Gathering Place Church

Gathering Place Church

4.7 (10)
RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Podcast by Gathering Place Church

5D AGO

Forgiveness Sunday ( The Explusion of Adam)

This powerful message centers on forgiveness as the foundational architecture of our salvation and spiritual progress. Drawing from Matthew 6 and Matthew 18, we're reminded that Jesus commands unlimited forgiveness—70 times seven—not as a suggestion but as essential to experiencing God's mercy ourselves. The teaching explores 'Forgiveness Sunday,' an ancient church tradition where entire communities would practice asking for and extending forgiveness before entering seasons of fasting and preparation for Easter. We learn that fasting without forgiveness is merely a fleshly exercise, lacking spiritual power. The message traces humanity's journey from Adam's exile from paradise back to restoration through Christ, the second Adam, who was crucified outside the city but resurrected in a garden—showing us the pathway home. Forgiveness isn't just about releasing others; it's about setting ourselves free from the hostage situation of bitterness and anger. When we refuse to forgive, we block the Holy Spirit's work in our lives and poison the atmosphere around us. The stakes are eternally high: if we don't forgive from our hearts, we cannot receive God's forgiveness. This isn't easy work—forgiveness looks like a cross—but it's the medicine that heals the wound Adam's fall left open in all humanity. As we prepare our hearts for Easter, we're challenged to make forgiveness a lifestyle, a daily rhythm that moves us from exile back toward paradise.

39 min
FEB 16

The Prayer of the Heart

The Prayer of the Heart by Gathering Place Church

46 min
FEB 8

Lord Jesus Christ, Have Mercy on Me

This powerful exploration of Matthew 15 invites us into the transformative encounter between Jesus and a Canaanite woman whose desperate love for her demon-possessed daughter drove her to cry out for mercy. We discover that mercy isn't merely leniency from judgment—it's the loving kindness, charity, and goodness of God flowing freely into our brokenness. The woman's journey teaches us that Jesus sometimes meets our prayers with silence not as rejection, but as purification, drawing out deeper desire and faith from within us. Her humility is stunning: when Jesus initially refuses her request, explaining He came first to Israel, she doesn't walk away offended. Instead, she worships Him and declares she'll accept even the crumbs from the Master's table. This posture of radical humility becomes the heavenly chariot upon which divine mercy arrives. We're challenged to examine our own approach to God—do we come with pride, thinking we have it figured out, or with the contrite heart that beats its chest saying 'have mercy on me, a sinner'? The ancient Jesus Prayer—'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me'—emerges as a practice of continuous surrender, bringing our minds to our hearts, allowing prayer to become our very breath. As we face our own trials, whether for ourselves or those we love, we're invited to stop asking God to simply remove difficulty and instead pray that His mercy would enter into the middle of our circumstances, transforming us in the process.

57 min
FEB 1

The Irresistable Love of Christ

This message invites us into a profound exploration of God's irresistible love—a love that never changes despite our wandering. Drawing from the parable of the prodigal son, we discover a revolutionary truth: when we sin and fall away, God's disposition toward us doesn't shift from love to anger. Rather, it's our own perception that changes. We create an alternate reality where we imagine God as an angry judge waiting to condemn us, when in reality He's the loving Father running toward us with open arms. The sermon challenges us to examine 1 Corinthians 13's definition of love not as mere poetry, but as a mirror for our own lives. By inserting our names into these verses—'Does [my name] suffer long? Is [my name] kind?'—we begin the transformative work of becoming love incarnate. The call is clear: we must move beyond intellectual understanding to experiential knowledge of God's love. When we truly encounter the Holy Spirit's tangible presence, no one can reason us out of our faith because we've tasted something real. This message reminds us that tenderness, meekness, and patience aren't weaknesses but require tremendous strength and self-mastery. As we cultivate these virtues, we become drink offerings poured out for others, just as Paul described his own life—finally living out the love we profess.

44 min
JAN 10

Every Crowning is a Funeral

Marriage is not just a ceremony—it's a coronation. In the Orthodox Church, we don't call it a "wedding" but a "crowning," where husband and wife become a small kingdom, a domestic church. These crowns represent both kingship and martyrdom: the call to serve one another sacrificially, dying daily to self. At the Wedding of Cana, Christ transformed water into wine, revealing that when He enters our marriages, ordinary love becomes sacramental joy. Marriage restores what was lost in Paradise. It's not a concession for those who can't be celibate—it's a path to salvation, a workshop where patience, humility, and forgiveness are forged. As Tertullian wrote, "How beautiful the marriage of two Christians, two who are one in hope, one in desire, one in discipline... Where there are two together, there also He is present." Every act of forgiveness, fidelity, and prayer renews your vow. Marriage sanctifies us by giving us someone to live for outside ourselves. #OrthodoxMarriage #SacramentalLove #CrownedInChrist #MarriageAndSalvation #DomesticChurch

59 min
JAN 4

The Incarnation of Christ (Pt.4)

This powerful message invites us into the profound mystery of the Incarnation through the lens of Luke 14's parable of the great banquet. We're confronted with a challenging truth: God has prepared an extraordinary feast—a royal wedding—and extended an invitation to all of us, yet we often respond with excuses. The text reveals three common obstacles that keep us from fully embracing God's call: worldly entanglements (the piece of ground), unbridled passions and senses (the five oxen), and even our closest relationships (marriage and family). What's striking is that these aren't necessarily bad things—they're the everyday realities of life. But when they become excuses that prevent us from ordering our lives around Christ, they rob us of the abundant life He offers. The sermon draws a beautiful parallel between this ancient parable and our modern lives, asking us to examine what schedules, commitments, and priorities we've allowed to take precedence over our relationship with God. The invitation isn't just to salvation as a one-time event, but to an ongoing marriage with Christ—a daily dying to self, a continual putting on of His garment, a lifelong journey of becoming children of God. As we stand at the threshold of a new year, we're challenged to lay down our excuses and respond to the compelling invitation that has always been extended to us.

56 min
12/28/2025

The Incarnation of Christ Changes Everything

The Incarnation of Christ Changes Everything by Gathering Place Church

32 min
12/14/2025

God Becoming Man (The Incarnation of Christ)

Christmas Series | The Incarnation of Christ | Part 1 | Dec 14th 2025

50 min

4.7

out of 5

10 Ratings

Podcast by Gathering Place Church

Creator

Gathering Place Church
Years Active

2016 - 2026
Episodes

311
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© All rights reserved
Show Website

Gathering Place Church