Spirit-Driven Changes :: Transitions

Presented by Pastor Steve Shields at Curwensville Alliance on 7/28/2019

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been talking about making personal transitions that will help us become who God intends us to become.

In this podcast, Pastor Steve revisits each of them and notes the underlying factor in living out these transitions.

Transitioning from Avoiding Pain to Embracing God :: Transitions

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 721/2019 by Pastor Steve Shields

How do you react to pain and to suffering?

I know – you react just like I do. You work to avoid it.

But having a mindset that wants to avoid pain and suffering at all costs can cause you problems when the inevitable pain and suffering comes into you life.

This podcast speaks to help us transition from avoiding pain and suffering at all costs to embracing God in the midst of suffering.

From the Everyday Kingdom to the Eternal Kingdom :: Transitions

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 7/14/2019 by Pastor Steve Shields

We live in an everyday world, but as Christians, we are part of an eternal kingdom. The Eternal Kingdom should be where we set our hearts and minds. It’s from the Eternal Kingdom that we draw our basis for living.

But the Everyday Kingdom tends to push it out until we find ourselves not just living here IN this everyday world, but we live as though we are OF this everyday world. The Everyday Kingdom becomes our identity.

In this podcast, Pastor Steve works to help us transition from the Everyday Kingdom to reflecting the Eternal Kingdom.

From Shallowness to Depth :: Transitions

Presented at Curwensville Alliance Church by Pastor Steve Shields on 7/7/2019

I know you’ve done this. If you’re on social media, you’ve almost certainly done this.

You’ve looked as someone’s status and thought, “Wow — that person has the depth of a mud-puddle.” Their status, their comments, their complaints — they scream shallowness.

And, if you are a thinking person, you’ve seen some posts and thought, “Whoa — that’s some deep stuff there.”

No one wants to be thought of as shallow. All of us want to think we are deep. But are we?

As a Christian, how much spiritual depth do you have?

This podcast helps us see some symptoms of spiritual shallowness and invites us to transition into the deep.

From Pushing to Praying :: Transitions

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 6/30/2019 by Pastor Steve Shields

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Are you someone who tends to PUSH your way through life? The answer might surprise you.

Frank Sinatra sang a song about high hopes. I learned it as a kid.

Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant

But he’s got high hopes,
he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

So any time your gettin’ low
‘stead of lettin’ go
Just remember that ant

Oops there goes another rubber tree plant

 Songwriters: JIMMY VAN HEUSEN, SAMMY CAHN
© BARTON MUSIC CORPORATION
For non-commercial use only.
Data From: LyricFind

My mom sang me that song when I was a child.

I tried to use it with my wife as an excuse why I am so persistent in my desire for that extra slice of pie — or whatever. My wife said, “Look — when you’re talking about moving a rubber-tree plant, that kind of persistence is a good thing. But when you push people — that’s something different.

She’s right — as usual.

Pushing is a problem.

This podcast looks at the life of Jacob and shows us how to transition from pushing to praying.
-Pastor Steve