Lust is a strong passion of longing, especially for sexual desire, when we objectify another person for our own personal pleasure. It is not a private sin but also destroys the lives of others. Fight this sin actively and help one another pursue the ultimate pleasure/fulfillment found only in Jesus.
Anger is a desire for vengeance, an emotion of resentment toward others or circumstances that arise out of self-preservation and one’s life or ego being challenged or threatened. Anger is not inherently evil. Recognize when it is sinful, placing one’s life or ego above all else, and learn how to fight it. Be challenged to take on a righteous, holy anger that helps correct injustices and expresses God’s righteousness.
Envy is an emotion that occurs when another person’s success or excellence overshadows your personal well-being based on our comparisons. The sin is rooted in believing that God is not good enough in your own life. Counter this vice with kindness, and taking on the posture of Jesus - desiring the happiness of others instead of their harm. How do we fight it? Envy is countered with kindness. Kindness desires the happiness of another person, not their harm. Kindness is composed not of heroic acts of virtue, but small, daily, regular acts of goodness towards another.
The conversations you have most often are the ones you have in your own mind. And if you are honest, they are likely more negative than positive. Sometimes what you hear comes from your past, while other messages are lies you’ve picked up over time, and others show up as anxiety and self-doubt. Here’s what’s critical: How you think tends to become how you live your life. What if it were possible to move towards internal freedom and win the war in your mind?
The conversations you have most often are the ones you have in your own mind. And if you are honest, they are likely more negative than positive. Sometimes what you hear comes from your past, while other messages are lies you’ve picked up over time, and others show up as anxiety and self-doubt. Here’s what’s critical: How you think tends to become how you live your life. What if it were possible to move towards internal freedom and win the war in your mind?
Do you wonder if you're the only one with a messy, complicated, or even anxious headspace You're not alone. We all need tools to help us conquer the inner critic in our heads and this message Pastor Jeff Brodie shares some super practical tools with us!
How to Deal With Your Inner Critic - the conversations you have most often are the ones you have in your own mind. And if you are honest, they are likely more negative than positive. Sometimes what you hear comes from your past, other messages are lies you’ve picked up over time, others show up as anxiety and self-doubt. Here’s what’s critical - how you think tends to become how you live your life. What if it was possible to move towards internal freedom and win the war in your mind?
What makes you happy? Don’t think too hard about your answer ... what comes to mind first? Good food, cheering for your favourite team, an afternoon of shopping, or sitting on the beach. But what about God? Have you ever thought about his happiness? In this message, Ben unpacks how God’s happiness is tied to ours and what that means for our lives.
So you’re on the journey of rebuilding something that matters--your relationship with your daughter, your marriage, your personal finances. But as you’re making progress, the distractions start to creep in. A few extra hours at the office, some extra time on Netflix, the opinions of your friends when you say no to their invitation. So what do you do? How do you stop getting distracted from rebuilding what matters most?
Whatever road you take in life, you’re going to meet resistance and obstacles. How do you handle that? Do you push through it? Avoid it? Meet it? When you are trying to rebuild but things are standing in your way, is there a path through?
In this message, we’ll discover how to rebuild the broken parts of your life, even when you meet resistance head on.
When you look at the brokenness in your life, it can be hard to see a way out. And what are the practical steps to fix what’s broken? How do you rebuild the broken parts of your life? What can you do, today, to heal what’s hurting? In this message, we’ll share 3 practical steps you can take towards 'Rebuilding You'.
What do you do when you feel broken inside? If you’re honest, after the year we’ve had, you don’t have to look very far to see brokenness in the world around you--or in your own life.
You see people you love facing mental health challenges, marriage struggles, sickness, and even financial hardship. On the other hand, you and I are rebuilders! God calls us to be a force for change in the world.
We love a good restoration, makeover, or story of redemption. But where do we start? How do you rebuild your broken world?
Our world, in many ways, is about pursuing what’s next, what’s better, what’s greater. Greatness has really taken on a whole new level in our lives, and people of every age and stage are looking for the next best way to achieve greatness. A better job, a bigger house, a more successful business, a happier family, a higher education--it’s all a constant pursuit that on the other side can sometimes leave us with regrets. We have all been made, even created, with something in us that desires greatness. But how do we have true greatness without regrets?
Jesus told his followers to pray to avoid temptation. But before we can pray that with a clear conscience, there are some things we need to ask ourselves first.
When you look at scripture and the world around you, do you see God as a God of abundance or a God of scarcity? How you see the world impacts your generosity.
Jesus teaches on money throughout the four Gospels because he knows it is a major competitor for your heart. Money is what we use to obtain what we possess in our lives. What if generosity with your funds is vital to your contentment? What if the ancient practice of tithing could be a key to happiness in your life?
Our stuff and the money we buy it with are a part of our everyday lives. We talk about them often. However, when Jesus begins to challenge us on how we manage our resources, we can feel emotionally reluctant. Why is that?
On one hand, we live in one of the wealthiest parts of the world, and yet there’s something about our consumer-driven culture that leaves us unsatisfied. What drives that dissatisfaction? And what if we did listen to what Jesus has to say about it?
What does the bible say about managing resources? How do you actually live a kingdom-first life? Like practically ... what does that really mean? You work hard for your money and contentment ... which grants you the ability to pay for the things you need, buy the stuff you want, and afford the experiences you enjoy. ⛳🚘🎣 But does living a kingdom-first life mean you have to give all that up?
Too much stuff? Let's face it. The ease of hitting "add to cart" is a little too easy Then that package shows up on your front porch and it's exciting. If we're all honest, being home has brought out the shopping bug in all of us to fill the void of missing out. You know deep down that it only gives you a little happiness and then you're looking for the next thing to lift your spirits. What if true contentment came through something else, even something spiritual?
Over the last 15 months, our church has continued to be FOR people, and we’ve positioned ourselves to reach more people into the future. Lowering case counts and an increase in vaccinated individuals make us optimistic about opportunities to gather safely in the near future. So what does that mean for Connexus Church for the rest of 2021 as we reach people with the hope of Jesus? And how can you be a part of it?
They say that all work and no play makes jack a dull boy - could that be more true than you might think? What if play, and rest, was a crucial key to firing on all cylinders in every area of your life?
The pandemic has changed how we experience our work and see our purpose. One recent study shows that one in four employees is seriously considering a job change. While more people are working from home, others are on the front lines. Then there’s the work of home life. You will likely work 90,000 hours in your lifetime, so work is worth thinking about. Work impacts your happiness, your health, and even shapes who you become.
What if your understanding of work is distorted? What if it's not about changing your job, but changing the way you see your life? What if work could be different?
You will likely work 90,000 hours in your lifetime, so work is worth thinking about. Work impacts your happiness, your health, and even shapes who you become. What if your understanding of work is distorted? What if it's not about changing your job, but changing the way you see your life? What if work could be different?