Easton Bible Church's Podcast

Living in our technological ecosystem, our lives are shaped by a thousand mostly unconscious tech-driven urges every day, to check our email, post a selfie, or watch another YouTube video. As has been well documented, many technologies like social media, gaming apps, shopping apps, and streaming services are designed to feed addictive urges and appetites that keep us coming back for more.In his letter to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul writes, “’Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). Using technology isn’t a sin. (Though how you use can certainly be!) But it can still exert a powerful control over us that we often ignore. As a result, we’re often unconscious of the ways in which our use of technology consumes our attention and prevents us from experiencing the life we were created for. More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or

Work. It’s not always our favorite thing in the world. In fact, it’s probably tempting to think of work as something to be avoided, even despised. After all, who would work if they didn’t have to? Who wouldn’t rather enjoy a life of ease instead of working for a living? One of the promises of technology is that it will make work easier—maybe even eliminate it altogether—so that we can enjoy not working. This, we’re told, is how life should be: effortless, easy, and comfortable. A life of leisure.This week we’re looking again a Genesis 1 to consider what it is to be human, made in the image of God. And, while God does rest, the creation account offers an entirely different perspective on work. That work has value because God worked. And as imagers of God, we were created to do work that gives purpose to our lives and creates good in the world.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you f

Never in the history of the world has humankind had more control over life. Technological advances have given us the ability to cure disease, grow crops, produce wealth, build cities, and ease suffering unlike anything the world has ever known. (For which we should be grateful!) But, buried underneath our use of technology is the myth that technology can give us ultimate control over reality itself. That with technology, we have the power, not only to make the world better or improve people’s lives, but to become god-like. This week, as we start this new series on faith and technology, we want to look at how technology has become what we hope in for the control and power we crave. It’s our new religion.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportn #techsavvy #newreligion #sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople

Do you think God has expectations for you? For your life? In this week's parable, Jesus describes two ways of living: leveraging everything to achieve greater possibilities for the sake of Jesus' kingdom versus playing it safe. Only one will yield the kind of return-the kind of life-that you were created to live.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj#jesusparables #potential #possibilities #playitsafe #sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople 

Forgiving someone who's hurt you may be the hardest thing you will ever do in your life. Which is why it's much easier to theorize about forgiveness than to do it. But without forgiveness, we'll never be free to pursue a future that is unhindered by the past. The destructive power of unforgiveness is that it convinces us we're somehow punishing our offender by building up walls of resentment and bitterness around our hearts. Only forgiveness has the power to set us free.In this week's passage, we're looking at one of the most hard hitting of Jesus' parables.Forgiveness is easy in theory, but incredibly difficult in real life. But the mercy God shows us should soften our hearts to forgive others just as we've been forgiven.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj#jesusparables #thehardestthing #forgiveness #sundaysermon #lov

Do you ever feel like God is distant rather than up close and personal? In this week's passage, Jesus' disciples ask him to teach them how to pray. But rather than offering them a treatise or a lecture on the mechanics of prayer or the theological underpinnings of communication with an omniscient and all-powerful God, Jesus paints for them a picture of a caring Father who listens to us and provides what we need. A personal God who loves us more than we can fathom.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj#jesusparables #godreallylovesyou #prayer #sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople

When you think of God, what comes to your mind? When you imagine God's view of you, how do you think he sees you? With love? Judgment? Grace? Anger? Disappointment? Compassion? A.W. Tozer wrote that the most important thing about anyone is what comes into their mind when they think about God.Sadly, many people run from God because their understanding of God is wrongly shaped by people who've done a poor job of reflecting who God truly is.In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables that reveal the true heart of God, a heart full of compassion and love for his children. Jesus' message is for anyone who's ever felt alienated from God. But it's also a challenge for those who claim to know God but have failed to share his love with a lost and hurting world.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj#jesusparables #lostchildren #inevitab

Have you ever wondered if God was really there? Or maybe you've felt discouraged or afraid because you couldn't see God at work in the world. In this week's parables from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus explains that the kingdom of God is present, but it doesn't look like what we often expect. To our eyes, it may seem unimpressive, unspectacular, even mundane. And yet, Jesus says, it has a hidden power that cannot be stopped, unchecked by our failures or by evil in the world, finally culminating one day in the full realization of God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #jesusparables #unstoppablekingdom #inevitable#sundaysermon #lovegodservepeople

If you were a type of soil, what kind would you be? In Jesus' parable about a farmer (or sower) who tosses seed on the ground, Jesus describes four different kinds of soil: hard, rocky, thorn-infested, and fertile soils. Each soil receives the seed in different ways with different results. Jesus' implicit challenge to each of us is, how do you receive God's word in your life? Because what you do with God's word will determine what kind of value ("fruit") your life produces in the world, with differing results.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj#jesusparables #therightkindofsoil #sowerandseed #sundaysermon #fruitofthespirit #lovegodservepeople

In order to run our best race, sometimes we need to admit we are injured and go through the rehabilitation process.  We need to first ADMIT we are broken, BELIEVE God is the only one that can and wants to fix us, and TRUST that He will.  Most of us get hung up on at least one of these steps.  We’re either too proud or scared to Admit, don’t think we deserve God’s grace (which we don’t’) or don’t Trust him with our recovery. Letting others see our scars and what God has done in our life is sometimes the best cure.Thank You for joining our Worship Pastor Steve Johansson for the final message of our Soul Health series.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj#soulhealth #scars #broken #beautiful #lovegodservepeople 

