AnchorCast

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast. 

We all have those times in our lives where our feelings seem to overtake our realities. When they are negative feelings, it can totally change the way we view our lives. 

Sometimes life circumstances cause us to feel overwhelmed by fear, worry, anxiety, etc. God gives us an amazing story in the Old Testament that can help us to remember to hold on to his peace when we are feeling overwhelmed.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

We all have those times in our lives where our feelings seem to overtake our realities. When they are negative feelings, it can totally change the way we view our lives.

Statistics show that 79% of young adults (ages 18-22) said they felt lonely sometimes or all the time. Tune in to find out how God equips us to fight loneliness.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

Solar eclipse? Hurricane? Earthquake? It doesn't matter what natural phenomenon happens, there are always those weirdos that cry the world is ending.

The book of 1 Peter is no exception to conspiracy theories. Peter himself says that "the end of all things is near". Listen to find out what Peter means by that, and how it should affect the way we live.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

Conflict is an expected part of any sincere relationship. Especially in a life of real faith. We are strangers in a hostile world, and where christians thrive, storm clouds may gather. 

YA Pastor Jake Watkins takes the words of Peter and applies them our lives as believers in our modern age, and how God wants us to navigate conflict by killing our pride.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

Peter writes a compelling letter to the early church encouraging them that suffering is an expected part of a life of sincere faith. We are strangers in a hostile world, and where christians thrive, storm clouds may gather. 

YA Pastor Jake Watkins takes the words of Peter and applies them our lives as believers in our modern age, and how God wants to us to "be holy as he is holy".

Peter writes a compelling letter to the early church encouraging them that suffering is an expected part of a life of sincere faith. We are strangers in a hostile world, and where christians thrive, storm clouds may gather. 

YA Pastor Jake Watkins takes the words of Peter and applies them our lives as believers in our modern age, and how God wants to use suffering in our lives for a purpose. 

Peter, the author of 1 Peter, writes a compelling letter to the early church encouraging them that suffering is an expected part of a life of sincere faith. We are strangers in a hostile world, and where christians thrive, storm clouds may gather. 

Student Ministries Pastor, Scott Mac Neil, breaks down some passages in 1 Peter, and how we are called as christians to be humble even through life’s difficulties. 

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast. 

Jude is an often overlooked book of the Bible, filled with references to Old Testament scripture and Jewish stories passed down through generations. This can make Jude a difficult book to fully grasp, but the message is clear: fight for the truth. 

As we wrap up our study of this impactful book of the Bible, Elementary Director Audrey Bava connects the dots on Jude's call to stand on the truth.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast. 

Jude is an often overlooked book of the Bible, filled with references to Old Testament scripture and Jewish stories passed down through generations. This can make Jude a difficult book to fully grasp, but the message is clear: fight for the truth. 

How do we fight for the truth? What Jude teaches us is that truth needs a memory.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

Jude is an often overlooked book of the Bible, filled with references to Old Testament scripture and Jewish stories passed down through generations. This can make Jude a difficult book to fully grasp, but the message is clear: fight for the truth.

Join us as we deep dive into the historical references and modern day application of this book of the Bible.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights podcast.

The internet is filled with some pretty wild theology. Among the worst offenders are unhinged short-form Tik Toks that garner hundreds of thousands of views. 

Pastor Jake responds to a Tik Tok that claims Jesus was biased and racist towards a woman during an encounter in Mark 7. What does the Bible actually say? Let's find out.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

The internet is filled with some pretty wild theology. Among the worst offenders are unhinged short-form Tik Toks that garner hundreds of thousands of views. 

Pastor Jake breaks down a deconstructionist's claim that hypocritical christians are the reason for people leaving christianity. Maybe they are right?

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

Through the hustle, bustle, and busyness of the season, one thing seams to elude us: rest.

YA Pastor, Jake Watkins, shares a story from Luke chapter 10 and how we can apply what Martha learned from Jesus about rest.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

No matter which way you try to cut it, the biblical Christmas story is all about one thing: giving.

