Dayspring Fellowship Podcasts

To Please or Not to Please

To Please or Not to Please
Galatians: Set Free to Live Free
October 6, 2019
 
OK, I’m really more of a summer kind of guy. BUT, when we hit fall, even I have to admit that leaves that have turned red is one of my favorite things to see, especially on a road lined with red-leaved trees. Oh, and I guess I like it that summer is only three seasons away.
 
We are in our second week of a new series on the Apostle Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia. Galatians was written to a group of young churches that Paul had started. His letter to them is full of vital theological truths that they must understand in order to be firmly rooted in their new faith. Last week, we saw how easy it was for them to slide toward a gospel of works instead of embracing the freedom in Christ that we find in grace.
 
This week, as we look at Galatians 2, we’ll be talking about faith and what it looks like to leverage that freedom as we live a life that pleases God.
 
- Pastor Chris

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

Jesus + Nothing = Everything
Galatians: Set Free to Live Free
September 29, 2019
 
When you hear the word “free,” what do you think of? What images or ideas come to mind?
 
Free as a bird?
Fat free?
Free will?
Free Willy?
Hands free?
Get out of jail free?
Or, maybe even, nothing is ever free?
Or, if you’re musical, Free fallin’…
 
There are lots of catch phrases, taglines, and slogans that use the word “free.”
 
The apostle Paul had a lot to say about being free. In his letter to the churches in Galatia, he speaks passionately about this very subject. This week, we’re beginning a new sermon series through the book of Galatians. We’ve titled it: Set Free to Live Free.
 
As people who identify as followers of Jesus, it is vital that we understand what it means to walk in the freedom that we have through our relationship with Him, instead of the bondage of an empty religion.
 
- Pastor Chris

Stopping

Stopping
September 22, 2019
 
Are you feeling it yet? Have you got your groove back? We are three weeks into the rhythms of fall. Days are getting shorter and cooler, and the calendar is fuller! Summer is definitely over, and “normal” life is back in full swing!
 
To help us launch well into this new season, we’ve been taking a look at the power of habits in our lives. This week, we’ll be talking about the practical steps we need to take to get rid of the bad habits that keep us from reaching our goals. Together, we are committed to becoming healthy – spiritually, relationally, emotionally, and physically. I want to be all that God has created me to be, and I believe you want the same! Each of us is on our own journey, and the work God wants to do in my life and in yours is unique. But there is joy in journeying together, and we continue to dig deep into what it means to walk in obedience to Jesus.
 
 
- Pastor Chris

Starting

Starting
September 15, 2019
 
Well, we’re still in the process of settling into the rhythms of fall. The kids are back to school, and we’re getting back into the swing of weekly growth groups, youth groups, and Bible studies. And last week we had a great time worshiping with music that was back to the 1990’s! This week we stick to our BACK-TO theme, with worship from back in the 2000’s, singing some of your favorite worship songs from that decade. And for those of you who love the old hymns…don’t worry…we’ll get BACK-TO those next week!
 
We’re in our second week of a three-part series called Habits. This Sunday we’re looking at what it takes to begin and establish a new habit. It’s great to have goals; but in order to achieve them, we need to figure out how to get from where we are to where – or to who – God is calling us to be, and what it really takes to make real progress.
 
- Pastor Chris

WHO Before DO

WHO Before DO
September 8, 2019
 
It is BACK TO season. If you are a parent with school-aged students, you’re probably celebrating back-to-school. If you are a commuter, you are probably hating back-to-traffic. Fall is on the horizon, which means goodbye flip flops, shorts, and tank tops. It’s back-to-warm clothes. Back-to-clouds. Back-to-rainy days and Mondays.
 
When I think of BACK TO season, I think RETRO. RETRO is now the “in thing,” so we are going to go RETRO in our worship this weekend with back-to-the 90s. Not the 1890s for you hymn lovers; that will come in a couple of weeks. But, back to the 1990s. There are some fantastic songs that have shaped worship in the modern church and paved the way for what worship looks like today. Songs like Open the Eyes of My Heart and Shout to the Lord.
 
Of course, I am a pastor; so I care deeply about getting back-to-spiritual disciplines. Even if we don’t take the summer off completely, most of us get “relaxed” when it comes to our spiritual journey during the summer months. Habits that we’ve worked hard to build tend to fall by the wayside, and it’s time to get back-to-the Bible, back-to-praying, back-to-whatever will continue to change you into the man or woman God is calling you to become.
 
Change isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. Your future self is a result of the decisions you make each day. In this three-part series, we’ll see how a few small habits can change how you see yourself today and can transform you into the person you want to be tomorrow. Big results come from small disciplines.
 
God is calling you to get-back-to something, so please join us Sunday mornings as we discover some amazing principles that help us build habits that will change our lives.
 
