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Beyond The Message is a weekly podcast that dives deeper into the weekend’s teaching. Released after each Sunday service, it offers thoughtful conversation, added insight, and practical reflection to help our community process and apply what they heard. Whether you're revisiting the message or catching up, this podcast is designed to help you go deeper throughout the week.
Welcome to Beyond the Message, the weekly podcast where we take the teaching at Christ Community Chapel and bring it into your week. Um, each week I sit down with friends and with colleagues, and we laugh usually a little bit, we reflect, and we think about what it looks like to take what we are learning and live it out in our lives.
If you didn't get to hear the sermon yet, that's okay. Drop down into the description, you can find a link to the sermon. Check it out, listen to it, and then jump back over here for our conversation. I'd just like to note this is our first week back after a bit of a hiatus. And we're back, baby. We're back.
We're back. Excuse me. So, um, and man, we're back actually a week early because a week from now we start our 10 week sermon series, which is, we will be following through, but this week we talked about our big initiative and vision this year of Every Minute Matters, so we wanted to kind of jump in and be able to take some time to talk about that.
So to kick things off, thinking about every moment and how every moment matters, if you were given one minute in any store, the store of your choice, oh, and you could grab everything that you could grab in that one minute was yours. What store would you take that minute in? My, my first thought was Apple store and then I was like, yeah, why would jewelry store and then see, not everybody can say jewelry store.
Okay. So are you thinking because you're gonna resell this stuff? Absolutely. Okay. Maximum value to ability to hold is what I'm looking at with jewelry store. So, and then I will sell it. Actually one Anna, for everything. Question defeated. See, I was gonna say, you have to choose a store of something that you like, not just monetary.
Who said I don't like jewelry? I didn't think you'd be able to think that quickly on your feet, Jamie. That's actually smart. I was actually, I went a totally different direction. I said Target because I know that store know that I know where everything is. That's true. A couple people who work there have said hello to me by name, um, in the past.
Is that a compliment or is that a little bit of a wake up call? Yeah, it could be both. I think you should be proud of. But that's a pretty like spread out store. I know. So the territory you could, but I do think if I, if I was strategic and plan well and sprint it, I could do a lot of damage in a minute.
And, and the variety of things that are there. Okay. I love it. Know there's love. I could grab a TV. Yeah, you could get it. And a comforter and some groceries. I wish I was wealthy enough airpods to say bet and say whatever you do. Like I actually want to see it happen. Okay. I don't. Okay. Well, do you remember that like, wasn't there a game show where it was like supermarket?
Yeah, it's a supermarket. Yeah. Yeah, whatever. Okay. Brooks, do you have anything? I would only be able to grab two items because they're larger items, but I just, my friend sent me an email or, or uh, forwarded an email a couple days ago. There's a new bicycle. From a brand called Cole Nago, a road bike. They're $23,000 a piece.
Holy cow. Granted, this is not like no electric bike. This is the, you know, pretty much like the Porsche Ferrari of road bicycles. Sorry, but how I would grab two of those in a minute. At any point it'd be 20, $23,000. I don't know. But if I had a minute, that's what I'd be doing right there. Okay. I was gonna do like car dealership.
I thought, yeah. Could that work? What can you, but you could drive out one year. You do like a four, right? Well, I could just sign the paperwork in a minute. Pull. You cannot not do it in a minute. There's no way. Well, anyways, that was good. Okay. Good stuff. We got, we know you like biking. Target and Jamie and I like jewelry.
Jamie, next, next week's gonna come in high value. Yeah, I value. Okay. Okay. Well, every minute matters. We're gonna jump into that. Um, pastor Zach taught this week, and he taught from Colossians four. And then from Ephesians five. And had three main points. It was a really great message. I think we'll have a lot to talk about.
His first point was about kingdoms and then subway stops, and then expectations. And kind of following the line of thought, first of all with kingdoms is that we all have them. The kingdom is composed of a gospel and that good news and then followers. Um, so we'll unpack that a little bit more. And then Subway stops was just an analogy that Pastor Zach used from his own experience where we kind of.
