Willow Creek Weekend Podcast

What do you do when you’re faced with a big problem? Most of us do one of two things: either move quickly into action, or become overwhelmed and freeze. It’s fight, or flight, or freeze. When we think about how to change the world, or how to help people in difficult times, our best course of action is to go to God first. It’s a natural thing to want to help so badly that we rush in out of desperation or to feel so overwhelmed by the scale of a problem that we simply can’t find our way into action. And that’s where attuning your heart to God becomes incredibly powerful.

Have you ever been told to stop questioning and just believe? People say that with good intentions, but it can lead to a lack of faith. It’s perfectly normal and expected to have doubt and curiosity about Jesus and the Bible. Have you ever heard of “doubting Thomas?” In John 20, Doubting Thomas had witnessed Jesus’ miracles and heard Him teach, but he still wanted to see the resurrected Jesus for himself. Jesus’ response to “doubting Thomas” says a lot about how He welcomes, and even encourages, our own doubts and questions!

We know the Easter story—Jesus lived a perfect life, suffered and died on the cross, and then rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. But what would it have been like to be one of His disciples or friends at Easter? They changed their entire lives to follow Him; then everything they thought would happen shattered when Jesus died. Their own hope died. But then Jesus was miraculously resurrected and appeared to Mary and many others. While they didn’t fully understand the depth of who He was or what had happened, they knew for certain that He was alive! And that is what gives us hope for our own lives now.

Many of us have a fear of being alone. It’s a very human trait to suffer through feeling lonely and social isolation. But with God next to us, we are never truly alone. And God understands our feelings of loneliness and sadness; Jesus suffered terrifying depression and loneliness in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)and cried out to God in desperation. Jesus experienced the depths of despair so that we would never have to experience true isolation. As we remember Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday, we unpack the story of His life and journey to the cross to see how Jesus is God with us in all things.

We imagine Jesus as a very serene, calm and soft-spoken man. But, just like us, Jesus feels anger, and in John 2:13-25, He gets so angry Jesus flips tables! But have you ever noticed that anger comes from another feeling? The thing that lies underneath it causes an explosion that sometimes we struggle to contain; your disappointment, grief or sadness. But we don’t need ways to manage anger–it’s not about how to control your anger, either. God made that feeling; therefore, feeling angry is not a bad thing. However, we can express our anger in ways that do not harm ourselves or others. Pastor Megan Marshman helps us understand how.

Shame is a word and feeling we all want to avoid. Shame is often a barrier between us and God, too. Our regrets, all those actions and feelings we carry with us for years, weigh us down and make us feel less than worthy of God’s love. But that’s just not true at all. In John 18, Peter denies Jesus three times, something he is deeply ashamed of. And then, in John 21, Peter is forgiven by and restored through Jesus. You, too, can experience forgiveness and restoration; true healing and freedom from shame, guilt and regret. Pastor Shawn shows us how this is possible in our own lives.

Does God understand our grief? In the story of Lazarus and his death and resurrection, Jesus shows us that He lives grief just as deeply as we do. Even though Jesus knew Lazarus would be brought back from the dead, He still joined Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters, in their grief and sadness. Jesus also demonstrates how, through Him, we can use our grief for a greater purpose; a deeper connection with God and with others around us. Pastor Thomas visits John 11 and the story of Lazarus in the Bible.

When Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding, it was not only His first miracle but also caused great joy. No, not because the guests got the best wine (but that did make them pretty joyful)! But because Mary, Jesus’ mother, saw Him step into His calling. We can sometimes wonder how we can be happy. Or curious about where others are finding joy in this life. We can ask; what do I need to find my joy? As we begin a new series on Big Feelings, Pastor Dave takes us to John 2:1-12 to discover how being close to God can bring out our own joy.

What is the power of our giving? Can our generosity change the world? In the earliest Christian church (in Acts 2:42-47), people gave so that others in their community were looked after. Orphans were homed, the sick were cared for, and anyone with a need was helped. Jesus calls us to do the same in our world today! We can help in our community by giving generously–and remember, it’s not about the amount you give, but the heart behind it–we can meet the needs of others. What would the world look like if we all gave to help in our community?

What is a motivating factor in giving when you decide to give? It’s usually in response to a need; a heartstring has been pulled, and you want to help someone else. When something really hits home, we can feel like it’s worth giving sacrificially–more than we might usually, or perhaps we have to forgo something else to help meet someone else’s need.. What if we gave sacrificially toward the Kingdom of God instead of out of abundance? In 2 Samuel 24, King David says “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” How can we take a stance like that and what impact would that have on the world?