- Pastor Chris

He's Alive!

He's Alive!September 1, 2019
 
Well, summer is in the rearview mirror and Back-to-School season is upon us! It’s hard to believe that Labor Day weekend is here already.
 
For the past 18 weeks, we have taken an incredible journey through the Gospel of Matthew; a first-hand, eyewitness account of the life of Jesus, written specifically to the Jews to help them see that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised King they had waited for so long.
 
This Sunday, we’re turning the last page and looking at the final chapter in Matthew’s telling of Jesus’ story. We’ll consider Jesus’ last words to His disciples and what they mean for us, as people who follow Him today. The end of the book is as compelling as the beginning of the story is captivating.
 
God is doing incredible things in the life of our church, and we are excited about it! I want to invite you to be a part of what’s happening at Dayspring. 
 
Over the coming weeks, our fall schedule will be ramping up with classes and activities of all kinds for kids, youth, and adults. If you’d like more information about what’s happening at Dayspring, check out our website at DayspringFellowship.com.  
 
There’s a place for you in the Dayspring family. Come be a part of what God is doing here!

The Road to the Cross

The Road to the Cross
August 25, 2019
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth . . .
These are the opening lines of American poet Robert Frost’s famous poem, The Road Not Taken. Published in 1916, it’s become a classic, studied in high school English classes across the country and often included in commencement ceremonies. The poem is about the power of making a choice. As we approach the end of our study in Matthew’s gospel, we see Jesus faithfully moving toward a tremendously difficult choice…the choice to follow the road laid out by His Father…the road to the cross. This week, we’ll look at the steps along the road that Jesus walked, all the way to His death on the cross. And together, we’ll consider the implications of Jesus’ choice to walk that road for us.
Robert Frost’s poem ends with these words:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Jesus' choice to go to the cross has made all the difference. Like Him, we too have a choice. What choice will you make?
 
Chris Voigt
Lead Pastor

Be Prepared

Be PreparedAugust 18, 2019
 
In 1907, Robert Baden-Powell, an English soldier, came up with the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared. He published it in his book Scouting for Boys in 1908, writing that, “To be prepared means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.”
 
More than a century later, being prepared is still a cornerstone of Scouting. In the most recent edition of The Boy Scout Handbook it says that: His idea was that Scouts should prepare themselves to become productive citizens and strong leaders and to bring joy to other people. He wanted each Scout to be ready in mind and body and to meet with a strong heart whatever challenges await him.
 
This week, in our continuing study of Matthew’s gospel, we’re looking at Jesus’ last significant teaching for His disciples. And it’s this theme of “be prepared” that Jesus emphasizes over and over again.
 
So, what is it that Jesus is telling us to prepare for? And what does that look like in the life of a Christ-follower today? In this message we unpack those questions together and consider what implications Jesus’ instructions have for each of us.
 
Pastor Chris

More Than Anything

More Than Anything
August 11, 2019
What do you want most? If time and money were no object and you could have, go, do, or become anything…what would it be? What is your greatest desire? You can be honest with yourself; there’s no one to impress here.
This week, in our continuing study of Matthew’s gospel, we’re looking at Jesus' last significant public teaching before His journey to the cross begins. And this question is at the heart of His teaching. There’s no longer any reason for Jesus to be cautious about who might be offended, and He pulls no punches as He calls out the double standards and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other religious leaders. It can be tempting as we study this passage, to put ourselves in the cheering section, thinking, “Yeah! You tell 'em, Jesus!” But before we cheer too loudly, we need to look closely at our own hearts, desires, and motives.
 
So, what do you want most; more than anything else?

Questions! Questions! Questions!

Questions! Questions! Questions!
August 4, 2019
 
 
We’re continuing our look at the last week of Jesus’ life in our study of Matthew’s gospel. In our last message, we saw Jesus demonstrate His authority as He rode through the streets of Jerusalem, seated on a young donkey, receiving the adoration of the crowds. We also saw His righteous anger on display as He cleared the outer court of the Temple of money changers and sacrifice sellers who were there not to serve those who had come to worship, but to scam and steal from them.
 
This week, we’ll see Jesus respond to the challenges to His authority brought once more by the Pharisees and Sadducees. Time after time, they attempt to trap Him into saying something which they consider blasphemous. And time after time, Jesus responds in ways that silence His challengers.
 
It’s tempting for us to respond to this text with our own disdain for those who so disrespected Jesus. And yet, so often, if we’re really honest…we refuse, in our own ways, to acknowledge the authority of Jesus, the Messiah, and surrender to Him as Lord of our lives. Following Jesus requires our willing surrender every day: for us to lay down our expectations and agendas, to decide that He really is enough as we walk in obedience to the One who both created and called us.