Episoder
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On Sunday, Pastor Eric shared pt. 3 of our Live Above the Noise series, entitled "Love & Mystery". The top 2 genres in literature are Romance and Mystery. This should not surprise us as these are indicative of some of the deepest longings of the human soul. We desire to be loved and accepted. We also are curious creatures and we long to know what is beyond what we know and experience.
Paul says in Ephesians 1:9 “He made known to us the mystery of his will…”
In this letter, Paul unpacks what the mystery was: It is that all of humanity, regardless of ethnicity, culture, and background would be chosen and loved by God. It was not only for a certain ethnicity or culture, but covenant with God was now meant for all of humanity. This was a game changer then and continues to be for us today.
We all have a story about ourselves and sometimes we use our story to decide if God can or should love us. What Paul is pointing out is that there is nothing, including our own stories, that can keep us from the love of God. Our desire is that each of us would move into this reality: The greatest mystery is that God’s love surpasses and overrides anything and everything. Listen to pt. 3 to learn more.
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Have a great week!
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Throughout our lives we are always moving in a direction. No matter what road that we find ourselves on, we are always heading in direction and the path we are on leads to somewhere.
Every thought, behavior, decision, and every step moves us further in a direction. Ephesians 2 highlights how we were going in one direction, but how dramatically it shifts when Jesus enters the human story. It reveals the great contrast and opposition of death and life.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. - Epesians 2:4-5
Jesus is the great pivot and when He shows up it all changes. This past Sunday pastor Candace shared part II of our Live Above The Noise series and focused on the centrality of Jesus in the story of humanity moving from dead to alive.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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Manglende episoder?
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This week at STUDIO, we had the honor of hearing from one of New Spring Church's Pastor, Hykeng Paul. He shared with us the importance of understanding God's heart for humanity and standing in the middle of what's separated and divided and saying "enough is enough". We are designed to be people of reconciliation.
In 2 Corinthinans 5, Paul talks about reconciliation as to understand what is spiritually dead and what is spiritually alive. As we follow Jesus, our desire is to find ourselves in spaces and places to help bring reconciliation to what is dead and bring life to them. Listen to this week's talk to learn more.
For more info about STUDIO, you can go to our website, check us out on instagram, Facebook, and on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially, you can do so here. Have a great week!
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This week, Pastor Eric kicked off the series "Live Above the Noise". This message is about the fundamental key in being someone that can live above the noise: Embracing and accepting that you have been CHOSEN by God.
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight,”Ephesians 1:4
When a culture or a people believe they are chosen, they have a higher chance of succeeding than a culture that doesn’t believe they are chosen. It is no accident that in the first part of Ephesians, Paul emphasizes this truth: "We are Chosen". When we move our whole existence into this truth, we are ushered into all the promises, blessings, and inheritance that awaits us in following Jesus.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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In response to Hurricane Helene hitting our region and it affecting so many. Pastor Eric shared how our Faith is Dynamic. We read in the scriptures:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourself are comforted by God.
II Cor. 1:3-4
You have turned my mourning into dancing, you have put off my sackcloth and clothing me with gladness,
Psalms 30:11-12
Our Faith is Dynamic.
Our faith is designed to enable you to be resilient, steadfast and comforting.
It is also designed to experience healing for yourself and not just others.
We should never reduce it down to one attribute or characteristic.
But rather expect ourselves to be dynamic in how we respond in moments like this.
In its best it brings healing to self and healing to others.
It brings courage to you and courage to others.
It is Dynamic.
It is our faith that will help us get through this.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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This past Sunday, Pastor Candace shared with us about continuing being vigilant in uprooting those thoughts that have taken root and have caused bitterness and resentment. Throughout our lives we are constantly growing and changing. Sometimes along the journey we experience things that shut us down, stunt our growth or even trap us.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
She shared with us there are keys to move out of these places and into places of freedom and being fully alive. Our minds are much like a garden, they need tending to and there are thoughts that need to be uprooted. Listen to this week’s talk to be Fully Free.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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On Sunday, Pastor Eric completed the Trilogy of “Living Unoffended” with a talk titled “I’m sorry and I forgive you?!” The average human experiences 400 emotional experiences every day. That is 25 an hour for 16 hours and that equates to 2 ½ emotional experiences a minute. We are meaning making machines and we are constantly attaching meaning to each of these experiences. It’s our way of concluding the experience and filing it away. This internal process also affects our ability and how we say “I’m sorry” or “I forgive you”.
He also talked about the two forbidden words “Shame and Guilt”. We use these words to help people see their need for Jesus but we ban them from our vernacular and “you’re not allowed to talk about these words again”.
These are tricky little emotions, however if looked at you will realize they reveal a lot of great information that can help understand the internal workings of your soul. And this can help you move past offense and into a place of truly being sorry and to be able to authentically forgive others.
Listen to this talk for some steps in reconciling, apologizing and walking in forgiveness. Let us continue our journey of following Jesus and dealing with the matters of the heart so we can be fully alive.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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This is a sequel to the talk "Living Unoffended".
