Love God • Love One Another
383 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsPresenting the audio recordings of Messiah Lutheran Church, Yorba Linda, CA. Listen now for fresh, inspiring, and instructional messages. Discover ways to live out your mission to Love God • Love One Another. Visit www.messiahyl.com to connect and learn more.
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Episodes
Financial - Priorities
January 26, 2020 19:39 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBMoving from comfort to trust is the starting point of faith. Like a hermit crab we need to be open to growing out of our comfortable shell. What are the ways we can embracing a better and more holistic life? Consider the healthy habits of accounting, budget, saving, contentment, and generosity...each based on living under God's overflowing love. #livegenerously #messiahyl
Fitness - Priorities
January 19, 2020 19:09 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBHow can you serve well if your own care is neglected? Everyone needs assistance, but some self-love and self-care is also required. Life is a maintenance endeavor and spiritual, mental, and physical fitness are a part of it. We are created in God's image and having a heart for God includes loving the body he has given you...in whatever form and stage of life you inhabit it. Could you improve in a small way to enhance your appreciation for your self? #selfcare #messiahyl
Faith - Priorities
January 12, 2020 19:20 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBDoes doubt have a place in faith? Perhaps surprisingly, Yes! Unanswered questions in our circumstances are opportunity to seek answers and embrace mystery larger than ourselves. Fear and doubt are part of our life, but no our foundation. The opposite side of the same coin is courage and faith. Jesus came to earth to show and say, "I love you...fear not!" #DoNotBeAfraid #messiahyl
Family - Priorities
January 06, 2020 03:40 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBWhen we love someone, the best thing we can offer is our presence. How can we love if we are not actually present? Unplug from devices and be present by listening and talking with others. #PrioritizePresence #messiahyl
The New Year is Coming - New Year's
December 29, 2019 21:43 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBOn the cusp of a new year...and at the doorway of a brand new decade, what is your outlook? Do you need a "do over"? a mulligan perhaps? God's grace provides a fresh start opportunity for you! Lament your losses, but lift your eyes to look at the future with God's 20:20 vision. You belong to him! #HappyNewYear #messiahyl
Christmas Eve - The Thrill of Hope!
December 25, 2019 14:54 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBWe all have a deep longing to belong. Sometime in the silence of this Christmas we hope you will discover that you are the first one picked tonight—the very one that God pursues. God's only Son, Jesus, was given for you! The gap between our restless heart and our home is not a place but a person. We find completeness when we move closer to a God hug...to feel at home. #HomeForChristmas #messiahyl
Luke's Story - The Thrill of Hope!
December 23, 2019 01:21 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBQuestions about the Christmas story poke us this time of year. Do we ever pretend to understand? Have you ever quietly wondered, "is it all real?" Angels? Wisemen following a star? Virgin birth? If your mind has ever taken you in irreligious uncomfortable directions, take note of today's message. There is something heartening about the account of the life of Jesus (even if the birth circumstances are right now hard to reason)...#LukesStory #messiahyl
Your Story - The Thrill of Hope!
December 15, 2019 19:38 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBIs it possible have a greater love capacity than God? As law breakers we find ourselves outcast and mired in a debt/debtor relationship. Even so, we were sought out, adopted, and redeemed from our debt! Now we have the intimate embrace of a loving "daddy" and his Holy Spirit in our life. We are loved without condition; loved without bounds—fully, part of the family. Debt-free...that's our story. #LiveYourStory #messiahyl
Hope4Kids Story - The Thrill of Hope
December 08, 2019 20:23 - 38 minutes - 35 MBHave you ever prayed to be more like Jesus? Maybe that aspiration was to be more moral or to sin less. Being more like Jesus actually looks more practical. Jesus loved the people that no one wanted. God's mercy for our shortcomings is ours, too. Because of the love we've received, we can extend mercy to others. May the power of Christ transform you daily into the generous person you were designed to be. Acknowledge God's love and experience the thrill of hope. #Hope4Kids #messiahyl
Zechariah's Story - The Thrill of Hope
December 01, 2019 19:42 - 27 minutes - 25 MBIn seasons of waiting, what keeps us true to our faith? Why carry on? There are seasons in life when it feels like God is not near...not yet, not soon, not in sight, not sure. However, it is only perspective that obscures our view of the truth. Time is God's domain...and, the promise of "God with us" is certain in every moment of our life. In Zechariah's story we see an apparent lifelong patience and silence turned to joy! #SilenceIsNotAbsence #messiahyl
Community - Fear Not!
