Christ 2r Culture Podcast

How do you finish a career? Steven Slater, a former JetBlue flight attendant, made a dramatic exit. A passenger refused to stay seated while the plane was taxing to the gate. The passenger removed her luggage from an overhead bin striking Slater in the head. She then cursed Slater out for getting in her way. Fed up with his job, Slater grabbed a beer from the beverage cart, called out, “It has been great!” then activated the emergency evacuation shoot sliding his way to freedom. This weekend, in 1 Samuel 12, we find an even more dramatic career exit by the prophet Samuel as we learn how God uses repentance and obedience to take our worst sins and use them in ways we don't expect for good.

Every once in a while, I like to share a little something extra. This is the worship music from Easter morning at the CrossWinds Spirit Lake campus. I hope you are encouraged in Jesus. The team did a great job! The link in this podcast is to a video of the service, Enjoy!

As of the end of March 2022, it is estimated Russia has lost between 7,000 to 15,000 troops in its attempt to take over Ukraine. While that number is terrible, we should put that in perspective. Each day there are 6,400 Americans that die of cancer, heart disease, car accidents, and a myriad of other causes. That is 3.3 million people a year. The war between Russia and Ukraine brought about many immediate deaths, but it has not changed the ultimate number of deaths. It doesn’t matter if you eat healthily, buckle up, and avoid war... all of us will die. When that fearful moment comes, is there a way to know our next life will be better than this life? The Bible tells us Jesus came so we do not need to fear our death. Join me on Easter Sunday as we learn how we can know the resurrection of Jesus is true and how Jesus’ resurrection changes our future.

While churches are full on Easter morning, many people in churches are frustrated with Jesus. They feel like He let them down. He didn’t protect them from life’s tragedies. If Jesus isn't living up to your expectations, you are not alone. In the week before Jesus’ death, the crowds in Jerusalem felt like Jesus let them down. Join us this weekend as we find why what Jesus did on the cross is better than anything else the crowds wanted Him to do.

On June 18, 1940, Winston Churchhill delivered a speech to Britain after the fall of France to the Germans. Churchhill braced England for a battle upon which he believed the survival of Christian civilization now stood. He believed that if England did not successfully hold off the Germans, the whole world, including the United States, would plunge into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister by Hitler’s perverted science. If England lasted a thousand years, he was sure history would look back on their defense of freedom in the face of Hitler’s fury as the nation’s finest hour. This weekend, we look at King Saul’s finest hour as he rallies a nation in a last-ditch effort to defend freedom and stop an evil tyrant.

Porch pirating is a popular business. In New York City alone 90,000 packages go missing daily. What can people do to fight back against the thieves? Homeowners have come up with creative ways of payback. One inventor created a package called “the blank box”. It sets off a blank shotgun shell when the package is taken from the porch. Another created a package filled with manure that explodes when opened after being stolen by a thief. In those neighborhoods, porch pirates are thinking twice since packages are not turning out to be what they expect. This week, as we continue our series of 1 Samuel, the people of God get the king they asked for, but like a porch pirate opening a bait package, the king didn’t turn out the way they expected.

How much control does God have over the details of our day? When the alarm doesn’t go off, our car tire goes flat, or the grocery store is out of our favorite peanut butter, are those details of life God is orchestrating for a good purpose or just annoying inconveniences? As we continue our study of 1 Samuel we find how God shaped the ordinary events of one man’s life to move him from a country farmer to the king of a nation.

This week the war on Ukraine dominated headlines. Behind the death of thousands and destruction of the second-largest nation in Europe is one man, Vladimir Putin. He has unchecked authority in Russia and enough power to destroy the world in war. How do tyrants like Putin come to power? What will they always do once in control? These are some of the questions we will cover this weekend as we continue our studies in 1 Samuel and look at the problem with a king.

William Leverett barged into a Connecticut church and confessed to worshippers that he was the man who killed a Harford jogger and mother four years before. Prior to his confession, the homicide had no leads. The pastor and a handful of parishioners knew what they had to do. They took him to the police and helped him turn himself in. William Leverett knew he could never begin to heal from his pain until he confessed and repented of what he had done. As we turn to 1 Samuel 7, we find the power of repentance to experience God’s forgiveness and favor in our lives.

If you have a relative that served in a war, chances are they came home with something from the front lines. While most war trophies are a privilege to possess, some people wish they never brought them home. Danny Nightingale was jailed for 18 months after he plead guilty to possessing an unregistered 9mm pistol that he was given to him after his 2007 tour in Iraq. This week, as we return to the book of 1 Samuel, we will look at the ultimate trophy of war — the ark of the covenant — and we will learn why the Philistines regretted bringing it home.

