuckle, they also reveal how we often respond to people in pain. Grief hurts. Heartache is heavy. Loss is hard. And being there for someone in pain can be uncomfortable, inconvenient, difficult.Their relationship had always been challenging, but now it felt shattered beyond repair. Not knowing where else to turn, the young couple met with their pastor. He listened as they unpacked the pain, then spoke softly. “Thank you for telling me your story. But I want to caution you against sharing with anyone outside this office. People will judge you. See a counselor for help, but don’t tell anyone at church.”I wish I could tell you this was just a story, written for illustrative purposes. But this really happened, years ago now, to friends of mine. In the early days of a crisis, seeking help to work through broken trust, they turned to the place they thought for sure they’d find hope. Only to be told to cover it up, don’t talk about it, pretend like everything’s ok. Being there for someone in pain can be uncomfortable, inconvenient and hard. Even for a pastor.We use expressions like, “Don’t cry over spilt milk.” “Sweep it under the rug.” “Put one foot in front of the other” or “Just keep swimming.” Those catchy phrases that encourage us to forget about yesterday and just keep moving forward have been around forever. They are so deeply embedded into our culture – both outside and inside the Church – that we don’t even stop to consider whether they’re good, right, healthy or biblical. Grief enters our lives in a variety of ways. Through the death of a loved one, certainly. But there are so many other sources of loss and pain in our world. And yet, death sometimes seems to be the only thing we have permission to stop and grieve. Whether you’ve lost someone you love or not, if you’re old enough to be watching this video, you’ve certainly lost something. Perhaps you’ve lost a job, a home, a dream; a friendship, a marriage, a child.  Or maybe you’ve lost money, respect, safety or trust. The list of possible losses is unending. With the reality of so much loss and pain in our day-to-day lives, who has time to grieve? Is there any option other than to just let it go, get over it, move on?The honest, hope-filled answer is YES! We are in week 3 of our series, How to Get Through What You’re Going Through. This week we’re talking about sorrow and what it looks like to enter in and work through sorrow in a healthy way. And “Suck it up, buttercup” is not part of the process. God never intended for pain to be part of our story. But He does promise to redeem our pain and heal our wounds, if we choose to enter into the healing process that He has designed us for.

How to Get Through What You’re Going Through | Part 2 | Shock: When Your World Collapses | Chris Voigt

Shock: When Your World CollapsesHow to Get Through What You're Going ThroughSeptember 19, 2021
October 29, 1929…"Black Tuesday" hit Wall Street as investors traded some 16 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange in a single day. Billions of dollars were lost, wiping out thousands of investors. Overnight, many people lost their businesses and their life savings. The economic impact created shockwaves around the world.December 7, 1941…7:48 AM Sunday morning at Pearl Harbor. A surprise attack was launched by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft in two waves, from six aircraft carriers. Of the eight U.S. Navy battleships present, all were damaged, four sank. A total of 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 more were wounded. We were suddenly a nation at war.January 28, 1986…Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Space Shuttle Challenger prepared for launch. It was the twenty-fifth Space Shuttle flight; the tenth for Challenger. Seventy-three seconds into its flight, the Challenger broke apart in a shocking explosion killing all seven crew members aboard. A stunned nation watched in horror.September 11, 2001...Nineteen militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; a third hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and because of courageous passengers who thwarted the plans of their hijackers, the fourth plane intended for a target in Washington D.C., crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed that day. It was the deadliest attack on American soil in history.All of these events were catalysts for shock that impacted our nation and even the world. On a smaller scale, each of us has our own experiences with loss and grief that have sent us into shock… your teenager has been arrested; a routine check-up results in an unexpected diagnosis; the spouse who promised to love and be faithful had an affair; the brother you love, is taken from this world with no warning; a son off on a day hike is lost and doesn’t come home as expected, or you’re suddenly fired from your dream job. And in those moments, as you struggle to catch your breath, all you feel is numb. You are in shock.Last week we launched a new sermon series called How to Get Through What You’re Going Through. This week, we’ll be unpacking the first phase of ‘getting through’ – shock.Life is uncertain. Learning how to navigate the uncertainties of life and process the losses we all experience in a healthy way, is essential to our emotional and spiritual growth.The apostle Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth writes, “(God) comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.” Everywhere we turn, there are people in need of comfort. Perhaps you are in need of comfort right now. Or maybe, you need to know how to be a comfort to someone else.

How to Get Through What You’re Going Through | Part 1 | Well, Whaddya Know? | Chris Voigt

Well, Whaddya Know?How to Get Through What You're Going ThroughSeptember 12, 2021
It was just a regular Tuesday morning. I was up early and in my office, enjoying some quiet time with Jesus before starting to work on my sermon. There was nothing unique or unusual about the day. Nothing seemed off. As staff arrived, there was the usual banter and laughter around the office. I had no reason at all to expect the news that was about to come. But then again…isn’t that how it usually works? Life is uncertain, unpredictable, and none of us is guaranteed a tomorrow. We just prefer to live like we’re bulletproof, until something rocks our world.Around 10 A.M. I received a text. It was startling news of the completely unexpected death of one of our Dayspring family. A tragic accident took her life and she is no longer with us, but is now in the presence of Jesus. She was just 61 years young, active, vibrant, generous, a friend to everyone who knew her. She touched so many with the love of Jesus. And suddenly, with no warning, she’s gone.Grief doesn’t come when it’s convenient, when your schedule allows, when you have plenty of margin in your life. Loss comes in a variety of ways, not just in the death of a loved one. And when loss hits, it hijacks your plans, your emotions, and maybe even your wallet. And there is no escape. You’ve most likely already navigated some sort of loss in your life. After the last year and a half, who hasn’t? But if by chance you happen to have been spared thus far, your turn is coming. You can count on it.This Sunday we’re beginning a new series called How to Get Through What You’re Going Through. Because grief is no respecter of persons. Grief won’t schedule an appointment on your calendar, or wait until you have time for it. You can’t delegate it to someone else to handle for you or buy yourself a pass to a loss-free life. The hard truth is everything and everyone is broken. We all experience heartache, pain, and loss. But even in loss, there is hope! There is truth to hold on to and a way to process our pain and experience healing. That’s what this series is all about.

How Do You Recognize a Christian? | Part 14 | Represent – 3 John 1:1-15 | Michelle Snook

Represent!How Do You Recognize a Christian?September 5, 2021
A logo is all about identity. 
Wikipedia defines a logo as a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to promote public identification and recognition.
Logos can convey certain virtues or values without the need for a lengthy explanation. They can also create strong emotions or reactions.  A logo is a declaration, an expression, an exclamation. A logo indicates allegiance to someone or something; a product, priority, or person. A logo communicates a message.
In our current culture, identification is a huge deal.  We wear our allegiances on t-shirts, baseball caps, bumper stickers, and tattoos. We declare our affiliations and identities on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. So what does your life say about who you are, and what message are you communicating?
We are wrapping up our summer series How Do You Recognize a Christian? this Sunday, by taking a look at the last of the Apostle John’s letters. In his final letter, John urges his readers to consider the importance of who or what you represent, how you represent them, and the ripple effect that representation has on the world around you.