November 24, 2019 19:57 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBHave we lost the ability to love (be loved) and like (be liked) by other people? Is our worldly partiality overwriting our unity? The church God envisions is the "assembled one," individuals gathered together—a community of people. As in the feeding the 5,000+, Jesus didn't ask "which team are you on? rather, "what is your need?" Living on God's terms, our role is to listen to the needs of others...and meet them. #LifeOnGodsTerm #ISeeTheCrowd #messiahyl
Challenge - Fear Not!
November 17, 2019 19:40 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBWhat is our level of contentment in good situations...and bad situations? In your mind, are they the same threshold? What is your mindset of generosity...not enough to go around (scarcity) or the more you give, the more there is to give (abundance)? The art of living well is spending the coins we get wisely. We were created to be irrationally generous. Life is often reordered to draw us toward God. #generousinallthings #messiahyl
Consecrated - Fear Not!
November 10, 2019 19:38 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBTouched by the lives of those that serve, we pause to give appreciation to our Veterans and Chaplains! We see you...and we thank you! Receiving the peace of God and strength for the day faithful people serve. Always moving close to those in need Jesus whispers "fear not, peace be to you, and do not be afraid!" In harm's way, we pray: "Run, Jesus, Run! to me...and to those who serve! #Veterans #Chaplains #messiahyl
Capacity - Fear Not!
November 03, 2019 20:11 - 31 minutes - 29 MBHave you ever been surprised by what comes from tiny things? From little seeds come gigantic trees! From a few fish and scraps of bread, God makes miracles! Everything in creation is designed to be more. As we trust in Gods' vision of what could be in ourselves, in others, and in our circumstances, we unlock and God’s unlimited capacity. We are designed to be the tiny seeds of great generosity. #bolo #messiahyl
Reformation - Influencer
October 27, 2019 18:54 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBYou can't buy what God wants to give you for free. Forgiveness, peace, and saving grace are yours...but it isn't once-and-done! We are a reforming people and we are still a reforming church. Our current "Jesus movement" opportunity is coming to know the authentic Jesus of Nazareth (not a culturally convenient Jesus) then becoming an influencer—loving God and loving one another. #gamechanger #messiahyl
Bearing Fruit - Influencer
October 20, 2019 19:01 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBWhy is it we can easily recommend a favorite movie that moves us, but shy from telling people about God? Perhaps we feel "God conversations" are too deep or too wide a subject. The Holy Spirit has gifted you in your uniqueness to tell your story of God's love; all we need to be is open to sharing what God is doing for you. Pray that God will bring an an opportunity to be asked this week by someone how God loves you. #bearingfruit #messiahyl
Light of the World - Influencer
October 13, 2019 20:59 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBDo we have the power to influence others? We do...and that power actually comes from God. What are our opportunities for shining light into the lives of others? These could be large and small..some even today. Let's be the reason someone loves Jesus, not the reason they hate Christians. May we always seek to bring forth grace, forgiveness, kindness, and hope, drawing on your strength, Lord, to be an influencer—a light—to all the world. #LightUp #messiahyl
Who Will be a Witness for My Lord? - Witness
October 06, 2019 19:45 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBWhat is your reality view? From what media source or perspective do you get it? As we acknowledge and appreciate the depth of God's love we see how monumental Jesus' personal sacrifice was for us and how insignificant our own trophies and accomplishments really are. If you are looking through the Christian lens...nothing except Jesus Christ, and him crucified...you don't need to worry about your status or reputation in the world. #SeeingThroughNewLenses #messiahyl
Mission, Values, and Vision - Prove It!
September 29, 2019 18:23 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBWhat to do? How to do it? It really depends first,...on why? Our mission, values, and vision at Messiah are founded on what Jesus referred to as the greatest (and new) commandment: Love God and Love One Another. As we come to know the love of God that surrounds us, our purpose becomes clear. The most basic footwear of live is to love God most so we can love others best. #IKnowWhyIWearShoes #messiahyl
What Love Looks Like - Prove It!
