Northwest Christian Church Podcasts

SIMPLE WONDER | Pastor Jay Rice | Unexpected Wonders

One of the hardest things to wrestle with is unmet expectations. You have a plan, an idea of what life is supposed to be like and then life throws you a curve ball. Someone leaves. Sickness hits. The job dries up. There are a lot of curveballs in life. What do you do when your plans don’t pan out? What can God do with those unmet expectations?

SMALL WONDER | Pastor Jay Rice | Unexpected Wonders - Christmas 2025

You’ve probably heard the cliché – ‘Big things come in small packages’ before. It’s such a great truth that is easy to lose sight of in the hustle and bustle of Christmas and amidst the cultural pressures to go bigger with everything. Often times, it’s not the big, powerful, or flashy things that make the difference. It’s the small acts of obedience or kindness that change the course of history.

Vision Sunday 2025 | Pastor Jay Rice

God has given us an amazing vision for 2026. It flows from our definition of what it means to be a “devoted disciple of Jesus.” In 2026 we are going to focus on a phrase we are calling “Fellowship around the Word.” We believe that God is going to do some amazing things in this next year as we get serious about Him and His people.

GIVE THANKS | Pastor Jay Rice | Living for Eternity

It’s beginning to look a lot like…Thanksgiving! In just a few days most of us will gather around a table somewhere, eat too much, spend time with friends or family and give thanks. It’s a great thing to do on 4th Thursday in November but what if we did it every day, not just Thanksgiving?? Not the giant meal with all the cousins but what if we gave thanks every day? How might we all be changed?

LIFE IN COMMUNITY | Pastor Jay Rice | Living for Eternity

If you were going to make a beautiful cake, what ingredients would you need? Eggs. Flour. Sugar. Maybe milk? What else? What would you leave out? It’s amazing how such different ingredients, when mixed together in the right proportions, can become something amazing like cake. At the end of 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul gives us a “cake recipe” for what it takes to make our church communities beautiful “cakes.”

A TRUMPET CALL | Pastor Jay Rice | Living for Eternity

The end is coming! Have you ever seen someone with one of those signs standing in a crowd or on a street corner? When most of us see that or hear people talking about “The End” we close off and try to ignore it. Some, however, are hyper-focused on the end times and that’s all they want to talk about. The Bible lands right in the middle and in 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul gives some of the clearest instructions about the end of the world so we can be ready!

THE HOPE OF GLORY | Pastor Jay Rice | Living for Eternity

What should a Christian do when someone dies? Is it okay to cry? Do they go straight to heaven or hell, or do they stay in the ground for a while? We have lots of questions about death and dying but most people are unwilling to have that chat. Paul goes right after it and gives direct instructions on how to handle death and the hope we can have in Jesus!

COUNTER-CULTURAL | Pastor Stacey Walker, Sr | Living for Eternity

In today’s message Pastor Stacey continues the "Living for Eternity" series in Pastor Jay's absence. Delving into 1 Thessalonians 4, he explores striking parallels between modern life today and the challenges faced in ancient Thessalonica. As Solomon wisely noted, there's nothing new under the sun—our nation remains divided by "tribes" much like in biblical times. Discover the timeless similarities and key differences in this insightful message.

LIVING GOD'S WILL | Pastor Josh Call | Living for Eternity

Everyone wants to know God’s will for their life: what school to choose, what job to take, who to marry. But in 1 Thessalonians, Paul reminds us that God’s will is first about who we become. God’s will is our holiness, learning to live set apart from the world around us. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, we’ll see that sexual purity isn’t a side issue for the Christian life; it’s the starting point for living in a way that pleases God.

PLEASING GOD | Pastor Jay Rice | Living for Eternity

When the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church, he emphasized that those who know God must live to please Him. Pleasing God is supposed to be the guiding principle of balanced Christian behavior. While our standing with God is not based on keeping His commands, if we love Him we will seek to delight Him through our attitudes and actions.