This season is a reminder to us that our lives as followers of Jesus should be ones of continuing the Christmas story, in this season, and beyond.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

The internet is filled with some pretty wild theology. Among the worst offenders are unhinged short-form Tik Toks that garner hundreds of thousands of views. 

Pastor Jake Watkins breaks down a video from a former pastor and his claim that the Bible never says we have to go to church.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

The internet is filled with some pretty wild theology. Among the worst offenders are unhinged short-form Tik Toks that garner hundreds of thousands of views. 

Pastor Jake Watkins breaks down a video from a mid-western satanist named Jarma and her view on prayer. 

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

In life's difficult and most challenging circumstances, our suffering feels like a waste. But if we lean on God, He can bring renewal in the wilderness.

Pastor Joe Gustafson examines the life of Elijah and how he looked to God when times were rough.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

In our valleys we often ask God to take us to the mountain tops, but what if all we needed was just a shift in perspective?

Next Gen Director, Jaime Swayne, explores the life of Jospeh and how he found peace in his hardest moments by letting God shift his perspective.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

Life is full of peaks and valleys. Times of victories and joy, followed by some of our darkest moments. In life's lows, how do we hold on to the knowledge that God is with us?

Past Scott Mac Neil explores Daniel's life and the lessons we learn about God's faithfulness.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights Podcast.

Jesus wasn't 'canceled' for the miracles he performed or the people he healed, but for one bold claim he made about his identity.

This week Pastor Jake Watkins talks through the important question if Jesus is who he says he is, what does that mean for us?

Welcome to the Anchor Nights podcast.

It is so easy to get caught up in the trap of wanting more. More clothes. More shoes. More gadgets. More money. Jesus calls us to cancel the trap of more in our lives, by fighting the grip of materialism.

This week Pastor Jake Watkins talks through Jesus' parable of the rich fool, and how we need to refocus on what will really bring us fulfillment.

Welcome to the Anchor Nights podcast.

Are you struggling with the anxiety that comparison brings? Jesus teaches us to focus him and his kingdom, in which he gives us a specific lane to run in with the gifts he has given us.

Pastor Jake Watkins continues our series, Canceled, with this message "The Anxiety of Comparison", unpacking Jesus' desire to cancel the problem of comparison in our lives.

Have you ever been caught up in a situation you knew you shouldn't have been in? John 8 tells the story of a woman who was caught up, and how Jesus responded when she was brought before him. Through this interaction we can learn how Jesus views our situations, and how he doesn't want to see us get caught up.

It can be incredibly easy to cause controversy with our actions, and even more so with our words. No one knows this better than Jesus. He was effectively canceled and crucified on the cross, not for his miracles or his healings, but for the words he spoke. This week we look at Matthew 16:24-27 when Jesus calls his disciples to deny themselves, pick up their crosses, and follow him. In a world that seeks to please and satisfy "self" above all other, Jesus words go against the grain, and show us that the world does not revolve around ourselves.

James in chapter 5 talks about the importance of prayer in a believer's life and how our faith directly impacts our prayers. This week, guest speaker Rachael Rutherford bring us a message on 'prayer that works'.

James was concerned for the early church and how their faith was functioning. His letter to the early church is still relevant to us today, and James gives us 5 symptoms to look for in order to identify a faith that is not functioning. We hope you enjoy!

What you say can have a profound impact, and actually the Bible really affirms that your words are powerful. James talks about how we use our speech in chapter 3 of his letter, and this episode we dive into what he said. We hope you enjoy!

James, in chapter 2 of his letter, makes a bold claim that faith without works is dead. He even goes as far to say that we are "justified by works". Paul, in his letter to the Romans, argues the very opposite of this and says we are "justified by faith alone". How do we reconcile these two seemly contradictory passages of scripture? And what does James really mean? Let's find out.

In this episode CrossCity's Next Gen Director, Jaime Swayne, walks us through James 2:1-13 and how following Jesus should change the way we treat the people around us.

In a new series through the book of James, we answer the question "how can we have a faith that works?". In the first chapter, James challenges his readers to be doers of the word, not just hearers. What does that even mean? Find out in this episode!