September 22, 2019 18:26 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBDo you ever feel a bit like Eeyore? "Days. Weeks. Months. Who knows?” An assurance of love is a gift God offers into this void...it's all we need: no more, no less. We have this gift to be ok, ourselves; yes, and we have a deeper responsibility, too, to be a light in the dark shadows of other's lives. Like Pooh and Piglet did, we can sit beside loneliness. Even Eeyore knows, “a little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” #LoveOneAnother #messiahyl
Our Obedience to God - Prove It!
September 15, 2019 16:34 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBWhat is the Real Thing? It's more than Coca-Cola. It's knowing our eternal value and purpose! God provides healthy, safe, wholesome, and live-giving guidance for living. When we spend ourselves in gratitude for and obedience with God's plan...our purpose becomes clear, our opportunities apparent, and our fulfillment wildly abundant. #ObedienceIsFreedom #messiahyl
My Life is My Witness - Prove It!
September 08, 2019 18:27 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBHow can we know God exists? How do we experience God? ...even develop an intimacy and friendship with God? The disciples who wrote the Bible's new testament gospels draw from a common personal experience with God. Jesus made a real difference in the lives of people as documented in eye-witness accounts. So it is also today, God is transforming us. His words are life. How might I better carry and present myself as a witness? #LetYourLightShine #messiahyl
Sabbath - Resting in God
September 01, 2019 18:26 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBThe Sabbath is more than us resting. It's a renewing of our spirits, understanding our work, and family time. Work is important to us. A lot of the meaning of our life is our work. We work as if we are working for God. Our work should be honorable to God. What are we weary from? How do we find rest? Sabbath is not just Sunday. We can find Sabbath in little chunks throughout the week.
Appreciation - Live Generously
August 25, 2019 18:17 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBGiving more than you receive is a godly virtue. Our blessings and our freedom to live generously come from the provisions of God. Our ability to stand in the body of Christ comes from God accepting us into the family...a family joined under the bearable yolk of Christ—a yolk of love. Coming to know our precious acceptance as immigrants to God's family, we are emboldened and capable of accepting and appreciating others, too. #FreedomGives #Healing #messiahyl
Hospitality - Live Generously
August 20, 2019 01:26 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBGenerous acts are twitches not tweets. In a disconcerting world we are called to be honest with our maker (not hiding) and generous to others (showing radical hospitality to those in need). "Where are you?" God knowingly asks. Woodstock once heralded unconditional love for everyone. Yet long before, God demonstrated in Jesus the desire, work, and suffering it takes to become "enthused"...to have "God in you." #TingedWithUnhingedJoy #messiahyl
Priorities and Capacity - Live Generously
August 11, 2019 18:31 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBWhy be limited by our own potential? Even our best efforts fall far short of our true capacity. We have God's guarantee of limitless capacity for spreading joy, bringing light, sharing provision, and living abundantly. The story of a little boy bringing a meager lunch of fish and bread to Jesus shows what God consecrates can become enough for all. #LimitlessCapacity #messiahyl
Now and Then - Live Generously
August 04, 2019 20:41 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBHow concerned are you about the future? When it comes to having enough, how much is enough? It depends on priority, of course. Godliness is a God focused, forward-thinking approach. Godliness and contentment are where peace comes from...not complacency, but joy from making eternal investments. All we have comes from God. My blessings and my generosity show my responsive heart. #EnoughIsEnough #messiahyl
Be a Disciple - We Are One
July 28, 2019 21:19 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBOur ability, intellect, and good looks, or lack thereof, are not a qualification for being a child of God. We are capable people and disciples solely on our relationship...a life of love, purpose, and belonging is ours despite human acceptance. We are fit and ordained for service with all our infirmities and diseases. #WhoGodLoves #messiahyl
We All Need Jesus - We Are One
July 21, 2019 16:59 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBYou may be working harder than needed...if you're doing things to earn God's favor! You're already enough...just as you are. Striving to do what is right is our aim, but it doesn't bring more love. You are already loved, you are already accepted. There isn’t one person in this world that I want more than I want you. –God #WeAllNeedJesus #messiahyl
Tower of Babel - We Are One
July 14, 2019 18:20 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBAn amazing race we are...and an amazing race we are in. The human race is one global family. It is smaller, more connected, and more integrated than ever before. We are all on one shared journey: a finite life together, a hope for peace, and the pursuit of lasting love. Language barriers are transcended by the unifying force which is love of God flowing down to us and then to others. #OneInTheSpirit #messiahyl
Created In God's Image - We Are One
July 07, 2019 19:12 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBDo we strive to shape God into our image (what we expect and want)? How might we better reflect our creaturely status—to honor who God is and what God does? We were created male and female in God's image, and God said it was "VERY GOOD!" Humankind was established as the world's most valuable piece of creation with responsibility to be good stewards of everything else. We are image bearers of God love; extending our creator's embrace for the entire world. This is a divine and sacred task. #Im...
