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New Story Church

594 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 8 ratings

New Story Church meets Sunday mornings at 110 Valley Park Road, Phoenixville, PA. For more information, please visit our website: https://newstorychurch.life

Christianity Religion & Spirituality sermon christian gospel exposition dts spiritual paul anderson lucas rogers
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Episodes

Adventures in Missing the Point. Luke 9:51-62

March 24, 2024 14:00 - 42 minutes - 29.3 MB

Sometimes you can get it all right, and still get it all wrong. One of the occupational hazards of discipleship is doing the right things for the wrong reasons. In this second Lenten meditation from the Gospel of Luke, guest speaker, Duffy Robbins helps us to consider how easy it is to completely miss the point of the discipleship relationship with Jesus.

Defining the Relationship. Luke 9:18-27

March 17, 2024 14:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MB

What does it mean to be Jesus' disciple? Is it about church membership? Sunday attendance? Being in a small group? Wearing Christian shirts and bracelets? In a special two-week Lenten study from the Gospel of Luke, guest preacher, Duffy Robbins will help us "define the relationship".

Steak: The Taste of God's Lavish Goodness. Leviticus 3

March 10, 2024 15:00 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MB

Consuming red meat is not just a dietary choice. It is (and has always been) fraught with moral, political, economic, social, environmental, religious, and health implications. It's almost like eating the flesh of another creature has some unseen, but significant, effect on our world. In this message, we'll explore the spiritual significance of eating meat. According to the Scriptures, how might a medium rare filet help us experientially know God?

Oil: The Scent of God's Presence

March 03, 2024 15:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MB

When God's People experience the Presence of God, they start pouring oil on things. From oil covered pillars to beards dripping with oil to a woman pouring precious oil over the feet of Jesus, oil is everywhere in the Scriptures. Why? What did oil mean to them?  And how might oil help us experientially know - maybe even smell - the Presence of God? That's what we'll explore in this message.

You Are the Salt of the Earth. Matthew 5:13

February 25, 2024 15:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MB

When we ask Jesus: "Who am I?" He says: “You’re salt.” That's who you are. It's not the answer that most of us would expect. Nor is likely to be the first way most of us would self-identify. But, if we were to take this seriously, what might it mean? What does "salt" say about how Jesus sees you? And how might “salt” help us experientially know who God is, who we are, & how to make sense of this thing we call life?

Water: Hearing the Invitation of Jesus. John 7

February 18, 2024 15:00 - 49 minutes - 34.4 MB

If we ever hope to experientially know God the way that the saints of old knew Him, then we are going to need some help. We need a guide. This week, we are going to look to the Apostle John to give us some advice on how to experience the life-giving invitation of Jesus... through water. If it sounds a bit crazy that's because this is a wholly (& holy) different way of viewing things. But maybe with John's help (and some practice), we might begin to taste and see what he's tasting and seeing.

Water. Hearing the Invitation of Jesus. John 7

February 18, 2024 15:00 - 49 minutes - 34.4 MB

According to the Scriptures, you can’t just know about God. You have to experientially know God. You have to “taste & see” for yourself. In this series, we’re exploring what it might look like for us to taste & see God in the stuff of life. And this is bread week, the week in which we ask: How can we experientially know God through our daily bread?

Bread: Clinging to What Gives Us Life. Exodus 16

February 11, 2024 15:00 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MB

According to the Scriptures, you can’t just know about God. You have to experientially know God. You have to “taste & see” for yourself. In this series, we’re exploring what it might look like for us to taste & see God in the stuff of life. And this is bread week, the week in which we ask: How can we experientially know God through our daily bread?

Taste & See. Psalm 34:8

February 04, 2024 15:00 - 48 minutes - 33.7 MB

For millions of Americans, God no longer feels real. Collectively, we seem to be losing the capacity to know & experience God in a way that was common in the Scriptures and in the Church down through the ages. In this series, we're going to explore what it might look like for us to "taste & see" God in a way that is deeply personal, strangely sensual, overwhelmingly Biblical, and beyond dispute. Following a major theme through Scripture, we're going to talk about how to experience God throug...

Forgiveness.

January 28, 2024 15:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MB

Forgiveness is a community affair. Our extending it or withholding it, doesn't just impact us; it impacts everyone around us.  Jesus gives us a pattern to follow that helps us experience the freedom that comes from a life of extending grace toward those that hurt us.

The (Often Overlooked) Benefits of Suffering With Others.

