Dayspring Fellowship Podcasts

Christ-Centered Life

March 3 & 4, 2018Christ-Centered LifePhilippians - Part 1
This weekend we are starting our study of the Letter to the Philippians. Paul wrote this letter from prison in Rome where he was awaiting opportunity to appeal his case to Caesar. Even with Paul’s bleak circumstances, this letter to the Philippians is overflowing with Paul’s joy and love for his friends in Philippi. Paul had traveled to Philippi with Silas, Timothy, and Luke some 10 years before writing this letter. During his ministry there he led many people to faith in Jesus and established a strong church. His time ministering to and with the Philippian people created an indelible bond and partnership between Paul and this local church in Philippi.The Philippian church regularly supported Paul financially and physically in his trials. It is due to the many blessings of this long-term partnership that Paul writes in such a personal tone. In expressing his heartfelt gratitude for their partnership and support, Paul continually points to Jesus as the center of all of this. In these first eleven verses alone Paul points to Jesus by name seven times. Paul never tires of talking about Jesus, the Gospel, and the new life in Christ. Even in his trials in prison Paul is pointing to Jesus as the source of all that is good in the church at Philippi.All of Paul’s ministry and letters are filled with this singular focus and purpose on Christ. For Paul, it all comes from and points to Jesus. The same is true for each of us. A life centered on Christ is full of challenges, blessings, and victories. Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a letter of joy celebrating Christ’s work in our lives. - Kap Otten

Giving Away Our Faith

February 24 & 25, 2018Giving Away Our FaithCrossFit – Part 8
The passing of the Reverend Billy Graham reminds us of a life of faithful service to God, proclaiming the message of Jesus with conviction and grace. Dr. Graham’s life and message remind me of the Apostle Paul’s famous quote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). If the Gospel (Good News) of Christ is indeed the message that reconciled us to God, and if we, God’s people, have been entrusted with this glorious message of salvation, it is good to evaluate how we are doing with the task of giving away our faith. It is not as scary to share the hope of the Gospel as many imagine; but it does require a willing heart, prayer, and a little preparation. In this message we wrap up the CrossFit series with a reminder that we have all been commissioned by the Lord to take the message of forgiveness and new life to those in need.
-  Pastor John

A Beautiful Mess

February 17 & 18, 2018A Beautiful MessCrossFit – Part 7
As we continue into the month of February, we move from practices of solitude to more communal disciplines to engage in together as a church family. Like any family, we are at times a beautiful mess. And what I mean by that is we together are a beautiful mess of hurt and grace, honesty and love, disappointment and accountability. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we seek to love one another unconditionally; but we can’t. We at times expect one another to be perfect, but we aren’t. So what do we do with that? What do we do with hurt or disappointment or conflict within the family of God?In a recent article I read by Henri Nouwen, he exclaims that “community is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives.” I love the honesty and hope that shapes the heart behind that quote.In this message we seek to develop the practices of truth-telling, confession, and forgiveness to learn what it means to live by grace and to walk together in the light of the Lord’s forgiveness. 
After the message, Pastor Chris continues our discussion of Dayspring's strategic plan, including our new mission statement.
-  Pastor Nathan

Live Love

February 10 & 11, 2018Live LoveCrossFit – Part 6
Over the last few weeks we’ve been learning together about spiritual disciplines that help us deepen our connection to God. But there is another facet of our lives as believers that can be enriched and strengthened by practicing spiritual disciplines - our connection to one another. This week we shift our focus to “horizontal” disciplines, habits of life that help us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to each other and to the world around us. Join us as we begin to explore what it looks like to live out the love of Christ in our daily lives.
At the end of our message, we continue reviewing the strategic planning that our leaders engaged in last month.
--Pastor Chris
 