Turned the World Upside Down - Empowered
June 30, 2019 19:34 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBHow comfortable are you? Is stability and avoiding change an everyday goal? What if God wants us to go to Mars Hill? How does living into our faith spur us to equip ourselves to go out and turn this world upside down? When death becomes resurrection and life, the world is turned upside down. When grace is our gift, received and given, the world is turned upside down. #UpsideDown #YouWin #messiahyl
No Longer Afraid - Empowered
June 23, 2019 18:25 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThings happen in the name of Jesus. While on earth, Jesus cast demons from a man into pigs; later Peter healed a crippled man and raised a young girl from the dead...all in Jesus name. Jesus is the cornerstone, the ebenezer (stone of help) on which we our saved. The wideness of God's love is beyond our comprehension. His name gives courage through times as tough as cancer. No longer afraid, I wanna be in the room where it happens. #SoHealed #messiahyl
Empowered by the Spirit - Empowered
June 16, 2019 18:56 - 19 minutes - 18 MBWhat is the story that shapes your life and thinking? Is it all about gracious living? Follow your passion, chart your own course, follow your dreams...does that story give you the guidelines for success? The story of individualism affects and infects us all. The JESUS story is a story with the Spirit of the living God and losing yourself for the greater good...and find joy! #OpenHearts #MyJesusStory #messiahyl
Holy Spirit Here Now - Empowered
June 09, 2019 18:38 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBTrue empowerment is the Holy Spirit's gift to followers of Jesus. The world drops challenging circumstances, foists negative attitudes, and creates distracting reasons to become de-motivated. Jesus knew that we needed help and today we celebrate the Holy Spirit come down to earth and to us at Pentecost. Pay attention...listen to God's Holy Spirit; it's going to get better. #onfire #spiritfilled #messiahyl
Great Commission - Empowered
June 02, 2019 18:36 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBBaptism is one of the "go do" commissions given by Jesus to his disciples and to us before he went up into heaven after his resurrection. Jesus' resurrection demonstrates God's desire and promise to be with us always. Challenging to believe; amazing when we do. God accepts us even when we have questions. His love is bigger than our doubts. You are greatly loved. #Immersed #messiahyl
Good But Not Perfect Heart
May 26, 2019 19:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBHow do you mend a broken heart? Deceitful heart? Wounded heart? Mixed-bag heart? David had a heart after God's own heart...but David's was not a perfect heart. When my heart becomes mired in fog (even by my own doing), I need be reminded not how bad I am—I need to be reminded how much I am loved. In the prefect heart of God we find healing and hope. #OutOfTheFog #messiahyl
Peace - Promises
May 19, 2019 20:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBPeace in the world, and in our lives, can seem elusive. However, there is a promise of peace to survive abandonment, loss, differences, separation, conflict, and other forms of discord. A peace from God goes with us through tough times; surpassing our strength and understanding. Do not let your heart be troubled—breathe in peace, breathe out love. #WorryLess #BreathePeace #messiahyl
Unconditional Love - Promises
May 12, 2019 19:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MBThe sacrificial love of mothers on earth is a reflection of God's unconditional love. God's grace is our greatest hope. We are all bonded together in the spirit of ubuntu "I am because we are." We are gathered as God's children under the reckless (foolishly unbounded) love of God—an endearing motherly love that endlessly pursues us. #GodsLoveMothersMe #messiahyl
With You Always - Promises
May 05, 2019 19:05 - 26 minutes - 24 MBIs there anyone out there? Does anyone care? God says, even in deep waters, dark valleys, and overwhelming difficulty—I am with you always. Today, being strong and courageous is seemingly harder to do. Yet, we must venture beyond shallow water to be fully alive and fulfilling our God-given purpose...we need to be "walking wet." With God's promise, we can be strong and courageous in the face of every fear. We reaffirm our faith today: proclaiming, serving, and striving with great courage to d...
