Athens Church Podcast

Rich people live in denial. They will not admit they are rich. No matter how much you have, there is always someone who has more. But if you earn $40,000 a year, you are in the top four percent of wage earners in the world. Most of us are rich. And one of the dangers of being rich is discontentment. The more you have, the more you want. Wealth has side effects. If you are rich, you are at risk. How do we avoid the pitfalls of wealth?

One thing about being a large church is we can make a large difference. When we come together, when we are generous, we can change our communities and the world. This year with our seven Atlanta-area churches and fifteen partner churches, we intend to make a big difference.

We all have expectations. Some are realized and some are not. When our expectations come face-to-face with real-life challenges, it can batter our dreams. Storm clouds of bitterness, anger, and cynicism form in our lives, and we forfeit hope. But God is attempting to build hope in your life. Fighting for hope is not about denying reality; it is about embracing reality. Where there is hope, there is a healthy heart. Where there is a healthy heart, there is a healthy emotional climate.

You have an emotional climate. It goes with you everywhere. You cannot see it. But it is a big deal. Research shows that the number one obstacle people face in their relationships and careers is an inability to understand the emotional climate of the people around them and to recognize their own emotional climate.

Are we practicing safe Christianity or bold Christianity? What's the difference?

Fear is a normal part of everyday life. In this series we are talking about acting courageous in the midst of fear. We will talk about this as it relates to what we call the “3 Vital Relationships.” These relationships are intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders. Our goal is to think of ways we can take “20 seconds of courage” and move forward in these relationships.

Fear is a normal part of everyday life. In this series we are talking about acting courageous in the midst of fear. We will talk about this as it relates to what we call the “3 Vital Relationships.” These relationships are intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders. Our goal is to think of ways we can take “20 seconds of courage” and move forward in these relationships. Sunday September 30th was a significant day for a number of people in this sense. What about you? How can you courageously move toward intimacy with God?

Waiting on the other side of the guardrail is usually something that we want to do. It may be unhealthy. Inappropriate. Addictive. But it makes us wonder, "Why would we say no to something we really want to do?" So we are drawn to the very edge - chastised if we step over - but still drawn as close as possible to disaster. What do you do with that tension? None of this is really new information. We’ve known all along that refusing to establish guardrails does not erase the tension of temptation; it only weakens our resolve. We've known all along that we need to make up our minds, before we know how our stories end. So, at this point, it's pretty simple. Make up your mind. Trust God. Establish guardrails.

At the end of the day, this is not about dollars and cents; this is about trust. Do you trust God or do you trust your stuff? Putting your trust in your stuff is a reflection of greed, and no one wants to consider himself or herself greedy. The remedy? Learn to give, save, live, in that order. Not only would that protect you from financial disaster, it could change the world.

Do guardrails really work? Let's hear from two people who have been intentional about setting up guardrails in order to protect the health of their relationship and their family.

Our culture invites us to flirt with sexual immorality. The Bible tells us to flee from sexual immorality. So you've got to decide – flirt or flee? To flee is to honor God with your body. But in order to do that, you need guardrails. So what guardrails will you put up?

Friendships are powerful things. They’re great, but dangerous. You drop your guard with your friends. You become less careful. And as a result, you are easily influenced, drawn toward the acceptance you find. Because of this vulnerability, it would be smart to develop some guardrails. It's not an easy thing – but it might end up saving you from future pain.

Nobody plans to enter into a violent marriage. Nobody plans to ruin his or her finances. Nobody plans to struggle with an addiction. What steps do you take to make sure these things don’t happen? Set up guardrails. You can tell yourself that you’ll be careful but, setting up guardrails is how you be careful.