Realize that we are all on a subway heading somewhere, heading in a bad direction far from God. And that in his grace and in God's mercy, he will at times that subway will come to a stop and invite us into his mercy and grace. And so where we've seen that and experienced that in our lives. And then lastly, expectations, and I just love this and the reality that.
I don't think any of us can, um, can out give, can OutServe can have more passion than God does for people knowing him and his kingdom coming here on earth. So that's kind of the recap of what we are looking at for the teaching. And so just to jump in, is there a key takeaway, something that stood out to you that we can start talking about?
Mm-hmm. I just immediately was just thinking about, Hey, you can't opt out of the mission of God. Mm-hmm. If you've placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. I think sometimes there's almost, we, we create this imaginary gap between my faith in Jesus and the action of fall. You know, what it looks like to follow him and Yeah.
Really there's, I think of, I was thinking of second Corinthians five when I, it's talking about if you've been reconciled by what Christ has done, made right in a relationship with God. Then it says you are an ambassador. Yeah. Of that. That is just the reality, your identity and your action, who you are, what you do.
So just even Zach's talking about, uh, you know, as a church, the things that God is doing here. Uh, if you're part of this church, if you're a follower of Jesus, you're in the game. You have to, there's no kind of Yeah. Uh, faith in Christ, uh, where you're allowed to be on the sidelines. Yeah. Um, if you're part of Christ, you're part of his body and you ought to be caring about his body.
Yeah. Yeah. Zach talked about the football team and saying every year there's a group of guys who are, they're part of the team, they're in the picture, they're wearing the uniforms. Uh, but they really don't experience the game. The game. Yeah. And, you know, at the, maybe at the end of the season, they're like, I didn't have a Greek season.
And his line from the sermon was, well, you didn't actually play. Uh, I think there's a line that has, or a quote that has stuck with me for a long time that when people say no to Jesus, they're rejecting, uh, not the real Jesus. A caricature Yeah. Of Jesus. Like, you know, a picture that they have in, in their mind because no one can see Jesus clearly as he really is.
Yeah. I think fully understand that and, you know, reject that. And I, but I also think mm-hmm. That when people walk away from Jesus. What they are doing is, I think they're walking away from an incomplete view of what it means to follow him. And so a little like what Brooks was saying, what Zach was saying in his sermon is I think some people, they live on the sidelines.
They experience this life on the sidelines. Maybe for a period of time, for a few years, and they're like, oh, this is kind of mediocre. Like, I'm, I, I don't know if this is really the best and fullest life. And then they say, I, I'm just gonna walk away. Right? I'm out. And I think that they're walking away from a, a caricature or an incomplete view of what it means to follow Jesus.
Yeah. So that was my takeaway. Right. And I think part of that is we don't, we don't actually believe that God will give us more. Than anything we could ask or imagine. So it really makes me think of Ephesians five 20, uh, or three 20, sorry. That says now to him, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to the power that is at work within us.
And I kind, it just made me think like, hey. There is not like whether or not we choose to get in the game or not, like God is always going to do more than we can ever think through. So my, I really was like, yeah, get in the game. 'cause you're gonna miss out. You're gonna miss out. I love that you talked about just the power I was reading this week about how powerful the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and just going.
Do I actually live in that? Mm-hmm. Truth and embrace the fact that like, no, God, because I, I don't wanna think, I think in this effort of like, I don't wanna think too much of myself, but it's nothing about me. It's all about God and his righteousness and who he is, and that he has put this power inside of us as Christians.
Mm-hmm. So, yeah, I think the only, it really just hit me, um, towards the end where he was talking about that just we won't ever be more passionate about reaching Right. Lost people than God is. Mm-hmm. And, and just. Realizing like, man, that should create such an urgency within me. Um, hey, thinking about every minute matters.
