Carpenter's Way Messages

Carpenter's Way Fellowship

"Belong by Grace. Free by Truth. A community following Jesus together." Weekly messages from Carpenter's Way Fellowship in Groves, Texas. Pastored by Jesse Lofton.

  1. 5d ago

    Weird Things Christians Do With Money

    What does a three-foot pizza have to do with tithing? Part of the Weird Things Christians Do series, we open with an unforgettable story about giving something away just for the joy of it, then dig into what the Bible actually says about tithing, giving, and generosity.Turns out the Old Testament required three separate tithes, adding up to closer to 20 to 30 percent of income, while the New Testament is surprisingly quiet on the 10 percent number. What it isn't quiet about is generosity: the story of a poor Macedonian church that begged for the chance to give, the reminder that God loves a cheerful giver, and the wild history of a Roman emperor who tried to copy Christian generosity and still couldn't pull it off. All of it circles back to one line from Jesus: where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Giving is an invitation to let go, to trust, and to point our hearts toward what actually matters. Wherever you're starting from, we'd love to have you in the room as we keep working through what it means to follow Jesus with open hands.#CarpentersWay #money #christian #oldtestament #church =============================TABLE OF CONTENTS: =============================00:00 Trying to give away pizza05:35 Discussing American generosity07:11 Charitable giving trends in the US10:19 Discussing tithes and celebrations13:30 Optional nature of tithing18:05 Generosity of the poorest church22:01 The generosity of Christ24:44 Sharing Abundance for Fairness25:50 Saving for a Special Anniversary31:14 The blessings of generous giving34:35 The failure of resource-focused solutions38:37 Prayer for Generosity and Gratitude39:34 Closing prayer and blessing=============================VIDEO LINKS:=============================Follow us on social media and make sure you subscribe for more content:►► Subscribe Now! ► https://www.carpentersway.com/subscribe YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@carpentersway?sub_confirmation=1 WEB: https://www.carpentersway.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/carpentersway/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/carpentersway/

  2. Jul 6

    Why We Sing & Why We Preach

    Ever notice that every church service opens with music and always includes someone teaching from the same book, week after week? Most gatherings never do that, so what's actually going on there? Music has been part of church since the very beginning because it gives words to something we can't always explain: the feeling of being homesick for a place we haven't been yet. That's the same ache behind a country song about a river most of us have never seen. We sing because we're waiting on a kingdom, because God has done something worth remembering, and because a song sticks with us longer than a lecture ever could. Preaching works the same way, not as one person's opinion, but as someone pointing back to a truth they didn't invent, so that a whole room of people can hear it and actually believe it for themselves. None of this is about performance. It's participation, in the truth, in the waiting, and in the life we're growing into together. If you've ever sat in a service wondering why it's built the way it is, this one's for you. #carpentersway #songs #christianfaith #church ============================= TABLE OF CONTENTS: ============================= 00:00 High school dating story 03:40 Explaining Common Church Practices 07:08 Discussing the origins of music 10:12 Feeling nostalgic about Shenandoah River 15:35 Singing about witnessing God's works 16:10 God's gift of salvation 21:51 Singing tips for church services 23:21 Discussing emotional resilience 28:16 Explaining salvation and belief 29:16 Importance of preaching and sharing faith 32:16 Importance of belonging to a church 36:49 Teaching and Singing in Church ============================= VIDEO LINKS: ============================= Follow us on social media and make sure you subscribe for more content: ►► Subscribe Now! ► https://www.carpentersway.com/subscribe YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@carpentersway?sub_confirmation=1WEB: https://www.carpentersway.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/carpentersway/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/carpentersway/

  3. Jun 28

    Why We Take Communion

    Have you ever felt too embarrassed to ask a question at church because you think everyone else already gets it? What if baptism and the Lord's Supper aren't as confusing as they feel once someone finally explains them? In this message from our series Weird Things Christians Do, Jesse Lofton tackles two practices that can feel strange to outsiders but carry deep meaning for those who understand them. Jesse opens with a story about a friend from Nigeria who expected something very different at an American retirement party, a reminder that culture shapes our expectations of what feels normal. From there he walks through the four major views on baptism, picture, pledge, cleansing, and doorway, and explains why Carpenter's Way reads scripture as baptism being a picture, an outward sign of an inward change that has already happened. Using Acts 2:41 and Acts 19, Jesse shows that baptism is not what saves us but what saved people do, a response of obedience and celebration after we have received the gospel. The message then moves into the Lord's Supper, unpacking it through three lenses, recollection, participation, and anticipation. Jesse traces the meal back to the Passover in Exodus 24, through Jesus instituting the new covenant in First Corinthians 11, all the way forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19. He closes by inviting the church to examine their hearts before sharing communion together, reminding everyone that nobody should have to worship alone. Watch the full message and walk through this time of communion with us.

