Dayspring Fellowship Podcasts

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Which Are You?

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.Which Are You?
January 21 & 22, 2017Pictures of Progress 
A friend of mine had a biopsy this past week. His doctor took out a tiny little piece of suspicious material from his hand. Now the movement of his thumb is painful while it heals. In the weeks to come there will be risk as the growth is removed between his thumb and forefinger. It could compromise his movement.
God has designed every part to come together to make the whole work. When you have to remove a part, the whole system is compromised (well, I’m not sure about the tonsils).
The same is true in the body of Christ. God has designed each of us to play a role in the functioning and growth of His Church. It’s not because he needs us to make things happen, but because he uses things happening to help us grow.
When we don’t serve, our spiritual development is incomplete, and the body of Christ is missing something. Let’s learn some principles about serving this weekend as we study someone who served Jesus sacrificially when he walked the earth.

How Relationships Are Like Dirt, Sun and Fertilizer

How Relationships Are Like Dirt,Sun and Fertilizer
January 14 & 15, 2017Pictures of Progress 
This week’s weird title is a riddle. Can you guess what our relationships with other Christians have in common with dirt, sun, and fertilizer? It’s easy; authentic friendships can help us grow.     I didn’t include water with the other three essential ingredients that help plants grow since we have so much of that in Oregon. Water falling from the sky is a given. We can expect rain. But can we take friendships for granted?     Unfortunately, there is a tendency for people to act like they are independent, putting on a hard exterior that keeps them impenetrable. But we are not self-sufficient. We need one another. Isolated lone rangers don’t do so well in real life.     Remaining alone isn’t only a drag; it is dangerous spiritually. Satan is likened to a lion in 1 Peter 5:8. Lions tend to pick off the individual prey lingering far from the pack. Don’t stay out on the fringe. Come worship with us and learn some significant benefits of experiencing authentic Christian community.

There's More Than One Way To Communicate The One Way

January 7 & 8, 2017 Pictures of Progress  
Have you resolved to start something new this year? If so, here’s my advice: beware of expert advice! Be careful that you don’t allow some expert’s example to intimidate you. A marathon runner’s workout schedule is impossible for beginners. Picturing the extreme as the only way do get in shape can keep us from ever getting started. Don’t confuse the final stage with the first step.       Maybe you’re planning on getting into ballroom dancing. What you see on Dancing With the Stars isn’t the starting place; that’s the end result. It is easy to be overwhelmed. You’ll end up saying, “why even try?”       When I had only read a little bit of the Bible I ran into a guy who told me that if I was going to be a Christian at all I needed to memorize whole books of the Bible. He was working on the book of Romans. How discouraging! I could have quit the whole thing right then. I thought: If there is only one way to do it and I can’t do it that way then I guess I can’t do it at all.       Here’s where I’m going with the message this weekend: maybe you are committed to communicating Christ in 2017. You won’t necessarily do so just like Pastor John can. He’s an expert. He’s gifted. What works for him may be intimidating for you. Don’t say, “If I have to share my faith like a trained evangelist, then there’s no hope for me.” There is one message, but there are many methods! And one is right for you.       Come worship with us and I’ll share a great example of the many ways we can communicate about the one way, Jesus Christ.
Yours, 
Larry
 
 

Getting Off To A Good Start

January 1, 2017 Nehemiah 1 & 2  
We’ve all got hopes and dreams for the New Year. We want to get off to a good start. Many people shy away from calling their plans resolutions, for that word reminds them of past disappointments. We haven’t all done so well following through implementing new habits.         This Sunday we will look at a great example from the Old Testament. Nehemiah was a very successful man. The first couple chapters document how he got off to a good start on a big project. I think this lesson will be great. I’ve found five practical principles that will guide us as we set out to accomplish new and exciting things in 2017.       The service will feature lots of variety, from comedy to communion, with Bible in the middle – that’s my part - bringing this message of encouragement that will help you get off to a good start.

