Family Life Christian Center Podcast

Our emotions are given to us by God. Many people think that feeling the emotions of fear, sadness, or anxiety means that we are not in faith or that we are somehow weak or failing. However, if Jesus Wept, if Jesus flipped tables and called out the Pharisees, and if Jesus experienced sorrow that felt like death, then there must be a way to experience our emotions and our humanity in a healthy way.

Today Natalie Hochstatter helps us tap into the strength of our emotions without letting them become a weakness.

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A Hero's Journey begins when they LEAVE their COMFORT ZONE. This means that the Hero's path is not a comfortable one. Comfort feels great but it does not lead to growth. If we are going to ever reach our full potential and bring hope and healing to this world, we need to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Today Danny Hochstatter stretches us as he inspires us toward the rough and rocky path to becoming our best selves.

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What do cows and marriage have to do with Easter? It turns out, this short story from 1965 is a simple, captivating, and profound picture of what Jesus did on the Cross. This message beautifully illustrates Jesus as the Bridegroom and His passionate pursuit of His Bride.

This Easter Danny reminds that the Gospel is truly the greatest love story of all time.

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When Jesus is King, things change. This Palm Sunday, we are reminded of the importance of placing Jesus at the highest seat of authority within our own hearts.

Today Joe Barlow elevates Jesus to His rightful place.

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10-Minute Teach Sunday is an opportunity for trusted individuals within our church to step up and share what God is doing in their life.

Today we had the privilege of learning from David Barrow, Nancy Barlow, & Josh Williams.

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Our beliefs define our reality. Bad beliefs lead to bad thoughts, bad feelings, and bad behavior. Fortunately, that system also works in reverse. When our beliefs align with the Truth, good things happen almost automatically. The question is "Do our beliefs produce behavior that looks like Jesus?"

Today Danny Hochstatter compares and contrasts important beliefs about God.

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We have heard a lot of things said about God but not all of them are true. We need to look carefully at these claims because an incorrect belief about God may be greatly affecting our relationship with Him or our overall wellbeing.

Today Danny & Natalie take a closer look at some of these claims.

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Ephesians 4 lays out the 5 crucial functions that a body must perform in order to demonstrate the fullness of Jesus Christ and His ministry on the earth. We believe each person is built to excel at 1 or 2 of these fivefold assignments and we know that we are all to be equipped in each area.

Today Danny Hochstatter shares what the church can truly become when these 5 functions are all active!

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Are you doing what you were MADE to do or just what you were TOLD to do? Just because we can do something doesn't mean we were designed to do it. Discovering our design will help us function more effortlessly in our life and help us be of more service to those around us.

Today Danny Hochstatter plays around with this concept.

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This Sunday we have 3 different speakers bringing 3 different mini-messages about what God has been teaching them in their own lives.

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God has made this world to work together in a systematic way. Many of God's blessings are random but rather the result of someone tapping into God's systems of blessing and acting in accordance with His design. Today Joe Barlow unfolds this concept for us today.

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Life can be heavy but what is heaviest to you may be light for someone else. How can we use our strengths to help others while also allowing others to help life what is heavy for us? Today Natalie Hochstatter explores this concept.

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We create the future we see in our minds. When we ask God what Heaven looks like in our lives and our communities, He will give us a clear Vision of what we are to build and once we see it in our minds, it's just a matter of time and effort before it becomes our reality.

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“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but ONE THING is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42). We get so busy with so many things that we think are important but, in doing so, we miss the one thing that actually matters the most. MORE does not mean BETTER. I don't want to be BUSY, I want to be FRUITFUL.

Today Danny Hochstatter draws our attention back to the ONE THING that matters most.

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What is the difference between the Soul and the Spirit? And while the Bible seems to care more about our spiritual life than our physical one, what role does that Body play in a balanced, healthy life?

Today Danny, Natalie, and Andrew discuss these 3 components in the context of personal wellbeing.

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Heaven was giddy with uncontainable excitement just before Jesus was born! Angels and forces conspired to ensure that Jesus was revealed. I would like to propose that Heaven is just as giddy to see Jesus Christ revealed in each of us as well. Whether it was in a manger all those years ago OR in simply your mind, your heart, or your behavior, all of Heaven loses their minds at the thought of seeing Jesus on display once again.

Today Danny Hochstatter takes an exciting, personal take on the Christmas story.

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Join us for 3 beautiful stories about what happens what Jesus becomes a part of someone's life. Whether it's transformation, revival, salvation, or something more, the stories never get old.

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Whatever we focus on will grow in our hearts and minds. When we focus on the GOOD in the people around us, we honor the gold that has been placed within them and it grows. When we focus on the BAD in people, we only grow in our awareness of those bad things. What if honor is the key to turning our hearts towards those that we view as wrong or 'less-than' in our lives?

