Watermark Radio

Sabbath Rest

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

"We rest by trusting God, knowing that there's more to get done than we could ever get done on our own. God says do what you can and trust Me for the rest. I might argue that there are more commands around the Sabbath in the Old Testament than any of the other commandments." In a world that makes ever-greater demands on our time and energy, what does keeping the Sabbath look like for us today?

The Reason for Everything and How We are to Respond to It

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

What is really going on when we experience trials? What do we usually assume about God's nature and His plans for us when they show up? What are we to make of a Messiah who would withhold His healing touch and let His dear friend Lazarus die? The fact that closeness to God doesn't always guarantee distance from trouble is just one of the applications we can draw from this familiar text on loss, confusion and God's sovereignty.

The God-given Dignity and Duty of Woman, and the Men Who Serve Them

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

In an era when the biblical standard for marriage is being hotly contested and when the distinction God established for feminine and masculine roles is blurrier than ever, what is our responsibility to be as bearers of His standard? Does the Bible really say that the woman's role is inferior to a man's? And how should we live out the concept of "submission" given that its misinterpretation has been the cause of so much abuse and heartache?

Entitled

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

You could argue that a sense of entitlement has crept into most aspects of our lives. These unrealistic expectations can lead to great disappointment and to deep bitterness. Equipping Pastor Blake Holmes suggests that the remedy for this sense of entitlement is to change our thinking about ourselves, adopt a correct view of world, and recapture a right view of God's calling on our lives.

Todd Wagner Interviewed on Point of View

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Todd joins Point of View host Kerby Anderson and Eric Metaxas to share remberrances of Chuck Colson and celebrate his legacy. (Point of View's broadcasts are available at www.PointofView.net.)

The Identity of the Good Shepherd and the Attributes of His Sheep

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

What does the Good Shepherd look like and what does His flock look like? Confronting those who demanded that Jesus tell them "plainly" whether He was Messiah, Jesus gets very specific about His claims. He reviews what He has done to this point in the name of the Father, and exposes the intent of their hearts by explaining how His true followers look and act.

Finishing Well, Celebrating Now, and Pressing On

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

One reasons we chose to name ourselves Watermark is that we want to be a people who, like the mark that a subsiding body of water leaves on a wall after a flood, will leave a mark on our city and our world. And long after we're gone we hope that the way God has worked in us and through us will be evident. Are you investing your life in a way that is impacting eternity? Will you be surprised when you get to Heaven at the stories of life change you played a part in?

If Easter is True, Then so is This

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

If all we have is the story of a powerful lover who simply died and stayed in the tomb, our celebration of Easter is nonsensical and, as the Apostle Paul said, we are above all people to be pitied. But if He DID rise from the dead - and we have every reason to believe that tomb is empty - then several logical conclusions must also be true. Conclusions about how we should respond to His love, about eternity, about our past, and about the way we should live in light of Easter, the cornerstone of the faith we profess.

How People Accustomed to Evil Become Good

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We spend this Sunday celebrating the transforming power of God's love. His ability to rescue those pursuing a life far from anything resembling godliness - modern-day lepers - and set free from bondage to sin and destruction. Each Christ-follower's story will be different but is your story fundamentally the same? Do you worship in spirit and in truth, fully aware of the waywardness of your former life and of the depth of His grace?

The Good Shepherd: What He is Doing, Why He is Doing It, and How it's Going to Get Done

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

As Jesus' ministry on earth continues to unfold and His character and ultimate mission come into greater focus, the dividing line becomes increasingly well-defined. With clarity, hearers will either become more devoted or more entrenched in their opposition. For Jesus to call Himself the Good Shepherd is a comfort to many but an outrage to others. Who do YOU say He is?

Faith in the Fire

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Few of us have to endure the trial that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego experienced in Daniel 3 or suffer persecution for our faith like many modern-day evangelists around the world do today. But all of us at some point are hardships, illnesses, losses, and just sometimes the subtle pressure to compromise. This story teaches us about people of faith and what they do when trials come: They trust God when they're tempted and in times of trouble, and when they trust God, they find life.

Lifting the Curse

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Hollywood loves stories about princes who free their kingdoms from curses and oppression. The Gospel is the ultimate story of liberation from evil. Jesus freed us from sin's curse and made us heirs to His kingdom. We are now his ambassadors, sharing the Gospel with others and encouraging them to be reconciled with God.