Yeah. But truly to go like, man, if I am not living with a sense of urgency because of what it really means to not know Jesus, um, man, that should just be so motivating to us. Yeah. And, and cause us to get in the game and all of those kinds of things. Yeah. So that's great. Yeah. Um, I love the metaphor of the subway.
Stop. I just thought it would be worth putting out there if there are any examples that you can think of, of when God did that for you or maybe so clearly in the life of someone that you know closely where he, the subway stopped, you were heading in one direction and that door opened and God's mercy and grace were really extended, um, in a real way that was evident.
I mean, I just think back to when I was in high school and first. Started following Jesus, like I was the person heading one direction, thought I had everything figured out in my life. God was no part of that. And, uh, had a person just continue to model. Hmm. A life with power. Yeah. You know what we were talking about?
Yeah. Like model a different way of living. That just caused me to ask why. Uh, and I think in many ways, like that was the first thing, like in, in a sense, like the train stopped and I'm like, wait a minute. Like what? It's different. There's something different here. Uh, and then as I saw that, that. Was Jesus, his, his name is Jeff.
And Jeff said like Jesus at the center of my life. And I remember being like, I don't understand everything about Jesus, but like if, if you say that he's at the center of your life. Like I'll give this a shot. Like I'm interested. So that was just like my life's headed this way. I had these plans of like where I was gonna go to college, what my life was gonna be about.
Zero of that was in alignment with cat's design for how I should live. And it was like s and everything that's cool changed at that point. That's great. Yeah. I think for me, I, I thought about it a little differently. Um, I think for me, the idea of the subway stop, like I can get really caught up in being a mom and raising my kids and doing that, and almost feeling like my successes are manifested through the successes of my kids.
Hmm. And I almost. Creating myself an identity that's connected there. Hmm. And not to who God is. And there was a moment where we, we experienced something really difficult with one of our kids and it really brought me to my knees because it was this thing of going, okay, either this is my fault. Yeah. I've caused this really hard thing.
Am I, is this become kind of like my gospel? Like is this what I decide or measure how important or how significant my life is? And really that, that very difficult, traumatic thing really brought me to my knees. And I remember God through his Holy Spirit really telling me like. Hey, Sarah, what do you believe about me?
And what do you believe about yourself? And it was that moment where I think it just like, it was like, Hey, you either believe that you are my daughter. Yeah. And your identity is based in that, or you don't, so you need to get off this train. That's going this way and turn around towards me. Yeah. So that was just something that was really significant my life.
I love both those examples because yeah, I think you can see it in, you know, maybe at the beginning of your testimony where you see God's invitation. Mm-hmm. But I think all along the way we can find ourselves as Christians. Oh yeah, yeah. Heading down in a direction where we're still moving away from God than where we should and mm-hmm.
Draws us back. It's like macro and, and micro. Mm-hmm. It's like, yeah. You know, there's a big picture level and then, but each of us, in every area of our life. Absolutely there. It's like there's a little mini micro train. Mm. Yeah. And in some areas of my life, maybe I'm moving in the direction I've said yes to Jesus, I trust you.
I'm gonna give this part of my life to you. And then there's some places where I'm like, I'm actually gonna ride my own train. Mm-hmm. In this area. Mm-hmm. And so, yeah. Absolutely. Mm-hmm. Well, I love the, um. Pastor Zach also talked about just kind of the kingdoms. Mm-hmm. And man, this was a powerful analogy to me and he talked first about the Barnes and Noble Magazine aisle, or one out, he said at least Thursday night.
He did. I did on Thursday. He did. But um, really we're. Kind of identifying that the gospel and what the king, what a kingdom of is made up of is the good news, the gospel, and then based and followers, right? Mm-hmm. And we see that happen. If you look at a magazine aisle, you can identify with the things that you resonate with.