It's one thing to know what to do to have a healthier soul. The real question is whether we do what we know to do. Knowing the four steps won't help your soul to thrive without the self-discipline to make them part of our lives. In this week's passage from 1 Corinthians 9, Paul explains how the Christian life requires us to train our souls, to practice self-mastery, so that we can run our best race and win the prizeMore info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj#soulhealth #thenextstep  #wintherace #selfdiscipline  #lovegodservepeople

Imagine your own personal bit of heaven... maybe it's a favorite vacation spot or your hometown. Maybe it's where you meet up with friends or get alone. Now, imagine you wanted to share that place with someone else, but they'd never been before. How could you convince them to come with you?When Jesus gives his famous Sermon on the Mount, he begins with the Beatitudes, a list of blessings describing the kinds of people who belong to his kingdom. It's not a list of requirements for entrance into the kingdom; they describe the kind of person who's at home in the kingdom, and the kind of person you become when align your life with kingdom values. As a result, when you share your life-a kingdom-flavored life-with others, you give them a walking-talking advertisement for Jesus' kingdom.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj#sou

How do you measure greatness? Like a violinist who makes first chair in the orchestra, a lawyer who makes partner in their firm, or a politician who is elected to a higher office, greatness is most often measured by one's status: the higher the rank, the better the pay, the nicer the office, the greater you are. But Jesus redefines greatness as we understand it. Instead of greatness that is measured by accolades and rewards, Jesus tells us that true greatness is found in service that frees our souls from the debilitating idolatry of self-absorption and replaces it with the life-giving joy of self-forgetfulness.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj#soulhealh #serveoneanother #greatness #lovegodservepeople

More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #soulhealth #growtogether #lovegodservepeople

Arsene Houssaye famously said, "Tell me what you love, and I will tell you who you are." Who or what we love who or what we give our lives to-shapes who we are and who we are becoming. As humans, we are created by God to love and be loved by him. Therefore, as our love for God grows, we grow more and more into who we're meant to be.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportn #soulhealth #lovegod #godslove #lovegodservepeople

After a week like Easter, we have an opportunity to look at the New Life in Jesus with a new perspective. Jesus loves you. He proved His love for you in the greatest act of love that has ever been. Jesus died for our sake, in our place and for His good and rose from the dead, making it possible to have reconciliation. Now, like the disciples, we are left with an empty tomb, a living Jesus, and a New Life to grasp hold of and live for God's good. Here's the problem: our old perspective won't work. Our old priorities won't work. They are incompatible with Jesus' New Life he offers. He gives Us something better.In our human eyes, Jesus appeared inefficient.He treated time differently, people differently and life differently. In our age of efficiency, there is a danger to miss out on Jesus' attitude, habits, and purpose as we sometimes get stuck in our human perspective as we approach this New Life with God.We need a new perspective.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM

He Is Risen...He is Risen Indeed!Happy Easter. Where are you looking to live the life you have been created for? On this Easter Sunday, we encourage you to look for life in the victory of Jesus Christ.Questions??? Please contact us.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing. #eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #easter #lookingforlife #heisrisen  #lovegodservepeople

Towards the end of his letter to the Colossian believers, Paul brings all he's just written about how to treat one another like Jesus (cf. 3:1-17) into the real world, starting with life at home and then moving outward into the public sphere.And in every relationship, Paul makes it clear we should model our lives on Jesus' simple, yet profound example: you before me.Please note that portions of this week's passage may be difficult to accept because of language that some may consider condescending or offensive. As we consider Paul's words, it's important that we read his words graciously, not going beyond what he says or read our own biases into his statements. Tragically, these verses have been used to justify horrible abuses and injustices that were never God's intention.But when Paul's statements are considered in light of the rest of Paul's letter, as well as Jesus' own teaching and example, a different picture emerges: one of mutual respect and love.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), em

What do you wear when you go to church? At Easton Bible Church, for instance, you'll find a mix of clothing choices. Some of us like to wear our "Sunday best" as a sign of respect and honor for God and his church. Others of us find it more comfortable and feel more authentic going more casual. Still others wear whatever helps us to blend in with the crowd! But whatever you choose to wear to church on Sunday, of far greater importance than the clothes you wear is the quality of your character.In this week's passage (Colossians 3:12-17), the Apostle Paul says that there is a Christian dress code, a style of being, so to speak. But it's not a matter of dressing up or going casual or any other clothing choice. It's a matter of the heart: to clothe ourselves with virtues that bind Us together as his people.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblech

There's an old expression about people who are so obsessed with God and their own faith that they become irrelevant for real life: "Heavenly-minded, but of no earthly good." Perhaps you've even known people who love to talk incessantly about their faith... but no one wants to listen!Paul, however, seems to think that focusing on Jesus-giving him priority in every area of our lives-is the natural and obvious path to experiencing the new life that comes through faith in him. That when you direct your whole your life towards Jesus, you discover your new self in him, the new you you were always meant to be.Can we help you discover and grow to be the person God has made you to be? Can you help us grow as a community who loves people the way Jesus loves us? Contact us.More info https://www.ebc.org or call (609.267.4755), email (office@ebc.org), DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or come see us in person at Easton Bible Church. Thank you for subscribing and sharing.#eastonbiblechurch #hainesportnj #reallife #rooted #se