January 21, 2024 15:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MB

Both biologically and Biblically, we have reason to believe that humans need to suffer. Not horrifically, but some. Stress, hardship, trials. These are necessary for your growth and development. If you want to fully become who you are created to be, you have to suffer, and you shouldn't do this alone. You need to suffer with other people. In this message, we'll explore how suffering with others is celebrated(?!) by the Biblical authors as a sure way to become more like Jesus and find the lif...

3 Years and 219 Hours.

January 14, 2024 15:00 - 46 minutes - 32.2 MB

3 years. When someone shows up at our church, that's how long we expect them to stay before a new job, a new house, or some life transition moves them away. 219 hours. According to a 2019 study from the University of Kansas, that's about how long it takes to develop a close friendship. Our vision to be a church where life transformation is normal seems to keep bumping into these two numbers. Deep life transformation requires deep relationships, and deep relationships requires time... which i...

Naked & Unashamed

January 07, 2024 15:00 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MB

Neuroscientists, Moses, and the Apostle Paul agree: Other people are the problem... and the solution. Both. If you let other people see you for who you really are, they might hurt you. (They probably will.) But it's also true that other people are the solution. The only way to undo what has been done to you is with the help of other people. They must see you for who you really are. Hmm. What do you do with that? And what does Jesus have to do with that? That's what we'll explore in this mess...

Can I Get Into Your Boat? Luke 5:1-11

December 31, 2023 15:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MB

“New Year’s Resolutions,” you say? Hmmm, don’t they always seem to run out of gas before we hit February? No real changes. How about a different approach? This Sunday we’re going to let Jesus work us over a bit, just like he did Peter in Luke 5:1-11. Peter’s life was busy, calibrated…and predictable. Jesus had something else in mind for Peter and his future. Jesus’ words and actions in this interchange/encounter with Peter set a whole new course and dimension of life for him. It all started ...

Looking for God in a Godless World. Matthew 2

December 17, 2023 15:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MB

If you are looking for a guide to help you find God in a world where he seems oddly absent, you can hardly do better than Matthew. This tax collector-turned-disciple helps us see how God shows up in a world of mass killings, refugees, & crazy leaders; a world like ours. He helps us see how God is still at work in our lives today.

When God Asks You to Make an Unthinkable Sacrifice. Genesis 22

December 10, 2023 15:00 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MB

In Genesis 22, God politely asks Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, and Abraham does it. This is a story that has been called absurd, abusive, and immoral... and yet, it remains a story that we cannot shake off or just ignore. There's a reason for this: We need it. We cannot come to peace with God, ourselves, or the journey of faith without this story. This is the story of a God who provides what we cannot provide and sees what we cannot see. The question is: Can we follow a God that we c...

Why Are You So Beautiful? Leah's Story

December 03, 2023 15:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MB

In the spring of 2018, Leah's life looked perfect. She had written books, trained 1000s of leaders, and was married to a "celebrity" among Christians of SE Asia. But then, that August, his secret sin was discovered, and Leah's world crumbled. Since that time Leah has been on a journey of discovery and grief; brokenness and healing; pain and beauty. This Sunday, we are going to pause to listen to the story that God is writing in Leah's life in the hopes that we might begin to better hear His ...

Fear Threatens Everything You Love. Genesis 20-21

November 26, 2023 15:00 - 42 minutes - 29.5 MB

In Genesis 20 and 21, we come to what should be the climax of Abraham’s story. The long-awaited promise of a son is going to be fulfilled! And yet, at the very moment when Sarah & Abraham receive the miracle they’ve waited for their whole lives, they both become gripped with fear. A terrible fear. The kind of fear that makes you selfish, defensive, and sinful. The kind of fear that threatens to ruin everything and undo the very  thing that God has promised to do… In this place of fear, the q...

Dragged Kicking & Screaming to Salvation. Genesis 19

November 19, 2023 15:00 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MB

In Genesis 19, the story of how God judges Sodom and saves Lot... and we aren't sure which is more shocking. The only thing more shocking than God's judgement is His mercy. At least, the destruction of Sodom was just and justified. But, why would God save Lot? He does not appear to be a particularly upstanding person. His moral judgement is suspect. His offer to let his daughters be raped… is unthinkably evil. And we're not even sure that he wants to be saved. In the end, the angels have to ...

Eat, Laugh, Pray. Genesis 18

November 12, 2023 15:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MB

At first glance, Genesis 18 appears to be a random story about three men who unexpectedly show up at Abraham's tent for a late lunch so that they can tell Sarah something. But then, about half way into the chapter, we pick up that these aren't just men... and this isn't just a meal. This is a picture of what it means to be a "friend of God." If we want to know what “friendship with God” looks like, this might be a good place to start.