His RESTorative Purpose

February 3 & 4, 2018His RESTorative PurposeCrossFit – Part 5
I’m tired. These pasts several weeks have been particularly challenging for me. I have found myself in some challenging meetings at work. The need to meet expectations and resolve issues has also meant I need to spend extra hours there. One week I worked nearly 60 hours and another I spent 50 hours at work or working on my "weekend." Thankfully, this week was shorter. Still, I am exhausted. My emotional and physical tanks are running on "E." Added to this is the irony that I am preaching on the spiritual disciplines of "Rest and Retreat" this weekend. It’s funny how rest can take so much work sometimes.
God has truly ministered to my heart in the past weeks as He has strengthened me in the hustle of an overflowing schedule. He has also begun to fill my tank as I have studied and reflected on His Word in preparation for this weekend. As I read about Jesus’ teaching and practice of Sabbath rest, I find my desire for truly restorative rest growing. You see, I often don’t rest well (confession). Sabbath rest is both my favorite discipline as well as my most poorly practiced discipline. I regularly long for rest. But too often, I find "healthy" distractions during my day off that fail to fully refill me. In my study this week, I have discovered that God has always had a plan and practice for His people to experience His truly restorative work. In this message we discover together God’s RESTorative Purpose for rest in our lives.
Following the message, Pastor Chris continues our walk through Dayspring's StratOp.
- Kap Otten
 

Be With Me

January 27 & 28, 2018 Be With MeCrossFit – Part 3
God invites us to experience deep relational connection with Him. And though most of us have probably heard the phrase, “practicing the presence of God,” do we really know what it means? How do we "practice" God’s presence? Join us this weekend as we unpack that phrase and discover ways that we can be more aware of God’s activity in our daily lives.
Following the message, Kap Otten continues our walk through Dayspring's StratOp.
- Pastor Chris

Dayspring's StratOp

Following the January 21, 2018 sermon, Pastor Chris presented an introduction to Dayspring's StratOp--its strategic preparation for future momentum.

Talk With Me

January 20 & 21, 2018Talk With MeCrossFit – Part 3
Martin Luther once said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” We breathe instinctively. Do we really pray that way?This weekend we’ll look at the spiritual discipline of prayer as we continue our series, CrossFit. Is prayer just a way for you to get something you want from God? Or, is it a way for Him to get something from you? - Pastor Chris

An Appetite for the Word

January 13 & 14, 2018An Appetite for the WordCrossFit - Part 2
As Pastor Nathan reminded us last week, the new year is the time tens of thousands are motivated to change their diet or exercise more to get in better shape. Physical fitness - and all that goes along with it - has become a billion-dollar business. Experts will also tell you something else: physical fitness doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and effort. The best results come from a personalized regular routine and perseverance. This is all good stuff, but what about our spiritual health? In 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul was inspired to write: “train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” In this message, we discuss one of the most important spiritual disciplines (habits) we can develop for spiritual health and mature faith…a healthy appetite for God’s Word.
 - Pastor John

Practices to Cultivate New Patterns in Our Lives

January 6 & 7, 2018Practices to Cultivate New Patterns in Our LivesCrossFit – Part 1
The start of a new year often brings with it the desire for this year to be different than the last. Many of us set lofty goals driven by the desire to get in shape physically and spiritually. We often start out strong as we enter into the new year, but as the months go by our motivation and discipline begin to fade leaving us defeated.  I believe strongly that the Lord wants to shape something new in each of us this year, as individuals and as a church. I’m encouraged by this truth each time I read Isaiah 43:18-19 which states, “Remember not the former things nor consider things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” For some, the lives we lead spiritually are that desert place discussed in the passage. We have a genuine desire for things to change, but if we are honest we don’t really know how or where to begin. We’ve tried reading our Bible, we’ve tried prayer, but we’ve never truly developed a discipline to cultivate new patterns in our lives that would allow for sustainable change.If this is you, you are not alone. In fact, we are devoting the next eight weeks as a church to learn about the various spiritual disciplines so that we may grow through the revelation of God’s Word and the leading of the Spirit together. This weekend we begin our series, “CrossFit.” The purpose of this series is simple. We are embracing new practices and structures in our lives which provide the space for us to more fully experience God’s grace and presence. I don’t know about you, but I need that this year. And as we seek to invest in these disciplines personally and communally, I’m excited to witness the transformation that will take place in our midst. God Bless You,Pastor Nathan