Today Natalie Hochstatter provides a pathway back to relationship with even our toughest cases.

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"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is not so wonderful for many. While family is a HUGE blessing, it can be tough. How do we connect with our families intentionally, improve our relationships, and maintain peace in our homes this Christmas?

Today Joe Barlow shares what he has learned as the 10th or 14 kids and a father of 7 about keeping peace in the home.

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We don't pray to change God's mind, we pray to change our own. Prayer is simply conversation with God but there are several layers of deep revelation to be found within the act of prayer. This message is an attempt to bring light to a few facets of this transformative, life-giving, and powerful practice.

Today Danny Hochstatter gets us fired up about prayer!

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Jesus did not begin His ministry or perform any miracles until he received the Holy Spirit. If Jesus didn't do His work until He had the Holy Spirit, neither should we! Water Baptism is a public display of our choice to follow Jesus, but being Baptized in the Spirit, in fire, that is when the Holy Spirit doesn't just live in you, it begins to flow through you and out to the world!

Today Natalie Hochstatter leads us through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and invites into a whole new level of power through total surrender to Jesus.

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Any living thing that ONLY receives dies. Any living thing that ONLY gives dies. We are meant to be in a constant rhythm of giving and receiving. One without the other leads to death. We are the salt of the earth but when too much salt is concentrated in one place, we become bitter and lifeless. This is what happens in the Dead Sea. Despite receiving Millions of fresh water every day, without an outlet, it gets salty, lifeless, and bitter.

Today Danny Hochstatter invites us to empty ourselves to make room for the fresh water that flows from the Temple of God.

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If your faith feels lifeless then we are missing what faith is all about! God wants to breathe fresh life back into your relationship with Him. Revival is simply means bringing something back life beginning in ourselves, then our families, then our community, then the world. Jesus is alive and active! Come to Him and receive new life in abundance and then share it with all who are willing to listen.

Today Danny & Natalie chart a new course for Family Life, to see our church and the world around us transformed by the power and love of Jesus Christ.

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In John 15:7, Jesus says "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." So what does it mean to abide? What do we desire? And will it really be done? What if God wants us to be asking for more than we think. What if our humility is hindering God's generosity?

Today Joe Cirafici challenges us all to believe that God is better than we think He is.

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God is always speaking but are we always listening? What are the different means and mechanisms by which we hear Him? God longs for us to draw near and develop a relationship with Him but how do we do that practically?

Today Natalie Hochstatter invites us to communicate with God more intimately.

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We all understand the feeling of being "Not Enough." Not smart enough, wealthy enough, good enough, etc. But when Paul asked God to remove his weakness, God responded by saying "My grace is enough for you." (2 Cor 12:9). How does God's grace close the gap on where we lack and make it into "enough?" What if it's within our weakness that the grace of God works best?

Today Danny Hochstatter brings the concept of grace down from the abstract and right to the heart.

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Jesus prays in John 17 that we would be ONE but in Genesis 11, the people at the tower of Babel WERE one and God dispersed them. Maybe not all "Oneness" is created equal. What then does true "Oneness" look like in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Today Vito LoCascio paints a picture of true unity amongst believers.

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We all make mistakes, but how do we respond to them in our relationships? Do we demand repayment and punishment, like the Law, or do we extend grace and allow our love to make room for shared imperfection? Jesus taught us a whole new way to respond to people who miss the mark AND His sacrifice enables us to do the same.

Today Danny & Natalie talk about how grace empowers and transforms our relationships.

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Grace has the power to change things but what is it exactly? It's a gift, it's a force, it's a mindset, and it's a catalyst. When we receive a gift we don't deserve, we are moved to live a life worthy of the price that was paid for it. This is why Jesus died for us. The only one who was truly worthy gave up his life for the unworthy so that the unworthy may become worthy.

Today Danny Hochstatter illustrates the power that grace contains.

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God is always presenting us with incredible opportunities to participate in His work but if we're not listening, we'll miss it. When we keep an ear turned toward heaven, moment-to-moment, then when He speaks, we can respond and be ready to see what God wants to do right here, right now.

Today Joe Barlow shares a legacy of Holy Spirit-inspired miraculous moments.

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We are meaning-making machines! But do the meanings that we attach to the events in our life actually line up with the meaning that God attaches to them? If we can gain Christ's perspective on the world, maybe we'll begin to see the rich world of meaning and possibility that He sees.

Today Schlyce Jimenez takes a look at our spiritual lenses.

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The Greek word for "Offense" is "Skandalon" which means "a trap or a snare." If you're offended, you're trapped. Your love, empathy, understanding, and judgement are all bound up by you being in an offended state of being. The enemy has set traps for you all around but we must be wise enough to recognize them. DON'T TAKE THE BAIT!