You Are Forgiven - Promises
April 29, 2019 02:32 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBWhere do you want God to be when you sin? Far away? or near? In the face of bad choices which are causing me and others pain, what is God's heart? In the midst of epic fails, God gives second chances. God's heart yearns for us; God wants to pick us up. Jesus turns toward us with love and encouragement...just ask the denying disciple, Peter. God offers embracing forgiveness and transforming power. #Aching4Forgiveness #PromiseKept #messiahyl
Living Hope - Easter
April 21, 2019 19:03 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBComeback stories are memorable and inspirational...we admire and study them in business, sports, and entertainment. The greatest comeback story of the world is Jesus rising from the dead! We thought the game was over; instead hope was delivered, and celebration ensued. In the year of the improbable, the impossible can happen. This is your comeback moment; the power of Jesus is your living hope. #GreatestComeback #HappyEaster #messiahyl
Palm Sunday
April 15, 2019 03:03 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBLook! Who is that coming? See the crowds! They're shouting and lining up in parade lines. Who is this guest of honor? Is it Leonardo? Matthew? Robert? Brad? Hugh? Bradley? George? Oh, how we celebrate celebrity! Jesus arrives to a joyous reception for a week of eternal destiny—a week twisted by our shallow and fickle expectations. What kind of house are we? #Welcome #CleanMe #messiahyl
Palm Sunday
April 15, 2019 03:03 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBLook! Who is that coming? See the crowds! They're shouting and lining up in parade lines. Who is this guest of honor? Is it Leonardo? Matthew? Robert? Brad? Hugh? Bradley? George? Oh, how we celebrate celebrity! Jesus arrives to a joyous reception for a week of eternal destiny—a week twisted by our shallow and fickle expectations. What kind of house are we? #Welcome #CleanMe #messiahyl
Going - Red Letter Challenge
April 07, 2019 18:36 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBHow big is your comfort zone for serving? giving? forgiving? witnessing? Does your zone get significantly smaller when there's a moment to share your faith with words? We can learn to share organically as we realize it is not necessary to be Bible literate, we just need to express our experiences with God as we would recommend a favorite movie, restaurant, or service. Lord, make us passionate about what we love. Move us to love Jesus that much and share with others what God has done in our l...
Giving - Red Letter Challenge
March 31, 2019 18:21 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBGenerosity is the way we demonstrate the state of our hearts and mind. For God so loved the world that he GAVE. Giving, like breathing, is essential to our life's energy flow. We take it in and we expend it out. We can learn to expand our capacity to give when we also take time to connect with Jesus, spend time in retreat, in one-on-one time with our source of giving. Let's not get hangry while Jesus is standing ready to feed us miraculously. #Giving #RedLetterChallenge #messiahyl
Serving - Red Letter Challenge
March 24, 2019 18:46 - 33 minutes - 31 MBHow's your customer service? Did you realize Christians are in the business of customer service? Is the experience that we deliver match the expressions and expectations of our life in Jesus? Our actions should be positive expressions of our best self...reflecting the joy that comes from grace received. Our lives should proclaim that good news (and we should only occasionally use words). #CustomerServing #RedLetterChallenge #messiahyl.
Forgiving - Red Letter Challenge
March 17, 2019 18:37 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBAre you an overpacker? Have you missed the humanity of any moment for the sake of the stuff you're managing? Despite our social facade, internal turmoil below the surface belies our messy life. Forgiveness and grace are the freedom from all chains and shame. Jesus died on a cross to give us a free life...it is finished. Cushions lifted; junk removed (full stop). #RedLetterChallenge #Forgiving #messiahyl
Being - Red Letter Challenge
March 11, 2019 04:45 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBWhat must a branch do to stay connected to its life giving vine? It just has to remain connected! Remain in me, Jesus asks. The essence of BEING with God can be enhanced by bible reading, prayer, worship, fasting, and resting. The question for us isn't having enough time, but setting higher priorities. Check where your life's power cable connects and plug into BEING with God. #Being #RedLetterChallenge #messiahyl
Life Changing Experience - Red Letter Christian
March 03, 2019 20:21 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBA hearer and a doer are not necessarily the same. There is a positive difference in results and impact when these aspects are joined. Interactions with Christians should be an experience of joy and uplift. That would be the response if we were more like Christ in our doing...representing Jesus well by acting on His teachings not just hearing them. The next 40 days is a challenge opportunity to live out the red letters of Jesus (in the Bible) to be a better representation of who God is in our...