Faith Church

How to Save Your Life

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 22:02:13 +0000

Would you trade everything you own for a rock? What is the value you place on your life?

Is it possible to waste your life? Is it possible to exchange your life for something of no value? Listen to this week’s podcast to learn more. In this recording Pastor Bill explains what Jesus says about how to save your life.

For the PowerPoint show (viewable without having PowerPoint installed on your computer) click here.

Questions for Discussion or Meditation

What does it mean to deny oneself? If your life is not all about you, what gives your life meaning?
How does one follow Christ today? What difference would it make if you made your life all about Christ instead of about yourself?
What is “your cross?” Have you chosen to carry it? How do you stay strong even during difficult times? What do you focus on to keep going? (What did Jesus focus on?)
Would you be willing to give up your life for Christ? Would it be a good trade if by doing so you would gain eternal life? How are we giving up our life for Christ daily? (cf. Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 15:31 “I die every day!”)

Feel free to share your comments by clicking on the “Leave a Comment” link below. Posting a review of our podcast on iTunes will help keep us visible to the world!

You can subscribe to the podcast through the iTunes link in the column to the side or by entering the RSS link into your podcast reading software.

To Listen online:

We suggest that you download Apple’s Quicktime Player if you would like to listen online. This is a free download. You will need to have javascript enabled on your browser.

How to Love Life

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 02:31:59 +0000

Do you love life?

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Do you love life?

Is it possible to love life even if you are facing suffering? The apostle Peter knows something about this, so Pastor Bill looks at some keys that Peter identifies to living life to the full, even if suffering comes your way. Listen to this week’s podcast to learn four keys to loving life.

For the PowerPoint show (viewable without having PowerPoint installed on your computer) click here.

Questions for Discussion or Meditation

What does it mean to make Christ Lord in your heart? Have you taken that step?
Why might someone suffer even if he or she does what is right? Can you think of a biblical example? How about a recent example?
Why is it sometimes hard to live in harmony with others? How do Peter’s words in chapter 3 help us in this challenge? How does Jesus’ example help you?
Are you ready to tell anyone who asks you why you live with hope? What would you say?

Feel free to share your comments by clicking on the “Leave a Comment” link below. Posting a review of our podcast on iTunes will help keep us visible to the world!

You can subscribe to the podcast through the iTunes link in the column to the side or by entering the RSS link into your podcast reading software.

To Listen online:

We suggest that you download Apple’s Quicktime Player if you would like to listen online. This is a free download. You will need to have javascript enabled on your browser.

Faithful Marriages

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 00:28:50 +0000

This week Pastor Bill talks about what makes a marriage work and gives an example of a man who stumbled upon a key that transformed his marriage. Listen to our podcast for the answer.

Faithful Love

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 03:05:49 +0000

Does Hollywood give us an accurate picture of love? What examples of love does the media offer us? Does real love have anything to do with those examples? Are Lisa Nowak, NASA Astronaut, or Britney Spears and their relationships good examples of true love?

Listen to this week’s recording to hear Pastor Bill discuss how to experience true love.

To Listen online

We suggest that you download Apple’s Quicktime Player to listen online. This is a free download. You will need to have javascript enabled on your browser.

To download the PowerPoint show that accompanied this message click here.

To download the note-taking guide in Word format, click here.

Faithful Ministers

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 03:49:17 +0000

How do you keep your body healthy? How does the church body, the Body of Christ, stay healthy? Pastor Bill examines this question in this week’s recording.

To Listen online

We suggest that you download Apple’s Quicktime Player to listen online. This is a free download. You will need to have javascript enabled on your browser.

To download the PowerPoint show that accompanied this message click here.

To download the note-taking guide in Word format, click here.

Faithful Messengers

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 03:11:03 +0000

Pastor Bill decides to try out the Message Delivery business, but discovers that he’s already an Ambassador. Click here for this week’s recording.

What would you do if you were entrusted with a life-changing message for someone?

To Listen online

We suggest that you download Apple’s Quicktime Player to listen online. This is a free download. You will need to have javascript enabled on your browser.

To download the PowerPoint show that accompanied this message click here.

To download the note-taking guide in Word format, click here.

