First Love Church

Jesus confronts our deepest assumptions about wealth and security in this eye-opening exploration of Luke 12. What begins with a simple inheritance dispute quickly transforms into a profound teaching on greed, possessions, and what truly constitutes a meaningful life.

Through the powerful parable of the rich fool who built bigger barns for his abundant harvest—only to die before enjoying any of it—we're invited to exa...

Have you ever found yourself trapped in a religious system built on fear rather than love? Most of us have been taught that spiritual growth means following rules and managing sin, but what if there's a radically different way to experience God?

In this transformative teaching, we explore the revolutionary concept of living in the flow of the Holy Spirit—a way of being that moves beyond religious obligation into genui...

The Holy Spirit wants access to your whole house—not just the tidy rooms you're comfortable sharing. Are you ready to surrender your thinking to God's transformative power?

When we enter the waters of baptism, we make a powerful declaration: "I surrender my life to God." But this surrender goes far beyond a one-time ritual. As Martin Luther beautifully expressed, we're called to "live wet"...

The Spirit breaks rules. It demolishes barriers. It interrupts our neat theological packages. Through the revolutionary story of Peter and Cornelius, we witness what happens when divine inclusion confronts religious exclusion.

Peter, raised with strict Jewish purity laws, encounters a vision challenging everything he believed about who belongs in God's family. Simultaneously, Cornelius—a Roman officer representing the...

Have you ever felt that despite your spiritual efforts, God's voice seems frustratingly distant? You're not alone. This episode dives deep into the revolutionary concept that the divine guidance we seek is already within us—we've just forgotten how to listen.

Our spiritual journey often derails when we expect God to perform according to our specifications, like a cosmic vending machine. When those expectatio...

Have you ever been in such exquisite pain that you forgot how to breathe? That moment when something so natural becomes impossible reveals a profound spiritual truth about our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

This powerful message explores what happens when we forget the nearness of God during our darkest hours. Through a moving story about childbirth, Pastor Heather illustrates how sometimes we need another's prese...

The sacred celebration of Pentecost invites us into a profound spiritual truth: unity isn't found in isolation but in understanding and connection. This episode explores the supernatural reality that draws us together despite our differences.

What does it mean that the Holy Spirit serves as our "advocate who will never leave you"? We unpack how this divine presence transforms loneliness into connection, offe...

What does it truly mean to be one with God and with each other? In this deeply moving exploration of Jesus's prayer in John 17, we discover the radical nature of unity that transcends mere agreement or conformity.

The journey begins with a fresh perspective on resurrection—not just as a historical event, but as an everyday reality we witness in healing, transformed thinking, and nature itself. Like Florida's resu...

What truly identifies you as a follower of Jesus? Is it your theological knowledge, church attendance, or something else entirely? In this thought-provoking message from First Love Church, Thomas unpacks Jesus' final and most important commandment from John 13: "Love each other just as I have loved you."

This message offers fresh perspective on what makes Jesus' call to love "new"—not the conc...

"I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me." These words from Jesus offer profound comfort in a world where we often feel unseen and unknown. What would change in your life if you truly believed you were fully known and completely loved by God?

Our spiritual journeys are often hindered not by what's absent, but by what we're blind to seeing. Like a guitar placed in an unexpected case,...

What if the triumphant entry wasn't triumphant at all? Rather, it was Jesus staging a powerful protest against the empire. While Rome paraded through Jerusalem's main gates with war horses and soldiers, Jesus deliberately chose a different path—riding a borrowed colt through the back entrance, surrounded not by military might but by ordinary people who'd witnessed his miracles.

This Holy Week, we're exp...

The power of resurrection isn't merely a future promise—it's an invitation to awakening right now. 

When we hear the Easter story, we often focus solely on Christ conquering physical death and securing our eternal future. But this powerful message from First Love Church reveals how resurrection transforms our present reality, too. 

Death's dominion has already been broken. As Pastor Heather describe...

Mary Magdalene's simple yet powerful testimony, "I have seen the Lord," forms the foundation of Christian witness throughout history. Like a neighbor pointing out crocuses blooming beneath Chicago snow, Mary shows us where to look for hope when our circumstances feel frozen in grief. Her commission as the first resurrection witness reminds us that each of us carries a similar calling—to recognize and proclaim where w...

"I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me." These words from Jesus in John's Gospel offer profound comfort in a world where we often feel like strangers, orphans, or forgotten souls.

What story are you telling yourself? It might be limiting what you can see. Like the pastor who couldn't find his guitar because he was convinced someone had left it in the car—when it was safely stored ...

What story are you telling yourself? In this powerful exploration of Mary's extravagant worship, we discover the transformative practice of "making the beautiful the story" in our lives and relationships.

When Mary broke open her alabaster jar containing perfume worth an entire year's wages to anoint Jesus' feet, she was immediately criticized. Judas questioned her extravagance, suggesting the mone...

What happens when we shift from being the grateful recipient of grace to becoming its gatekeeper? In this profound exploration of Jesus' parable of the father with two sons, we discover that this isn't simply a story about a prodigal returning home—it's about two different ways we can miss the heart of God.

The religious leaders criticized Jesus for welcoming "notorious sinners" to his teachings. I...

A religious scholar asks Jesus what must be done to inherit eternal life, setting the stage for one of Jesus' most profound teachings on compassion. When the scholar tries to limit his obligations by asking "Who is my neighbor?", Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan—a story that continues to challenge our assumptions about who deserves our care.

The parable follows a Jewish man who is beaten...

Imagine a world where love and hope challenge the very foundations of societal norms. In this episode, we journey through the Advent season, exploring the profound impact of these themes in our lives. We revisit the powerful narrative of Mary and Elizabeth from the Gospel of Luke, revealing how their courage and acceptance of divine will set an example for us all. Through this story, we uncover the importance of consenting to co-cr...

Have you ever wondered how peace can emerge from the midst of chaos? In our latest episode, as we follow the journey through Advent, exploring the profound lessons from the story of John the Baptist and Zechariah's transformative song. We promise you’ll discover the significance of doubt, silence, and eventual redemption, as we reflect on the start of a new liturgical year filled with hope and anticipation. Through personal st...