Dayspring Fellowship Podcasts

To Catch Up We Need to Slow Down (Mark 1:35)

The
second of four steps in conquering spiritual ADDDo you find yourself stuck on a treadmill that seems to be going faster and
faster? Maybe you feel like you’re going to lose your balance and fall. No
matter how hard you to try to pick up your pace to match the demands, you still
feel scared. You fear failure and the resulting pain, so you keep going as fast
as you can.
The accelerating pace of life can leave us behind. We don’t give ourselves
permission to pause long enough to concentrate and plan what to do next. Many
of us are in such a rush that we miss opportunities to meditate on Scripture
and engage in contemplative prayer. One problem with that is that when you miss
too many appointments with God, you end up losing the ability to concentrate on
spiritual things.
Last week I introduced a new series of message on the value of uninterrupted
time focusing on God. This weekend we will zero in on Mark 1:35.
Though following Christ’s example and setting aside time for a daily
appointment with God can seem like just one more thing to add to an already
overloaded schedule, it actually serves to put the brakes on your hectic pace.
A quiet time helps you get your priorities right, un-clutter the chaos, and
order your life.
Join me in worship this week as we learn more about spending time with God.

To Get Deep We Need to Stop Treading Water (Psalm 46:10)

Have you ever heard of Spiritual ADD? I haven’t either, so I
made up this term to refer to that common tendency so many of us have to allow
our mind to wander when we are trying to focus on God in prayer. While we are
aware of the importance of a daily quiet time with God, we admit we neglect it. We find it hard to sit still long enough for much of a relationship to develop.
Since so many busy people have trouble slowing their pace to sit and listen to
the Lord, I decided to teach the next four messages on investing the time to
take your relationship with God to a new level. This first installment is
titled, “To Get Deep We Need
to Stop Treading Water.” You’ll see why as we get into our text for
the weekend, Psalm 46, which describes trusting in God’s presence even through
upheaval and catastrophe.
Our key verse is 46:10 - “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted
among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” I hope you will join us as
we worship together and learn about being still before God. 

God's Promise of Wisdom (Psalm 32:8)

An Army Chaplain had a sign on his door that said, “If you have troubles, come in & tell me all about them. If you don’t have troubles, come in & tell me how you do it.”The Apostle James reminds us of the reality of trials and temptations in the Christian life. We do not have to be a victim of our circumstances; we can experience victory, even in times of testing.When we lack wisdom, and we all do from time to time, we should stand on the promise that we can ask God, who will give us wisdom generously and cheerfully. That’s the kind of God we love and serve.I look forward to seeing you this weekend, Pastor John

God's Promise of Forgiveness (1 John 1:9)

Martin Luther, a major leader of the Reformation, had a dream. Standing at the foot of his bed was a figure he believed to be the devil. The devil had a scroll with an accurate list of all the sins Martin Luther had ever committed. The devil began reading them one-by-one, then sneered “What hope of heaven do you have as a miserable sinner?” The Lord then spoke to Luther, “Martin, tell him to unroll the scroll all the way down.” At the bottom of the scroll, underneath the long list of all his sins, were these words stained into the scroll, “This entire sin account of Martin Luther has been paid in full by the blood of Jesus Christ.” This weekend, we look at Part 3 of our series, Standing on the Promise. We’ll look at God’s promise of forgiveness. It could be a message that changes your life!I look forward to seeing you this weekend. - Pastor John

God’s Promise of Victory (1 Corinthians 10:13)

"In
this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." 
So wrote Ben Franklin, one of our country’s Founding Fathers, back in
1789.  Respectfully, I must disagree with the highly esteemed gentleman,
for Scripture makes it clear “trials and temptations” are among life’s
certainties.   Followers of Jesus Christ know there are few issues
more important than how to deal with temptations when (not ‘if’) they
come.  We can succumb, strive against them in our own strength (and fail),
or surrender to God’s plan.  This weekend, we’ll consider another great
and precious promise from God, His promise of victory over temptation. I look
forward to seeing you this weekend to unpack some more wonderful treasures from
God’s Word with you.
Pastor
John

God's Promise of Assurance (1 John 5:11-12)

I recently read a story from Chicago Tribune Lifestyle Section,
dated June 13, 1995, about Russell E Herman. He died and his will bequeathed
trillions of dollars to thousands of people he’d never met. Sounds great,
right? Not really. Russell E Herman didn’t
have trillions of dollars. He was just a simple, poor carpenter;
the only thing Herman possessed at his death was part-ownership in a 1983
Oldsmobile. God’s promises aren’t like Mr. Herman’s will. Because of God’s
faithfulness to His Word and His power to fulfill everything He’s spoken, His
promises are described as “very great and precious” (2 Peter 1.3-4.) This week,
we begin a short series entitled Standing
on the Promise and we’ll look at God’s promise of assurance from 1
John 5:11-12 given to all who have received Jesus Christ in genuine faith.
Invite a friend.   Pastor John

Parenting Patterns and Principles (Ephesians 6:4)

Happy Fathers’ Day! Our key verse for this weekend presents a
striking contrast between two ways to approach parenting: you can bring your
kids up in an intentionally Christian context or neglect that nurture, which
will lead to frustration in life for them. “Fathers, do not exasperate your
children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord”
(Eph 6:4).
This is one of those biblical teachings that is so bold, it is nearly brazen. A
reader could ask, “Is it really that simple? Are those the two options:
authentically pass on your godly values or end up exasperating them? That seems
too stark and strong!” Maybe so. We need to take a careful look at this verse
and see what is says and means.
     
I’ll be using a big white board on stage this weekend to explain four basic
parenting patterns and I’ll urge you to follow four basic parenting principles.
In a way, parenting according to the Scriptures is pretty simple, but it
certainly isn’t easy. Let’s connect this weekend and worship and learn
together. Even if you aren’t a dad, this lesson will be applicable to you,
considering we are all God’s children. He’s the perfect Father and he sets an
example for us.

For God's Sake (Ephesians 6:1-3)

This
weekend we will be worshipping together in our communion services. I hope you
will come and connect with others who want to honor God and grow in their
faith. We will also be continuing our series of messages on Bible verses that
pertain to family relationships. We will focus on every child’s favorite
passage, “Children, obey your parents for this is right. ‘Honor your father and
mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise— ‘that it may go well
with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth’” (Eph. 6:1-3). Believe
it or not, these verses pertain to all of us. Come and learn why obedience
isn’t such a bad word after all.

Trusting God When Life Throws a Curve Ball (Proverbs 3:5-6)

5Trust in the Lord with
all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;6in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.
 
I’ve had these words memorized since childhood. Time and again
they have challenged and comforted me as I’ve faced difficult moments. The past
few years they have taken on new meaning. This weekend I’ll share why and we’ll
see if they can take on new meaning for you as well. See you there. 
-  Pastor Chris.

The Lost Art of Followership (1 Peter 5:5, 6)

Think of the blockbuster action movies you’ve enjoyed through
your life. Hollywood heroes don’t surrender. They don’t lower themselves and
they don’t submit. American heroes are rugged individualists; they are
renegades, more likely to rebel against authority than to be in subjection to
it. Because of this, we have a tough time with passages in the Bible that
mention submission. John Wayne wouldn’t wave a white flag, and neither would
Rocky or Rambo give up or give in, so why should we?
           
This week we will study and apply a couple key verses on the importance of
submission and humility. The teaching doesn’t align with our cultural values.
It is counter-intuitive to read that we are to humble ourselves and submit, but
only then will God will lift us up. Read and meditate on 1 Peter 5:5,6 before
you come to worship. This will be a vital weekend for us. I look forward to seeing
you.