The DTR (Define the Relationship) Talk. Genesis 17

November 05, 2023 14:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MB

In Genesis 17, God stops everything. The storyline comes to a screeching halt. God wants to have a DTR (define the relationship) talk with Abraham. This chapter is a foundational text. It gives us language for what it means to have a personal relationship with God. As such, it will not only shape & define Abraham's relationship with God, it will give shape and definition to your relationship with God.

The God Who Sees Me. Genesis 16

October 29, 2023 14:00 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MB

What do you do when you are gripped by fear and powerless to change things? When we pick up the story in Genesis 16, Abram and Sarai are beyond desperate. They have been waiting more than a decade for God to fulfill His promise, so Sarai decides that God needs her help. She tells Abram to sleep with her servant, Hagar, and what follows is a tragedy: wounded people wounding people. This too is part of the journey of faith. But, thankfully, there is a God who knows you by name, seeks you out, ...

Look Up & Count the Stars. Genesis 15

October 22, 2023 14:00 - 51 minutes - 35.1 MB

How do you know that you can trust God when you cannot comprehend what He is doing? In Genesis 15, we find Abram, the father of faith, afraid and full of doubt. He's trying to make sense of God's promises, but they still do not make sense. Here, in this place of darkness and doubt, God says to Abram, "Look up at the night sky and count the stars." And Abram believed God. In this message, we'll explore how this profoundly simple story shows us what it means to have full faith in God even if w...

3rd Day

October 15, 2023 14:00 - 56 minutes - 38.5 MB

Today, we are excited to welcome a missionary leader from India who serves on the Lead Team of Concentric, an alliance of ministries across the globe who do disciple making movements according to the Jesus lifestyle.

Recapturing the Why Of Reaching the Unreached. II Kings 6:24-7:9

October 08, 2023 14:00 - 45 minutes - 31.1 MB

Life is full of decisions. Every choice I make, sometimes unconsciously and often without examination, evidences the set of priorities that have taken root in my heart.  What are God’s priorities and how can I tap into them? This week we will be led into the Scriptures and into the lives of two Indian friends who are Christians living God’s mission in their own country as we rediscover God’s loving heart for people far from Him, why that matters, and what is being done to bring people who ar...

Two Ways of Seeing. Genesis 13 and 14

October 01, 2023 14:00 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MB

Our desires can blind us. The promises of wealth, success, and pleasure can stop us from seeing the promises of God. In Genesis chapters 13-14, Lot and Abram show us two very different ways of "seeing." Lot looks at what he thinks is paradise and moves his family straight into hell. Abram surrenders his desires to God and sees the promise of life with God. In this message, we'll explore why some things can only be seen on the other side of surrender.

You Are Just Like Your Father. Genesis 12

September 24, 2023 14:00 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MB

The story of Abraham & Sarah is not just some Middle Bronze Age story about a nomadic patriarchal, tribal couple.  This is the story of the father of faith, of the journey of faith, of the family of God.  And, if you have heard the promise of God, are on the journey of faith, consider yourself a child of God… this isn’t just Abraham's story. It’s yours. This is our family history. In this message, we'll meet Abraham & begin to see how his heroic faith (& heroically bad sin) shapes our presen...

Practicing the Presence of God

September 17, 2023 14:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MB

If we are not careful, we can become so busy that Jesus Himself could literally show up at your house, plop down on your couch, and you would totally miss Him. It would be just another busy, stressful, anxious, frustrating day. That's the story of Martha in Luke 10, and that's the story that many of us are living. In this message, we will introduce the practice of the Presence of God, exploring how believers down through the ages have cultivated a life-changing awareness of God's presence in...

Birds, Flowers, and the Anxiety Epidemic. Matthew 6

September 06, 2023 12:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MB

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us: "Do not worry." He says it four times in a row. If you've ever struggled with anxiety, this might sound tone deaf or harsh. But Jesus doesn't leave it there. He gives us a resource for addressing our anxiety: the Book of Creation. He seems to think that if we could learn to read creation the way one reads a book, our anxieties would (with time and practice and growth) fade away. In this final message on the Book of Creation, we'll explore how God u...

How (In)Gratitude Transforms Our Lives. Romans 1

August 27, 2023 14:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MB

The modern world has blinded us to the goodness of creation, and it's destroying us. In this message, we'll explore how our experience of the goodness of God in all things - what we call gratitude - profoundly shapes us, literally reshaping our brains and spiritually reshaping our souls.