Everyone has enemies at some point in their lives. For each of us, our enemies may look different, but how Jesus calls us to handle them is the same. Acts 9 shows us how Jesus and the early church handled one of their greatest persecutors, Saul of Tarsus.

Jesus was a pro at the "one convo maneuver". In just one simple conversation, he could change someone's life. Jesus equips us to do the same thing, and in Acts chapter 8 Philip has an encounter with an Ethiopian man that gives us a look at how we can bring life in just one conversation.

Life is full of roadblocks. Moments where we hit walls and wonder: "what the heck?", "where is God?", "why me?", "why now?". What we do at these roadblocks determines our outcomes, so what do we learn from the young church in Acts chapter 8 when they deal with a massive roadblock? Let's find out.

In Acts 3, an ordinary day turns into a miraculous encounter for a paraplegic on the steps outside of the temple in Jerusalem when Peter and John come walking by. What can we learn from this story and how can it shape our faith? Pastor Jake Watkins dives into this story about two broke preachers and a crippled man. 

Revival has been a hot topic with the recent events at Asbury University, where thousands of Christians worshipped and prayed for 11 days. Many believe we are seeing a revival happen in our country. This is not the last of the revivals we will see and it is definitely not the first. This week, Pastor Jake recounts that in Acts chapter 2 we see the first "revival" of faith in Jesus. 

The early church was full of believers who embodied the living proof that Jesus was the Messiah. How can we do the same? Pastor Zach Rutherford starts this new series in the book of Acts. 

Peace is easy to talk about, hard to accomplish. So how, in this crazy world gone mad, do we be peacemakers? We learn some pretty helpful tips throughout the Bible on how to be the makers of peace that Jesus calls us to be. 

As a christian, peace making is part of your purpose. But why? Pastor Jake brings us some biblical reasons why we should be peacemakers in a crazy world. 

From clinical anxiety to suicidal thoughts, Tyler shares his testimony of God's intervention through his friends and family that ultimately lead to healing, transformation, and freedom in his life. 

In 1893 an artist named Edvard Munch painted one of the most recognizable pieces of art - "The Scream". It has been hailed as a timeless depiction of anxiety, and even Edvard himself described it has a "study of his own soul". On the outside we may seem calm, cool, and collected, but on the inside is a different story.  YA Pastor Jake Watkins looks at Isiah 26 and what God says about inner peace. 

People have been saying for years that the "world has gone mad", and recently that feels more true than ever. The early 2020's have been marked by chaos, mayhem, and cringey celebrity social media videos (we are looking at you Gal Gaddot). So in a world that has gone mad, how do we have peace? This week Pastor Jake talks about the gift Jesus leaves his disciples in John 14. 

When it comes to dating authentically, there is really only two questions: "Who should we date? How should we date?". Join us this week as we answer the first question, "Who should we date?".

Singleness can either be constructive or destructive. It can either be a time of growth, or a time of damage. What you do with your singleness actually matters. So how should our faith affect our singleness? 

Dr. Jennifer Smith joins us this week to give us a phycologist's perspective on forgiveness and the role it should play in a believer's life. 

Our words are more powerful than we realize. In fact, scripture claims that they have the power of life and death. So how should we use them? 

How would you react if you lost everything you had? The book of Job shows us a man who endured great suffering while displaying great faith. Join us as Pastor Jake begins a new series on Job. We hope you enjoy!

What is controlling our direction in life? What is biblical self-control? Pastor Jake answers these questions from a biblical standpoint. We hope you enjoy!

Is "gentleness" weakness? Or is it something more? Find out as Pastor Jake looks at what biblical gentleness is. We hope you enjoy!

In a world where everyone wants to be the "bad guy" (thanks Billie Eilish), why does God call us to Goodness? Pastor Jake dives into scripture to see what goodness is all about. We hope you enjoy!

The next Fruit of the Spirit is "kindness". What is kindness and what does it have to do with being a follower of Jesus? Pastor Jake takes us through this section of scripture. We hope you enjoy!