Real Life Church Podcast

Mark talks about a principal in the parable that we tend to miss or resist, especially he longer we are in church. Many of us make the assumption that as long as we get our body physically in the building and attend service that we will automatically become more like Jesus, however this is only part of the process.We believe attending church is important but it is only part of the process to become more like Jesus . "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like,"(James 1:23-24).

How many of you like running? If you are like the other 85% of Americans you most likely don't enjoy running. But of course there are those few individuals who enjoy running marathons and train year around to beat their personal best or even place in the competition. Running requires a tough mentality and a mindset of striving for the finish. As we dive into Matthew Chapter 21, we look at the context where Jesus is showing love to the corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry and taking care of the sick . As the religious elite begin to question Jesus for His actions he begins to tell the Parable of Two Sons where Jesus explains the glory of God through repentance. We are all in a large race of life and it is never too late to join. Some of you may already be running this race, but how well are you running the race?

Have you ever felt out of place? Or known someone who is out of place? The parable "The Wedding Banquet" talks about being a safe place for those who feel out of place. We all have seasons in our lives who feel out of place, like we don't belong or don't fit in. Jesus has incredible advice for us in Luke 14 and describes how out of place people always have a place with God.

Have you ever been locked out of your house and couldn’t get ahold of someone inside to open the door? Praying to God can sometimes be the same way. We pray over and over again about the same things in life but sometimes don’t get our prayers answered by God. Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up even when their prayers are not being answered. If that is you standing outside of the door, keep praying, keep seeking, keep knocking and do not give up.

These parables we are covering are more than a story. They are a story with a heavenly meaning that tell us more about God, Jesus, us, the Christian Church and what it means to follow Jesus. It is very easy for us to cry out to God every time we come across evil in the world, and ask him to remove all the "weeds" in our lives. We all have a choice to either do something good or do something bad in this world. The Kingdom of Heaven breaks down all barriers, just like a mustard seed.

At one time or another we have all felt stuck, whether it is feeling stuck at work, in marriage, parenting, personally in your life or spiritually. This week in our series Parables, we take an in-depth look at Luke chapter five where Jesus gives us the illustration of finding our way through these moments in our life. New results require new behaviors, and everything in the past is to bring you to the present and prepare you for the ultimate sacrifice you will give for the glory of God.

Darryl Strawberry is described as a legend by many who have been dazzled by the dynamics of his game, the power he possessed at the plate, and the story of redemption that continues to bring hope to so many lives. He has earned the legendary nicknames and phrases of one of the most feared homerun hitters in the game of baseball, Straw’s Sweet Swing, Strawberry’s Field Forever and The Legendary Straw Man! Today, Darryl’s purpose and passion is serving the Lord Jesus Christ by speaking a message of hope and helping others transform their lives through the power of the gospel.

What's your story? Have you ever been asked that? Many of us all have a background story about how we got to be where we are in life or how we have developed and grown into the person we are today. Truth is, if you know someone's story you are most likely to be connected to that person on a different level. Over the next couple of weeks, we will dive into some of the most practical and common stories that Jesus tells us about God, Himself, us and the Kingdom of God. Through this, we are able to understand the mission of the church, the Kingdom of God and understand who God really is.

Even in "Awesome Town" many students in Santa Clarita face a tremendous amount of peer pressure. Our kids are under so much stress, and we as a local church need to step up and do something about it as the hands and feet of Jesus. As we wrap up our GenNext series we hear some testimonials from young adults who have grown up in Real Life Church from a young age and are now striving to pour their hearts out into the next generation. This new community center is a place where kids can hangout out not just during the week, but on weekends as well. The center will provide tutoring services, family and counseling services, and a music school where students can further develop their love of music.

Jesus put the child in the midst of His ministry and therefore we should put the child in the midst of the church. Not only do we believe that God blesses this, but if we are honest investing in our youth together would be the most strategic use of our resources and it would bear the most fruit for the Kingdom of God in the future.

At Real Life Church we want to resource families with an irresistible, visible, consistent environments where kids and teenagers can learn to find and follow Jesus. All we are asking you to do is to first pray about it and then pay it forward. Praying forward means that we are focusing our prayers on the next generation that they will come to find and follow Jesus. The next generation is characterized by a desire to change the world for good. Ask God for a heart of compassion for the next generation as we expand our ministry to more effectively mobilize this generation to change the world through Christ.

Between school, sports, extracurricular activities and socialization among their piers, today's generation of kids are expected to go to college and exceed their parents expectations. However the fear of failure sometimes consumes our children as many of them hide the day to day struggles of being young in the current generation. Real Life Church wants to partner with you and the community to build the next generation of Superheroes We are hoping to create an environment that is irresistible, visible and consistent for kids and teenagers to find and follow Jesus.

As we wrap up our series Insomnia, we have a Real Life Conversation with Taya Kyle, widow of Navy SEAL American Sniper, Chris Kyle. Taya talks to Rusty about her story of processing grief and where God has been as she shares her story to God’s faithfulness.

Some of us may have grown up in a household with over protective parents, parents that were permissive or didn’t really have parents but a guardian. The fear of not being good enough as a parent, friend, brother or sister is something that many of us grapple with. As we enter week five of our series Insomnia, Pastor Rusty George teaches several passages from the book of Luke and how we can all pour our hearts into the Lord to overcome the fear of not being "good enough" for someone else.

Jesus connects our fears to our faith, and when your faith is high your fear becomes low. Many of us have at one point or another thought about the fear of dying, and because of that fear, we have lived in fear of everything around us. Maybe the thought about when, how and where we will die was sparked from the passing of a loved one, or maybe you watched a movie that made you think: When will I die? And how? Looking at Matthew 10, we learn now just how to conquer the fear of death, but the fear of everything in our lives.

Sometimes, we have a tendency of creating these "doomsday" scenarios in our minds when things go bad. Whether that is mourning the loss of a loved one, losing a relationship or just getting through the hurdles of life–we all lie in bed awake at night fearing that things will get worse. But one thing that we must remember is nothing fulfilling comes quick and easy, and we must stand firm and be loyal as He promises that He will be there with us through it all. As disciples of God, we must keep going back and talking to God even if we are questioning Him–for He will be there to listen and guide us.

There are many times along our spiritual journey when we know that we have disappointed God. That no matter how hard we try, we continue to sin, continue to fail, continue to disappoint God. Though we deserve death for our sins, God gave his son, Jesus Christ, so that we could have eternal life with Him. So if we continue to put our faith in Jesus, He will lift us up to conquer our sin and eventually have eternal life with Him.

God has unconditional blessings for us. As we begin to partner with God we begin to see the work that God wants to do in our lives. By adapting this “when you”, you will begin to see a change in your marriage, your family, change the way you view your job, friendships and your overall health. “God created human beings in his own image..” and we were made to live, love and look like Jesus, and for us to remain in Him and He in us.

We all fear something in life; death, finances, divorce, our children’s future. And for most of us, as our fear becomes greater, our faith in God becomes smaller. But a life of crippling fear is not what Jesus intended for us. Jesus tells us to cast all of our fears on Him, so that our faith can become greater and the fear becomes smaller.

We are always searching for something that will change everything. We buy things or begin relationships–hoping, praying things will change–but soon find those are only temporary fixes. So we continue to search for what will change everything. This becomes a cycle that will never truly satisfy you. But if we believe that 2,000 years ago Jesus died on a cross for the sins of the world, and we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, the search for what changes everything will be over. It’s not people or things, but Jesus that changes everything.