You start to listen to the influencers when it comes to social media, the things that are populating. I know my Instagram every day, all day long. Start to become so focused in one area that, um, you know, we can realize like, okay, this is a, we all are believing a gospel. Mm-hmm. And there's the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And then there's all these other things that are also taking aim at us. Mm-hmm. Or we are taking aim at. So as you thought about that analogy where they're just different areas that resonate with you, convicted you, challenged you, um. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I, that was, uh, I mean, to your point, the sense of what a powerful starting point in conversation that can be, even with non-Christians.
That's true. Just a reminder that we are all being, I don't even know this is the word. We're all being gossiped 24 7. Mm-hmm. I saw this crazy stat, uh, talking about like, the average person in a big city sees like 5,000 ads a day. Oh my goodness. A day from their phone, from a bus station, from a subway, whatever it may be.
Right? And this idea. That the unique and the, the only gospel, uh, that does not require you to do something, to earn something. Mm-hmm. To achieve something is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like the, the playbook is completely flipped and that's one thing for me. I. I think, you know, you're listening to a podcast beyond the message of a church.
So most people would probably say, I aspir, you know, I aspire to follow Christ and to, I want to, I want that to be the gospel I follow. But for me, sometimes I just get distracted, uh, by and numbed by all of the other options around. And that's why I think it's just so important, uh, to consider when, uh. You know, the, the New Testament talks so frequently about standing firm, fixing your eyes on Jesus.
This sense of if you are not looking totally and in total devotion to Jesus, if you're distracted by other ways of, mm-hmm. Yeah. Living life, of finding fullness, uh, you are going to be missing out because only the gospel is where Jesus himself gives his life. For you. Um, it's just a complete kind of reverse of every other gospel we hear about, um, today.
Hmm. I, I mean, honestly, it made me think about what is, what fills my Instagram feed? Yeah. 'cause if I'm real about it, I, I could list out quite a few things. I'll list out a couple, but I mean, a ton of just health, fitness stuff, right? So I'm into that. I love that. I love, but the reality that, you know. This analogy made me think about was the amount of conversations, the amount of time spent, the amount of, um, other people that I dialogue with that are friends where we're talking in and around those things, or about different products or whatever it might be.
Mm-hmm. And and comparison to Jesus. Yeah. In comparison to that gospel. And, and, and, you know, how does it know to take aim at social media, know, to take, aim at me in those areas that they hear you talking about it. I get stuff about Jesus. Microphone is always on me too. I'm not gonna, you know, but going, man, that is, it was a powerful reminder of we are all believing things.
I become a follower of different, different things, different hobbies, whatever it might be. Um, and how are those, how do I need to reorient different things in my life? Right? Yeah. Yeah. So I really thought, oh, go ahead. Go on. No, I insist. Okay. For I, I know that the Holy Spirit gave this to me, but I kept thinking about this idea of stewardship.
So I was like, okay, what does that be? And I looked at the definition and it's the careful and responsible management of something that has been entrusted to one's care. So I think for a lot of us, we have been entrusted with the physical body we have. We have been entrusted with maybe the finances we've been given.
We have been entrusted with our kids, with our marriage. But what happens is, instead of us being. Careful and responsible with the management of that, we have led allowed those things to become the center of it all. Yeah, yeah. Right. And it's a scary word, but I think we're actually being discipled by those things.
Mm-hmm. It's, it's, and so I think what we have to do is there, there needs to be a reorientation of going, Hey, these things aren't bad. Physical health isn't bad. The money that God has given me is not bad. My kids are not bad, but it's how it's, it's that idea of the idol, right? Like something has become way more important to you than who God is or has become more beautiful.
Yeah. Than who God is. So I just think it's something that we have to be able to identify, but also conversation we should probably have. Pretty regularly. Yeah. If I'm being honest. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Paul will say like, you've traded. Mm-hmm. You know, and you've began to worship the creator thing instead of the creator.