Looking for God Like a Madman. Psalm 104

August 20, 2023 14:00 - 54 minutes - 37.8 MB

What would it look like to see the universe through the eyes of an ancient believer? In Psalm 104, the Psalmist sits in awe of God's work in creation and has a vision of the life that bursts forth in gratitude & peace, fear & worship. While we may never see the universe the way an ancient Israelite sees it, is it possible to catch a glimpse of that vision of life? Can we learn to see God at work in all things the way he did?

The Book of Creation. Psalm 19

August 13, 2023 14:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MB

The early church fathers spoke of "the book of creation." Just as a book contains the words of the author, creation itself is a book written by God. Reality is pregnant with meaning. It is a personal expression of a personal God. Everything has meaning. Everything points us to Him. Using Psalm 19 as our guide, we will explore how to read the book of creation so that this ancient vision of life gets into us and, through us, brings wonder, gratitude, and peace to our modern world.

Looking For And Finding Life. The Gospel of John Ch. 1 & 2

August 06, 2023 14:00 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MB

We’ll be looking at Chapters 1 & 2 in John’s Gospel to discover, or perhaps re-discover, how absolutely AWESOME Jesus is. He is both Infinite & all-powerful (see John 1:1-5) AND Intimate, accessible and personal (1:29-51). The main point we’ll try to get is, “It is only to the degree that we are CAPTURED BY and LOVE (and LIKE!) JESUS, that we truly COME ALIVE and become TRANSFORMED and IMPACTFUL people.” www.newstorychurch.life

God Will Never Forget You! 1 Samuel 11:20

July 30, 2023 20:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MB

Have you ever had someone provoking you? Is someone deliberately trying to upset you? Most of us can handle this for a time or two, but what if this goes on for months or years? What if we start to feel forgotten by God? Hannah was such a woman who lived in an extraordinary situation with extreme hostility and provocation. How did she handle this? What did she do? From 1 Samuel 1:1-20, you will learn how to handle difficult situations and see a tremendous promise from God. www.newstorychurc...

Laodicea, You Cannot See Yourself Clearly Without Help. Revelation 3:14-22

July 23, 2023 14:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MB

The church of Laodicea is full of highly capable people who are confident that they can succeed in life without help from anyone... even Jesus. Their success has blinded them to their true spiritual condition. Their lives have drifted away from Jesus - He's not even invited to their church services anymore - and no one seems to have noticed. In this letter, Jesus forces them (& us) to face the reality that we cannot see ourselves clearly without help.  newstorychurch.life

Philadelphia. Small But Powerful. Revelation 3:7-13

July 16, 2023 14:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MB

"Never judge a book by its cover" is a modern-day saying, but over 2,000 years ago, the apostle John said essentially the same thing. The small, run-down, persecuted ancient church of Philadelphia was filled with Nike Christians (really!) who were faithful pillars in their community. Despite external appearances, this tiny and faithful church had the keys to God's kingdom, while other larger churches with more earthly status were judged as faithless, compromised and even dead! Summary: Be N...

Sardis, When Life Is Most Comfortable, We Are Most Tempted Revelation 3:1-6

July 09, 2023 14:00 - 45 minutes - 31.1 MB

In ancient Sardis, history has a way of repeating itself. They seem stuck in a cycle of getting comfortable... too comfortable. Eventually, they get so distracted and so busy that they forget to guard against their enemies and their city falls. In Revelation 3, it sounds like history is about to repeat itself again. Except this time, it's not the city of Sardis that's about to fall. It's the church. newstorychurch.life

Thyatira, It’s Not Loving to Affirm Sin. Revelation 2:18-29

July 02, 2023 14:00 - 46 minutes - 32 MB

If the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) was full of fundamentalists who loved God's Word but hated people, this church would be just the opposite. They were super loving, affirming, and active in the community. Really, really nice people. But they also tolerated some things that seemed to directly contradict the Word of God... and Jesus wants to talk to them (& us) about this.  newstorychurch.life

Pergamum, Watch for the Second Attack. Rev 2:12-17

June 25, 2023 14:00 - 50 minutes - 34.6 MB

If you had to choose: "Renounce Jesus or die." Would you die for Jesus? In that moment, many of us would choose to die.... or, at least, we hope we would. But what if the test you face is less about dying for Jesus and more about living a life of dying to your own desires… for the sake of Jesus? In His letter to Pergamum, Jesus warns them (and us) against thinking that if Satan isn't trying to kill us, then we're safe. If he cannot destroy you, he’ll try to make you self-destruct. If he cann...

