True to Real - The Chapel Message Podcast

The Way of Mercy | The Way of Jesus - Part 2

In week two of our series, The Way of Jesus, we looked at Luke 15, where Jesus told three parables. The first parable is about a shepherd that goes searching for a lost sheep, leaving ninety-nine others behind. When he finds the sheep, he calls all his neighbors to rejoice with him. In the second parable, a woman has ten coins and loses one. When she finds the missing coin, she invites her friends to come celebrate with her. The last parable tells the story of a son who demands his inheritance, leaves his family, and squanders everything. When he returns with nothing, his father runs to meet him and throws a party in his honor. All three stories push against our natural instincts of what is right and fair. No one in these stories got what they deserved – and that’s the point. Jesus is building a church, not of people who have gotten it right, but of people who have gotten it wrong and have received his mercy. The world will not change by being well informed or through understanding the consequences of their actions. The world will change through people who have experienced God. In order to offer mercy to a hurting world, we must first be recipients of that same mercy.

The Way of Dependence | The Way of Jesus - Part 1

We were created to have a life of impact that bears fruit. A branch cannot bear fruit if it’s cut off from the vine. In the same way, we must stay connected to Jesus so that our lives can grow and flourish as God intended. Much like an extension cord becomes full of power when it’s plugged in, when we are connected to Jesus he empowers us to do the impossible and sets us free to be who God created us to be. We must be on guard, though. We have an enemy who uses distractions, busyness, sin, and shame to get us to disconnect from the vine. No matter where we have been or what our lives have looked like up till now, we can “plug back in” to God. God loves us, and he wants a relationship with us. When we stay connected to God, we will see lives changed, relationships mended, marriages strengthened, sickness healed, and hope restored. 

ChristiSanity - Part 4

Denvil Lee

ChristiSanity - Part 3

In Hebrews 10:35-39, the author of Hebrews gives us instructions for persevering during trials. As followers of Jesus, we should expect hardship because we live in a fallen world. When hardship comes, we must endure and not lose our confidence in the Lord. At the end of our lives, we want to stand before Jesus, not as those who have walked away, but as the faithful ones who have had patient endurance through the trials of life. Therefore, we embrace hardship as a necessary part of doing all that God has called us to do. Remembering that we are children of God who bring his kingdom to earth. Even in the worst of circumstances, we are not without hope because we know that, “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

ChristiSanity - Part 2

Christians today have differing opinions about how to solve the problems in our world. Solutions range from doubling down on teaching theology and morality, to gaining political power and legislating Biblical teaching, to creating a bubble and protecting ourselves from the world, to adapting our beliefs and making them relevant in today’s culture. Believe it or not, these same solutions were debated in Jesus’ day. Many people looked to Jesus to tell them who was right and which solution they should pursue. Much to their dismay, Jesus didn’t choose any of their ideas. Instead, he came up with an entirely different solution that no one saw coming. He died on a cross and rose again three days later. He taught them that the problem is not each other, rather we have a spiritual enemy. When he overcame death, he took all the power from the enemy and ushered in a new kingdom. The Christianity that Jesus preached is, by design, counter-cultural. We are called to live differently and, in doing so, bring real hope to a hurting world. As the body of Christ, we are to become an oasis in the desert of our culture. We want to become a church that looks, feels, and acts like Jesus!

ChristiSanity - Part 1

The world around us is changing rapidly. Scott addresses the reality that Christianity, which was once woven into the culture of our country, is now becoming increasingly counter-cultural. In addition to that, Christianity itself is changing. Churches are split over politics, an increasing number of leaders are in a moral crisis, church attendance is at an all-time low, and Christians are picking and choosing what parts of the Bible they want to follow and which they want to ignore. The Chapel was founded on 2 Chronicles 16:9, which says, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” We want to be a church whose hearts are fully committed to Jesus. We desire our prayers to touch heaven and change the earth. We want to be a church that looks and feels like Jesus. We are all in!

P.A.S.T.E. - Sticky Ways to Serve God

Anthony, Reed, and Blake lead us in an intergenerational service looking at the gifts that God gives us to advance his kingdom. Ephesians 4:11 teaches that everyone who follows Jesus, no matter their age, has been wired in a specific way to serve God with at least one of these five gifts: apostle, shepherd, prophet, teacher, or evangelist. When you know how you are wired, you can actively go after what God has for you. In Psalm 139:13-14 we read that God made you a specific way. He knows you, and he chose you. Pray and ask God to show you the gifts he has given you for your current season of life.

Christmas Present - Christmas Spirit Part 3

Scott Chapman

Christmas Future - Christmas Spirit Part 2

Freddy Villarreal

Christmas Past - Christmas Spirit Part 1

Scott Chapman