Creator. Yep. And so I think our, just wrapping that up, I'm like, I think our algorithms. Probably one of the clearest litmus tests. That's right. Of the things that we put our hope into, like what our, what our functional gospel is. Mm-hmm. Because I think most of us would probably say, yeah, Jesus, yeah, I believe in that gospel, but like functionally when it really, when the rubber really hits the road, like, what am I actually putting my hope mm-hmm.
And my trust into. Yeah. That's good. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. So, um, I wanna talk about every minute matters for a little bit. So this has been a vision that we rolled out at the beginning of the year. Um, for us as a church. It, it. Looks like, you know, we are sensing this urgency to create every opportunity we possibly can to be intentional about reaching the next generation.
So that means there's physical things we're planning to do around our building, out on our property, creating space, and in all sorts of ways, especially for kids, a preschool, lots of that. Um. Again, I, I was connecting this into, again, remembering when Zach said that we are never gonna be more passionate than God is about reaching lost people.
And just to dialogue for a minute around that and what that looks like for each of us, or just at least a couple of us to step into that truth. What does it look like for us personally as we are leading different ministry areas? Um, as we think about every minute matters just being rolled out here at this church and projects starting to happen, which is super exciting.
Mm-hmm. So just unpack that for what do you think? I, I I just think it boils down, like, take a next step. Mm-hmm. So if you are someone who's regularly attending, but you're not a member, I would say become a member. Become a member. Yeah. If you're a member and you're here, but you aren't serving. Serve, or if you're not giving give, I just, I don't think it has to be this like, whoa.
But I do think, participate. Yeah. In what God is doing here and there's lots of ways you can do that. Take a step into the game. Yes, exactly. Yeah. That's what I would say. I can I just speak a little bit too? Evangelism. We talk about this in membership classes, so if you haven't gone to that, definitely take that step.
But I also think as you're living out in your, in our own lives, what it looks like to help reach lost people mm-hmm. He reach people that don't know Jesus. We've had a, uh, something here we often call like a plus three. And really it's just thinking about spaces you're in, where non-Christians are. Mm-hmm.
And being intentional. As, I mean, it feels like so normal, like it just should be what we do. But to be intentional about thinking about like, man, this is a space where I can engage with non-Christians and tell them my story, build relationships and because sometimes it can be overwhelming to be like, wait, how do I share Jesus with someone?
And, um, and, but it, it can be just. A simple different shift of a mindset and how you look at the spaces you're already in with non-Christians, and then by all means as well, like step into the life of this church, invite them into the life of this church, bring them here where the gospel can be made super clear if.
If even you're just not quite comfortable with some of that. Yeah. But yeah, I think you're, I think that sometimes it can be so almost, uh, disarming to feel like, man, how do I help be the light? And, you know, the, how do I help be part of God seeking and saving the loss? You're so important. Yeah. But to your point, it's, man, I, do you know how many people.
Uh, even for all of us, because, you know, we get a front row seat to what God's doing at the church. How many people start coming to our church because they say, man, it was such a friendly place when I showed up. Yeah. There was a cup of coffee for me. Like there were people were so kind. Even just the simple things of intentional.
Mm-hmm. Uh. Kindness. Yeah, right. Intentional decision of ordinary faithfulness to hold the door open for someone to start serving at the church and pouring a cup of coffee. Seems like it's so minor perhaps, but no, like that is part of someone's experience to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Um, there's no kind of small role in the church.
Mm-hmm. Because of God's plan of what he's doing is so big. Mm-hmm. And specifically just thinking of the heartbeat for kids and the next generation like we've been. Inviting, uh, some friends of ours to come to church for a couple years. They've dabbled, they've come and then they haven't, but they've been coming pretty consistently here for the last couple weeks, so, great.
And it's, there's a partnership. 'cause you know, we've been pursuing 'em and invited them. They've got four kids. I don't think that they come to this church or continue coming to this church if Sarah wasn't leading an incredible kid's ministry. Right. And I think the heartbeat is behind every minute matters is mm-hmm.
