Connexus Church Audio Podcast

Sometimes we just need to know that God is here and that He's paying attention. If we knew that with certainty, then maybe we would be fine or at least finer. Maybe you're still looking for that sign and you haven't found it yet, so you start to wonder. We all have a concept of what God is like, but until the arrival of Jesus, the world was left guessing. There was so much mystery, only hints and shadows, and then God came to dwell with us to demonstrate for us what he is like. If you look anywhere other than Jesus for what God is like, then you are looking in the wrong place. God is like Jesus. Jesus came to us to demonstrate, illustrate, and communicate what God is like, who He is, and who He loves.

The messiness of the world is what paved the way for God to do something extraordinary. God blessed the world with a different kind of king who came to establish a different kind of Kingdom. We are all familiar with the Christmas story but some of us are not familiar with the Christmas backstory. The story of Christmas begins with a remarkable promise to Abraham. God promised to make Abraham into a great nation and He did which set up the Christmas story we all know. The backstory of Christmas occurred during a 2,000-year saga that is fascinating, amazing, and inspiring. It's also a bit convicting. If the arrival of Jesus was a blessing to the world, shouldn't we as Jesus followers be a blessing to the world as well?

One of the reasons you come to prayer is to find peace in a broken world, including the broken world in and around you. How do you find peace in prayer? We will look at how Jesus models something we don't see in culture very often that allows us to find the peace we are looking for – confession and forgiveness.

We often come to God in prayer because we think we need something. We come in desperation. But is there a right way to ask and a wrong way to ask? If God already knows what we need, why do we bring our requests to him? If he's in control, why do I need to pray?

We often think prayer is something that's about getting God's attention. To change his mind or get him to do something for us. But what if prayer isn't about getting God's attention but giving him our attention? How could it change your life if you started your prayer thinking of who God is, not what you want?

An Angus Reid poll says 42% of Canadians say they pray weekly, and an additional 44% say they pray monthly. You are wired to pray. Prayer may be one of the most human things you can do. However, many of us struggle to see our prayer life flourish. You stumble your way through, pray on and off, and feel little connection. How do you pray, and where do you start? In this message our lead pastor Jeff Brodie will look at where Jesus told us to start.

So, what do you do to live a more generous life? Jesus tells a shocking parable that shows us exactly what God expects when it comes to generosity, and the message is surprisingly liberating. Jesus asks you to be generous with what you have, not what you don't have. In this message, you'll learn exactly how to begin living a more generous life and start giving accordingly.

The culture spins a clear picture of what you should do with your money: spend it, (whether you have it or not). Not only does that lead to stress, debt, and overwhelm, it also leads to unhappiness. Studies show that people who prioritize getting rich are often far less happy than those who make different choices. God wants something FOR you far more than he wants something FROM you. In this message, you'll discover what the path to freedom is.

Maybe you find it hard to talk about money. Most of us do. Maybe your parents never talked about money, or fought over it. Besides, what you do with your personal resources is nobody's business, right? Jesus wasn't so sure. He often spoke about money in a deeply challenging way, as was the case with a wealthy young influencer who had money and power. What he said to that rich young ruler can change your life too. Join us for part one of our series, 'Money Shouldn't Make You Miserable' with Carey Nieuwhof.