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The trap of self-sufficiency is an easy way to succumb to an off-brand version of life with God. Self-sufficiency can feel mature, considerate, efficient, and even somewhat noble -- but it's a trap nonetheless. it traps us into believing that we don't need God or can work around Him. It can also convince us that we're supposed to do things FOR God …

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Legalism is one of the most attractive and insidious off-brand versions of Jesus. Attractive because it seems to offer control over and safety from the unpredictability of God and other people. But it's insidious at its core because it attempts to recreate God as we would prefer Him and encourages us to view ourselves and others as we would like th…

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

There are many ways to end up with an "off-brand" life with Jesus -- accepting less than life to the full in order to be more comfortable and less challenged. In this week's episode, Lee and Jon tackle one of the sneakiest and most common causes of the off-brand life: selfishness. How do we overcome our deep-seated desire to make our life -- and Go…

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We've accepted an "off-brand Jesus" when we accept less than life to the full in order to be more comfortable and less challenged. What does that look like when it comes to judging and judgementalism? Join Brian and Jon for a deeper look at why we often leap to critique or else avoid speaking truth at all. More importantly, listen in as we talk abo…

Off-brand products have the appearance of the real thing but lack the true quality or benefit of the original. Similarly, we have often settled for less than the true quality and benefit of Jesus because the alternative promised to cost us less or be close enough. How do we discover the places in our life where we've accepted an off-brand substitut…

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Jesus taught about "forgiveness" on several occasions, and almost every time the teaching was accompanied by a story. As we've mentioned over several weeks, Jesus uses parables to help us understand that we don't understand as well as we think we do -- and this is especially true when it comes to forgiveness! Join Brian and Jon for the last episode…

If the parable of the four soils can be applied to sanctification as well as salvation, how do we become good soil? How do we cultivate a heart that listens and understands and receives truth in a way that produces a harvest of 30x, 60x, or even 100x? Join Brian and Jon for a practical and honest conversation about both cultivating our own hearts a…

Why did Jesus tell so many stories? What was the point of using parables that often left His audience more confused than before? What does Jesus want us to learn from these stories about Himself, about us, and about the Kingdom of God? Join Brian and Jon for an encouraging, humbling, and helpful conversation on the parables of Jesus.…

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We finish this series on the names of God with one of the more hopeful and more confusing of His identities -- Healer. Jehovah Rapha can and will restore us from sickness, injury, mental and emotional calamity, and even death...and yet not always when or how we want Him to. How can we know God as Healer in a way that cultivates connection and hope …

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

"The good shepherd" may be one of the most well-known names for God, but despite its familiarity we don't always know how to engage with Him in that capacity. What does it really mean for me to be a sheep and Him to be my shepherd? Join Brian and Jon for a rich, surprising, and deeply practical conversation on learning how to truly BE sheep.…

Saying that God is our "helper" just doesn't quite capture the significance of knowing Him as "Ezer." Jehovah Ezer is the one who rescues, who saves, who is strong and comes through when no one and nothing else can. Do you know Him that way? And how does knowing God as "ezer" change the way we interact with Him? Join Brian and Jon for a helpful and…

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

Peace may be one of the things we ask for most often from God...both for ourselves and for those around us in pain or distress. And in most cases, when we ask God for peace, we ask Him to remove or resolve difficult circumstances. But what if God means something more when He offers us peace? Come join Brooke & Jon Ackerman as they offer some practi…

Av CFC Christian Fellowship Church

God wants us to know Him as provider. He IS the provider! And at the same time, there are moments in life when we question the way that God provides. We'd like Him to just give us what we want when we want, but thankfully, our God is always after more than we could ask for or imagine. So how can we learn to walk with God when He's not providing as …

This might be the most difficult and the most culturally loaded of the names of God that we'll discuss in these 9 weeks. Jehovah Shaphet. God is Judge. The judgement (or the judgementalism) of God is one of the most polarizing aspects of faith in our world both in and outside of the church. Each one of us has a different internal reaction to the co…

When God introduces Himself with a name, it's an invitation to know Him more personally. But what do we do with the name "Kanna," the name that means God is jealous? What is God jealous of? Better stated, what is God jealous FOR? Once again, we find ourselves in a place of needing to unlearn things about God so that we can connect with Him as He tr…

The names of God are powerful, not only because they show us what He's capable of but also because they show us who He is. When God introduces Himself with a name, it's an invitation to know Him more personally. But sometimes that means we need to do some unlearning first. So join Brian and Jon as we look at the Scottish poet, George MacDonald's, t…

When God answers prayers, it sometimes creates more worry than excitement. It only took the Israelites 6 weeks to start thinking that slavery in Egypt was preferable to freedom in the wilderness. They suddenly found themselves face to face with a much bigger and more real God than they had ever personally experienced. What happens when God starts a…

Reaching the next generation is entirely dependent upon how we see the next generation. We need a clear understanding of what they need and - just as important - what they already have to offer. When Jesus said to make disciples, that includes kids. And God's desire to work through people includes working through kids. It's a "both-and" conversatio…

In this final episode on developing "transformational community," we're looking at how to grow it...and be grown in it. It can only happen over time, and only as each member commits to growing from the inside-out - becoming more vulnerable and transparent. It's challenging and disruptive, but the rewards are beyond imagining.…

To commemorate the 100th episode of the Faith Forward podcast, we asked you to share the stories of what God has been doing in your life. THANK YOU to those who sent in video, audio, or email in celebration of God's faithfulness. And THANK YOU for your commitment to growing closer to Him day by day! We hope you enjoy these stories!…

In this second episode on developing "transformational community," we're tackling the potential traps that arise as we engage others in deeper levels of relationship. Whether it's fearing to risk, struggling with authenticity, lacking discernment, or not trusting God's heart, there are a variety of ways the enemy can foster disruption and division …

The Biblical call to be "in community" is not a geographic or demographic statement. Rather, it's a life of being deeply known by others - and knowing them. It's sacrificially engaging in the lives of others - and letting them sacrifice for you. It's hard to find that kind of community and harder still to maintain it, but it's essential to our spir…

One of the primary - and most powerful - ways we will ever know God, love others, and experience the Kingdom is through the discovery, development, and deployment of our spiritual giftings. So how do we do that? Join Lee and Jon for a passionate and practical discussion on uncovering the gifts God has placed in us and beginning to practice them in …

When it comes to the challenge of loving others, the challenge often has less to do with our knowledge and more to do with our preferences, our authenticity, and our willingness to obey. The good news is there's hope! And some practical suggestions to get at the heart behind the struggles. So join Brian and Jon as they share practical ways to invit…

We need to live like EVERYONE is worthy of serving and loving. But what does that actually mean in our day-to-day? And what gets in our way...sometimes without even realizing it? As we kick off 2024, join Brian and Jon as they share stories and suggestions for loving others that can bring real transformation in the world around us.…

Sustaining a life with God is...hard. Sustaining growth, connection, closeness is hard. It requires intentionality. It requires a plan. And a successful plan will involve more than just more activity. As we conclude this series on Something Greater, join Brian and Jon for some helpful steps in cultivating a life with God that helps us to experience…