Like how do we make this as easy as possible? Right. Yeah. How do we make this space as accessible as possible for people so that everyone, mm-hmm in our church can. Jump off the sideline into the game and bring people to a place that they're gonna want to be at. And so, yeah. Love that. And I'm very thankful.
So I'll just take a moment and say, thank you for doing a great job with our kids' ministry. Yeah. Safe. That is the key, but I think that's the heart of every minute matter. It's Yeah, yeah. To create more and more of those opportunities. Yeah. Through turf fields and playgrounds and yeah. We'll do work on our end to try and make these spaces.
Yeah. Super inviting, super friendly and, and obviously Sarah and her team, we do need you. We do need you. Well, and and yeah. And that is, yeah. I mean, we wanna partner with our church community, like that's like kind of just. I feel like we keep saying the same thing over and over again, but like, get in the game.
Don't miss out, don't miss out on what God is doing and be part of it. 'cause just even like Zach said, like when you see those construction vehicles mm-hmm. And you've been part of it, you can say to your kids like, Hey, this is, this is, we're part of this. Those are our peoples. And so even when you're in the classroom or you're on the soccer field or pouring that cup of coffee, you can be like, I'm, I'm part of what God's doing here.
You know? Yeah. And so that's really cool. Typically, we always end with a challenge, but we kind of talked about this right before, and, and really, I mean. Pastor Zach gave a great challenge. Mm-hmm. And so just to be clear on that, that was, Hey, invite people. Right? So take that step to invite someone, figure out ways to build those relationships.
If you don't, um, we, any of us would be happy to talk to you more about that. Give and, and we're not apologetic about that. And I love what Pastor Zach said in that because it's like, Hey, it's not as if like. God doesn't need your money. He is clearly gonna provide for his plans, for his purposes. But there is something about investing yourself and something that God does when you begin to give mm-hmm.
In your own heart, that grows you into a place and grows you in your generosity. Which, you know, one of the things we often say is, uh, it's been said that the purse strings are like. The last step of discipleship, loosening those purse strings and going, you know, that is, that reality is, being generous is something that Jesus talks about over and over again.
Mm-hmm. Something just real quick. Yeah. And I realize I'm interrupting, but I was like, it was powerful and convicting. Like when Zach said that he's, he's like, I'm not as much worried about where this. Money is gonna come from where the resources are come from. But I'm worried about you. Yeah. That's why I'm gonna ask you to give.
And I was just like, yeah, that's true in the room. And thankful that as a church, like we care enough about people to say, we don't want you to stay on the sidelines. Mm-hmm. That's right. Sorry to enter. And, well, and the last one was. Serve. And yes, there's absolutely a need. We do need people to serve. But um, I would add to that and say that again.
It's a huge part of just growing in Christ. I believe you will love this church more. You'll have much closer friendships and relationships, and you will grow yourself as a person and your own passion and love for Christ. As you step into serving. So for sure it's a need, but it's, there's a reason that we make that a, a important part of our discipleship process here is not because we just have a hole to fill, but it's because there's a greater calling God has that's right for you.
And, and we want everyone to step into that and not miss out. So, yeah, sure. Yeah, that's actually the phrase I, I was thinking about the challenge that is the foundation beneath and over top of all of those three next steps would just be, don't miss out. Like take one of these, like do one of them wherever you're at.
Yep. Don't miss out. So it's funny you said that, grace. Bye a friend. Give, serve, do all those things. But it's been great. It's great to be back. Really good talk. Next week we start in the Rise Up series with First Peter. So excited for Beyond the message being back for that. Thanks guys. Thanks so much for tuning into Beyond the Message.
Before you go, please go ahead and subscribe and like so that you don't miss out next week, um, as we start our first Peter series Rise Up and that you won't miss any week after that. But all week long we have content for you, whether it's on our YouTube channel, on our website, or on our app, CCC app. So check out content there so that you can grow where you're at all week long.
We'll see you next time.