    Why We Take Communion

  4. Jun 14

    Nobody Taught Me This

    Have you ever known you should pray but had no idea where to even start? Or maybe you've been praying for years and still feel like something's missing, like you're just going through the motions and not really connecting?In this message, Pastor Jesse Lofton opens a brand new five week series taking an honest look at the things Christians do every week but rarely stop to understand. This week the focus is on prayer and meditation. Jesse walks through Luke 11 where the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, unpacks the pattern of the Lord's Prayer piece by piece, and then gets practical with five simple ways to actually build a prayer life that sticks. He also takes the church through a live guided meditation on Psalm 136 and the phrase that changes everything: His steadfast love endures forever.If you've ever felt dissatisfied with your prayer life, or you just want to understand what prayer is really supposed to feel like, this one's for you. Subscribe and join us every week at Carpenter's Way in Mid County, Texas.

    Nobody Taught Me This

  5. Jun 7

    Still a Long Way Off

    Have you ever been so far from home that you forgot what home even felt like? Have you ever wondered if the door is still open for you after everything you've done? In this message from Luke 15, Pastor Jesse Lofton walks through all three parables in one sitting, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, and ties them together with one powerful thread. Something was lost, something was found, and heaven threw a party. Whether you are the one who wandered off, the coin that slipped through the cracks, or the older brother who stayed home and got bitter, Jesus has a place for you at the table. The Father is not sitting inside wondering if you will come back. He is on the front porch with the binoculars out, watching and waiting for you. Luke 15 is not just a feel-good story. It is an antidote for self-righteousness and a vaccine against the temptation to decide who belongs and who does not. God's love is personal and individualized. He loves you as if you were the only person in the room. Watch this message and let that truth land somewhere deep. And if this encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

    Still a Long Way Off

  6. May 31

    Make The Peace

    Have you ever tried to make a deal with someone who had no authority to make it? What if the only person with the real authority on how your life is supposed to work has already told you exactly how to live it? In this final message of the Good Life series, we finish the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 and land on the last three. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. Blessed are you when others revile you and lie about you on His account. The outcomes sound like everything you have always wanted. To be called a son or daughter of God, to be on the right side of history, and to have a great reward stored up in heaven. But the path there is the part that costs something. There is a difference between keeping the peace and making the peace, and Jesus went first to show us the difference. It cost Him everything. And as you grow in Christlikeness, you will pursue righteousness, make peace in the hard places, and face friction as a result. That is not a sign you did something wrong. That is a sign you are living in the right kingdom under the right King.

    Make The Peace

  7. May 17

    Hungry For More

    Have you ever chased a version of the good life only to finally get it and still feel completely empty inside? What if everything the world told you would satisfy you has been pointing in the wrong direction all along?In this second message of the Good Life series, we continue in Matthew chapter 5 and dig into the next three Beatitudes. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. These are not warm fuzzy sentiments. They are a kingdom manifesto spoken first to the broken, the dismissed and the desperate people who had no claim to anything and yet were exactly who Jesus was talking to.The outcomes Jesus promises are real satisfaction, abundant mercy and the ability to actually see and know God clearly. But the path to those outcomes runs straight through a hunger for what this world cannot give, a choice to extend mercy even when it costs everything, and a heart with no hidden agenda, fully surrendered to the lordship of Jesus. These postures do not make you good. They are what happens when Jesus makes you new.

    Hungry For More

  8. May 10

    Upside Down Kingdom

    Have you ever chased a version of the good life only to finally get it and still feel empty? What if Jesus already figured out the recipe and has been waiting for you to ask? In this first message of a new series on the Beatitudes, we open in Matthew chapter 5 where Jesus lays out His upside down manifesto for the Kingdom of God. The Sermon on the Mount is not just a list of rules. It is a steering document for the kind of life that actually satisfies. And the surprising part is that the path to the good life runs straight through the things we spend our whole lives trying to avoid. Spiritual poverty. Grief. Meekness. The good life begins when you stop pretending you have it figured out and admit you are spiritually bankrupt without Jesus. It grows when you let yourself mourn what is broken in the world and in yourself. And it takes shape when your strength is no longer running wild but quietly submitted to the lordship of Christ. The Beatitudes are not a checklist. They are the natural posture of someone who has been rescued and knows it.

    Upside Down Kingdom
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"Belong by Grace. Free by Truth. A community following Jesus together." Weekly messages from Carpenter's Way Fellowship in Groves, Texas. Pastored by Jesse Lofton.

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  • Creator
    Carpenter's Way Fellowship
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Carpenter's Way Fellowship
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    Carpenter's Way Messages