Smyrna, Do Not Fear Suffering. Revelation 2:8-11

June 18, 2023 14:00 - 54 minutes - 37.2 MB

In His letter to the church at Smyrna, Jesus writes: “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.” He writes this as the Roman government is getting ready to hunt them down & kill some of them. It’s a bit jarring. In this message, we'll explore how Jesus gave these early Christians courage, peace, and even joy in the face of unthinkable suffering... and how He wants to do this for us too. newstorychurch.life

Dear Ephesus, You Cannot Love the Bible and Hate People Revelation 2:1-7

June 11, 2023 14:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MB

At the end of the first century, the churches faced immense cultural pressure to conform to the world's values and ways. Some churches held firm to the teachings and way of Jesus... and were hated, rejected, & persecuted. Other churches compromised with the world... and lost their reason for existing. So, Jesus wrote them (& us) letters to help us overcome the world without becoming like the world. This week, we'll look at His letter to the church of Ephesus, a church that held tightly to th...

How to Stand Against the Devil's Schemes Ephesians 6:10-20

June 04, 2023 14:00 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MB

What happens when a modern, iPhone-using, Starbucks-drinking, Netflix-watching, well-educated American picks up the Bible & finds that the Apostle Paul believes this world is controlled by the Devil? Do you laugh, do you hide in fear, or do you start to pray? That's the question we'll consider as we close out this study of Paul's letter to the ancient Ephesians.  newstorychurch.life

Remembering Grace

May 28, 2023 14:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MB

Wouldn't it be amazing if God were not mad at me? Wouldn't it be life-changing if his acceptance for me was not contingent on my making the grade; my living up to a behavioral standard empowered by my sincerity, my perseverance, my full-hearted fervency, and my sold-out determination? How would it change my life if God told me that he loves me as much as he loves Jesus? What if grace was real? Let's see this morning. newstorychurch.life

Slavery & the Church. Ephesians 6:5-9

May 21, 2023 14:00 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MB

Why doesn't the Apostle Paul openly denounce the institution of slavery?  Only when we've grappled with this question of justice can we begin to appreciate why Paul seems to think that spiritual slavery is an even more pressing issue. newstorychurch.life

Children, Parents, & Jesus. Ephesians 6:1-4

May 14, 2023 14:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MB

The parent-child relationship is central to life. It forms you from birth. And, if you happen to have kids, you form them in ways that you cannot imagine. (Maybe you dare not imagine.) In this message, we talk about how Jesus  redeems these most basic, most human of relationships that we might experience "the life that is truly life."  newstorychurch.life

How Jesus Changes Your Marriage. Ephesians 5:21-33

May 07, 2023 14:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MB

In marriage, women & men behave, think, feel, are… different. We shouldn't overstate this, or attempt to overly define roles based on these differences. But differences there are. How we relate to one another in these differences can be a matter of great pleasure or horrific pain. In our message today, we'll explore how Jesus's changes marriage and redeems it... so that you can more fully reflect God's love to God and to one another.  newstorychurch.life

Resurrection Family. Acts 2

April 30, 2023 14:00 - 49 minutes - 33.7 MB

As part of our New Story Missions focus, we welcome Mike Harder to share with us.  Could there be more to life than chasing personal achievement or rising to the top of your career? Could there be more than simply accumulating personal power, money or accolades? Could God give you a mission worth your life? In the book of Acts, Luke says yes. God not only calls us to a life with greater purpose and meaning; He gives us the special gift of His Spirit to help us in this new mission. This mess...

How God Uses Everyone

April 23, 2023 14:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MB

Soldier. Athlete. Farmer. 2 Timothy 2:1-7

April 16, 2023 14:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MB

"If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live," MLK. Before he is executed, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy to give him (and us) some perspective on the mission that we find ourselves caught up in. It is hard and costly. To be part of it means that you will suffer. It might cost you your life. And... it's worth it. It's so very worth it.

It's Personal. John 11

April 09, 2023 14:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MB

For the Apostle John, the vast, epic story of Easter cannot be separated from that which is most personal. Every resurrection story he tells is (almost awkwardly) intimate. We find Jesus meeting Mary in her shame, Thomas in his doubts, and Peter in his denial. When we probe John and ask, "Why? Why do you want us to see Easter in such deeply personal terms?" Rather than answer directly, John tells us a story about Jesus meeting two dear sisters and their dead brother in the house of suffering.

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