Church offerings, or the concept of “tithing,” is typically hard to talk about, hard to begin doing and often is questioned. When many doubt the church's intentions, what good comes from tithing? Tithes and offerings are all about generosity. It’s about how you give, not how much. It is an expression of worship in response to God’s goodness. And it’s not just about keeping the church lights on either. Generosity extends much further. Pastor Dave begins this series by exploring where the concept of tithes began in the Bible, in Genesis 14 and how our motivation to give means way more than the amount.

Yes, God’s will for your life is much bigger than you could imagine! God wants to use YOU to help heal, restore, and redeem the world. You can change the world in partnership with God’s work in your life. But how? We finish up the last week in our Divine Dreams series by looking at Joseph in the Bible, in Genesis 50 and Romans 8:28, and learning how he was used by God to reconcile his family and provide safety for his people. How will God use you in this world? Discover God’s will for your life and pursue your biggest dreams through Him.

Temptation is all around us, testing our character and will. Temptation also affected Joseph in the Bible. When faced with temptations such as seduction by Potiphar’s wife, a weak work ethic, and revenge on his despicable brothers, Joseph leans into his faith and resists, choosing instead to show kindness and keep his integrity. Pastor Dave explores the story of Joseph in the Bible through Genesis –41, where Joseph takes his setbacks and temptations and allows God to use him in ways beyond his wildest dreams.

How do you hold onto your life’s dreams and persevere through tough times when others threaten to derail them or even actively hurt you? The story of Joseph in the Bible deals with his struggles with a highly dysfunctional family and the ways in which they harm him (Genesis 37–40) when they dislike his big dreams for life. Joseph holds onto hope through his faith, knowing he will ultimately achieve big things in partnership with God and His purpose for Joseph’s life. How will God partner with you to fuel your big dreams and achieve immeasurably more than you could on your own?

Many of us wonder: what is my life’s purpose? We have big dreams, but do they match God’s will for our lives? And what happens when obstacles get in the way of our dreams? Remember when you were a kid, and you wanted to be an actor, a firefighter, or a marine biologist, but life got in the way, reality hit, and your big dreams fell by the wayside? Life has a way of presenting challenges that seem impossible to overcome. As we begin our new series, Divine Dreams, we explore the story of Joseph in the Bible in Genesis 37 and how he persevered through so much, remaining faithful throughout and achieving his big dream.

It’s a new year; we’re all thinking about what we want to do and achieve in the next 12 months. Do you want to hit the gym, read those books you’ve had on your shelf for ages, or pick up a new hobby? How about rest? Could resting well be a part of what you want to achieve this year? It’s different, sure! But God Himself takes a rest, and if He can, surely we should too! God tells us to take a sabbath–a day of rest–because He knows just how important it is for us to do so. God wants you to be healthy in all ways: physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally. And He knows that not resting well will affect those things. Rest is a spiritual discipline! Pastor Dave starts us off right with a message on why we should rest well.

Once you make a decision to follow Jesus, you’re told to go out and evangelize to everyone you know; and all those you don’t know too. Ooof, that sounds scary, right? What does evangelism really mean? We’ve all seen the guy standing on the street corner yelling at everyone to repent. But that’s not what the Bible tells us about evangelism. Is evangelism a value we should be embracing? Yes! Pastor Betsy uses learnings from the first century church to demonstrate what God is really calling us to do as evangelists.

The biblical Christmas story is one of peace and hope, but only if you see Jesus for who He really is. When Jesus, the King of Kings, was born, King Herod felt intimidated and tried to eliminate the threat to his kingdom. What’s your response to Jesus? You can ignore Him, feel threatened by Him, or choose to follow and experience the wholeness He has to offer. This Christmas, experience a relationship with the King of Kings, the one born to save the world!

If you ever felt like you didn’t fit into church or God wasn’t for you, you aren’t alone. The shepherds in the Bible were the first to hear the news of the birth of Jesus. The “lowly” shepherds, as they’re sometimes referred to, were not important, high-powered people. Had Jesus been born in a castle or fortress, He would only be accessible to a select few. Instead, He was born in a stable, so even the outcast and powerless could approach Him. What would change if you saw that Jesus truly was available to us all? Pastors Megan Marshman and Shawn Williams take us through Luke 2 and the Christmas story of the Shepherds in the Bible.

In week 2 of our Christmas series, we look at how we can focus on the goodness of God in the busyness of the season or the chaos of our lives. Jesus’ birth came at a most inconvenient time—or so Mary thought. Right before the birth of Jesus, His parents, Mary and Joseph, had to journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and by the time they arrived, there was no place for them to stay. Instead, a perfect God made His appearance in an imperfect setting. How can we keep our focus on God when we face detours and distractions? Pastor Shawn uses Luke 2 to help demonstrate how and why keeping God at the center of our lives is so important, especially during busy seasons.