Dayspring Fellowship Podcasts

Faith: Head, Heart, & Hands

February 10, 2019
Faith: Head, Heart, & Hands
Genuine Faith
|marks of maturity from James|
 Do you have faith? Do you have faith in Jesus? Faith plays a central role in our salvation and relationship with God. The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through our faith, and without faith, it is impossible to please God. God’s Word also teaches that believers are to live by faith and that we are blessed according to our faith. Jesus taught that a little faith is powerful enough to move mountains. James recognizes this important role of faith in our salvation and our relationship with God.   In James 2:14-26 we find a succinct and powerful examination of saving faith.  James doesn’t mince words as he pointedly draws out the error of different types of “faith” that aren’t really saving faiths at all.  James calls these counterfeits “dead” and “useless” as he asks, “Can such faith save them?”  James knows that how we answer this question is truly a matter of life and death; a matter of eternity spent with God in heavenly blessing or an eternity separated from God.        In His Grace,Kap Otten
 

Playing Favorites

February 3, 2019Playing Favorites
Genuine Faith|marks of maturity from James|
 On this day of the biggest sporting event of the year, people all across the country will be cheering on their preferred winner for the Super Bowl. On this day, NFL fans are either pulling for the Patriots or rooting for the Rams. So, what’s your preference? This week, as we continue in our series, Genuine Faith, in the book of James, we’re looking at what James has to say about prejudice. It was a problem for the early church, as it has continued to be throughout history. Join us this weekend, as we take a long, hard look at the topic of prejudice. James has challenging words for us to consider as we continue walking on the path toward spiritual maturity.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

January 27, 2019
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Genuine Faith
 
marks of maturity from James
 
What do you see when you look in the mirror? Brown hair, blonde, gray or gone? Blue eyes or green, twinkling or tired? A mirror can tell us a lot about ourselves, if we take the time to really look! In much the same way, the Word of God is a mirror for our lives. Looking, listening, and living out the truths we find there helps us to see the reality of who we are as believers in Christ and who God is calling us to become as His followers! Last week we began a new series in the book of James called Genuine Faith. James’ letter is filled with practical and powerful encouragement for us as we walk the path toward maturity in our faith. In this message we look into God’s Word together. We’re on an adventure...to become doers of the Word, living our faith “out loud” and becoming more of whom God is calling us to be. 

Let It Grow

January 20, 2019
Let It Grow
Genuine Faith
|marks of maturity from James|
There is just no other place I’d rather be on Sunday morning than worshipping our incredible God with the Dayspring family! In the middle of a soggy, gray, Willamette Valley winter, there is great joy and encouragement to be found when our church family comes together. This week we're starting a brand new sermon series on the book of James, called Genuine Faith. James wrote to Jewish Christians who had been scattered far and wide, escaping persecution in Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. It was an incredibly difficult time to be a believer. James’ words to his brothers and sisters in faith are full of practical encouragement to grow, even in (or perhaps because of?) hard circumstances. We too, need the encouragement of James as we walk through the daily challenges in our own lives. 

Marks of Maturity

January 13, 2019
Marks of MaturitySpiritual Growth
 Last week we began our two-part series on what it means to grow spiritually. This Sunday we’re taking a deeper look at what it means to be a mature believer. What should the life of a mature Christ follower look like? We’ll consider six marks of maturity that should be increasingly evident in our lives as we grow up in our faith. Be encouraged and challenged in your pursuit of becoming more like Jesus.

Grow, Baby, Grow

January 6, 2019
Grow, Baby, Grow
 Happy New Year! We are just a few days into 2019. I’m not really a resolutions kind of person, but I do like setting goals. I have a few that I’m working toward this year. How about you?
I’ve heard it said that if you aim for nothing, you will be certain to hit it. But it takes more than aiming to accomplish something. You have to move forward, pull the trigger, launch the arrow, steer the ship. It takes more than desire to reach a goal; you have to take initiative. This week and next we’re taking a look at what it means, in real-life, practical terms, to grow spiritually. In this message, we define what spiritual growth really is. There’s a brand new year, a fresh, clean slate stretched out in front of you. Will you make the most of it with us, as we discover together what it means to grow in Christ?

Resolutions: Realizing Your Full Potential

December 30, 2018
Resolutions: Realizing Your Full Potential
With the last few days of the year already here, 2018 is quickly coming to a close. As we wonder at how the year seemed to pass by so quickly, many of us are reflecting on all of the things we had intended to do in 2018.  While we reflect, we make our New Year's resolutions, vowing to make better use of 2019. Setting New Year's resolutions is an interesting tradition. There is something about the end of a year and the beginning of a new year that sets our minds' goals and aspirations.  Perhaps it's part of the mild grieving process we experience as we recognize that all our unrealized good intentions for 2018 are just out of time.  Maybe it's the opportunity that a new year brings for a fresh start with 365 days ripe with potential.  Both of these are indeed influences in the tradition of setting New Year's resolutions.
 