In the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harrison Ford was in search of the long-lost ark of the covenant. It was a race between Indian Jones and the Nazis. They believed the army that found the ark first would become invincible. Was that true? Join us this weekend in 1 Samuel 4 as we search for the ark and learn the danger of trying to make God serve us.

The leadership challenges of our time are enormous. Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine. ISIS is reconstituting in the Middle East. China is destabilizing the world. What is the answer to the leadership challenges of our nation? As we continue our study in 1 Samuel, we see God’s answer to the leadership challenges in Israel and what they teach us about facing the leadership challenges of today.

Statistics tell us that social media is putting teenagers under more cultural pressure. This results in over half of teenagers drinking alcohol and over forty percent of teenagers trying drugs. How should parents handle rebellion in the lives of their teenage and adult children? Join us this weekend as we continue our study in 1 Samuel and meet Eli’s rebellious sons. We will learn lessons on how to parent children who refuse to listen and the responsibility children have for making wise choices.

On February 7, 2021, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Superbowl with a score of 31-9. A Superbowl victory deserves a celebration. How would the city of Tampa celebrate in a COVID world? To encourage people to keep their distance, the city celebrated with a boat parade down the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. In our study of 1 Samuel, we have seen God rescue Hannah from her barrenness by the birth of Samuel. How will she celebrate God's win in her life? Join us this weekend as we learn how she celebrated God’s victory and the promise she saw of a win for God’s people in the future.

First-time mom Hayley Sexton painted the nursery pink. She had a girl’s name picked out. All of the baby shower gifts were for a girl. In two different ultrasounds, the doctor assured her she was having a girl. To her surprise, she gave birth to a boy! Children don’t always turn out the way we planned. As we continue our study in 1 Samuel, we learn from Hannah about preparing our children for the future and dedicating them to God.

Did you have packages that did not arrive in time for Christmas because of supply chain issues? Can anyone untangle that mess? Who can solve the problem of soaring inflation? Can anyone get control of the coronavirus? Everywhere we look there is a leadership crisis. Everyone is looking for a decisive leader they can trust. Until we find that leader, everyone will do what is right in their own eyes. This weekend, we begin the book of 1 Samuel. It is a book on leadership. It will teach us what good leadership looks like and introduce us to the leader everyone of us desperately needs. Join us as we start the book of 1 Samuel, the search for a true king.

In the sweltering heat of August in 1885, six and one-half inches of rain fell in Chicago in only 24 hours. Sewage from the city’s 750,000 residents and runoff from the stockyards washed into the Chicago River. The polluted water flowed into Lake Michigan. According to an exaggerated story in the Chicago Tribune, this toxic brew was sucked into the city’s drinking water. Soon people claimed that cholera, dysentery, and typhoid were ravaging parts of the city. In later years it was said that one in eight Chicagoans died from the toxic water. For years this was known as the 1885 Chicago epidemic. The problem was that when an investigative writer began researching the story in 2000, she found the entire story to be a hoax. In reality, fewer people died in Chicago in 1885 than in other years. The entire 1885 epidemic was gossip and urban legend that took on a life of their own and was assumed to be true. There was no evidence to back it up. Many people feel the same way about the Bible. Is the Bible is nothing mo

Blaise Pascal said, “All men seek happiness.” Thomas Aquinas, the most influential theologian of the Middle Ages, said, “No one can live without delight, and that is why a man deprived of spiritual joy goes over to carnal pleasures.” God created us with a longing to be happy. To satisfy that desire, people stuff almost into their life in search of pleasure. What does the Bible say about our craving for happiness and how can we find lasting happiness that doesn’t expire? Join us to learn what the Bible teaches us about happiness and where to find it.

Christmas is a hard time of year. Many find themselves alone and without family. Sometimes families don’t gather because of friction between relatives. Christmas is not for cowards. It takes courage. Join us as we learn the story of Joseph—the foster father of Jesus, and see what he teaches us about finding courage at Christmas.

As we remember Veteran’s Day, we are especially grateful for soldiers who take big risks to save lives. Currently, there are marines risking their lives in Afghanistan rescuing civilians caught behind enemy lines. One of those marines has rescued more than 30 people. Our hearts are inspired by soldiers like that who go big to save lives. In a similar way, we want to be a church filled with people that go big to share the gospel. We want to take big risks when it comes to saving lives eternally for God.