Money Talks – Faithful Managers – Part 2

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 03:37:18 +0000

What does your money say about you? In this episode, Pastor Bill talks about the three things your money tells others about you.

He begins by talking about a jewelry store which had a break-in. The trespassers didn’t actually rob the store. Instead they just switched all the price tags around. Then when the store opened the next day…

Click the “episode” link above to download and listen to the recording.

To Listen online

We suggest that you download Apple’s Quicktime Player to listen online. This is a free download. You will need to have javascript enabled on your browser.

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If you would like to view the Powerpoint show for this presentation, click here.

Click here for the note taking guide for this presentation.

Numbering Our Days – Faithful Managers – Part 1

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Sun, 04 Jan 2015 18:01:26 +0000

Gerald R. Ford, our 38th President, died on December 26th, 2006. During a number of events honoring him for his service to our country, almost every speaker noted that President Ford pardoned President Nixon because Ford thought that such a pardon would be best for the country. Ford took the action even though, according to many political commentators, it cost him the Presidency at the next election.

Ford realized that the office of the Presidency wasn’t to be used for his own benefit, but was rather a trust which he held for the good of the people of the United States of America, even if it meant a personal sacrifice.

Another leader who comes to mind in this regard is…

Listen to the recording of this presentation by clicking here.

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Click here for the note taking guide for this presentation.

The Promises of Advent – Week 4 – The Priest’s Prophecy

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 00:23:09 +0000

Click here for the recording of this week’s message.

Rev. Laszlo Tokes was a successful pastor in Timisoara, Romania. But being a successful pastor in a Communist country was dangerous. In December 1989, the authorities came for him, but they were stopped in their tracks. Around Pastor Tokes church had gathered a wall of humanity. Members of other churches–Baptist, Adventist, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Catholic–had joined together to protest Pastor Tokes’ impending arrest.

The police tried to disperse the crowd, but they stayed, all day and all night. About midnight a 19-year-old Baptist student named Daniel Gavra pulled out a packet of candles, lit one and passed it to his neighbor. Soon the faces of the united Christian protestors were illuminated with a soft glow.

Finally on the second night the police broke through the blockade. They broke through the church door, bloodied Pastor Tokes’ face and then paraded him and his wife through the crowd and into the night. But that was not the end.

The people streamed to the city square and began protesting against the Communist government. The government responded with troops and gunfire. Hundreds were wounded, including Daniel Gavra, whose leg was blown off.

The example of these brave Christians inspired the nation of Romania and within days their bloody dictator Ceausescu was gone. For the first time in 50 years, Romanians celebrated Christmas in freedom.

Daniel’s pastor came to offer sympathy to him in the hospital were he was learning how to use crutches. But Daniel said, “Pastor, I don’t mind so much the loss of a leg. After all…”

Click on the link above to hear the rest of the story!

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If you would like to view the Powerpoint show for this presentation, click here.

Click here for the note taking guide for this presentation.

The Promises of Advent – Week 3 – Zion’s Song

pastor@jaxnaz.org (Pastor Bill Crane) — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 03:53:47 +0000

Max Lucado tells the story of a woman who had a parakeet named Chippie. She loved Chippie because he was such a happy little songbird. Chippie’s constant chirping just seemed to brighten her day. One day, the woman was cleaning the bottom of Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner when the telephone rang. She reached for the telephone without removing the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner from the cage, which was a mistake. The vacuum cleaner nozzle got pointed in the direction of poor little Chippie, and he was suddenly sucked up into the machine. When the woman looked back at the cage and realized what had happened, she was horrified. She dropped the telephone, turned off the vacuum cleaner and ripped open the dust bag to get to her little bird. Chippie was a real mess, but he was still alive. She raced to the kitchen sink and turned the water on full force on Chippie. The more she tried to wash him, the worse he looked, so she took him to the bathroom and started trying to dry Chippie with her hair dryer—full force and high heat. Finally, she got the bird dry and put him back in his cage. Several days later, a friend called and asked how Chippie was doing. She replied…

To hear the full story, listen to this week’s podcast.

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If you would like to view the Powerpoint show for this presentation, click here.

Click here for the note taking guide for this presentation.