There is a field of study that takes a granular look at how sound affects matter. It’s remarkable to see how sound frequency can form a pile of sand and create shapes out of it. We see this dynamic first when God in Genesis 1:3 says “Let there be light”. This sound was the first act of our creator, his words gave matter a purpose, design and intent. His words created the future. Everything was sound activated.
We also know through our life experience how words affect us. Our days are usually measured by how we navigated what was said to us and our ability to deflect or process what was said. We all have experienced life and death is in the power of the tongue. It is part of being human and doing life with others.
In this talk, Pastor Eric emphasized the power of our conversations and what we are talking about with other people. In our pursuit of living a life of not living in offense, we must ask ourselves, am I having conversations that spread offense, pain and bitterness? Or am I having conversations that are bringing life, healing and restoration? Listen to hear more about practical steps in moving into a life of not living offended.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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As we begin this new season we are calling Studio to a week of prayer and fasting (Sept 9 - 15). This is intentional, strategic and timely. We will bring ourselves before the Lord, seek His face together, hear His heart, and pray into what He has for us.
Fasting is an important biblical and spiritual practice. It is a way that we draw near to God, offer ourselves to Him, and seek His help in times of special need.
Fasting is an act of humility and consecration. (Ex 19:10-11)Fasting helps us become sensitive to His Spirit. (Act 13:1-2)Fasting brings breakthrough, deliverance, and revival. (2 Chron 20)Jesus fasted. (Mtt 4:1-2)We invite you to join us as we prepare to fast, pray and seek God in this strategic time. In the bible fasting was going without food for a time and turning to God. We are asking you to take time to pray about how you can participate in this fast, whether it be going without food, social media, movies/shows etc…
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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This past Sunday Pastor Eric did a talk on Living Unoffended. He took us on a journey of calling us higher, deeper and farther into who we are designed to be as humans. Oftentimes we have life experiences or moments with people that cause us to be offended.
Jesus said in Luke 17:1 “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to happen…”. The reality is we all are going to be offended so it’s not about not being offended but rather it’s about what we do with the offense.
Offense is one thing in our life that can cause us to not be who we are designed to be. Offense opens up the door for bitterness and resentment to take root in us. It is vital for us to understand that when you take the bait of offense you step into a trap. John Bevere says “An offended heart is the breeding ground of deception”.
This talk is to inspire us to choose to be a people who will move towards forgiveness, keeping short accounts and to learn how to work through offense. Go listen to the whole talk to learn how offense can take root and what are the pathways to health and freedom.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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On Sunday, Pastor Eric did the 4th installment of the Dual Citizen series.
The Samurai have the Bushido Code.
The Navy Seals have the Seal Ethos.
Any elite warrior group follows a set of codes, values and ethos that informs not just how they fight but how they live and behave.
In being citizens of Heaven there are 6 principles that Paul lays out in Philippians that we call the Citizen Code.
Life with Purpose - Phill. 1:12-14Strength in Unity - Phill. 1:27-2:4Shine Like Stars - Phill. 2:14-16Run the Race - Phill. 3:12-16Joy over Anxiety - Phill. 4:4-6Radical Contentment - Phill. 4:10-13Listen to this week talk to go deeper into the Citizen Code.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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Jeremy Riddle was with us on Sunday. He brought a powerful word, “Power of Thanksgiving” and we want to encourage everyone to listen to it.
Here are a few lines from his talk:
“Thanksgiving is a powerful tool against deception”
“It is hard to give thanks and remain proud”
“Thanksgiving dethrones pride”
“Thanksgiving is a small hinge that opens a big door”
He shared that Thanksgiving is one of the greatest weapons we have in our arsenal. As we navigate life, let’s be people who choose to be thankful and grateful in all of it.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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This past Sunday, Pastor Candace shared with us the “Power of Proximity”. In her talk, she walked us through the story of Elisha, the Shunammite woman, and her son. He was a part of letting her know that God was going to give her a son, and he did. Many years later this son dies and Elisha’s response was to go and lay on top of the boy and in doing so the dead boy came back to life. It’s one of the remarkable stories in the bible of how life overcame death.
Within this story there is a principle we can learn from, it’s the Power of Proximity. Elisha was in proximity to this woman for many years. It is what led him to be involved in her life from letting her know that God was going to give her a son to God raising him from the dead. Proximity put Elisha close to her so he could be used by God to help her. Proximity matters!
She provoked us to ask ourselves who we are in proximity to? Who are we laying our lives over? Are there people you are in proximity to that are outside of your normal circles? Listen to this talk and be challenged to move towards humanity.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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On Sunday, Eric did the third installment for the Dual Citizen series.
We have been diving into Philippians 3:20:
“We are citizens of heaven…”
For this talk we looked at Philippians 1:21:
“To live is Christ, to die is gain”
This one line gives us insight into the mind of a man who realizes his life is not his own. As much as Paul wanted to go be with Jesus in eternity, he recognizes that for him to stay would be more beneficial and that is to see the message of Jesus touch humanity.