A Blind Man You'd Better See Yourself In

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

"The blind man in John 9 is someone Christ knows, the world hates, is touched by a sovereign God, who continues in faith, who is lost, was formerly unable to find anything on his own, is sought out by Jesus in grace, a nameless outcast, standing faithfully against the world, transformed, and testifying of his savior. If I didn't just describe you, you might need to ask yourself if you know Him. He is either crazy or He is the Christ."

Sons, Slaves and Freedom Indeed

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

This passage highlights Jesus ministry to the religious leaders who claimed to be children of God but who were in fact enslaved to tradition and legalism. Their main problem was understanding the difference between abiding and doing. Do those of us who claim to love Christ today have a clear understanding of what it means to walk minute by minute in the reality of His love for us and can we see clearly how following a "religion" keeps us from living in the freedom Christ died to offer us?

The Light that will Put You on the List: How to be One of the Most Spiritually Powerful People Today

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Jesus - crazy loving, completely fearless, continually joyful, yet constantly in trouble. In trouble with the spiritual leaders of the day for confronting them with their error. Today, if we hope to let His light shine through us and walk in truth and grace like Jesus did, we can expect to encounter resistance. We will find ourselves inevitably at odds with those who are "pursuing enlightenment" rather than embracing the One who said He was the Light.

Act to Impact Sunday 2012

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Are you seen as someone who is living out the Gospel, someone who is aware of the great needs in our community and our world and are doing something to address them? Some of the common obstacles to serving are that we are unaware of the needs or that we are struggling to meet needs on our own. Watermark hosts Act to Impact each year in an effort to take away the excuses and introduce members and guests to trusted ministry partners. Discover more opportunities to get involved at this link: http://watermarkblogs.org/externalfocus/

The God of Win Win Win Win Win

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

In anticipation of Act to Impact next Sunday, Todd discusses what motivates God. What would motivate God to want us to know His Word, live morally upright lives, and specifically serve Him and His people? The short answer is that it blesses us and others. Todd outlines five things that inevitably happen when we serve.

My Favorite Bible Story that's not in the Bible

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Taking the opportunity to examine a passage that most conservative scholars feel was not part of the original manuscript, Todd discusses textual criticism and solid proof of the Bible's reliability. The story itself - the woman caught in adultery - offers several points about grace, condemnation and legalism.

Hell and Lollipops: Eternal Implications

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

What you think is someday going to have some pretty significant consequences. If you don't think about hell, the Bible suggests that you should. What you think about it, furthermore, can say about about whether you are rightly related to the only One who has the power and authority save you from it.

The Elephant in the Room: Five Barriers to Generous Living

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

All of us have them. Sometimes they're there because we've ignored them for a long time, we've rationalized them, or we just don't have the kind of community around us who can point them out lovingly. What are the elephants in your room that keep you from growing spiritually or relationally? Specifically, what are the elephants that keep you from living a generous life?

Why We Don't Change: Eight Attitudes that will Keep Us Bound to an Old Master

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

With resolve to keep our New Year's resolutions already beginning to fade, we inevitably ask ourselves why we can't seem to change and how we can avoid a relapse into old habits. And why is it, spiritually speaking, that change is so difficult and often so temporal? Todd takes a look at eight attitudes that can hold any of us back and keep us from experiencing the life change that God desires for His children.

An Invitation to the Table

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

As the first reading for our new year on Join the Journey, the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 is easy - and tempting - to skip over. But if we study it carefully, we can learn a lot about Him (He truly is the Son of God, for example), and a lot about our own circumstances (such as the fact that sin doesn't disqualify us from being useful to God.)

The Difference Between Saying "Merry Christmas" and Knowing the Christ of Christmas

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

God doesn't want you just to be ok with His story. He wants our lives to be marked by relationship with us. Have you wondered whether there might be more to Christmas than just a beautiful story or a Christmas spirit we try to capture once a year? If so could it be that you've heard His Words but have never truly acted on them? Hope isn't just a story. It's a new song that changes everything.

God's Presents or God's Presence: Which Will You Choose this Christmas?

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

In the rush to experience a merry Christmas, we usually blow right past God's presence, focusing rather on the presents. Are you willing to put aside the usual frenzy of the holidays this year and spend time considering the gift Mary received by sitting at Jesus' feet and simply abiding with Him? Or will you let Christmas distract you from Christ?

Twenty-four Truths on the Way to Christmas

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Simeon was one of the first individuals in Scripture to see and understand the significance of Jesus' birth. And in this episode we discuss twenty-four timeless truths we can glean from the short passage covering Simeon's encounter with the baby. As we get ready to read through the New Testament in 2012, we take this Sunday to remind ourselves of the importance of reading God's Word consistently and the richness and application that is available for any of us who will take the time to prayerfully consider what God wants to reveal.

