Dayspring Fellowship Podcasts

Shaped for His Glory

February 6 & 7,
2016Shaped with Purpose
 
When you think of yourself as a clay pot, what do you look like?
Are you beautiful like this Ming vase? Useful like this serving bowl?
Ancient like this water jug?
Throughout the Bible we find references to God as the Potter, and us as the
clay – whether as dust from the ground, the clay of the potter, or the
finished pot.
Last week, Pastor Nathan led us through one passage in Jeremiah 18. This week
we will continue this theme as we look at the imagery through a New
Testament passage.
We might even find out the best kind of clay pot to be.
Pastor Chris

Shaped by the Word

January 30 & 31,
2016Shaped with Purpose
 
In our message we will look together at the
importance of placing our trust and confidence in the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5-10)
in order that he may shape our hearts and lives as seems good to him
(Jeremiah 18:1-6). 
We are going to look at Jeremiah 18 through the lens of the Lord shaping our
lives. We will explore this process in three stages that I’ve labeled as
preparation, recognition and response. 
Preparation explores how we can prepare our hearts to go where the Lord is
leading us and listen for His direction. 
Recognition identifies the importance of recognizing the Lord for who He is and
how He relates to us.
And finally, in conclusion, we will discuss the importance in how we respond
to each of these with our lives.
I’m looking forward to witnessing how the Lord will continue to move in our
time together. May this year remind each of us that we are shaped with a purpose.

One for All and All for One

January 23 & 24,
2016Real Simple
 
There was life before Star Wars. When I was a
kid, we didn’t pretend to be Luke or Darth Vader or Han Solo and we never
conceived of light-saber duels. Instead, we used the long cardboard tubes from
Christmas wrapping paper as swords and enacted the adventures of the Three
Musketeers. Those swashbuckling heroes significantly predate even my formative
years; the book was first published in 1844. I’ve borrowed and flipped their
best-known phrase for my title. I’m using the famous phrase to mean that Jesus
is the One for all and therefore, all should be for him. This weekend we’re
going to think together about the importance of focusing on what matters most,
and for followers of Christ, getting priorities straight starts with putting
Jesus first. My message will be about Jesus and the importance of focusing our
attention, our ministry and our lives on him. We will learn some practical,
biblical principles about the power of focus. I hope to worship with you.

Linear Waterfowl

January 16 & 17,
2016Real Simple
 
My title is a simple riddle that we will solve in the services
this weekend. But the message itself is also simple: alignment is needed in
order to make progress. This applies in our lives, our families and our church.
When the pieces of our lives line up, we can live with integrity. When the
people in our families are on the same page, we can move toward our goals. And
when the programs in our church are all in alignment, we experience purpose,
power and peace. Come worship with us; I look forward to seeing you.  

Jesus Proposed

January 9 & 10,
2016Real Simple
 
I’ve chosen a strange title for my message this week. The
thought had never occurred to me before but as I was studying what Jesus said
to his disciples the analogy of a proposal came to mind.
     
Jesus asked his original followers to make a commitment to him. He proposed
that they share life together. He asks the same of us: will you be one with
him? He is offering you the chance to bear his name, live with him, and join in
the family business. Have you responded? Have you received his invitation.
     
Last week I started a new series with a message entitled: Simple Isn’t Easy, But it’s Worth It. We
talked about the cost of complexity: it is counterproductive. And we talked
about the benefit of simplicity; focus provides freedom. We applied this to our
personal lives and then gave our attention to a simple approach to explaining
how we can accomplish our disciple-making mission. This weekend I’ll take us
deeper into this same material, giving special attention to what motivates us
to say yes to Jesus’ proposal. 

Simple Isn't Easy, But It’s Worth It.

January 2 & 3,
2016Real Simple.
 
Now that the complexity of the Christmas season
has passed, you may feel the need to simplify your life and enjoy the freedom
that focus can provide. This weekend we will launch into a new 4-week series
I’m calling, “The Simple Life”.   It is easy to be so busy that you miss
out on what matters most. Technological advancements contribute to the
challenges and confusion of daily life. All the noise related to modern
information overload can be counterproductive.
    
Churches, like families, can also be “led astray from the simplicity of
devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3). This month we will get the New Year off to a
good start by learning together about the benefit of simplicity. I hope you
will join us in worship. I look forward to seeing you, and Happy New Year!

Promise for Spiritual Growth

December 26 & 27,
2015Time to review &
renew our faith
The Apostle Peter gave a Spirit-inspired promise about spiritual growth
when he wrote: “If you
possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being
ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2
Peter 1.8).  This weekend, we’ll look at the qualities that ensure
spiritual growth; attributes we’re called to ‘add to our faith’.  Year-end
is a great time to evaluate & begin anew! The good news this weekend is the
promise we can experience
spiritual growth and glorify God in the coming year.
Come expecting to hear a challenge. Invite a friend.  Let’s start the New
Year right!
Pastor John

A Carpenter Nails it Down

December 19 & 20,
2015Matthew
1:18-25
 
Long ago, an ordinary man had an extraordinary encounter. In the
pages of Scripture, we get to listen in as Joseph learned about the first
Christmas. His love story with Mary was punctuated by pain as doubt threatened
to divide them. Matthew 1:18-25 records how their tension resolved and it is
relevant to us today. At the crossroads of the mundane and majestic, they
trusted in God, who stooped down to bless them and the world beyond
imagination.
     
Last week we read from Luke 1 and looked at the first Christmas through the
eyes of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This weekend we will see Joseph’s
perspective from Matt. 1. This blue-collar guy was chosen as a stepfather to
raise the Son of God. We’ll get a glimpse into Joseph’s heart as he responded
to the news that his betrothed bride, Mary, was pregnant. His example
demonstrates several practical principles to guide our lives. I hope you will
come worship with us and bring a friend. Merry Christmas.

Will You Bring Jesus Into It?

December 12 & 13,
2015
Luke 1:26-38
 
Picture yourself at a holiday gathering. Your family has gotten
together. You remind yourself to remember the rules; certain topics are taboo
and must be avoided! Keep the peace, you tell yourself, don’t bring anything
controversial into the conversation; that’s not allowed. Certainly don’t bring
Jesus into it! Heavens no!
     
Do we really think it’s too risky to bring Jesus into a conversation? Think of
Mary, she brought Jesus into the world! The cost of her willingness was high,
but her sacrifice is beautiful. This weekend we’ll read the account of her
conversation with the angel, Gabriel. Luke 1:26-38 records his visit.  
Read it in advance and come to worship with us this weekend. I’m really excited
to present this message. My preparation has been an absolute joy! 

Calculating the Cost

December 5 & 6,
2015Risky Living
 
Jesus’ often taught
parables in pairs, or series, to emphasize different facets of the truths He
wanted His followers to embrace.  This week, we’ll look at two
mini-parables that involve calculating the risks associated with following
Christ.   One story involves estimating the cost of a building
project; the other, a king deciding whether to send his armies to
battle.   Just as calculating the costs is critical for project
completion, the cost of indecision can be an even greater disaster.