Anticipation

December 24, 2016
Christmas Eve is a night of anticipation. We all eagerly look forward to Christmas morning. We can hardly wait! Waiting has always been a theme related to what we celebrate on Christmas. Anticipation filled the air and the hearts of those who were awaiting the coming of the Messiah long ago. What God did, sending his Son here, fulfilled all those years of anticipation. From our vantage point, this side of the coming of Christ, we don’t have to wait for him to come to us anymore. Jesus has already arrived! In fact, he’s now waiting for us to come to him!
Jesus grew up to say, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). This is a beautiful verse and it is relevant to us. Jesus asks us today, “Are you tired out? Worn out? Burned out after trying so hard to keep up? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll experience new life” 
      God came here so we could come to him. That’s the meaning of Christmas. 
 
Yours, 
Larry

Simeon's Story

Simeon's Story
December 17 & 18, 2016
Luke 2:25-35 
 This period leading up to Christmas is a time of great anticipation. It certainly was for Mary! Can you imagine how she felt just before Jesus’ birth? She was ready to deliver! Women tell me that strangers approach them in public with comments about their pregnancy. Some of the stories are funny and all are weird. Once babies are born, the comments keep on coming. I suppose it can be sort of disconcerting to be boldly approached by a stranger. When Jesus was a baby, Mary and Joseph took him on an outing. A man named Simeon came up to them, took Jesus in his arms, and said some pretty surprising things to them. His story is in the well-known 2nd chapter of Luke’s gospel. In our worship services this weekend I’ll share some practical principles from this passage. I have been enjoying my preparation for this message. The Bible passage is so rich and meaningful. Read it in advance and be ready to receive a Christmas gift of significance to your soul this weekend. 

Crush the Competition

Crush the Competition
December 10 & 11, 2016
Matthew 2:1-12
When a friend heard I was planning on teaching from Matthew 2 about Herod, he wondered how Herod could possibly be the basis for an edifying message. As a villain, Herod was as evil as they get. He was an evil tyrant, a total Creep (notice the capital C). He actually lived by the motto, “crush the competition.” Throughout his life he regularly took brazen steps to eliminate all rivals. Oddly, he sets one good example for us. He had one thing absolutely right; Herod grasped the implications of Christ’s birth. He knew that Jesus wouldn’t stay young. Babies grow up. From Herod’s perspective, the presence of a rival king meant competition for control. Herod’s story challenges us to decide who will rule, the old king or the new, rightful King.

Facing Our Giants

Facing Our Giants
December 3 & 4, 2016
The Antidote to Fear
According to pastor and speaker, Louie Giglio, “Courage is fear that has said its prayer.” Prayer is foundational to eradicating fear from our lives. As we learned last week from the Apostle Paul, fear should drive us to pray and remember the faithfulness of God, instead of overtaking our lives.
Immunizing ourselves to fear begins there. But the complete antidote requires one more dose. This weekend we’ll come away with everything we need to walk in freedom instead of fear.
Join us as we learn to face down our giants instead of dooming ourselves to 40-years in the desert as the Israelites did.

Give It Up and Let It Go

Give It Up and Let It Go
November 26 & 27, 2016
The Antidote to Fear
What are you afraid of? Spiders? The dentist? The dark? Finding out your dentist is a spider in the dark?
OK, laugh. But fears do weigh us down. They paralyze us while they steal our faith. And most of us fear (or worry) about something. Our kids. Our marriage. Our job. Our finances.
What if we could figure out there was a way to immunize ourselves from fear? If only there were an answer in God’s Word! Wait, there is! This weekend we are going to take the first dose of our fear immunization together.

Less Can Be More

Less Can Be More
November 19 & 20, 2016
Eternal Economics
We’ve come to the last message in our series, Eternal Economics. I’m proud of you for sticking with it through these weeks. Whenever ministers communicate about money there’s a big risk of being misunderstood. People picture a conflict of interest. The standard reaction to sermons on giving is an overreaction. But you have not responded that way! We’ve received a lot of very good feedback. I think the variety of speakers and sub-topics have made the material more palatable. Of course, the whole series has been about much more than money. Good stewardship involves faithfully administering all the resources entrusted into our care, including our time and energy. Christian living involves giving our attention and affection to the lonely as much as writing a check to the church.