ThanksLiving: Living Life to the Full

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Is our faith sometimes like a really high-tech gadget? It's loaded with features and functionality - power, in other words - that we don't ever fully leverage? In this second episode of ThanksLiving, we see that truly understanding what we've been given by grace through faith will change our perspective, getting our focus not on what we don't have but the great needs all around us.

ThanksLiving: Living in Need of Jesus

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

God calls us to live in a state of constant thankfulness. Today's passage tells the story of ten healed lepers. Why did only one return to thank Jesus? What happened to the other nine? Do we today truly understand what Jesus has done for us and our great need for Him?

The Division, the Defense, and the Duty: Breaking the Spiral of Silence

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Reactions to Jesus have been remarkably consistent over the last 2,000 years. Whether it's the intelligentsia of our day or the Pharisees of that time, Jesus causes division that has almost always found His detractor calling His followers "deluded" or worse. Are you keeping quiet in the face of this opposition or growing stronger in your ability to make a defense for truth?

John 7: The Bible Collapses Here

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

These five short verses bring into sharp focus the promise, prophecy and ministry of Messiah, God's covenants with His chosen people, and the importance and role of the Church in God's timeline. Can we clearly articulate the place of Israel in that timeline and do we fully understand our significance as "the temple" and as "living water" in God's story of redemption?

The Decision that Leads to Division: Who is this Jesus?

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

As more people hear about and experience Jesus' ministry, His detractors become angrier and the disagreements about His mission get more heated. Today, with the benefit of perspective, what is our excuse for bowing to cultural norms or the pressure to avoid making others uncomfortable? In this passage Jesus shows us that we will always encounter opposition. Will we face that opposition or keep quiet, surrounded by people desperate to know where they can find living water (v. 38)?

The Sovereign and All-Satisfying Jesus: Will You Follow Him?

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Jesus' teachings were often considered radical, shocking, and even offensive. When He said that only those who ate His flesh and drank His blood had life, the crowds who had been following Him left in disgust. However, the disciples realized that only Jesus had the words of life, and they continued to believe in Him. Likewise, we must satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst by believing in Jesus alone, even when it is difficult.

The Most Grumbled About, Argument-Inducing, Difficult, Disciple-Losing Message Jesus Ever Taught

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived with the greatest message ever given because He is the visible image of the invisible God. Despite the perfection of His message and person, His people grumbled, argued, found His words difficult and many withdrew. The question is: What are you going to do with His great grace, His great love and His great message? In this episode you'll learn seven great truths about God, Christ and grace, and figure out today if you are part of those who follow or the multitude who withdraw.

What Must be True in Our Lives if We are Going to Say "Christ is Enough"

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Will anyone want to know about our Shepherd if we are constantly in pursuit of the same things that the world around us pursues? Basing his message on Christ's statement "I am the Bread of Life", Todd talks about what our lives should look like when we are able to say with complete integrity, "Christ is enough" no matter what our circumstances.

Obsessed with Success

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

"Man's ambition is to make a name for himself that is greater than the Lord's. We have swapped the Tower of Babel with an obsession to be successful... to do things our way, not God's." Blake Holmes discusses a well-known story, how it relates to us, and how we can topple the towers in our own lives.

Making the Invisible Church Visible: Why We Must and How We Can

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Making the Invisible Church Visible: Why We Must and How We Can Chuck Colson | 10-02-2011 | Selected Scripture Message 2 of 15 In these times when our nation seems to have lost faith in leadership and in the need to discern and live by absolute moral truth, the church's responsibility is greater than ever. Chuck Colson (www.ColsonCenter.org) answers the question, "How can we speak truth to a culture that doesn't want to hear it?"

The Danger of Loving the Provision More Than the Provider

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Following the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus offers the lengthiest analysis of one of His miracles in the Gospels. Today, much like the crowds following Jesus, we follow Him with our own agendas and desires. But He tells His audience ? them and us ? that we are looking to Him to give them bread when He Himself is the bread. Can we truly say regardless of our circumstances that He is enough?

The Perfect Shepherd. For Green Pastures and Violent Waters.

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This passage covers the aftermath of Jesus' miraculous feeding of the five thousand. It brings up several questions: Why, when He had just given one more proof of His deity did He seek prayerful solitude? Why did He not only pull the disciples away from the scene but direct them into a fierce storm? And why, when He walked to them on the water did it appear that He was going to pass them by?

Words to Stand On and Our Platform of Hope and Truth

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In Joshua 4, the Lord instructed the Israelites to built an altar to His faithfulness. As we celebrate the opportunity to expand our ministry, we take this Sunday to remember what the Lord has done in our midst over the last ten years and to remind ourselves of the vision He?s given us. And it is definitely not about building bigger buildings.