As citizens we often want to know what our rights and privileges are, but we often forget we also have responsibilities. Paul introduces the responsibility of a citizen of heaven - which is “humanity”.
Built into our faith is the value for human life. It is one of the unique distinctions of our faith compared to other world religions. The challenge for us is to be a people who not only want access to our rights and privileges but also carry the burden for humanity whether it be doing good to healing the sick.
Listen to the talk to be challenged in your own life to grow in your faith and following Jesus.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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On Sunday, Pastor Eric continued the conversation on Philippians 3:20:
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,"
Becoming a citizen of heaven is more than just a transfer of information, it is the transfer of essence. It is one thing to have all the information about who God is and what the Kingdom is all about, it is a whole different thing when that information becomes the essence of who you are. There is a journey of seeing the information move from your head to a deep place within you.
One of the ways you can find out if you carry the essence of the Kingdom is to pay attention to what you say when you pray. You may think one thing but you usually end up praying what you actually believe, which is the essence in you. Pastor Eric took us through a simple exercise to help identify our own personal perspective on who God is to you, where God is relative to you and your view on his relationship with you. Listen to this week's talk to learn more about what the essence is in you, going deeper into being a Citizen of Heaven.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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On Sunday, Pastor Eric shared with us from Phillipians 3:20,
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,"
While Paul was imprisoned in Rome writing this letter to the church in Phillipi, he gets a revelation that as followers of Jesus we are not only citizens of a nation we are also citizens of Heaven. We are Dual Citizens. This reality is a game changer for each of us who follow Jesus.
The greek word for Citizen implies you “can tell what citizenship someone has by how they act”. The idea is people can tell where you are from by how you live your life. What Paul is emphasizing is since your citizenship is in Heaven, there is a way to act and live your life that is in accordance with the culture of Heaven. Listen to the talk to learn 6 keys to being a citizen of Heaven.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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This past Sunday, Pastor Shayna did a talk titled “When Two Worlds Collide”. She asked the question “What did it look like when Jesus walked this earth?” He was the perfect model for walking in two worlds at one time. He was the fusion of both the spiritual and physical world.
It looked like - He ate with the sinners and healed the sick, He served, washed his disciples feet, fed the hungry, and then would go by himself and connect with His Father. It was so simple, it was so fluid. He walked in and out of the spiritual realm bringing heaven to earth with such ease because he was the perfect model of walking in both worlds.
This is how you were designed to be… like Jesus! All of humanity was created, shaped and molded to walk in unison with access to both realms. Humanity was created as a NEW CREATION. One that didn’t just exist in the spiritual, but a physical being as well that could rule, tend, and steward this earth from a connection to the eternal. In 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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This past Sunday, Pastor Eric shared part of the journey of following Jesus is that we are actively engaged in a conflict of two kingdoms...good and evil, light and dark. We as humans are interconnected to the spiritual dimension and what happens there has an affect on us in the natural dimension. We are in a spiritual war. He encouraged us to first recognize that some of the gripping fear, irrational thoughts, anxiety, laziness, apathy and boredom could be a result of a spiritual battle.
We read in Ephesians 6, where Paul not only makes us aware of this reality but teaches us what to do about it. In verse 13:
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Paul teaches us to put on Truth, Peace, Faith, Salvation and the Word of God. Doing this will move you from defense to offense. Move you from being driven by fear to being driven by love. Take you from apathy to being filled with life. Listen to this week's talk to learn more about putting on the Armor of God.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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We know so many of you from our community sowed into this team financially and in prayer so it felt important to share about what God did through this team. Team member after team member got up and shared how special and impactful their experience in Romania was. The testimonies of friendship, bonding and team were so encouraging. One team member summed it up saying, “We’re just scratching the surface of what we can do as a community,”.
One thing we love about The Mission in Romania is how well they marry ministry and practical support. Over the 10 days we were there, our team was able to install a commercial dishwasher (The Mission serves large numbers of kids daily), and help with plumbing, electrical and building projects on top of ministry. This team was incredibly hard working and flexible, sometimes working late into the evening. At the end of the week, one of the missionaries who oversees the facility said, “I feel like I could move mountains with this team.” It felt the same to us.
We pray that the impact that was made in Romania and in each team member's heart will only deepen and expand. Thank you, again, to everyone who invested into this team and into Romania through prayer and financial support.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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In life waiting is inevitable. We find ourselves waiting in many places and in many seasons of our lives. Martin Manser said waiting is “Being prepared to patiently look towards God for his guidance and accepting the timing he proposes. Waiting on God can lead to an atmosphere of expectation and confidence in God and a realization of the unreliability of one’s own judgment.”
Pastor Rheva walks us through the popular verse found in Isaiah 40:31:
“they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
This verse shows us what happens to us while we wait. In this talk, she encourages us as followers of Jesus to regain our strength by learning to wait on the Lord filled with hope and expectancy.
For more info you can go to our website and also check us out on instagram and Facebook. We are also on YouTube. If you want to support STUDIO financially you can do so here. Have a great week!
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