Dogwood Church Podcast

Built Different - A Joy That Holds Wk 1 July 19 2026

What does it mean to live with a joy that truly holds, even when circumstances seem overwhelming? This powerful exploration of Philippians chapter one invites us into a transformative understanding of Christian discernment and authentic joy. We discover that joy isn't merely a feeling dependent on our circumstances, but rather a settled delight in God rooted in who He is rather than what's happening around us. The Apostle Paul's prayer for the Philippian church becomes our roadmap: that our love would grow in knowledge and discernment, enabling us to approve what is superior and live lives that are pure, blameless, and filled with the fruit of righteousness. We're challenged to move beyond simply Googling answers or following the crowd, and instead to engage our God-given minds in making wise moral decisions. Through a practical three-step process of knowing God and His Word, discerning by applying truth to our situations, and approving by choosing what is best, we learn to navigate the complexities of modern life with biblical wisdom. The beautiful promise is this: when we live lives marked by discernment, we become people who are built different, radiating a joy that causes others to take notice and ask what makes us different.

Will Your Faith Survive When Life Falls Apart? July 12 2026

What happens when God doesn't do what we want Him to do? This profound question sits at the heart of an exploration into the nature of authentic faith. Through the lens of Job's devastating losses and Judas Iscariot's ultimate betrayal, we're confronted with two radically different responses to disappointment with God. Job, who lost everything in a single day—his wealth, his children, his health—fell to the ground and worshiped. Judas, when Jesus didn't establish the earthly kingdom he expected, walked away entirely. The contrast reveals something crucial: suffering doesn't create our faith, it reveals what kind of faith we already have. Are we following Jesus transactionally, expecting Him to serve us and give us the life we want? Or are we following Him transformationally, recognizing that we serve Him, not the other way around? The ancient conversation between God and Satan over Job poses a haunting question that echoes through millennia: would anyone still love God if He stopped giving them the blessings they want? Job's answer—'though He slay me, I will trust Him'—demonstrates that genuine gospel faith clings to God not for what He gives, but for who He is. This message challenges us to examine our own motives and recognize that everything we have is grace, not something God owes us. When we can't trace His hand, we must trust His heart.

Father's Day 2026 June 21

This message takes us into the Garden of Gethsemane where we discover profound truths about spiritual warfare and temptation. Drawing from Mark 14:37-38, we're confronted with a reality that challenges our assumptions: even when we grow closer to Jesus, temptation doesn't disappear. The disciples represent each of us—sincere in our love for Christ, yet struggling with human frailty. Jesus reveals the heart of our battle: 'the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.' This isn't about trying harder to be like Jesus through sheer willpower; it's about recognizing our desperate need for His grace. The message unpacks practical wisdom for resisting habitual sin, starting with surprisingly practical advice like getting enough sleep, and building to the profound spiritual armor described in Ephesians 6. We're called to 'watch and pray'—not as a one-time commitment, but as a lifestyle of spiritual alertness. The beautiful truth emerges that we're not fighting this battle alone or in our own strength. Through wrapping our minds in the gospel daily, yielding our will to God's righteousness, and actively sharing our faith, we find the resources to say 'not my will, but Yours be done.' This is the grace-filled path from habitual failure to habitual faithfulness.

The Worship God is Looking for June 14 2026

This powerful exploration of worship challenges us to move beyond our limited understanding of what it means to honor God. Drawing from Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4, we're confronted with a transformative truth: worship isn't just about Sunday morning songs or religious gatherings—it's about valuing God above everything else and ordering our entire lives around that value. The message exposes how easily we can stand in the middle of something historic and weighty, yet miss its significance because our minds are on lesser things. We're invited to examine what truly occupies the highest place in our hearts—is it our careers, our families, our appearance, or our comfort? These aren't bad things, but when they become God-sized things, they distort our lives because they were never designed to carry the weight of our worship. Only God is worthy of that weight. The call to worship 'in spirit and in truth' means we must ground ourselves in the unchanging Word of God while allowing the Holy Spirit to transform information in our heads into affection in our hearts and obedience in our lives. This isn't about religious performance; it's about authentic relationship with the One who created us, redeemed us, and is actively seeking worshipers who will love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

The Christian, Our Will, and the Will of God June 7 2026

This message takes us into the Garden of Gethsemane, where we encounter one of the most profound prayers ever uttered: 'Not my will, but yours be done.' At the heart of this teaching is an exploration of what it means to be truly human—created in God's image with a will of our own, yet profoundly affected by sin. We discover that our minds have been darkened, our affections misdirected, our consciences confused, and our wills enslaved to sin. Even when we know what's right, we often lack the power to choose it. But here's the beautiful truth: through Christ's redemption, we're made new. Our capacity to discern God's will is restored, our desires are transformed, and we're given the power to actually choose obedience. The message challenges us to embrace daily surrender—not as a loss of identity, but as the path to finding our truest selves. When we pray 'thy will be done,' we're not becoming puppets or losing our personhood; we're discovering that God's will, rooted in perfect love and wisdom, is actually the most satisfying thing we could ever experience. This isn't a one-time commitment but a daily, conscious choice to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him—trusting that our Heavenly Father knows what's best for us.