Still, there seems to me to be a deeper, more significant motivation in our New Year's resolutions.  Somewhere within each of us, there is a sense that there is some untapped potential we have not yet realized in our life.  Whether we act upon this sense or not, most of us want to be better people next year than we are today. New Year's resolutions appeal to this inner desire as they are full of possibility and the best of intentions toward growth. They promise to lead us to realize our fullest potential. Unfortunately, many New Year's resolutions go unmet as resolve and dedication wane in the early months of the new year. Like many of you, I have New Year's resolutions for 2018 that I failed to accomplish as my resolve just fizzled out. Also like many of you, I too have new New Year's resolutions for 2019. So how are we to ensure that we realize our full potential in 2019 when so many of us fail to complete our New Year's resolutions? In Colossians, Paul addresses similar goals and aspirations providing us with a plan that can indeed lead us to realize our fullest potential.  

Just a Shepherd

December 23, 2018
Just a Shepherd
Fear Not
The streets and shops of Bethlehem were noisy and crowded - jam-packed with worn and weary travelers, all coming to be counted, their property registered for tax purposes. But it was an ordinary night on the outskirts of town. The fields were quiet, peaceful, calm. A rag-tag group of outcasts lay stargazing alongside their flocks, grateful to be out of the fray. They didn’t need to join the hustle and bustle in Bethlehem. Because they didn’t count. They were outcasts, despised and rejected, with nothing of value to register. They kept their distance, safe on the fringes, away from the judgment and rejection of those who were better, or who thought they were. Suddenly, everything changed…  
“That night, in a field near Bethlehem, there were shepherds watching over their flocks. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared in radiant splendor before them, lighting up the field with the blazing glory of God, and the shepherds were terrified! But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid. For I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! And it is for everyone everywhere! For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah. You will recognize him by this miracle sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” Luke 2:8-12 The Passion Translation
 This week, we’re taking a closer look at the story of the shepherds and their encounter with the angel. I wonder if they considered just staying in the fields, content to be recipients of a great message, but leery of getting out of their comfort zone and making the trek into town? But that announcement rocked their world. After all, the angel said the news was for EVERYONE, even lowly shepherds. So they took the steps; they got up and made the journey toward the Messiah. Though their fears were legitimate, they didn’t let those fears hold them back. The promise of rescue was worth the risk. This most joyous news is just as much for you as it was for them. But like the shepherds, we all have things that can hold us back, fears that keep us from moving toward relationship with Jesus. In this message we explore the fears harbored in the hearts of the shepherds, the same ones we just might find in our own.

Inconceivable!

December 16, 2018
Inconceivable!
Fear Not
The stores are full of shoppers, and the roadways full of traffic. Days are full of errands, appointments, and never-ending to-do lists. And then it happens…in the midst of the extra busy, hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the unexpected, unanticipated, most UNwelcome interruption comes your way. Perhaps it’s something as small as getting stuck in a long line of traffic, waiting for a never-ending train to get out of the way, when you’re already running 3 minutes behind schedule. Or it could be great-aunt Edna who calls to wish you a “Merry Christmas” and just keeps talking and talking and talking. Or, perhaps it’s a diagnosis you weren’t expecting, a loss you didn’t see coming, a hurt that hijacked your heart, and suddenly your plans are derailed, your expectations turned upside down. For the next couple of weeks, we’ll be taking a look at the Christmas story from a slightly different perspective. This week, we’re looking at the words spoken by angels to understandably confused, if not fearful, humans. “Do not fear!” the angels said. But when life doesn’t go according to our plans, fear seems to be our default response. So how should we respond, as people of faith? Lean in with us as we look to the story of Mary, a girl who found herself in an unexpected situation. I think we’ll catch a glimpse of what it looks like to walk in the truth that Emmanuel is with us.

We're All in This Together!

December 9, 2018
We're All in This Together!
Dangerous Grace: Paul's Letter to the Romans
We are already a full week into December. By now some of you have probably been to a Christmas party for work, your growth group, or Bible study group.  If you haven’t yet, I’m guessing you have at least a few of these potlucks or white elephant gift exchange parties on your calendar for the coming weeks. Our growth group will be having our Christmas dinner together this coming week. These last two months of the year are filled with opportunities to enjoy time with family and friends as we celebrate our gratitude for God’s blessings and the birth of Jesus Christ.  In all these gatherings there is a more profound sense of community as we get together to share good food, visit, and just have some fun together. Besides the fun and games, we also come together as a community of believers to serve others. Coming together as a church to deliver food during our Thanksgiving Outreach and partnering with the UGM to serve the homeless by giving sleeping bags this month strengthens our bond as a community of Jesus followers.  In the last two chapters of Paul’s letter to the community of believers in Rome, he covers multiple topics. Paul continues to teach about relationships. He expresses his intentions to visit them in the future. He prays for them, asks for their prayers, and spends time sending greetings to friends as he closes his letter.  All of these are expressions of a Christian community in action. Though Paul had not yet been to Rome at the time of writing his letter, he addresses them as though they are family. There are great lessons for us to learn about the blessings, challenges, and hope that come from living in genuine community of believers.