Bethlehem Lakeville Weekly Podcast

Traveling Light Part 4: Take Another Look. There are some things you can do to avoid causing offense to others, but keep in mind that there were plenty of people who took offense at what Jesus said and did. As it turns out, the "good news" of Christianity is offensive until you take another look to see yourself rightly. Message notes & discussion questions: https://bit.ly/3c2DNOB Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids Find other recent messages: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

Is unaddressed fear keeping you from traveling light? When you're afraid of losing something, your natural tendency is take offense as an act of defense. God shows a better way to deal with the parts of your life that are gripped with fear. Message notes: https://bit.ly/2LxYLKq Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids Find other recent messages: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

We live at a time when it's common to "cancel" someone if they wrong us or even disagree with us. It's quick. It's easy. It's final. And yet, it's not good. This week we are going to learn that letting go of offense is not about canceling people, but has a lot to do with canceling something else.

We live at a time when everyone seems to be offended by something or someone. Unfortunately, anger and outrage can be heavy weights to carry around with you. While we can't avoid every circumstance that will cause offense in the new year, we can choose not to carry around the weight. This is a series that will help you "travel light" as you begin 2021. Message notes: https://bit.ly/3b1yQVz Find other recent messages: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

Despite what the song says, the day of Jesus' birth was anything but silent and calm. It was just like any other day and his birth was just like any other human birth. The humbling circumstances of his birth can give you hope when life forces you into humbling circumstances of your own. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/3nNlbFr Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

Have you ever felt like a failure? It's amazing how fragile our self-image and self-confidence can be. The first people who heard the news of Jesus' birth were not the people you would expect. But in that audience, God has given great hope for people who don't get things right all the time. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/37XzTCL Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

An Unexpected Christmas Part 2: An Unexpected Pregnancy. Has your life turned out exactly the way you had expected? Probably not. Life's unexpected turns can be a source of heartbreak and disappointment. But they can also be evidence that there’s a greater plan for you than you could ever imagine. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/33LGW0d Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

When the apostle Matthew sat down to write an account of Jesus' life, everybody expected him to begin with a genealogy that traced Jesus' lineage. But what nobody expected were the extra details that God wanted Matthew to add. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/3mkeDgr Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

Do you think of generosity as a good thing or a bad thing? Generosity almost always has positive connotations, and yet, it's not always easy to be generous. There is a direct connect between your level of thanks and your level of generosity. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/3flzFsw Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

What does thankful look like? What many people think is that thankfulness is a feeling that comes and goes. But something powerful happens when you realize that thankfulness is much more than a feeling. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/2Uvdw1c Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

Thankfulness has been shown to have a positive impact in just about every area of life, but the challenges of life can make gratitude difficult to experience. You must learn the secret of contentment before you can be full of thanks. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/3k9bDlk Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

Talking Points Part 3: Faith over Fear. The political tone during this time brings more fear than excitement. In fact, political campaigns are often designed to instill fear. It's important to address fear head-on and to know why you don't need to let it permeate an election year. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/3jEVuE0 Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

These days, politics are incredibly polarizing. Assumptions are made about people based solely on their vote or political affiliation. If you are going to love people the way God wants you to, you need to learn to listen like Jesus did. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/2To4CSU Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

While the government and the church occasionally overlap on some issues, it is important to understand how God intended church and state to accomplish different things by different means. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/2T3KuVR Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

I Declare War Part 4: Anxious for Nothing. Everyone experiences anxiety, but for some, it can be crippling and overwhelming. The good news is that God offers hope in the midst of it and a path to navigate through it. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/2GULuZH Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

Have you ever noticed how two people can react to the exact same event in two very different ways? Winning the war within has everything to do with how you choose frame your thoughts. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/3ne3kHC Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

It’s been said that your life moves in the direction of your strongest thoughts. Sometimes that can work in your favor, but quite often your own thoughts can deceive you. Here's how to win the war against them. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/3mTnsyH Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

The hardest battles we fight can be the ones that go on inside of us. It’s good to get real with the struggles within and learn how to live as victors. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/2FT3yCZ Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

Praise has less to do with an awesome life and has more to do with an awesome God. Don't allow your problems to shape your praise. Use your praise to shape your problems. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/32pUY7y Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give NorthCross Kids: https://northcrossmn.org/kids View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages

In times when everything changes, it is normal to doubt your significance in this world. But what if that didn't matter? The story of a man named Bartimaeus shows what happened when a blind beggar dared to believe that he was significant to God. Message notes and discussion questions: https://bit.ly/3jTdc7o Give a one-time or recurring gift: https://northcrossmn.org/give View message series archive: https://northcrossmn.org/messages