Today Danny Hochstatter helps free us from these traps and teaches us how to spot them!

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Jesus is the only human that has ever had the authority to condemn someone for their sins. What does He do with that authority? He stoops down to our level, to meet us where we are at, and offer grace instead.

Today Joshua Williams paints a beautiful picture of our graceful God.

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There is a new level of spiritual intimacy that is unlocked when you receive the Holy Spirit. Today Hannah talks about understanding God not just as "Father," but also as "Daddio."

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Today Kristine Aikenhead guides us through the scriptural understanding of Baptism. What does it mean and why does it seem so important to God?

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Bringing Heaven to Earth can be more fun than you might think! Yielding to the Holy Spirit benefits the Kingdom, yourself, and others.

Today Joe Barlow invites us into a new, exciting way of life!

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Did you know that loneliness can shorten your life expectancy by 15 YEARS?! It's also linked to several other negative health effects AND a more hollow life experience in general. It turns out that we are hard-wired for human connection and the sooner we start investing ourselves into a family/community, the sooner we truly start to come alive as well as find our place of purpose in the body of Chirst.

Today Danny Hochstatter talks about how community absolutely transformed his life.

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Most people think that people who talk to themselves are crazy. Turns out, it's exactly the opposite! Learning to listen to what your own heart is trying to tell you is not crazy, it's actually the pathway to a more healthy, integrated, and fruitful self.

Today Natalie Hochstatter blows minds and connects hearts.

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We cannot know who we are unless we know who God is. He is the one who made us so to know more about the creation, we must go to the Creator. But how do we talk with Him? How do we hear what He has to say?

Today Joe Barlow tunes us in to hear God's voice.

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"Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." To pray this prayer as Jesus taught us, we must ask a few questions: What is your Kingdom? What is Your will? What does Heaven look like and how do we bring it here?

Today Danny Hochstatter gets fired up about this foundational goal.

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WE DID IT! For 18 years, we have been a church without a permanent home but today that all changes! As we host our first Sunday ever in our new building, we wanted to tell the story of how God led us out of Egypt, and after some time in the wilderness, we have reached our Promised Land! God's hands were all over this project from the very beginning. We cannot wait to see what God does next in our new home!

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We can't figure out God without God, yet this is exactly what most people do once they encounter any real doubt or confusion about their faith. Like Eve, we turn from God and try to figure Him out on our own when all He wants us to do is to come and talk to Him about it. We must be willing to have difficult conversations as a church in order for us to properly handle our questions with the only one who has the answers we are after.

Today Natalie Hochstatter challenges us to move from deconstruction to reconstruction!

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Life is heavy but a little levity makes things easier to carry. Laughter, Joy, and Fun add a lightness to life that we all desperately need. As a church, we must be a place that people come to have their burdens lifted, not added to. This is why we must learn to receive and give joy, because it is a remedy that the world needs and it brings people together.

Today Danny Hochstatter lightens the mood with an uplifting message of joy!

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There is a reason that God uses the title of "Father" to describe Himself. JC tells us stories of fatherhood and how they have revealed the Father's heart to him in simple yet profound ways.

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When we hear the story of the Prodigal Son, we often look to compare ourselves to the older brother or the younger brother but the character we are all destined to emulate is the Father.

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Shame reduces us to nothing more than the mistakes we've made. We must overcome our shame to become the father's we were made to be.

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Signs & Wonders were an integral part of Jesus' ministry. Mark 16:17-18 says "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” It doesn't say that this divine power is limited to the Apostles or that they would be temporary, they are described as though they would be regular occurrences for ANYONE who believes in Jesus and the power of His name. While this is not a standard that much of the global church currently enjoys, we want to become a people who live naturally supernatural! This means that we must continue to press into the supernatural gift of God's Holy Spirit.

Today Schlyce Jimenez shares her fascinating and inspiring experiences of operating in Signs & Wonders.

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When we pause, we notice things. When we get quiet, we can hear clearly. When we rest, we recover our strength and our health. When we stop and look around, we find that there is a whole world of beauty and value right where we are at. In order to be present with God, we must learn how to step out of the chaos and the noise and simple BE with Him. The only place to experience God's presence is in the present.

Today Danny Hochstatter, serial workaholic, reminds us of the value of PAUSE amidst a world of chaos and disorder.

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If God doesn't speak then He is just a book. But we know that God is so much more than that! He is alive, He is active, and He is most certainly speaking! Prayer was never meant to be a one-way street. When we pray, we must never forget to listen and allow God to move us, guide us, and change us. Once we learn to hear Him for ourselves, we must learn to hear Him on behalf of others. After all, people don't need another self-help book or another cold philosophy, people need to hear who they are from the loving God that made them and calls them into His royal family.

Today Joe Barlow activates us in the practice of hearing personally from our heavenly Father.

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