Remember and Remind: The Church Gathering

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Now that we are preparing to move into our permanent worship center, it's a good time to step back and ask ourselves the real reason we meet as a body on Sundays. Reverence, study and form are the main objective of many churches' services. Although these elements may be part of our gathering, we do not want to make the primary focus of the Sunday service while we pay little or attention to the remaining 6 days and 23 hours of the week. Todd explains that we gather on Sundays to be reminded of our mission and God?s goodness.

The Heart of Watermark: Our Strategy

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Transformation was a central theme in Jesus' ministry. What is surprising is how little of it occurs in the church today. Looking at five hurdles that inhibit transformation (disbelief, isolation, laziness, self-centeredness and materialism), Executive Pastor John Cox discusses what God's Word has to say about each of these impediments and encourages us to press forward in our journey toward Christlikeness.

How the Body of Christ Can Look Like the Head: Church as God Intended

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Todd covers the first portion of the Connecting Point new member curriculum in this episode. What does an imperfect church on a perfect mission look like? Here are seven things Scripture tells us that we are to be committed to if we want to fulfill our calling to be and make disciples.

The Lord is Our Provider

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Most of us assume ? usually unconsciously ? that God?s character mirrors that of our imperfect earthly fathers. But as the Israelites learned during their escape from oppression in Egypt and their season in the desert - and as we can experience today - God is a good father who provides for His children by protecting us from our enemies, providing for our daily needs, pointing us to truth, and presiding with us on an ever-present basis.

The Lord is Our Redeemer

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

As the Israelites were delivered from their Egyptian oppressors, we have been delivered from the debt of judgment and death we owe because of our sin. Equipping Pastor Blake Holmes takes a close look at the first Passover and how it signified redemption for the Israelites and foreshadows the final, perfect sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary for our salvation. Have we properly understood what this redemption means for us? And if we have, are we telling others?

The Lord is Our Hope

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We will all face situations in life that can cause us to doubt either our ability to change ourselves or God?s ability or willingness to influence our circumstances. But we can learn a lot about God?s power and His character by taking a look at the plight of the Israelites in Egypt. The children of the promise, they were groaning under oppression and feeling abandoned by God. Equipping Pastor Blake Holmes defines "hope" and explains why our hope in the God of the Scriptures is never unfounded.

Being Led through God's Will

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

What is the will of God and how can we discern it? In the concluding episode to his series ?Led: Discerning God?s Will for Our Life?, Jonathan discusses four pursuits laid out for us in God?s Word. Four things that we can commit to and know unequivocally that they are God?s best for us.

The Wall of Bronze and Whose Job it is to be It

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Our country has changed a lot over the last hundred years. One disturbing trend is America's declining reliance upon God's Word for wisdom. An active church full of men and women who observe biblical teaching and encourage our country to do the same offers the only solution to this dilemma. Therefore, we must strive for complete dependence upon God's Spirit through prayer and for full submission to His will through Bible intake.

The Wolf at the Door and Whose Job it is to Take Him On

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Is there a conspiracy afoot to destroy the greatness of America? If there is, it is nothing more than some manifestation of the same "conspiracy" that started in Genesis 3. If we understand human nature in light of God's Word, our country?s problem is more accurately described as a matter of obedience to our eternal Father, not an attack on America's founding fathers. Are we ready to take on on the real culprit ? the ineffective church ? or is it perhaps easier to blame secular philosophies for the state of our families, country and world?

Being Led to Greatness

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Our ideas about what makes someone great range involve everything from career to accomplishments to possessions. As Paul tells the Philippian church, however, our notions of greatness aim too low. That true greatness is experienced when we serve others, grasp and live out the Gospel, and abide eternally with God.

Being Led at Work

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Dissatisfaction with work is a common theme in today?s culture. The reason for this dissatisfaction can be traced to three common misunderstandings: the purpose of our work, the way we should work, and the way we should view our work. This episode helps us put work in its proper context and to focus on work as a means of carrying out the real work God has prepared for us.

Navigating Decisions

smiller@watermark.org (Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Holy Spirit remains something of a mystery to most believers. For some the subject can create doubt, skepticism and even apprehension. Young Adults Director Jonathan Pokluda breaks down what it means to be led by the Holy Spirit as we process decisions. What does it look like when we trust in the Lord with all our understanding, we refuse to lean on our own understanding, and we acknowledge Him in all our ways, expecting that He?ll make our paths straight?